The Recall Desk
Our severity:HighNHTSA·15V171000·Announced 2015-03-24

Ford Recalls 2011-2013 Explorers for Door Handle Spring Defect

Ford is recalling 2011-2013 Explorers because an interior door handle spring may unseat, preventing the handle from returning to its stowed position. This could cause the door to unlatch in a side impact crash.

What this means for you

Our assessment, not the agency’s: severity 3/5 (High).

Real risk of harm even if no illness or injury has been reported yet. Stop using the product and follow the agency's guidance.

Our severity reasoning: The recall involves a structural vehicle defect where doors may unlatch in a crash, increasing the risk of personal injury, which aligns with the 'High' severity criteria for risk-of-harm products where injury has not yet been reported.

Plain-English summary

Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles. The recall addresses a defect where the interior door handle return spring may unseat. When this occurs, the interior door handle does not return to the fully stowed position after being actuated.

If the interior door handle return spring is unseated, the door may unlatch in the event of a side impact crash, increasing the risk of personal injury. The recall affects approximately 194,484 vehicles.

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect all four of the interior door handles and either repair or replace them, free of charge. The recall began on July 23, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 or the NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236.

The recalled product

Product
FORD EXPLORER
Brand
FORD
Manufacturer
Ford Motor Company
Category
Vehicle — SUV
Hazard
Affected units
194,484

Is your product affected?

Check your packaging against the codes below. If any of them match, the product is part of this recall.

Model numbers (1)

  • EXPLORER

Distribution

Distributed nationwide across the United States.

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