The rear lift gate on my explorer cracked on the left side of the ford emblem. The gate cracked during normal operation of the vehicle. I have a habit of looking over my vehicle. The crack was discovered when I inspected my vehicle before going into my home. On my next service visit I asked my ford dealer if there had been a recall for this defect. I was told that ford had not generated a recall for this defect. There may be thousands of explorers with this defect, I see them every day. I am very disappointed with the ford company for not taking care of this defect. I have purchased my last ford.
2004 Ford Explorer Sport body problems
11 complaints (61% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 51,000. 1 crash reported.
- owner complaints
- 11
- of this car's complaints
- 61%
- typical mileage
- 51,000
- crashes
- 1
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body6
- Body: tailgate: hinge and attachments1
- Body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Explorer Sport body problems in other years
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Rear liftgate glass hatch failure
This investigation was opened on june 23, 2008, based on 34 complaints involving eight injuries in which the rear liftgate glass hatch on model year 2004 ford explorers or mercury mountaineers broke off and fell, usually while individuals were operating the glass hatch or loading or unloading items from the rear of the vehicle.ford conducted recall 04v‑442 in 2004 to address similar problems on model year 2002 and certain model year 2003 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers.the information ford provided in response to odi's information request letter indicated that failures with 2004 vehicles were primarily liftgate glass hatch hinge failures related to corrosion at the hinge pin, whereas the failures that prompted the recall with the earlier models were primarily related to problems with the glass hatch's struts or fracture of a prior hinge design at the boss/bolt connection at the glass.odi's review of ford's warranty, complaint, and injury data for the 2004 vehicles indicates that these rates are significantly lower than those for the recalled population.a potential defect trend has not been identified at this time.odi will continue to monitor complaints and take appropriate action as necessary.this investigation is closed.
RQ08003
What 2004 Ford Explorer Sport owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Liftgate glass hinges both broke causing glass to fall off of rear door and now glass cannot be opened. This is the same problem as the 2002-2003 ford recall #04s20. Ref the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v442000. Ford does not include the 2004 explorer in their recall but the problem is the same.
Driving 65 MPH, lost control of my vehicle while switching lanes to avoid a high speed vehicle approaching behind me. Ran in to a median 2 times before stopping faced traffic head on. Fortunately, I wasn't critically injured, but serious enough. Neither air bag deployed!!!! I would like to know why not????
We were driving down the street and the hatchback/liftgate fell off the hinges. I have not been able to drive this car in over two years due to the fact that I cannot afford to pay for a manufacturer's defect. I have filed numerous complaints on this vehicle over the years. It has been sitting in the garage. I know that you investigated in 2008 rq08003. I hope we get some assistance. My previous complaint file numbers are 05687908: lists the engine blowing up, mirror falling off, cruise control shutting off, etc. But I have received no assistance from the federal safety agency. I have spent over $3,000.00 on this car for manufacturing defects. (documented).
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer sport. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when she noticed that the hinge on the rear liftgate was not properly holding onto the glass. As a result, the glass was sliding down into the lift gate panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and they were unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
Crack in rear upper tailgate.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer sport. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a crack near the emblem in the center of rear liftgate. The vehicle was taken to a body shop and repaired. The contact also stated that the driver and front passenger seat belts did not retract at times. She had to repeatedly pull the seat belts so that they would retract. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000 and the current mileage was approximately 70,000.
The rear lift glass hinges on our 2004 ford explorer broke during use of the lift glass. The pin broke right through the hinge. We were not driving it at the time thankfully, and also caught the glass before it had a chance to hit the ground.
I own a 2004 ford explorer sport. The glass hatch has become increasingly hard to close in the last couple of months, because of this at times the hatch is not completely latched and will pop open unexpectedly. This past saturday, 05/02/09, the glass hatch hinge completely broke off when I went to close it. My frustration is that I am willing to pay for problems through normal wear and tear and of course through my own error, but this is manufacturing defect.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer sport. She stated that the tailgate above the glass cracked. The manufacturer confirmed that there was no recall for her VIN. The vehicle will not be repaired since the contact doesn't have a warranty. The failure and current mileage was 35,133.
Questions about the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport body
Does the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport have body problems?
Owners have filed 11 complaints about the body of the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport, 61% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 2004 Ford Explorer Sport body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 51,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Explorer Sport have the most body problems?
The Ford Explorer Sport model years with the most body complaints are 2001 (30 complaints), 2002 (28 complaints) and 2003 (25 complaints).
Other 2004 Ford Explorer Sport problems
Transmission 4Airbags 2Visibility 2Lights 1Seat belts 1
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