Ford recalls 221,000 vehicles for door handle, seat belt problems

DETROIT -- Ford Motor Co. today said it is recalling about 221,000 cars and vans for door handle and seat belt problems.

Ford, in a statement, said it is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to the two recalls.

The company is recalling 204,945 sedans in North America -- the 2010-13 Ford Taurus, Lincoln MKS and Police Interceptor -- for an issue with the spring that controls the interior door handles. If the spring comes unseated, the door could unlatch in a side-impact crash, subjecting occupants to greater risk of injury, Ford said.

Dealers are being instructed to inspect all four interior door handle assemblies and either repair or replace them if needed. The sedans were built at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant at various points from 2009 through 2012.

A second recall covers 16,091 2014 Ford Transit Connect vans in the U.S. in which seat belt fasteners might not have been tightened properly. If the fasteners did not meet initial torque specifications, they could loosen over time and fail to function as intended, increasing injury risk, Ford said.

Dealers are being told to replace and properly tighten the fasteners and the cargo tie-downs in the cargo area. The vans were built from November 2013 through September 2014 in Spain.