2002 Ford Explorer Latches, locks and linkages Problems

“The front driver side door will not latch when the outside temp is below freezing. I had to warm the truck up for 10 minutes to heat up so the door would close correctly. This is a safety hazard and I think the door latch should be recalled because if the door does not latch correctly someone can be seriously injured.”

“I have a cracked real panel on tailgate. I understand from other customers that this is a danger because the actual glass can dislodge from the panel and hurt someone. I have 2 small children. 1 stands at a height below that glass level!”

“I have a 2002 Ford Explorer xls that was purchased new. Approximately 1 year after purchase started developing a crack on the panel beneath the rear window. Since then, when it is hot, I get a door open warning light. No door is opened, but the doors refuse to lock, and the warning light stays on. I believe water enters the panel beneath the window due to the crack. I had it looked at by dealers for the warning light-they cannot figure it out.”

“My SUV was parked in the driveway. I pushed the rear window release button to open the rear window and it exploded. Glass fragments were found up to 12 feet in all directions. The noise it made was loud, like a shot gun had gone off. A professional auto mechanic told me that my rear window regulator must have malfunctioned. Clearly this is a design flaw that Ford should rectify and fear for the safety of anyone owning/using this vehicle. I'm currently searching for replacement parts.”

“Ford replaced the liftgate glass hinge on this Explorer per your recall notice on sept. 1, 2005. On january 13, as I closed the liftgate (gently, not slamming it) it exploded into shards of glass that went all over the garage and cut my face. Glass flew in front of the car. I had only closed the liftgate approximately 2 inches from its full open position when this occurred. There was nothing to impede the closure, and the liftgate did not strike anything on its way down.”