NHTSA Complaint #10137472 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

BEGAN BACKING OUT OF GARAGE BUT NOTICED "DOOR AJAR" LIGHT ON; A FREQUENT OCCURRENCE IN THIS CAR, AND LIGHT DOESN'T INDICATE WHICH DOOR IS THE PROBLEM. SO, FINISHED BACKING CAR OUT OF GARAGE AND PARKED IT IN DRIVEWAY, PLACING CAR IN PARK AND APPLYING EMERGENCY BRAKE. LEFT CAR RUNNING. EXITED CAR, LEFT DRIVER DOOR OPEN, AND HAD SOME TIME TO STAND, TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT BACK DOOR BEHIND DRIVER'S SIDE FIRST. DETERMINED IT WAS CLOSED BY VISUAL CHECK. BEGAN TO MOVE TOWARD REAR OF CAR TO CHECK HATCH NEXT (HATCH PROBLEMATIC; HAD IT FIXED AFTER BOUGHT THE CAR THEN IT WAS JUST RECENTLY RECALLED AGAIN. BUT MUCH TO MY SHOCK THE CAR SLIPPED OUT OF PARK AND RAN OVER ME. TRIED TO DIVE OUT OF WAY; CAR RAN OVER ME AT BOTH KNEES. SUFFERED CRUSH INJURY. HAD CAR EXAMINED; FORENSIC SPECIALIST THOUGHT IT WAS A DESIGN FLAW WITH LOTS OF GAP IN STEERING COLUMN BETWEEN REVERSE AND PARK AND SOME PLAY IN WHERE IT WOULD GROOVE IN. *JB *NM