NHTSA Complaint #10296795 — 2005 FORD EXPLORER

THE LAST WEEK IN NOV. 2009, I HAD BACKED MY VEHICLE INTO THE GARAGE. THE NEXT MORNING, WHEN I CAME OUTSIDE, THE FIRST THING I CAN SEE IS THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE AND A VERTICAL CRACK ON THE PANEL BETWEEN THE TOP HATCHBACK AND THE LIFTGATE. THE CRACK WAS IN THE CENTER TO THE LEFT OF THE FORD EMBLEM. THE CRACK WAS THE FULL DISTANCE VERTICALLY OF THE PANEL. IT HAS SINCE WIDENED. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT WITHIN 3 DAYS OF THE INCIDENT. THE NEXT DAY, I RECEIVED A CALL THAT IT WOULD COST ME $430 TO HAVE FIXED. MY LOCAL DEALER SAID FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR THIS INCIDENT WHICH WAS OF NO FAULT OF MY OWN. I HAVE SINCE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND OUT THAT HUNDREDS OF EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN TO THEIR VEHICLE AND FORD WON'T PAY FOR IT NOR DO A RECALL TO FIX THE PROBLEM. IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THERE IS A MANUFACTURING PROBLEM. SINCE I HAVE EXPERIENCE THIS PROBLEM, I HAVE BEEN VERY OBSERVANT OF OTHER EXPLORERS AND 1 OUT OF 3 EXPLORERS I SEE, HAS THE SAME CRACKED PANEL IN ALMOST THE EXACT SAME SPOT. SOMETIMES I SEE THE CRACK ON THE LEFT OF THE EMBLEM, SOMETIMES THE RIGHT, BUT BASICALLY ITS THE SAME VERTICAL CRACK. *TR