NHTSA Complaint #10169437 — 2002 FORD EXPLORER

THERE IS A TWO TO THREE INCH CRACK IN MY BACK HATCH DOOR IN MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT. IT IS IN THE BODY WORK RIGHT TO THE LEFT OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER. I CALLED FORD AT LEAST THREE TIMES AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD RESOLVE THIS FORM ME AS I FELT NEVER SHOULD A CRACK IN THE BODY OF A VEHICLE OCCUR. THEY SAID THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL EACH TIME I CALLED AND THAT I SHOULD CHECK BACK. THAT'S AS FAR AS THEY WOULD GO. I WAS DRIVING ONE DAY AND SAW ANOTHER EXPLORER WITH A WORSE CRACK THAN MY OWN. I DO NOT HAVE THIS PERSON'S INFORMATION AS I HAVE MISPLACED IT. I TALKED WITH MY OWN VEHICLE PLACE (FRED BEAN'S OF WEST CHESTER) WHERE I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE AND THEY WILL NOT HANDLE THE PROBLEM WITHOUT CHARGING ME. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR SUCH AN INCIDENT AS THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO CREATE THE PROBLEM. A COUPLE YEARS AGO WHEN I HAD THE HINGE ISSUE TAKEN CARE OF THEN IT WASN'T TOO LONG AFTER THAT THE ISSUE AROSE. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE IMPACT OF CLOSING THIS HATCH WITH WEAK OR IMPROPERLY INSTALLED HINGES MAY HAVE CAUSED THIS CRACK. WHEN I SPOKE WITH SOMEONE AT THE FORD PLACE, THE PERSON OF WHOM REMAINS ANONYMOUS FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, SAID TO ME THAT THEY HAVE SEEN ABOUT 10-100 OTHER VEHICLES COME IN TO THEIR PLACE ALONE WITH THIS SAME ISSUE AND NO ONE WOULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. PLEASE CONTACT ME. *NM