NHTSA Complaint #748951 — 1999 FORD EXPLORER

CLOSING OF REAR HATCH DIFFICULT. PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SINCE FIRST PURCHASED BUT HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. HATCH REQUIRES SEVERAL HARD SLAMMING ATTEMPTS TO CLOSE. AT TIMES THE HATCH BECOMES AJAR, ONLY AFTER CLOSING THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR(INTERIOR AIR PRESSURE FORCES HATCH AJAR). DEALER HAS EVALUATED PROBLEM AS A BENT FRAME AT RIGHT HINGE AND A NON-WARRANTED ITEM. ANNETTE MCCALL, THE LOCAL FORD FACTORY SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, HAS LOOKED OVER THE REAR HATCH AND AGREES WITH THE DEALERS' ASSESSMENT. THEY TEND TO THINK THE DEFECT WAS CAUSED BY BACKING INTO SOMETHING WITH THE HATCH OPEN OR THE HATCH BEEN FORCED UPWARD. I DISAGREE, I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A CUMULATIVE PROBLEM WHICH IS A RESULT OF AN IMPROPERLY INSTALL REAR HATCH.*AK