rear body panel crack? who has it!!

[1_v8_merc]

Wow, i've had a crack in mine since last year!
I never knew it was a recall! I figuared i just slammed the hatch too hard.

I got a 2004 mountaineer.



The crack recently got worse...it's gotten alittle wider and it splittered off into a Second Crack near the bottom of the panel!

 

[Curtis]

Wow, i've had a crack in mine since last year!
I never knew it was a recall! I figuared i just slammed the hatch too hard.

I got a 2004 mountaineer.

The crack recently got worse...it's gotten alittle wider and it splittered off into a Second Crack near the bottom of the panel!

Its not a recall... at least the type of recall that ford will fix... its more of a TSB - technical service bulletin. Basically a common problem they have to fix a lot. Recalls are usually only safety issues, and this is purely cosmetic.

 

[1_v8_merc]

Its not a recall... at least the type of recall that ford will fix... its more of a TSB - technical service bulletin. Basically a common problem they have to fix a lot. Recalls are usually only safety issues, and this is purely cosmetic.

yea i know its not a recall, i just call anything thats a common problem that,haha

 

[Curtis]

yea i know its not a recall, i just call anything thats a common problem that,haha

No worries man... Ive been one of the lucky ones ... for now anyway... knock on wood... fingers crossed..

I feel like trying to peel mine off, and put it back on with 3m tape to prevent a future crack

 

[1_v8_merc]

No worries man... Ive been one of the lucky ones ... for now anyway... knock on wood... fingers crossed..

I feel like trying to peel mine off, and put it back on with 3m tape to prevent a future crack

Hahaa yea man, i was just off-roading in the snow down some trails, i was hitting some Nasty potholes and bumps.

My friggin Brake light kept popping up in my dash everytime i hit a nasty bump,lol.

I was just WAITING for my rear window to explode at any moment,


Im actually thinking about taking some BodyFiller(bondo?) and sealing up the cracks, cause they are Definately getting wider.

Or is it the WHOLE panel that's the problem? maybe i should just rip it off and re-glue it back on....i got TONS of superglue laying around.


What i REALLY want to know is why the window would explode like i keep hearing about....the latch?

 

[Curtis]

Hahaa yea man, i was just off-roading in the snow down some trails, i was hitting some Nasty potholes and bumps.
My friggin Brake light kept popping up in my dash everytime i hit a nasty bump,lol.
I was just WAITING for my rear window to explode at any moment,

Im actually thinking about taking some BodyFiller(bondo?) and sealing up the cracks, cause they are Definately getting wider.
Or is it the WHOLE panel that's the problem? maybe i should just rip it off and re-glue it back on....i got TONS of superglue laying around.
What i REALLY want to know is why the window would explode like i keep hearing about....the latch?

If you bondo up that crack, it may make it worse... when the summer comes and the panel expands again to make the crack smaller, you'll have it full of filler with no room to move...could crack somewhere else.

Most people on here will say its not the panel thats the problem... its the "too much glue" ford used to stick it on with no room for expansion and contraction. The ebay guy that sells them uses 3m tape which has some give cause I assume its like a foam tape. It will allow some movement.

As for your brake light.. no idea on that one.

 

[macknos94]

idk if this is considered cosmetic yes it looks like crap but it is putting more pressure on the glass. my physics professor took a look at it and we had a experiment based on the way the rear window is set up. and the extra pressure that is applied from the crack. put X amount of force which in the experiment. was actually a great enough force to weaken glass over time.if i have too i will have my notebook mailed out here so i can coppy it to here. or i can tell you exactly how we tested this theory. i gotta thank ford for getting me a A for the sem.

 

[jamesdow5419]

i had it but got it replaced when i bought the truck.

 

[Curtis]

idk if this is considered cosmetic yes it looks like crap but it is putting more pressure on the glass. my physics professor took a look at it and we had a experiment based on the way the rear window is set up. and the extra pressure that is applied from the crack. put X amount of force which in the experiment. was actually a great enough force to weaken glass over time.if i have too i will have my notebook mailed out here so i can coppy it to here. or i can tell you exactly how we tested this theory. i gotta thank ford for getting me a A for the sem.

For sure Id like to see more of that experiment!

 

[macknos94]

there r 3 experiments that we did to make sure our results were acurate. one is simple you can do with stuff at home take a peice of shipping card board (single spaced like what you use brown box s) and cut it about the size of the rear window. then take 3 peices of 2x4 peices of wood can be small peices to basically mimic the rear window with the 2 hinges and the latch. that is your base to rep. the glass then take another peice of peice of cardboard and cut to the size of the "pos" panel. lay the "panel/cardboard" on the "glass/cardboard". now measure off the ground and see how far off the ground or table the glass is. on that is result 1 the first how it should be measurement. then pull the panel/ cardboard off and cut it in the center. where the emblem would be. lay both peices of the panel on the glass/cardboard. then remeasure and see if there is a different. it isnt much but there is about a 1/16 to 1/8 dif. that amount of force on glass is alot. could this be the reason why ford told me its something that wears out hmmm. i dont have the exact numbers that we had ended up with because its not something that is gonna keep me alive. so i dont have my notebook here

 

[macknos94]

that was experiment one.( i might have left a few steps out but its fun to play with)

round 2 we got some of the funding to actually play with safety glass we went to a auto glass shop and ordered an actual replacement hatch. millersville Univ. only gave us 350 dollars so our class had to chip in. we installed everything off my old smashed rear hatch on the new rear glass only thing that wasnt on there was the interior plastic peice. next we haad the weld shop weld a ghetto frame to mount the glass. the flex with the cracked panel was about a 1/4 of an inch more then the flex with with the solid panel with no crack. this was applying the same amount of weight to each side to sim a driveing scenerio.

im not saying the panel was put there for support to make the window sturdy. it is put there for cosmetics. but when the panel cracks it isnt a equal balanced window instead of pressure being balanced of a hinge its puting the panel weight over the bottom corners. idk if you guys get what i mean if you dont let me know

 

[macknos94]

her is another one to think about. take a stray lay it sideways on your finger you can balance it right. all the pressure is on your finger correct. now cut the straw in half and and try to balance right where you cut the straw. the outsides of the straw are gonna fall

 

[nespr0]

d

 

[playtilithrtz]

My panel is cracked aswell. It has been like this for over a year now. I cant stand looking at it everyday. I called my ford dealer once and they wanted something crazy for the repair. I am going to call that number and but in a complaint.

I believe that ford should take full responsibility for their dumb engineering on this back panel.

 

[tackleberry]

mine did not crack yet....but ive seen it on a lot of em at various car lots and i close mine very slow, lightly, as possible. im strongly considering getting a 4th gen tailgate in the future

 

[patrick112390]

mine did not crack yet....but ive seen it on a lot of em at various car lots and i close mine very slow, lightly, as possible. im strongly considering getting a 4th gen tailgate in the future

most of them dont crack when you close it.... youll come out to start it in the morning for work and be like ahhhh s*** ... it just happens but i guess it wouldnt hurt to be gentle

 

[playtilithrtz]

When mine started i saw that the paint was starting to spider out a little bit and then it progressivly got worse... and then the crack started.

 

[moto-mexican]

Well if its the glue that causes it I guess I got lucky when half of the panel was peeling off and I had to rip it off and re-glue it anyways..I was sorta preventing the crack from happening not even knowing I was..

 

[perkinsbrandon72]

that happend to my explorer and ford fixed it for me for free

 

[patrick112390]

that happend to my explorer and ford fixed it for me for free

you prolly have esp. or Extended Service Plan...or it was under 3 year 36 k miles