NHTSA Complaint #10169434 — 2004 FORD EXPLORER

THE HINGE ON THE REAR TAILGATE WINDOW CAME APART UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAD POPPED IT OPEN USING MY KEYFOB RELEASE BUTTON TO LOAD SOME BAGS INTO IT AND THE HINGE IMMEDIATELY FAILED. THE WINDOW ITSELF TWISTED AND WAS HANGING BY THE 2ND HINGE THAT HADN'T FAILED AND THE GAS SHOCKS THAT ENABLE THE WINDOW TO STAY OPEN WITHOUT HOLDING IT. I WAS ABLE TO FIT IT BACK TOGETHER TO CLOSE IT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO ORDER PARTS. WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2003 BUT NO THE 2004 MODEL. I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO PICK UP A RECALL PACK THAT CONTAINED BOTH HINGES. THE PARTS MANAGER SOLD THEM TO ME @ COST BECAUSE THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, HOWEVER, IF ONE OF MY CHILDREN HAD BEEN STANDING NEARBY IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT BY THE GLASS AS IT CAME DOWN. FINALLY, I WALKED AWAY ABOUT $20 POORER (BECAUSE I REPAIRED IT MYSELF) AND WITH SEVERAL SCRATCHES ON THE PAINT AROUND THE HINGE AND THE BACK TAILGATE. *NM