DTWNews

Ford Motor Co. announced May 2 that it is expanding recalls over a faulty door latch by another 156,000 vehicles. That’s on top of a recall of approximately 390,000 vehicles in late April; altogether, Ford has issued five recalls affecting more than 1.5 million vehicles since 2014 because of door latch issues.

“The driver’s door can potentially unlatch while the car is in motion, increasing the risk of injury,” Ford representatives said in an official statement.

One incident has been reported in which a door swung open and hit another vehicle, and two incidents have been reported in which the door bounced back when shut and caused relatively minor injuries. Altogether, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents show that Ford has received 69 complaints regarding doors opening while the vehicles in question were in motion. No serious injuries or deaths have been reported.

Ford reiterated that the issue has not caused total loss of control in any of the incidents, and the recalls were a preventative measure implemented to prevent any potential crashes. Mechanical failure is at play in between 12% and 14% of all auto accidents.

The recalls cover 2011-2014 Ford Fiestas, 2014 Lincoln MKZs, and 2013-2015 Ford Fusions. The Fiestas and MKZs were all built in Mexico, while the Fusions were built in both Mexico and Michigan. The vehicles were sold in the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

The most recent recall was announced on the same day Ford CEO Mark Fields met with new NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind, who has been touring Detroit facilities and meeting with various automakers about their safety protocols. The NHTSA has investigated over 600 complaints and 1,000 warranty claims on Ford latches since September of last year, upgrading the inquiry in February.

Despite the recalls, however, Ford is celebrating after April of 2015 was the best April the automaker had seen since 2006. Sales went up by 5%, and the company’s gross profit margin is sitting at 18.58%. Ford also boasts a net operating cash flow that has grown 8.69% since this quarter in 2014.