NHTSA Complaint #10146911 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

IN NOVEMBER 2005, THE REAR LIFTGATE APPLIQUE OF MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER CRACKED OVERNIGHT. THE CRACK IS DIRECTLY IN LINE WITH THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER. THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP CLAIMS THAT THEY HAVE SEEN SEVERAL FORD EXPLORERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM AND IT IS CAUSED BY COLD TEMPERATURES AND WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID GETTING INTO THE PLASTIC APPLIQUE AND FORCING A CRACK. THE NIGHT THIS OCCURRED THE TEMPERATURE REACHED 10 DEGREES ABOVE ZERO. BECAUSE OF THIS CRACK, I NO LONGER CAN USE THIS PORTION OF THE LIFTGATE FOR FEAR THAT IT WILL CAUSE FURTHER DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE. I CALLED THE FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE WHERE THE REPRESENTATIVE DID AN INVESTIGATION INTO MY CLAIM AND NO WARRANTY OR RECALL WILL COVER THIS DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE COST OF THE REPAIR IS $300.00. THIS IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE AND SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPAIRED AT FORD'S EXPENSE. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED TO A VEHICLE THAT IS MADE FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. *JB