Hatchback/liftgate Hinge problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that one of the hinges on the liftgate window was rusted out and separated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 04v442000 (structure), but the failure was not remedied. The liftgate hinge fractured and caused the glass to shift. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate glass shattered without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. One year later, the contact noticed a fracture through the middle of the liftgate and the liftgate would not close properly. The dealer was contacted and they advised him that were only mandated to repair the failure under the recall once. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. The VIN was unavailable.

While raising the glass section of the liftgate on my 2002 Ford Explorer, the left strut became disengaged, and the back glass exploded. We were very lucky that no one was hurt, as my brother literally had the glass in his hands when it exploded, and my daughter and I were standing right next to him. Please note, the glass did not merely shatter. It exploded. I bought this vehicle from carmax last year, and found that there were a couple of recalls on the vehicle that had not been taken care of, one of which included the replacement of the strut brackets and hinges on the liftgate. Upon reviewing my service invoice, I found that only the liftgate hinges were replaced; the strut brackets were not. I had the vehicle towed to the Ford dealership who performed the recall service originally, and they notified Ford. Ford claimed that the struts had been replaced in 2002 ~ which was two years before the recall even occurred. Therefore, they would not cover any of the repair. How do I know that faulty struts were not installed in 2002, since the recall didn't even occur until 2 years later? I have read other complaints online about this, and it is amazing that Ford gets away with this! this is my last Ford, that's for sure! this is my second Explorer, and I have been a very loyal customer, but no more! Ford does not stand behind it's product and they apparently do not care about the safety of their customers.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the hinges on the rear lift gate fractured in half and the window glass fell and was hanging from the rear of the vehicle. The contact tied down the glass to prevent it from falling and shattering. The contact was advised by the dealer that his VIN was not included with NHTSA campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lift gate: hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 119,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the rear window fell off track. He attempted to keep the window in place by using duct tape. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. The contact found NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000, structure body, hatchback/lift gate, hinge and attachments which was related to his year, make and model vehicle; however, he was unable to confirm if his VIN was included. The approximate failure and current mileages were 112,000.

A vertical crack in the lift-gate below the rear window. No apparent other damage to vehicle. Discovered when preparing to open rear hatch. Extends from window downward to latch/release point. Updated ivoq 01/08/10.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. When the contact lifted the hatch on the vehicle, the glass stuart brackets popped off and cut his head and wrist. There is a recall for this failure. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 139,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. When the contact opened the liftgate on the vehicle, the rear glass suddenly shattered. There were no injuries; however, a piece of glass landed in the contact's hair. The insurance adjuster was notified of the failure. The vehicle was inspected and it was discovered that the liftgate glass strut brackets failed. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired for NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). The recall remedy has not corrected the safety defect. The vehicle will be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. The failure and current mileages were 63,000. Updated 12/15/08. Updated 12/15/08.

This is the second time my rear panel below the window hatch on my 2002 Ford Explorer has cracked. This time it cracked and flew off on the highway. 2 vehicles behind me had to Dodge the debris, and fortunately there were no accidents.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was parked and the rear tailgate hatch window was a quarter of the way down, the contact's son retrieved items from the trunk and the middle piece of the rear end was literally hanging off. The window glass shattered everywhere. His son was uninjured, but the contact believes that this should not have occurred if no pressure was applied to the window itself. The contact drove to the dealer and was informed that the failure was not covered under warranty, nor a recall. The current and failure mileages were 136,739.

About three weeks ago I noticed a crack on the fiberglass piece of the rear hatch lid of my 2002 Ford Explorer. I didn't think much about it until today when I got to looking for the price of a rear window. While searching I seen that there was alot of people that had this problem and that some had even had the window shatter on them. Well I am now one of them. Today as I opened my rear hatch the passenger side piece that secures the window to the body of the Explorer just fell off causing the window to shatter and glass to cut my arms, and face, and also sent pieces of glass into my eye.

The rear liftgate applique cracked in the middle resulting in the right side completely falling off the vehicle. The part that is still attached to the vehicle is loose on the edges due to inefficient adhesive. Apparently there are hundreds of complaints of this exact defect occurring to other owners of 2002 Explorers. This is also a completely replaced rear window following the shattering of the original one in March 2004 due to bad struts. After having the shattered window replaced, it completely fell off the following year due to the faulty hinge (which was recalled). I have an estimate of over $700 from the Ford dealer to fix this applique. I feel that with this many complaints it's inexcusable for Ford to not issue a recall. I will never purchase a Ford again after this nor will anyone in my family with this type of customer service.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. After the engine was turned off and the door was closed, the contact heard a loud noise. She noticed that the liftgate glass shattered. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but no repairs were made. The vehicle was previously serviced for NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000(structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) in may of 2007. The current and failure mileages were 100,000. Updated 03-04-08 the consumer stated the problem was thought to be fixed back in April 2007, however the rear glass shattered again. Tl the dealer stated that the brackets were replaced; however, the glass broke and sounded like an explosion. The vehicle has been at the dealer for 21 days to have the glass installed. The contact had to pay $948 to have the vehicle repaired. The contact has the brackets that should have been installed. She also spoke with the manufacturer and they didn't offer her any assistance.

Went to open liftgate when parked in the dark and cut hand on cracked panel. Called Ford, they are aware that the plastic panels are cracking in the cold/hot temp changes but are not recalling them. We taped the crack so our children won't get hurt. Please help. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. In March of 2007, the contact found a crack in the center of the liftgate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again on January 6, 2008 and they stated that the repair was the contact's responsibility. The current mileage was 16,000 and failure mileage was 14,500. Updated 03-04-08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact noticed that the rear glass was cracked from the top to the bottom of the glass. He noticed another crack beginning to form at the top as well. One crack is in the center and the other is on the top right. The manufacturer stated that they would assume a small portion of the cost to have the glass replaced, but did not state whether the failure would recur. The failure mileage was 25,000 and current mileage was 46,700. Updated 04-02-08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. On September 9, 2007, the hinge failed on the liftgate and the glass fell out and shattered. He notified the dealer and a recall was found. The dealer advised him to take the vehicle to the Ford dealer. Ford stated that his VIN was not included in the recall and would not repair the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that the recall had been performed by the previous owners, however, it was done improperly at the time. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 91,600. Updated 01-14-08. Updated 12/12/07.

The liftgate exterior cracked down the middle with no pressure being applied, maybe the weather made it crack, but this is a manufacturers defect.

The back panel of our Ford Explorer has cracked the vertical length of the to panel. Have seen many other Explorers with the same defect.

- the contacted stated that the rear liftgate applique on the 2002 Ford Explorer was cracked. The applique held the back rear glass onto the liftgate. The liftgate glass strut may become disengaged if the rear lift gate was opened. The contact was unwilling to open the rear liftgate due to the crack. The contact spoke with dealership and Ford manufacturer, and was informed that the vehicle was not part of the recall due to the VIN. The vehicle had 67200 miles.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the plastic portion on the bottom of the rear liftgate cracked vertically. The current mileage is 78,000, and failure mileage was 75,000.

The panel below the rear window gets vertical cracks. It happened the first time at about 60,000. The dealer where I purchased it replaced the rear panel as part of the hinge warranty recall. At the time, it had 1 vertical crack. I now have 100k on my car and the cracks have happened again. I now have 3 vertical cracks. This is definitely a defect. My daughter has the same car and has the same problem. On carcomplaints. Com there are 48 people who have reported the same problem. The Ford dealer said that Ford does not acknowledge that this is a design defect and will not cover repair of this. This is a safety issue because with the cracks the upper rear panel has lost it's integrity and the window could dislodge.

: the contact stated the bracket connecting the right strut to the liftgate rotated out of position, causing the liftgate glass to fall and shatter. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who was unable to determine the problem. The manufacturer was also notified. There was a NHTSA recall # 01i010000 which pertained to the side and rear glass. The vehicle was not included in the recall due to the VIN.

I have taken in my 2002 Ford twice to have the hatch hinge repaired. The third time I took it in to the dealership was because I got a recall for my vehicle. The recall description was for: the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break. After a year of it's recall the hinge again popped out but this time the rear glass of my vehicle did shatter. I took my vehicle again to the Ford dealership (where I've taken it now for the fourth time) and they stated that because they already "fixed" the recalled part they were not obligated to replace the rear window hatch. Two things are possible: 1. The Ford dealership installed the recalled part incorrectly or 2. The recalled part was also defective. I am not going to pay out of my pocket for the recalled part to be fix.

2002 Ford Explorer rear window hinge broke scraping the rear window. The liftgate hinge snapped off as the consumer opened the rear glass window. The broken hinge also caused the rear class to scrape the paint on the upper rear portion of the vehicle when the glass broke off the hinge. The consumer contacted he dealer. They advised the consumer that they were aware of the problem at to bring the vehicle in. The technician check the vehicle VIN against the recall and informed the consumer that the vehicle was not included in recall 04v442000. The consumer paid to have the hinge replaced.

The back glass lift gate which had been replaced once before due to a recall broke. The glass door opened with the button on the key fob, and as I reached into the car to put a stroller in the door, it slammed down and hit the back of my head forcing my chin to also slam into the frame of the door.

Campaign number: 04v442000 date: 2004-Sep-13 component: structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments the Ford Explorer had the recall work performed fall of oct 11,2005. On June 3,2006, about 8 months, the epoxy/tar used to "secure" the strut bracket on the glass failed in 90+degree weather (moderate sunny day, it will get hotter). From observation, using adhesive to prevent the ball joint from pivoting was a bad design. I opened the glass liftgate and started to reach in and the glass lift gate slammed down on my head. Due to local temperature and regular vibration from driving and the load from the strut, the adhesive yielded and the ball joint rotated causing the strut to pop off causing the glass liftgate to come down abruptly and without warning. Had this happen to my wife, she would have been seriously injured being petite. I notified the Ford company and the dealer, both decline to repair the repair performed under recall as it was pass their warranty of 12 month or 12,000 miles. It was over the 12,000 miles. So I guess after 12 month or 12000 miles, Ford is no longer liable if the recall repair injures or kills someone as it was a repair under a recall.

: the contact stated there are three cracks in the rear hatchback door above the emblem. The dealer and manufacturer have been alerted.

: the contact stated the vehicle's lift gate strut disengaged, it fractured the glass and the glass shattered. There was a recall on the NHTSA campaign #04v442000, concerning the lift gate and attachments. The recall work was preformed; although, the remedy did not repair the problem. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for inspection and repair.

The contact had NHTSA recall campaign 01i010000 repairs performed on the rear liftgate glass in February 2005. Then, the rear liftgate glass shattered when he shut the liftgate. He contacted the dealer and manufacturer, and they offered no free remedy.

Ford replaced hinges on back window 3 times per safety recall before getting it right. Now, the panel on the bottom of the window is cracked in several places, the service department claims it is not related. Ford body shop says it is.

I was driving my 2002 Explorer at a low rate of speed and the back window blew out. Just spontaneously blew up, sending glass throughout the vehicle. In April 2005, the car was recalled for a back gate glass problem. The dealer says it was fixed. Now, six months later, the glass just blows up and causes damage to the back gate. This is odd and frightening. Had my children been in the third seat, they would have been sprayed with glass and injured. Luckily, I had just left them off at school. Please look into this matter for us.

After seeing other 2002-2006 Ford Explorers on the street with the same problem of having a crack in the rear panel right below the rear window I decided to see if there was anything we could do about it. I know there was a recall to replace the hinges because the door would slam shut which I believe caused the crack. I talked to Ford when it first occurred and they said based on my mileage they would not fix it and it would cost about 500. My question to Ford was what does the mileage have to do with what I believe was a recall defect that ultimately caused this problem? I noticed on the new model Explorers they redesigned them so the glass opens up without the panel. After reading other complaints I am now concerned that the window could actually fall out if the door is shut and could break and cause an injury. I would like to file a formal complaint and hopefully get this resolved soon.

Consumer stated he received a recall 04520 in 10-04. Consumer called the dealer numerous times. They put him on a list and indicated they would call him back. In 2-05 he received a card from Ford stating dealer could now order parts for his vehicle. He called the dealer, and they said they didn't have the parts, and they will order them. The dealer said again he would be put on a waiting list. The recall was on liftgate back window brackets. That was six months ago and they still haven't called consumer.