Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

The back hatch cracked on my 2003 ford explorer. i hear this is a common problem with this suv. *tr

One of the two hinges that secure the rear liftgate glass to the vehicle recently broke. under the nhtsa's guidance, ford previously issued a recall describing and addressing this exact problem. however, ford claims that my truck falls outside the build dates for the affected vehicles. several other owners have complained of this issue online, so it appears the recall needs to be expanded to the later build dates. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while attempting to open the rear lift gate window, the hinge for the window broke and the glass became disengaged. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed his vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments). the vehicle was not serviced for the failure. the failure and current mileages were 100,000.

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

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.

A little over a year ago i and a friend came out of a grocery store to discover there was a hairline crack in the rear panel of my 2003 ford explorer. i drove right over to a ford dealership to report the incident. i do have an extended warranty for 100,000 miles. it was reported to the warranty company and i was denied repair. i was told i could pay $1,000.00 to have it repaired or put caulking on it to help to seal the crack. i put the caulking on it as i did not have the money to pay to have it fixed. i am retired and on a fixed income. over the course of time the crack widened causing the panel and window to shift to the left. on monday 4/12/10 i opened the hatchback window to place a few items inside and the window came crashing down on my head almost driving me into the ground. the hinges broke and had a friend not been there with me i could not have lifted that window. he and i worked for 45 minutes to get it placed back to where it was not hanging and had to put bungy cords on to hold it in place. i have had a headache for 3 days now. i drove right over to a ford dealership to report the incident. the service manager took my information and contacted the warranty company who got back to him and stated they would replace the hinges. i told him this is unacceptable!! this crack has widened over the last year and the hatchback has shifted to the left. replacing the hinges is a temporary fix. like putting a bandaid on a compound fracture! i think the entire hatchback has weakened and if the big door falls on me i could be killed. at this point i am unable to utilize the hatchback at all and must climb over the back seat to retrieve anything behind it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated the rear lift gate hinges fractured and caused the rear windshield glass to fall and shatter from the vehicle. the dealer advised there were no recalls for the vehicle and any repairs would be at the expense of the owner. the vehicle was repaired accordingly. the failure mileage was 110,950 and the current mileage was 113,000.

Rear applique "rear liftgate panel" below the rear window cracked in half. no impact involved. *tr

I own a 2003 ford explorer and was closing the window of the back hatch when the rear lift gate hinge failed and broke and the window became dislodged and hit me in the head. my son was standing next to me and thankfully the window didn't fall out completely and land on him! i have contacted ford and they said that although there was a recall for this very same problem, your agency did not identify my vehicle as being affected and they will not repair it at their cost. again, they said it was because your agency did not identify my vehicle as being affected by this defect. at the present time, the window is hanging by the struts and the left hinge. further, i have gone online and seen that many other people have had this very same problem and it was not covered by ford's recall. this is a major safety issue as that window could have fallen out and landed on my son! thankfully, i was not seriously injured. i can't believe that this has not been recalled more extensively. i think it is reasonable to expect that a window or a door is not going to fall off a hinge and potentially cause a serious injury. safety is a reasonable expectation! *tr

Problems with the rear panel cracking up, being replaced twice, still cracked again, also the transmission not able to check it during a trip unless you go under the truck, last thing the brake light switch sticking causing to drain battery and not able to order part because the manual are wrong. *tr

The tailgate cracks down the center. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while the contact was closing the rear lift gate the hinge broke without warning. prior to the recent failure the vehicle was taken to the dealership where nhtsa campaign id #04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lift gate: hinge and attachments) repair was performed on the vehicle. the repair was insufficient and failed to address the safety defect. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection where the dealer refused to repair the vehicle free of charge. the current and failure mileages were 70,000.

I own a 2003 ford explorer. the back hatch below the window is cracked. i've seen many with the same defect in parking lots. one woman i spoke with said hers flew off into the windshield of a minivan & caused an accident. i e-mailed ford motor co. they will not issue a recall. this is a safety hazard and with so many vehicles so easily found in parking lots with the same defect is concerning me. i can't afford to have this fixed right now what do you suggest? *tr

2003 ford explorer xlt - overdrive light starting flashing and now the transmission slips when shifting from 1st to second gear. engine revs to 3200 rpms and makes a loud noise before feathering the gas to get the transmission to shift into 2nd gear. vertical crack in fiberglass tailgate panel just below rear window glass. no impact to tailgate occurred-crack just appeared. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a crack in the lift gate which includes a plastic part just below the window. the ford manufacturer informed the contact that there were no recalls and he should call nhtsa. the failure mileage was 116,000. updated 2/26/10 *cn updated 07/09/10.*jb

The plastic applique below the rear window of 2003 ford explorer cracked in cold weather. the vehicle was not in motion. it cracked when the rear defroster circuit was activated. internet research indicates this is a widespread problem, possibly affecting 10-20% of vehicles manufactured. it is clearly a design problem. ford, in it's infinite wisdom, glued the largish plastic trim piece directly to the rear glass. in cold weather, when the driver activates the rear defroster, the glass expands and the plastic trim piece, still exposed to the cold does not. this unequal thermal expansion results in the plastic applique piece cracking. this is a problem that should have been easily foreseen by design engineers. in talking with local ford body repair shops, the staff admitted that the issue is widespread. the repair costs about $500. *tr

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

Liftgate glass applique damaged/cracked - service procedure. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. she stated while utilizing the rear liftgate to remove items from the trunk compartment, the rear liftgate fell causing the glass to shatter. the contact was not injured. the manufacturer was contacted and although the exact same failure of her vehicle is related to nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000- structure, structure body, hatchback/liftgate, hinge and attachments as a result of nhtsa action number pe04045, her vin was not included. no repairs were made to date. the failure and current mileages were unknown.

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 current mileage was 157,372. rk

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while the contact was examining the vehicle she noticed that there was a large crack on the panel under the rear window. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. there were no prior warnings. the current and failure mileages were 115,000.

2003 ford explorer , 70,000 miles rear lift gate cracked in middle splitting off in "y" shape there was no impact done to make this happen. heard loud pop told that ford will not do anything & i will have to pay out of pocket.*tr

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 vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 139,634 and the failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

I have a 2003 ford explorer xlt with the crack in the back panel next to the emblem. i came out to my car and it was cracked all the way from the window seal to the bottom of the hatch. i called the 800 number that ford gave me to call and they told me there is no recall and the part. there are several thousand people with this same complaint. the local body shop told me that the problem is in fords design of the panel. they have zero reinforcement next to the emblem to close the door which is right in the middle of the door, where normal people push to close it. this manufacturing defect in the explorers from 02-03 is very well known and quite possible over time could cause a weakening in the rear window of the vehicle and eventually lose it's support and fall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear lift gate/applique split down the middle which caused water to enter the vehicle, also known as a cracking fracture of the panel. recall number 04v442000, structure, body, hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments is related to the failure; however, the vin was not included. the contact expects the manufacturer to be responsible for the repairs since there is an existing recall. the failure mileage was 104,000. updated 01/12/10 *bf updated 01/15/10.*jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the rear window panel has fractured. the dealer was contacted, and he was advised that the ford manufacturer did not recognize this failure as a defect. no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 28,700.

I own a 2003 ford explorer. i just noticed a crack in the panel underneath the rear window of my explorer. i have no idea what caused it. i noticed other explorers with the same exact problem. ford needs to fix this. didn't they get bail out money from uncle sam?!

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. she noticed that there were cracks on the rear lift gate underneath the rear window. an authorized dealer was notified and informed her that this was a known failure but she would have to pay to have it repaired. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.

My 2003 ford explorer developed a crack in the rear applique from the bottom of the glass to the liftgate. after contacting my dealer, i was told to email ford, as this was a common complaint. after doing so, ford told me that although that are thousands of other complaints about this obvious defect in the vehicle, there are no recalls for this problem. most of the people have paid out of pocket for the repairs. this is not possible for me. i am not in a position to do so. if the crack gets worse, i will have to put in a claim to our insurance company. upon going online and googling ford defects, there are thousands of complaints about this ongoing problem with the ford vehicles. please let me know, how to get a recall on this. *tr

I just noticed a crack in the panel underneath the rear window of my 2003 ford explorer. i searched online to see if there is a recall & there is not. i came upon a website, www.carcomplaints.com & noticed several complaints as mine in the same make & model & around same mileage. i contacted ford to let them know my problem, referenced the site i found & how to initiate a recall or financially responsibility. i am the main driver & i can barely close the heavy trunk so i am sure i did not do cause the crack & it is a defect. i have tried to use the trunk as little as possible so i don't know if this would be concerned a safety issue. i have not done any repairs since i wanted to see if ford would take responsibility. our car warranty will only cover the repair if it is a defect since the crack was not caused during an accident or excessive use. i thought i would try your site to file the complaint to see if i can get a resolution. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the hatch back had a crack from the end of it to the window. the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who advised her that it was caused by stress from opening and closing of the door. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. when operating the vehicle, the rear hatch door and the rear hatch window became unsecured and opened due to a crack near the rear window wiper. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 40,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a crack in the panel attached to the glass of the rear liftgage. the crack was small at first but became larger over time. the vehicle had not been taken to be inspected for the problem. also, the heated stopped blowing heat and was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the blend door actuator needed to be replaced. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 38,000 and the current mileage was approximately 46,000.

Dear mayzel, i appreciate your timely response, but i must admit that i am more than a little disappointed (and confused). i am reading ford explorer recall #04v442000, "ford recalls 2002-2003 ford explorer vehicles for liftgate glass" (see below), and it seems to cover my model year and my situation exactly. the lift hinge has stripped out the bolt three time, leaving the glass to hang from the other hinge (and struts). can you explain why this recall would not apply? sincerely, bill dascomb dear william, this is mayzel from ford's customer service department. i have read your email regarding the back hatch glass concern of your 2003 ford explorer. i am truly sorry to hear that you are having this issue with your vehicle. i have personally checked our resources and verified that your vehicle is not involved in any recalls or csp's at this time. many factors are used to determine these such as warranty status, vehicle history, customer contacts, dealership comments and so forth. i have reviewed if any available coverages may assist in your repair request. there is not active esp to cover the part or the repair and the vehicle is outside of any applicable warranty. we recommend that your vehicle be inspected by a ford/lincoln/mercury dealership to determine the cause of any symptoms your vehicle may be experiencing. once you have the repairs completed, i strongly suggest that you keep the original receipt for the repairs, so that in case a recall will be issued in the future, these receipts may be reviewed by your dealership's service manager for a possible refund. thank you for contacting ford. sincerely, mayzel customer relationship center ford motor company

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the hinges for the rear liftgate fractured and almost caused the glass to disengage and cause injury. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments); therefore, they would not assume any responsibility. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were 130,000.

My wife and i own a 2003 ford explorer. under nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000, the liftgate glass struts brackets and glass hinges were allegedly repaired. one of the glass hinges that was allegedly replaced had failed. the hinge pin for this hinge has been sheared off in a similar manner to the problem with the original hinges covered under the above referenced recall. my ford dealer and ford are entirely unwilling to address this issue under the original recall, stating that they have met their obligation. since the 'replacement' hinge has failed in the same manner as the original i am left with only two possible explanations. the 'replacement' part is similarly flawed or the part used in the recall was not the replacement part. regardless of the explanation, a safety issue remains with the glass liftgate on my 2003 ford explorer and it is my belief that this directly relates to the above recall. the liftgate glass has not (yet) fallen, but with a failed hinge such a accident will occur. *tr

On 5-14-09 at about 7:15am i got my children's diaper bag out of the back of my 2003 ford explorer my hatch door was fine. i then went to work and it was a warm day but not hot. at about 6:10pm the same day i went out to get something out of the back and i saw it. there is 2 cracks the upper part of the hatch in to the left of the ford emblem. one starts at the window and goes down the other starts at the bottom and goes up. at that point i contacted the toyota dealership that i purchased the vehicle from and took the vehicle to them to look at. the service guy said he had no idea what could have made this happen. he stated he could tell it had not been hit or anything and that it wasn't a flex point. he told me to contact the local ford dealership. i contacted apple ford (lynchburg va) on 5-15-09 and was instructed they had seen many cases of this but they can't do anything until ford puts out a recall. i then contacted ford motor company and was instructed they will not fix it but to have a dealer look at it. my concern is if the window falls out because of this what is it going to do to my 1 year old and 3 year old in the back seat or the people in the care behind me on the road. i have done nothing to make this happen. it is a default from the company that could potentially cause harm. i have also researched it on the internet and found via google there are lots of people like me. if water gets down through the crack it could very well rust the latching mechanism and make it fail to work properly. *tr

I keep reading about 2 complaints that people need to know about and ford should take action on; the first being the back tail gate... ford do the right thing. the second has to do with the transmission, overdrive light, the parking brake and the cruise control. i use the cruise control when driving long distances and while on a few trips the overdrive light would come on for no reason, at least i thought, i then found out that i had an abs problem and wheel bearings problems. all happening at the same time? as if that wasn't enough my transmission was dripping fluid on my new driveway! this was while i only had only 70,000 miles, it wasn't right, i checked out the brakes, they had been replaced before however when i pull off the rear drum / disk to check the parking brake that's when i found the problem. i never use my parking brake, it rotted and delaminated and was dragging hence the od light, the overheating of the transmission which blew out the seal, the excessive brake dust which was partially the cause of abs sensor malfunctioning. the last part impacts the bearings, when the abs sensor malfunctions it can apply the brakes as in skidding or in tire slippage adding to early unnecessary wear on bearings and again overheating of the transmission. ford needs to install a few "smart" sensors, one which could track parking brake malfunctions, also one for fail safe temperature readings for the transmission. (that is before it is compromised.) do the right thing ford, your sales depend on it. *tr

We have owned the subject 2003 ford explorer xlt since it was new. the rear liftgate hinge holding the rear glass failed. i understand that this failure is the subject of nhtsa recall #04v442000. ford informs me that they will not fix this continuing safety defect because they replaced the hinge once before in 2006. i have no record of such a repair, not do i agree that ford's policy of only performing one replacement is valid. even if they did replace it once, the design is clearly defective and the safety issue still remains. i would expect nhtsa to direct ford to properly fix the problem, rather cause me to pay ford for yet another replacement for the ineffective one they previously performed. *tr

The panel below the glass on the rear hatch of my wife's 2003 ford explorer cracked forno apparent reason. the dealer tells me it will cost $800 dollars to repair plus a body shop expense (paint). i've noticed on many forums on the internet that this is a very common problem and ford should address it! *tr

Our 2003 ford explorer has what appears to be a stress crack on the plate below the rear hatch window, next to the ford emblem. i've seen dozens of explorers since this happened with the same issue, and thousands of complaints online regarding this defect, yet i am told that ford will not pay to repair their defective part, as there is no recall on it. *tr

The back lift gate (hatch) of my 2003 ford explorer has a vertical crack under the window next to the center ford logo. i noticed on the internet that 1,000s of other people are having the exact same issue with explorers and mountaineers. *tr

Tailgate is splitting. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the liftgate hinge broke on the right side and the left side of the glass was wedged inside the roof. if the hatch had not been wedged, the glass would have shattered onto her feet or caused injuries. the dealer stated that the vin was excluded from nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments), although the failures were identical. the vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. the failure mileage was 74,555 and current mileage is 74,575. 4/01/09 *nj updated 04/07/09. *jb

We had cold weather the last few days (-11 below) and now there is a crack in body, just below the window on the rear hatch. it extends from the bottom of the window to the end of the hatch. *tr

Rear tailgate/liftgate door panel cracked in two places vertically while in garage parked. *tr

Large spontaneous stress crack appeared, bisecting the upper liftgate body panel on my 2003 ford explorer. ford refers to this part as liftgate glass applique. *tr

Plastic body panel below rear window on the lift gate has cracked. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. while attempting to close the lift gate glass, the hinge on the passenger side failed. the manufacturer stated that the vehicle was not included in a recall; therefore, they were not liable for the repairs. the dealer has not been notified. the vehicle has not been repaired. the current and failure mileages were 98,773.

I have a 2003 eddie bauer ford explorer. last night, when my son was attempting to close the rear lift gate glass door, the hinge on the passenger side broke off. the glass liftgate is presently being held up by the other hinge and it won't be long before that one breaks also. i spoke with an andrea at ford 1-800-392-3673 and she basically told me that i was out of luck, that i would have to pay for the repairs because my vehicle was not included in the recall. i don't understand why, i told her the description of my vehicle. i have a friend who owns a ford explorer and he had the same problem, and since his was included in the recall, he didn't encounter any problems in having it repaired. you wonder why so many people buy japanese cars and trucks. here is one of many reasons. ford motor company is obviously attempting to save money at the expense of our safety. *tr