Tailgate Latch Problems of Ford Ranger

The tailgate latch on the 2002 Ford Ranger pickup broke. The plastic material appeared to be heavily oxidized and brittle , based on my mechanical engineering experience. The dealer that repaired the latch said they sold 3 or 4 of these each month at a cost of $179. 81 each, including labor. Ford motor company did not accept that they made a mistake in the choice of materials.

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While standing on tailgate both cables broke at the same time, the tailgate dropped to the bumper and I fell to the ground.

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Tailgate cable rusted in two, right at the bend.

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Tailgate latch is broken. Nlm.

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When driving on an incline, the driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor, but vehicle did not slow down. The brakes kicked in, and moments later, the driver was able to stop the vehicle. The consumer states that the he kept asking the dealer to remedy the steering-3 times. The consumer had to keep taking the vehicle to get a front end alignment every few days. The tail gate latch does not operate, the wind is still leaking around the door, the power steering pump make noise overhead/periodically locks up and throws off the drive belt and becomes hard to steer, there is a vibration in the left front wheel/roaring noise-rotated tires.

Tailgate will sometimes be difficult to unlatch, and there are also times when latch will come open when hitting a bump. Dealer has seen vehicle and can't fix tailgate.