My explorer is actually a 93 Mazda Navajo (similiar to a 2 door explorer sport of the same vintage). I was going to work yesterday and while tooling down the highway the sunroof blows off. Needless to say, it scared the ***** out of me and of course I never found the glass. All I could find was the cover and the plastic latch mechanism from the glass.

Looking at the sunroof frame I can see what happened. One of the front hinges failed and detached from the sunroof frame which probably pulled the other hinge off as well. Once the wind got under the glass at 70+ mph you can imagine the forces.

On closer inspection it looks like the hinges broke at the base of a small collar that sits down in the sunroof frame and has the attaching screw in it. So the screws didn't shear off as I first thought, it was probably a combination of loosening over the years and the stress of rocking back and forth in the frame that caused the hinge to break. And no I didn't have the glass mounted incorrectly. In fact I hardly ever open or remove the glass. So if your explorer has the factory OEM sunroof and its old be aware if you hear some extra wind noise up by the sunroof your hinges may be going.

So I get on the phone and start asking around for prices and realize the glass alone is $300+. Also while talking to a Ford parts counter, I found out that the hinges are no longer available and the whole mechanism would have to be purchased. Luckily I called a junkyard nearby that specializes in trucks and he had a sunroof assembly (frame, glass, the whole works) for $75 dollars. I switched the hinges onto my frame and installed the glass and I was good to go. The hardest part was peeling back the headliner without fully removing it to get at the screws for the hinge. I only undid the liner in the front and poked some small holes in it to get the screw driver to the screws.

Looks like a lot of the small repair parts are being dropped by Ford. These hinges and also my console armrest finally broke and I went asking for the replacement pivot and was told they no longer have that part and you have to get the whole armrest now. Thats like 200+ dollars. I think the armrest will stay broken until I go to the junkyard again.

 

Dealer only have to carry the parts for 10 years and then it up to them if they wont to carry it longer. Most of the time hot items they carry longer.

 

That may be the case, but in these two instances the part is actually not made or stocked anymore by Ford. At least thats the way the tech at the counter read it. If they had or could get it from someone else they would have. I've used them for a while now for Ford stuff and they're a good shop, pretty straight forward and honest.