2006 FORD EXPLORER Visibility Problems

THIS HAPPENED TO OUR 2006 FORD EXPLORER (EDDIE BAUER EDITION, V8 4WD). THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS EXPLODED INTO A MILLION TINY PIECES WITH NO EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL TRAUMA. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY AT THE TIME AND THE TEMPERATURE WAS ABOVE FREEZING (LOW 40S) AND IT WAS NOT IN THE SUN. APPROXIMATELY HALF THE GLASS WAS SCATTERED ACROSS THE DRIVEWAY - 10+ FEET AWAY. THE REST OF THE GLASS WAS IN THE BACK OF THE SUV. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS AROUND WHEN THIS HAPPENED - AND WE WERE NOT DRIVING THE CAR AT THE TIME. THIS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SERIOUS INJURY TO A BYSTANDER - OR AN ACCIDENT AS I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW MUCH THAT WOULD ALARM THE DRIVER. I WILL BE CLEANING GLASS BITS FROM THE DRIVEWAY AND BACK OF THE SUV FOR A LONG TIME TO COME! AT LEAST IT IS NOT TOO WARM...

WAS DRIVING WHEN TILT GATE GLASS AJAR WARNING CAME ON, AT THE SAME TIME HEARD A WHISTLING NOISE. UPON STOPPING NOTICED THE LIFT GATE WAS AJAR WITH AND AWAY FROM THE HATCH BY SEVERAL INCHES. TIED TO CLOSE IT AND IT DID NOT CLOSE PROPERLY UPON INSPECTION THE HINGE WAS BROKE THAT HOLDS THE GLASS TO THE VEHICLE. MANAGED TO GET THE GLASS SOMEWHAT BACK IN PLACE AND DROVE GINGERLY HOME ALL WHILE THE LIFT GATE AJAR LIGHT WAS ON. THERE IS A LOT OF WHITE RESIDUE PACKED IN PART OF THE HINGE NOT KNOWN IF IT IS ROAD SALT OR NOT AND THE HINGE HAS A CRACK WHERE IT SEPARATED. MY CONCERN IS THE FAILURE IS RELATED TO SALT AND FREEZING AND THAWING, AND IF THAT IS THE CASE HOW LONG BEFORE THE OTHER ONE FAILS... ALSO IF DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS WITH WINDOWS OPENED COULD IT HAVE CAUSED...

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MADE A POPPING NOISE AND DISCONNECTED FROM THE MOTOR WHICH CAUSED A LOSS OF VISIBILITY. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS NORMAL. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER WHO STATED THAT THEY WOULD PASS THE INFORMATION ON. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 40,101 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 50,000.

1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE ARE SIMPLE. IT WAS A QUIET SATURDAY AFTERNOON (4:30 PM ON 7/18/09). I WAS ON A TWO WAY STREET ON THE WAY TO MY SWEETHEART'S HOUSE IN OVERLAND PARK, KS . I WAS GOING AT ABOUT 25 MPH. THERE WAS ONE OTHER CAR IN MY VISION ABOUT 75 FEET BEHIND ME. NO ONE WAS COMING AT ME. TO MY RIGHT WAS AN EMPTY BASEBALL DIAMOND FOR THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL AND TO MY LEFT WAS A LARGE ( AT LEAST 10 FEET TALL) CONCRETE WALL ENCLOSING AN UPSCALE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT. 2. WITHOUT WARNING I HEAR AN EXPLOSION FOLLOWED IMMEDIATELY BY SHATTERING GLASS FROM MY SUNROOF CASCADING DOWN UPON ME. THE EXPLOSION WAS JUST THE SOUND OF THE SUNROOF SHATTERING. AS GOD IS MY WITNESS, I SWEAR TT JUST SHATTERED FROM CAUSES BEYOND MY KNOWLEDGE. 3. THE FOLLOWING MONDAY MORNING I TOOK IT...

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A SEVERE WINDSHIELD GLARE COMING FROM THE DASHBOARD. THE DEALER INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE VEHICLE FUNCTIONS PROPERLY. UPDATED 5/10/2006 - THE DASHBOARD REFLECTED ONTO THE WINDSHIELD AND COVERED ABOUT 70% OF THE WINDSHIELD. *NM