Vehicle recall 04V442000 · September 13, 2004
Ford Explorer and Mountaineer
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.
Source: NHTSA data as of September 22, 2026. Last refreshed Sep 23, 2026, 2:43 AM UTC.
- Summary
- 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.
- Consequence
- If the hinge should fracture, there is a potential for the glass to fall and ultimately break and personal injuries could occur.
- Remedy
- 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. Owners should contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
- 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).
Recall details
- NHTSA campaign
- 04V442000
- Reported to NHTSA
- September 13, 2004
- Filed by
- FORD MOTOR COMPANY
- Manufacturer campaign
- 04S20
- Owner notification
- September 30, 2004
- Vehicles potentially affected
- 955,732
- Initiated by
- NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation
- Components
- Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments
Vehicles covered
As listed by NHTSA. A recall usually covers only some vehicles of each model and year, often a production date range.
- Ford Explorer (2002-2003): 2003, 2002
- Ford Mountaineer (2002-2003): 2003, 2002
Has your Ford been repaired?
Recalls here come from NHTSA’s records for the model and year. Not every vehicle of a model is included in every recall, and this site can’t see whether a repair has been done. Only a VIN lookup can tell you that.
NHTSA’s VIN search doesn’t show recalls that were already repaired, recalls more than 15 years old, or some small manufacturers’ recalls. Recall repairs are free.