NHTSA Complaint #10811372 — 2005 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER

"TAKATA RECALL" PURCHASED THE VEHICLE WITH 158,000 MILES ON IT. OWNED FOR ONE MONTH. BARELY DRIVING EVEN 12 MILES A DAY AS I HAVE BEEN LAID OFF FROM JOB. VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY, SITTING. OPENED THE REAR LIFT GATE TO RETRIEVE GROCERIES AND CLOSED GATE. REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT INTO A MILLION PIECES WITH THE CENTER PIECE THAT IS PLASTIC? TWISTED AS WELL. DID NOTICE CRACK IN PANEL NEAR THE EMBLEM SHORTLY AFTER THE PURCHASE OF VEHICLE AND I THOUGHT THAT THE PRIOR OWNER MAY HAVE BACKED INTO SOMETHING , ALTHOUGH THERE WAS NO DENT OR PAINT MARKED UP NEAR THE CRACK, SO I WAS STUMPED AS TO HOW IT GOT THAT WAY). AFTER INQUIRING ON THE INTERNET, I FOUND SEVERAL COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LIFT GATE PANEL AND GLASS FALLING OUT. I HAD SEALED THE CRACK WITH CLEAR SILICONE JUST A WEEK AFTER PURCHASING IN ORDER TO KEEP THE WATER OUT OF THE LIFT GATE. DEALER RAN MY VIN AND SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE. I PURCHASED A VEHICLE REPORT THIS MORNING FOR MY VIN AND IT INDICATES THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON GLASS THAT STATES THE #DOT430 IS DEFECTIVE GLASS. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS THE STAMPING ON MY GLASS AS THE DEALERSHIP/BODYSHOP REMOVED THAT PANEL AND THREW OUT THE PANEL IN THE GARBAGE. THEY SEALED THE REAR LIFT GATE WITH PLASTIC WHILE THE INSURANCE ADJUSTER EVALUATES. I KNOW THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ONGOING BY ALL THE REPORTS THAT I HAVE READ ONLINE AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD OR WHATEVER MANUFACTURER WHO SUPPLIED PARTS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS ISSUE AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AND SHOULD NOT BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE OWNER TO FIX. MY INSURANCE COMPANY TOLD ME LAST WEEK THAT I MAY BE RESPONSIBLE SINCE I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN CAR ACCIDENT. THIS SHOULD NOT BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO PAY FOR!