Problems with 2004 Ford Explorer STRUCTURE

The paint on my hood is peeling away. i did not notice some paint "bubbling" on the hood of my 2004 ford explorer when i bought it brand new. after washing it i saw the paint was clearly defected. it did not bother me at first, but now after 3 years and 52,000 miles the paint is chipping away where it was "bubbled". the area in question is the front left corner of the hood, in two small places. when i noticed it was chipping away there was already 4" square inches of sheet metal showing. i took it to the dealer where i bought it and they said it was a known issue (ford tsb 04-25-1) but they could not do anything about it since my truck is out of the warranty period. they explained the aluminum hood is the problem and an entire new hood would cost $1300. they explained that ford knows about the problem but has decided not to issue a recall. *tr

A crack formed below the rear glass panel on our 2004 ford explorer. the crack formed due to a flaw in the rear door panel. i have noticed the same crack on the same spot on either side of the ford emblem on nearly 80% of the ford explorer's we see on the highway 's in the atlanta area. *tr

While going to open the rear hatch of my 2004 ford explorer, i noticed a crack in the hatch door from just below the window down to the next panel. when i opened the window on the hatch door, i noticed that the left hinge that holds the glass is coming loose. i am unable to utilize the rear cargo area of my vehicle now for fear that the left hinge will break off resulting in the entire door coming off the vehicle and falling or dropping onto me or one of my children, causing severe personal injuries. the mileage on my vehicle is approximately 70,000 miles. nothing has been done yet to correct this failure because after reading other people's experience with having ford refuse to acknowledge the problem and the government thus far refusing to issue a recall, my hands are tied. i do not want to pay for the repair myself because i have already been burned by ford on other issues relating to this vehicle, i.e., the abs module and the air conditioning system. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. when he activated the cruise control while driving, it deactivated itself without warning. he had to restart the vehicle to re-set the error code. the failure occurred intermittently, and mostly on the interstate. also when he would turn on the turn signals, the automatic warning system would make an alarm noise and blink until the turn signal would cut off. the automatic transmission appeared to lose fluid, when he shifted into reverse. he heard a roaring noise near the tire area. he was told by the dealer that the hubs needed to be replaced. lastly, the aesthetic piece on the lower half of the hatch-back had cracked and separated from the vehicle. he took the vehicle back to the dealership and was advised that there was an electrical failure. no repairs were made. the manufacturer referred him to nhtsa. the current mileage was approximately 68,000. the failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

All of the paint on my 2004 ford explorer is falling off just on the roof. *tr

The tailgate on my 2004 ford explorer cracked last winter. i took it to the dealer and they said that it was not recalled. i noticed many of the same vehicles with the same problem. i believe that this is a manufacturing issue that should be resolved by ford. *tr

Defect in hatch area of ford explorer causing a crack near the ford emblem. happened when vehicle had less than 60k miles. called ford dealer who said not covered under warranty. *tr

2004 ford explorer's rear hatch/tailgate hinges broke. *tr

Four weeks ago i discovery an crack just below my rear window of my 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.0 v6...later i have seen this damage on three other cars at traffic lights and in parking lots. just today i notice i this problem in yet another explorer, and i was able to speak with the owner, and he said it just happen two week earlier. i also have had the hinge of my 2004 explorer to break also, i had read that this was an problem with the 2003- 2003 mode. well to me it looks like it and problem with the 2004 model also. it cost me 80 dollars to get the hinges placed with labor. i have read the it will cost between 300 to 600 dollars to repair the crack. *tr

My gas gauge on my 2004 ford explorer has failed me many times. i took it to my dealership & they told me to add some fuel additive to my gas tank & this would cure the problem. well it has not & my warranty is out!!! i'm very concerned for my wife's safety if she runs out of gas, so we have to keep a written log as to the mileage before fill-up's. i'm told the sensor is bad & would cost close to $1,000.00 to repair. i have complained to ford & they refuse to repair since the warranty is out. i have also complained to ford about a back hatch panel that has cracked for no apparent reason directly under the exterior ford emblem & they will not repair this since it is out of warranty. these are both for sure manufacturer defects, that ford should be made to repair at their cost. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the vehicle was quality checked with a 115 point inspection; however, she was later notified that the vehicle was in a major crash. the driver side door is misaligned. the sunroof was replaced with tape. she doesn't know if the vehicle is equipped with air bags. the windows have condensation on the inside of the vehicle. the speedometer does not register the proper speed in the vehicle. the approximate speed can range from 20 to 50mph. the fuel pump and sensors were replaced. the vehicle was purchased march 20, 2007. the dealer stated that the vehicle is currently operating normally. the dealer has diagnosed the failure on several occasions. the failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 23,000.

Paint peeling from vehicle. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact noticed a crack on the rear hatch of the liftgate. the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the failure is a common occurrence. as of december 4, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the manufacturer offered restitution of $150; however, the contact declined the offer. the failure mileage was 27,846 and current mileage was 27,946. updated 01-11-08. *kb the consumer stated the cost of repairs should not be passed onto the consumer. updated 12/31/07 *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. in an attempt to load the rear of the vehicle, the contact noticed an 1/8 inch wide and 6 inch long crack in the center below the rear window. the rear window would not close due to the crack. the dealer was notified of the failure. the current mileage was 52,000 and failure mileage was 49,551. updated 05/06/08. *lj the top portion of the hatch has shifted. updated 05/06/08

My wife and i noticed a crack under the rear window, (1/8 by 6") to the left of the ford emblem in the center of the rear hatch.. there was no impact involved, it just appeared overnight. later the rear window was raised and the hinge on the left side is loose, and cannot be tightened. now we can't close the the rear window all the way. when is something going to be done about this ongoing problem with the 2004 explorers? ford is very aware of this problem and and they could care less. i could have taken our explorer to a kia dealer instead of a ford dealer and received the same type of service..no help at all. it seems that ford doesn't care about quality anymore and only about the mighty dollar, no matter how they get it! *tr

Cracked panel below the rear window. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that as she approached the vehicle, she noticed that the horizontal panel under the rear lift gate was fractured. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the panel needed to be replaced. the vehicle was replaced for the horizontal panel and emblem. the manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 21,652. the current mileage was approximately 36,000. *tr

2004 ford explorer. a crack appeared on the rear tailgate panel directly below the tailgate glass and next to the ford emblem. the dealer, summerville ford, summerville, sc, informed me that although he sees this problem often on this explorer body style, no recall has been issued and ford would not pay for the repair. obviously, ford is aware of this poor design resulting in body integrity failure, based on the other explorers i have witnessed on our roads with the same damage and the other complaints to nhtsa. but ford is refusing to do anything to correct this failure. i notice the new explorers no longer have this poor tailgate design. this is damage caused by ford's poor design and should be acknowledged and repaired by ford. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the glass on the rear hatch door has cracked and the contact feels that it may shatter at any moment while driving. the dealer stated that it is not a defect and the contact would have to pay for the repair. the vin, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. the current and failure mileages were 49,000.

I have a crack on the rear lift gate of my 2004 ford explorer. it runs vertically from under the window, around the left side of emblem, to the bottom of panel. i understand that this is a common design flaw. i had this repaired once already in september 2006. this is the 2nd occurrence and ford is not repairing it under warranty, because my 12 month period ended 6 weeks ago. i feel this needs to be rectified, as it is a 2nd occurrence and obviously a manufacturer flaw. *tr

The rear window liftgate hinge on my 2004 ford explorer fractured. this was obviously a defective hinge in that it shouldn't have worn out like it did. i had to bring it to the dealer who replaced both hinges for approx $165. they told me there was a recall for this same problem for the years prior to my model year. they also said that the hinge was the same type that was failing in the prior model years. i am filing this complaint in order to have any of this type of hinge that was used to be included in the recall. the recall was # 04v442000. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the lift gate fell off the hinges when it was being closed. the contact was forced to drive the vehicle with the lift gate disconnected. a mechanic stated that it needed two glass brackets and the hinges needed to be replaced. the repair cost would be more than $600 at the owner's expense. there were no warning signs that the lift gate was loose. the dealer stated that there was no warranty available. the fuel system was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 45,000. updated 11/14/07

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while using the remote to open the rear window, the glass hinge failed and caused the window to fall from the window frame. the contact notified the dealer and manufacturer and they stated that his vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number 01i010000 (visibility:glass, side/rear). the window has yet to be repaired. the current and failure mileages were 33,500 updated 01/02/08. updated 01/02/08.*lj

2004 ford explorer eddie bauer. panel under tailgate cracked. clear crack from top to bottom where ford emblem is, appeared overnight. was not involved in any accident. 53,385 miles *jb

Found a crack in the liftgate panel. no impact was suffered to the panel. crack goes from top to bottom right though the ford emblem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle started and began to vibrate. she then placed the vehicle in reverse and heard a loud clunking noise. she smelled a strong gas odor inside the passenger compartment. the contact looked in her rearview mirror and noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the exhaust system. she parked the vehicle and had it towed. she then noticed that all of the radiator fluid leaked out. the mechanic stated that the valve failed and damaged the entire engine. the mechanic also stated that the engine needed to be replaced and appeared to be a manufacturer defect. the current and failure mileages were 63,000. the consumer also stated had problems prior to incident with sun visor falling off, gear shaft would not shift into park, engine sluggish, and while using cruise control vehicle would just shut off. updated 10/22/07 *tr

2004 ford explorer 33,663. miles panel under window of hatchback has cracked down the middle. after viewing the same complaint from owners of this same vehicle, i do not understand why their has not been a recall. *tr

A crack has appeared in the plastic panel below the window on the rear lift gate. it extends from top to bottom just left of through ford emblem. it has not been hit or damaged in any way. it split on its own. *tr

Crack in panel below rear window next to ford emblem. both rear windows will not go up or down. *tr

Developed crack in back panel under rear window on liftgate. nothing touched it. came out one morning and found it there. ford will not fix it without me paying $150. i've seen 200+ complaints on the internet with the same problem. i bet over 50% of the explorers sold do this. this is not normal.

Y 2004 explorer (bought in nov. 2004) has the same problem with the crack in the panel below the liftgate window. the crack just miraculously appeared about three weeks ago. the crack starts right below the window then curves around the right side of the ford logo before traveling straight down again for another 3-4 inches. the dealer stated it was not covered by my warranty. i have noticed a few other explorers around town with the same issue. i searched the web a found the same issue as well. *jb

Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. after driving 55 mph, the contact noticed paint chipping on the hood of the vehicle. she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the failure was not covered by the warranty and advised her to repair it herself. she took the vehicle to a mechanic and he stated that the failure was a manufacturer defect and she should not have to pay for the paint job. the current and failure mileages were 46,500.

Months after purchasing this car the rear lift gate panel cracked due poor design. *tr

Ford explorer 2004, back tailgate window fell off vehicle. there was a recall for the 2003, ford refuses to pay for repair, claiming that they haven't had enough complaints to warrant an additional recall. this back windshield fell off the vehicle into my husbands hands. thank god my children weren't the in the way or injured. this recall of the 2003, to place on september 13,2004, well after my vehicle was made and purchased. i fear for the owners of this $35,000.00 vehicle, and what may happen while ford drags their feet with this recall. i is somewhat apparent that the same hinges were used on this vehicle as the 2003. please let the public know. thanks. *jb

Exact dates are various , vehicle has 39000 miles on it presently , have multiple vehicles , drive over the road truck driver ... changed brakes and rotors twice , emergency brake not working , had fixed , had to have ekg replaced and some exhaust sensor , tires wore out at 29000 , exhaust system replaced , both ball joints replaced , pinion gear gasket leaking from rear end , both cv joints leaking , appears right cv joint needs replacing , gets 14 mpg ( 4.0 liter ) paint peeling from roof for quite awhile now , rusting around fuel tank door , as all are ...... vehicle has been a nightmare , getting rid of this at 39000 miles , ford has a better idea , buy another one ! *tr

The hinges on the lift gate window on my 2004 ford explorer broke causing the rear window to fall out of the window frame. ford motor company told me that there is a recall for the problem on the 2002 and 2003 models but were not "aware" of any similar problems with the 2004 model. *tr

I own a 2004 ford explorer 4 door. on july 5, 2007 while closing the window portion of the back hatch the glass came loose from the hinges. i took the vehicle to gullo-hass ford in conroe texas to have them repair it, and i was told that the hinges and back window section were the subject of a technical service bulletin. it was apparent that ford was aware of a potential problem with the back hatch window and the hinges, since ,it sent out a tsb advising its service personnel on the best way to fix the problem. *ak research showed that the tsb was issued on 1/1/05. ford was aware of this problem and the quickest way to fix it while my vehicle was still under warranty. ford failed to advise me as an owner that there was a potential problem with the rear window hatch area. this concerns me as a safety issue. if the glass had been open and i was standing under the glass while loading or unloading my vehicle, i could have been seriously hurt by the falling glass or killed as well as any other person standing next to me or a child next to me. ford advised me that because it had not been forced by the government to issue a recall they didn't have to advise vehicle owners of the problem.

Paint on the hood of my 2004 ford explorer began to bubble and subsequently peel off. needed other, unrelated body work, and had the dealer shipfix the paint problem along with other body work. fortunately, the body shop guy only charged me $100, since he already had the paint (and i think felt a little sorry for me). have had no further problems with the paint. *tr

On june 21, 2007 i used the keyless entry remote to open the rear window of the 2004 ford explorer for my 11 old daughter to put my son's baby bag in the back. when the glass opened the driver's side hinge fatigued and broke, twisting the glass hard enough to cause a dent in the window recess and falling on my daughter's head, bending both struts. after investigating other models i discovered that model years up to 2003 were covered under a recall ,but the 2004 was not. i contacted ford motor company and explained the situation ,and they were absolutely no help, telling me that the vehicle was not covered under any warranty at the time. the vehicle has 72,000 miles on it. the local dealership was not much more help, replacing my hinges with the 2003 recall package and informing me that 33% of the time when they replace the hinges the glass breaks and the replacement cost will be at the owner's expense. the parts were $102 and the labor $100. *ak

On june 4 2007, i opened the hatch on my 2004 ford explorer xlt. when i shut the hatch, the whole assembly fell and the glass hatch shattered showering me and the explorer and the garage with thousands of shards. i sustained some small cuts on my face. i was lucky that my son was already in the carseat and not outside by the suvlike he usually does. otherwise he would have been hurt by the thousands of glass shards. later, i noted that the hinge on which the hatch was suspended, the one side broke off causing the whole hatch assembly to fall and the glass to shatter.i was also lucky i was wearing my sunglasses(which broke). i noticed that the metal part on which the hatch was hung was put on cockeyed which probably caused the problem. hatches are meant to be opened and closed and the whole hatch assembly is not supposed to fall down on simply closing the hatch. i e mailed ford and told them about the defect but they were less than helpful. my suv is still in the shop. i took it to a ford dealer. i have pictures of the damage and the glass shards which went over the explorer all the way to the front windshield.

When closing rear panel, the panel cracked. *js

I have an 2004 ford explorer with the crack in the panel below the rear window/hatch. i think that ford motor corp needs to repair these for all of the customers who have purchased these vehicles and are having issues with the crack leading to water damage. *tr

Hinge on liftgate glass fractured and broke. 2004 ford explorer. see 2003 nhsta recall 04v442000. liftgate glass hanging off and car unusable. metal fatigue on hinge/glass attach point on glass. could my car have received "older" defective parts from previous year as it has a manufacture date of 08/03? numerous previous model year problems with same part. *tr

Hello, i have a 2004 ford explorer truck with a crack on the back of the hatch door. i don't know where this crack came from. i contacted the ford company about this issue but since my vehicle is no longer under warranty they aren't willing to help. i first notice the crack about a year ago. when i contacted ford to find out if this was a recall they said no. recently i have been noticing that a lot of the ford explorer trucks i see all have a crack on the same portion of the truck. i spoke to another individual with a ford explorer and she doesn't know where the crack on the back of her truck came from either. we think this maybe a recall issue. i just started writing down the license plate numbers of the various explorer trucks i see with the same or similar crack on the back hatch. although i only have six tag numbers right now, i know that their are many more trucks with this problem. i seen more trucks but at the time i wasn't documenting the license plate numbers. there was also a recall on the hatch window in 2003 for the ford explorer truck. in 2007, i had the same issue as the 2003 recall on my 2004 vehicle but was told i had to pay to get it fixed myself because there wasn't a recall reported for 2004. although it was a year later. it is obvious that the issue wasn't resolved because i had the same problem. there is also a break light switch problem. this issue has your break lights randomly coming on although the vehicle is turned off. which drains the battery and causes you to have to get the brake switch fixed and a new battery. please help me. i had no luck with the ford motor company in resolving these issues. *tr

Rear panel to the left below the back window, next to the ford emblem is cracked. the vehicle has not been involved in any accident, it just happened on it's own. after searching the internet, i have found that many 2004 ford explorers have had the same problem. i was told it would cost approx. $400 to repair. i think there should be a recall on this issue, as it seems to be a defect. *tr

Crack in panel below rear window of my 2004 ford explorer. *tr

I have 2 issues that i would like addressed. 1. i believe that i have an electrical short or something because my radio keeps going out on the drivers side. this has been happening for about a year or so now. not sure how to go about correcting the issue because i don't know if it is covered under warranty or not. 2. my hatchback has a crack in it and i am wondering if it is on recall to be replaced since i see alot of the same crack on other explorers. *tr

Tl*- the contact stated that the back of the hatch of the 2004 ford explorer with 74050 failure mileage was cracked. the contact was concerned that the hatchback glass could fall out and injure her children. the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer, but they have been contacted and were aware of the problem. the current mileage was 75,000.*ak

Rear cracked panel on 2002-2005 ford explorer -when it rains water fry the rear taillights . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. while opening the rear glass hatch the contact heard the glass crack ,and noticed that the hinge came loose on the right hand side of the hatch. the contact can provide pictures. the current and failure mileage was 51,283. *ak