Door Lock & Latch complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 1% | 2,000 miles |
| 2023 | 1 | 0% | 10,000 miles |
| 2022 | 5 | 1% | 42,000 miles |
| 2021 | 8 | 1% | 44,000 miles |
| 2020 | 11 | 1% | 30,000 miles |
| 2019 | 10 | 1% | 57,000 miles |
| 2018 | 57 | 2% | 42,000 miles |
| 2017 | 43 | 3% | 21,000 miles |
| 2016 | 52 | 3% | 50,000 miles |
| 2015 | 39 | 2% | 45,000 miles |
| 2014 | 9 | 1% | 73,000 miles |
| 2013 | 10 | 0% | 145,000 miles |
| 2012 | 7 | 0% | 115,000 miles |
| 2011 | 1 | 0% | 45,000 miles |
| 2010 | 7 | 1% | 95,000 miles |
| 2009 | 5 | 2% | 54,000 miles |
| 2008 | 3 | 1% | 51,000 miles |
| 2007 | 2 | 0% | 61,000 miles |
| 2005 | 7 | 1% | 39,000 miles |
| 2004 | 23 | 1% | 46,000 miles |
| 2003 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2002 | 8 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 2001 | 11 | 1% | 132,000 miles |
| 2000 | 7 | 1% | 7,000 miles |
| 1999 | 9 | 1% | 70,000 miles |
| 1998 | 2 | 0% | 85,000 miles |
| 1997 | 14 | 1% | 98,000 miles |
| 1995 | 2 | 0% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact called on behalf of her husband who drives a 2022 Ford F-150 fleet vehicle owned by his employer. The contact stated that the driver's side front door latch had to be pulled extremely hard to close. The contact stated that when the outside temperature was freezing and it was wet outside, the driver's side front door failed to open as needed. The contact was unable to exit the vehicle due to the door latch being frozen. The contact's husband had to hold the door while driving. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle unintendedly shifted from drive into park while her husband was stopped at a traffic light and attempting to close the driver's side front door. Additionally, the driver's side window also failed to roll down in freezing temperatures. …
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-150. The contact stated that on several occasions while the vehicle was parked during inclement weather, the driver's side door failed to open. The contact stated that on one occasion while the vehicle was parked and attempting to exit the vehicle, the driver's side door failed to open. The contact stated that after the vehicle had warmed up, the door opened as intended. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that an unknown part needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the door opened independently. The contact stated upon inspecting the vehicle, he noticed that the door latches was frozen, and the contact was unable to enter or exit the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the door latch needed to be replaced. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V652000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the tailgate opened unexpectedly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the tailgate unintendedly opened and closed independently. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a fault in the tailgate switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 72,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to unlock the doors of the vehicle with the key fob, only the front driver's side door unlocked. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to manually unlock the tailgate, the tailgate failed to unlock as intended. The dealer was contacted and informed the contact that the failure could be related to an unknown actuator recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 67,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-150. The contact stated that upon attempting to enter the vehicle he found the driver's side door nearly impossible to open. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the driver-side door actuator. The vehicle was repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V331000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 40,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the battery warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle stalled. The contact replaced the battery. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the alternator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while the vehicle was turned on, the contact exited the vehicle, and when the contact attempted to get back inside the vehicle, the vehicle failed to unlock. The contact stated that the lights inside the vehicle were flickering. The contact attempted to use the key pad on the door to unlock the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-150. The contact stated that while the vehicle was warming up, the driver's side front door would not properly latch when closed. The contact drove the vehicle to the residence while holding the door closed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to NHTSA Hotline and provided the contact a case number. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N06 (Door Latch Freezing Concerns) however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Related recalls (3)
Latches/locks/linkages › Tailgate › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-150 vehicles with manual and power release tailgates. The tailgate latches may unlatch unexpectedly while driving.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the left-hand and right-hand tailgate latches, free of charge. An interim notification letter was mailed January 31, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on May 31, 2022.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018.
Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-150 years have door lock & latch problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2018 (57), 2016 (52), 2017 (43), 2015 (39) and 2004 (23) model years. Door Lock & Latch complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 2018.
Is there a recall for Ford F-150 door lock & latch problems?
Yes — 3 recalls, including 21V-983 (latch, Dec 16, 2021); 17V-652 (latch, Oct 16, 2017); 17V-331 (latch, May 22, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-150 door lock & latch problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 54,000 miles; 48% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the doors › latch (140 mentions), followed by the tailgate › latch (28).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.