2013 Ford Flex

THE DRIVER DOOR SENSOR DOES NOT RECOGNIZE WHEN DOOR IS CLOSED. IT IS SHOWING THAT IT IS AJAR. THIS IN TURN AFFECTS THE VEHICLE IN A MYRIAD OF WAYS. 1:IT DISABLES THE AUTOLOCK FEATURE. I HAVE 3 KIDS IN THE BACKSEAT, AND ONE OF THEM CURIOUSLY OPENED THE DOOR WHILE AT A TRAFFIC STOP. 2:INTERIOR DOME LIGHTING: IT KEEPS THE LIGHTS ON. I HAVE ASTIGMATISM SO THE LIGHT REALLY BOTHERS ME. 3:SINCE THE LIGHTS STAY ON WHEN PARKED, IT DRAINS THE BATTERY 4:THE UNLOCKING SENSOR IS DISABLED ON THE DOOR HANDLE THAT IS AFFECTED. PLEASE INVESTIGATE! THE LOCKING FEATURE IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE!!!!

TWO OF FOUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS REPORTING TO BE AJAR WHEN PHYSICALLY CLOSED. INTERIOR LIGHTS REMAIN ON DUE TO DOORS BEING "AJAR" RESULTING IN VISIBILITY ISSUES AT NIGHT. DOORS ALSO WON'T LOCK AT TIMES DUE TO DOORS ALWAYS BEING AJAR. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND OBVIOUSLY A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH FORD DOOR ASSEMBLIES. TO HAVE TWO DOOR SENSORS GO OUT A MONTH APART AND TO SEE THE EXTENT OF THE PROBLEM ON THIS SITE AND ACROSS THE INTERNET FORD OBVIOUSLY HAS INSTALLED FAULTY DOOR HINGE ASSEMBLIES ON MULTIPLE MODELS. I AM SURE IT WILL TAKE SOMEONE (OR MULTIPLE SOMEONE'S) GETTING INJURED TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. IF ALL THESE CARS TELL THEIR DRIVERS THAT THERE DOORS ARE ALWAYS ADJAR THEN SOON OR LATER THE WARNINGS WILL BE IGNORED AS A KID GETS OUT OF A MOVING CAR.

WHEN THE DOOR IS SHUT THE CAR THINKS IT IS OPEN, THE LIGHTS STAY ON IN CABIN AND DISTRACTING PROMPTS APPEAR ON DASH WHILE DRIVING. THE CAR ALARM SOUNDS AT NIGHT RANDOMLY NOW TOO WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE BATTERY IS DRAINED OVER TIME AS THE LIGHTS STAY ON FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME EVERY TIME YOU PARK. THIS RESULTS IN A DEAD BATTERY AND A STRANDED DRIVER.

ON APPROXIMATELY AUGUST 15, 2013 WE WERE DRIVING OUR SON TO SCHOOL WHEN CHIMES CAME ON STATING THAT OUR DOORS WERE OPEN. WE STOPPED, CHECKED ALL DOORS. NONE WERE AJAR. WE CONTINUED ON DRIVING AT WHICH TIME OUR SON OPENED THE DOOR. HAD HE NOT BEEN IN A CAR SEAT HE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FALLEN OUT. WE WERE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD AND WERE ONLY GOING ABOUT 15- 20 MPH. OUR CHIMES CONTINUED TO GO OFF AND STILL TO THIS DAY WE ARE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM. WE HAVE TAKEN IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP MANY TIMES AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP DID TELL US THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT THERE ARE PROBLEMS WITH THE SENSORS BUT THAT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN ANY RECALLS. THEY DID CHANGE ONE OF THE SENSORS FOR THE FRONT PASSENGER DOOR AT OUR OWN EXPENSE, HOWEVER IT HAS NOT FIXED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS GOING OFF STILL AND NOW THE DRIVER FRONT ONE IS STARTING AS WELL AS A "SHIFT TO PARK" SENSOR. THE DOORS WILL NOT LOCK AND THE LIGHTS WILL NOT TURN OFF INSIDE THE CAR. AS FAR AS THE TRANSMISSION PROBLEM GOES. IT WILL SLIP INTO NEUTRAL AS YOU ARE DRIVING. IT HAS HAPPENED MAY TIMES AND IT IS GOING TO CAUSE A SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT. YOU HAVE TO STOP THE CAR, TURN THE ENGINE OFF AND RESTART IT IN ORDER FOR IT TO GO BACK INTO DRIVE. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERSHIPS ATTENTION HOWEVER EVERY TIME WE TAKE IT INTO THERE THEY SAY THEY CANT SEE OR FIND A PROBLEM WITH IT. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING BECAUSE WE MAKE A CAR PAYMENT EVERY MONTH ON A VEHICLE WE DON'T DRIVE. WE HAVE A 2009 FLEX THAT WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH WHICH IS WHY WE PURCHASED A NEWER ONE WITH A LOT LESS MILES! UNFORTUNATELY WE OWE MORE THAN THE CAR IS WORTH ON OUR 2013 FLEX OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN RID OF IT BY NOW. WE HOPE YOU WILL REALLY LOOK INTO THESE PROBLEMS BEFORE SOMEONE ENDS UP REALLY HURT! WE NOTICE THERE WAS A RECALL WITH SIMILAR PROBLEMS BUT OURS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THAT SUPPOSEDLY.

THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR DOES NOT LOCK. THE MECHANISM THAT RECOGNIZES THAT THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR IS CLOSED DOESN'T WORK. WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED ON AND SUBSEQUENTLY WHEN THE VEHICLE COMES TO A STOP OR VERY SLOW SPEED (LIKE A STOP SIGN OR LIGHT) THE ALARM SOUNDS AGAIN (A PINGING SOUND WITH A VISUAL ALERT THAT THE DOOR IS OPEN WITH AN MESSAGE TO SHIFT TO PARK). HOWEVER, NO MATTER HOW MANY TIMES THE DOOR IS OPENED AND SHUT, THE ALARM DOESN'T GO OFF. THIS MEANS THAT DOORS DO NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO GEAR. WHEN THE VEHICLE ATTEMPTS TO AUTOMATICALLY LOCK THE DOORS WHEN THE CAR IS PUT INTO GEAR, THE LOCK IMMEDIATELY SNAPS BACK UP BECAUSE OF THE DOOR WARNING. EVEN MANUALLY LOCKING THE DOOR DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE OF THE ALARM. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN BOTH WHEN DRIVING BUT ALSO WHEN STATIONARY. I WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOCK MY CAR DOORS IN THE EVENT THERE ARE SAFETY CONCERNS NEARBY SO THAT NO ONE CAN GET INTO THE CAR WHILE WE ARE IN A PARKING LOT OR AT A LIGHT. I MENTIONED THIS TO THE FORD DEALER WHILE THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY BUT THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHARGE $300 JUST TO LOOK AT IT.

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR IS FULLY CLOSED YET THE "DOOR AJAR" WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND REMAINS ON. THIS WARNING LIGHT WILL THUS TURN ON THE INTERIOR LIGHTS. WE NEED TO OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR APPROXIMATELY (7) TIMES ON AVERAGE BEFORE THE WARNING LIGHT AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS RECOGNIZE THE DOOR IS CLOSED, THEN THE WARNING AND LIGHTS TURN OFF. THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT HAS OCCURRED WHILE IN PARK AND WHILE DRIVING.