Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

Rear body panel applique ford series part #402a30. *tr

Cracked panel below rear window. also, rear window appears loose. *tr

Transmission was working just fine till one day it wouldn't shift into overdrive and then it was shifting hard from 2nd to 3rd. rear window hinges broke. rear tail gate cracked right down the middle by ford symbol. also just the other day my passenger window stopped working no signs nothing of anything wrong. i'm going to start buying chevy this is just unacceptable. no wonder america is not doing good our car company's can't make good products anymore. *kb

Rear liftgate glass hatch failure hinge and attachments back glass fail off. *tr

The rear passenger window hinge broke causing the glass to fall on top of me and hit me in the head and knock me down to the ground. *tr

The rear lift glass hinges on my 2004 ford explorer broke during use of the lift glass. the pin broke right through the hinge on both sides. this happened while car was parked and lift gate window was open. left side just fell, and then right about 1 minute later, i just happened to have some 2x4's in the back which prevented the window from falling to the ground. this seems like a pretty dangerous defect. internet research has revealed this issue was cause for a recall on the '02 & '03 explorer and seems to be wide spread on the '04, yet no recall for the '04. *kb

I was at a grocery store with my young children, came outside, popped the tailgate (top half of the trunk on ford explorer) and loaded my groceries in the car. my 12 year old then went to close the trunk (top half only) and the left side of the tailgate came off of the hinges. the window/tailgate was extremely heavy, so i had to run to the back of the car and help her to hold the window up. then, as we were trying to put the window/tailgate back onto the hinge, the other hinge broke and the whole window came down. the window was only connected by the wiring and the shocks that are inside the window. we easily could have been injured by this falling window/tailgate. mind you i had no warning that these were going to fail...no cracks, no problems closing the tailgate, nothing! my daughter, a woman who was in the parking lot, and i could not get the window back on so i could drive it home (45 minutes away), so i had to call my brother in law to come help me because he was closeby. he ended up having to take the shocks of the window/tailgate off completely, so that we could put the window/tailgate into the car so i could drive it home. the wiring was still connected. i have contacted ford directly, and they will not take responsibility for this failure...even though they have done recalls on the 2002 and 2003 ford explorer plastic hinges for the tailgate. same problem, different year. i have researched online looking to find if my 2004 explorer had a recall, and found that many people had this same things happen to them on their 2004 explorer. i am not the only one. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that when opening the rear lift gate, the hinge fractured and fell back, striking him in the head. the contact received a minor injury as a result. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 70,900.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate glass was hanging beside the struts. the dealer was not notified of the failure. the manufacturer denied any assistance with repairing the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 180,000.

The hatch back cracked down the middle. right below the windows. i just shut the glass door and notice a crack. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer limited. the contact stated that the rear liftgate was fractured and the contact was concerned that the window would possibly fall out while driving. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised him that the failure was not a safety concern and offered no further assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

The liftgate glass hinge on my 2004 ford explorer (model exxltspnbx) broke while closing. there is only one bolt holding each of the two hinges onto the glass and the bolt broke on one of the hinges. fortunately, i held the glass as to not slip down and pull the other hinge causing it to break. the window lift did hold it but would not slide back up. the lift had to be removed in order to shut and latch the window door. the back panel below the window was cracked when i bought the car and this may have lead to shifting in the window and additional stress added to the bolt in the hinge. this is the same problem that occurred in the 2002 and 2003 hatch window hinges. there are many examples online of the bolt breaking in the 2004 models but a recall has not been issued yet as has the two previous years. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the hinge on the rear lift gate window separated from the vehicle and the glass shattered on the ground. one person was injured as a result. an authorized dealer was notified, but did not offer any assistance. the manufactrer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 129,990 and the current mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while driving approximately 55 mph, the rear hatch opened without warning. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 60,000. updated 01/09/15*lj the consumer stated the glass has shattered once before. the liftgate developed a crack. updated 9/28/2015 *js

The paint on the roof of my 2004 ford explorer is chipping. i spoke with two auto body shops and 1 ford dealer, and they all said that the chipping is due to the fact that the primer did not adhere properly to the vehicle, so the paint is chipping. in reviewing this issue, i read online that there is a multitude of people experiencing the same issue. i spoke with ford, and they told me that there is no financial assistance available to help me, although they acknowledged that this issue is their fault. i would like there to be a recall so that i can get this issue resolved.

2004 ford explorer. in 2008 the rear back panel cracked and was replaced by ford at a cost of $100 to me. it is now 2011 and the rear back panel has cracked again but this time the crack(s) appear on either side of the ford emblem. ford needs to recall these back panels because they are defective. *tr

Concerning my 2004 explorer xlt. the rear hatchback that opens the back windows has a broken latch. i am very upset that this part just seemed to implode and left me unable to close the rear back window. the garage i took it to said ford informed them the part was on back order until 07-18-2011. i am wondering if this is going to be a recalled item for the garage informed me it happens quite regularly. please let me know if i have any recourse or am entitled to reimbursement for the needed repair. . *tr

1-"miles to e" have always registered as dashes after a fill up since 2004. dealer says nothing is wrong and to add gas additive (which doesn't work) or i can have it fixed at my expense. dealer has been sold and new dealer now has "no record" of my previous complaints-- whenever i had the car in for service i asked them to check it. i see plenty of other complaints for this same problem but ford refuses to fix this as well. 2-back hatch below window has cracked recently. husband had same vehicle different year and his cracked as well. dealer acknowledges many vehicles with same problem but says there is no recall and ford will not fix it. i see there is now a class action suit for this defect. just wanted to go "on record" as another unhappy ford owner (of over 40 yrs).

My 2004 ford explorer has a crack on the rear window panel by the ford emblem, its been this was for awhile, just thursday night i noticed glass on the ground behind my vehicle then looked up and it was my back window. it shattered, the panel bowed out as if it warped outward and shattered the window. luckily it had been parked and no one was around when it happened. as a result of this the entire lift gate and rear window will need to be replaced. i'm still waiting for my insurance to come and appraise the damages. *tr

My 2004 ford explorer's rear trim underneath the rear window blew off the truck at 60mph. the (whole trim) shot through the sky like a boomerang. it sent a motorcyclist behind me off roading. it very well could have lead to his death as there were tree's a few feet away. i have not replaced any parts yet in fear it may happen again. *tr

A couple of weekends ago, the passenger side hinge on our rear window hatch broke. my mom opened the back window hatch on my vehicle & when she went to shut it, the entire window came down on her. then we could not get it shut. we had to stand there in 80+ degree heat holding the entire window (which is quite heavy), while my 2 year old baked in the car, until my dad & brother could get to the store we were at to rescue us. we were able to get it to shut (though we were terrified the glass was going to shatter at any moment due to the tension on it) & we duct taped it to keep it in place. we had the hinge repaired by our local body shop, & had them replace both hinges to be proactive. it cost about $200. after this happened i did some internet searches & was upset to find so many other 2004 ford explorer owners had experienced the exact same problem & i also found out that ford has recalled the same hinges on 2002 & 2003 models. i don't understand why the 2004 explorer has not had the same recall when they're the same hinges? this seems like such a blatant disregard by ford. people could be seriously injured by this window either falling on their head, or falling off while driving. the 2003 ford explorer recall was explained as this: on certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break. the exact same thing could be said of 2004 ford explorers. i am writing this in the hopes that a recall can be made on this equipment. it needs to be recalled before someone is hurt. thank goodness my 11 yr old wasn't the one under this window when it broke!! i did email ford regarding this issue & they weren't exactly helpful. they basically said, sorry & that there were no recalls on the 04 at this time & that they work with nhtsa to stay on top of areas of concern. *tr

While removing grocery bags from the rear of my 2004 ford explorer xlt, the left liftgate hinge snapped and the window half of the rear liftgate door came apart leaving the left side of the door still attached to the hydraulic liftgate bar but otherwise dangling and unsupported. then i could not shut the door so we propped it with pillows to ease the stress on the left side. i had problems with the liftgate hydraulic bar collapsing on my prior ford explorer but those repairs were covered under a recall. this morning ford denied there was a recall for my present vehicle and refused to provide any information on prior recalls involving the same liftgate apparatus failure that occurred to my 2004 model. i called the ford dealer who said they would have to charge me for towing to bring my suv for repair there. my local repair shop that is less than one mile away is coming to pick up the vehicle and repair it. i think ford has still not resolve these liftgate apparatus problems after all these years of being on notice of the structural problem and even having prior recalls for 2002-03 explorers!! i could have been seriously injured had the door collapsed on me. it also could have caused the window to shatter and my liftgate glass door fully breaks away from the car, it will result in body damage to the rear bumper. *tr

2004 ford explorer eb. back liftgate cracked below glass. no accident or impact occurred. *tr

Crack in rear hatch body panel containing ford emblem. defective part has not been replaced. crack occurred by itself, no additional physical damage to hatch itself or rear end of vehicle. ford had received over 900 complaints about this item and there is an ongoing class action lawsuit for this defect in california. *tr

2004 ford explorer. consumer states rear cross member support snapped forcing the vehicle to become inoperable *tgw after further inspection by a ford mechanic and the insurance company, they concluded it was due to a manufacturing defect as the cross member support was not welded properly when the vehicle was built. *jb

2004 ford explorer. consumer states cross member support snapped forcing the vehicle to become inoperable *tgw an inspection revealed the cross-member support was not welded properly during the manufacturing process of the vehicle. (son wrote in on behalf of his father who owns the vehicle) *jb

Vehicle rear liftgate has a crack down the middle of it. failure occurred at approximately 63,000 miles. problem confirmed as common problem with this year/model of explorer. no repair or replacement as of this time. *tr

Rear panel cracked under window. there was no damage to vehicle, an di have seen several ford explorers with the same crack. *tt

2004 ford explorer: engine seized for no apparent or obvious reason at 53,000 miles. not repairable. also, rear plastic panel beneath window cracked. just read that this is a very common occurrence. *tr

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer from a toyota dealership on 1/28/11. the car was a certified / warranted vehicle. i was assured by the toyota salesman that any problem with the car would be fixed under the warranty. several problems which the car has include: mismatched tires, inoperable sunroof, leak in the differential seal & noise in the differential. i had the car inspected at a ford dealership & was told these problems needed repair. the toyota dealership has not returned numerous phone calls, emails & when i brought the car back to them, i was told all these repairs had been fixed & later found out that nothing was done. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. the contact stated that the rear tailgate metal was fractured in half in the center near the ford emblem. the contact was concerned that the rear windshield could shatter because of the failure. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or a local mechanic for the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 87,000 and the current mileage 88,200.

I am the owner of a 2004 ford explorer, with apprx. 50,000 highway miles. in 2007 i walked outside to find the rear back panel under the window with the ford emblem was cracked. i took it to the ford dealership , it was still under warranty. the total cost for repair was 403.47, i had to pay 250.00 & the warranty covered the difference of 153.47. here it is 2011, i walk outside to find the rear panel under the window with the ford emblem cracked again, the only difference this time is , i have no warranty. this apparently is a defect on fords part, the same crack 2 times on the same vehicle after being replaced and ford has not recalled yet. their is not one day you drive and not find ford explorer owners driving around with cracks on the rear panel. come on ford own up or lose consumers. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear door panel cracked underneath the window. the contact was concerned because the windows were not secure and could fall out at any time. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer stated that there were no recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 74,000.

2004 ford explorer: 1) plastic exterior panel below rear window is cracked, in 2006 ford had a repair assist program, thereby acknowling the failures. it no longer is offering that repair assistance?? there are numerous reports of this failure on internet forums. 2) left rear window hinge broke free from the window when i opened the window, i was fortuante it did not fall on my head (the riser piston was the only thing that kept it attached to the vehicle). i had to pay $50 for new hinges. i am waiting for the non-replaced hinge to fail as well. there are numerous reports of these hinge failures on the internet. the ford dealer nearest ford world headquarters in deaborn, mi where i bought the new hinges told me they have sold 10 new hinge packages in the last 2 months to customers due to the same failure. *tr

I have a 2004 ford explorer, and one day the car is fine the next there is a crack on the rear panel i though it was my fault but then i started seeing more explores with the same crack it has to be a defect. *tr

The rear door panel underneath the glass on my 2004 ford explorer cracked. this is a common problem with hundreds of complaints filed. ford motor co should fix the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicles hatchback was cracked. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 77,000. updated 08/10/11*lj updated 08/12/11.*jb

The tail gate on the 2004 explorer should be recalled,it will only get worse and lots of people will die when the back windows just start falling out. every explorer i see it like this! built ford tough..lol.....i guess it's ok for a few hundred to die until ford maybe recall it, it's there responsibility!!!!!!! i will never buy another ford till this gets fixed. think of all the lawsuits in the making ford..bad business!!! fix my found on road...before you get sued...my back window will fall out soon and guess who`s getting sued. fix your junk ford you lied to me quality is job 1000 making money and lying is job 1..your sickling boycott ford i already have 3000 plus with this problem just wait ford you'll get yours... *tr

Crack appeared on plastic panel just to the left of ford emblem the car had 92k miles when occurred. body shop estimate $500.00 to repair. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated the hatch back fiber glass failed. the fiber glass cracked in half. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the fiber glass failed due to stress. the contact stated the fiber class was defective. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was contacted but refused to assist with the repair. the failure and the current mileages were 110,000.

Rear applique has cracked down the middle for no reason. i contacted the a dealer and they were aware that this was a defective item from ford, but ford has not issued a recall. i contacted ford and was told they are not aware of this issued. *tr

I awoke one morning and i found a large crack in the rear hatch of my 04 ford explorer. it was not like that the previous evening when i got home. i researched the problem online and found many similar stories. i also found that there is currently no manufacturer recall to remedy the situation. plastic rear hatch cracked under extreme temperature. rear glass may break while driving and pose hazard to other drivers. plan on replacing, however i don't believe i should pay for it because of the poor quality of the original part. *tr

I have had my 2004 ford explorer for 3 years now. today i went to open my rear hatch and the window hinges just broke. now my window is hanging thereand i don't know how i am going to get them fixed since i don't have any extra money. i think this should be a recall since there has been a lot of complaints about this problem. *tr

Tailgate window hinges failed on 2004 ford explorer. the window fell out and damaged the lift struts. i was not injured. *tr

Rear panel vertical crack below window. *tr

The hatch below my rear window has cracked on both sides of the ford logo on my explorer. it seemed to have happened over night. i am concerned that it may not be strong enough to hold the window in while driving. ford has had three years of models with this some problem and hasn't made it right by it's owners. *tr

Were a family a ford explorer my family has 4 of them ranging from the years 1996,99,2002,2004 and everyone of these vehicles have serious issues. ranging from rotting suspension parts,to wheel bearing issues on newer models,rotting fuel and brake lines,this is supposed to be an american made company that is jeopardizing the lives of american and children with total disregard of human life,but i bet you the owners of ford don't have these issues they probably drives foreign haha but seriously someone will get hurt by this and it costing thousands of dollars out of pocket to fix an ongoing problem with these trucks please do a recall its so unfair at this point. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear hinge on the tailgate was broken where the glass was hanging. the dealer was informed about the failure and stated that there were no related recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 131,000.

Crack suddenly appeared in the rear panel below the window, from the glass to the bottom of the hatch.

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate exhibited a fracture that started from the top of the manufacturing emblem and down to the bottom of the liftgate. the contact spoke with the manufacturer but was advised that there was nothing that could be done to assist. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was 89,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.