Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

Crack in the plastic panel under the rear glass. 02 ford explorer. went to pick up kids from mothers house, and walked around truck, and saw it. cracked all the way from the bottom to the top, in an upside down fashion. all the way through from top to bottom. lots of other complaints on the internet, and around town with the same problem. afraid it is also a rear glass problem, as the rear glass is attached to the cracked peice. also heard there was at one time a recall on the rear glass of the 02. *nm

I have no idea what caused the problem but i believe it is a very common occurrence. i am (sorry 'was') the proud owner of a 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer v8 auto transmission. it has suddenly developed 2 stress cracks in the panel under the rear window - one actually goes right through the panel from end to end!. they were most certainly not there this morning when i parked my vehicle outside my office but it was extremely cold in atlanta today, i've read numerous articles on the internet this evening and i am absolutely alarmed to discover that the cracking is a common occurrence in this year/model explorer in cold conditions - why is ford not doing something about it?? *nm

The back liftgate or hatch back of my 2002 ford explorer limited has a large vertical crack that has just magically appeared. the crack is about 4 inches long and another 1 inch beside it. it is located directly under the rear glass. i was on a website that has about 65 of the same complaints for this year's model of explorer. i feel that ford has an obligation to pay for this since they did have a recall. *nm

I have a 2002 ford explorer. the panel below the rear window spontaneously cracked. it is a vertical crack the height of the panel to the left of the ford emblem. i have not had any success in getting ford or my dealership to make a repair to my vehicle. the estimated cost of the repair is $571.20. i am concerned that this crack may affect the stability of my rear window. *jb

Tl*- the contacted stated that the rear liftgate applique on the 2002 ford explorer was cracked. the applique held the back rear glass onto the liftgate. the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged if the rear lift gate was opened. the contact was unwilling to open the rear liftgate due to the crack. the contact spoke with dealership and ford manufacturer, and was informed that the vehicle was not part of the recall due to the vin. the vehicle had 67200 miles. *ak

The problem is my 2002 ford explorer rear window liftgate, my panel below the rear window is cracking for no reason, i do not use is part of the liftgate, after doing some research on the internet i found over 100 owners with the same problem. this is a design and engineering safety problem that will allow the rear window to fallout or explode when operating the door or normal driving of the vehicle . ford motor company should replace the panels at no charge to the owner of 2002 and up ford explorer with this tailgate design. *nm

The middle panel under the glass in the back of the car has cracked. i suspect it was due to cold weather. i have since seen other explorers with this problem and notice that there are a lot of complaints online about this. in addition, this past summer my shifter snapped off the barrel. i had 4 kids in the car at the time. ford responded by telling me that i had 75k miles and no warranty and i didn't typically get my car serviced there so they weren't going to be willing to "work with me" to get it resolved. when i told him i had my 'regular' mechanic look at it he said that the labor rate was probably cheaper with him than at ford. well - now tell me why i would service my car at a ford dealership? oh yeah...in case i get cracks or shifters fall off and maybe they'll 'work with me' on the price. big incentive. oh yeah, my fuel gauge doesn't work - another common problem. my previous explorer (about 10 years back) had the same problem . the guy up the street has an explorer (2003) and it doesn't work either. *jb

1. due to a recall (ford recall no. 04s20. ), the liftgate glass operation system was replaced in 2005. since early 2007, the same glass struts and hinges are apparently having problem -- first it took extra effort to raise the glass to the fully opening position, then while the glass is lifted open, it unexpectedly dropped down. i got hit 3 times at my head or hands by the sudden dropped glass and frame; it coursed bleeding on my hand once. this is certainly of serious safety concern. i really doubt if the ford dealer (gainesville ford in gainesville, fl) correctly performed the recall job in 2005, as they have a reputation of low standards of service and technique . but, ford, as the manufacturer, should have also taken the responsibility of enforcing the recall job meet the standard. otherwise, what is point of going through the recall? 2. since july of 2008, i started to notice that the back liftgate panel start having cracking under the rear window. i suspect that this is related to the malfunction of the liftgate glass struts or hinges, the same system that was previously recalled. nonetheless, this is clearly a safety issue as well, since the crack appearing reflects the liftgate being unstable and the glass having much higher risk of accidentally breaking, therefore coursing injury. this vehicle, with only 60 k miles, has been taken good care. through searching internet, i found this appears to be a quite common issue for explorer 2002 model. it is absolutely not acceptable to have this kind safety issue ignored by ford for so long. please help to get ford to truly realize their responsibility and give the massive affected public justice. thank you very much! *tr j. james jia

My 2002 ford explorer has a crack in the rear window as a result of a recall that occurred two years ago. i have personally seen 5 others with identical cracks. ford is aware of it but refuses to take any accountable actions. *jb

Ford replaced the liftgate glass hinge on this explorer per your recall notice on sept. 1, 2005. on january 13, as i closed the liftgate (gently, not slamming it) it exploded into shards of glass that went all over the garage and cut my face. glass flew in front of the car. i had only closed the liftgate approximately 2 inches from its full open position when this occurred. there was nothing to impede the closure, and the liftgate did not strike anything on its way down. *nm

My lift gate on my 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer just cracked last night and upon research i found out that this is a common problem with this year explorer. it is a defect with the rear lift gate and ford needs to address this problem. there are thousands of people with the same problem as i have that i found while doing a quick search. this piece is going to need to be replaced and then painted to match the color of the vehicle which is going to cost $500 or more which should be fords responsibility. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the plastic portion on the bottom of the rear liftgate cracked vertically. the current mileage is 78,000, and failure mileage was 75,000.*ak

The fiberglass panel on the back hatch of my 2002 ford explorer has cracked from the glass straight down apparently due to cold weather. i called the dealer and was told that for some reason this had happened a lot this winter. i was told to bring it in to be looked at by the service manager and that it would probably be taken care of or at least a 50/50 split. when i took it in the manager told me because of the miles on my vehicle there was nothing that they could do for me. i have since noticed that a lot of the ford explorers that have the 2 piece fiberglass panels are cracked also that are driving around. can ford be held accountable for this? i have no other damages to my vehicle and take very good care of it. but this is very noticeable and you can bet when i go to trade it in ford will discount for this defect. *jb

While closing rear tailgate window of 2002 ford explorer,fiberglass portion of the tailgate shattered. no injury was incurred; however, the potential does exist. inquired manufacture, and was told they did not have a recall on this part therefore, they felt no liability to replace the part. since the incident, i have noticed 5 explorers with the same defect. *jb

Unexplained crack in the rear hatch lid. *tr

Noticed cracked panel (applique) below rear hatchback window on my 2002 ford explorer xlt (suv) 1st thought was someone hit me while i was parked. then realized that there was no evidence of that temp was 19 degrees outside. after going online to car complaints found many other complaints. contacted ford co. they told me to get an estimate. metro ford gave me estimate of $302.89, called ford co. back they said they won't pay. i can't afford to pay for this fix, even if i did, bet it will crack again when temp is below freezing again. it has to be a design flaw in the part. online complaints say ford knows it's a flaw but they are not helping us consumers. *tr

A cracked rear panel on my 2002 ford explorer. to date, i haven't had any safety issues, but i've checked other online sites and seen quite a few submissions from other owners with the same issue. i cannot afford to have it replaced, and according to other owners, the problem will probably reoccur (it seems to happen during cold weather). ford has not listed it on their recall site. *tr

My 2002 ford explorer has 2 cracks from top to bottom in the back rear panel. i noticed the first on around january 2007 and the second one january 2009. *tr

The tailgate under the glass that lifts up is cracked all the way down from the glass to the part where you can lift the whole tailgate right by the key hole. i have noticed a few others cracked in the exact same place while driving around town. i have informed mitsibishi where i bought it used but they say i have to contact ford. what do i do? *nm

There are no identifiable event leading up to the discovery of the problem. it was cold at night when i found the problem, but the car is in the garage. problem: ford explorer 2002 rear tailgate crack. the tailgate has a clean crack from top to bottom under and to the right of the ford oval. i have not yet replaced the tailgate. i have read numerous complaints of this same problem all over north america. *nm

2002 ford explorer rear lift gate panel below the window cracked at around 65,000 miles. two weeks later it cracked again. i searched the internet and found a large number of problems reported on the 2002 ford explorer with this same issue. *jb

In december, 2006, found crack in hatchack door just below the window. called my dealership immediately to explain what i saw and what they would do to take care of this. i was told that it was only cosmetic and therefore would not pay to replace, that would be my responsiblility

The panel below the rear window gets vertical cracks. it happened the first time at about 60,000. the dealer where i purchased it replaced the rear panel as part of the hinge warranty recall. at the time, it had 1 vertical crack. i now have 100k on my car and the cracks have happened again. i now have 3 vertical cracks. this is definitely a defect. my daughter has the same car and has the same problem. on carcomplaints.com there are 48 people who have reported the same problem. the ford dealer said that ford does not acknowledge that this is a design defect and will not cover repair of this. this is a safety issue because with the cracks the upper rear panel has lost it's integrity and the window could dislodge. *jb

Crack appeared under back glass on drivers side all the way through panel down past ford emblem, another crack is on passenger side back all the way threw , but not down quite as far. *nm

Vertical crack all the way through rear-panel below rear glass about 2 inches to the right of the ford emblem. have seen other explorers around with the same crack.

Cracked panel below rear window (ford calls this an applique). *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the rear hatch was lifted up, and the hydraulic support device failed. this caused the rear hatch to close forcefully on the arm of the contact. the left arm of the contact sustained a huge bruise, and was wearing 3 layers of clothing at the time of the incident. the following day, the manufacturer was contacted, who determined that the dealer should be contacted for repairs. the dealer was contacted, and the support device was replaced. the contact expressed concern that a child could have been seriously injured or killed if the rear hatch failed with a child present.

Crack appeared in winter 2006 in hatch below rear window. this was a florida car up to june 2006. all was fine in florida. i suspect cold has something to do with these cracks. no repair has been made as i am hoping for a recall. *tr

2 cracks in the hatchback above the logo. *tr

Cracked on the back panel, between the window glass and ford logo. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked and being washed by hand, the liftgate glass became unfastened and fractured when the gate was opened. this malfunction caused personal injuries. there were no warning signals prior to the incident. the vehicle was taken to a dealership.

I own a 2002 ford explorer xls with 51,300 miles. on 11/23/06 two long cracks developed in my lift gate panel just to the right of the ford emblem. one crack extends the full length of the panel. the other extends from the top of the panel and extends to the top of the ford emblem. these cracks developed completely without any damage or force being applied to the panel. the truck was parked in the carport. i researched my damage and found others with the same model explorer with the same damage in the same location. several of them advised that ford would not acknowledge or repair the damage. the location of the damage poses a real danger if the panel completely separates. if separation occurs the glass can possibly shatter causing death or injury. i am convinced the damage is caused by a structural defect in the panel which is in no way my responsibility to repair. i am requesting that ford motor company repair the damage and possibly issue a recall on the panel for the 2002 ford explorer. i look forward to hearing from you soon to discuss the damage to my vehicle. *jb

Left panel below tailgate window cracked without any contact to vehicle - nothing hit the car and the car did not hit another vehicle. *jb

2002 ford explorer xlt. noticed a crack in the rear panel located below tailgate glass the crack is from top to bottom. the location of this crack is approximately 3 inches to the right of the ford emblem under the rear tailgate window.

Tl *- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the rear window has a crack near the window molding. no incident occurred which would have caused the window to crack. the contact also observed another vehicle, same make and model with an identical problem. *ak updated 03/07/07*jb

Well....here is the 2nd complaint that i'm filing on my vehicle. i purchased my explorer brand new with only 10 miles. i thought i would get the brakes checked since i had 68,000 miles only to find out the rear differential was bad and needing repair. ford dropped the ball on that!!! now i discovered that the rear panel has cracked. i will never buy another ford again!!! there needs to be a class action lawsuit filed against them!!! *jb

Dt*: the contact stated the bracket connecting the right strut to the liftgate rotated out of position, causing the liftgate glass to fall and shatter. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who was unable to determine the problem. the manufacturer was also notified. there was a nhtsa recall # 01i010000 which pertained to the side and rear glass. the vehicle was not included in the recall due to the vin.

2002 ford explorer eddie bauer v6 4x4 rear window lower plastic panel completely cracked throughout. *jb

(1) excellent care of vehicle, no accidents (2) rear panel on hatch cracked all the way through on first cold day of fall 2006 (appears to be stress from thermal expansion/contraction) (3) dealer said $350 to replace panel and paint and was not under any warranty from ford

The plastic applique panel below the glass on the liftgate has developed two vertical cracks, approx 1/8th" in diameter running the length of the panel (approx 5 inches) to the left and to the right of the 'ford' emblem. these developed spontaneously over time, one after another. there was no collision or other trauma to trigger these cracks. research reveals that _many_ other 2002 explorer owners are experiencing the same defect. i noticed the same condition on several other 2002 ford explorers simply driving around town. ford will not repair this problem which is most obviously a manufacturer's defect. *jb

The tail gate door panel below the glass has to line cracks. it began to separate. it also happen to my father in-law. i have also seen it in many other explorers. *jb

I have taken in my 2002 ford twice to have the hatch hinge repaired. the third time i took it in to the dealership was because i got a recall for my vehicle. the recall description was for: the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break. after a year of it's recall the hinge again popped out but this time the rear glass of my vehicle did shatter. i took my vehicle again to the ford dealership (where i've taken it now for the fourth time) and they stated that because they already "fixed" the recalled part they were not obligated to replace the rear window hatch. two things are possible: 1. the ford dealership installed the recalled part incorrectly or 2. the recalled part was also defective. i am not going to pay out of my pocket for the recalled part to be fix. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated after shutting the liftgate glass it shattered and rained down. the broken glass cut the arm, leg and foot of the contact. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, who informed the contact that a repair would not be performed because the window cylinder did not appear to be damaged. there was a nhtsa recall # 01i010000 which pertains to the side and rear glass. the vehicle was not included in recall due to the vin.

Cracks appearing on the tailgate of 2002 ford explorer. *tr

Dt*: the contact stated the transmission slipped at variable speeds, sometimes not engaging the next higher gear or at times the engine would race, then slam into gear with a banging noise. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer where computer diagnostics would not recognize the 5th gear in the automatic transmission. the transfer case was rebuilt, but the problem continued. the vehicle has been inspected on 7 occasions. the rear lift gate window hinge was replaced, but continued to fall out of the hinge. the manufacturer was notified.

On the back liftgate, the middle body piece has cracked again after being replaced around the ford symbol. dealer has replaced once and will not replace again. the axle housing is leaking next to the differential. *nm

According to my mechanic "the caged nut broke from 8 an inch bolt with washers on the rear end" he had never seen anything like it before. *jb

2002 ford explorer rear window hinge broke scraping the rear window. *kb the liftgate hinge snapped off as the consumer opened the rear glass window. the broken hinge also caused the rear class to scrape the paint on the upper rear portion of the vehicle when the glass broke off the hinge. the consumer contacted he dealer. they advised the consumer that they were aware of the problem at to bring the vehicle in. the technician check the vehicle vin against the recall and informed the consumer that the vehicle was not included in recall 04v442000. the consumer paid to have the hinge replaced. *nm

The back glass lift gate which had been replaced once before due to a recall broke. the glass door opened with the button on the key fob, and as i reached into the car to put a stroller in the door, it slammed down and hit the back of my head forcing my chin to also slam into the frame of the door. *jb

Cracking in panel below rear window of my 2002 ford explorer. i fear the nature of the crack has increased the possibility for the rear window to fall out during driving. crack has just appeared due to no consequence or misuse. this apparently is becoming a common problem for this vehicle. *nm