DEARBORN, MI – Ford is recalling 268,000 cars in North America to fix doors that could open unexpectedly or may not close.

The recall issued Wednesday covers the 2014 through 2016 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ, and the 2014 and 2015 Ford Fiesta. Regions with high temperatures are particularly affected by the recall because heat is a factor in the issue.

Affected vehicles are or have been previously registered in Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Utah and Washington. There are also 19,431 vehicles registered in Mexico and four in Canada.

Ford says affected vehicles have a lever in the door latch can crack and fail, which results in a “door will not close” condition. Customers may be able to latch it after repeated attempts. If that happens, the doors could open while the cars are in motion, increasing the risk of injury.

Ford says it's not aware of any crashes or injuries caused by the problem.

Dealers will remove and replace the side door latches. Owners will be notified starting May 4. The Ford reference number for the recall is 20S15.