Hatchback/liftgate Support Device problems of the 2004 Mercury Mountaineer

Plastic/fiberglass liftgate cracked around emblem. This problem started a few years ago and has completely cracked in half. Ford explorer had the same problem and half of it flew off while driving vehicle in commute traffic. . . . Seems this would potentially open family member up to legal litigation if this part caused an accident. This is an ongoing problem with this vehicle and similar with different name plate. This is the second vehicle that this has happened to in our family. First a Ford explorer XLT and now the Mercury mounatineer. Ford is aware of this problem and has elected to address this issue. Body flex at the liftgate causes great stress to plastic/fiberglass liftgates. Just look around at Ford and Mercury and look at lift gate. . . . . Not hard to miss. . . .

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that the latch on the hatch back fractured. The contact opened the door and the door came down and struck her head. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 211,000.

Info copied from website is what happened to me while I was unloading my car in my garage. The best we can tell is that the right strut/arm seized and the hinge pins broke, causing the hatch to fall off. We don't have it in the shop yet. It will have to be towed. ********* NHTSA action number : rq08003nhtsa recall campaign number : n/a vehicle make / model: model year(s): Mercury / Mountaineer 2004 manufacturer(s) : Ford motor company component(s) : structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:support device visibility:glass, side/rear summary: this investigation was opened on June 23, 2008, based on 34 complaints involving eight injuries in which the rear liftgate glass hatch on model year 2004 Ford explorers or Mercury Mountaineers broke off and fell, usually while individuals were operating the glass hatch or loading or unloading items from the rear of the vehicle. Ford conducted recall 04v-442 in 2004 to address similar problems on model year 2002 and certain model year 2003 Ford explorers and Mercury Mountaineers. The information Ford provided in response to odi's information request letter indicated that failures with 2004 vehicles were primarily liftgate glass hatch hinge failures related to corrosion at the hinge pin, whereas the failures that prompted the recall with the earlier models were primarily related to problems with the glass hatch's struts or fracture of a prior hinge design at the boss/bolt connection at the glass. Odi's review of Ford's warranty, complaint, and injury data for the 2004 vehicles indicates that these rates are significantly lower than those for the recalled population. A potential defect trend has not been identified at this time. Odi will continue to monitor complaints and take appropriate action as necessary. This investigation is closed.

I purchased a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer first the rear liftgate plastic broke and theres a crack by the emblem on some ocasions when put in reverse it makes a loud bang noise or when starting to accelerate but the biggest problem is that on the highway up to 50mph and over there seems to be a rattle under the engine and it gets louder when mph is higher im not sure what it is but im really worried that it maybe a transmission problem and if this problem isnt recalled me and my family plus others are in really big danger its a family car so im starting to worry for my family and there safety these vehicles need to go on inspection and soon so these dosent lead to any accidents.

I own a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. About a week ago I noticed a crack in the rear liftgate panel of my vehicle. The crack curves around the Mercury logo located on the rear panel. I contacted the dealer and he said Ford is very aware of this problem and he repairs many cracked liftgates on Ford/Mercury SUV's, especially in the winter due to expanding and contracting of plastic. It is almost halfway down the back and am afraid that the window will pop out while driving and cause an accident or injure someone. It is a safety hazard. Ford needs to recall these vehicles and fix this problem. It should not be the responsibility of the consumer, since it is a defect of the SUV.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that there was a hairline fracture below the rear window near the rear liftgate latch. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired for the defect. The failure mileage was 55,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments - the left hinge on the liftgate on my 2004 Mercury Mountaineer fractured, causing the glass liftgate to swing out. The right hinge held but shows corrosion. This appears to be the same issue in NHTSA campaign 04v442000 for model years 2002 - 2003. The liftgate is no longer operational. I have not yet replace the parts.

2004 Mercury Mountaineer premier, 45,049 miles - rear liftgate hinge broke right in half & liftgate fell while vehicle owner reaching for bag in cargo area. Injuries to back of head, neck, right shoulder, elbow, wrist, thoracic spine, right scapula, right hip, knee & ankle. Dealer (west herr) removed & replaced both liftgate hinges & reassembled liftgate glass.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. When attempting to shut the liftgate glass, the hinges fractured and allowed the glass to fall. The contact's daughter was nearly injured. The dealer stated that the glass strut brackets and glass hinges needed to be replaced. The contact is in the process of having the vehicle repaired. The manufacturer stated that although she is experiencing the same failure as referenced in NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/lift gate:hinge and attachments), her VIN was excluded from the recall. The contact would be responsible for the repair costs, which exceeded $355. The failure and current mileages were 59,600.

I have two complaints involving the back liftgate on my 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. In 2008, with approx 45k miles on it, a crack developed above and below the emblem on the liftgate (like several others I've noticed on this website). The dealer didn't even look at it but said they were aware of the problem and it would cost me $500 for a new liftgate! I declined at that time. More recently, the back window hinges broke and my wife was there to catch it. She spoke to the dealer and there was no recall for it and, once again they wanted to sell a new hatch to us for over $1000 including parts and labor. We took it to our local body shop and they fixed it for $183 and got the new hinges directly from the Mercury dealer we spoke to earlier. These items should have been recalled and people reimbursed for their expenses relating to getting them fixed on their own. I cannot bring myself to buy another Ford product if they don't accept responsibility for their defects.

On the liftgate, cracked between bottom of glass and the edge of the window hatch. It cracked after a few years, and continues to deteriorate. Now we have constant warning beeps, this is a real problem.

The contact owns a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. The contact stated that there was a crack near the rear hatch. The vehicle was taken to the dealer ,but was no longer under warranty. The current mileage was 25,000, and failure mileage was 24,000.

The rear liftgate cracked near the Mercury emblem. This occurred about two years after purchasing the vehicle new. I took it to two different Ford dealerships and was told by both the Ford would not fix this problem on the 2004. One stated the 2003 model had the same problem, but that Ford repaired those. I did not receive a response to my email I sent to Ford. This is a substantial expense to the owners of this vehicle. If you look around you can tell if you are behind a 2004 explorer or mountianeer, they all will have at least one crack around the emblem.

I own a 2004 Mercury Mountaineer. Recently, I found the back panel to the liftgate near the emblem is completely cracked. This is causing a safety concern for me on the road as it could be dangerous to myself and others while driving. I contacted Ford and they refuse to recall this product. Hundreds of similar complaints can be found online and by service mechanics.