2004 FORD EXPLORER Structurebodyhatchbackliftgatehinge And Attachments Problems

ON 11/23/2006, MY WIFE, PUT SOMETHING IN OUR 2004 FORD EXPLORER VIA THE REAR HATCH WHEN THE DRIVERS SIDE GLASS HINGE BROKE. THE GLASS REMAINED IN TACT, BUT TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THE HATCH I HAD TO REMOVE THE TWO STRUTS. THIS APPEARS TO BE SIMILAR TO RECALL #04V442000 ON THE SAME MODEL VEHICLE IN 2002. *JB

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDOW HINGE IN THE REAR LIFT GATE FRACTURED, AND THEN THE WEIGHT OF THE WINDOW FRACTURED THE SECOND HINGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SERVICE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL #04V442000 REGARDING THE STRUCTURE: BODY: HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE: HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS, ALTHOUGH THE FAILURE WAS THE SAME.

THE HINGE ON THE REAR TAILGATE WINDOW CAME APART UNEXPECTEDLY. I HAD POPPED IT OPEN USING MY KEYFOB RELEASE BUTTON TO LOAD SOME BAGS INTO IT AND THE HINGE IMMEDIATELY FAILED. THE WINDOW ITSELF TWISTED AND WAS HANGING BY THE 2ND HINGE THAT HADN'T FAILED AND THE GAS SHOCKS THAT ENABLE THE WINDOW TO STAY OPEN WITHOUT HOLDING IT. I WAS ABLE TO FIT IT BACK TOGETHER TO CLOSE IT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I CONTACTED THE DEALERSHIP TO ORDER PARTS. WHAT I WAS TOLD WAS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE 2003 BUT NO THE 2004 MODEL. I WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO PICK UP A RECALL PACK THAT CONTAINED BOTH HINGES. THE PARTS MANAGER SOLD THEM TO ME @ COST BECAUSE THIS IS APPARENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM. THERE WERE NO INJURIES, HOWEVER, IF ONE OF MY CHILDREN HAD BEEN STANDING NEARBY IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THAT THE WOULD HAVE...

THE LEFT HINGE ON THE GLASS HATCH FAILED DURING A NORMAL CLOSING OPERATION. THE LIGHT ALUMINUM CASTING FAILED AS A RESULT OF METAL FATIGUE CAUSING THE FULL WEIGHT OF THE HATCH TO FALL ON MY WIFE. THE FORD DEALER CLAIMS THIS FAILURE IS NOT COVERED UNDER NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V442000 AND THAT MY WIFE MUST HAVE BRUTALIZED THIS TRUCK. THE REPLACEMENT PARTS THAT I PURCHASED FROM THE DEALER AND INSTALLED ARE CLEARLY MUCH HEAVIER CASTINGS. THE ISSUES CONCERNING CAMPAIGN NUMBER 04V442000 STILL EXIST ON THIS 2004 MODEL YEAR VEHICLE. I HAVE THE OLD PARTS AND PICTURES COMPARING THEM TO THE NEW ONES. *NM

REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HINGE FAILED AND GLASS STRUCK ME IN ARM AND CHEST AS I LOWERED GLASS. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THERE WAS NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 04V442000 REGARDING HATCHBACK HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS. THE VEHICLE HAS THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL; HOWEVER, IT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP BUT NO REPAIRS WERE MADE. *AK UPDATED 1/25/2006 - THE HINGES SHEARED OFF AND THE HATCH ON THE LIFTGATE FELL OFF WHEN OPENING. THE PART HAS BEEN REPLACED BUT FORDS REPLACEMENT HINGES HAVE NOT BEEN MODIFIED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. FORD REFUSED TO PAY FOR REPAIR. *NM

1. OPENED THE BACK HATCH GLASS 2. THE LEFT HINGE BROKE AND THE GLASS FELL. I WAS ABLE TO CATCH THE GLASS TO KEEP IT FROM FALLING. I PUSHED THE GLASS BACK UP AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE GLASS CLOSED AND LATCHED. MY LEFT SHOULDER HAS BEEN HURTING SINCE THE INCIDENT. *JB 3. I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE HINGE BRACKET. THEY REPLACED BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT HINGES.

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2005 THE ABS FAILED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED IT CAUSED THE CONSUMER'S VEHICLE TO ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE ABS, MAINTENANCE, AND FOUR WHEEL LIGHTS CAME ON AND BLINKED WHEN HE LOST THE BRAKES. A DIAGNOSIS TEST WAS PERFORMED, AND IT SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE SPEED SENSOR. THE DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE SPEED SENSOR IN THE REAR WHICH WAS CALLED ASY-T. THE FUEL GAUGE BROKE. IT SHOWED THE FUEL TANK LEVEL WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT IT REALLY WAS. THE DRIVER'S REAR WINDOW MOTOR HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE COVER OVER THE HATCHBACK HANDLE HAD TO BE REPLACED. ALSO, HAD TO REPLACE THE WEATHER STRIPPING. THERE HAS BEEN A REPAIR DONE TO THE FOUR BY FOUR UNIT. THERE WERE MULTIPLE PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK