Hatchback/liftgate Hinge Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that one of the hinges on the liftgate window was rusted out and separated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 135,000.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch was open and the hinges that opened the glass fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 175,500.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was recently repaired according to NHTSA campaign number: 04v442000 (structure), but the failure was not remedied. The liftgate hinge fractured and caused the glass to shift. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 100,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that after opening the rear glass lift gate window, the two plastic hinges attached to the window fractured causing the window to fall and separate from the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,500.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer 🔎.

My car was parked outside of the grocery store. I opened the rear hatch to load my groceries. As I reached up to close the hatch the right side of it collapsed and fell right on my head leaving a large lump. Upon investigation I found that the hinge on the right side of the hatch had snapped and the weight of the hatch has twisted the hinge on the left side. Luckily, I broke the fall of the hatch or there would have been shattered glass everywhere. Definitely a safety issue.

Our 2004 Ford Explorer - my son opened the liftgate and the right hinge snapped leaving the window dangling in my 10 yr olds face. After much reading online, we have discovered that the rear window lift gate glass hinge has been a problem for many Ford owners. The rusted out plastic pieces are snapping off and allowing the glass to fall from the hinge. I was able to rush to the back of the car to grab the glass before it fell. My entire right side is sore from trying to hold the glass and trying to shut the window lift gate so I could get the car home. With one adult and three kids, I was stuck trying to figure out how & what to do with this window dangling. We are shocked that Ford has yet to recall the 2004 models but has recalled previous years. This is obviously a huge problem & it needs to be addressed. Someone is going to get very hurt. The hinges & struts need to be recalled on this model.

The right hinge on the rear window lift gate is corroded and as a result is half broken off. The window rattles due to it being loose. The left hinge is now starting to do the exact same thing. There have been times when I turn the vehicle on and the message center will indicate 'rear liftgate ajar' and it is the window hatch that is ajar. I feel this issue w/the hinge will ajar from the latch. I called a local dealership to see if this was a recall and he stated not on my specific vehicle after giving him my VIN. I feel this is a huge safety issue. I refrain use of the window in the fear it will fall on me. Now my fear is the window will fall completely off while driving.

Upon opening the rear lift gate, the hinges completely gave out and the lift gate fell away from the truck. I was fortunate in that I was able to catch and hold it, as my 5 year old son was standing beneath in order to hand me his beach toys, at the time of the incident. I had to hold the (very heavy) lift gate until a mechanic arrived to detach electrical components and placed the lift gate inside the 2004 Ford Explorer. I then had to drive home with no lift gate while exhaust fumes filled the truck. It should be noted that prior to this incident, the tailgate cracked, which I see is a common issue with this particular vehicle and the subject of a class action lawsuit.

The left (driver side) rear lift gate hinge broke making the rear lift gate and window unusable. This occurred when I was going to close the door, thankfully it was only the window section that was being closed as I'm sure the door itself is pretty heavy.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a loud squeaking coming from the rear window. The contact noticed that the driver side of the rear windshield hinge was crooked and the panel was fractured. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they advised that the hinges need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 118,000 and the current mileage was 121,000. Updated 6/4/12.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the hinge on the rear lift gate window separated from the vehicle and the glass shattered on the ground. One person was injured as a result. An authorized dealer was notified, but did not offer any assistance. The manufactrer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 129,990 and the current mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while opening the rear hatch the lift gate hinge failed off causing the lift gate to hang on by one hinge. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who stated the hinge needed to be replaced. The contact did not have the hinge replaced. The contact stated the lift gate could have fallen off while driving. The failure mileage was 123,000.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate glass shattered without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repairs. One year later, the contact noticed a fracture through the middle of the liftgate and the liftgate would not close properly. The dealer was contacted and they advised him that were only mandated to repair the failure under the recall once. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Explorer. While driving 65 mph, the contact noticed that wind was entering the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the liftgate glass strut was disengaged for the rear window and the hinges were fracturing abnormally. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for the failure or repairs. The manufacturer was called and advised the contact there were no recalls on the vehicle. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

See all problems of the 1998 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact attempted to close the rear lift gate window and the hinges fractured causing the glass to fall and shatter over her head. She suffered minor injuries as a result. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where she was awaiting a diagnosis of the failure and repairs. The failure and current mileage was 80,000.

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.

See all problems of the 2000 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2001 Ford Explorer. When the contact attempted to open the rear window the lift gate failed to open. The manufacturer stated that the VIN wasn't included in recall 04v442000 structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments; therefore they will not offer any assistance. The vehicle will be taken to the dealer to be repaired. The failure and current mileages were 126,643.

See all problems of the 2001 Ford Explorer 🔎.

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 NHTSA 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.

2004 Ford Explorer lift gate glass fell off after upper left hand hinge snapped. Secondary failure of left hand gas shock shearing near mounting boss on gate. 1) the glass lift gate was getting harder to close. I believe corrosion loosened the hinge joint to the glass. 2) the failure was immediate and without warning. The back gate came crashing down and the right hand side came flying up. 3) short term fix - visqueen and duct tape. Long term fix - will be to disassemble and replace the hinge/shock assembly.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate glass hinge was fracturing from the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that the hinge would need replacing and there were no recalls for the vehicle. Any repair to the vehicle would be at the contacts expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 115,000 and the current mileage was 150,100.

One of the two hinges that secure the rear liftgate glass to the vehicle recently broke. Under the NHTSA'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.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While attempting to open the rear lift gate window, the hinge for the window broke and the glass became disengaged. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed his vehicle was not included in the recall associated with NHTSA campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not serviced for the failure. The failure and current mileages were 100,000.

I was driving down the street and heard a noise. We turned around and the liftgate had fallen off its on hinges and was hanging loose on both sides. We had to hold it on and drive the car back home. The car has not been driven since that date in 2010. Ford needs to be responsible for the 2004 model and all of its defective products. This is the second complaint that I have filed against Ford concerning this car. The first was a #2 valve falling in the engine and causing the engine to blow up. Nhtsa please do something about Ford. Someone has to make car manufacturers responsible to the consumer. Every time that NHTSA is contacted nothing is done until millions are negatively affected.

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 NHTSA 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.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While sitting idle, the contact pressed the passenger rear window release button and the hinge fractured from the vehicle. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The vehicle had not yet been repaired. The current and failure mileages were 74,800. Updated 06/03/bf updated 06/07/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated the rear lift gate hinges fractured and caused the rear windshield glass to fall and shatter from the vehicle. The dealer advised there were no recalls for the vehicle and any repairs would be at the expense of the owner. The vehicle was repaired accordingly. The failure mileage was 110,950 and the current mileage was 113,000.

2004 Ford Explorer right rear liftgate hinge pin has corrosion causing the hinge to break loose from the glass. When opening the window it broke and fell on my husband while loading cargo. The right side shock (strut) has seemed to get stuck at times making it hard to close the hatch.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While the contact was closing the rear lift gate the hinge broke without warning. Prior to the recent failure the vehicle was taken to the dealership where NHTSA campaign id #04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lift gate: hinge and attachments) repair was performed on the vehicle. The repair was insufficient and failed to address the safety defect. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection where the dealer refused to repair the vehicle free of charge. The current and failure mileages were 70,000.

A vertical crack in the lift-gate below the rear window. No apparent other damage to vehicle. Discovered when preparing to open rear hatch. Extends from window downward to latch/release point. Updated ivoq 01/08/10.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate/applique split down the middle which caused water to enter the vehicle, also known as a cracking fracture of the panel. Recall number 04v442000, structure, body, hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments is related to the failure; however, the VIN was not included. The contact expects the manufacturer to be responsible for the repairs since there is an existing recall. The failure mileage was 104,000. Updated 01/12/10 updated 01/15/10.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While manually opening the rear lift-gate, it spontaneously closed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection, and the lift-gate hinge kit was ordered for the repair, because the lift-gate hinge had fractured. The failure mileage was 69,400. The current mileage was 69,450.

The rear lift glass hinges on our 2004 Ford Explorer broke during use of the lift glass. The pin broke right through the hinge. This is a vehicle that has been parked in a garage with only minimal use of the actual lift glass. We are now searching junk yards for replacement hinges but assume these will also be bad.

1. The events leading to the failure were normal use of the vehicle. 2. Rear lift-gate hinges on 2004 Ford Explorer XLT began failing with a loud bang from the rear of the vehicle. The rear window began to sag and over the course of several months cracks appeared in the hinge structure. I have purchased new hinges, but at this time I still need to install them.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. When the contact lifted the hatch on the vehicle, the glass stuart brackets popped off and cut his head and wrist. There is a recall for this failure. The NHTSA campaign id number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 139,000.