Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. when attempting to close the rear window, the contact noticed that the rear liftgate window hinges were cracking and were tilted on one side. the contact, a certified master technician, stated that the window needed to be replaced. the contact called fort mill ford at (866) 680-5276 (located at 801 gold hill rd, fort mill, sc 29708) and was informed that the vin was not included in any recalls. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to nhtsa. the approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

Rear window lower panel plastic cracking up, replaced three times, still cracking due to no support and bending too much, i called ford does not care if continues cracking up, it looks ugly also panels can cause an accident to other cars getting into their windshields loose parts. they know about the problem and not fixing it.

Awoke the morning of may 10, 2017 to find the entire back liftgate and window exploded outwards and inwards of our ford explorer. the vehicle was parked in front of our home, we are rural, so no evidence of someone purposely breaking it. our sheriff in cascade county, montana, stated it appears to be something internal probably the lift struts exploding. this seems to be a problem as stated on many online sites, and many ford explorers have this problem. this particlar model vin number did not show up as recalled, although we sit here looking at the damage caused by this problem. we would appreciate someone looking into this, as it could happen to anyone and prove to be very dangerous if this vehicle were being driven when this explosion occured. please check into this asap.

The rear panel of my 2003 explorer cracked today for no reason. not sure if this is a safety concern. when i "googled" the problem, it seems this is a common problem that ford once addressed.

The rear lift-gate has a cracked panel.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate hinge fractured which caused the lift gate to remain unlocked. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 133,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the door ajar warning light illuminated, which caused the dome light to remain illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 188,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while accessing the power liftgate, the hinges fractured and caused the door to abruptly close. there were no injuries. the liftgate was completely removed and placed in the vehicle temporarily. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 87,000.

The brackets connected to the liftgate released while the car was parked and locked and blew the back liftgate panel out along with shattering the glass.

Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated while closing that the liftgate both hinges fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where both hinges and struts were replaced. in 2005, the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure) however,the remedy was insufficient. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 165,000. js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear hatch was open and the hinges that opened the glass fractured. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact referenced nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 175,500.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate glass strut brackets and glass hinges were fractured and tilted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was also taken to the dealer who stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the failure mileage was 100,000.

I noticed that the paint was peeling off in several places on the vehicle. six months later more paint has disappeared. *tr

A recall was issued for 2003 ford explorers for the hinges on the back window tailgate. the right side hinge on my 2003 ford explorer broke, i was fortunate to be strong enough to catch the glass before it snapped the other hinge. when i contacted ford after seeing the recall notice online, i was told my ford was not part of the recall. i have also checked on the nhtsa site and it was not listed there either. my complaint is that if explorers of the same year are recalled and my hinge broke, i believe there may be an issue with a larger range of explorers than listed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear panel of the liftgate was cracked. the failure caused the contact's fingers to become pinched when attempting to close the liftgate. the contact also stated that the hinges fractured on the liftgate. the hinges were repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure), but the failure recurred. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 165,000.

When closing the glass tailgate the right hinge that attaches the glass to the tailgate broke causing the glass to detach from the car and fall hitting me in the left arm updated 09/16/14*lj updated 3/18/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the lift gate window became detached intermittently. the liftgate door failed to close properly and it developed a crack at the bottom. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the lift gate needed to be repaired and the window needed to be replaced. the contact was not included in recall nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure). the vehicle was to be inspected, diagnosed and repaired by an authorized dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 1,002.

On february 18th i noticed a crack in the rear glass lift gate molding otherwise known as the rear applique. after a google search i realized this is known defect that ford motor co. does not recognize officially. there is a class action lawsuit regarding this defect. on april 25th 2014 i opened the rear glass lift gate to get something out of the rear cargo area. upon closing the glass lift gate the entire window shattered into many pieces and actually put three cuts on my arm. i have looked into this online and found many owners of the 2002-2005 ford explorer's, mercury mountaineer's and lincoln aviator's all had this cracking of the rear applique. also found out whether or not a crack was visible many people had the rear glass shatter upon them while closing the glass lift gate. right now i must pay for the entire repair out of pocket, insurance doesn't cover it since they say i have a $1000.00 deductible. the cost for the glass was quoted at $495.25 plus tax. i also will have to replace the rear applique which covers a portion of the glass window at an additional cost. not sure why this is not covered by ford since the window shattering can cause injury and therefore should be classified as a huge safety issue. i will get this fixed and keep my receipts for all repairs and hope all owners of the vehicles listed above get some sort of reimbursement. *tr

Noticed upper part of rear tailgate under glass next to ford emblem is cracked from top to bottom. *tr

While driving at approximately 35 mph, the top portion of the liftgate on the vehicle opened independently and then the driver side hinge fractured causing the liftgate to fall and hang by only one side. in addition, the compression rod was bent when this occurred. in order to continue driving the vehicle the compression rod had to be removed and the liftgate had to be temporarily fastened with harnesses. the vehicle was then taken to a body shop to be repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate mileage was 83,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the lift gate opened independently and caused the driver's side hinge to become fractured. in addition, the compression rod was abnormally bent. the contact made a temporary adjustment to the lift gate in order to continue driving the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Plastic rear panel below the rear gate glass cracked directly beside the ford oval. the panel is now split into two pieces. contacted ford dealer and ford customer service (via email) and ford will not stand behind the failure of this panel. this is a common complaint with explorers and ford has not even as much as tried to help the customer with repairs. *tr

The back panel on the hatch is cracked. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear hitch was cracked. in addition, the door ajar warning light remained illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the mechanic did not diagnose or repaired the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 125,000. *tr

I want to bring to your attention a defect in the tailgate panel on the 2003 ford explorer. it is cracked and as a result water gets into the inside of the panel and leaks into the vehicle. as a result of the bitter cold days here in the northeast over the last month or so, ice forms on the inside of the windows causing major issues with visibility which is dangerous. it also shorted out the rear wiper motor as well. there should be a safety recall on this since it effects so many people. *tr

1. transmission does not let you accelarate. pressure builds up while you are pressing on the gas pedal and it doesn't increase your speed until 10 seconds or so of pressing the gas pedal, and than it explodes and you are thrust back with the acceleration. very dangerous when you are trying to change lanes or are entering the highway. lack of acceleration has almost got us into a few accidents. 2. sensors are not functioning, constantly telling me that the doors are open. i don't know when a door is actually open or not. 3. the rear hatch is cracked and i'm afraid it doesn't provide enough stable prorectection for the rear glass to be held in place properply.

Crack in rear liftgate body panel. may fail during opening/closing and cause injury. this is a known problem with 2002-2005 explorers. ford knew about the problem and covered it up. there is a class action lawsuit in progress. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 10 mph, she heard a loud, abnormal noise. after inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that the rear door hinge was fractured and causing the door to hang. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 99,600.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 for explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he engaged the liftgate and the hinges fractured. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 105,000. *updated 09-18-13 *bf updated 09/24/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated the rear lift gate glass hinge corroded and fractured from the vehicle. the vehicle was previously included and repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that both of the hinges were corroded and would have to be replaced. the vehicle was being repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 121,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact noticed a large fracture under the rear liftgate glass near the manufacturing emblem. the fracture was approximately six inches long. the vehicle was not inspected. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that he noticed that the lift gate was fractured near the manufacturing emblem. the failure caused the interior lights and the anti-theft alarm to activate. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure). the failure mileage was approximately 120,000. the current mileage was approximately 140,000. *tr

I used my key remote and popped open the back hatch and while the hatch was up the hinge snapped dropping the hatch on my head nearly knocking me out cold.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while turning at various speeds, the body of the vehicle began to bounce abnormally. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was stated that the body mount needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the back panel below the window became cracked. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

The back lift gate has a crack. i have noticed this on practically every other exploer of this year. i contacted ford several years ago and they said since it was a defect that was not a danger they would not recall or repair it.

2 complaints - back rear hatch panel under rear window has multiple cracks live in augusta ga and visit florida and this seems to be a common problem every make body like mine have this crack and some panel has even fallen off. this has to be a manufacturing problem for this large amount of suv's to have the same problem see more with problems than without. also recently had problems with window intermittently not going down and back up after ice storm in augusta this year all four windows stopped going up and down. this also seems to be a common problem with this model and body style of ford explorers. owned a 1993 ford explorer eddie bauer had approx. 300,000 miles on it before i got rid of it and the most happened to this car was the transmission and rear brake leak which was the most expensive problem i had. wish i still had the 1993 explorer because my 2003 makes me hesitant about purchasing another ford explorer no matter how much i like them this one will make turn to another make of car. once a loyal ford owner not so sure now. you would think that ford will be as loyal to us as we are of them, it is the little things that make you frustrated and not wanting to purchase another. if you can't depend on the smaller things how can we depend on them with the larger things. once a loyal ford owner. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured near the window. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that they would look further into the failure. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the tailgate had cracked underneath the rear window. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000 and current mileage was unknown. updated 04/18/2013 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the tailgate was cracked. the contact spoke with the manufacturer and was told the lift gate was not under warranty. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 110,000. *tr

A crack on the rear hatch next to ford emblem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the lift gate was cracked. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for inspection. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified and stated that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the failure mileage was 96,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the lift gate window detached from the hinges and crack the door. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the hinges needed to be replaced. the dealer also stated that the vehicle was under recall nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred and the door was still cracked. the manufacturer was notified and advised the contact to keep the receipts in case of another recall. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle it was found that the hinge for the liftgate was broken. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic and was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted who informed him that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments). the failure and current mileage was 110,308.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the hinges on the back lift gate fractured and allowed the glass to become disengaged. the vehicle could not be driven. the dealer was notified and informed the contact that there were no recalls on his vehicle. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who stated that the vehicle had been repaired under the recall nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) 8 years prior and provided no other assistance. the failure and current mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated the hinges for the rear lift gate fractured. the contact mentioned that the glass fell down into the door. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and had the hinges were replaced. the manufacturer was contacted who stated that there was a recall for the failure under nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments) but the vehicle was not included since the recall was only issued for the 2002 model year explorer. the failure and current mileage was 115,000.

Rear window hinges broke for the second time. they were fixed once with recall and are now broke again. also the back lift gate panel has cracked. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact noticed a crack on the rear lift gate panel. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. the approximate failure mileage was 91,793.

Rcall work was done ( ford # 04s045 ) since that time the plastic trim piece attached to the tailgate window cracked which has allowed water to rust out the mounting bracket that holds the latch and wiper assembly. the result is that the widow no longer closes securely and the window latch in-operable. has this been addressed in and other recalls? i have observed that 9 of 10 explorers/mountaineers also have cracked trim pieces. as a result of the rusting bracket i feel that the window could suddenly open and/or shatter. repairs seem impossible also due to the possibility of shattering the window causing injury.

My son went to leave in explorer. noticed hatch had popped open (has been doing this) and when he closed the two inch opening the glass exploded on him and all over driveway. glass piece in eye which is ok and scrapes on arms and foot. this could have been so much worse and want answers to why this happened. *tr