Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

After receiving a recall letter for the liftgate, the consumer is unable to obtain repair, since the part is not available. liftgate recall nhtsa 04v442000

received recall notice for hinges on rear window of hatch and was advised not to open until hinges were replaced, which i did not. noticed the fiberglass under the window cracked approximately 4 inches to the left of the latch. took the vehicle to ford dealer and the warranty administrator said the fiberglass was not covered under recall. the warranty administrator said he would send a request for ford to repair the fiberglass under the glass but doesn't know if they will since they have denied paying for a few of these that he has already submitted. i am convinced this damage is a direct result of the defective hinge and feel that ford should repair my vehicle. *jb

The consumer was experiencing problems with the liftgate latch. she then took vehicle to get serviced. recently while she was driving, the back window literally came off. she was aware of a recall for this vehicle. nhtsa's recall #04v442000. when the consumer contacted the manufacturer, they denied that there was such a recall. *jb

The rear lift gate cracked down the center. every ford explorer lift gate i see has a crack down the center. this has to be a defect in the gate. there are just too many people with the same problems. *tr

Complaint received via e-mail."i have a 2003 ford explorer and the rear glass hatch has a recall. recall # 04s20 we first brought the problem to hawkinson ford's attention sept 2004. in oct 2004 we received a notice and were told the hinge had to be redesigned and would take several months. jan 11, 2005 we had the repairs done to the hinges. the next day the very first time the hatch was opened both hinges moved i drove right back to the dealership. i spoke to paul's the assistant manager and showed him this problem, he was amazed. we set up another appointment to have it checked and repaired. my concern if this is their new design, wow it lasted 1 opening and now i have moisture in my explorer because the window doesn't close properly. i can only used the lift gate and have to worry if i drive could bumps cause the window to fall out. i would like to talk to someone on the subject in regards to my options." *nm

Consumer was unable to have the liftgate bracket repaired since no parts were delivered to the dealer since receipt of nhtsa recall 04v442000. *ak....consumer was advised not to use tailgate window. however the remote operated window was one of the reasons for purchasing the ford explorer. consumer complained that to wait four months for repairs was radiculous. *ak

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v442000 concerning rear liftgate glass. owner received notification from the manufacturer in october 2004. owner has been in touch with the dealership, but is constantly being told that parts needed to repair the recall are unavailable. *ak

Received recall notice for hinges on rear window of hatch and was advised not to open until hinges were replaced, which we did not. noticed the fiber glass under the window cracked from the window to bottom of where window lifts. took to ford dealer and service writer said the fiber glass was not covered under recall but he felt the crack was a result of hinge failure. he opened the rear window on the hatch and was unable to close it. the dealer had to replace the hinges before we could drive the vehicle. the service writer has sent a request for ford to repair the fiber glass under the glass but don't know if they will. i am convinced this damage is a direct result of the defective hinge and feel that ford should repair my vehicle. *jb

Consumer was waiting three months for recall 04v442000 concerning liftgate parts to come in. he contacted ford manufacturer, and was told they do not know when the parts will be available. consumer was very concerned. *ak

Consumer received manufacturer's recall 04007,nhtsa recall 04v129000 concerning tailgate cables. no parts were available.*ak. window part of tailgate could fall down an dhurt consumer if he wa susin git to load groceries. consumer suffers from arthritis in hands and fingers, and uses ths window constantly since the whole tailgate is too heavy to close. warning indicated not to use the window. *ak

Consumer received manufacturer's recall 04007, nhtsa recall 04v129000 concerning tailgate cables. no parts were available.*ak

While at a stop, the frame separated which caused the rear hatch back window to shatter. please provide more information. *jb ford motor company notified. back portion of the door separated when the windshield exploded. *tc

Rcall 04v442000 concerning rear liftgate glass: consumer was unable to get this recall honored by the dealer because no parts were available.*ak

On december, 11, 2004, my 10 year old son went to open the back hatch of our 2003 ford explorer. on trying to close the hatch, the left hinge holding the glass part broke, dropping the glass but held onto by my son. on trying to place the glass in a secure position to drive the vehicle back home, the glass exploded and lacerated my older son's eye who was helping to try and correct the issue. the tear to his upper eyelid was extensive enough to require a hospital visit and 7 stitches. ford is now giving me the run around that i would not expect especially since my complaint is based on a faulty hinge (recalled but in supply limbo), broken glass and an injury to a minor. all i wanted was the car to be fixed and secure a loner car. unbelieveable that they will not take responsibility.*ak

The vehicle was brand new and there was rusting around the windshield, the power doors and the seats were not working , there was a problem with the cruise control as well. *jb five windshields had been replaced due to constant leaking including the moon roof and the headliner. the power doors did not work. when it would rain, many electrical problems would be present. *sc

The lift gate sheared off the hinges while pressing the remote. the consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. the mechanic informed the consumer the parts were not available at this time. please fill in additional information. *jb

Consumer received recall campaign 04v442000 concerning rear liftgate glass. however, consumer was waiting since october 2004 for repairs. ford continuously told her that the parts were not in. *ak

The glass blew out of the back rear trunk window. after going to the dealer for repair, the manufacture stated there was a recall, however, the consumer was never notified. please provide information. *jb

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v442000, consumer received a recall for the hinges on the liftgate. consumer has been unable to have the vehicle repaired since the dealer has made not contact with her for the service date. *ak *tc

The consumer received a recall letter for the liftgate, and no parts were available to make the repair. nhtsa liftgate recall 04v442000 *jb *sc

The liftgate window would open when no one was near it and on several occasions the vehicle was in motion. bf the consumer received the liftgate recall and hopes that the repair will also repair the window. *nm campaign id number : 04v442000 *tc

Consumer has been waiting for recall 04v442000 concerning rear liftgate glass repair since october. consumer contacted ford several times, and was told the parts have not come in. also, while driving and upon depressing the accelerator pedal and releasing foot off it vehicle surged forward. *ak recall campaign *tc

The right hinges attached to the vehicle body and the liftgate broke. dealer was notified. consumer was waiting for the part since september, and no part was available. consumer was concerned that the liftgate may fall unexpectedly and cause severe injuries to someone when opened.*ak

The windshield, moon roof and headliner were leaking. the consumer had the windshield replaced at least 5 times. the owner has been corresponding with the manufacturer for several months. owner is asking for a new vehicle. *jb *sc

Please be advised that the hatch back of the 2003 ford explorer developed a crack directly in the middle. this defect can be seen around many other 2003 fords. please be advised that the hatchback piece is rattling and seems like it will come off. *tr

Water runs down front passenger seatbelt apperatus, inside the car. water damage seen on interior roof from water leaking inside the roof of the truck.

2003 ford explorer...when opening glass portion of hatchback, the right hinge failed, causing the window to fall on my wife's head, giving her a concussion. ar has 38000 miles and has not been in an accident. hinge failure due to bolt shearing off at window. going to get it looked at tomorrow. *ak pe04045.pco

Consumer has been waiting for the repair parts to come in for recall 04v442000 concerning rear liftgate glass for four months. was told the parts should have been here late november. however, the parts were not here, and the problem recurred. *ak

The liftgate glass shattered when consumer's son was closing the liftgate. the glass landed in consumer's son hair and face. technical service bulletin #10004078 was issued on this problem. manufacturer was contacted. *ak this is a my2002 vehicle and not my2003 per consumer_081704.pco pe04045.pco

While opening the tailgate window, the right and left hinges broke. *ak pe04045.pco the back window was hanging by the pistons. when popping up the window using the button it did not go up automatically. the tailgate window does not shut properly.*mr *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that the rear tailgate was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated that the contact would have to pay to have the tailgate replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and stated that they would pay for r half of the repair cost. the contact stated that he should not have to pay any portion of the repair cost. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 40,000. updated 2/23/11 *cn updated 04/25/11

While parked rear liftgate glass exploded. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated that the paint on the edges of the vehicle front hood was bubbled and peeled. the service dealer determined it was caused by corrosion. the manufacturer was contacted and requested the vehicle owner to provide a report on the paint issue from the service dealer. the contact was waiting for the report from the service dealer

Water leaked into the vehicle on the driver side door. the dealership inspected the vehicle many times and could not duplicate or correct the problem. *ak *sc *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear window hatch has a piece of plastic under the glass, which holds the window in place. the plastic has cracked all the way through the window. the current mileage was 75,000 and failure mileage was 8,000. updated 04/02/08. *lj

Numerous problem: brakes, rear window opening, seat belt retraction, heater, rear defrost, body work, etc.. *ph while braking the brake pedal went to the floor and caused extended stopping distance. the rear window hinge failed which caused the window to open while the consumer went through a car wash. the seat belt retracted slowly which caused the belt to become hooked onto the door lock system. as a result the passenger could not get out of the vehicle. the left wiper was not clearing the windshield. the left rear door would not close all the way unless it was slammed hard. *nm

The consumer heard a wind noise coming from the rear of the vehicle when being driven, then suddenly the liftgate opened by itself. *jb *ak

Plastic under the rear liftgate (rear hatch) cracked when closing in cold weather. the two cracks were over 6 inches long. the entire liftgate will need to be replaced. *nlm

Vehicle was involved in a accident and the frame cracked. dealer notified.*ak

I was involved in an accident that occured on oct. 14, 2003. i was making a left turn when i was broadsided by a toyota camry going about 20 -30 miles an hour. my explorer tipped onto the driver side. i was terrified it would roll-over (upside-down) i had no idea how easy it was to tip my vehicle over. do you have any data concerning ford explorers? do you have any suggestions as to what i can do? i'm never getting into that vehicle again but i owe $22,000. now trade in value is maybe $16,000. the car is still being repaired and will be covered by the other driver's insurance.

We bought a ford explorer xlt late saturday night october 11th. that late night after bringing the xlt explorer home we pressed the blue liftgate button for liftgate. the glass went up by itself and the shock rod disconnected from the ball bearing slamming back down. luckily no one was injured but this is a serious safety concern that needs to be addressed because some could seriously get hurt including children when the weight of that glass comes down. i contacted ford and have only received a merry go round and no suitable answers. i had taken the vehicle back to the dealership and have gotten it checked out... with no suitable answers except it was factory related. please investigate. we do not this to happen to anyone else or someone from getting seriously hurt. please investigate and forward to all other regulatory and safety agencies federal/ state/local so a thorough investigation is done. *la factory mis-installation of struts causing lift cylinder detachment at first use.pco

2003 ford explorer. consumer states that the vehicle bottom rear liftgate is cracked. consumer believes concern is related to recall on the hinges for the liftgate. the consumer believed the cracks on the liftgate were due to weakness. updated 07/08/07. *jb

While driving hood flew up which impaired visibility. *ak

Glass of front windshield leaking, we had it resealed and it is again leaking and the new seal is lifting. the rear liftgate window was leaking and the water was leaking in between the inner and outer panels. when the liftgate is opened one gets an unexpected shower. this too required repairing.*ak dup

Tl-*the 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the paint portion on the liftgate has cracked in several places just under the glass. the contact feels this can be a potential safety hazard because there have been other vehicles whose rear glass has broken. the failure mileage was 75000 and the current mileage was 80000.

Multiple issues with my 2003 ford explorer which include the electronic mother board having been replaced twice (under warranty), cracked liftgage (not under warranty cost $300), transmission rebuild approx 90,000 ($3000), dome lights do not turn off, door ajar lights, electric rear windows do not open, o/d light flashes and now the final problem after having replaced my transmission in july 2011 is a drive train or drive line issue. at approximately 45 mph after dropping from a higher speed, a thumping happens. diagnosis for this issue has been 3 days still with no final determination. *tr

while the consumer was driving at an undetermined speed engine check light appeared on the dash, causing the vehicle to stall. consumer contacted dealer on four occasions, but problem still occurs. *ak consumer seeking or vehicle replacement reimbursement for repairs on engine, right rear door, and center console lid. *la

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear lift door was misaligned and became cracked. the vehicle was previously repaired for the rear lift door hinge however, the contact stated that the repair caused the misalignment. the contact purchased a new rear lift door and the door was replaced. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 5 and the current mileage was 28,273.

Chat conversation start 5:57pm greetings, i saw you commentary about the ford explorer exhaust fumes inside the cabin, well i have a 2004 ford explorer with the same problem, i am a mechanic i figured may be the filter was clogged well it was no filter, what i found the vent door fell off from the place where it suppose to open and close laying down on the fan, so i reinstalled back and the problem was fixed, it is a poor design from the ford company. i was loosing heat during winter and not be cool at the summer loosing the thru vent out place. ford needs to fix all this problems along with seat belts, rear window quarter panel cracked no one is getting ford to do recalls on this items very poor construction.

Plastic under (attached to) rear liftgate window cracked in cold weather. crack was ~10 inches long. entire liftgate needs replacing.