The rear liftgate glass support broke while opening the rear window. I was able to quickly grab the rear window before it could break. I would note that the falling rear windshield can strike the operator and/or bystander and could cause significant injuries that could include bruises to the head, neck or back, and possibly cuts to the face, arm or hand. I took my Ford Escape to my local Ford dealer (friendly Ford of monroe, mi) to have this issue repaired. I mentioned to the service manager that Explorer and Mountaineer had been recalled for this same exact defect and he told me to save my receipt in case my vehicle is recalled in the future. The repair to my vehicle cost $236 at the dealer. I noted that on September 9, 2004, Ford notified the owners that it will recall approximately 955,732 vehicles, specifically 2002 and 2003 Ford Explorer and Mercury Mountaineer vehicles to replace the liftgate glass strut brackets and/or hinges. I'm sure these hinges were also used on 2002 Ford Escapes. Before buying the above listed Ford Escape, I test drove several other Escapes. On one of the Escapes that I test drove, I opened up the rear liftgate glass and noticed that one hinge was broken and that the glass was hanging from just one hinge. I notified the dealer of this problem and told him that I would not be buying this vehicle. My niece also owns a 2003 Ford Escape and her hinge became rusted out and had to be replaced. See "NHTSA recall" 04V442000 for details.

- Monroe, MI, USA

While opening the rear liftgate window, both left and right hinges broke leaving the window hanging. Analyzing where the break occurred (which was the same place on each hinge), this could have happened even if there was no attempt to open the lift gate window. The screw inside of the car holding the hinge to the window was rusted, apparently due to the parts not making a water tight seal on the window. If this had happened while driving, the window could have possibly broken completely off and caused damage to vehicles and/or persons that were following. The liftgate window hinge part # is 420A68.

- Omaha, NE, USA

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Escape. The contact stated that the rear window hinge for the tail gate detached from the vehicle while the tail gate was ajar. The glass window struck the contact in the head but the contact was not injured. The contact called the manufacturer regarding the hinge and they stated that there were no recalls for the failure. The contact stated that the rear window could have caused serious injuries. The failure mileage was 93,000.

- Hamburg, NY, USA

The contact stated while unlocking the driver's side door the tailgate locked. The contact had previous problems with the door locks, and they have been repaired. But the tailgate has not been repaired. The contact contacted the service dealer, but they wanted to charge him for repairs. He has not contacted the manufacturer.

- Maples, FL, USA