Lilburn, Georgia – September 25, 2018: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX vehicles in North America to replace door striker bolts in all four doors.
These vehicles may have door striker bolts that are shorter than intended. Vehicles with shorter door striker bolts fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards for Door Locks and Door Retention Components.In the event of a crash, a shorter bolt may allow the door to open, increasing the risk of injury.
According to a release from the Ford Media Center, affected vehicles include 2018 Ford Edge and 2018 Lincoln MKX vehicles built at Oakville Assembly Plant, July 27-31, 2018. There are approximately 555 vehicles in North America relating to this concern, with 503 vehicles in the United States and its federalized territories, 51 in Canada and one in Mexico. Vehicles assembled before July 27, 2018 and after July 31, 2018 were assembled using the correct length door striker bolts and are not affected by this concern.
The Defect
The affected vehicles may have a door striker assembled to the vehicle body with one or both striker bolts that may be 5mm shorter than design intent length. In the event of a vehicle crash, a door striker with a shorter bolt may not withstand the minimum ultimate loads required. This may allow the door to open in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The supplier mislabeled and delivered striker bolts 5mm shorter than the design intent bolts. Because of the mislabeling, the shorter bolts became mixed with the design intent bolts at the assembly line.
Timeline of Events
According to the NHTSA Safety Recall Report, in August 2018, Oakville Assembly Complex (OAC) brought into Ford’s Critical Concerns Review Group (CCRG) an issue concerning Edge and MKX vehicles that may have been built with the incorrect length fastener used to attach the door striker to the vehicle body.
After a line operator observed that the fastener was not the correct length, a stop-ship was initiated, and the supplier was notified. Further investigation identified that the supplier had mistakenly shipped boxes labeled with the correct part number, but which actually contained fasteners that were 5mm shorter than design intent.
The error was limited to a single batch of mis-labeled door striker bolts. The supplier took corrective action and preventative action at their facility and resumed delivery to OAC on July 30, 2018.
Engineering was asked to study the effect of a 5 mm shorter length bolt on the strength of the door striker. In September 2018, Ford’s Field Review Committee reviewed the concern and approved a field action to recall vehicles with the incorrect part, as it was determined that the shorter bolt could cause a hazard in case of a crash by failing to properly secure the door.
Ford is not aware of any reports of accident or injury related to this condition.
The Solution
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door striker bolts, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin October 15, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153). The Ford reference number for this recall is 18C06.
