2004 Ford Explorer Body Problems
- 208
- 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 208 stored complaint records:
- 2 indicate a crash
- 7 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Hatchback/Liftgate · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 71 |
| 30–60k mi | 50 |
| 100–150k mi | 31 |
| 1–30k mi | 12 |
| 150–400k mi | 12 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contact stated that the panel below the rear window of the tail gate developed a crack. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated it was a design flaw and the panel needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000…
ODI 10424091
Body
Cracked tailgate frame under the window, from top to bottom. *tr
ODI 10302050
Body · Structure
Cracked tailgate panel where "ford" emblem is. Cracked while vehicle was sitting in driveway. Have noticed a lot of other explorers with same cracks. I believe it's defective materials being used and ford should take care of the problem. *tr
ODI 10294298
Body
My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a crack in the tailgate/back hatch. It starts under the window seal and continues down to the hatch lever. I'm afraid the glass will become compromised due to the defect in craftmanship. I was on another forum where 387 complaints for the same issue. Http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/body_paint/cracked_panel_below_the_rear_window.shtml i don't have the money to pay for…
ODI 10292754
Body · Visibility/Wiper
I have cracks in the plastic on the outside of my lift gate . Each time i use the handle to lift the cracks become worse. There are several posts online asking about the same problem. Every one i see in a parking lot or on the road has the same problem. Ford reports that it affects 1997-2007 explorers. I don't understand why this hasn't been addressed. I called ford and they referred me to your organization. Some of…
ODI 11174477
Body
The rear panel under the back window of my 2004 ford explorer is crack, there were no events leading to this failure, like so many others it just cracked. *tr
ODI 10301670
Body
2004 explorer/eddie bauer - the plastic trim below the rear widow cracked. As stated in many of the other complaints, the ford dealer says there is nothing they can do, it's a ford problem. Current mileage is 76,000. *tr
ODI 10295867
Body
2004 FORD EXPLORER CRACK BACK TRUNK LIFT. *TR
ODI 10341921
Body · Visibility
The panel below my rear window has cracked on my 2004 ford explorer. I did not drive it that day, so i know i was not hit, or the door was not slammed. *tr
ODI 10278525
Body · Latches/Locks/Linkages
I noticed my 2004 ford explorer has developed a vertical crack in the plastic tailgate attached to the rear window left of the ford emblem. I took it to the dealership and they recognized it as a common problem with the 2004 explorer and also warned me the hinges on the rear glass fail often as was the case on my vehicle. Service tech stated there was no recall as yet and i got to pay for the new hinges and holding…
ODI 10279401
Body
2004 FORD EXPLORER CRACKED REAR PANEL. *TR
ODI 10311256
Body
My 2004 ford explorer has a crack in the rear hatch. It appeared out of nowhere. It was not preceded by an accident or anything. Upon talking to a friend whose car has the same problem, i researched this problem on the internet and found that it happens a lot. *tr
ODI 10276340
Body
The panel under the rear hatch window has cracked and keeps getting wider. *tr
ODI 10344106
Body
Rear panel of the 2004 ford explorer is cracked, we are afraid to open and close with the possibility that the window will fall out and possible hurt some one. *tr
ODI 10286117
Body
A crack appeared on the lift gate top panel just below the wiper. The crack runs vertical from the top of the panel around the ford emblem to the bottom of the panel. I noticed that others are having this same problem at around 70,000 on the 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. *tr
ODI 10266324
Body
Wife came back from school and told me the problem. We have a 2004 ford explorer with a crack on the rear trunk lid below the rear glass where the ford emblem is, looking through the internet and found out that there are a handful of complaints regarding this panel becoming crack what so ever and still no recall. *tr
ODI 10265358
Body
I walked around to the back of my explorer to put groceries in the back trunk area to find the plastic cracked by the ford emblem. It runs the length of the flip open glass panel that has now broken the integrity of the car leaving it much easier for someone to break in. The car was not involved in any sort of collision, no other marks were seen. *tr
ODI 10264118
Body
2004 explorer rear tail gate crack next to ford emb. *tr
ODI 10265610
Body
Crack appeared on panel below rear window. Crack extends from the rear window to the bottom of the top rear hatch. No mistreatment of vehicle has occurred; crack appeared spontaneously while unoccupied in my garage. Will bring to ford dealership tomorrow to inquire about replacement. *tr
ODI 10261948
Body
Paint on roof of vehicle is chipping and body is rusting. *tr
ODI 10267222
Body · Hatchback/Liftgate
LIFTGATE GLASS APPLIQUE CRACKED. *TR
ODI 10284711
Body
Back hatch panel on my 2004 ford explorer cracked into two pieces for no reason. Looked online and many other owners are having the same problem and no recall on this part has been issued. I have not replaced the part yet as it is a $400 repair that is obviously due to poor quality of parts used by ford. *tr
ODI 10265214
Body
Car sat in driveway. Noticed rear hatch was cracked. Nothing had hit the car and hatch was not opened therefore it was not slammed. Went to internet to look up a recall but there isn't one. This is a factory defect. I found many sites of the same cracks in the same place. Talked to my service manager, he told me that he has heard of many explorers that did the exact same thing! *tr
ODI 10259277
Body · Visibility
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. Since november of 2008, the contact has been experiencing issues with the rear hatch door. There is a crack directly in the center of the hatch where the lock is located. As a result, the rear window opens without warning. While driving over speed bumps or potholes, the window opens. The vehicle was taken in for inspection, but the contact was informed that the warranty was…
ODI 10259708
Body
Cracking tailgate panel below rear tailgate window extending to the bottom of the tailgate. The crack extends along the left side of the ford emblem. This is the second crack since i have had in 2 years in exactly the same location. The previous crack appeared in january 2007 and was repaired by dealer at no cost. This time the dealer wants to charge me $450 to repair an obvious defect in workmanship and or…
ODI 10259567