NHTSA Complaint #10651471 — 2014 FORD EXPLORER

WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP FOR PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, THE TECHNICIAN NOTICED THAT THE LEFT TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS ABOUT A THIRD FULL OF WATER. THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REMOVED FROM THE VEHICLE AND WAS ROTATED IN VARIOUS DIRECTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO FIND WHERE THE WATER HAD ENTERED THE LIGHT. WHAT WE FOUND WAS A POORLY WELDED PLASTIC SEAM AT THE TOP EDGE OF THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. WE APPROACHED FORD WITH THE ISSUE AND WERE INFORMED THAT BECAUSE EMERGENCY LIGHTING HAD BEEN ADDED, THEY WOULD NOT WARRANTY THE LIGHT EVEN THOUGH THE EMERGENCY LIGHT WAS NOT THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK. THIS VEHICLE IS OPERATED BY A POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE HAD ANOTHER FAILURE (UPPER SEAM LEAK) ON ANOTHER POLICE UNIT,SAME YEAR, THAT RESULTED IN THE LOSE OF FUNCTION OF THE LEFT TAILLIGHT ASSEMBLY DUE TO THE LED LIGHTING MODULE SHORTING OUT AFTER THE LIGHT HAD FILLED HALFWAY WITH WATER. WE FEEL THIS COULD BE A SAFETY ISSUE DUE THE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCED VISIBLE STOPLIGHTS AND TAILLIGHTS ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. *TR