The tailgate cracks down the center.
2003 Ford Explorer body complaints
Page 5 of 13: complaints 101 to 130 of 354, newest first, as owners wrote them.
My 2003 ford explorer limited blew a spark plug right out of the engine. Very scary & very loud while going to the grocery store. I thought for sure the engine blew.
Crack in rear panel of my 2003 ford explorer.
Paint on hood bubbling with corrosion under hood.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a crack on the rear liftgate from the top of the manufacturers emblem up to the window. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired fro the failure. The failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 130,000.
Almost every older model ford explorer that I see on the road has the same issue with the cracked panel below the rear glass on the liftgate. For a while I was having a problem closing my back lift gate. There seemed to be a problem with the latch. I later realized that there was a recall (#04s20) on (what I thought had nothing to do with the cracked panel) liftgate glass hinge and ball stud bracket. Right after the repairs were done by the dealer on my vehicle in january 2011, I realized that the liftgate worked perfect. It was then determined that the misalignment caused problems with the liftgate closing correctly.....which caused damage to the panel.....which resulted in the crack.......ford has done a recall on what has resulted in the crack but they have not stepped forward to take responsibility for the damage that has occurred due to the defect.....it is unfair for us to have to pay out of pocket for damages due to a manufacturing defect.......please investigate and resolve as appropriate.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that a crack had developed on the liftgate of the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 56,000.
Ford explorer rear liftgate panel has crack and it expands during cold weather and it affects rear liftgate latching security as rear liftgate flies open whenever it feels like it when driving.
I was just driving along and I heard a pop noise and the panel under the back window was cracked.
Rear hatch cracked near the ford logo.
I have 2003 ford explorer and after 7years a crack has formed from the rear window down to the ford logo on the rear panel or trunk door.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The vehicle was parked when the contact noticed that there was a large crack in the rear lift gate panel. The crack was located under the tail gate window. The failure was diagnosed or repaired. The failure and current mileages were 120,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that the rear tailgate was cracked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians stated that the contact would have to pay to have the tailgate replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that they would pay for r half of the repair cost. The contact stated that he should not have to pay any portion of the repair cost. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 40,000. Updated 2/23/11 *cn updated 04/25/11
Problems with the rear panel cracking up, being replaced twice, still cracked again, also the transmission not able to check it during a trip unless you go under the truck, last thing the brake light switch sticking causing to drain battery and not able to order part because the manual are wrong.
Metal cracked into from liftgate window to bottom of liftgate. Just went to work one day and came home to find this huge crack in the liftgate door. I had not opened the liftgate that day. After doing research and personally witnessing other explorers with this problem, I found there are hundreds of ford explorer owners with same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatchback window hinge was fractured. The vehicle was repaired under the federal safety agency campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) yet the failure recurred. Both the dealer and manufacturer was informed of the failure who advised the contact that any further repairs would be at the contacts expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was 139,634 and the failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Crack in panel below rear glass of 2003 ford explorer. Panel just cracked from one day to the next. Went to trade in for new explorer and dealer even complained about damage.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed that there was a cracked panel below the rear window. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the technician stated that the panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000. Updated 02/23/11 *bf the consumer stated the panel has since been replaced. Updated 04/28/11 updated 06/13/11 *bf updated 01/04/12
Crack developed in the panel below the rear hatch window.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch door has fractured under the glass. She noticed the fracture once the temperature became cooler. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,500.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a crack on the rear lift gate that extended across. There were also three other smaller cracks. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The contact stated that the rear window looked as if it would explode. The current and failure mileages were approximately 83,000.
The back hatch cracked on my 2003 ford explorer. I hear this is a common problem with this SUV.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a crack in the panel attached to the glass of the rear liftgage. The crack was small at first but became larger over time. The vehicle had not been taken to be inspected for the problem. Also, the heated stopped blowing heat and was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the blend door actuator needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 38,000 and the current mileage was approximately 46,000.
Please be advised that the hatch back of the 2003 ford explorer developed a crack directly in the middle. This defect can be seen around many other 2003 fords. Please be advised that the hatchback piece is rattling and seems like it will come off.
The ford explorer's most frequent problem - is it cracks in the plastic panel below the rear window. This occurs on explorers from model years 2002, 2003 & 2004. With most affected explorers now past the standard warranty period, most owners will end up having to pay for the repair out of pocket. Because the cracked panel is not a safety defect, there is very little chance of a recall. For a short time in late 2006, ford started a "special assistance program" for out-of-warranty explorers, where ford paid for all but $100 of the ~$450 repair cost. However since january 2007, people calling ford's customer service line began to report back that apparently ford has ended the brief assistance program.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a crack in the tailgate hatch in the rear of the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that when attempting to rent a trailer from u-haul, the company would not rent to anyone with a ford explorer which she believed to be a safety concern. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that she would be responsible for repairs. The contact had not spoken with the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The current mileage was approximately 120,000. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000-
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the paint on the hood of the vehicle was buckling and chipping in large areas. The failure began at spread to both the driver and passenger sides of the vehicle. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The current and failure mileages were approximately 82,000. Updated 11/16/10.
I keep reading about 2 complaints that people need to know about and ford should take action on; the first being the back tail gate... Ford do the right thing. The second has to do with the transmission, overdrive light, the parking brake and the cruise control. I use the cruise control when driving long distances and while on a few trips the overdrive light would come on for no reason, at least I thought, I then found out that I had an ABS problem and wheel bearings problems. All happening at the same time? As if that wasn't enough my transmission was dripping fluid on my new driveway! This was while I only had only 70,000 miles, it wasn't right, I checked out the brakes, they had been replaced before however when I pull off the rear drum / disk to check the parking brake that's when I found the problem. I never use my parking brake, it rotted and delaminated and was dragging hence the od light, the overheating of the transmission which blew out the seal, the excessive brake dust which was partially the cause of ABS sensor malfunctioning. The last part impacts the bearings, when the ABS sensor malfunctions it can apply the brakes as in skidding or in tire slippage adding to early unnecessary wear on bearings and again overheating of the transmission. Ford needs to install a few "smart" sensors, one which could track parking brake malfunctions, also one for fail safe temperature readings for the transmission. (that is before it is compromised.) do the right thing ford, your sales depend on it.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. She noticed that there were cracks on the rear lift gate underneath the rear window. An authorized dealer was notified and informed her that this was a known failure but she would have to pay to have it repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 115,000.
One of the two hinges that secure the rear liftgate glass to the vehicle recently broke. Under the federal safety agency's guidance, ford previously issued a recall describing and addressing this exact problem. However, ford claims that my truck falls outside the build dates for the affected vehicles. Several other owners have complained of this issue online, so it appears the recall needs to be expanded to the later build dates.
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