NHTSA Complaint #715982 — 1994 FORD EXPLORER

THE BRACKET AND GAS ASSIST CYLINDER ON MY VEHICLE HAS BROKEN AS STATED IN ID #'S 95I007000 AND 99V310001. I CONTACTED FORD TO REPAIR AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD GREATER THAN 60,000 MILES AND THEY WERE NOT RESPONSOBLE FOR REPAIRING. TWO POINTS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND DID NOT RECEIVE THE OWNER NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE DEFECT. HAD I, MAYBE THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTED. POINT 2, YOU HAVE 2 ID NUMBERS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD DID NOT MENTION THE LATEST RECALL, ID# 99V310001, THAT HAS A 1999 YEAR OF RECALL. I ONLY SPOKE WITH FORD LAST WEEK, 12/08/99. WHY DIDIN'T THEY REFER TO THIS ID#. THIRDLY, I DO N OT BELEIVE THIS DEFECT IS A FUNCTION OF TIME OR MILEAGE. IT IS A FUNCTION OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE HATCH IS OPENED AND REPRESENTS A SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY EXPOSURE. MY WIFE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE GROCERY STORE AND TOLD ME THE REAR HATCH WAS MAKING A POPPING SOUND. I OPENED THE HATCH TWICE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THE BRACKET BROKE THE SECOND TIME. THE HATCH DROPPED DOWN IMMEDIATLEY AND I HAD TO CATCH IT. HAD THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE, OR WORSE YET, WHILE HOLDING OUR 2 YR OLD, THERE IS NO WAY SHE WAY SHE COULD HAVE RESTRAINED THE DOOR. I AM SURE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURY. FORD STATED TO ME THAT EVEN IF I HAD RECEIVED A OWNER NOTIFICATION, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM IF IT SHOWED NO SIGN OF FAILURE. I HAVE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEFECT AND CORRECTED. THE DEFECT THAT THEY ADMIT TO HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH A RESULT OF PERSONAL INJURY WITH 1.5 MILLION VEHICLES WITH THE DEFECT. THIS DEFECT WILLL NOT ALWAYS MANIFEST ITSELF WITHIN 6 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. IT IS A FUNCTION OF USAGE AND THEREFORE THE CASE SHOULD BE REOPENED AND PROPER NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY PROVIDED. LASTLY, THE DEFECT ALSO CAUSES A PPROBLEM WITH THE REAR HATCH PROPERLY SECURING AFTER THE BRACKET HAS BROKEN. THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR CAUSES THE HATCH TO MIS ALIGN AND WILL NOT SECURLEY LATCH.