NHTSA Complaint #10107513 — 1993 FORD EXPLORER SPORT

I OWN A '93 FORD EXPLORER. ABOUT 4-5 YEARS AGO, THE LIFT BACK DOOR TOTALLY SEPARATED FROM THE BODY - THE HINGES TORE OUT OF THE METAL. I TOOK IT TO MERIDIAN FORD IN MERIDIAN IDAHO FOR REPAIR - AND THEY REPAIRED IT AT NO CHARGE, INFORMING ME THAT THE DOOR PROBLEM WAS ON "RECALL". I STILL OWN THE CAR, AND THE SAME PROBLEM IS DEVELOPING AGAIN; I CAN TELL THE DOOR HINGES ARE AGAIN BEGINNING TO SEPARATE FROM THE CAR BODY AND I TRY TO AVOID USING THAT REAR DOOR IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM COMING LOOSE AND FALLING OFF AGAIN. I CALLED MERIDIAN FORD SERVICE DEPT. ABOUT REPAIRING IT, AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD CHARGE ME TO DO THE REPAIR AND THAT THEY ONLY GUARANTEE A REPAIR FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. I THEN CALLED THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND REGISTERED A COMPLAINT WITH THEIR SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND GOT THE SAME RESPONSE: "IF A REPAIR IS MADE ON A RECALL, IT IS ONLY GUARANTEED FOR 12 MONTHS OR 12,000 MILES. THIS HARDLY SEEMS EQUITABLE - GIVEN THE FACT THAT IF THAT DOOR COMES LOOSE WHEN SOMEONE IS FOLLOWING MY CAR - IT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR TRAGEDY. THERE IS NO SPECIFIC "INCIDENT" DATE - OTHER THAN THE DAY I FIRST HAD THE DOOR REPAIRED, AND THE GARAGE "GUARANTEED" IT. I DON'T HAVE THAT DATE, BUT I'M SURE IT WOULD BE RECORDED ON MY VIN NUMBER. IN THE FOLLOWING SPACE FOR "INCIDENT DATE" I HAVE NOTED 12-01-04 AS THE APPROXIMATE DATE WHEN I CALLED BOTH THE MERIDIAN FORD GARAGE, AND THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *NM