Ford expands door latch recall.

The AP (9/8) reports that Ford announced on Thursday that it will spend $640 million this year to replace door latches on 2.4 million of its vehicles, which can open while the vehicle is in motion. Ford made the announcement after a NHTSA investigation revealed that 1,200 customers had complained of the problem. The article mentions that Ford had initially recalled 830,000 vehicles for the problem in August but the NHTSA found the recall to be inadequate because it was limited to Mexico and 16 states with high temperatures.

        The AP (9/8) reports that Ford explained that the problem was due to a spring tab in the door’s latches that can break and prevent the door from either closing or cause it to pop open. Ford said car owners can see if their car is included in the recall on its website, where they can enter their vehicle identification number.

        The Wall Street Journal (9/8, Rogers, Steele, Subscription Publication, 6.37M) reports that Ford announced the expanded recall after it reduced its annual operating profit guidance by six percent. The article explains that while the company experienced strong US sales for trucks and SUVs, progress in Europe and Asia has been slower than that of General Motors.