Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||||
| 04255 | 12/27/2004 | 10014183 | Rattling noise - right front fender while driving. *tt | 04/28/2005 | |
| 04251 | 12/27/2004 | 10014165 | Aluminum corrosion - service tip. *tt | 04/28/2005 | |
| 0485 | 01/01/2005 | 05242 | 10008546 | Liftgate glass applique damaged/cracked. service procedure. *tt | 08/04/2004 |
| 17276 | 10/01/2003 | 10004920 | A popping or creaking noise that appears to be coming from the front exterior of the vehicle. *tt | 01/20/2004 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||||
| 18215 | 10/01/2004 | 10010730 | Broken rear cargo storage door lift handle. various models including 2005 explorer/mountaineer. *tt | 12/07/2004 | |
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | |||||
| 17680 | 03/01/2004 | 10007429 | Rear liftgate rattle / light popping noise. *tt | 06/22/2004 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | ||||||
| RQ08003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 06/23/2008 | 10/24/2008 | REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HATCH FAILURE | ||
| 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. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | ||||||
| RQ08003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 06/23/2008 | 10/24/2008 | REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HATCH FAILURE | ||
| 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. | ||||||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - SUPPORT DEVICE | ||||||
| RQ08003 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 06/23/2008 | 10/24/2008 | REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HATCH FAILURE | ||
| 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. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | |||
| 03/24/2008 | 45000 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 08/13/2010 | 78000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. while parked he noticed there was a crack below the mercury emblem on the rear lift gate. the vehicle was not taken to be examined for the cause of failure and was not repaired. the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage was 79,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 03/22/2010 | 37000 | ||
| In july 2008 filed my first complaint when the entire back lift gate and window blew out while vehicle was parked. insurance repaired it, i paid a 200.00 deductible. again the medallion has cracked 3/4 of the way and i am wondering if this is the start of another lift gate blow out/glass all over, etd. | |||
| 05/20/2010 | 92360 | ||
| Glass lift gate strut froze when it was opened when i tried to close it, the force broke the hinge at the top. if i had not immediately supported the lift gate it would have fallen. the hinge on the other side was cracked and bent and about to give. the emblem on the gate has also been cracked for quite awhile. i did have the transmission fluid issue addressed when the vehicle was still under warranty, but still experience transmission slamming into gear in reverse at various times. | |||
| 06/15/2009 | 74000 | 1 | |
| The glass in the lift rear gate fell out into my son's hand. thank god, he did not suffer any injuries. i had to take it in and have the hinges replaced. this repair cost me $100 because i had a warranty. previous incidents similar to mine have been reported. the car manufactures need to come up with a better design. *tr | |||
| 09/16/2008 | 45049 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 07/27/2008 | 59600 | ||
| Tl*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. | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY | |||
| 03/29/2011 | 63725 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured around the emblem up to the middle of the rear window. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspected the failure. the manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall and to contact nhtsa. the failure mileage was 63,725. mah | |||
| 03/29/2011 | 63725 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured from around the decal up the middle of the rear glass. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who inspect the failure and stated the contact would have to pay to repair the problem. there was no recall for this failure. the manufacturer was notified who stated there was no recall and to contact nhtsa. the failure mileage was 63,725. mw | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 161494 | 1 | |
| Rear hatch back glass body-side hinge broke on right side in normal opening of glass. hinge is composed of a black plastic or nylon retaining clip with a metal pin. the plastic appears to have failed from fatigue. recent high heat (100+ degrees for several days) may be a factor. plastic broke through over the pin channel, allowing the pin to pop out. the glass is heavy and torqued by the remaining hinge and two hydraulic lifts. no injuries, but easily could have fallen, broke or shattered on the operator. the heavy glass is a danger especially to children or smaller adults. the operator fortunately had a wood slat in the back big enough to prop up the glass and support it until help arrived. even with two adults it was hard to hold and control the glass to close it and take to the dealer. retention clip really should have embedded metal reinforcement around the pin.(the larger expedition appears to have just that in the equivalent part.) reading online there are many cases of similar failure that included damage and or at least minor injuries. repair was $270 at a ford dealer. appears to be common enough failure to be a design flaw not to be repeated. admittedly this appeared on a high mileage nine year-old vehicle which has otherwise provided very good service, but the weight of the falling glass and torque involved were both dangerous and could easily have resulted in serious injury. operator felt lucky to catch and control it without breaking the glass or getting hurt. *tr | |||
| 07/20/2012 | 161494 | ||
| Rear hatch back glass body-side hinge broke on right side in normal opening of glass. hinge is composed of a black plastic or nylon retaining clip with a metal pin. the plastic appears to have failed from fatigue. recent high heat (100+ degrees for several days) may be a factor. plastic broke through over the pin channel, allowing the pin to pop out. the glass is heavy and torqued by the remaining hinge and two hydraulic lifts. no injuries, but easily could have fallen, broke or shattered on the operator. the heavy glass is a danger especially to children or smaller adults. the operator fortunately had a wood slat in the back big enough to prop up the glass and support it until help arrived. even with two adults it was hard to hold and control the glass to close it and take to the dealer. retention clip really should have embedded metal reinforcement around the pin.(the larger expedition appears to have just that in the equivalent part.) reading online there are many cases of similar failure that included damage and or at least minor injuries. repair was $270 at a ford dealer. appears to be common enough failure to be a design flaw not to be repeated. admittedly this appeared on a high mileage nine year-old vehicle which has otherwise provided very good service, but the weight of the falling glass and torque involved were both dangerous and could easily have resulted in serious injury. operator felt lucky to catch and control it without breaking the glass or getting hurt. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 40000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the center piece emblem of the hatch back started to fracture. the vehicle was previously repaired with a new hatch back door approximately two years prior to the recent failure. the vehicle had not been inspected since the recurrence of the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 40000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the center piece emblem of the hatch back started to fracture. the vehicle was previously repaired with a new hatch back door approximately two years prior to the recent failure. the vehicle had not been inspected since the recurrence of the failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the vin was unavailable. kmj | |||
| 02/01/2011 | 40000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the center piece emblem of the hatch back had started to fracture. the vehicle was previously repaired with a new hatch back door approximately 2 years prior. the vehicle had not been inspected again since the re occurrence. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 40,000. the vin was unavailable. tb | |||
| 10/05/2011 | 72000 | ||
| Came out one morning to discover the rear hatch had a crack around the emblem of my 2004 mercury mountaineer. car was parked in driveway and was not hit or involved in an accident. started noticing that every mercury mountaineer of the same body type had similar cracks in the same location. contacted ford but did not have vin #. eventually contacted ford again with vin # and was told there was no recall and that ford was not accepting any responsibility . i told ford that it is an obvious defect to no avail. i will never buy another ford product if this is how they treat their customers. this should be a recall and ford should repair this defect. the value of my car has decreased because of this. i got a $500.00 estimate to repair it but was told it would probbably happen again. | |||
| 06/01/2011 | 53000 | ||
| 2004 mercury mountaineer, rear hatch molding with mercury emblem. two winters ago the molding cracked after a very cold freeze. vehicle was under warranty and the entire hatch had to be replaced. dealer had vehicle 3 or 4 days as new hatch was sent out to a local body shop to be painted, matching the vehicle color. now, the same molding has begun de-laminating from the hatch. dealer states hatch has to be replaced and will cost $1000.00. | |||
| 06/22/2011 | 120000 | ||
| Tl - the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountanieer. the contact stated that the lift gate glass hinge disengaged and impacted her. the contact did not suffered any injuries. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 120,000. pm | |||
| 11/09/2010 | 45000 | ||
| The rear panel is cracked around the logo of my mercury mountaineer. i see this on most other mountaineers and explorers from this generation and ford has done nothing to remedy it. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 85000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed that there was a large crack on the rear lift-gate door panel. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000. the current mileage was 98,000. the vin was unavailable. | |||
| 01/01/2011 | 85000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the vehicle was parked when the contact noticed there was a large crack going down the rear lift-gate door panel. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 85,000 and the current mileage was 98,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 11/01/2010 | 55000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that there was a hairline crack below the window near the rear liftgate latch. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired for the defect. the failure mileage was 55,000. the vin was unavailable. js | |||
| 11/26/2010 | 48500 | ||
| 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. | |||
| 01/31/2010 | 89000 | 1 | |
| Rear back panel cracked. was parked in garage for 2 days, temp was -15f low/22f high. fine one day, cracked rear panel (around the rear hatch window). dealer states no recall, see this all the time. $500 to fix. *tr | |||
| 12/17/2004 | 10000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 03/10/2009 | 69449 | 1 | |
| Rear lift gate on 2004 mercury mountaineer would not close. noticed hinge attachment for glass looked as though it was falling off. gate would not close and is damaged. *tr | |||
| 08/20/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| The failure is for a 2004 mercury mountaineer and the failure is a crack in the lift gate that occurs right alongside the mercury emblem or logo on the back of the tailgate or lift gate. this crack has been reported numerous times on online forums and to me seems like a deficiency in the material that makes up the lift gate or tailgate. (i.e. - the logo is so big and the material around the logo emblem so thin that it cracks under pressure and change in temperature) i would also like to add that i have been told that the ford explorer has a recall for this exact type of problem, yet mercury has yet to issue a recall for the mountaineer. the vehicles that have incurred this type of problem have been around the same years (2004-2006 models - or at least the vehicles that i have seen this problem occur in.) 1. the events that have led up to this failure includes: mercury and ford are solely to blame for producing a faulty tailgate or lift gate on these vehicles and should recall them. the change in temperature along with average usage of shutting or closing the tailgate would cause a vibration to promote the tailgate to crack. i noticed my failure or crack in mid-august of 2008, i've owned my vehicle since 2004 but it has been garaged all of those years except for last year, which could explain why it happened last year (change in temperature more severe). 2. i have noted how the failure occurs, its consequences include a crack in the lift gate of the vehicle, which is aesthetically non-appealing, and this could lead to a larger crack in the lift gate that could eventually cause major problems for the vehicle. this crack (which is not minor, 3 - 5 inches usually) could also reduce or lead to compromising the vehicles structural integrity and reduce crash test ratings. this is a big concern for your safety. 3. i personally spent over $400 to replace the entire lift gate. i should be reimbursed and mercury should recall this problem. *tr | |||
| 11/20/2008 | 87548 | 1 | |
| Crack appeared in body of vehicle in the back above and around the mercury emblem. it contracts and expands depending on the temperature. there was no crash, impact or anything that caused this failure. it is a defect in the body. the consequences of this are the inability to use the hatch, the repair bill and the depreciation of the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 52000 | 1 | |
| 2004 mercury mountaineer rear window panel cracked and hinges will not stay tight. ford dealer said this is a common problem but ford will not repair if vehicle is not under warranty. vehicle has 53,000 miles but i had dealer check vehicle while it was under warranty and they said all it needed was adjusting. *tr | |||
| 11/01/2008 | 75000 | 1 | |
| Crack on rear hatch from top of hatch down and around the emblem (under the rear window). vehicle is a 2004 mercury mountaineer with 75k miles. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 57000 | 1 | |
| Crack at mercury emblem on back panel glass section. this suddenly appeared. was advised by local mercury dealership, northpark lincoln mercury that there is no recall. also had this examined by a bodyshop and was told it appeared to be a defect. *tr | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - DOOR | |||
| 09/02/2004 | 15000 | 4 | 10/01/2003 |
| Dt:the consumer stated during braking the vehicle stalls. when the cvonsumer went to restart and put it in drive it stalled again. took vehicle to the service department 3 times. the second time they replaced the fuel pump, the first time they updated the engine controller software.*ak for the 4th time total loss of vehicle power when braking from 55 mph. dealer replaced maf sensor. driver rear door molding catching front door molding at times when opening. *tt | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE | |||
| 11/15/2008 | 64000 | 1 | |
| Being having problems with rear lift gate [ not staying close, opens anytime, it wants to by itself. my transmission problems erratic shifting, hard shifting up and down shifting and in and out shifting on reverse from park to reverse pulls very hard. when i bought the car i told them they looked at like i didn't know what i was saying they made an appointment for mechanic to check it and said it was good but it wasn't. i have 84,000 miles on it never pull a trailer with it i've made 38 payments on it. why does ford puts a product like that and asks alot of money for the car that can't even make to 100,000 miles they should be out of act. hope ford will take care of this cars. *tr | |||
| 04/05/2011 | 51029 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate was fractured from the decal up to the middle of the rear glass. the vehicle was neither inspected nor repaired for the failure. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current and failure mileage was 51,029. | |||
| 02/15/2011 | 70000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact stated that there was a fracture in the panel of the rear liftgate from the bottom of the window to the base of the liftgate. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. the contact stated that the rear liftgate was inoperable. the failure and current mileage was 70,000. | |||
| 04/04/2009 | 58000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. when the contact closed the rear liftgate door, it suddenly cracked underneath the window. the dealer stated that it was due to a manufacturer defect, but there was no recall. the contact believes that the manufacturer should be responsible for the repair cost. the current and failure mileages were 58,000. | |||
| 01/31/2009 | 60000 | 1 | 11/30/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2004 mercury mountaineer. the contact noticed a crack in the rear liftgate panel of her vehicle. the crack curves around the mercury logo located on the rear panel. the contact called the dealer and the manufacturer and was informed that they would give her 20% off the repair since her vehicle was out of warranty. the failure mileage was 60,000. updated 03/12/09. *lj updated 03/13/09. *jb | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 40000 | 1 | |
| While parked outside my office door the back liftgate window and liftgate blew out for no apparent reason. glass inside and outside the vehicle. had the children been seated in the 3rd seat they would have been seriously injured. ford motor co refused to acknowledge any responsibility, the insurance company handles it as a comp claim and i was out $250. and without an answer as to why it happened and would it happen again!?? *tr | |||
| 09/14/2007 | 46700 | 1 | 02/03/2007 |
| Small crack started on rear hatch between wiper blade and mercury logo, within 2 weeks crack wrapped around the logo and continued through the bottom of the panel. i contacted ford when the crack first occurred since then i have taken photos with my camera phone of other mercury mountaineers with the same problem. i have a total of 14 photos so far. *tr | |||
| 05/22/2007 | 48000 | 1 | 04/07/2004 |
| Noticed this crack that formed in the window panel, of the liftgate. it runs from the bottom edge of the window, down to the mercury logo, then around it to the bottom. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2007 | 45000 | 1 | 08/10/2005 |
| I filed a much more serious complaint this evening regarding an issue with the cruise control causing a complete shutdown of power on our vehicle. please be advised that i do not make a habit of filing these complaints. i was not even aware of this website until today. however, after i filed the complaint, i checked to see if you had record of other consumers with the same problem. when i looked at the complaints that had been registered for this vehicle's make and model i saw that at least 2 others have registered complaints for what seems to be a manufacturers defect. i thought that i would make you aware that our vehicle also has this same issue. one other complainant wrote that he was told that ford was aware of this defect, but was refusing to acknowledge that it was a defect. on the liftgate, just below the center of the window, adjacent to the mercury logo there is an approximate 6 inch crack in the body of the door. it has been there for about 6 months. since the vehicle only had about 45,000 miles on it at the time, my husband and i agree that this should not have occurred. *tr | |||
| 06/30/2007 | 42000 | 1 | 02/05/2007 |
| We purchased our mercury in february of 2007. at the time of purchase it had around 36,000 miles. it currently has around 46,000 miles. i have a concern on the vehicle that i believe is a defect in material workmanship or a flaw in the design of the vehicle. the rear of the vehicle has a crack on the rear liftgate trim. the crack starts right below the rear wiper and cracks along what appears to be the weak points of the rear body trim. i have noticed several vehicles with the same problem that are mercury mountaineers and ford explorers with the same body style and approximate time of manufacture. there is no reason for the plastic trim to crack in such a place. it is like a stress fracture in the hatch. i believe this to be a factory defect in the design and workmanship of the vehicle, and i do not believe that a vehicle which is 3 years old and has low mileage should have such a stress fracture. i believe that ford motor company should look into this matter and correct this problem. it is my understanding that ford is aware of this problem and is avoiding taking responsibility to repair this issue. *tr | |||
| 02/16/2007 | 38000 | 500 | 12/05/2004 |
| Tailgate has a stress fracture crack below the wiper assembly and traveling approximately 6 down to the logo on the tailgate. there was no identified reason for crack to occur. vehicle taken to dealership local service manager indicated that there have been approximately 500 reported incidents of this type however ford/mercury has not issued a recall. recommended buying a new tailgate for $500. the crack indicates a manufacturer's defect that compromises the structural integrity of the tailgate assembly. i'm concerned about putting people in third row bench and/or the consequences of getting struck from the rear with the existing tailgate.*jb | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS | |||
| 07/21/2012 | 101000 | 1 | |
| As i went to shut the back lift gate window hatch, the hinge broke leaving the window to fall. luckily i caught it, but it came down hard. the shear pin broke straight off. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2009 | 110000 | 1 | |
| 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. *tr | |||
| 07/01/2008 | 60000 | 1 | |
| My lift gate glass hinges have started to fail, the pin holding the top and bottom part of the hinges together have come out on one side of both hinges causing them to turn and start letting the other side come out. eventually within the next couple of months the glass will fall out all together. because of this the latch does not line up right and has cause the exterior trim molding to completely crack from top to bottom. i have ordered the hinges to be replaced and i will have to pay for this repair myself before something bad happens, even though there is a recall for this on the previous years of my vehicle. *tr | |||
| 04/26/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2004 mercury mountaineer-the rear hatch hinge broke. looks like it is corroded. have not found out how much this costs because of lack of money. have found numerous reports online and even a recalls for the year before this for the same thing. why isn't this being recalled? i am a 5ft 2 inch woman, and i had to catch this when it fell off. it could have broken my legs. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2008 | 61845 | 1 | |
| My wife was closing the rear window portion of the rear hatch and the 2 hinges snapped off and the whole window fell down to the bumper she had to get a chair to put under it so it didn't crash to the floor all this by herself trying to take the kids to school she could not go anywhere i think what it actually is the struts are bad and they are what caused the problem. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 1 | ||
| Last year i had the same failure on the hinge that holds the glass in the hatch. i was attempting to close the glass when it cracked. i couldn't put the window down, so proceeded to drive to the auto body shop where he stated he had never seen this type of problem. i got it replaced and am a little worried this will happen again. *tr | |||
| 10/21/2007 | 43200 | 1 | 06/03/2007 |
| Vehicle purchased used 6/3/07. about 2 months later, noticed a popping noise from rear hatch area when turning on slight inclines (eg. parking lots. around oct 21, 2007, on opening rear hatch, left hinge bolt came out- glass dropped and was caught. dealer said hatch recall does not include this vin #. paid out of pocket for repair. *tr | |||
| 10/14/2007 | 46120 | 1 | 12/12/2003 |
| Same problem as described in safety recall 04s20 concerning liftgate glass hinge. *tr | |||
| 06/23/2007 | 60000 | 1 | 08/20/2004 |
| I own a 2004 mercury mountaineer. on 6/23/07, i placed several articles into the cargo area through the liftgate window hatch. when i attempting to close the hatch the hinges gave way and the entire window hatch fell into my arms. fortunately i was able to hold onto it and disconnect the pistons that supported the window. the hinge pins had sheared off and broke through the upper pivot of the hinge. had a child been closing this hatch it could have killed them. *ak | |||
| STRUCTURE - BODY - HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE - SUPPORT DEVICE | |||
| 01/30/2007 | 24000 | 1 | 02/28/2004 |
| Tl*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.*ak | |||