The defect
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE HYDRAULIC LIFT CYLINDER BRACKET WELDS COULD FRACTURE.
The risk
WITH A BROKEN BRACKET WELD, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE LIFTGATE BRACKET TO GRADUALLY BEND INWARD ALLOWING THE LIFT CYLINDER BALL STUD TO DISENGAGE, UNEXPECTEDLY ALLOWING THE LIFTGATE TO FALL FROM AN OPEN POSITION.
The remedy
DEALERS WILL INSTALL LIFTGATE REINFORCEMENT BRACKETS. DEPENDING UPON THE CONDITION OF THE LIFTGATE SHEET METAL IN THE AREA OF THE BRACKET, DEALERS MAY ALSO INSTALL A LARGER REINFORCEMENT.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by ODI
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 1993, 1994, 1995 |
Components: STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:SUPPORT DEVICE/STRUT
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Explorer | 1993 | 939 | 6 |
| Ford Explorer | 1994 | 1,207 | 4 |
| Ford Explorer | 1995 | 843 | 5 |
Other structure recalls in 1999
20 of the 392 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 1999 concerned the structure; FORD MOTOR COMPANY filed 963 campaigns in all.
| 99V339000 15 Dec 1999 | AMERICAN HONDA MOTOR CO. |
| 99V310002 24 Nov 1999 | MAZDA (NORTH AMERICA),INC |
| 99V321000 15 Nov 1999 | VAN-CON, INCORPORATED |
| 99V313000 4 Nov 1999 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION |
| 99V297000 27 Oct 1999 | GENERAL MOTORS CORP. |
| 99V251000 17 Sept 1999 | VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA,INC |
| 99V228000 15 Sept 1999 | COACHMEN RV COMPANY |
| 99V213000 2 Sept 1999 | DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORPORATION |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 1999