NHTSA Complaint #10467598 — 2004 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

REAR HATCH BACK GLASS BODY-SIDE HINGE BROKE ON RIGHT SIDE IN NORMAL OPENING OF GLASS. HINGE IS COMPOSED OF A BLACK PLASTIC OR NYLON RETAINING CLIP WITH A METAL PIN. THE PLASTIC APPEARS TO HAVE FAILED FROM FATIGUE. RECENT HIGH HEAT (100+ DEGREES FOR SEVERAL DAYS) MAY BE A FACTOR. PLASTIC BROKE THROUGH OVER THE PIN CHANNEL, ALLOWING THE PIN TO POP OUT. THE GLASS IS HEAVY AND TORQUED BY THE REMAINING HINGE AND TWO HYDRAULIC LIFTS. NO INJURIES, BUT EASILY COULD HAVE FALLEN, BROKE OR SHATTERED ON THE OPERATOR. THE HEAVY GLASS IS A DANGER ESPECIALLY TO CHILDREN OR SMALLER ADULTS. THE OPERATOR FORTUNATELY HAD A WOOD SLAT IN THE BACK BIG ENOUGH TO PROP UP THE GLASS AND SUPPORT IT UNTIL HELP ARRIVED. EVEN WITH TWO ADULTS IT WAS HARD TO HOLD AND CONTROL THE GLASS TO CLOSE IT AND TAKE TO THE DEALER. RETENTION CLIP REALLY SHOULD HAVE EMBEDDED METAL REINFORCEMENT AROUND THE PIN.(THE LARGER EXPEDITION APPEARS TO HAVE JUST THAT IN THE EQUIVALENT PART.) READING ONLINE THERE ARE MANY CASES OF SIMILAR FAILURE THAT INCLUDED DAMAGE AND OR AT LEAST MINOR INJURIES. REPAIR WAS $270 AT A FORD DEALER. APPEARS TO BE COMMON ENOUGH FAILURE TO BE A DESIGN FLAW NOT TO BE REPEATED. ADMITTEDLY THIS APPEARED ON A HIGH MILEAGE NINE YEAR-OLD VEHICLE WHICH HAS OTHERWISE PROVIDED VERY GOOD SERVICE, BUT THE WEIGHT OF THE FALLING GLASS AND TORQUE INVOLVED WERE BOTH DANGEROUS AND COULD EASILY HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY. OPERATOR FELT LUCKY TO CATCH AND CONTROL IT WITHOUT BREAKING THE GLASS OR GETTING HURT. *TR