Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

I opened the lift gate window to load groceries when the right side of the window suddenly let go up near the hinge. this caused the right side of the window to drop and then the left hinge broke, causing the entire rear window to drop. i was able to catch it so it didn't break and eventually release the support struts so i could get it into the back of the vehicle. it appears that the fastener near the hinge was corroded through and when i tried to open the window the weight was finally too much for it so it snapped, releasing the window on that side. fortunately this fastener failed in a parking lot and not on a freeway or the whole rear window may have come off and posed a danger to the cars behind. ford has already issued a recall for 2002 and 2003 models which used the same hinge assembly, don't know why 2004 was not included. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear hatch was defective and the plastic that covered the license plate area on the hatch became fractured. as a result, when the hatch was opened, the contact and two children sustained lacerations to the hands. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 114,000.

My daughter weighs 99 lbs she opened hatch at gas station and the window portion of the entire hatchback fell off also there is a crack in the plastic down the hatch which i see on every old explorer. *tr

Purchased this vehicle as used on 4-19-13 and had noticed the crack to the left of the ford emblem. upon closer look today there is a second crack about 8 inches to the right of the emblem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the horizontal panel under the rear lift gate was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 99,000. *tr

I was closing the upper door on the back of my suv when the right hinge broke and the door almost dropped to the ground. i managed to wrestle it back up but the hydraulic shock on the door broke and leaked fluid all over the car. i cannot get it back into the window opening properly it is open about an inch. i am afraid to drive the car in case the window falls out. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the horizontal panel under the rear lift gate was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 85,000. *tr

The ford motor company is well aware of the problem with its ford explorers produced 2002-2008. the back door panel cracks all the way through just under the window. there are thousands of owners with this problem and many documented who have been driving the vehicle and had the back window completely explode. there is no telling when this is going to happen only to alarm the driver and cause a major freeway accident. right now there is a class action lawsuit moving to get the ford company to repair this problem. but they are waiting for a major accident, injury or loss of life to do the right thing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was an excessively long fracture in the rear liftgate near the manufacturing emblem below the rearview window. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

Liftgate has a crack and the hinge to the liftgate broke due to crack. it is hazardous to drive due to possible falling while driving or parked. *tr

While the vehicle was parked for 2 or 3 days under the carport in the driveway, the back panel under the window cracked for absolutely no reason. *tr

The rear window hinge pin (passenger side) has corroded and broken allowing the window to fall off of the rear tail gate. i noticed the broken hinge before using the lift gate which has prevented it from falling off thus far. i have read that this is a very common problem on this vehicle and ford will not own up to the problem. *tr

On the body the tailgate panel keeps cracking this makes my truck look bad compared to the money i put into it. my engine or transmission acts as if something is wrong it is not shifting gear right. on the electrical tire pressure light keeps coming on and it also keeps leaking water from somewhere. ford needs to go out of business for selling these pieces of junk. it makes no sense. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate hatchback hinge was corroded and cracked, causing the glass to separate from the frame. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (recastructure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments). the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 80,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that after exiting the vehicle, she noticed that the rear hatchback window panel was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure and advised the contact that they were unaware of the issue. the failure and current mileages were approximately 92,000.

There is a crack to the left of the ford isignia on the rear lift tail gate. the crack runs from the bottom of the rear panel just below the rear window to the bottom of that panel. the panel is the top half of the lift gate where the gate opens to enter items without opening the entire tail gate. i understand from other ford explorer owners that this can cause the rear window to blow out because the panel is no longer secure due to the crack. obi# 10487645 *tr

Vehicle was parked. operator opened rear hatch glass, at which time the right hinge separated. this caused the glass to slam down. fortunately, the operator was able to jump out of the way to avoid injury. the glass did not break, but the struts are bent. both the right and left hinges appear to be defective and in need of replacement. the rear hatch is not usable until the hinges and struts are replaced. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the panel on the exterior of the rear lift gate was fractured. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

After a day of shopping i pulled into my driveway and parked my suv. i went to open the rear window hatch when the left side came apart from the vehicle and landed on top of me. fortunately the right side of the window was able to stay intact while my husband was able to run to my aid to lift the door up. i am four months pregnant and my three year old son was standing by my side. i have read that many complaints about this issue have been made to the ford corporation regarding this problem but they continue not to rectify the issue at hand; while leaving vehicle owners helpless when this situation occurs. i read that this was a good avenue to report this issue since ford continues to ignore the problem and wonder if my husband would not have been in shouting distance what would've happen to my son, unborn child and myself!!!!! *tr

The rear panel cracked for no apparent reason. *tr

The rear liftgate window hinge broke off and the entire rear window fell on my wife. the hinges are made of a white type of metal that has corroded and sheared off. the pins inside apparently broke and it didn't appear to be falling off, it just came off. the window hit my wife in the arm and leg. we were lucky it wasn't one of our kids closing the gate at the time or that they weren't inside when it happened or this could have been a lot worse. after searching online for information about this issue i found thousands of complaints about this exact issue and hundreds of post of injuries incurred from this. ford recalled other vehicles with the same issue with the same part and yet the 2004 was never included. something needs to be done. a part over time shouldn't break off and cause a safety hazard. *tr

Rear hatch window hinge (left side) broke and released the glass while driving. window fell to one side. i had to make an immediate emergency stop. it was difficult to prop window to a safe position and lock down. it must remain locked down until i can fix it. *tr

4 years ago the plastic next to the ford emblem cracked right of the emblem on my back hatch. i looked into it and there was 10's of thousands of the same complaint that i had at an average cost of only $800. then tonight my wife got some chairs out of the rear hatch then when closing it the rear glass falls out of the explorer because " the aluminum rear hatch hinge on the right side broke" which has an average cost of $300. mind you the little piece that holds the window hinge on is only the size of an eraser head, both of the rear hatch defects are not under any recall yet many complaints have been filed and or posted via the internet. this is a safety concern to families as it should be to the ford motor company " which seems not to care " and also to the nhtsa as it could be a huge safety issue if this was to have happened traveling down the high way at 70 mph. *tr

When closing the rear window hatch, the left hinge that holds the glass completely let go of the glass. fortunatley my husband was the one closing it and was able to catch the glass before it broke the other hinge and pulled the glass off completely. the right hinge was also bent, as the window will now not sit level to be put back into place. this should be recalled, as there is a large hazard of th window falling. what if my daughter had been standing underneath as usual, or he had not been able to catch the window and it broke and sen "exploding" glass pieces everywhere. i see that this appears to be a very widespead issue when looking through complaints. also, the tailgate in my explorer has also experienced the same mysterious crack that so many other vehicles have had. one day it was fine, then it was cracked. could these issues be somehow releated? or is the entire hatch just full of flaws. *tr

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in july 0f 2011, and traded in my 2001 oldsmobile of 5 years. i also purchased the 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. before driving it off the lot i had the dealer fix the abs system because the light was on. there is a crack going down the back of the trunk but nothing else was wrong at the time so i left the crack alone. in april of 2012 i took it to the dealership for a belt, check trans, shocks, ball joints, and a ticking in the heater when knob was turned to heat (not cool). i told him to just fix what was on the warranty and also give it a oil change. he informed me that the trans was fine. after getting the car back my heat went out and i was told by a mechanic buddy that my brakes, rotters, emergency brake pads and the back tires were shot. so i had him replaced them because this was also not covered on warranty. just last week my rpm started jumping with miles over 65.(no lights were on at the time)so i took it to 6 different places getting estimates on what could be wrong. all shops said the same thing. "start with fuel filter, oil filters and oil change". the day after i paid for all this the service engine light came on. (egr valve code) the man at auto zone told me to take it off and clean it with spray and let it dry before replacing. i took it to a shop and had them do this. the same day i picked up the car my service engine light came on again, o/d light and the car was driving like i was hauling a bus and jumping. i took it back the next day and he replaced the egr valve new since the same code was showing up. later that day after getting it back the car started doing the same thing after driving for 5 miles this was friday 9/21/12. *tr

The hinge on the right side of the rear liftgate glass is falling off. i purchased this vehicle used in august 2012. the hinge seemed to be in tact then but has slowly been corroding and falling off. the glass makes an awful noise when i drive over pot holes, bumps, etc. i do not use the glass in fear it will fall on me. there have been times when i turn my vehicle on and the message center says "rear liftgate ajar" only to find that somehow the glass liftgate is not latched. nobody uses it so unsure if the corrosion and broken hinge is causing the glass to ajar from the latch. i called a local ford dealership to see if this has been recalled on my vehicle, as it has on numerous other 2004 ford explorer. i was told it was not recalled and the part is $50/piece. the left hinge is starting to do the same as well. i am scared that this will eventually fall off while i am driving the vehicle and think this should be recalled as it is a huge safety issue. *tr

Our 2004 ford explorer - my son opened the liftgate and the right hinge snapped leaving the window dangling in my 10 yr olds face. after much reading online, we have discovered that the rear window lift gate glass hinge has been a problem for many ford owners. the rusted out plastic pieces are snapping off and allowing the glass to fall from the hinge. i was able to rush to the back of the car to grab the glass before it fell. my entire right side is sore from trying to hold the glass and trying to shut the window lift gate so i could get the car home. with one adult and three kids, i was stuck trying to figure out how & what to do with this window dangling. we are shocked that ford has yet to recall the 2004 models but has recalled previous years. this is obviously a huge problem & it needs to be addressed. someone is going to get very hurt. the hinges & struts need to be recalled on this model. *tr

The right hinge on the rear window lift gate is corroded and as a result is half broken off. the window rattles due to it being loose. the left hinge is now starting to do the exact same thing. there have been times when i turn the vehicle on and the message center will indicate 'rear liftgate ajar' and it is the window hatch that is ajar. i feel this issue w/the hinge will ajar from the latch. i called a local dealership to see if this was a recall and he stated not on my specific vehicle after giving him my vin. i feel this is a huge safety issue. i refrain use of the window in the fear it will fall on me. now my fear is the window will fall completely off while driving.

Upon opening the rear lift gate, the hinges completely gave out and the lift gate fell away from the truck. i was fortunate in that i was able to catch and hold it, as my 5 year old son was standing beneath in order to hand me his beach toys, at the time of the incident. i had to hold the (very heavy) lift gate until a mechanic arrived to detach electrical components and placed the lift gate inside the 2004 ford explorer. i then had to drive home with no lift gate while exhaust fumes filled the truck. it should be noted that prior to this incident, the tailgate cracked, which i see is a common issue with this particular vehicle and the subject of a class action lawsuit. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate back panel developed multiple cracks, which caused the liftgate windshield to become very unstable. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 98,000.

The rear hatch just came off as i was driving out out of a store, the hinge just broke off. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the hinges on the rear liftgate broke and the window fell down on the contact's shoulder, resulting in a shoulder injury. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the hinges on the rear liftgate needed to be replaced. the dealer also stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lifgate: hinge and attachments). the failure and current mileages were 160,000.

The left (driver side) rear lift gate hinge broke making the rear lift gate and window unusable. this occurred when i was going to close the door, thankfully it was only the window section that was being closed as i'm sure the door itself is pretty heavy. *tr

The hinges that hold on the rear window are starting to break. the 02 and 03 model explorers were recalled for this but ford refuses to issue a recall for the 2004 models even though this appears to be a huge issue affecting a large numbers of explorers. i have caught it before total failure but many people have had the glass come loose and injure them. it is a huge safety issue. *tr

Vertical crack down the middle area of the rear lift door around the ford emblem. *tr

Right rear liftgate window hinge failed (cracked) causing heavy (apprx 40 lb) glass liftgate glass panel to fall on a person causing minor injury. appears 02/03 models recalled for same issue (despite ford's response on the first investigation of this it is the same issue as 02/03). the hinge part is inadequate to hold the heavy glass panel in place over time with use. since the back glass is a heavy slab of unframed, tempered glass it could "explode" if it falls potentially causing serious injury or traffic accidents to trailing vehicles. ford apparently does a good business in selling these replacement hinges at a cost of over $100 each for a small piece of weak cast metal. forty pound slabs of glass falling off of vehicles with no prior warning is a safety issue! research indicated many other owners with the same complaint. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a ford 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the lower portion of the lift gate glass exhibited a long stress crack. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000. the vin was unavailable.

The plastic piece of molding underneath the rear glass window cracked and fell off. nothing was done to prompt this. i have read that thousands of other vehicles have this same issue. *tr

The left rear lift gate window hinge broke causing the window to fall and bruise my daughter's arm. terrible design and fraught with peril. *tt

The pins on the liftgate window are breaking through the hinge. the driver side has broken clean through and the passenger side is beginning to break through even though i haven't used it since the other one broke. there is also a crack under the window on the back lift door. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body panel needed to be replaced. the contact also stated that while driving approximately 25-35 mph, a noise was heard coming from the rear differential. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the rear differential needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. the vin number was not available.

My 11 year old daughter went to close the rear window gate and the right hinge broke off at where the hinge attaches to the window. my wife and daughter tried to get it lined up with the hinge again but was not able to do anything with it and had to drive home with the windows hanging by the struts. later when i got home i noticed that the right strut was not decompressing as well which probably put some pressure on the hinge. i tried to push it back up manually it wouldn't budge. i was able to remove the right strut and close and latch the window but now it's crooked and obviously not working. i did research and see there are tons of complaints about this same thing happening on 04 explorers. i am very concerned that the window will fall off and this almost caused bodily harm to my daughter when it failed and fell. *tr

On 19 apr 2012 while opening the back hatch window, the passenger side hinge of the window failed. when this occurred the driver side hinge was bent and the hydrulic lifts popped open the window rather rapidly which could have severely injured me if it hit me. i was unable to close the window myself so i could drive again. a bystander helped me out to close it. after reading other reports and complaints online, this is not an isolated incident for 2004 ford explorers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a 6-inch crack from the base of the rear window to the license plate. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was contacted, but denied any assistance with repairs to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 70,000. the vin was unavailable.

After a cold spell in january the panel under the rear window fractured from the window down. we took the car to the ford dealer and was told this is very common and it would be around $400.00 dollars to fix. if this is common why is ford not correcting this without the customer having to pay out of pocket. it seems this is a manufacturing problem not a consumers! *tr

Update on rear cracked panel: rear back panel replaced twice. ford service told me it would cost approx $800 to replace cracked panel again then suggested i take my '04 ford explorer to a body shop for a repair at a cost of approx $200 which i did. that repair lasted about 3 months...panel has cracked again. if the glass falls out someone is going to get hurt. it is ridiculous that ford will not take full responsibility for this defective part.

While at work my rear lift gate window exploded. at first site i thought it was vandalism but nothing (car chargers/cd's/ road side kit etc) was taken. after further investigating, things just didn't add up nor were consistent with the site of my destructive rear window and uplifting of the panel underneath the shattered glass (which was mostly on the ground as opposed to being inside my vehicle.) *tr

The hinges that hold on the rear window are failing and i cannot open the rear window because i am afraid that it will fall off. other year explorers were recalled for this very reason and i cannot understand why the 2004 model was not recalled. the parts are the same as they were in other years. *tr

When we had the cold snap a few weeks ago, a plastic panel, under the rear window cracked. the cost to repair this is about $450 to $550. searching on line, this seems to be a problem over a number of model years, as there are several hundred reports. in the past week, i have seen 7 more explorers with a similar crack. ford customer service says there is no recall. it is not a safety issue, but it is expensive to repair. *tr

While loading groceries, i noticed the hinges to my rear window were cracked. i quit using the window in fear of it breaking. the cost to replace the plastic hinge is completely outrageous! i also had a friend call today and his hinge broke, thankfully the glass did not break. ford knows the hinges are defective. why would a major company like ford overlook this problem and take a chance of many law suits due to their negligence? there are over 1600 complaints recorded. how many more is needed for a recall? ford needs to stand behind their product. i hesitated buying this ford because my first ford caught fire while i was driving it. thirty years later i still think of all the bad stories and now, i want my chevy back. *tr