1994 Ford Explorer Structure

SHEET METAL RIPPED , CAUSING REAR LIFTGATE TO COMPLETLY DETACH FROM HYDRAULIC LIFTS. BASICALLY, THE DOOR WILL OPEN AND SHUT. *AK

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING AT 65MPH AND THE HOOD FLEW UP. DEALER WILL REPAIR HOOD AT CONSUMERS COST. *AK *TT

HATCHBACK HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS BROKE OFF THE FROM TOP RIGHT HAND CORNER OF THE DOOR. ALSO, BACK DOOR WON'T STAY UP BECAUSE HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS BROKE OFF.

FRONT FRAME CROSSMEMBER/SUBBRACE IS EXHIBITING SEVERE RUST-THROUGH ON WELL-MAINTAINED VEHICLE. PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED DURING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE; IT HAS NOT FAILED YET, BUT DEGREE OF CORROSION IS TO WHERE FAILURE IS IMMINENT IF STRESSED. *AK

RECALL 99V310.001/HATCHBACK HYDRAULIC CYLINDER BREKAGE. DEALER REFUSED TO PERFORM RECALL REPAIRS BECAUSE VEHICLE WAS NOT PURCHASED THERE. *AK

THE LIFTGATE SHOCK ON DRIVERS SIDE DOOR BROKE COMPLETELY OFF THE DOOR PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE CAUSING IT TO FALL DOWN ON CONSUMER. NLM

RECALL 99V310.001/HYDRAULIC LIFTGATE CYLINDERS: PRIOR TO RECEIVING RECALL NOTICE, LIFTGATE BROKE OFF THE WELD AND BENT THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER. DEALER DID THE NECESSARY RECALL REPAIRS, BUT ATTACHED THE SAME BENT CYLINDER. HOWEVER, DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT FUTURE REPLACEMENT WOULD BE AT CONSUMER'S COST. *AK

RECALL NUMBER 99V31001, TWO HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDERS INSTALLED BY THE DEALER AS PART OF THE RECALL REMEDY COLLAPSED. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WIFE WAS IN THE BACK SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SIDE. WENT TO CLOSE THE DOOR, AND HANDLE BROKE OFF. THE OTHER INSIDE DOOR HANDLES ARE ALSO WEAK AND BREAK OFF EASILY. *AK

NHTSA RECALL 99V310001 AND MANUFACTURER'S RECALL 99S34. THERE WAS A MISSING BRACKET. WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER THAT THE BRACKET WAS PART OF THE LIFTGATE, AND THAT THEY NEEDED IT IN ORDER TO REPAIR VEHICLE. *AK

THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE BRACKETS CONNECTING THE HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDERS FAILED PRIOR TO RECALL NOTICE (99V-310). NLM

ON TWO OCCASIONS THE BRACKETS CONNECTING THE HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDERS TO THE LIFTGATE RIPPED OFF. *MJS

THE HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDER BROKE OFF AND FELL OUT. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

THE BUSHINGS AROUND THE HINGE PINS WERE WEAK, CAUSING THE DOOR TO SAG, WHICH IN TURN MADE THE DOOR DIFFICULT TO CLOSE. EVENTUALLY THE LATCH MECHANISM HAS BEEN WEAKENED AND THE INTERIOR PANEL/DOOR HANDLE PULLED OFF. I HAVE CALLED ALL AREA WRECKING YARDS (IN WESTERN WASHINGTON AND OREGON) AND WAS TOLD THAT THESE COMPONENTS ARE SOLD OFF THE EXPLORERS AS SOON AS THEY ARRIVE. THE FELLOW AT THE PARTS-DESK AT THE COURTESY FORD DEALER IN POULSBO SAYS HE HAS HAD TO ORDER MANY HINGES AND LATCH REPLACEMENTS FOR EXPLORERS. THIS WOULD LEAD ME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A WIDE-SPREAD PROBLEM BETWEEN EXPLORER OWNERS.

LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE SUPPORT ROD POPPED OFF OF THE HATCHBACK, CAUSING THE HATCHBACK TO FALL DOWN ON CONSUMER'S HEAD. *AK

THE BRACKET AND GAS ASSIST CYLINDER ON MY VEHICLE HAS BROKEN AS STATED IN ID #'S 95I007000 AND 99V310001. I CONTACTED FORD TO REPAIR AND THEY STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD GREATER THAN 60,000 MILES AND THEY WERE NOT RESPONSOBLE FOR REPAIRING. TWO POINTS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE USED AND DID NOT RECEIVE THE OWNER NOTIFICATION REGARDING THE DEFECT. HAD I, MAYBE THE PROBLEM WOULD HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND CORRECTED. POINT 2, YOU HAVE 2 ID NUMBERS OF THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD DID NOT MENTION THE LATEST RECALL, ID# 99V310001, THAT HAS A 1999 YEAR OF RECALL. I ONLY SPOKE WITH FORD LAST WEEK, 12/08/99. WHY DIDIN'T THEY REFER TO THIS ID#. THIRDLY, I DO N OT BELEIVE THIS DEFECT IS A FUNCTION OF TIME OR MILEAGE. IT IS A FUNCTION OF THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE HATCH IS OPENED AND REPRESENTS A SERIOUS PERSONAL INJURY EXPOSURE. MY WIFE HAD JUST RETURNED FROM THE GROCERY STORE AND TOLD ME THE REAR HATCH WAS MAKING A POPPING SOUND. I OPENED THE HATCH TWICE TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND THE BRACKET BROKE THE SECOND TIME. THE HATCH DROPPED DOWN IMMEDIATLEY AND I HAD TO CATCH IT. HAD THIS HAPPENED TO MY WIFE, OR WORSE YET, WHILE HOLDING OUR 2 YR OLD, THERE IS NO WAY SHE WAY SHE COULD HAVE RESTRAINED THE DOOR. I AM SURE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURY. FORD STATED TO ME THAT EVEN IF I HAD RECEIVED A OWNER NOTIFICATION, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE REPAIRED THE PROBLEM IF IT SHOWED NO SIGN OF FAILURE. I HAVE A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A SAFETY DEFECT AND CORRECTED. THE DEFECT THAT THEY ADMIT TO HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED WITH A RESULT OF PERSONAL INJURY WITH 1.5 MILLION VEHICLES WITH THE DEFECT. THIS DEFECT WILLL NOT ALWAYS MANIFEST ITSELF WITHIN 6 YEARS OR 60,000 MILES. IT IS A FUNCTION OF USAGE AND THEREFORE THE CASE SHOULD BE REOPENED AND PROPER NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY PROVIDED. LASTLY, THE DEFECT ALSO CAUSES A PPROBLEM WITH THE REAR HATCH PROPERLY SECURING AFTER THE BRACKET HAS BROKEN. THE WEIGHT OF THE DOOR CAUSES THE HATCH TO MIS ALIGN AND WILL NOT SECURLEY LATCH.

REAR HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS GAVE OUT AND COLLAPSED ON OWNER. DEALER SAID IT WAS NOT PART OF RECALL. *AK

WHILE OPENING REAR HATCHBACK, LEFT REAR SUPPORT ROD/HYDRAULIC CYLINDER & ASSEMBLY DETATCHED FROM VEHICLE CAUSING DOOR TO COME DOWN & HIT MYSELF ON HEAD. INJURY WAS MINOR & DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION.

THE BRACKET HOLDING THE REAR DOOR AND VACUUM PIECE BROKE OFF. YH

REAR HATCHBACK HINGES BRACKET IS BREAKING FROM THE WELD, CAUSING IT TO FALL ON TOP OF CONSUMER. *AK

HATCHBACK ASSEMBLY FAILURE, NEAR INJURY ; "COMMON PROBLEM" SAYS DEALER

THE HOOD LATCH ON THIS VEHICLE BECAME RELEASED AND THE SAFTY CATCH GOT STUCK IN THE RELEASED POSITION. THE HOOD BLEW OPEN WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MILES PER HOUR CAUSING EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. I WILL DOCUMENT THIS RELEASE FAILURE WITH THE AUTO BODY SHOP AND I WILL KEEP THE OLD LATCH FOR PROOF. THE LATCH SAFTY DOES NOT RETURN TO THE LATCHED POSITION AFTER CLOSING THE HOOD. THE DEALER WAS NOT THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED NOR DID HE CARE OR OFFER ANY COMPANSATION IN THIS MATTER. HE SAID THE VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND IT IS OUT OF WARRANTEE AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE DEALT WITH AT THE DEALER LEVEL. HE NEVER EVEN ASKED IF ANYBOBY WAS INJURED. I ALSO CALLED FORD MOTOR CO. AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. THEY DIDEN'T EVEN WANT TO EXAMINE THE LATCH. I ASKED THE ADJUSTER IF THE HOOD LATCH WAS THE SAME ONE THAT IS IN THE 1997 AND 1998 VEHICLES BECAUSE THE WEEK BEFORE I HEARD ON THE NEWS THAT THERE WAS A RECALL BECAUSE THE HOOD COULD BLOW OPEN. HE SAID THEY APPEAR TO BE THE SAME LATCH EXCEPT FOR ONE NUMBER IS DIFERENT.I SERIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT IF SOMEONE PULLS THE RELEASE THINKING IT WAS THE PARKING BREAK AND DRIVES OFF THE SAFTY LATCH MAY FAIL AS MINE DID. THANK YOU

THE HYDRAULIC CYLINDER THAT SUPPORTS THE REAR LIFTGATE HAS PULLED AWAY FOM FRAME ON THE PASSENGER'S SIDE. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE TRUCK WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP. DEALER COULD NOT CORRECT PROBLEM FREE OF CHARGE. TRUCK NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. TRUCK WAS NOT INCLUDED IN RECALL # 95I007000 FORD/STRUCTURE: HATCHBACK. *AK

DEALER KNEW OF THE PROBLEM AT TIME OF PURCHASE BUT FAILED TO DISCLOSE.

WHILE CLOSING THE HATCHBACK LID, THE RIGHT HYDRAULIC CYLINDER BRACKET COMPLETELY DETACHED FROM THE LIFT GATE. I CONTACTED FORD AT THEIR HOT LINE AND WAS TOLD THAT RECALL #95M87 HAD ELAPSED AND THEIR WAS NOTHING FORD COULD DO ABOUT THE FAILURE. I ASKED FORD ABOUT SAFETY RECALL #95S21 AND THEY SAID THAT WAS FOR PREVIOUS FORD EXPLORERS. THIS IS THE SAME PROBLEM AS 1994 EXPLORERS, WHICH THEY REPLACED THE ENTIRE LIFTGATE ($2000) WITHOUT A MILEAGE OR DATE CONDITION AND WITH THE NEW RECALL THEY NOW WILL NOT DO ANYTHING? I HAVE CONTACTED 25 OTHER EXPLORER OWNERS WITH IDENTICAL PROBLEMS. THEY TOO CAN NOT GET FORD TO REACT. THIS IS A SAFETY PROBLEM, AS I CAN NOT OPEN THE DOOR WITHOUT THE THING FALLING DOWN. I CAN EVEN SELL THE CAR NOW. PLEASE ADVISE WHAT CAN BE DONE. THANK YOU, TOM SPALDING ([email protected])