Ford Motor Co. is recalling 280,946 F-150 pickups to correct a potential issue with the interior door handle.
The housing embossment retaining the interior door-handle spring could fracture during normal operation, which could prevent the handle from returning to the fully stowed position, the automaker reported to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA).
"In the event of a side-impact crash, the door-handle spring can fail, causing the door latch to open," according to recall information on NHTSA's website.
The recall affects certain model-year 2009 and 2010 F-150 pickups.
Ford will instruct affected owners to take their pickup to a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealer if any interior door handle is loose or fails to return to the stowed position after activation, according to the NHTSA.
"Once parts become available, owners will be re-notified and instructed to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln/Mercury dealer for inspection of each interior door handle," according to NHTSA's website. "Depending on the results of the inspection, the dealer will either add a spring embossment reinforcement or replace the interior door handle module free of charge."
The safety recall is expected to begin on or about Feb 14.
