NHTSA is investing complaints about ineffective door latches on 2012 and 2013 Ford Focus models.

U.S. safety regulators announced they’re looking into complaints about Ford Focus compacts with doors that do not latch properly. The problem affects as many as 400,000 vehicles built for the 2012 and 2013 model years.

There have been 73 complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, including one instance in Texas where the driver’s side door flew open while driving.

“This is an extreme safety hazard, and it is just a matter of time until someone falls out of a moving vehicle and is killed or injured,” the person wrote in the complaint filed with the agency, adding that he called the automaker and was told that it is aware of a large number of failures but would not do a recall.

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Other owners have tied the doors shut and one person suffered an injury when the door rebounded and hit them after an attempt to close it. The complaints that led to this Ford Focus investigation are the same type of complaints that caused Ford to recall almost 600,000 vehicles in the past. In previous recalls, Ford said the door latches failed because of pawl spring tabs that broke.

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Ford suffered through a similar problem on more than 540,000 Lincoln MKZ, Ford Fusion as wll as 205,000 Ford Fiesta models last year. After the investigation, Ford recalled the vehicles. The company said it is investigating any similarities between last year’s recalled vehicles and the Focuses in question. The latches are made by different suppliers.

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NHTSA has not ordered a recall, but it is a possibility after the investigation is completed. There is no time frame for the query. Ford is expected to release is fourth-quarter and full-year financial results on Jan. 28.