Rear panel cracked in half, vehicle was not hit it just happened.
2002 Ford Explorer body complaints
Page 4 of 17: complaints 71 to 100 of 486, newest first, as owners wrote them.
The plastic panel below the rear window cracked. Found out it is a very common problem. Ford motor company and local dealership will do nothing to help out. My repair cost will be about $500. It is obviously a design defect. Ford should repair at no cost to me.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer ext wagon. The contact that stated that upon purchasing the vehicle he noticed that the transmission would shift in an awkward manner. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer who informed him that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. The failure suddenly recurred and he had to replace the transmission. He also stated that 3 out of 4 window regulators have failed. The windows are not working normally. The liftgate in the rear of the vehicle was fractured which made it difficult to open. The vehicle had only been repaired for the transmission and the 3 window regulators. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
I own a 2002 ford explorer, there are cracks on the back panel below the rear window, these seem to happen in cold weather. I have seen many other ford explorers with similar cracks. I got an estimate and it is 1500.00 to fix. Ford should fix this!
On the afternoon of dec. 10, 2010 at approximately 2:45 pm I noticed a large crack on the rear panel of my '02 ford explorer - eddie bauer ed. I had assumed that this was vandalism and reported it to the police department. On monday I googled the description of the damage to my vehicle and come to find out that it was actually a defect in ford explorers - '02 - '04. I contacted the ford company who took my complaint and referred me to my nearest ford dealership. In speaking with the rep at the dealership they informed me that this was not a "safety defect" and they could not do anything about it. I was told that the estimated cost would be between $450-500. I also read that back in 2006 when this defect occurred that ford was providing a "special assistance out-of-warranty" on explorers where they would pay all but $100. Now apparently since jan. 2007 they have stopped this and not the owners are to pay for the full cost of the repair. I do not see this as being fair due to the fact this damaged was not due to my own doing or another party. Ford should be responsible for this repair if not all, at least half.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while parked, she noticed a large crack from the rear liftgate panel going down. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The current and failure mileages were 65,916.
Vehicle recalled for a part causing engine fires. Transmission failure, makes the vehicle unable to shift cost of repair I cannot afford at this time ( new is $ 3000 ).
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked when she noticed a large crack in the rear lift gate, directly below the rear window. The failure was not diagnosed by a dealer or repaired. The failure and current mileages were 92,000. Updated05/04/11 *bf updated 05/09/11
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that when using the rear liftgate, it would not stay open and it would close unexpectedly. The vehicle had previously been repaired according to recall 04v442000 structure body hatchback/liftgate, hinge and attachments. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that the repairs had been done according to the recall and he had to pay for the repairs at his own expense. The current and failure mileages were approximately 82,000.
My ford 2002 explorer has excessive bubbling and peeling of paint on the front edge of the hood. Reported three times to ford only to be told, "not covered by my warranty". Seen hundreds of similar complaints on internet.
While raising the glass section of the liftgate on my 2002 ford explorer, the left strut became disengaged, and the back glass exploded. We were very lucky that no one was hurt, as my brother literally had the glass in his hands when it exploded, and my daughter and I were standing right next to him. Please note, the glass did not merely shatter. It exploded. I bought this vehicle from carmax last year, and found that there were a couple of recalls on the vehicle that had not been taken care of, one of which included the replacement of the strut brackets and hinges on the liftgate. Upon reviewing my service invoice, I found that only the liftgate hinges were replaced; the strut brackets were not. I had the vehicle towed to the ford dealership who performed the recall service originally, and they notified ford. Ford claimed that the struts had been replaced in 2002 ~ which was two years before the recall even occurred. Therefore, they would not cover any of the repair. How do I know that faulty struts were not installed in 2002, since the recall didn't even occur until 2 years later? I have read other complaints online about this, and it is amazing that ford gets away with this! This is my last ford, that's for sure! This is my second explorer, and I have been a very loyal customer, but no more! Ford does not stand behind it's product and they apparently do not care about the safety of their customers.
Crack in rear window surround, near center at a bottom.
Ford explorer 2002 rear panel cracked, and I traveled around the country and I saw several cars with the same problem. I visited too many websites and there's more people complaining on that issue. The back door panel is cracked and getting worse everyday, and someday the glass is going to explode.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that the hinge in the rear liftgate was fractured and the liftgate would not remain in place. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) yet the failure recurred. The dealer advised the contact that he would be liable for repairs. The manufacturer was not notified. The vehicle was not further repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000 and the current mileage was approximately 115,000.
I have purchased a 2002 ford explorer that was in mint condition on the outside and fair on the inside, well after having the truck a few months one day I noticed a huge crack by the ford emblem on the back of the truck. There was no evidence of tampering, and I had not been in any accidents, so this troubled me knowing that this crack had just all of a sudden appeared on my truck. Well I went to the store later that day and passed another consumer on my way out of the store and noticed they were driving the same kind of truck, and lo and behold they had the same crack in the same place. I got their attention and asked if there was some kind of incident that may have caused it, and they responded by saying that it too just appeared on their truck, I have noticed many ford explorers ranging from 2002- 2005 having this same crack, keep in mind these are nice vehicles that have not been damaged. I do not know if this could be a potential safety issue or not, by it being so close to the rear window, but it does concern me that I pay money for a nice vehicle and there are defects that the company will not address. I have been out on the internet and there are many many complaints about this same mysterious crack with pictures in the same place on the truck, and I think ford should recall this defective plastic and repair the cracks. Please help us , the consumers in resolving this matter. Thank you so very much.
1. I took our 2002 explorer in for the recall of the back window. When they installed it they put a small crack in panel in the back below the window. 2. The crack grew until finally the whole panel cracked in half. The edge is quite sharp and the panel is a bit loose now. 3. Ford refused to fix it. We track 2002 explorers with this problem and have found that 1/6 have it. I saw another today prompting me to send this. Here are related articles: www.fordproblems.com/explorer/cracked-rear-panel.shtml www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2003/body_paint/cracked_panel_below_the_rear_window.shtml.
2002 explorer's panel on the back gate between the window and the bottom half of the gate is cracked in two different spots. I am afraid that this will come off and cause a traffic crash or worse.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated the hinges on the rear lift gate fractured in half and the window glass fell and was hanging from the rear of the vehicle. The contact tied down the glass to prevent it from falling and shattering. The contact was advised by the dealer that his VIN was not included with the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lift gate: hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 119,000.
I have a 2002 ford explorer. The rear hatch upper glass plastic trim cracked next to the ford emblem. This allowed water into the trim that caused the bolts holding the latch to rust through and completely fail. I replaced the entire glass last spring (2009). The replacement part also cracked in two places after a few months of michigan winter. The latch bolts in this unit are now rusting as well. It is obvious that the plastic trim expands and contracts at a different rate than the glass. Since they are bonded together, the weaker plastic fails. The cracks contract and expand depending on the temperature.
Re the federal safety agency # 04v‑442. 2002 ford explorer. Liftgate glass hinge sheared and glass fell on me. I was told by service dept that ford recall 04s20 (performed in 2004) was only warranteed for 1 year, so I purchased new hinge kit (2l2z-78420a68-aa) and installed myself. After examining old parts, I noticed significant redesign. After discussion with a ford service manager it appears that initial recall repairs were insufficient and by his estimate the hinges last about 3 years. There were several modifications to the recalled parts and procedures since 12/04. My vehicle was repaired 12/20/04 so the most recent procedure was not followed at the time and most recent parts were not installed. Ford will not compensate for additional expenses once any recall repair was completed. I was not injured because I was opening the hatch slowly and had not let go before the hinge broke and the glass fell. I believed that the safety defect had been repaired. This is not the case. The danger still exists. I suggest a warning notice be sent to all owners that had recall performed before the final procedures (rcrit-04v442-7848) were developed. It would also encourage ford to cover the cost of repairs for the defective recall repair - including glass breakage - as they did for the original recall.
Rear passenger side door will not open from inside vehicle.
Panel on the rear upper hatch cracked with a very loud pop startling me the panel has not been fixed yet ford wants $500 for the minor fix.
Appeared out of nowhere. Large crack in vehicle below rear window possibly due to previous recall in oct 2004 - safety recall 04s20.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the rear window fell off track. He attempted to keep the window in place by using duct tape. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer were not notified. The contact found the federal safety agency campaign id number 04v442000, structure body, hatchback/lift gate, hinge and attachments which was related to his year, make and model vehicle; however, he was unable to confirm if his VIN was included. The approximate failure and current mileages were 112,000.
Door ajar light and beeping sensor is always going off. Causing the doors to unlock while driving and also causing the inside dome light to turn on and off. I have done some research and alot of ford explorers are having this problem.
This is an accident waiting o happen. My panel below the rear window in 2002 explorer may soon fly and hit another car on the freeway and cause a big accident. This is a problem from hundreds of other ford explorers. A recall should be made before major accidents happen because of this problem.
2002 ford explorer -- a crack appears in the panel below the rear tailgate window glass.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The vehicle was parked at his residence when he observed that the rear liftgate exhibited a crack near the emblem. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The vehicle has not been repaired at this time. The failure mileage was 100,000. Updated 2/22/10 *cn updated 05/10/10
I opened the liftgate glass to my ford explorer in order to load groceries into the back. The glass came down on my head and I pushed it back up off of me when it exploded all over the place. The molding came down onto my head and my back (I was still leaning into the car). Because it was very cold out, I was wearing a heavy coat with a hat and the hood pulled up onto my head, so this cushioned the impact onto my back and head. Glass was everywhere. There have been several recalls on this piece of equipment since we have had the truck, but the last one was about 5 years ago. The dealer told me it would be my responsibility to fix. I don't believe that liftgates should just be falling off of cars or exploding, even if the car is 8 years old.
2002 ford explorer rear window - the hinges or the slides on the side did not hold the window up for the window section of the rear door. While parked, the glass door came down onto the head of a person, the glass in the window exploded hitting the person in the head, causing the person to fall backwards into the bottom frame of the rear window assembly. The person suffered a large knot on their head and glass cuts. The ford dealer service department advised this is a "common problem" they have with this vehicle and that ford is aware of it but has not done anything about a recall or to repair the problem.
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