- Vehicles
- 955,732
- Built between
- Aug 2000 – Jun 2003
- Models
- 2
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- NHTSA investigation
- Owners notified
- 30 September 2004
- Repaired
- Not reported
- Unrepaired
- Not reported
Does this affect my vehicle?
This recall covers vehicles built between August 2000 and June 2003. If yours was built outside that window, it is not part of this recall.
- 2002-2003 Ford ExplorerBuilt August 2000 to June 2003
- 2002-2003 Ford MountaineerBuilt August 2000 to June 2003
What the defect is
On certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break.
What could happen
If the hinge should fracture, there is a potential for the glass to fall and ultimately break and personal injuries could occur.
What gets fixed
DEALERS WILL HAVE THE LIFTGATE GLASS STRUT BRACKETS AND GLASS HINGES REPLACED. FOR THE VEHICLES BUILT FROM AUGUST 1, 2000 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2002, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HINGES AND LIFTGATE STRUT BRACKET. ON VEHICLES BUILT FROM MARCH 3, 2002 THROUGH JUNE 23, 2003, THE DEALERS WILL ONLY REPLACE THE HINGES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2004. A POSTCARD WAS SENT TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 27, 2004, ADVISING THEM THAT PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE.
Timeline
- Vehicles builtAugust 2000 to June 2003
- Recall reported to NHTSA13 September 2004
- Owners notified30 September 2004
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 13 September 2004.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- 04S20
- Recalling manufacturer
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Recall initiated by
- ODI
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Ford recall no. 04S20.CUSTOMERS can also contact the national highway traffic safety administration's auto safety hotline at 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.