Hatchback/liftgate Hinge Problems of Ford Explorer - part 2

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the hinges for the rear liftgate fractured and almost caused the glass to disengage and cause injury. The manufacturer stated that the VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments); therefore, they would not assume any responsibility. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 130,000.

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My wife and I own a 2003 Ford Explorer. Under NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000, the liftgate glass struts brackets and glass hinges were allegedly repaired. One of the glass hinges that was allegedly replaced had failed. The hinge pin for this hinge has been sheared off in a similar manner to the problem with the original hinges covered under the above referenced recall. My Ford dealer and Ford are entirely unwilling to address this issue under the original recall, stating that they have met their obligation. Since the replacement hinge has failed in the same manner as the original I am left with only two possible explanations. The replacement part is similarly flawed or the part used in the recall was not the replacement part. Regardless of the explanation, a safety issue remains with the glass liftgate on my 2003 Ford Explorer and it is my belief that this directly relates to the above recall. The liftgate glass has not (yet) fallen, but with a failed hinge such a accident will occur.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate glass strut became disengaged from the hinge, which allowed the glass to loosen. The glass appears that it could fall out at any moment while driving various speeds. The contact found recalls on the 2002 and 2003 Explorers, but not for 2004. The dealer stated that there were no recalls for her vehicle and it could not be repaired according to NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). The failure mileage was 90,000.

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The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate hinge broke on the right side and the left side of the glass was wedged inside the roof. If the hatch had not been wedged, the glass would have shattered onto her feet or caused injuries. The dealer stated that the VIN was excluded from NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments), although the failures were identical. The vehicle was repaired at the contact's expense. The failure mileage was 74,555 and current mileage is 74,575. 4/01/09 updated 04/07/09.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While attempting to shut the rear glass on the liftgate, the hinges failed and prevented the glass from closing. The hinges were bent back into place in order for the liftgate glass to close, but currently it cannot be used at all. The vehicle has not been taken to the dealer for repair. The contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 90,000 and current mileage was 91,000.

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 updated 12/30/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. When the contact opened the liftgate on the vehicle, the rear glass suddenly shattered. There were no injuries; however, a piece of glass landed in the contact's hair. The insurance adjuster was notified of the failure. The vehicle was inspected and it was discovered that the liftgate glass strut brackets failed. The manufacturer stated that the vehicle had previously been repaired for NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments). The recall remedy has not corrected the safety defect. The vehicle will be taken to an authorized dealer for repair. The contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. The failure and current mileages were 63,000. Updated 12/15/08. Updated 12/15/08.

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The rear hinges on my 2004 Ford Explorer are faulty, they cracked and are barely holding my glass window up. For Ford, this is not a new issue; the 2003, 2002, and 2007 models have a recall on this issue. Ford will not recall the 2004 models that have the same issue. This is costly and is dangerous. While driving, the hatch could possibly causing the glass to break.

The back glass hinges on 2004 Explorer broke causing the glass to come off my vehicle. Luckily I caught it and had my husband come undo all the pieces so nothing else was broken.

2004 Ford Explorer was parked in my driveway and, after opening the liftgate and attempting to close it, the right hand hinge fractured and landed on my hand. Luckily my husband was right beside me and he was able to lift it and there was no injury to my hand. The left hand hinge was fractured on one side and we had to remove the hydraulic arms to close the liftgate and duct tape it closed. After reading online that the 2002/2003 Explorers had been recalled I hoped they would also include the 2004 models. I checked with the dealership and it was not covered. My truck was manufactured in March 2004 and there is a good chance that 2003 parts were used so Ford should stand by their product and honor the recall for the 2004 models. This is a major safety issue and I was lucky that this happened in my driveway with my husband beside me and not on the highway where it could have fractured and blown into the traffic behind me. I hope there are other drivers who come forward to report this problem as I know there have to be a lot more of us out there! the dealership replaced the fractured hinges at a cost of $122.

The rear hinges on my 2004 Ford Explorer fell apart and the window fell off. This same issue was recalled for 2002 and 2003 Ford Explorers but Ford would not honor the recall for my 2004 vehicle using the same defective hinges.

I was driving and just entered the expressway when I got to the bottom of the ramp my back window on my trunk raised up and halfway fell off and when I got out to look at the damage. The passenger side hinge is very loose and the driver side hinge completely broke off and the suspension shock that opens and closes that window. I was terrified when this happened and I panicked and luckily I was already so close to the exit ramp. I called Ford and was told how much the parts were and how much labor is but the service person mentioned that he has had alot of people complain about that shock that opens and closes the window. I am waiting for my parts to come in now.

1. Opened rear hatch glass on 2004 Ford Explorer. 2. Hinges failed on glass hatch disconnected from body. 3. This just happened. Have to buy replacement hinges.

This is the second time my rear panel below the window hatch on my 2002 Ford Explorer has cracked. This time it cracked and flew off on the highway. 2 vehicles behind me had to Dodge the debris, and fortunately there were no accidents.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was parked and the rear tailgate hatch window was a quarter of the way down, the contact's son retrieved items from the trunk and the middle piece of the rear end was literally hanging off. The window glass shattered everywhere. His son was uninjured, but the contact believes that this should not have occurred if no pressure was applied to the window itself. The contact drove to the dealer and was informed that the failure was not covered under warranty, nor a recall. The current and failure mileages were 136,739.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While driving 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the cruise control failed without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and they stated that the cruise control wiring failed. There is a recall for the vehicle speed control, but his VIN was not included. The recall number was unknown. The current mileage was 11,550 and failure mileage was 11,330. Updated 06/25/08. The consumer stated after the dealer fixed the recalled rear hatch probelm, the cargo hatch flew open while driving down the highway. A.

The rear window liftgate hinges on my 2004 Ford Explorer failed. Hinge pins are corroded and just sheared right off. Looks like the hinges become loose and go slightly out of alignment and when hatch is opened the pins break. Appears there was a recall for this same problem for the years prior to my model year. From the review of this website does not look like Ford has solved the hinge problems. The earlier recall was # 04v442000. Can the recall be extended to cover the 2004 (and maybe later years)?.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. When the contact opened the liftgate, the right hinge swung out and became detached. The hinge nearly struck his child. He called the dealer and was notified of a recall on his year, make, and model vehicle for this identical failure. He called the manufacturer and was informed that his VIN was not included in the recall. The contact believes that if the failures are the same, his VIN should be included. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 70,000.

My Ford Explorer has a two part rear lift gate. The main liftgate works fine, however, the smaller glass lift gate "collapsed" when I was opening it. It is a hinged lift gate with hinges that attach to the glass. One of the hinges failed and the glass door collapsed (hitting me on the head and cutting my hand). The hinge that broke looks as if it may have cracked right where the retaining pin is located securing the glass door to the hinge attached to the body. The hinge appears to be made of a cast iron or "pot metal", which could be subject to breaking or cracking. When it broke it also caused the other hinge to come disconnected. The door is just "hanging" by the door shocks. The auto is a 2004 Ford Explorer. I am taking it in to have it repaired, but wanted to file this report due to the nature of the failure of the part and the potential for physical injury. Updated 05/05/08.

About three weeks ago I noticed a crack on the fiberglass piece of the rear hatch lid of my 2002 Ford Explorer. I didn't think much about it until today when I got to looking for the price of a rear window. While searching I seen that there was alot of people that had this problem and that some had even had the window shatter on them. Well I am now one of them. Today as I opened my rear hatch the passenger side piece that secures the window to the body of the Explorer just fell off causing the window to shatter and glass to cut my arms, and face, and also sent pieces of glass into my eye.

The rear liftgate applique cracked in the middle resulting in the right side completely falling off the vehicle. The part that is still attached to the vehicle is loose on the edges due to inefficient adhesive. Apparently there are hundreds of complaints of this exact defect occurring to other owners of 2002 Explorers. This is also a completely replaced rear window following the shattering of the original one in March 2004 due to bad struts. After having the shattered window replaced, it completely fell off the following year due to the faulty hinge (which was recalled). I have an estimate of over $700 from the Ford dealer to fix this applique. I feel that with this many complaints it's inexcusable for Ford to not issue a recall. I will never purchase a Ford again after this nor will anyone in my family with this type of customer service.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The rear liftgate window suddenly blew out while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that it was a common failure, but they could not explain the cause. The vehicle is currently at the shop being repaired. The contact has pictures of the failure. The current and failure mileages were 72,000. Updated 03-31-08 after doing some research, the consumer discovered the gas in the struts that hold the top portion of the rear hatch can explode when cold weather is a factor. Updated.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. After the engine was turned off and the door was closed, the contact heard a loud noise. She noticed that the liftgate glass shattered. The vehicle was driven to the dealer, but no repairs were made. The vehicle was previously serviced for NHTSA campaign id number 04v442000(structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments) in may of 2007. The current and failure mileages were 100,000. Updated 03-04-08 the consumer stated the problem was thought to be fixed back in April 2007, however the rear glass shattered again. Tl the dealer stated that the brackets were replaced; however, the glass broke and sounded like an explosion. The vehicle has been at the dealer for 21 days to have the glass installed. The contact had to pay $948 to have the vehicle repaired. The contact has the brackets that should have been installed. She also spoke with the manufacturer and they didn't offer her any assistance.

Went to open liftgate when parked in the dark and cut hand on cracked panel. Called Ford, they are aware that the plastic panels are cracking in the cold/hot temp changes but are not recalling them. We taped the crack so our children won't get hurt. Please help. . Read more...

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. In March of 2007, the contact found a crack in the center of the liftgate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was informed that the warranty had expired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer again on January 6, 2008 and they stated that the repair was the contact's responsibility. The current mileage was 16,000 and failure mileage was 14,500. Updated 03-04-08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact noticed that the rear glass was cracked from the top to the bottom of the glass. He noticed another crack beginning to form at the top as well. One crack is in the center and the other is on the top right. The manufacturer stated that they would assume a small portion of the cost to have the glass replaced, but did not state whether the failure would recur. The failure mileage was 25,000 and current mileage was 46,700. Updated 04-02-08.

My wife and I noticed a crack under the rear window, (1/8 by 6") to the left of the Ford emblem in the center of the rear hatch. . There was no impact involved, it just appeared overnight. Later the rear window was raised and the hinge on the left side is loose, and cannot be tightened. Now we can't close the the rear window all the way. When is something going to be done about this ongoing problem with the 2004 Explorers? Ford is very aware of this problem and and they could care less. I could have taken our Explorer to a kia dealer instead of a Ford dealer and received the same type of service. . No help at all. It seems that Ford doesn't care about quality anymore and only about the mighty dollar, no matter how they get it!.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The glass on the rear hatch door has cracked and the contact feels that it may shatter at any moment while driving. The dealer stated that it is not a defect and the contact would have to pay for the repair. The VIN, engine size, and number of cylinders were unknown. The current and failure mileages were 49,000.

The rear window liftgate hinge on my 2004 Ford Explorer fractured. This was obviously a defective hinge in that it shouldn't have worn out like it did. I had to bring it to the dealer who replaced both hinges for approx $165. They told me there was a recall for this same problem for the years prior to my model year. They also said that the hinge was the same type that was failing in the prior model years. I am filing this complaint in order to have any of this type of hinge that was used to be included in the recall. The recall was # 04v442000.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While using the remote to open the rear window, the glass hinge failed and caused the window to fall from the window frame. The contact notified the dealer and manufacturer and they stated that his vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign id number 01i010000 (visibility:glass, side/rear). The window has yet to be repaired. The current and failure mileages were 33,500 updated 01/02/08. Updated 01/02/08.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. On September 9, 2007, the hinge failed on the liftgate and the glass fell out and shattered. He notified the dealer and a recall was found. The dealer advised him to take the vehicle to the Ford dealer. Ford stated that his VIN was not included in the recall and would not repair the vehicle. The manufacturer stated that the recall had been performed by the previous owners, however, it was done improperly at the time. The recall number was unknown. The current and failure mileages were 91,600. Updated 01-14-08. Updated 12/12/07.

Ford Explorer 2004, back tailgate window fell off vehicle. There was a recall for the 2003, Ford refuses to pay for repair, claiming that they haven't had enough complaints to warrant an additional recall. This back windshield fell off the vehicle into my husbands hands. Thank god my children weren't the in the way or injured. This recall of the 2003, to place on September 13,2004, well after my vehicle was made and purchased. I fear for the owners of this $35,000. 00 vehicle, and what may happen while Ford drags their feet with this recall. I is somewhat apparent that the same hinges were used on this vehicle as the 2003. Please let the public know. Thanks.

The hinges on the lift gate window on my 2004 Ford Explorer broke causing the rear window to fall out of the window frame. Ford motor company told me that there is a recall for the problem on the 2002 and 2003 models but were not "aware" of any similar problems with the 2004 model.

I own a 2004 Ford Explorer 4 door. On July 5, 2007 while closing the window portion of the back hatch the glass came loose from the hinges. I took the vehicle to gullo-hass Ford in conroe texas to have them repair it, and I was told that the hinges and back window section were the subject of a technical service bulletin. It was apparent that Ford was aware of a potential problem with the back hatch window and the hinges, since ,it sent out a TSB advising its service personnel on the best way to fix the problem. Research showed that the TSB was issued on 1/1/05. Ford was aware of this problem and the quickest way to fix it while my vehicle was still under warranty. Ford failed to advise me as an owner that there was a potential problem with the rear window hatch area. This concerns me as a safety issue. If the glass had been open and I was standing under the glass while loading or unloading my vehicle, I could have been seriously hurt by the falling glass or killed as well as any other person standing next to me or a child next to me. Ford advised me that because it had not been forced by the government to issue a recall they didn't have to advise vehicle owners of the problem.

On June 21, 2007 I used the keyless entry remote to open the rear window of the 2004 Ford Explorer for my 11 old daughter to put my son's baby bag in the back. When the glass opened the driver's side hinge fatigued and broke, twisting the glass hard enough to cause a dent in the window recess and falling on my daughter's head, bending both struts. After investigating other models I discovered that model years up to 2003 were covered under a recall ,but the 2004 was not. I contacted Ford motor company and explained the situation ,and they were absolutely no help, telling me that the vehicle was not covered under any warranty at the time. The vehicle has 72,000 miles on it. The local dealership was not much more help, replacing my hinges with the 2003 recall package and informing me that 33% of the time when they replace the hinges the glass breaks and the replacement cost will be at the owner's expense. The parts were $102 and the labor $100.