The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has announced the recall of more than 45,000 Fords because the doors can open unexpectedly while driving, increasing the risk of a crash or someone getting hurt.

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The NHTSA said the recall involves some 2015 Fiesta, 2016 Fusion and 2016 Lincoln MKZ vehicles where a piece inside the door latch may break causing the doors to have difficulty latching or staying latched while driving.

This is an expansion of a previous recall announced in 2020 that affected more than 288,000 vehicles.

The affected vehicles were sold or registered in the following states and territories:

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Arizona
• California
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• New Mexico
• Nevada
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• South Carolina
• Texas
• Utah
• Washington
• Puerto Rico
• American Samoa
• Guam
• Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan)
• U.S. Virgin Islands

Dealers will examine the latch date codes and if necessary replace them for free. Owners of the recall should be getting letters this week, the NHTSA said.

If you have questions, you can call Ford directly at 866-436-7332. Ford’s internal recall number is 20S15.

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