NHTSA Complaint #10143912 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

SAFETY CONCERN: 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT. DEFECTIVE APPLIQUE LOCATED BELOW TAILGATE GLASS HAS DEVELOPED A CRACK FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. THE LOCATION OF THIS CRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 3 INCHES TO THE LEFT OF THE FORD EMBLEM. THE DEALER SENT ME TO THE BODY SHOP, WHICH PROVIDED ME WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $334.68 TO REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART. ALTHOUGH THE DEALERSHIP WAS FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROBLEM, MY VEHICLE HAS APPROXIMATELY 105,000 MILES AND AS A RESULT THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT PURSUE THIS A WARRANTABLE REPAIR. THEY ESSENTIALLY IGNORED MY GRIEVANCE. AS A LEFT THE DEALERSHIP, I HAPPEN TO NOTICE A BLUE 2002 EXPLORER SIMILAR TO MINE ON THE USED CAR LOT. AS I APPROACHED THE VEHICLE I NOTICED IT HAD THE IDENTICAL CRACK (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM), LOCATED IN THE SAME POSITION (3 INCHES TO THE LEFT OF THE FORD EMBLEM). THIS VEHICLE; VIN #[XXX] HAD ONLY 56,069 MILES ON IT. I CONTACTED FORD AT 800 392-3673 AND SPOKE WITH [XXX]. THE REFERENCE NUMBER FOR MY COMPLAINT IS; REF #[XXX]. [XXX] INVESTIGATED AND CONFIRMED THAT A BULLETIN HAD BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS COMPLAINT WITH INSTRUCTIONS FOR ITS REPAIR. HOWEVER, FORD HAS NOT YET AGREED TO PAY FOR ANY REPAIRS OR TO REIMBURSE THE CONSUMER FOR ANY REPAIRS ALREADY MADE. THIS IS A SAFETY CONCERN AS THIS APPLIQUE COULD BREAK OFF AND CAUSE SERIOUS DAMAGE TO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR PASSERBY. I MADE THIS CONCERN KNOW TO [XXX], BUT WAS ASSURED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN DEEMED A RECALL REPAIR. *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR