Tailgate / Liftgate Alignment

[uniquename]

I just had a 2013 rental that had parts lined up worse than my 2011...I don't think it's going to go away.

My dash to door transition is off, but evenly off so it looks right. The 2013 had one perfect and one way off...I'll take my flaws that appear normal

 

[VinceL]

A lot of Explorers exhibit this condition. I know ours does. As a matter of fact, I haven't inspected a single Explorer that didn't have this to some degree. Some owners here have gone back and had it fixed with good results, but I am leery of having it repaired only to cause some other issue. It doesn't affect the operation of the vehicle, so I am going to leave it be. Am I happy that it is like this? Nope, but I'm not ready to trust the local dealerships to fix it correctly.

 

[suzook]

A lot of Explorers exhibit this condition. I know ours does. As a matter of fact, I haven't inspected a single Explorer that didn't have this to some degree. Some owners here have gone back and had it fixed with good results, but I am leery of having it repaired only to cause some other issue. It doesn't affect the operation of the vehicle, so I am going to leave it be. Am I happy that it is like this? Nope, but I'm not ready to trust the local dealerships to fix it correctly.

Mine is perfect. To say everyone has it to some degree?

 

[VinceL]

A lot of Explorers exhibit this condition. I know ours does. As a matter of fact, I haven't inspected a single Explorer that didn't have this to some degree. Some owners here have gone back and had it fixed with good results, but I am leery of having it repaired only to cause some other issue. It doesn't affect the operation of the vehicle, so I am going to leave it be. Am I happy that it is like this? Nope, but I'm not ready to trust the local dealerships to fix it correctly.

Mine is perfect. To say everyone has it to some degree?

suzook, I invite you to actually read my post. I was very specific to indicate that all of the Explorer's I personally inspected were affected to some degree. At no point did I suggest that ALL Explorers were affected, and I congratulate you on the fact that yours is not

 

[davlee88]

My has the same problem, also my right front quarter panel is also slightly off. Anyway, I'm too lazy to take it into the dealership and get even more disappointed. If you take an even more closer look. For example your dash and the door panel, they are misalign too. Very surprising from a $46,000 automobile. The fit and finish is not as good as my wife's hyundai veracruz which is $10,000 cheaper.

Anyway, the explorer is still pretty good. With some flaws.

 

[bnh1971]

Misalignment

Mine has a similar alignment issue with the liftgate but doesn't appear as bad as your. The back edge of my front passenger door at the bottom stuck out 3/8". I took a chance and had my dealer adjust it and they did a pretty nice job. I may have them give the liftgate a shot at some point. They really need to do a better inspection/alignment job at the plant before shipping these.......

 

[new to ford]

this is a common misalignment problem, just like the misalignment between the dash a door panels

 

[maliboo74]

I have it in writing that this is within specifications so I'll pursue it at a later time. As of now it's not interfering with the operation of the hatch.

Thanks for the feedback.

 

[peterk9]

this is a common misalignment problem, just like the misalignment between the dash a door panels

My hatch has a slighly wider gap on one side than the other. I wouldn't have even noticed if it wasn't for another post that mentioned it. No big deal here. I think that you will find things like that on many North American vehicles.
I'm quite sure that most of us have owned previous vehicles with the same issue but it wasn't noticed because there wasn't a Forum like this to draw attention to it.

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=322657&highlight=rear+hatch

Peter

 

[FordService]

Hey guys,

I’m available to help by escalating this up to your regional Customer Service Managers. For me to lend a hand, please PM me your credentials (VIN, contact information, dealer name/state, and approximate mileage).

I like seeing the community weighing in like this; thanks, everyone.

Cory

 

[Joe Dirt]

I always remembered my Dad saying years ago how he could tell the build quality vs. NA vehicles, when you would look at an import and the exhaust pipe was centered exactly in the middle of the cutout of the rear fascia.

Sure, there were exceptions, and damned if every time I consciously looked, even to this day, they were in the center. We're getting much better, but it still makes me laugh...

 

[mayher]

What I find most amazing about all this is that Ford and all of the other domestic companies constantly tell us how much their initial quality has improved, and that they are equal or better than the imports. If this is the case how does this issue along with the dashboard alignment and several other panel fit issues outlined in the forum ever make it out of the factory and past the supposedly watchful eyes of the robots and QC?

Saw a documentary several months ago concerning the assemble line where the F150's are built. Based on what I saw and the constant reassurances that quality is of the utmost priority can't imagine how this could make it out of the factory.

Mine is definitely not aligned properly, and I find myself looking at other ex's on the street. Would def. have to say most suffer from this same issue.

Haven't taken mine back to the dealer for fear it will come back worse, or they will damage the tailgate in the process of trying to align it. Plus I can't be without the car for a day, and don't feel like popping for a rental.

 

[VinceL]

What is even more distressing is that Ford made a big deal out of their laser guided assembly robots that would ensure small, even panel gaps, and consistent quality. Oops, looks like they screwed the pooch on that one. I can only guess the robots have nothing to do the rear hatch assembly, and maybe that is the problem. Or maybe the case is the robots have everything to do with the rear hatch assembly and that is the problem. Who knows.... no really, does anybody know?

 

[mayher]

Do they really care??

What is even more distressing is that Ford made a big deal out of their laser guided assembly robots that would ensure small, even panel gaps, and consistent quality. Oops, looks like they screwed the pooch on that one. I can only guess the robots have nothing to do the rear hatch assembly, and maybe that is the problem. Or maybe the case is the robots have everything to do with the rear hatch assembly and that is the problem. Who knows.... no really, does anybody know?

The bigger question is " Do they really care "? This has been an ongoing issue since this body style was introduced and yet Ford and their QC people watch these units roll down the line and out the door everyday. This are the type of issues that almost drove the domestic auto mfg's out of business and should have been addressed long ago. I would challenge anyone to walk through a Toyota or Honda new car lot and find panel alignment issues as shown in this thread.

Love my Exp, but issues like this, the dash alignment, and the MFT, drive all of us crazy.

 

[foxtemple]

Has anyone noticed damage to their striker plate [or whatever you call the part that the lift gate attaches to when closed] caused by the lift gate being misaligned? The left side of my striker plate is no longer black. You can see the bare metal.

 

[peterk9]

Has anyone noticed damage to their striker plate [or whatever you call the part that the lift gate attaches to when closed] caused by the lift gate being misaligned? The left side of my striker plate is no longer black. You can see the bare metal.

Here is what mine looked like a year ago. It looks the same today. I'm not at all concerned about it after all it is metal hitting metal. The black is just a paint as far as I know.

Peter

 

[foxtemple]

Here is what mine looked like a year ago. It looks the same today. I'm not at all concerned about it after all it is metal hitting metal. The black is just a paint as far as I know.

Peter

Thanks for the picture Peter. Mine looks just like that. Do you happen to know where the thread is on how to put pictures on the forum? Thanks in advance.

 

[peterk9]

Thanks for the picture Peter. Mine looks just like that. Do you happen to know where the thread is on how to put pictures on the forum? Thanks in advance.

There are a couple of threads in the New Members forum; http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=25

Or you can take advantage of the 2 for 1 Elite Membership deal tomorrow and post photos directly using the Forum's Manage Attachment program.

Good luck.

Peter

 

[ichabodsteel]

My '11 had the same issue. If you check inside the hatch, you will find 2 of the rubber bump stops on either sides towards the bottom (when closed) or top (when opened). On mine, one of them had flatten itself on the side that was misaligned. I think the auto close function pulled in too tight, or was misaligned to begin with. Took it to the dealer and they got it aligned and replaced those black rubber pieces. I hope it holds up.

 

[kirksjeep]

I checked mine when it was delivered and it was off. They also had to adjust a tail light to get it to look right. I found the problem after the dealer inspection, so trust them to find any problems. It was fixed by the dealer a few days later.