Kngnthn03

http://www.ford.com/en/support/conta...?source=botnav

I emailed Ford from this site.

 

Unregistered

My '02 Mountaineer developed the same cracks in the plastic tailgate panel several days ago. I contacted my Lincoln/Mercury dealer and was told that Ford will cover 50% of the cost of replacing this panel. I was quoted a total repair price of $443, including painting and installation, so my cost will be $221.50.

Unregistered

My 2003 Mountaineer developed the exact same crack in the plastic tailgate panel. I don't know how long it has been there. A co-worker noticed it. I contacted the dealer that I purchased the SUV from and they said this is an issue and they WILL NOT cover it. I have gone over my miles for the warrenty and the gold... extra... extented warrenty doesn't cover it. So, I guess I have to pay to get it fixed. LAST FORD I EVER BUY! This is definately a know defect and they will not take responsibility unless it is life-threatening and they might have a lawsuit. It's all about the mighty buck. The lawyers and accountants have been very busy working the numbers and they obviously feel it is not cost effective to fix this KNOWN DEFECT. Well, let's see... Depends on how many customers they lose doesn't it.

I'm not going to feel bad when I hear they are near bankrupt again. I wonder what Henry would have thought of this modern day customer service?

Kuwait

HI

I had the tailgate recall on my 2003 Explorer and sure enough I now have the crack. Below the window down to the Ford Logo. It just appeared overnight.
Off to the dealer tomorrow to see what he says.

Update:

It came as no surprise. They are carrying our repair free of charge

modette

I have a 2004 Explorer but mine seems to be fine and my car has sat out all winter here in Michigan. However I do have a new tailgate that was installed after a mishap...so maybe mine is okay. Mine is a lease so I do not care if it does crack...lol

However my uncles, and my cousins both cracked. My cousin has a 2003, and my Uncles is a 2003 I believe. My cousins was replaced at the dealership with no problems, but my uncles was over the miles/warranty period and they would not touch it at the first dealer he went to.

Right now it is not a RECALL, it is a case by case situation up tot he dealer if they replace it. First question both dealers asked my uncle was, "Did you buy it here?", he said no and they were less eager to help him out. Always lie to the service department, make sure you say YES if they ask...they wont go and check if it is true and most people our honest when asked.

From what he was told it is from water getting behind the plastic and freezing and unfreezing that is making it crack.

Kuwait,
Maybe the high temps are causing the glue to melt and then the plastic is contracting and breaking.

The rear tailgate is a poor design by Ford, the original ones were fine and worked great, not sure why they went and changed to a poor method/product.

Also you can always ask the dealer to have a Ford represenitive look into the matter, a lot of the times Ford with split the cost with you to keep you. If you did buy the car from Ford, you can always talk to your sales guy...sometimes they will get things pushed through to get you to come back.

Good luck all....

XR8NZ

I took my 2002 explorer in for a service and it was flagged for a recall. Ford replaced, screwed and glued the glass tailgate hinges. As apparently the hinges were giving way on some Explorers and the glass was falling off.

That would surely give my dog the shits, as he cruises along with his head out the opened glass tailgate...lol

Gary

__________________
1970 Boss 429 Hemi owner

Unregistered

I just had my '02 Mountaineer cracked plastic tailgate panel replaced. The dealer said it would be fixed under "Technical Service Bulletin 05-24-2", and I would only have to pay a $200 "deductible". They did a good, and I paid $200. The repaired tailgate looks like new.

Turns out this is a known issue that has been occuring for over a year on 2002 - 2005 Explorers and Mountaineers. Several TSBs have been issued on it, but TSB 05-24-2 is the latest one, superceding the others. I obtained that TSB and it describes the specific procedure for making the repair, but it doesn't mention anything about Ford covering all but $200 of the cost. At this point, I don't know if Ford footed the rest of the cost or if the dealer did. By the way, I lived in another state when I bought the vehicle, so the dealer that fixed the cracked panel for $200 is NOT the dealer from which I purchased the vehicle.

Unregistered

I got the same problem. My sugesstion is if we all write to Ford about this problem, maybe they will replace it for free. What do you think?

pugni

I have a 2004 Mountaineer that I bought last year and a few months after I noticed a crack around the emblem. I called Mercury and they say I was to take it to the Ford Dealer and they would look to see if it's a factory fault. I did just that but they won't fix it and the guy says he has noticed quite a few cars with the same problem. Since then I have noticed quite a few cars while driving on the road with the same problem. This is definitely a factory fault and needs to be fixed by Ford/Mercury. I think we should try to get as many people as we possibly can that have the same problem.

jester

Same exact problem with us. 2002 Eddie Bauer. Rear applique split from top to bottom just to the side of center. Ours was long before the rear window recall and fortunately while 3yr/ 30K mile warranty still covered the repair. Even at that time, our dealer's body shop had seen several Explorers with this problem. The good news is they can pre-paint the replacement panel and install it to minimize the length of time you are without the vehicle. Yet another recall Ford should issue but hasn't! (I think they should call them Exploders with the way they self-destruct.)