Ford recalls vehicles with bad door latches

WASHINGTON – Ford Motor Co. said Wednesday it is recalling 140,000 vehicles whose defective door latches could freeze, causing the doors to swing open in traffic.

The 2005 Five Hundred and Mercury Montego sedans and 2005-06 Freestyle crossover vehicles were either sold or registered in 31 cold-weather states, including Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Vermont. The automaker said the problem, with side-door latches, has not caused any accidents or injuries.

The other affected states are: Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.

Owners in the remaining 19 states will be notified of the condition and also will be able to have the latches fixed at no charge, Ford spokeswoman Kristen Kinley said.

In a separate action, Ford is recalling 6,164 2006 front-wheel drive Escape hybrid SUVs to fix a drive train shaft. Ford said the shaft could fracture and prevent the power train from transmitting power to the wheels and allow the vehicle to move when in the park position.

There have been no reports of crashes or injuries.