According to the Kansas City Star, Ford Motor Company has recalled approximately 365,000 F-150 pickup trucks in North America because of problems with their door handles. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that a spring in the interior door handle could break in the event of a crash, causing the door to fail to latch properly, swinging open to eject passengers.
Ford announced the recall Thursday, February 3, 2011, and it is expected to begin around February 14. The recall affects roughly 280,000 F-150s in the United States for the 2009 and 2010 model years. The trucks were built from Jan. 18, 2008, through Nov. 30, 2009. Those not recalled in North America were sold in Canada and Mexico.
While we are relieved to hear that Ford has issued a recall, that is no excuse for making a substandard product that could injure thousands of people. Let us hope that no related injuries occur before consumers become aware of the recall.
In order to avoid becoming the victim of a recalled product, contact the manufacturer if you suspect the product is malfunctioning. There may already have been a recall issued of which you were unaware. Do not attempt to continue using items that were recalled, even if they have been working perfectly up until now. Follow the recall instructions, which may involve sending the malfunctioning item back to the manufacturer.
If you were harmed by a defective product, or injured in a car or truck accident, contact a qualified personal injury firm to discuss your case.
IW