The hatch of our 2004 ford explorer cracked on its own and then 2 weeks later another crack appeared now the glass is starting to shift. I have seen multiple explorers with the same defect. The ford body shop told us that he has seen over 500 explorers within the last 3 months with the same problem. But they refuse to fix it. If it does not get fixed the window could fall out during driving and be a danger to others on the road. If there are that many vehicles that "mysteriously" crack there has got to be a problem.
2004 Ford Explorer body complaints
Page 12 of 15: complaints 311 to 340 of 426, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Cracked plastic panel below the rear window by the ford emblem.
Manufacturers defect: 2004 ford explorer; 6" plastic panel below rear window running across the car has cracked top to bottom because of cold weather. A very common problem but ford does not consider it a safety problem and therefore will not cover the total cost of replacing it.
On my roof I noticed that the paint is peeling just to the outside of both sides of the roof rack. The paint is cracked and peeling uniformly on both side which indicated it is a defect in the painting process.
The back panel under the window on my 2004 ford explorer cracked by the emblem. I contacted ford on dec 1, 2008 and was told that nobody has filed a complaint. Since then I've noticed over 15 ford explorers with the same problem and numerous complaints on the internet, however ford denys there is a problem and has refused to provide me with assistance in getting this resolved.
2004 ford explorer xlt, upper rear hatch cracked was not hit or abused.
The plastic piece below the rear hatch glass has cracked between the window and the top of the tail gate. I have contacted ford with no response. I have see many explorers with the same problem. Some say the damage is cased by water getting behind the plastic and freezing, causing the plastic to crack. This could allow more water into the panel causing more problems.
The trim panel below the rear hatchback window has cracked. According to internet sources, this is common for the make and year of our ford explorer. There have been hundreds of complaints and appears to be a factory defect. The crack appears on it's own without impact of any kind.
I wanted to file a concern/complaint about my 2004 ford explorer. The hatch door below my rear window has cracked. I am very disappointed in this as I have seen and found on the internet that this is very common in this make and model. Ford has no recall on this to my knowledge and should investigate the commonness of this problem and do right by their customers. *tr thank you,
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact noticed a crack on the rear hatch and near the emblem. The dealer stated that nothing could be done. There was no recall; however, a service bulletin was available for the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were unknown. Updated 03-09-09 *bf updated 03/12/09.
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.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard a loud noise in the rear of his vehicle. He noticed that the panel under the rear window of the vehicle was cracked in half. He does not know how the failure occurred. The dealer stated that the failure was caused by a defect in the materials and changes in the temperature. The contact has to pay for the repair because there is no recall on this failure. The failure mileage was 64,000. Updated 03/09/09. *lj updated 03/10/09.
Tailgate, plastic which run around "ford" the width of the gate cracked. Cold weather the crack gets large, hot weather it closes up. It cracked on its own.
I have a 2004 eddie bauer explorer and piece below tailgate window cracked from top to bottom contacted my dealership and told me he would go 20/80 I figured that was better than nothing even though ford should have paid it all.
The rear hatch door cracked on my 2004 explorer, next to the ford emblem, for no apparent reason. Concerned safety of glass now. Dealer says to bad that they might fix it for around $250.00 I still have a warranty but not for the body.
Crack on panel on hatchback below window to the emblem below emblem and then off to the right back to the main crack making a piece of pie look. Motor to the back wiper blade under there where rain can short it out. Also if pie shape flies loose could hurt someone out side the SUV.
2004 ford explorer rear tailgate plastic panel cracked by the ford logo. I've notice other ford explorers with the same problem. Also many complaints on the internet. Ford will do nothing!!!!!!
The rear window lift gate has cracked from the bottom of the rear window to the bottom of the liftgate causing the rear window to be unstable and possibly fall off while driving.
Engaged release button to lift rear glass hatch. Glass was lifted and as I reached in to get something out of vehicle, glass fell on top of my head. I was dazed for a few seconds unsure of what had happened. When I pulled myself from under glass, I saw glass was hanging off of one side of vehicle. My husband inspected vehicle and found that left hinge on glass had broken causing glass to fall. He contacted ford corporate office and was instructed to take vehicle to local ford dealership where they would inspect vehicle. This was done and local dealership inspected and stated that this was a defected part and contacted ford corporate office. Corporate office refused to cover this repair. We decided to have other hinge replaced also instead of risking chance of injury again. Cost $80.00 + several nights of headaches (literally) from injury.
While driving 2004 ford explorer we heard loud noise, then noticed the rear hatch door had a 6 inch crack to the left of the ford emblem. I believe this could become a road hazard to other vehicles while driving. I have also written down other local license plates with same problem with ford explorer.
I own a 2004 explorer and a few weeks ago I noticed a crack in the back hatchback. I went to the ford dealership to ask for a estimate and when I told the service attendant what the problem was, he stated that the cold weather contributed to the crack and he said that it has happened to at least 75% of the explorers. I asked is it the explorers only and he said "yes." my warranty has expired and therefore they do not want to pay for the repairs. It cost $350.00 and when I called the ford company they referred me to the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and the service manager said" we deal with those on a case by case basis" which to me meant if you still have a warranty then you are covered. They didn't do a recall because if it is not broken then don't fix it. Unfortunately this crack occurred after my warranty expired. I would not have a problem repair the vehicle if it was due to negligence on my behalf or something that I did to cause the problem but this should not have happened even with everyday wear and tear on a vehicle. Could you please assist me in attempting to get the ford company to repair my vehicle? I am concerned with the crack and moisture or water getting inside and possibly creating additional problems to the vehicle.
This morning present on the backside of my 2004 ford explorer back hatch is a crack in the metal beginning under the back window proceeding vertically down to bottom where it stopped above my back license plate. The crack is 8-10 inches in length. It was not present prior to this morning when I approached my car to go to work. Research on the internet reveals 100's of complaints with the exact description. Ford is not addressing this defect since all the vehicles are past the mileage warranty. My sister also owns a ford explorer and she has the same crack in the back of her hatch. Both cracks are located to the left of the ford emblem on the back hatch. Continues use of this vehicle will cause the metal crack to widen, thus impacting the back hatch window making it unable to close properly.
Plastic body part just under rear lift gate has cracked in the middle. Local ford dealer said they were aware of a problem, but ford has declined action. This vehicle had approx. 30,000 miles when noticed. Ford should have to fix it.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While cleaning the rear window of the vehicle, the contact noticed a crack between the window and the handle. The vehicle was driven to the dealer and they referred him to a local body shop. After arriving at the body shop, the mechanic stated that there were several ford explorers with this defect. The manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs. The current mileage was 14,136 and failure mileage was 13,636.
1. Washed my 2004 ford explorer and the paint began peeling off the front of the roof. 2. The problem just started and now there is a 1.5 foot circle on the front roof where the paint has peeled. 3. The roof is going to be repainted.
Have 2004 eddie bauer explorer with crack in the rear gate. Needs to be recalled. I was online and foudn at least 200 people with the same crack. Ford will not replace.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the glass on the hinge of the rear windshield would glide up and down, as if it were not secured or molded properly. The manufacturer stated that the entire hatch needed to be replaced in order to correct the failure at an estimated cost of $1,200. The failure and current mileages were less than 40,000. Updated 12/30/08 *cn updated 12/30/08.
The plastic below the glass on my rear hatch- 04 ford explorer. I have gone through two dealers and ford.com. I have spoken with over 10 people and this includes service managers. I have only 49,000 miles on my vehicle and every day I drive around and I see this problem. They say it is not a safety defect, but what happens when a 2" by 3' piece flies off and a old lady swerves into a semi. Now look what it will cost . If this was an isolated case I would have no problem. If nothing is done in the next week, I am currently in the process of photographing everyone that I see. Then I am going to trouble shooter tv. And I want people to see why you should never buy a ford. There is no wonder they need a bail out. If I choose to run my business to the ground, I don't get government assistance. Ford motor company what a joke. Please never buy one. When a company makes a mistake admit it and people will respect you. Look at what a $200 piece of plastic can cost you. Just google the problem and you can see it is not isolated.
Tl*the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact noticed that the frame supporting the side/rear glass was fractured. The dealer stated that the VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 07e104000 (visibility:glass, side/rear); therefore, the contact would be responsible for the repair costs. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 66,783.
Long crack under rear window of tailgate,beside ford emblem, appeared overnight,no accidents, 39,00 miles, otherwise excellent condition.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2004 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history