Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Doors, latches or locks fail
Most reported: 2016 Hyundai Tucson with 198 reports. Across the 142 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 2,903.
- 2,903owner reports
- 142model years affected
- 49,000median miles
- 18involved a crash
- 3involved a fire
Door complaints sound minor until you read them. The most common is a "door ajar" warning with every door shut. Others describe a door that won't open from inside, one that won't latch at all, locks that cycle on their own, and occasionally a door that opened while the car was moving.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of door latch reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12016 Hyundai Tucsonrecall19812% of its complaints60k mi
- 22018 Ford F-150recall1647% of its complaints14k mi
- 32016 Ford F-150recall1598% of its complaints20k mi
- 42015 Ford F-150recall1086% of its complaints25k mi
- 52016 Dodge Grand Caravan1 crashrecall10811% of its complaints60k mi
- 62017 Ford F-1501 crashrecall1017% of its complaints15k mi
- 72014 Ford Fusion1 crashrecall897% of its complaints64k mi
- 82014 Ford Escape1 crash1 firerecall834% of its complaints60k mi
- 97710% of its complaints65k mi
- 102014 Ford Fiestarecall6915% of its complaints44k mi
- 112014 Ford Focus1 crash1 firerecall643% of its complaints49k mi
- 12634% of its complaints40k mi
- 132015 Nissan Altima1 crashrecall627% of its complaints70k mi
- 142016 Ford Fusionrecall463% of its complaints83k mi
- 152014 Nissan Altimarecall444% of its complaints60k mi
- 162018 Honda Odysseyrecall394% of its complaints33k mi
- 172017 Dodge Grand Caravanrecall389% of its complaints74k mi
- 182015 Ford Escaperecall363% of its complaints56k mi
- 193536% of its complaints8k mi
- 20336% of its complaints60k mi
- 212015 Ford Mustangrecall327% of its complaints50k mi
- 22318% of its complaints55k mi
- 232016 Nissan Altima2 crashesrecall316% of its complaints50k mi
- 24314% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 25303% of its complaints69k mi
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe door latch. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 13536% of its complaints8k mi
- 22520% of its complaints86k mi
- 32014 Ford Fiestarecall6915% of its complaints44k mi
- 42016 Hyundai Tucsonrecall19812% of its complaints60k mi
- 52016 Dodge Grand Caravan1 crashrecall10811% of its complaints60k mi
- 62017 Ford Mustangrecall2710% of its complaints63k mi
- 77710% of its complaints65k mi
- 82018 Dodge Grand Caravanrecall2710% of its complaints52k mi
- 92017 Dodge Grand Caravanrecall389% of its complaints74k mi
- 10318% of its complaints55k mi
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Ford F-150581
- Ford Escape202
- Ford Fusion156
- Ford Mustang109
When it happens
1,560 of the 2,903 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 23,000 and 74,945 miles; the median is 49,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of door latch, grouped by the model year of the car. 18 involved a crash and 3 a fire. 42 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 2,903 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
Why regulators care about latches
Federal safety standard 206 covers door locks and door retention parts, including latches and hinges, and its stated purpose is to reduce the chance of people being thrown from a vehicle in a crash. A door that pops open at speed is exactly the failure that standard exists to prevent, which is why latch defects can turn into recalls even when the symptom looks like a nuisance.
What is usually involved
Owners name the latch, the handle, the lock actuator and the door sensor. Which one fails varies by model, and the tick sheet on each vehicle page shows which symptoms that car's owners describe most.
When to stop driving
If a door won't latch fully, or opened while you were driving, don't carry anyone in that seat until it's fixed. A door that won't open from inside is also a safety problem, since it may be the way out after a crash. A false door-ajar light on its own is a nuisance, though it's worth checking that the door really is latched before assuming the warning is wrong.
What to tell the mechanic
Name the exact door. Say whether the fault gets worse in cold or wet weather, whether it shows as a dash message, and whether the door physically fails to latch or only claims to be open. If a door opened while driving, say at what speed and whether anyone was leaning on it. A photo of the warning helps.
Recalls, bulletins and warranty
Search your VIN at NHTSA's recall page, then search your year, make and model to see the manufacturer's communications too. Automakers must file copies of the bulletins they send dealers with NHTSA, whether or not the defect is safety-related, so a latch problem that never became a recall may still have a known fix on file. Recall work is free. Outside a recall, a latch or actuator that fails within the factory warranty's months or miles should be covered.
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.