Tailgate Problems of Ford Explorer - part 2

Vertical crack in the plastic tailgate attached to the rear window left of the Ford emblem. Ford dealer said they have seen many of these, so I feel this is a design flaw & Ford should fix for free. Ford giving me run a round. So much for Ford tough. Who should I contact to get this fixed for free? or should I take it to the news station about just how tough Ford trucks are. . . . They crack like easter eggs. . . . . . . I have never had this off road and keep it in a garage.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Rear tailgate window portion with Ford logo cracked vertically. I am assuming that this is from regular use since nothing hit the car. I only use the upper portion or the tailgate as if you use the larger portion of the tailgate, anything that you have in the rear of the car falls out. I would think that this issue could cause the rear window to be less than secure.

See all problems of the 2005 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact noticed two cracks below the rear window on the tailgate. The contact called the manufacturer who offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

1. Panel below rear window cracked Nov 2009; crack is located to the left of Ford emblem and is the length of the panel. Ford refused to repair free of charge; we did not repair it. 2. This morning tailgate glass blew out while car was parked in our garage and thankfully no one was near it when it happened as glass flew everywhere. Car had not been driven for over 24 hrs.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact noticed that the rear plastic tailgate strip was cracked in the center. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The technician informed that the manufacturer would be responsible for the expense of replacing the plastic strip for vehicles that do not exceed 36,000 miled. The vehicle was not repaired because the contact exceeded the required mileage. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. The VIN was unavailable.

Tailgate/door with glass cracked and broke. Fiberglass was made far too weak and cracked. This is a common problem with this vehicle.

Went to load something in the back of my Explorer and noticed a black line running down between the window and tailgate and could not believe it was cracked,,did nothing to cause it to crack. I got online and found that many other owners have had the exact same thing to happen. I suppose it will be treated like the transmission issues that I and many many other owners have had also, just ignored but never recalled although case after case after case have been reported.

Panel below tailgate glass has vertical crack. Purchased 2005 Explorer 2 weeks ago and it was in perfect condition (had an 02 Explorer with same crack issue so I knew what to look for). Crack literally happened overnight. If Toyota can have a massive recall then so can Ford.

Large cracks developed on tne tailgate on both sides of the Ford sign in the panel below the rear window. The cracks continue to get larger and I am concerned that a piece of the panel could come loose and cause a following motorist to have an accident. I am aware that Ford has received thousands of complaints regarding this issue which is obviously a design flaw and should be held accountable for the repair.

2002 Ford Explorer -- a crack appears in the panel below the rear tailgate window glass.

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2004 Ford Explorer XLT v6 rear panel under window on tailgate cracking and falling off also transmission failure at 60,000 miles was outraged by Ford when they stated that after the car leaves the factory its not their problem.

Cracked tailgate frame under the window, from top to bottom.

Cracked tailgate panel where "Ford" emblem is. Cracked while vehicle was sitting in driveway. Have noticed a lot of other Explorers with same cracks. I believe it's defective materials being used and Ford should take care of the problem.

My 2004 Ford Explorer XLT has a crack in the tailgate/back hatch. It starts under the window seal and continues down to the hatch lever. I'm afraid the glass will become compromised due to the defect in craftmanship. I was on another forum where 387 complaints for the same issue. . Read more...

Following the NHTSA campaign #04v442000 recall replacement of the hinge on the rear hatchback of my 2002 Ford Explorer, cracks in the body have appeared in the paneling around the rear tailgate window. These cracks appear to be stressed induced and may pose a hazard to the rear window if the framing around the window continues to degrade and crack.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. He stated that his vehicle developed a vertical crack in the plastic tailgate which is attached to the rear glass. The crack appeared to the left of the Ford emblem. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that they would repair it at the owners expense with a discount. The dealer also stated that the warranty does not apply. The upper part of the glass is made of fiber glass and the bottom is made of metal. The contact stated the material is defective and that he was not aware that fiber glass was included. The cold weather could cause the crack in the window to expand. The failure and current mileages were 76356. Updated 10/20/09 the consumer stated the crack is at the center of the emblem as well as in the fiber glass part, not the glass. Updated 10/22/09.

My 2004 Explorer developed a vertical crack in the plastic tailgate attached to the back glass. Crack appeared to the left of the Ford emblem. Once the crack appeared it eventually started to move down the plastic piece, was visible on my vehicle for approximately 5 months. On September 7, 2009 as I was driving down the highway and my back glass shattered and the plastic tailgate piece unattached itself at the sides from the vehicle. Very dangerous. Could have affected other drivers on the road had someone been behind me. I also have a 3rd row seat in vehicle which was not in use at the time or they could have been hit be debris as well.

Have a 2005 Ford Explorer that just went out of warranty and the back tailgate area cracked by the Ford applique. Ford will not extend any goodwill repairs and claims it is not a design flaw. I have seen thousands of posts on just one website where others report the same problem and same response from Ford. There was not damage or event to the tailgate to cause the crack. Just occurred one very hot day while parked in the heat. Contacted an auto repair shop to get a quote and they stated that they see this all the time and they can't believe Ford doesn't have a recall on this problem.

Back tailgate window is crooked, air pressure thing fell off on right side causing a lack of support on that side and hinges are starting to bend to the left also. Who knows when this window will fall off or how much longer it will be supported without the support on the right. It's just scary, we don't use this tailgate window at all so it may be fine? it is like this while stationary, in motion, on a city street or highway, turning etc.

I have a crack on the tailgate of my 2005 for Explorer. I saw on our local news that many others are having the same problem.

Tailgate is splitting.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Cracking tailgate panel below rear tailgate window extending to the bottom of the tailgate. The crack extends along the left side of the Ford emblem. This is the second crack since I have had in 2 years in exactly the same location. The previous crack appeared in January 2007 and was repaired by dealer at no cost. This time the dealer wants to charge me $450 to repair an obvious defect in workmanship and or material.

Rear tailgate/liftgate door panel cracked in two places vertically while in garage parked.

Approximately a year ago the top panel of the back tailgate began cracking on the right side of the "Ford" symbol. Yesterday morning I came out to find another crack in the panel in the exact same spot except on the left side of the "Ford" symbol. The first crack is about 1/8" wide and split approximately halfway down the back panel. The second crack spans from the top of the panel to the bottom and is approximately 1/4-1/2" wide. I did not hit anything and there is no structural damage to the car otherwise. The panel has not been corrected or fixed yet.

Broken tailgate panel on Explorer my 2003 and 2002.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a plastic trim piece in the rear of the vehicle that was glued onto the rear liftgate window, which holds the Ford emblem. He noticed that the piece was cracked right down the middle and that several other vehicles of the same year, make, and model had the same failures. He consulted a plastic expert, who stated that the part was defective and molded incorrectly. The contact feels that the failure was due to a manufacturer defect. The manufacturer stated that the complaint would be escalated. The local dealer stated that they could not assist with the defective part. The failure and current mileages were less than 35,000.

I noticed a crack on the rear panel of the tailgate of my 2004 Ford Explorer. It is in the middle, right next to the Ford emblem. I took the vehicle to the Ford dealership. The service manager explained that this was a common problem that people are bringing in to them. They said that there was no recall for it. They said my only option was to pay to get it repaired, which would cost about $450. 00. My vehicle only had about 48,000 miles, but was no longer covered under the 3 year warranty. The manager also said that if I do choose to get it fixed, to keep the receipt because if there ever is a recall on it, I could be re-imbursed.

Long crack under rear window of tailgate,beside Ford emblem, appeared overnight,no accidents, 39,00 miles, otherwise excellent condition.

The rear tailgate cracked from the bottom of the rear glass and propagated downward around the Ford emblem and finally to the bottom of the liftgate panel. This has happened on a 2004 Ford Explorer limited, v8 with .

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.

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!!!!!!.

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.

Cracked rear panel in tailgate below window.

Our 2003 Ford Explorer tailgate back panel with the Ford emblem cracked from top to bottom on this panel right next to the emblem. Know idea how it happened but we see most of the Explorers have this same problem. Cheap materials by Ford to cut costs to make a profit. . Updated 09/16/08.

Closed the back glass of the tailgate with normal amount of force and crack appears from glass to fiberglass ( right next to Ford symbol).