2000 Ford Explorer body problems

Filed Feb 1, 2021 · Body · 13,500 miles · CA

Rust and clear paint peeling. Door handles loose unable to open all 4 doors. I have to unlock from rear window to access vehicle. Unclear other than design of handles. Left front door handle completely broke off. Quote of $150 a door to repair. Will cost me $600. Very unsafe and problematic. Including a loss in value.

Filed Mar 30, 2017 · Body · 167,000 miles · CA

My doors will not open. I was told the door lock actuator was the problem and would cost over $600.00. The drivers door can not open from the outside because the handle broke, I have to leave my door open in order to get in, the front passager door and the back drivers side door will not open from the outside or the inside. The front passager door the handle on the inside broke as well as the handle on the outside, the lock stick fell out. The passager back door is the only way to get into my truck, the drivers door will open from the inside sometimes. This is a safty hazzard. I can be locked inside my truck with no way out and I am locked out of my truck when the back door stop working. This should have been recalled since so many ford doors are not opening.

Filed Oct 30, 2014 · Acceleration, Body · NY · fire

2000 ford explorer went up in flames. Reported it right away to ford and was given a case number. They told us to take it to a ford dealer in the area. After months and months and months of getting no response we kept getting the run around then told that it had nothing to do with any defect. We recently got a recall letter from ford for the exact thing that happened to this car causing it to go on fire and ford will not respond. They say that the claim has been closed and that the original decision (which we never received) stands and they will not respond to us any longer. How can this be acceptable. See ford safety recall #05s28 it is exactly what happened to the explorer.

Filed Oct 22, 2013 · Body · 103,000 miles · IN

The contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch window screws became corroded and as a result, the glass window was only being held in place by one screw. The contact was greatly concerned about the possible safety hazard involved. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 103,000. Kmj

Filed Oct 15, 2012 · Body · 79,000 miles · TX

4-door vehicle typically drive to work and home between 2002-2007. No one typically ever sat in the back, however, if any one did sit in the back the complained the doors were difficult to open. My thoughts were user error and those doors are rarely used. After my son was born in september 2007 I noticed the doors were difficult to open, at one point I thought I would break the door handle. My mom, my son, who is now 5, have an extremely difficult time opening the doors and my grandmother is not able to open the doors using the door handles.

Filed Apr 6, 2012 · Body, Visibility · 117,000 miles · KY

Noticed that there was a gap between my liftgate window and my liftgate when backing out of a parcking space. I found that the post pulled out of the passanger side of liftgate window hinge leaving a smooth hole in hinge and metal in groves of post. Had no options but to leave window attached by only the driver side hinge and the latch at the bottom of window. Did not have proper tools to remove for safer driving.

Filed Aug 10, 2011 · Body · 28,000 miles · MS

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when the rear lift-gate would not close. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for a diagnostic test and the technician stated that the metal hinges were cracked and had to be replaced. The technician was able to close the lift-gate and advised the contact not to reopen it. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.

Filed May 5, 2011 · Body · 99,000 miles · FM

Over this past weekend the upper support pin (right side) of the liftgate strut broke off and the liftgate fell right on my head . Yes it hurt, as the thing is quite heavy. It appears that the pin was just rusting away, and the one on the left side doesn't look healthy either. The strange part is there is no rust anywhere else on the liftgate and no other rust issues with the rest of the vehicle.

Filed Aug 17, 2010 · Body · 120,000 miles · IL

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford explorer. The contact stated that as he opened the rear door of the vehicle, he noticed the top hinge was severely fractured from the frame. The vehicle was not taken to an authorized dealer or mechanic for diagnosis of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 120,000.

Filed Jun 21, 2010 · Body · 93,310 miles · ME

Purchased used 2000 ford explorer in 2007. Lift gate in rear has been used on a regular basis since purchase and this past weekend when opening there was a loud bang with the lift gate coming down onto my back. Thankfully it wasn't my wife or child that had opened it as they would have been injured. My first thought was strut had broke as it was hanging there but after closer inspection the lift gate ball mount had snapped off. There is surface rust on the outer part of the ball mount and clip that keeps the strut on the mount but the ball mount where it snapped is clean. The consequences of this failure is rear lift gate will not close properly and because it can't close the interior lights stay on and get very hot. I removed the front light but couldn't get the top off of the rear interior light so I had no choice but to disconnect the battery. Have done research and it appears that this is a common failure with many explorers. Problem is no part can be purchased as this mount is welded onto the body at the factory. Two solutions are that ford fixes it at a cost to the consumer or the consumer jury rigs it with drilling out holes in the strut and fashioning a means of attachment using bolts and screws that can and do loosen up and need to be tightened frequently. A search also shows that ford has had previous problems with lift gate parts and failures on other years of explorers.