The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate panel was ajar when the pistons failed, causing the liftgate to slam shut and shatter the rear window glass. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the pistons were not covered under warranty nor was there a recall for the failure therefore; the contact would be liable for the $700 in repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 156,000.

- Port Clinton, OH, USA

I drive a 2002 Ford Explorer, eddie bauer model, 4 door. The arms (4) which hold both the back door up when open and the back glass up when open do not raise up fully. I find myself constantly bumping my head on either the door or the glass. Last night after a baseball practice for my 10-year old son I popped open the back glass to put his baseball bag in the car. The glass went up part way and unthinkingly I hit my head on the glass. I pushed the glass up so I could place the bag in the vehicle and the glass pane exploded. It showered glass shrapnel over the two of us. We were both shocked that the glass window would just catastrophically explode. We are very lucky we were not injured. I feel that this accident is a public hazard. I will avoid a poor design like this when looking for a new car. When I reported it to payton wright Ford in grapevine, Texas, the service adviser shrugged it off and stated yes I've seen that happen, like it was an everyday occurrence. I was told to report it to my insurance company and that Ford would do nothing about it.

- Roanoke, TX, USA

I lifted my rear upper tailgate on my 2002 Ford Explorer, and the windshield literally exploded on my head, including dropping the lower part of the tailgate on top of me. After searching on the internet it appears to be a very common problem, and my local Ford dealer claims they've never heard of such a thing. My local bodyshop however was familiar with the problem. This tailgate had a previous recall related to the hinges I believe, which I did have done, back in 2005. My car has 75,000 miles and is used almost exclusively for highway driving.

- Lakewood, CO, USA

There is a panel below the rear window gate that has a vertical crack.. initially, the rear window was a recall, now the panel below the window has cracked. The rear window was replaced, at no cost, but Ford will not replace the defect/crack on the back panel.

- West Dover, VT, USA

: the contact stated while parked, the rear hatch was lifted up, and the hydraulic support device failed. This caused the rear hatch to close forcefully on the arm of the contact. The left arm of the contact sustained a huge bruise, and was wearing 3 layers of clothing at the time of the incident. The following day, the manufacturer was contacted, who determined that the dealer should be contacted for repairs. The dealer was contacted, and the support device was replaced. The contact expressed concern that a child could have been seriously injured or killed if the rear hatch failed with a child present.

- Hilton, NY, USA

: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate latch was not properly secured. While trying to close the liftgate, the contact noticed that the screw that holds the liftgate had loosened, and would not close. The vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the hinges were replaced. The manufacturer was notified, who informed the contact there was a recall on the hinge, but that recall was closed.

- Henagar, AL, USA

Two large cracks below liftgate window. I took truck in for recall 04S20 and dealership said cracks were not Ford problem bull ----- shame on Ford I have been looking on internet complaints and many other people have the same problem. I think they should fix it correctly the first time.

- Brazil, IN, USA

Rear hatch window lift failed and caused rear glass to shatter (luckily no one was hurt). The window was lifted to remove items from the rear and the lift arm apparently was wedged under the glass and it exploded so loudly that neighbors 2 houses away ran over and people walking down the street came to make sure no one was injured. We had the glass replaced by a glass company--this took 4 days due to the unavailability of the glass. They also indicated they had just (the same day) replaced another with the exact same problem and they had seen several in the last few weeks. The struts were not replaced and we were advised not to use the hatch door until they are. Our dealer was not responsive on this matter but I believe there needs to be an investigation. The glass co said that the window design was changed in or after 2002 so the struts are lower and support the glass correctly.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Car was parked. When my wife was walking to the vehicle, she noticed a large crack down the back door (hatch area) of vehicle which is directly below the glass. Take note that if this panel falls off (and could with the crack), it could fall onto another vehicle causing harm or tragedy. If the panel also falls off, the glass is no longer supported which also can result in it falling off onto another vehicle or onto the highway causing an accident.

- Medford, NJ, USA

Recall 04V442000 was issued for the liftgate in October 2004. Dealer stated the part was not available.

- Cherokee, OK, USA

NHTSA recall campaign 04V442000; Ford issued a rear liftgate glass recall. This vehicle was included in the recall, but there were no available parts in order to repair.

- Sierra Vista, AZ, USA

The vehicle was on its fourth repair for rear the glass lift gate, the bracket door failed to stay up.

- Ringgold, GA, USA