Ford Tailgate Cracks Continue to Plague Explorer Owners

Multiple cracked tailgate class action lawsuits are underway against Ford Motor Co. over Ford Explorers, Lincoln Aviators and Mercury Mountaineers. At issue is a design defect that enables moisture to collect behind the window panel of the tailgate, causing it to split.

Plaintiffs say that Ford allegedly knew that the tailgates were defective and prone to cracking, but didn’t provide full disclosure to auto buyers. Furthermore, for those who purchased and suffered tailgate cracks, Ford refused to fix the damage.

Enough Ford tailgate complaints have come to light that a “Ford Explorer Lift Gate Cracks” page exists on Facebook. The page hosts a good number of Ford Explorer owners’ complaints and commiserations.

For example, one person posted on Nov. 12 of this year that, “I too was shocked to discover I was one of tens of thousands with the cracked tailgate problem on my 2004 Ford Explorer. So glad there is a class action suit to hold Ford accountable.”

Another customer joined in this month, stating, “Bought a 2004 Ford Explorer, Eddie Bauer in July. A week ago I had a small crack about an inch long then it suddenly went from top to bottom of the panel. This is disgusting.”

So far, the CarComplaints.com website reports 568 complaints on Ford Explorers, with repair costs typically running around $450.

Another commenter on the site said, “The original cracked. This was a big surprise to me. Had it fixed at the same time Ford recalled the hinges for the liftgate glass panel that was prone to fail and break the glass. This was around 2004. Around 2006, I noticed that the new panel had begun to crack. It now has about 5 major cracks. Was told that water gets behind, freezes and expands causing the cracks. Overall, satisfied with the vehicle. Just not happy with this cosmetic flaw. “

Most plaintiffs report similarly. The SUV owners agree that Ford needs to address the issue. However, as the cracked panel is not a safety defect, the chance of a recall is small.

According to CarComplaints.com, tailgate problems are not the only issues with Ford Explorers. Their post on the Ford Explorer Lift Gate Cracks page on Facebook says, “…we’ve slapped our ‘Avoid Like the Plague’ badge on the 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006 model years for multiple issues ranging from transmission lunging to wheel bearing failure.”

Due to Ford’s concealing the defect, consumers had no way of knowing about the cracked tailgate problem before purchasing a Ford SUV. Therefore, the cracked tailgate class action lawsuit includes claims of deceptive trade practice and breach of consumer protection laws.

Plaintiffs in the consolidated lawsuit encompass Ford SUV owners in over 20 states, and include Ford Explorers from 2002-2005, 2003-2005 Lincoln Aviators and 2002-2006 models of Mercury Mountaineer.

Caveat Emptor – Let the Buyer Beware

Ford Motors has a history with allegations of tailgate problems. It is alleged that the car manufacturer was aware of issues with tailgate cracking since 2002, yet continued manufacturing, advertising and selling the vehicles, while actively concealing the defect from consumers. The tailgate cracks cause the Ford applique to detach and fall off, can cause the glass to break, and can create potential issues for those opening and closing the tailgate.

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