2003 Ford Explorer Body Problems
- 134
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 134 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Hatchback/Liftgate · 5 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 48 |
| 100–150k mi | 29 |
| 30–60k mi | 25 |
| 1–30k mi | 8 |
| 150–400k mi | 8 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The vehicle was included in the recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). After the repairs were performed the contact attempted to open the lift gate which separated from the strut and detached from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the hinges. The approximate failure…
ODI 10428031
Body
My 2003 ford explorer has a cracked rear panel. This is the second time it has happened. The first time it was covered by warranty and ford repaired it at no charge. This time they will not. I was told it will cost approximately $300.00 and it would happen again. The crack develops right in the middle of the panel under the rear window. *tr
ODI 10426902
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated there were two large cracks below the rear liftgate, located near the manufacturer's emblem. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they were unable to provide assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
ODI 10464246
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact was closing the rear liftgate when the rear glass detached from the vehicle. The contact was able to grab hold of the glass to prevent it from shattering. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostics or repairs. There was a recall under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments) that could have been be…
ODI 10406116
Body
CRACK IN REAR PANEL OF MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER. *TR
ODI 10399684
Body · Differential Unit
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that she noticed a fracture on the lift gate window. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised her that she would have to have the panel replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. Updated 04/26/12*lj the consumer also stated the rear differential was replaced.
ODI 10451808
Body
Almost every older model ford explorer that i see on the road has the same issue with the cracked panel below the rear glass on the liftgate. For a while i was having a problem closing my back lift gate. There seemed to be a problem with the latch. I later realized that there was a recall (#04s20) on (what i thought had nothing to do with the cracked panel) liftgate glass hinge and ball stud bracket. Right after the…
ODI 10384840
Body
REAR HATCH CRACKED NEAR THE FORD LOGO. *TR
ODI 10379919
Body
I have 2003 ford explorer and after 7years a crack has formed from the rear window down to the ford logo on the rear panel or trunk door. *tr
ODI 10376317
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that there was a cracked panel below the rear window. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician stated that the panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 02/23/11 *bf the consumer stated the panel has since been replaced. Updated…
ODI 10371247
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the window on the rear hatch developed a crack and the hinge was bent due to defective material. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the repairs associated with nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments) were previously performed. The manufacturer would not provide further assistance. The…
ODI 10455849
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a crack on the frame of the vehicle starting from the bottom of the rear glass going down toward the manufacturer's emblem. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure but denied any assistance with repairs to the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 86,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.
ODI 10432871
Body
Metal cracked into from liftgate window to bottom of liftgate. Just went to work one day and came home to find this huge crack in the liftgate door. I had not opened the liftgate that day. After doing research and personally witnessing other explorers with this problem, i found there are hundreds of ford explorer owners with same problem. *tr
ODI 10373252
Body
Crack developed in the panel below the rear hatch window. *tr
ODI 10370938
Body
Ford explorer rear liftgate panel has crack and it expands during cold weather and it affects rear liftgate latching security as rear liftgate flies open whenever it feels like it when driving. *tr
ODI 10384050
Body
The back panel on my explorer cracked by just closing the glass. The temperature was only 65 so considering the more extreme temperatures we have seen in north carolina was did it crack on that day? *tr
ODI 10406223
Body
Crack in panel below rear glass of 2003 ford explorer. Panel just cracked from one day to the next. Went to trade in for new explorer and dealer even complained about damage. *tr
ODI 10371769
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the lift gate hinges were fractured. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 40,000…
ODI 10472682
Body
My 2003 explorer cracked from the back window to the ford emblem. Ford told me its not their problem and there is no recall initiated. I have 3 other friends who also have this problem. This needs to be recalled as it is by no fault of the owner and apparently is a factory defect. *tr
ODI 10339156
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact noticed a crack at the rear hatch back under the rear window. The contact stated that the crack was becoming wider when the hatch back was opened and closed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 40,000.
ODI 10450725
Body
Rear applique "rear liftgate panel" below the rear window cracked in half. No impact involved. *tr
ODI 10324043
Body
The upper panel on the back lift gate, cracked for no apparent reason. It has 2 cracks starting from one single one. It happened during the winter, so water must be able to get in under the seal and freeze and crack the panel. I have seen other explorers with this same condition. There has to be some kind of defect in the panel itself to allow this to happen. *tr
ODI 10324871
Body
Liftgate glass applique damaged/cracked - service procedure. *tr
ODI 10297969
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the power steering and transmission lines failed due to corrosion. The contact also stated that the brakes lines, fuel tank cover, door locks and the running boards were also corroded. The brake lines were replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 110,000 and the…
ODI 10586921
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatchback window hinge was fractured. The vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) yet the failure recurred. Both the dealer and manufacturer was informed of the failure who advised the contact that any further repairs would be at the contacts expense. The…
ODI 10373135