2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR Structure Problems

AS I WAS EXITING A STORE AND WALKING TOWARD MY VEHICLE, I NOTICED WHAT LOOKED LIKE A BLACK STREAK ON THE BACK OF MY LIFTGATE. WHEN I WAS CLOSER, I SAW THAT IT WAS A CRACK IN THE BACK OF THE LIFT GATE ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE EMBLEM OF THE VEHICLE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE BACK WINDOW TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIFT GATE. THIS CRACK WAS NOT THERE WHEN I PARKED THE VEHICLE TO ENTER THE GROCERY STORE BECAUSE I HAD TO WALK AROUND THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE TO MAKE MY WAY INTO THE STORE AND ALWAYS LOOK AT THE BACK END TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD PULLED IN FAR ENOUGH FOR OTHERS TO PASS. AT FIRST, I THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE HAD BACKED INTO MY VEHICLE BUT THERE WERE NO OTHER MARKS, DENTS, SCUFFS, ETC. I WAS CURIOUS TO FIND OUT WHAT WOULD HAVE...

OUR 2004 LINCOLN AVIATOR HAS DEVELOPED A SMALL 6 INCH CRACK IN THE PLASTIC SURROUNDING AND BELOW THE BACK WINDOW. WHEN CONTACTING THE DEALER WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM BUT FORD REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. WE WERE THEN TOLD TO CALL FORD DIRECTLY AND WERE TOLD THAT YES THEY KNOW ABOUT IT BUT THEY ARE NOT OFFERING ANY HELP TO CUSTOMERS. IN RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM ONLINE THERE ARE 100'S IF NOT 1,000'S OF FORUM POSTS DISCUSSING THIS DEFECT. A PRIMARY FORUM WOULD BE ON THE EDMUNDS CAR SITE. MY ISSUE IS THAT THIS CRACK COULD NOT BE CAUSED BY ANYTHING BUT A DEFECT AND THEREFORE FORD SHOULD BE LIABLE. THE LOCATION IS SUCH THAT DEBRIS, ETC. COULD NOT CAUSE THIS CRACK. FORD HAS QUOTED US OVER $ 1,000 TO FIX THEIR PROBLEM AND UNTIL WE DO THE CAR IS NOW SUSPECT TO WATER DAMAGE...