NHTSA Complaint #10661269 — 2001 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC

I HAVE OWNED THIS TRUCK SINCE 2002. LEFT REAR PASSENGER DOOR HANDLE BROKE (ONE DAY IT WORKED, NEXT DAY IT WAS FLOPPING AND OBVIOUSLY DISCONNECTED). CAN'T OPEN IT FROM THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR HANDLE ALSO FEELING FLOPPY AND LOOSE. CHILD "SAFETY" LATCHES ON BOTH BACK PASSENGER DOORS HAVE NEVER WORKED PROPERLY SO ANYONE SITTING IN THE BACK SEAT HAS TO BE LET OUT BY SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE AS THE INSIDE DOOR HANDLE WON'T WORK. ON THE INTERNET, YOU WILL SEE THAT DOOR FAILURES ON THIS MAKE AND MODEL ARE RAMPANT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IN AN ACCIDENT, THE DRIVER AND/OR PASSENGERS COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE TRUCK. FIXING THE DOORS IS REALLY DIFFICULT AS W/O BEING ABLE TO OPEN THE DOOR, YOU HAVE TO DISMANTLE THE INTERIOR OF THE TRUCK IN ORDER TO GET TO THE I/S DOOR PANEL. THIS IS NOT A REPAIR A TYPICAL OWNER COULD DO FOR THEMSELVES, EVEN MY MECHANIC DOES NOT WANT TO DO IT. WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF TRUCK OWNERS COMPLAINING OF THIS DOOR FAILURE PROBLEM ON THE NET AND THE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS POSITION IT PUTS THE DRIVER AND PASSENGERS IN, FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ISSUED. OBVIOUSLY THESE DOOR LATCHES ARE VERY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FAILURE AND CONTINUED TO BE INSTALLED BY FORD FOR YEARS. *TR