NHTSA Complaint #10668907 — 2012 FORD ESCAPE

GOING TO WORK EARLY (6:35AM) MONDAY MORNING, DRIVING AROUND 35-40MPH, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDENLY I HEAR A BIG BOOM AND THE SOUND OF SOMETHING BEING SPLATTER AND HITTING THE BACK OF MY HEAD. THE NEXT THING I KNOW I FEEL A BIG GUST OF COLD AIR IN THE CAR AND WHEN I LOOK THROUGH MY REAR VIEW MIRROR, I SEE THAT MY REAR LIFT GATE WINDOW HAD JUST EXPLODED. ALL THIS HAPPEN WHEN I WAS DRIVING. THE BACK SEAT AND THE BACK OF THE SUV WERE COVERED WITH HUNDREDS OF PIECES OF GLASS. THE TWO HYDRAULIC BARS THAT CONTROL THE OPENING OF THE DOOR ALONG WITH THE REAR WINDOW WIPER ASSEMBLY WERE JUST HANGING THERE. NEEDLESS TO SAY IT SCARED ME TO DEATH. IT WAS JUST A BLESSING THAT IT WASN'T RAINING NOR SNOWING. I TOOK IT TO MY DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THAT FORD IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPLACEMENT AND THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE REPAIRS/REPLACEMENT NECESSARY. WHY ME? IS IT NOT A FLAW IN THE DESIGN SOMEHOW? AFTER RESEARCHING I SEE THAT IT HAS HAPPEN TO OTHER PEOPLE AS WELL. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. CUSTOMERS SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE REAR WINDOWS EXPLODING, JUST BECAUSE FORD DECIDED TO PUT THE HYDRAULIC BARS ON THE WINDOW. AGAIN SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. *TR