About this problem
Every door has a small switch inside its latch that tells the car whether it is open. When the switch wears or gets dirty, the car thinks a door is open when it is shut. That can leave the dome light on, drain the battery, set off the alarm, or even open a door while driving if the latch itself is faulty.
Across all owner complaints filed about the Ford Edge since 2012, 1,431 (15.4%) describe door ajar light stays on, making it the most reported problem we track on the Edge. The reports cluster on the 2012, 2013 and 2014 model years, and the 2013 drew the most, with 897. It tends to show up in the middle years of ownership: half of the owners who gave a mileage were between 37,000 and 61,000 miles. One report describes a crash or fire linked to it. No recall covers it, but Ford has sent dealers service bulletins about it, listed below.
What owners report
Owners of 2011 to 2014 Edges report the door ajar light staying on with all doors closed. The interior lights stay on, the battery drains and the doors may not lock. The cause is a faulty switch inside the door latch. The 2013 drew the most reports.
How it gets fixed
The fix is replacing the door latch. Ford recalled some Edges for latch problems.
Typical cost: A door latch costs about $200 to $400 per door.
Complaints by model year
In owners' words
"At the end of february my "door ajar" light kept staying on after closing it- I had to repeatedly close it to get the light to go off. On march 5th my vehicle lost power while traveling down a main highway at night with my 2 year old daughter."
2013 Ford Edge, 58,000 miles
"Driver's side door ajar sensor always reads the door as open. This causes the car to chime every time you accelerate from a complete stop, the interior lights stay illuminated, and prevents the doors from automatically locking when the vehicle is in motion."
2012 Ford Edge, 38,000 miles
"Complaint on my 2014 Ford Edge: when ignition on and the front driver's door is closed, the dashboard light indicates door ajar & bell keeps ringing but door is not ajar! It is closed properly!"
2014 Ford Edge, 46,000 miles
Excerpts from public owner complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, lightly trimmed.
Service bulletins
Ford has sent dealers 4 bulletins that mention this problem on the Edge. A bulletin tells technicians how to fix a known fault. It is not a recall, so the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty or covered by an extension.
When all doors are closed, the door ajar lamp will illuminate.
Lincoln/Ford: when all the doors are closed, the lamp for door ajar, is illuminated.
Some 2011-2013 Edge/MKX, 2013 Flex/MKT vehicles built on or before 15-Jul-2013 and 2013-2014 Explorer vehicles built on or before 15-Aug-2013 may exhibit a door ajar lamp illuminated with all doors closed.
Government investigations
Preliminary evaluation PE16012 · 2012, 2013 · opened Sep 2016, closed Mar 2017
Before you buy a Edge
- Open and close every door and check the door ajar light goes out.
- Lock the car with the fob and check every door locks.
- Check by VIN for open latch recalls.
Questions
Which Ford Edge years have door ajar light stays on?
Complaints are highest for the 2012, 2013, 2014 model years. The 2013 drew the most, with 897 reports.
At what mileage does it usually start?
Among owners who gave a mileage, the middle figure was about 47,000 miles, and half reported it between 37,000 and 61,000 miles.
How much does it cost to fix?
A door latch costs about $200 to $400 per door.