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We found the following complaints for FORD EXPLORER (2004)

Read complaints for FORD EXPLORER (2004)

The airbag on the drivers side did not deploy during the crash. The vehicle was traveling at 50 mph as indicated on the speedometer. Vehicle was on the highway at the time of impact. This failure resulted in multiple injuries to the driver.

The contact owned a 2004 ford explorer. While the contact's son was driving 40 mph, he lost control of the vehicle and struck a tree, a light post, and an electrical box. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's son was not injured. A police report was filed and the vehicle was towed to a tow yard. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and was deemed a total loss by the tow company. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 291,000.

Consumer was hit head on by another driver that was heading south and went left of center, hittingconsumer who was headed north.this caused consumer's vehicle to become airborne, flipping, rolling and landing on passenger side.

On 1-17-2010 @ approx 5:30 am i was enroute to work, it was raining heavily, i hit a puddle of water in the road, hydroplaned and hit head-on with a large tree. My 2004 ford explorer received over 12000.00 in damages and was totaled. I received chest/breast injuries. No air bags ever deployed. I contacted ford motors who stated they would respond to me within 15 days regarding this defect. To this date i have not received any response.

Significant front end impact with no airbag deployment. Vehicle was moving forward at the time of the accident on a city street.

The morning of the incident my wife turn the car on to warm it up before taking the kids to school and she was sitting in the driver's side when the airbag pop by it self she hurt her left arm and right arm called ford the same day of the incident and they told me to wait a couple of days for they could send a letter to me for i could take it to a dealer waited and took it they took a look at it and pulled the restraints control module and installed a new one and waited for ford to look at the module they pulled they send me a letter saying nothing was wrong with the module and they could not tell me why airbag pop.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 45 mph she hit a deer. The air bag only opened in the column of the steering wheel. Powder residue came out of the air bag but the air bag did not come out at all. No one was injured; yet, there was damage to the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was drivable to her residence. The dealer was contacted and informed her to bring the vehicle in for inspection. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 109,000.

My daughter was driving our ford explorer, had come to a complete stop and was waiting to exit the freeway, traffic in front of her had also stopped.she got hit from behind by a car who failed to stop and was going at unsafe speed, according to police report,and pushed our explorer onto a truck.the front passenger airbag deployed but there was no other passenger in the car.the driver side airbag did not deploy and my daughter hit her face against the steering wheel.we have been the only owners of the vehicle.

2004 explorer 4dr; driver's airbag poor fit, coming off steering wheel.

Takata recalli was driving about 5 miles per hour when the side air bags deploy on there own making a big blast without been involving in accidenti don't know watt cause the air bags to deploy this could been a big accident if i was driving on the main highway at normal speed resulting in possible death

On friday, august 7th at 1:00 pm i was going north on highway 52 out of rochester when the side airbags in my 2004 ford explorer spontaneously deployed.it sounded like a bomb went off in my vehicle and the driver side airbag struck the side of my face.after realizing what happened i could not see out the passenger windows of my truck (safety hazard as the airbags are now blocking vision of the highway), so i was forced to pull off on the left side of the highway (very dangerous).because i was so shaken up i had to stand outside of my vehicle as i was so scared that the front airbag was next. I had someone come pick me up.i left the vehicle there and went to the ford dealership to let them know about what happened.i was told that there is probably nothing they can do because my truck is out of warrantywhat???on monday i called the ford motor company and explained the situation.i was told that the case was being escalated to the regional level and that they would contact me within 24 hours.i called again on tuesday afternoon and was told they would send an e-mail to have the rep call me as soon as possible.wednesday i called again and was told they would send an email and they also connected me to a voicemail so i left a message. I finally received a call at 5:00 on thursday and was told that ford will pay for the cost to download the data i am responsible for any repairs because the vehicle is out of warranty. I want compensation and i want answers!i could have been killed, i could have killed others if i had lost control, this could have been a very bad and dangerous situation and something needs to be done.

Driver #1(me) was traveling south on statesville rd. Driver #1 stated that she was initially afew car lengths behind vehicle #2. Driver #1 stated that vehicle #2 made a sudden stop.driver #1 stated that she could not stop in time and struck vehicle #2 in the rear.driver #2 stated that he stopped to turn into center and was rear endedby vehicle #1.witnesses, stated that the driver of the honda (vehicle #2) appeared to have over shot his turn, and slammed on his brakes to make a right turn intothe pva.

This past weekend i was driving an 04 ford explorer when both side airbags spontaneously deployed.i was not in an accident.i was driving down a two-lane road at less than 35 miles per hour when the airbags deployed.i was able to pull over but not before sustaining an injury to my ear and not before the passenger sustained an injury to her right arm.i reported this to ford, which advised to carry the vehicle to a dealership.took it to the dealership, where the service manager was unconcerned with the fact that the airbags spontaneously deployed.he looked at the vehicle for two days only to report he was not aware of why the airbags deployed and stated there was nothing he could do about it.i repeat, i was not in an accident and the airbags deployed while driving.this is of course quite concerning to me but ford does not seem to care.please follow-up on the safety of ford's vehicles.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving 65 mph when a crash occurred. The air bags failed to deploy and both the driver and passenger were injured. The passenger was ejected through the windshield and injured. The vehicle was destroyed. Prior to the crash, the brakes, rotors and wheel bearings were repaired. The vin was not available. The police were notified and a report was filed. The failure mileage was 85,000. The vin was unavailable.

With no warning or abnormal instrument indications, both side air bags inadvertently deployed during vehicle operation.vehicle was on a level paved state highway, between intersections, operating between 30-35mph.

2004 ford explorer traveling 40-45mph on a rural road.driver lost control of the vehicle at a "s" curve and hit an utility pole with the front end.the pole was snapped in half.airbags did not deploy.driver was the only person in the vehicle.35 lb dog was on the passenger seat.driver was wearing a seat belt.driver hit his chest on the steering wheel bruising his lung.driver also hit his head on the windshield causing a laceration (approximately 1.5") down to his skull.driver was transferred via ambulance to the nearest hospital and admitted for 48 hours.the canine broke her back and had to be put down the following day.

2004 ford explorer had brake problems**ccthe abs locked up and caused the vehicle to overturn.the air bags failed to deploy during the accident.

Takata recalli had an accident on hwy 701, i went off the road and hit a cement culvert going 45mph and my driver side airbag didn't deploy i suffered 2 spinal fractures.

Takata recall i was traveling home on a local city street.i was coming to an intersection with cars stopped at the traffic light.i had to have been going no more than 35 mph at the most when the "side" airbags deployed. The drivers and dash airbags did not deploy. Only the four side airbags deploy.the road was smooth and not bumpy. I did not hit the brakes hard. I did not hit anything nor did anything hit me.i do not know what caused them to deploy. No accident happened because of the deployment because i was not traveling at a speed that would cause an accident.i have made calls to ford and my vin number is not one listed for the recall at this time.

The vehicle was moving at a slow rate of speed (approx 5-10 mph) on a bumpy road. The driver was looking for a parking space. The side airbags deployed. The insurance company has determined that there was no collision or reason for the airbags to deploy and therefore they will not cover the damage.

The car was involved in an accident on 3/20/2016 - the air bags did not deploy on impact.

The consumer was involved in a single vehicle rollover accident in his 2004 ford explorer limited in which the seat belts failed to properly restrain him.the air bags also did not deploy.*ccthe seat belts had been recalled and fixed prior to the accident.the consumer was not seriously injured and only sustained minor scrapes.

I've had two (2) accidents (rear-ended and front accident), in which the air bags did not deploy. I didn't think of it at the time, but both accidents sustained extensive damage to my vehicle, yet the air bags didn't deploy. I hit the wheel hard and went to the hospital for x-ray, but it wasn't an injury that required anything further. My concern is that the air bags don't work. What should i do? i'm the original owner.

During a 45 mph frontal collision front air bags did not deploy.consumer sustained minor injuries,and had the vehicle towed.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

Vehicle involved in a collision with major front end damage and drivers side air bag did not deploy-the impact however did cause the passenger side air bag to deploy.

While driving 37 mph vehicle slipped on a patch of ice, went over an embankment, and dropped fifty feet. Upon impact, dual airbags did not deploy.passenger's seat belt broke, andpassenger suffered from a concussion, and had to get twenty stitches.driver sustained a broken back.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, another vehicle hit the rear. The crash caused the air bag light to flash on the instrument panel. The contact drove the vehicle to an authorized dealership to have the air bag light inspected. The dealer informed the contact that the air bag sensor needed to be replaced. Upon starting the vehicle, the engine malfunctioned and the vehicle became completely inoperable. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.updated 11/03/10. *lj

Side air bags deployed while just driving down the road. That's what happened to me and ford is not willing to help at all. They say it's not their problem. They will not pay for anything. (repair or rental).

- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer with an odometer reading of 38000 miles. The contact stated that while driving, both side airbags deployed for no reason.the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer, and when the dealer diagnosed the vehicle the computer indicated that the vehicle was in a crash. The contact and the dealer knew that the was no crash and when this information was given to the manufacturer, they stated that the diagnoses machine was the information that theyconsidered and that it was no longer their problem.

My wife was involved in a fairly severe side-impact collison thatknocked our 2004 ford explorer, equipped with optional side-impactcurtain airbags, 4 feet sideways, destroyed the driver's door (directimpact to the driver's door) collapsed it into the driver's seat, andresulted in $6,000 of insurance-estimated damage.the side curtainairbags failed to deploy.the local ford dealer that has the vehiclefor repairs indicated that they have no idea why the side curtainairbags failed to deploy, and that the on-board check system does notindicate any faults.my wife did knock her head on the driver's sidewindow during the collision, but does not appear to have sustained anylasting injuries.i'm very concerned that this safety system we paid extra for does notoperate as intended, and does not appear to afford the protectionpromised by ford.i have digital pictures of the damaged vehicle and the accident if your department would like to inspect them...just need to know where toupload them to.

Side curtain air bags popped out after the passenger side door was shut.

2004 ford explorer xltside air bag deploy without any reason.

Approximately in september 2007, my lighter went out and i took it to the dealer, carl gregory on box road in columbus, ga. They charged me $35.00 for a fuse and now it won't work again this year.the fuses are fine but the lighter just isn't working.i need the lighter to charge my phone. Is this still covered under warranty.my vehicle is a 2004 ford explorer with only 73600 miles.

On the body the tailgate panel keeps cracking this makes my truck look bad compared to the money i put into it. My engine or transmission acts as if something is wrong it is not shifting gear right. On the electrical tire pressure light keeps coming on and it also keeps leaking water from somewhere. Ford needs to go out of business for selling these pieces of junk. It makes no sense.

Without warning, my 2004 ford explorer turns off while i am driving.the lights on the dash flash (check charging system on message center) then i lose the power steering when the engine cuts off.each time i have been able to pull over safely and start the vehicle again.it has happened 5 times in the last 5 months.the dealership checked for codes after the fact but there were none (possibly because the battery gauge spiked during the incident).then the dealership replaced the alternator, only for this to happen again 2 times after that.yesterday the dealership installed a dvr recording device.clearly, this is very dangerous.

The consumer experienced a problem with the cruise control. The consumer would set the cruise control and then it will shut downby itself. The consumer took the vehicle to the dealer who as of today, was unable to find a defect.the failure resulted in a life threatening situation when the vehicle reached speeds in excess of 100 mph on it's own while hitting the resume button in cruise control.the vehicle had been in to the dealer for the repair of the braking and tire pressure gauges, throttle control, transmission slippage, cruise control, traction control default, general computer defaults and the rear trim piece at the liftgate opening was distorted. *sc

My vehicle burned through another alternator, everything on the vehicle is 100% factory so i don't know what is causing that. Immediately after i replaced the alternator for the second time in 6 months, the power steering has vanished. I checked all the belts made sure everything is running properly and in the correct place. The power steering pump seems to be pumping but not working.

We have experienced multiple problems with the electrical systems of our 2004 ford explorer along with other miscellaneous problems.the electrical problems have not been corrected to date.in november 2006, the rear window of the liftgate broke off the hinge.we were told there were no recalls for this problem and had to pay for this repair out of our pocket.today, january 16, 2007 the frame of the rear liftgate cracked in the middle.*nnm

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. When he activated the cruise control while driving, it deactivated itself without warning. He had to restart the vehicle to re-set the error code. The failure occurred intermittently, and mostly on the interstate.also when he would turn on the turn signals, the automatic warning system would make an alarm noise and blink until the turn signal would cut off.the automatic transmission appeared to lose fluid, when he shifted into reverse.he heard a roaring noise near the tire area. He was told by the dealer that the hubs needed to be replaced. Lastly, the aesthetic piece on the lower half of the hatch-back had cracked and separated from the vehicle.he took the vehicle back to the dealership and was advised that there was an electrical failure. No repairs were made.the manufacturer referred him to nhtsa.the current mileage was approximately 68,000. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.

Complete failure of the gauge pod, radio, interior lights, power windows at 2,300 miles.no speedometer, odometer, tach, fuel gauge, temp, oil, battery, radio (nothing in the dashboard functions except the airbag light).ford dealer in allentown pa was very rude and went out of their way to not work in a timely manner and keep us in the dark.drove vehicle to texas (with no gauges) to dealership where purchased.at the shop right now.transmission also hesitates excessively between shifts.

When driving on cruise control and decreasing speed to around 25 mph using the cruise control features, the vehicle will stall while in drive, locking up the steering wheel and making it difficult to control the vehicle.remedies used were placing the vehicle in park after coasting to a stop and applying the brakes and turning the ignition to the off position and restarting the vehicle.we are able to replicate this issue.

Cruise control is intermittent, sometimes accelerates unexpectedly especially when pushing the button to turn it off.so far have been able to stop car, but it is a scary situation. Also, rear warning indicator works only occasionally.could run over or into someone if depending on it.

I have had many, many problems with my 2004 ford explorer. Probably the most dangerous one is the recurring failure of the transmission.this last time that this occurred i was on interstate-85, in morning rush-hour traffic, and all of a sudden my rpm's are flying to the red danger area and i have no acceleration power and am losing speed.there is an 18-wheeler on my rear and i can't pick up speed!luckily, i was approaching an exit and managed to get the vehicle off of the interstate and onto a less traveled road.this is the second time that i have endured this scenario.once again the solenoid is gone, with repairs estimated at $1255.00. I have had this problem repaired less than a year after purchase.i have had this problem repaired at 32,567 miles, and i now have this problem again at 76,725 miles.i have had the clutch pack replaced at 24,940 miles as well as the ring gear, pinion, and all bearings replaced at 24,940 miles.at 35,558 miles the lower ball joint had to be replaced. At 64,335 i had to have the pats transponder(security system) replaced.in short i have had the transmission repaired three times the front end rebuilt , the back end redone. I honestly can say i do not feel very safe in this vehicle, especially since i have to use this to transport my children.these problems seem to be the norm for this particular vehicle, as i have done research on this. I don't understand why ford is not made to resolve these issues.i have also had to have my heating and air replaced.this occurred in the winter of 2007 and was a safety issue, as i could not defrost my windows.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The contact mentioned that the anti-theft alarm engaged automatically while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for a diagnostic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 190,000.

The car is in parking condition at work and after a long awhile it would not start even thefull battery. I have attempted to make lots of checks for all component like relays, fuses and wiring connection they are all fine, in good condition. But finding out the starter relay had no power, no current flowing through it.i belief that the faulty is (pcm unit )power train control module that blocked a current from the starter relay.

I was at a stoplight and when the light turned green my car would not move. The car was in drive and it would just rev. The cars behind me started honking. I put it in the lower gears and finally started moving forward and drove it to the dealership. As i was driving to the dealership in the lower gears the car shifted out of gear while in traffic, i put it in neutral and back into 3 and it started moving forward again. This is very dangerous since the car will just shift in and out of gear and stop moving forward.at the dealership the car would not move while in drive or reverse. They told me the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of $4,200, this is after i just had the throttle body replaced two months ago at a cost of $1,800. Ford need to do a recall in these transmissions it could lead to an accident.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being serviced for routine maintenance at an authorized dealer, he was informed that the blend door motor had failed. The blend door motor was replaced at the owners expense. The failure and current mileages were 88,820.

My car won'tshift in to gear any more.

Driving down the road at 10:52 pm and with no warning the entire truck shut down/off. All lights inside and out shut off, engine shut off, no power to the entire vehicle. Coasted to a stop, put it in park and turned the key off and then back on - the truck started right up with out a problem.

The throttle would not respond after starting.electronic throttle control and engine service warning lights lit on dash.engine would not rev over 1000 rpm.had to get electronic throttle body replaced at a cost of $875 plus $65 towing.electronic throttle control failure has been common fords going back to 2002.ford has replaced over 1.6 million units under their consumer satisfaction program.however, there was no recall.called ford, and was assigned a case #, however, ford would not assist with payment.vehicle out of warranty.31,155 actual mileage

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contact stated that the front windshield wipers, interior lights and all four windows failed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that her vin was not included in the recall associated withnhtsa campaign id number: 00v072000. (electrical system: fuses and circuit breakers). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure who advised that she could file a claim and offered no further assistance. The failure mileage was 132,000.

Good morning,my car was parked in the driveway, not running, 11:15pm, when horn started to continuously and would not stop. Smelt wires burning. I started the car and was attempting to move it out of my neighborhood and upon driving, i tapped the horn and it stopped.smell of wires burning.it happened again, yesterday am and today am, on the way to go, and i hit the horn and it stopped.can this be airbag related???i am scared to drive my car, fearing the airbag will open or a fire is going to start.

While driving down the street i activated the cruise control feature, but when i deexcellerated using the the steering wheel cruise control buttons down to a speed below 40, the engine shut off and power steering off, while i was still in motion on the street. I had to put the vehicle into park and crank up again (which almost didn't crank back up), to get back running. This is the first time using my cruise control feature and have read other horror stories of their ford explorer shutting off mid drive due to using the decel button during cruise control. Must be recalled for highway and interstate safety hazard immediately.

I have 2 issues that i would like addressed. 1. I believe that i have an electrical short or something because my radio keeps going out on the drivers side. This has been happening for about a year or so now. Not sure how to go about correcting the issue because i don't know if it is covered under warranty or not.2. My hatchback has a crack in it and i am wondering if it is on recall to be replaced since i see alot of the same crack on other explorers.

2004 explorer has stalled two times without any warning. Restarts fine. Seems to be with cruise on and going down hill at speeds between 30 and 40. Has been to dealership and they say they can't duplicate.see several of same complaints on your site. Very dangerous. Has happened numerous times don't know what to put for incident date.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The vehicle was experiencing an intermittent failure in which the headlights, radio and windows stopped functioning while driving at any speed. The failures persisted for a duration of approximately 1-5 minutes. During the failures, the power door locks and instrument panel lighting also did not function. The vehicle was not taken to have the failures diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000 and the current mileage was 98,000.

The issue i am encountering with my ford 2004 is on several occasion while driving the fail safe indicator came on and shuts the entire vehicle down. Well after these incidents i decided to report the matter to one off the dealer''s, after a week of holding on to it the report came back that they could fine nothing wrong with the vehicle and there is nothing that they can do to help. Well after shutting down in the middle of the road while driving, something is definitely wrong.

Transmission slamming into reverse / drive, took to dealership, solenoid pack replaced6 months ago, started having same problems and now this time also, rpms shoot up to 7 when accelerating. Took back to dealer, said they had to replace the solenoid pack again. Won't honor warranty after the $800.00 problem was just fixed! also, have serious suspension problems! front sway bar bushings, rear shocks (leaking), replace front lower ball joints.

Vehicle has been inrepair shop three times for not starting. The starter was replaced. Then,second time,a computer chip was replaced.dealer has the vehicle after being towed, and the defect could not be found.

After starting vehicle and moving shift lever from park to reverse - rotating shift handle mount broke off- required towing and $1800 repair cost.have seen similar instances on consumer complaint boards - ford fails to recognize as being a safety manufacturing defect.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving 2 mph in reverse when the back up sensor failed and the contact crashed into another vehicle. The crash caused no injuries and the police were contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection of the failure or repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted.the failure and the current mileage was 131,000.

My suv shuts off, at full speed!!! i've been in contact with ford's corporate office, dealerships and other mechanics..... It is an issue that tens of thousands of fordexplorer owners have had. There are thousands of complaints online! it is so common that mechanics know what you're talking about, before you finish a description of the problem.it's alsoi common for individuals to replace motors and continue to have their vehicles shut off on them, at full speed!!!. I am afraid for my child's safety, as well as my own.

Hello, i have a 2004 ford explorer truck with a crack on the back of the hatch door. I don't know where this crack came from. I contacted the ford company about this issue but since my vehicle is no longer under warranty they aren't willing to help. I first notice the crack about a year ago. When i contacted ford to find out if this was a recall they said no. Recently i have been noticing that a lot of the ford explorer trucks i see all have a crack on the same portion of the truck. I spoke to another individual with a ford explorer and she doesn't know where the crack on the back of her truck came from either. We think this maybe a recall issue. I just started writing down the license plate numbers of the various explorer trucks i see with the same or similar crack on the back hatch. Although i only have six tag numbers right now, i know that their are many more trucks with this problem. I seen more trucks but at the time i wasn't documenting the license plate numbers. There was also a recall on the hatch window in 2003 for the ford explorer truck. In 2007, i had the same issue as the 2003 recall on my 2004 vehicle but was told i had to pay to get it fixed myself because there wasn't a recall reported for 2004. Although it was a year later. It is obvious that the issue wasn't resolved because i had the same problem.there is also a break light switch problem. This issue has your break lights randomly coming on although the vehicle is turned off. Which drains the battery and causes you to have to get the brake switch fixed and a new battery. Please help me. I had no luck with the ford motor company in resolving these issues.

2004 ford explorer xls, 41,000 mileson multiple occasions my car has shut off, loosing power for the brakes and steering.it usually happens when decelerating at a stoplight, or even decelerating off the highway onto an exit ramp.it has occurred at least four of five times and i've been very lucky each time to be able to pull over, put my car in neutral, and restart it.the car has no trouble starting back up.i've researched on the internet about this problem and have found that my experience is not unique.this is a very dangerous situation and the 2004 ford explorer can be very unsafe if there is some sort of failure.please help me.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.in 2007, the contact stated that the instrumental panel lights constantly flashed and lost power.the dealer replaced a hose, which corrected the failure for approximately ten months.on november 2, 2008, the vehicle lost power and shut off.the contact had to wait several minutes to restart the vehicle.the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure mileage was 45,000 and current mileage was 55,000.

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in june 2005.in 2006 had to replace the o2 sensor.in may 2007, had to replace the same o2 sensor.now in january 2008, was driving and truck just stopped on a hill with traffic coming up, large diesel truck,almost causing an really bad accident.had vehicle checked and the exact same 02 sensor is out for the 3rd time and was told this was not normal and that there is a large number of 2004 vehicles with the same problem.was told this by 2 different dealerships in two different states.contacted ford and was pretty blown off and stated that because of the mileage on the vehicle, there was nothing that could be done because i had an outside warranty and not a ford warranty. They didn't even contact the dealerships after claiming to have done a investigation.was told i just had to pay again.now what if this happens again and i'm not so lucky that a big diesel truck can whip into the other lane to avoid hitting me.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving approximately 45 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle's speed decreased dramatically.all of the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel and then the engine stalled.two minutes later, the vehicle restarted automatically.three weeks later, the failure recurred.the manufacturer stated thatthe vehicle has not been repaired. Current and failure mileages were 54,325.updated 03-05-08

Brake lights came on by themselves, both while driving and at a standstill. I could pull the on the brake peddle but when i shut the door the brake lights would come on. When driving it must have been confusing to people behind me thinking i kept applying the brakes. I took it to a shop to have the brake light switch replace and found that there wasn't a replacement switch available and a different one hd to be wired in at the cost of over $180.00.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the service engine and the battery warning lights illuminated. The contact also stated that the vehicle jerked and made a loud noise. The vehicle was taken to a dealer who replaced the front driver side hub and wheel bearing, the rear springs, the three passenger gear calipers, four rear driver side calipers, the battery, five rear brake pads, and six rear rotors plus an oil change. Three weeks after the repairs, the vehicle stalled without warning. In addition, the brake pedal hesitated to respond. The vehicle was towed back to the dealer, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 140,817.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the vehicle jerks at any speed and then stalls.the vehicle must be parked on the side of the road in order to restart.he took the vehicle to the dealer approximately eight times and they were able to duplicate the failure; however, the diagnostic is not providing a proper dtc on what needs to be repaired and reprogrammed.the computer indicated what parts needed to be replaced, but all repairs was unsuccessful.the contact stated that the failure was a big safety hazard.the failure mileage was 76,000 and current mileage was 81,000. Updated 2/23/09 the consumer stated he lost power on the vehicle.the consumer no longer owns the vehicle. Updated 02/25/09.

Complete engine failure while driving.service engine soon light appeared 2 days previous but did not yet make it to the mechanic. Computer reading suggested a sensor problem.engine shut down, lost power steering and all systems.engine restarted but now idles rough.

I have a 2004 ford explorer with 57,000 that started stalling while driving about 3 month ago. It shuts off like someone turned the key.the occurrence is very random and there is never anything common between occurrences except it typically happens when i am braking. It's as if it's running out of gas. It took about 10 minutes each time before it would restart. All 4 times, even though it died like the key wasturned off, it acted like it was out of gas when i was trying to restart it and then all of the sudden it would start like normal. Since then the following has been done: fuel filter replaced, maf sensor cleaned and the iac valve inspected. The service shop where it is taken says there is never an error code in the system when i bring it in. The vehicle is currently unsafe to drive with this condition.

All four seals where leaking including pinion seals. Clunking noise 40 to 50mph when you let go of the gas ,holds back,heater gauge+mph gauge don't work most.of the time.paint chipping away all over.replaced all seals 5 times +yoke cvhalf shaft. Replaced front differential still making the noise.poor lighting at night.it has a miss fire gave it a tuneup and still is doing it. Radio volume won't turn down it goes louder when turning down.

Plastice parts are deteriorating, desolving in front inside drive sun visor-lighted visor broke off; centerl rear a/c and heat moon roof light console falls off-plastice clips desolved and will not fasten into roof assembly, causing blocked eyesight and at time on right turn hitting head or eyes . This is unsafe and ford motor knows of complainst. Part are not availble. This is a highway safety issue. The model was the eddie bauer top of the line $40,,835 car fmv $5000 only 54000 miles pri level code 450240u74 ship wgt 4357

2004 ford explorer another bad transmission ! 3000.00 rebuild over drive light flashing , interior lights stay on , windows don't go down, door open lights on dash are on .. Seems to be alot of these complaints i been reading on the internet ! ford had to have some fault in all these complaints ????

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the indicator on the instrument cluster would not properly specify what gear the vehicle was engaged. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 117,000. The vin was not available.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 40 mph, all of the warning indicator lights illuminated on the instrument panel.the speedometer and tachometer malfunctioned and the headlights dimmed.the dealer installed a wire harness, cluster, and pcm; however, the failure continued.the vin and engine size were unknown.the failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 66,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The vehicle was quality checked with a 115 point inspection; however, she was later notified that the vehicle was in a major crash. The driver side door is misaligned. The sunroof was replaced with tape. She doesn't know if the vehicle is equipped with air bags. The windows have condensation on the inside of the vehicle. The speedometer does not register the proper speed in the vehicle. The approximate speed can range from 20 to 50mph. The fuel pump and sensors were replaced. The vehicle was purchased march 20, 2007. The dealer stated that the vehicle is currently operating normally. The dealer has diagnosed the failure on several occasions. The failure mileage was 20,000 and the current mileage was 23,000.

2004 ford explorer limited-owned suv for 38k been in shop repeatedly-from minor to major things. Suv is a $ 34,000 turd. Currently needing to go back to shop for multiple repairs. The day our warranty expires car is gone.

Since new, i have intermittent hard start issues with the vehicle. On about 7 occasions, the dealer was notified and they simply told me since it started that there was nothing they could do since there wasn't a lighton the dash did not come on. Therefore there would not be any codes. Finally at 10,345 miles, the car broke down. They replaced the throttle position sensor.the keptgetting about 4 or 5 codes and they were unable to clear them.replaced the ecm and reprogrammed.i still have the intermittent hard start issue which is intermittent.the ecm has been updated 3 times. I also have an issue with the tire pressure indicator light flashing for about 20 seconds after start up, they claim, unable to duplicate.i also had a exhaust gasket replaced as there was an annoying noise that would go on and on while the vehicle was left running while in park.lastly - transmission issues.the vehicle has poor shift quality. It likes to hang up and hesitate in 3d gear,you will be running55-60and go to pass another vehicle and doesn't want to shift until it hits 80-85mph and by then you are at 6 on the tachometer.they have replaced the solenoid body and the hydraulic pump and the car still is not fixed. It also likes to hesitate when accelerating from a stop sign or stop light.it is currently in the shop as we speak.i purchased the vehicle new in november of 2003 and the current mileage is 12,850.

There have been several issues with my 2004 ford explorer.1st) my transmission has been making a clunk or thud sound almost everytime.the dealership replaced the solenoid assembly.i still feel some of the same symptoms when reversing and slowing down.2nd) my explorer now fails to start.i drove to pick up some friends.i drove a maximum of 40 miles that day before i went to his house.after 30 min i came outside and tried to start my vehicle but it would not even turn over.there is enough power, the battery has a green light, and the fuse is good.i used to be a loyal ford man but after these problems i am seriously thinking of trading this vehicle in for a different brown.

I have a 2004 ford explorer.last year at 38,000 miles, the key locked in the ignition and i have been unable to get it out.portsmouth ford n.h. Says too bad: it is out of warranty and it will cost me $400 to get it out.today i have 56,000 miles on my explorer and the key is still in the ignition.it is a pain.i was hoping for a recall.have you heard of this problem?

Problems with the starter and wheels not returning to center position after making a turn.(nar)*ph there was a possibility that the wrong type of sway bar had been installed on the vehicle at the factory.the power steering unit was the problem.the problem still existed.the steering wheel did not return to the center after turning, especially when turned to the right.the consumer would have to physically bring the vehicle back to the center, or it would continue running of the road. *sc

Dt*:the contact stated that the battery on the vehicle ran out due to the driver leaving the lights on overnight.however, when the vehicle was given a jump-start, all the dashboard lights came on, but the motor did not start.the battery was replaced with a semi-used battery, and the vehicle still did not start.no mechanic was consulted.

While drivingat approximately 20 mph other vehicles were pointing at consumer's vehicle,indicating that the vehicle was on fire. Smoke was coming from the hood, the base of the chassis, the vents, andfrom the tire hub. The hub caps melted.the fire also disinterested the brakes. Vehicle had to be stopped by the use of the emergency brake. Consumer took the vehicle to a ford dealership, who advised the consumer to take it to the dealership where it was purchased. This dealership provided no assistance. Consumer refused to drive the vehicle to the other dealership because of the condition of the vehicle, which was currently under warranty. Dealer stated that the cause of the fire was undetermined.

I am having electronica issues with my 2004 ford explorer,that control lighting and speed of my vehicle.also the left signal arm that controls high beams, and lighting snapped off while i was on the freeway on august 5th, 2018. The electrical problem started in june 2018.

When driving my 2004 ford explorer started making a grinding and humming noise on the left front of driver side tire area. Abs and 4x4 high lights came on instrument panel. Truck felt like it was going into 4x4 mode on its own and braking felt like abs system failed.took it to a ford dealership and i was told that both front wheel bearings needed to be replaced at a cost of $1053.since this truck uses sensors and traction control the sensor on the left driver side had gone out causing this feature no longer to work.it is a good thing this did not result in an accident since the vehicle was going into 4x4 mode on it's own and the brakes abs no longer functioned.just a quick search online will result in many found issues regarding this that ford has not done a recall on yet.what is it going to take to get ford to stand behind the safety of trucks they sell?

While was driving on i-95i gave the car a boost of speed to pass another vehicle.i noticed my back window become "dirty" (covered in coolant) and while the car seemed okay i moved to the right lane.there was no shoulder to pull off due to construction. Without a shoulder i had to keep going another couple miles; after a couple miles i started loosing speed gradually.with children in the car this was asafety issue - i was fortunate to make it to an exit where upon immediately the car died as i slowed and white smoke started billowing out of the engine compartment.the problem was the thermostat housing failed causing the car to lose coolant.since i was unable to pull over it resulted a blown head gasket. Due to design of the engine this repair is prohibitively expensive. I have seen this thermostat complaint numerous times and it is time that ford take responsibility for the plastic parts that are connected to the engine. This part should be aluminum according to my mechanic. Please consider recall to replace plastic thermostat housing with metal:ford must use metal parts because plastic warps in the heat. The affected parts are the thermostat housing and it's connection to the engine. I have good maintenance, oil changed regularly, fluids checked and maintained regularly. I also drive very conservatively and am easy on my driving. Ford must fix this!between this issue and a bolt in my steering column falling out (causing a loss of steering) my confidence in ford is diminished.

At about 65,000 miles, my transmission began slowly acting up; it vwas difficult to put into gear and clunks while driving. It is getting worse, and ford will not help with repairs because it is out of warranty.

Transmission shifts harder and shakes the entire suv. When i press the gas and get to about 35-40 it will start knocking really bad and feels like it's losing power. When i stop the exact same thing happens with the knocking. I was going 35 around a slight curve on i-45 freeway by little york shepard gulf bank area to be exact and the suv was driving fine. I was just getting onto the freeway at this time. Hints the reason i'm not going so face. When i started picking up speed the transmission jerked so hard i flew into the next lane. Luckily no one was around me but image if i was in traffic and this happen.

The contact owned a 2004 ford explorer. The contact heard a loud boom and discovered that his parked vehicle was on fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. The insurance company determined that the vehicle was destroyed. There were no injuries. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vin was invalid. The approximate failure mileage was 155,000.

This is the second ford explorer i have owned and both of them had the same transmission problems.yet ford has no recall or even anything to fix them except $3,000.00 to a dealer out of you pocket for their mistake.i guess since no one has been proven to have gotten injured or died due to this issue, then there won't be a recall made on it.this is totally unsatisfactory for the ford motor co.because they have workers that screw up, the consumer ends up footing the large bill of repairing it.there is a known problem with the transmissions of these explorers from 2000 - 2005 yet no one seems to want to address it.ford motor should be ashamed of putting such faulty vehicles out on the road and endangering another humans life for their profit.this is the last time i will buy and ford product and i will encourage everyone i know not to buy ford either.i wonder how ford would like the media exposure for this issue.no good customer service or product.

In 2004 ford explorer with v8, the cruise control turns off engine when traveling 35~45 mph and going down a hill or decline.this affects power steering and brakes making it difficult to control and slow down the vehicle.this has happened repeatedly for the past 10 years, so i am used to this defect.my workaround is to put the vehicle in neutral and restart the vehicle and then continue.

When starting the vehicle,its not wanting to run. Then when i start to pull out it stalls. I mean, u push the gas pedal and it takes maybe four seconds before anything happens, then the tires spin it jerks forward and my kids scream. It jerks u back in the seat. Ok, we're on the road, i don't know if its going to run. One minute its acting like its getting enough fuel. The nexts its like it isn't. Now the service engine light has come on. I call the guy who works on cars, he use to be a head mechanic forhas his own shop now,he automatically tells me its the throttle body and says if i cant find a used one, u wont like buyin a new one. An the bad thing is u have to replace them about every 120000 miles.now isn't that great. The auto parts store says about $725 will take care of the part, what about the labor??? i bought this vehicle because it had a third row seat. I have three kids. I need it to be safe, not a death trap. Ford knows it has a problem, fix it!!!

I have a 2004 ford explorer and when i hit the 84000 mile my car started falling apart starting with the heater a/c vent actuator first time in late 2011 then again in jan 2015 this repair has cost me over $1200 then the engine light has come on and i've been told by ford repair shop which was $97 just to look at it that it was from different coils that were over $300 a piece which has been replaces a couple of time to the cadillac converter which was over $3500 to replacing the bearings a couple hundred many times. I'm at the point where i'm not sure to keep this car or junk it these repairs are breaking me! i see that i'm not the only one that is complaining about these problems.... There should be some type of recall....!!!!!!!!!!!

When accelerating the suv shakes, it has a hard time sometimes going from one gear into another.i started the truck today and it made a thumping sound.the transmission is going on it and i take care of it.i have a hard time getting the truck to go into gear to go in reverse.

Transmission is slipping, not fully gone yet, only a matter of time before it completely goes. I do not have the $2500.00 to replace the transmission. Every person i have talked to say this is a common problem with the ford explorers. I have taken into the garage over 10 times. Ford should be forced to recall these transmissions and ford should have to pay for it.

My wife was driving and the engine just stalled . We pulled into a gas stationwith no power steering or brakes. I had it towed home that day. Later i found out the timing chain had come off.

Problums with timing chain the guides and tentioner always braking or the timing chain it self braking , it is all i hear about the 4.0 motors , i my self this is the second one thatit has happened to me

The transmission failed early on at about 88000 miles, we purchased and replaced this. My husband had been in auto repair and parts for over 20 years, so him and my son done the repair, without counting anything for labor the total cost for the repair was around $2000.00. From that point on we have had lots of major problems that had to be repaired or parts replaced. The intake and parts cost us around 700.00, no charge for labor. The timing c+hain failed and we choose this time to take it to the repair shop which cost us $1100.00!!! now at 156000 miles the transmission has failed, this one has around 68000 miles on it. We have never had one dime in help from ford on anything. This is the third explorer we have owned in the past 15 years. We also own 3 f-150's and a mustang. We have never had this kind of problems with any of the other vehicles. I can honestly say we are very disappointed in this 2004 explorer and i feel we will most likely not purchase another ford vehicle in the future!!!!!

While driving, the vehicle just shut off. I had no control of the vehicle once it shut off, except to utilize the emergency brake to get me stopped. Once stopped, i put it in park and it started up first try. No check engine light came on. Same thing happens on a regular bases. Usually happens while braking or turning at speeds lower than 30mph, then engine just stalls and everything turns off. This to me is a major safety concern, because without total control of the vehicle and vehicle lighting at night, it could seriously injure or kill someone. I highly recommend investigating this further so we can all continue to be safe. Thanks!

This is in response to the investigation of ford for "limp mode". Every time that i use my cars cruse control under 50 mph the car goes in to limp mode. After i pull over and restart the car it run normaly,

Transmission shifts very hard so bad that it jerks me and my children's heads forward when it happens. This occurs the worst when going into reverse and into 2nd and 3rd gears. Brakes lock up/stick after being pressed for 3 seconds.

I've have my vehicle for 10 years. Paid the dealership $450 to have a warranty for the power train and when i went to the dealership for them to fix it they wouldn't. I find out that my major issues are the mechanical differential. Still having the this issue to this day and can never have my transmission cleaned or flushed because of that. Also, my fuel system gets clogged a lot and gas mileage is horrible. Also, my antifreeze leaks after i paid money to have the cracked seal fixed. This is just scratching the surface. I have many things wrong with my vehicle i feel should be covered by the manufacturer but i would like to know what defects are out there for my vehicle.

This is a county govt vehicle purchased used from a dealer about 2 years ago. I had been highway driving for about 3-4 hours at speeds between 55-70 mph. I made one brief stop during that time, and was mostly using cruise control. Just prior to the incident, the speed limit drops from 70 to 55, and then to 35 in a relatively short distance. I used the cruise control coast to reduce my speed from 55 to 35. The 35 mph speed starts on a bridge- there is a small incline and then a little larger decline. At about the base of the bridge, the engine shut off, i lost steering and coasted to a stop. I don't recall if i had braking. I was with a passenger; it was night, and this occurred in an area that was not safe. I tried restarting the car, and it restarted with no problem. I drove to a nearby gas station. The power steering fluid was low, so i filled that, restarted, and drove the remaining 1 1/2 hrs with no problems. Other employees continued to drive over the next 2 1/2 months locally-very little highway driving, with no issues. On february 21, i was returning from a trip in this vehicle from the same area, with the same circumstances as above. When i was still on the bridge where the speed drops to 35, the engine shut off again. This time i was alone. There was a vehicle following very close behind me but fortunately i continued to coast as this was on the decline of the bridge. I was able to steer slightly to get off the highway. The check gauges; check engine, and battery warning lights were all on. The car restarted with no problems. I drove to the same gas station; checked the gauges-all were normal and no warning lights.i drove the 1 1/2 hrs remaining with no problems.on a web search, i found multiple cases of very similar problems on explorers with no resolution. I could find no recalls on the vin. This is an extremely dangerous and potentially fatal problem.

Transmission failure with overdrive light blinking .no first gear,shifts hard , sometime it wont shift without letting off gas .with codespo731,po733,po734,po745 needs total rebuild this happened while driving down the road at 40 miles a hour , abs light is on . Codes show wrongline pressure.engine knocking , timming chain issues.

Exact dates are various , vehicle has 39000 miles on it presently , have multiple vehicles , drive over the road truck driver ... Changed brakes and rotors twice , emergency brake not working , had fixed , had to have ekg replaced and some exhaust sensor , tires wore out at 29000 , exhaust system replaced , both ball joints replaced , pinion gear gasket leaking from rear end , both cv joints leaking , appears right cv joint needs replacing , gets 14 mpg ( 4.0 liter ) paint peeling from roof for quite awhile now , rusting around fuel tank door , as all are ...... Vehicle has been a nightmare , getting rid of this at 39000 miles , ford has a better idea , buy another one !

When i slow down or come to a stop, the truck cuts off. Even while in mid turn.

Engine dies when driving with cruise control operating and heading down slight hill at speed of around 35 mph.cruise is designed to maintain driving speed going down the hill (up or down hill for that matter).the tachometer indicates a slowing of engine rpm.at higher speeds, the slowing of rpm does not fall too low.however, at the slower speed around 35mph, the rpm drops below 500 rpm and the engine stalls.i lose power steering and breaks.i have a difficult time steering and breaking.this is a safety problem on a curve or if a red light is ahead.i can't steer the car on the curve.i may not be able to stop the car at the traffic light and end up in an intersection and be hit by vehicles with a green light.i may hit a car in front of me that has stopped at a light or stop sign.i may not be able to stop for a pedestrian crossing at the intersection (with the light).i may not be able to avoid a child ... Who darts into the roadway.this is a problem for many owners of the 2004 explorer.there are many complaints about it on the web.it is a problem that has been noted for years.i complained about it to dealers several times.dealers dismissed it as nothing can be found, replicated or just not a problem.it is time to recalll the vehicle to fix this safety problem.this is an ongoing problem.i try to avoid using cruise control control at the 35mph range.it seems ok at highway speeds.the last of many instances was in november 2020.the problem first happened when there about 30,000 miles on the car.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer writes in regards to crankshaft pulley failure *tgwthe consumer stated he was unable to move the vehicle from the road and had it towed to a repair shop, but was unable to make the repairs, due to other damage to one of the components. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where they informed the consumer the crankshaft pulley had failed, broke the v-belt, which in turn hit and damaged the crankshaft position sensor.

I was driving on a highway going 60mpg, out of no where my ford explorer stops moving and decreases in speed fast. At that same time a wrench symbol popped up on my dash. I almost got rear ended due to the speed dropping so fast, i could not pull over fast enough. Once pulled over, i turnoff my ford for a few minutes. After a few minutes i started it back up. The wrench symbol was gone, i was able to then accelerate and get to the correct speed for the speed limit. Once i got home i stopped at my local shop and they scanned the computer to see what was going on. I was told that it was my throttle body. I was not giving any codes andthe shop owner cleared the codes out of the system. He told me that if it comes back he did say that if it comes back i would have to replace my throttle body. This is very dangerous i know there are recalls that are being petition on other ford vehicles and i have read many complaints on other websites in regards to this issue ford should really replace these because they can cause a very hazardous accident when it the throttle body stops performing. I hope this can be looked into and corrected in a reasonable amount of time i know that i am not the only one with this issue. Thank you

I have already put a complaint in about my throttle body issue. This evening i went about a mile and a half, and my wrench light came on and my truck started to not to be able to move. I pulled over, turned it off. Waited a bit and restarted it. This time it took a bit to get it to start up. I then proceeded to go back home because of how it was acting a mile and a half after driving, not often two minutes later it happens again, and the engine started chugging, i couldn't move, and i almost got rear ended again! i then again turned it off and waited and then started the truck up. It took sometime once again to start. I finally made it back home in tears. I was able to get codes off, since i picked a up a code raffia few days prior. I got code p2104, p2111, and p2112. This issue needs to be addressed. I will be calling ford tomorrow!

I had just purchased this vehicle to tow with. I was driving in the country with the cruise control on and set at about 45mph. All of a sudden i realized i the vehicle had turned itself off. No power steering, no brakes nothing. It did start right back up after getting off the road. Later in the day returning home it did the same exact thing at 50mph with cruise engaged. I talked with ford shop and they say it is a known problem with no known fix.this is very dangerous.

Car starts but will go forward when shifted in reverse. Turned the car off then back on, but when i would put the car back in reverse or drive, it stalled out. Had it towed and then it was fine after that. Now its about 6 months later, now my orange wrench light pops up and cruise control shuts off at 65mph. Then it jerks a couple times. Have had it checked and came back with 14 codes mainly for transmission.

The original equipment harmonic balancer came apart. The inner portion separated from the rest. This allows.it would have caused the destruction of the serpentine belt, and crankshaft position sensor if i had not caught it in time. This would have resulted in loss of engine power, loss of power steering, and loss of power brakes! this seems to be a common problem with the 2004 ford 4.0 liter v6. This could result in somebody losing control of the vehicle with little or no warning. I was replacing the water pump on my vehicle when i saw this defect.

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in july 0f 2011, and traded in my 2001 oldsmobile of 5 years. I also purchased the 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. Before driving it off the lot i had the dealer fix the abs system because the light was on. There is a crack going down the back of the trunk but nothing else was wrong at the time so i left the crack alone. In april of 2012 i took it to the dealership for a belt, check trans, shocks, ball joints, and a ticking in the heater when knob was turned to heat (not cool). I told him to just fix what was on the warranty and also give it a oil change. He informed me that the trans was fine. After getting the car backmy heat went out and i was told by a mechanic buddy that my brakes, rotters, emergency brake pads and the back tires were shot. So i had him replaced them because this was also not covered on warranty.just last week my rpm started jumping with miles over 65.(no lights were on at the time)so i took it to 6 different places getting estimates on what could be wrong. All shops said the same thing. "start with fuel filter, oil filters and oil change".the day after i paid for all this the service engine light came on.(egr valve code)the man at auto zone told me to take it off and clean it with spray and let it dry before replacing. I took it to a shop and had them do this. The same day i picked up the car my service engine light came on again, o/d light and the car was driving like i was hauling a bus and jumping. I took it back the next day and he replaced the egr valve new since the same code was showing up. Later that day after getting it back the car started doing the same thing after driving for 5 miles this was friday 9/21/12.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at approximately 55 mph, the service engine soon warning indicator illuminated and the engine stalled. The vehicle restarted and started blowing fuel fumes into the driver's cabin. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the spark plug blew out of the cylinder and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000. Ma 08/06/15 updated 10/11/2017

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at approximately 40 mph, the vehicle stalled and various unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not able to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine timing belt failed and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The back hatch window doesn't seem to line up with the latch. The back hatch also cracked right near the ford logo. I have seen many of the explorers that this has happened to. Its time ford fixes this defect. Also while doing around 60-65 mph my timing chains broke, all 3 of them at the same time. I could understand 1 maybe but all 3 ? this to has to be a manufacturer defect.

Had my used 2004 ford explorer for a week and i noticed the transmission jerking when it shift into the last gear.sometimes when i put it in reverse, i have to wait for a full minute for it to finally reverse.sometimes it jerks hard when i put it in reverse or drive.i'm sure the dealership knew about all this but never revealed it.of course when you buy as is, your screwed.

Came home from work friday evening and sat. Morning the vehicle would not start. Took battery in and tested, it was dead.replaced the battery and the car still would not start.only clicked, relay and starter were fine. Had to tow it to a mechanic who has determined that the anti-theft system has shut down my engine for no reason.the key no longer connects to the system.why is there not a recall on this issue??i have seen online forums and many complaints about this issue.now i have to tow my vehicle to a dealer 40 miles away and pay to have my vehicle and keys reprogrammed.over $120!!!this issue left me stranded with no vehicle for over a week.i think ford should be responsible for the repair and tow costs!!!

The contact owns a ford 2004 ford explorer. While the contact was driving approximately between 55-60 mph, the engine completely stalled and the instrument panel warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle restarted and resumed without theillumination of the warning indicators. The failure occurred on numerous occasions and became progressively worse. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 68,000. Updated 01/13/11*ljthe consumer stated the engine stalls at any speed. Updated 03/23/11

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 25 mph, the vehicle began making an abnormal squealing noise from the front end. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the harmonic balancer failed and caused the air conditioning line to fail.he also stated that the serpentine belt would need replacing. The mechanic repaired all components at the contact's expense. Neither the dealer nor the 'manufacturer was contacted to report the failure. The failure mileage was 78,350 and the current mileage was 78,470.

2004 ford explorer xlt fire.

I backed suv out of garage and put in park, got out of vehicle while still running (to close garage door), closed the suv door, turned around and saw that suv was moving forward into my garage.i opened the suv door while it was moving and jumped in the drivers seat, pushed on the brake and suv did not stop, i was looking down at the floor to see why suv did not stop, pulled up my foot and placed it back down on the brake. Suv still did not stop.it then made a loud noise like the engine was reeving up and then the suv took off forward, ran through the back of my garage, ran through my back yard, ran over a tree in the yard, ran through my back yard fence and my neighbor's fence and crashed into the back side of neighbor's house.all while this was occurring, i was inside of the vehicle with my left leg sticking out of the car (since i jumped in the suv in a hurry, i didn't realize that my leg was still out of the suv), i continually attempted to step on the brakes (each time lifting my foot up so that i could place it directly on the brake), the engine reeved up again while going through the yard.the only thing that stopped the suv was the tall concrete foundation of my neighbor's house that it ran into.i jumped out of the suv, fell to the ground and laid there for a few seconds before i realized that my suv was still running, then i jumped back into the suv and turned the ignition off.

2004 ford explorer engine shuts off and there is difficulty shifting gears.***no answer required***. *mrboth of theses malfunctions present a danger and a hazard and arevery serious defects.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 35 mph he heard a noise and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer. He was advised by the dealer that the number three piston broke and ceased the engine.the vehicle was not repaired. The vin was unavailable. He called the manufacturer for assistance and he was advised that the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The approximate failure and current mileages were 67,800.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving at various speeds, the accelerator pedal would stick and cause the vehicle to lurch forward and sometimes stall.a technician stated that the throttle sensor assembly was the cause of the failure.he further stated that there were only four parts in the united states that were available for the repair.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 75,200.updated 0/01/09 the consumer stated the vehicle has since been repaired, however it took a total of 7 weeks, due to issues with parts. Also the vehicle would stall at times. Updated 09/09/09

Fordmotor company regarding dissatisfaction with lack of performance, reliability and quality of 2004 ford explorer xlt**ccconsumer states has had multiple problems with 2004 ford explorer such as very hard shifting gears from a parked position, the vehicle shut down on i95 highway twice and pedals became inoperable, vehicle also slams into gear at high speed and wants to reimbursed for the multiple problems of his 3 year old truck.

Transmission failure, slips between gears, replacement required.

Loud pop from rear-end.abs light,wrench,and check engine light came on.found to be a bad speed sensor and defective rear-end.suv has been in the shop for 2 weeks and no rear-end in sight.

The consumer stated that the engine fuse blew. The consumer managed to pull over and had the vehicle towed. Determined. Please provide more information.

2004 explorer has stalled several times without any warning. Restarts fine. Seems to be with cruise on and going down hill at speeds between 30 and 40. Has been to dealership 3 times and they say they can't duplicate. Have called ford they say take to dealershp. See several of same complaints on your site. Very dangerous. Has happened numerous times don't know what to put for incident date.

I own a 2004 ford explorer that has experienced two overheating incidents, the second resulted in replacing the engine. The first incident was caused by a stuck thermostat and the second by a leaking hose between the thermostat housing and the engine. In both incidents when the engine temperature warning activated, the temperature was buried in the hot end of the gauge. In both incidents, i immediately decelerated and pulled off the road but in the second incident, the engine was already ruined. An article in the april 2010 issue of design news (made by monkeys, pg 10) about a similar incident with a mazda led me to believe mine was not an isolated occurrence but a result of increased use of aluminum and better cooling systems. In the mazda incident, the engine had been replaced once and was saved from a second replacement only because the driver was looking at the gauge when it suddenly pegged into the hot end. The problem is there in no warning of low coolant until the level drops below the water pump which results in a sudden and often catastrophic rise in engine temperature. The explorer is the most heavily instrumented automobile i have ever owned yet the cooling system warning is stuck in 60s when cars had cast iron blocks, overheated gradually and were forgiving of overtemps.

While driving smoke began coming from the engine compartment, the engine bogged down and the engine stalled.the engine ran roughly and smoke emitted from the vehicle.since the repair the consumer noticed a hissing noise coming from the air conditioner.air coming through the windshield was the reason for the noise coming from the air conditioner.the winshield was removed and resealed.*tc

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled and all the warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The failure occurred three different times.the vehicle was inspected by an authorized dealer who could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 67,100. Updated 02/23/11*ljupdated 05/04/11

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xls. The contact stated that while driving 20 mph she experienced a violent shake in the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they advised her that she needed a new engine because the timing belt had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine needed for the vehicle was no longer being manufactured. The failure and current mileage was approximately 40,000.

Bought the car used with about 85,000 miles on it. After one year of average use (no towing or off-roading) the transmission failed (about 97,000 miles). Had it rebuilt and now 2 years and four months later it is failing again (at 122,000 miles).

Spark plug blowout while driving home from work . Explorer has only 50k miles.

Dt*: the contact stated while driving various speeds, the engine stalled without warning.afterwards, the engine was restarted after several attempts.the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem.the manufacturer was not alerted.

Turned on the cruise control and the engine cut out - no power. Placed in neutral and restarted.

The contact owns a owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 35 mph the contact heard a loud pop noise followed by banging noises coming from under the hood. The vehicle was pulled over and the contact noticed exhaust fumes were coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an independent repair shop where the contact was told one of the spark plugs broke. The vehicle was in the process of being repaired. The failure and current mileages were 130,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the vehicle would not start.she depressed the accelerator pedal and the vehicle started and began to vibrate.she then placed the vehicle in reverse and heard a loud clunking noise.she smelled a strong gas odor inside the passenger compartment.the contact looked in her rearview mirror and noticed a large amount of smoke coming from the exhaust system.she parked the vehicle and had it towed.she then noticed that all of the radiator fluid leaked out.the mechanic stated that the valve failed and damaged the entire engine.the mechanic also stated that the engine needed to be replaced and appeared to be a manufacturer defect.the current and failure mileages were 63,000.the consumer also stated had problems prior to incident with sun visor falling off, gear shaft would not shift into park, engine sluggish, and while using cruise control vehicle would just shut off. Updated 10/22/07

My wife was driving our 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer uphill on a mountain road when she felt like the engine is loosing power. She stopped, exited the vehicle and saw smoke coming from under the car in the engine area. Then some people stopped and pulled her away because from the point my wife was standing she could not see the actual fire. As a result the engine compartment burned down completely creating a big hole in the hood. The car had about 120k miles on odometer and we have not missed any service maintenance points. She said besides that power loss there was no indication that there is something wrong with the vehicle.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving between 10-30 mph, the vehicle stalled.when the contact turns off and restarts the vehicle, it resumes normal operation.the vehicle has shut off a total of four times.he took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic, but they could not locate a failure code.the dealer cleaned the throttle, fuel injector, and reset the power module.the failure mileage was 39,500 and current mileage was 39,600.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when driving anywhere from 30-50 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle would stall. The vehicle would have to be placed in neutral in order to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where they advised the contact that they were unable to diagnose the failure. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The vin was unavailable.

Dt:2004 ford explorer.the vehicle stalled while driving, this happened at different speeds.when this occurred the vehicle had to be rolled off of the road.the vehicle completely shut down.the vehicle had to be turned off in order for it comes back on.the vehicle has been to the dealership, and they could notfind the cause of the problem. Also,could not duplicate it.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the engine transitioned into safe mode and stalled. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where the pcm, throttle, jack shaft chain, and bearings were replaced. The failure continued. Both the dealer and manufacturer stated that the failure could not be diagnosed. They recommended attempting various trial and error remedies. The contact stated that the pcm and throttle again needed to be replaced. The failures continued. The failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 118,861.

Multiple problems with my explorer. When shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. Abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. Service engine light on but no hose leaks can be found.wrench light comes on even after tps replacement suggested by obd-ii.very unhappy with this vehicle.i have owned 7 fords, this is the worst i have owned.

While driving at any speed vehicle lost power.

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 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated the abs warning light illuminated and the vehicle was repaired.following repairs, the contact was driving at an unknown speed when the vehicle stalled without warning. The dealer advised that the failure was due to the rear cassette fracturing and causing the timing chain to fail and destroy the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage and current mileages were 140,000.

While driving vehicle stalled. Consumer pulled over and restarted the vehicle.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

When driving vehicle the vehicle stalls when braking.this failure occurs only when the vehicle is at 1/4 tank of gas or less.vehicle has been to ford for repair on 3 occasions.the have replaced the abs sensor, throttle body and a fuel injection cleaning was performed.none of this has fixed the problem.dec 4 2009 was the first occurrence and has occurred several times with the last being today 2-24-2010.

On 1/17/12 driving on highway and noticed a burning smell. It was a strong smell. Noticed a glow under the dashboard and pulled into aempty parking lot. The truck went up in flames. Called ford and they said prove what happened. Not sure but the vehicle was in very good condition with no problems that i knew of before this fire. No one was hurt.

There are numerous complaints on the internet regarding the 2004 ford explorer. The car jerks violently when going into first, second and reverse gears. The first repair was on 10/07 at 15,690 miles. The dealership replaced the solenoid and assured the problem was resolved. At 24,190 miles the same problem recurred and the dealership recalibrated and charged $118. Now at 26,900 miles the problem has recurred and again they are going to replace the solenoid. Of course at my expense. There is obviously something wrong and ford is refusing to address the problem. They should at least guarantee the work that was done under warranty.

Vehicle stalled on 3 separate occasions when driving down hills. Vehicle was takento thedealer, and theywere unable to duplicate the problem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. He stated that whiledriving at 65 mph, the engine stalled without warning. The contact was able to coast off the roadway where the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The dealer advised the timing belt had broken and destroyed the engine. The entire engine would need to be replaced. The vehicle was left with the dealer where the contact was awaiting repairs. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure and current mileages were 136,000.

First issue was with the solenoids now the issue is with 1-2 shift ratio. Shifting into neutral.

2004 ford explorer: engine seized for no apparent or obvious reason at 53,000 miles.not repairable.also, rear plastic panel beneath window cracked. Just read that this is a very common occurrence.

Sparkplug blow out of its socket, tearing the threats off, this seams to be a continuous problem with alot of ford's engine, i do have a maintainence program off checking all of the standard point on my explorer, my mechanic checks liquids, oils grease, filters, tires, sparkplugs etc.i believe that after so many complains and a well documented manufactures defect a recall should be issue, because i investigated this issue and it very possible to occur again, this repair cost me 2,154.97 canadian dollars, and it could cost me the same if it happens again.

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer from a toyota dealership on 1/28/11.the car was a certified / warranted vehicle.i was assured by the toyota salesman that any problem with the car would be fixed under the warranty. Several problems whichthe car has include:mismatched tires, inoperable sunroof, leak in the differential seal & noise in the differential.i had the car inspected at a ford dealership & was told these problems needed repair.the toyota dealership has not returned numerous phone calls, emails & when i brought the car back to them,i was told all these repairs had been fixed & later found out that nothing was done.

Failure of auxiliary suction line leading to rear ac in vehicle.paid for replacement at ford dealership.part should be expected to function for the life of the vehicle.ford refuses to accept there was an issue with the piping and reimburse for repair.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving 50 mph when the engine stalled and the vehicle came to a complete stop. The instrumental panel gauges were illuminated during the failure. The vehicle restarted immediately, and was taken the dealer. The manufacturer was contacted, however the vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 42,000 and the current mileage 42,933.updated 9/16/11updated 2/23/12

Onthree separate occasions, my explorer would turn over but refuse to start. The third time it took 2 days for it to finally start. On the way to the service appointment at the dealer, the suv stalled in the middle of a very busy intersection. The dealer said that they couldn't pin-point any particular cause but they did have a service bulletin that called for updating of some software.

While driving vehicle stalled.consumer was unable to restart vehicle, and had ittowed to the dealer. Mechanic informedconsumer that the problem could not be duplicated.

Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission was slipping between gears and made clunking noises.the vehicle also made humming sounds from the engine while accelerated over 55 mph.the vehicle has not been to a service dealer.

While driving down the road the engine will stall.has happened several times, replaced mass air flow sensor told this would fix it, but it did not.all but once the car has started back up immediatly.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the air pressure hose that connects to the air compressor failed.as a result, the air conditioning system became inoperative.the dealer stated that a new hose would cost at least $400.the vehicle has not been repaired.the contact is in the process of notifying the manufacturer.the failure mileage was 56,000 and current mileage was 60,080.updated 09/17/08.*ljthe air conditioners high pressure hose failed twice. One form the hose on the drivers side going to the radiator. Updated 09/25/08.

The consumer wasmaking a left hand turn and the vehicle just shut off, couldn't steer, and couldn't pull off. The vehicle was in the middle of the road and the consumer restarted the vehicle about a minute down the road, when it happened again. The battery light came on and brake light came on, but felt like they were still working.*sb

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contactstated thatminutes after starting the vehicle it unwarrantly stalled. Spontaneous engine failure while driving increases the risk of vehicle crash. She towed the vehicle to a dealer but the technician could not identify the cause of the failure.however he speculated that the spark plugs may be the cause of the failure,but no repairs were made.the failure mileage was 75,000.the current mileage was unknown.

I have two issues with a 2004 ford explorer.first issue the system that notifies tire pressure has failed multiple times.the indicator lights go on or off when the tires are properly inflated or not properly inflated.vehicle is still under original warranty.dealership will not fix or check the sensors associated with this area they can not recreate the issue.i have documentation from passengers and another tire company of the issue happening.second issue.2004 ford explorer stalled while turning braking and steering locked up.identical reaction as to the problem stated inthe failure of the camshaft position sensor in other vehicles from ford that is being investigated.

Driving my 2004 ford explorer with the 4.6l engine on the highway at 60 mph the vehicle blow it rear drivers side spark plug.the engine started shaking violently and there was a strong smell of fuel in the passenger compartment.the original factory installed plugs were still installed.the threads in the cylinder heads were striped.the repair was the installation of a heli-coil in to the cylinder head at a cost of $600.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 65 mph the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was able to drive onto the emergency lane. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, diagnosed and stated that the failure was caused by the engines timing chain. The vehicle will be repaired. The manufacturer tookreport 1644590504, but didn't offer to assist with the repairs, because the motor wasn't covered by warranty. The current and failure mileages were 70,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the check engine lights continued to illuminate every two months after the vehicle was repaired. Each time the vehicle was taken to the dealer, she was charged a diagnostic fee to perform the test and repair a different problem. The contact did not know what repairs were performed on the vehicle. The manufacturer was called who stated that they would send her information on how to trade the vehicle in for another vehicle, which included additional discounts; however, she had not heard from them. The failure mileage was 59,078.

I bought a 2004 ford explorer xlt at darcars toyota in silver spring md. It had only 28,000 miles. The plastic valve cover was found to have a crack where one pours the oil in. There was an oil leak around this area.apple ford in columbia, md. Said this would not be covered by ford warranty.i thought ford's warranty covers to 3 years or 36,000 miles. This valve cover was over $400.00.why shouldn't this be covered.i signed a paper that states that the ford warranty should still be in effect to 36,000 miles.i don't know how or when this crack occurred, but i have only had the vehicle for 3 weeks.i think this should be covered by ford warranty.

'04 explorerengine shuts off and steering wheel locks up while driving, car jerks when put in reverse, false fuel reading took truck back to dealership, they do not think any thing is wrong with the truck, this has happen four times.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle vibrated violently and stalled without warning.the driver waited a few moments before restarting the engine.the vehicle resumed normal operation, but there was a low power response during acceleration.the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection and it was discovered that a valve spring failed.the mechanic suggested that the engine be replaced at the estimated cost of $5,000.the vehicle has not been repaired.the manufacturer was notified of the malfunctions.the failure and current mileages were 36,323.updated 07/08/09updated 07/08/09.

Car transmission was not responding correctly. After several trips to the dealer to have it checked out, the replaced the solenoid pack several weeks later warning light came on with a battery symbol and said hi temp low oil. Engine died when going to park and then again at stop light the next day. Dealer could not replicate problem. Two weeks later, engine again died with a wrench symbol and said engine failsafe mode.dealer has had it a week and cannot replicate problem.did find a problem with and replaced abs in computer system.

On my way to the airport for a business trip, i was driving the vehicle on the interstate when all of a sudden and without any warning, the engine stopped. I had to maneuver onto traffic and stop to try to start the engine without success. I called aaa and they had the vehicle towed to my home. When i came back i sent it to the shop and the mechanic advised me that the timing chain sprocket retainer pin broke, and because of that all valves bent, so i have to replace the engine. For 72900 miles and keeping all maintenance in order i consider this a safety issue and unacceptable in terms of quality. I have spoken to the manufacturer and they refuse to take action because the vehicle is out of warranty.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer . While driving 55 mph, the vehicle stalled and the contact had to get the battery jumped in order to drive to her residence. The alternator failed and was replaced; however, after the alternator was replaced the contact was unable to move the vehicle even when the accelerator pedal was engaged.there was a wrench symbol that illuminated on the instrument panel where the dealer stated that the computer shifted into limp mode. There have been no additional repairs to the vehicle. The failure and current mileages were 120,000.

Started of being an engine vibration, 2 month later crankshaft pulley failure.just made it to the dealership, they fixed it but my concerns about the pulley coming off on the highway worry me.

This is intermittent stalls, poor throttle, no start.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving various speeds, the vehicle vibrated excessively.the dealer stated that the crankshaft pulley failed and needed to be replaced at the cost of $410.79.the failure and current mileages were 21,000.

Auto goes into fail safe mode while being driven. Has happened 5 times since mar. 10, 2006. I have had it in the shop on mar. 14, april 22, april 27, may 25, and june 12, all for the same concern. The engine bogs down to 4 cylinders and loses power. The first 3 times it happened while driving at around 35 mph the last two times it has happened while merging into traffic on the highway coming off a feeder road. I'm am afraid i will end up in a serious accident. I put it in the shop on june 12, 2006 and just picked it up yesterday on july 17,2006. It was in the shop for over a month. As i was feeding into traffic yesterday evening of july 17, the engine again downshifted into fail safe mode causing me to bog down. I have lost all faith in this vehicle and do not want it anymore. I have owned fords for the last 35 years and have never had this kind of problem before with a ford.

My 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.0 will stall intermittently when slowing to a stop or exiting a freeway. The explorer will start right up afterwards. It can be very dangerous to lose all power without warning. Right before the stall the rpm's seem to drop below 400 and the power steering starts to go out. It happens at varying times and temperatures and with plenty of gas.

Rattling noise and shaking has been coming from engine area for some time now. Could not find the cause until recently, and when looking for information online i found it is a very common problem. The harmonic balancer / crankshaft pulley goes bad. The inner ring breaks, causing the sensor to eventually wear down and also need replacement. This repair on average costs people more than $350. To replace.

I own a 2004 ford explorer, purchased in august.the truck sat for 16 months while i was deployed to iraq.while driving on a 3 hour trip, i heard a metallic "clatter" noise from my vehicle.i took it to the dealer and was informed that the "#2 wrist pin" had failed., requiring replacement of the engine.total cost would be $5500.this seemed excessive for such a young vehicle, considering that is was driven infrequently for over a year, and most of the mileage was highway.mileage at failure: 55,300.

We have a 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer, originally purchased in may 20'06 with approximately 30,000 miles .at approximately 36,000 milesin august 2006 we were told that the harmonic balancer needed to be replaced. That was about $500. My husband drove it to work on 3-19-07 and everything was fine. He took it to lunch, everything was still fine, and when he came out, he tried to start the vehiclemand it would notstart. There were no check engine lights, no noises, nothing out-of-the-ordinary at all. We had it towed to a ford dealership, who ran some tests, and initially could not figure it out. They ran more tests, and came to the conclusion that the cams are not working. They told us that the engine needs to be replaced. $5,600.00 to replace the engine with 46,000 miles. Ford is not offering us any help.they refuse to stand behind their product. They said if we had the extended warranty it would be covered. But the point is that it has 46,000 miles. I need someone to help me before i explode!

My concern is in regard to an ongoing problem that my vehicle and thousands of others like ithave;the lack of safety one may be faced with if the rear on these vehicles fail due to substandard parts used in the rear differential on the ford suv's and f-150's.my understanding is thatthe costly repair that is required the manufacture will not honor after the basic warranty is overeven though this is an ongoing problem. On these vehicles. I was told today that if i continue to drive the vehicle to the point of complete failure i risk the vehicles back wheels locking up. My question to the nhtsa is why has there not been a recall on these vehicles knowing that this is a major problem in the drivetrain of these vehicles. I have 79k on my vehicle and a friend had their rear differential replaced at 22k and the problem is prevalent again on that vehicle again as well. In my estimation this could result in serious injury. What does it take to get a recall on this problem? does hundreds of people have to die or suffer serious injury for something to be done? i have had my vehicle back to ford for one bang or clang or another since the vehicle had 18k on it. Will the nhtsa ever see fit to make a re-call on these vehicles or again does several people need to suffer injury or loss before something is done?

Of the numerous issues with this vehicle, the worst is the transmission (40,000 miles ).same old story.started with clunking and hesitation and surging when shifting into reverse and now is 'clunking' into gears 2 and 3 during normal driving.the rear drivers side window motor has been replaced twice.the rear window panel has a vertical crack to the left of the ford symbol that just mysteriously occurred even though we don't even use the window.the truck stalls when the cruise control is applied below 45 miles an hour.my wife and i really loved this truck but like many others we have become embarrassed by our purchase.if this kind of fraud were to occur with any other product we would have some sort of recourse but not surprisingly the motor company's seem to enjoy a certain level of protection.the 'better business bureau' won't even listen to car complaints.given the severe and ubiquitous nature of the complaints about this vehicle it comes as no surprise that no remediations is forth coming from this organization, the manufacturer or any other.the cost of these vehicles is a burden to say the least and is financially devastating to those of us who purchased them in good faith only to have a 30,000 dollar vehicle become useless and dangerous before reaching 50000 miles.like all the other 'victims' of fraud, i am wasting yet more of my time by complaining about it.

Car was parked in a driveway with rear window towards garage door.the back window of the car along with a piece of the actual door exploded off.the piece of the door flew up into the air and came crashing back down onto the car.their was glass everywhere.had anyone been facing the car it could have caused some serious bodily injury.or had the car been in motion anyone inside the car could have been hurt or anyone driving behind could have been hurt.

Air conditioner and defroster are moldy, causing illness.

While going to open the rear hatch of my 2004 ford explorer, i noticed a crack in the hatch door from just below the window down to the next panel.when i opened the window on the hatch door, i noticed that the left hinge that holds the glass is coming loose.i am unable to utilize the rear cargo area of my vehicle now for fear that the left hinge will break off resulting in the entire door coming off the vehicle and falling or dropping onto me or one of my children, causing severe personal injuries.the mileage on my vehicle is approximately 70,000 miles. Nothing has been done yet to correct this failure because after reading other people's experience with having ford refuse to acknowledge the problem and the government thus far refusing to issue a recall, my hands are tied.i do not want to pay for the repair myself because i have already been burned by ford on other issues relating to this vehicle, i.e., the abs module and the air conditioning system.

My rear hatch in the back of my explorer has a crack in it. Which i think has caused the back window to shift which in turn has caused my door ajar light to flash while the door chimes go off and the interior flicker while you are driving down the road but there are no doors open . The lights flickering make it hard to drive in the night.i think ford should fix this problem for everyone.

The contact owns a 2004 ford expedition. The contact stated that the brake lamps, turn signals, and emergency flashers failed to operate properly. This was a distraction to the contact's driving because he could not notify other drivers of the vehicle's movements. The vehicle was driven to an independent mechanic, but they did not have time to diagnose the vehicle. The contact called a ford customer service line, but they did not assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 264,000.

Transmission went out at approx 93,000 miles, heat went out around 85,000 miles, seat belts have been replaced once under warranty and again don't work, electric seat doesn't work, misc. Other things

Dt: the car will not start in the mornings, and sometimes when it sits for a while it will not start.consumerhad the vehicle into dealership for this problem.dealership could not find out why it will not start.dealership kept the vehicle for a week, and vehicle started correctly after that. After a couple of months this problem came back.owner has not taken the vehicle back for repairs yet. The rear brake light cover is lose and coming off. The consumer bought the vehicle in january of 2004. The consumer has not contacted ford at this time. Ford was contacted with the first time when the vehicle was in the shop. The consumer has not filed a complaint with ford, but wa goingtoday.

Gasoline odor.

I have a 2004 eddie bauer ford explorer.on two occasions my vehicle cut off ( stalled ) as i was driving along the highway.on another occasion and on both of the aforementioned occasions the "service engine soon" and "electronic throttle control" lights came on.the on-board computer recorded the codes of the incidents on the first two occasions but not on the third.following the third occasion my local ford dealer attempted to fix the problem by replacing the "throttle position sensor" per tsb 04-21-9.i was told by the service manager that they could not guarantee that this would fix the problem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately 5 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the technician replaced the fuel pump, throttle body and several unknown sensors in the vehicle.the failure recurred and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The technician advised that they would perform extensive diagnostic testing on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure would occur intermittently in cold temperatures less than twenty degrees. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.

Gas tank has a leak and i can smell fumes.

2004 ford explorer limited with faulty gas gauge.car said 70 miles to empty yet my wife and two kids (ages 3&5)ran out of gas on the highway.they had to hike 1 mile down the expressway to get assistance.this is obviously a serious safety concern.the only thing worse than no gas gauge is one that does not read accurately.thankfully they eventually arrived home safely with the assistance of strangers.

1-"miles to e" have always registered as dashes after a fill up since 2004. Dealer says nothing is wrong and to add gas additive (which doesn't work) or i can have it fixed at my expense. Dealer has been sold and new dealer now has "no record" of my previous complaints-- whenever i had the car in for service i asked them to check it. I see plenty of other complaints for this same problem but ford refuses to fix this as well.2-back hatch below window has cracked recently. Husband had same vehicle different year and his cracked as well. Dealer acknowledges many vehicles with same problem but says there is no recall and ford will not fix it. I see there is now a class action suit for this defect.just wanted to go "on record" as another unhappy ford owner (of over 40 yrs).

We lease a 2004 ford explorer [xxx].the vehicle stalls.we have had duthler ford in grand rapids michigan try and repair the problem.they have had it in the shop off and on for well over 3-weeks.we thought it was repaired the last time because we have had no problems over the last 3,000 miles...until yesterday.they vehicle stalled 2-times and lost acceleration 3-times. All the drivers in my family (4) have experienced this problem, and foturnately no one has been injured (yet).ford and the dealer say they don't know what to do.this is not acceptable. It's only a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Updated 07/19/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.after filling the vehicle with gas and driving a few miles, the fuel cap pressure light illuminates and the engine shuts off.the contact has to exit the vehicle and retighten the filler cap, which then allows the engine to restart.the failure has occurred twice within 3 or 4 gas tank fill-ups and usually while driving 50 mph.he has not yet taken the vehicle to the dealer.failure mileage was 29,000 and current mileage was 29,500. Updated 12/12/07

2004 ford explore dies on the road while driving. Going 70 mph down the interstate and the vehicle died luckily i was driving on the side lane and got off to the shoulder so we weren't stuck in the middle of interstate traffic. Called a tow truck and had the vehicle diagnosed at an auto repair shop. Fuel pump had to be replaced. The auto shop replaced the pump.

My 2004 ford explorer has been killing when coming to a stop, slowing down and when i am driving at speeds up to 40mph.my power steering then goes.there are no warnings when this is going to happen.it is occurring daily and i then have to put the truck in park, remove the key and then restart.when i do that, itruns like it never happened.no check engine light ect... I have been calling the dealership about this from day one.at first i was told that if it does not fail when i bring it in it will be hard to say what it is.then i called back because it was happening more frequently.i brought my truck in thurs.the dealership had it all day and said it was ready to go.i drove 1/2 mile down the road and the truck killed.i immediately called them back to let them know.i will be bringing it back next week.i am very worried about this failure and i feel that this is definitely a defect in the ford.

On three separate occasions my ford explorer 4door sport trac has stalled, because my teenage children have accidentally bumped/kicked the inertia control device for fuel shut off while the vehicle was moving/driving. This device has its own push start button to restart fuel operations once the vehicle stopped. I was on the beltway 495 doing 65 mph the last time it happened.i had to make an emergency pull off and almost got hit by a tractor trailer on two occasions. On 11-18-2005 the dealer failed to cover this device saying there was nothing wrong with it.however the technician stated he has seen several cars returned for the same thing.

On two separate occasions the vehicle ran out of fuel while driving at highway speed (55-60 mph). But the fuel gauge registered a full tank of fuel. The dealer was notified. The dealer informed the consumer that problem was not covered under a recall.

Were a family a ford explorer my family has 4 of them ranging from the years 1996,99,2002,2004 and everyone of these vehicles have serious issues. Ranging from rotting suspension parts,to wheel bearing issues on newer models,rotting fuel and brake lines,this is supposed to be an american made company that is jeopardizing the lives of american and children with total disregard of human life,but i bet you the owners of ford don't have these issues they probably drives foreign haha but seriously someone will get hurt by this and it costing thousands of dollars out of pocket to fix an ongoing problem with these trucks please do a recall its so unfair at this point.

Dt*:the contact stated intermittently the vehicle stalls while releasing the accelerator pedal at 20-4 0mph.no warning lights have illuminated.after stalling the vehicle will restart, surge and stall again.the vehicle has been taken to the dealership four times.the last visit to the dealership the element, filter, complete module engine, the key was reprogrammed and the cool return was replaced.the next time the vehicle was driven after the repairs were performed the vehicle stalled while crossing a rail road track.the vehicle has stalled a total of five times.it was towed to the dealership four of the five times.the manufacturer has been alerted.the fuel pump was replaced. Updated 05/02/06.

5 months after purchasing car new in 8/04 it would not start(1/05) ;was able to reset fuel pump shut-off switch and start car. Dealer (muzi ford, needham, mass.)examined car and found nothing. In 2/05 car would not start,could not reset fuel pump shut off switch; dealer replaced it. In 4/05 same problem occurred and dealer replaced switch , stating it was 'burned out'.in 2/06 identical problem occurred and both switch and computer were replaced by dealer. Fuel pump shut-off switch has been replaced three times at this point. The car is a 2004 ford explorer xls.

My gas gauge on my 2004 ford explorer has failed me many times. I took it to my dealership & they told me to add some fuel additive to my gas tank & this would cure the problem. Well it has not & my warranty is out!!! i'm very concerned for my wife's safety if she runs out of gas, so we have to keep a written log as to the mileage before fill-up's. I'm told the sensor is bad & would cost close to $1,000.00 to repair. I have complained to ford & they refuse to repair since the warranty is out. I have also complained to ford about a back hatch panel that has cracked for no apparent reason directly under the exterior ford emblem & they will not repair this since it is out of warranty. These are both for sure manufacturer defects, that ford should be made to repair at their cost.

The fuel gauge shows a false full and the tank does not fill all the way.the fuel gauge shows a false empty showing you have a half a tank when you may actually have 3 gallons. Running out of fuel on the highway is not safe.the gas stations pump shuts off automatically giving you the impression that the tank is full and is confirmed full by an inaccurate gas gauge which shows full.soyou might have 18 gallons in a tank that should have 22.5 gallons and the gauge shows a half tank when you have 3-4 gallons.

This is a on going problem, our ford explorer has trouble with the linkage to the carburetor, the first time we had problem with the explorer was oct of 04. Bickford ford in snohomish wa. Tried to repair it. Then there wastwo times bickford tried to fix it, the last time we talked to bickford they said that they did not know how to fix the problem and that ford motor co.did not know how to fix it either. We also tuck it to another auto repair shop and they said that they could not fix it either. We have no chose but to continue to drive it , but we are also afraid it could cause a bad accident.the problem is , when you are stopped or just starting out and give gas it dose not start to go so you give it a little bit more gas and then it will jump forward or backward( if you are backing up) to appoint that it will some times squeal the tires. It all so stallswhen you slow down to turn a corner. That is also dangerous in heavy traffic. After four attempts to repair it is still doing the same thing.

While filling up the fuel tank gasoline gauge registered false reading.consumer had a full tank of gasoline that day.the next day the gasoline gaugeregistereda half of a tank. Consumer drove the vehicle todealer for inspection, andmechanic informedconsumer that dealer was aware of the problem, but there was nosolutionfor the problem.

Dt:while driving on september 16, 2005 the abs failed.when this occurred it caused the consumer's vehicleto almost hit another vehicle.the abs, maintenance, and four wheel lights cameon and blinkedwhen he lost the brakes.a diagnosistest was performed,andit showed that there was a problem with the speed sensor.the dealership replaced the speed sensor in the rear which wascalled asy-t. The fuel gauge broke.it showed the fuel tank level was higher than what it really was.the driver'srear window motor had to be replaced.the cover over the hatchback handle had to be replaced. Also,had to replace the weather stripping.there has been a repair done to the four by four unit.there were multiple problems with the vehicle.

Ford explorer 2004 - xlt - gas gauge reads incorrectly following fueling vehicle (full tank). Gauge will display 1/2 tank. Occurred three times over 60 day period. Took vehicle to dealer. Could not find problem. Check gauges, fuel tank sensor, etc. Gauge is working normally at this time.

Fuel spill because defective filling hose.

On april 6th of this year i purchased a 2004 ford explorer.the next day i took the car for city inspection...it passed.the very next day (sunday) the check engine light came on.the abs light would also illuminate.i took the car to autozone to have it diagnosed (egr valve).only the check engine light could be diagnosed becausethe abs light came on at random while i was driving.the car was still under the 1000 mile warranty so the egr valve was replaced and a speed sensor believed to be the problem with the abs light.i purchased an independent extended warranty so i would be covered for any surprise expenses.i had my chance to use it in just a few months later when the car ran hot.the repair was not covered.this happened in july, just a few months after buying the car.earlier this month (november 2012) the service engine light came on again but it didn't stay on so i couldn't get it diagnosed.no need to have it diagnosed because the battery light came on too.i took it to autozone once again and the battery tested bad.it wouldn't start at the store.i bought the battery, it was installed and checked again.the alternator showed it wasn't charging.i had to have the alternator replaced.with the cold weather, i discovered the defrost vents don't work.air only blows from front vents. On the morning of november 19th, i was taking my son to school and the overdrive light started flashing.it happened again while on my way home from work on november 21st.so now i suppose i have transmission problems.ford needs to answer for their horrible engineering.

Filled up the tank and it registered no fuel, bad fuel sensor.

The rear window latch on the right side facing the vehicle broke off and nearly caused the right side to also break.i am uncertain as to whether or not the hydraulic lift for the window failed or the latch just broke.

I have had my 2004 ford explorer for 3 years now. Today i went to open my rear hatch and the window hinges just broke. Now my window is hanging thereand idon't know how i am going to get them fixed since i don't have any extra money.i think this should be a recall since there has been a lot of complaints about this problem.

Defective rear window hinges on my 2004 ford explorer. I rarely use the window hatch and today i am sorry i did. While opening the rear window it fell on to my head. The brackets on the window broke. I am waiting for my mech. To help me remove the window so i can bring it into to get repaired. I own a 2002 ford explorer and it had a recall for the same thing. So why not the 2004, it is the same hinge.

2004 ford explorerright rear liftgate glass hatch hinge has failed.glass hatch did not fall but is hanging by remaining hinge and is unstable or unsafe.issue same as nhtsa action number: rq08003.

I own a 2004 ford explorer 4x4 xlt.i opened the top portion of the hatch and 100+ lbs. Came crashing on my head.(the weight is from more than just glass.) i am pregnant and almost passed out on my concrete drive.the left hinge broke off and obviously did not support the weight anymore.i was told there was not a recall and was given a $500.00 bill.i still believe this is a safety issue and there was nothing i could have done to warrant it falling on my head.i guess my question is, "when does a safety issue become a recall?"

2004 ford explorer, rear lift hatch failure. The hinge simply broke while the hatch was being closed. There were no injuries but could have been serious issues. The part was ordered and replaced at ford in annapolis, md for $150.00. I note there have been several recalls for prior years and investigations for the 2004 model.

While opening the rear liftgate of our 2004 explorer and reaching the max extension of the left strut, the strut became lock and wouldn't retrieve causing the left hinge to come off and the entire liftgate to hang from the right hinge. The dealer looked at the strut and tried to repair it. I requested a new one to be installed since i had serious concerns about the same problem happening again. The dealer agreed and my extended warranty covered the expense. However, my deductible applied.

Tailgate window hinges failed on 2004 ford explorer. The window fell out and damaged the lift struts. I was not injured.

Concerning my 2004 explorer xlt.the rearhatchbackthatopens the back windows has a broken latch.i am very upset that this part just seemed to implode and left me unable to close the rear back window.the garage i took it to saidford informed them the part was on back order until07-18-2011.i am wondering ifthis is going to be a recalled item for the garage informed me it happens quiteregularly.please let me know if i have any recourse or am entitled to reimbursement forthe needed repair. .

Rear hatch hinge pin broke breaking glass.

In july 2010, i noticed a crack in the panel portion of the back window hatch of my 2004 ford explorer.i reported this to my dealer, who more or less said welcome to the club, and told me to contact the body shop.the cost of $500-600 would have to be paid by me and there is no reason to think that it won't happen again.i am so disappointed in ford motor co., i thought i could expect more from a local manufacturer.it seems to me that this is something that should have been discovered in product tests and/or trials.why didn't ford know that the material they used was not capable of standing up to the use in the area they placed it?

Hinge oh rear lift-gate fractured causing lift gate to sag down and break hydraulic lift on that side.

A couple of weekends ago, the passenger side hinge on our rear window hatch broke. My mom opened the back window hatch on my vehicle & when she went to shut it, the entire window came down on her. Then we could not get it shut. We had to stand there in 80+ degree heat holding the entire window (which is quite heavy), while my 2 year old baked in the car, until my dad & brother could get to the store we were at to rescue us. We were able to get it to shut (though we were terrified the glass was going to shatter at any moment due to the tension on it) & we duct taped it to keep it in place. We had the hinge repaired by our local body shop, & had them replace both hinges to be proactive. It cost about $200. After this happened i did some internet searches & was upset to find so many other 2004 ford explorer owners had experienced the exact same problem & i also found out that ford has recalled the same hinges on 2002 & 2003 models. I don't understand why the 2004 explorer has not had the same recall when they're the same hinges?this seems like such a blatant disregard by ford.people could be seriously injured by this window either falling on their head, or falling off while driving.the 2003 ford explorer recall was explained as this:on certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut may become disengaged or the hinge may fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break.the exact same thing could be said of 2004 ford explorers. I am writing this in the hopes that a recall can be made on this equipment. It needs to be recalled before someone is hurt. Thank goodness my 11 yr old wasn't the one under this window when it broke!!i did email ford regarding this issue & they weren't exactly helpful. They basically said, sorry & that there were no recalls on the 04 at this time & that they work with nhtsa to stay on top of areas of concern.

I noticed my 2004 ford explorer has developed a vertical crack in the plastic tailgate attached to the rear window left of the ford emblem.itook it to the dealership and they recognized it as a common problem with the 2004 explorer and also warned me the hinges on the rear glass fail often as was the case on my vehicle.service tech stated there was no recall as yet and i got to pay for the new hinges and holding off on the crack thinking ford made do the right thing and repair the fault.

Rear rh hinge failed on 2004 ford explorer, when wife was closing glass hatch, she was very lucky she did not get hurt, because it put to much strain on lh hinge, damaging it almost to point of failure also.

The hatchback hinge on my 2004 ford explorer broke yesterday, luckily i caught it before it hit my 4 year old in the head.the same thing happened on a 2002 ford explorer i owned before, but that was recalled and ford fixed it.this model is not included in the recall, but the part is obviously defective.it could have easily hit someone and hurt them, or fallen off while i was driving and caused an accident.

2004 explorer with 110k miles - developed crack in liftgate panel app dec 2008.ford covered 80% of repair cost of $750 since vehicle was under 75k miles, even though an obvious design flaw.sept 29, 2010 rear hatch window hinge breaks causing door to fall onto my hands and legs...sore but not permanent.two co-workers had to help me raise it up enough to lock it in place.dealer repaired for $65 parts in $170 labor.dangerous and unsafe.

Rear hatch window dropped off hinges.

On friday the 7th of march 2008 i went to open the tailgate of my 2004 ford explorer when the hinges broke and the gate fell off.i called the ford dealer where i purchased my car and was initially told that the hinges were on a recall.the collision center of the dealer picked up my vehicle and took it in for repair.when i got to my place of employment i had a call from the dealer stating that my car was not on the recall.i called ford motor and was told that my car was indeed not on the recall and that the recall had been on the 2002 and 2003 models.i felt that maybe the problem had not been fixed on the 04 models as they stated because it was obviously still happening.i took my car to another body shop that was quite reputable and had it repaired at a considerable lower rate per labor hour.why would the hinges just break; supposed my grand child had gone to get something out of the back, he could have been hurt when that gate fell. I feel that ford had not corrected the problem of the faulty tail gate hinges by the time they got to the 2004 models or at least not all were replaced with the updated ones.i was told that recalls are vin specific, but i feel that if you have a parts problem on a grand scale some may have been put on other cars without being recognized on a specific vin. I think this problem needs to be addressed as there maybe more trucks out there that this has happened to or can happen to.

2004 explorer had problems with brakes and windows.three months after the vehicle was purchased thee was a recall on the transmission.the abs malfunctioned and the power windows would not go down.the rear hatch door would not open. The transmission began to slam into gear.the rotors vibrated in the rear.consumer heard a howling noise at 40-55 mph.the dealer replaced the ring and pinion.nm

Rear hatchback window panel cracked down the center.the window seemed hard to close, did not seem to align with the latch.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while the contact was servicing the vehicle, he observed that the emergency brake was defective.there was a brake lining defect on the rear driver's side and passenger side.the failures occurred without warning.all four brake rotors were replaced, but the brake line have not yet been replaced at this time.the manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure and current mileages were 60,000.updated 04/15/09. *ljwhile changing the rotors on the vehicle, the consumer discovered the lining for the parking brake had separated from the shoes . Updated 04/16/09.

Dear nhtsa,below is my original contact to ford motor corp (fmc).i recently replaced the brakes on my 2004 explorer, but when i pulled the rearrotors, the friction material from the e-brake shoes fell on the ground.thisis a serious safety issue!summary:friction material was not bonded to e-brake shoe. Based on the extensive corrosion of the e-brake shoes at time of replacement, this condition has existed for a long period of time.fmc requested more information, and i complied.i have pictures, but do not know how to attach them.i also have researched this issue in my area (s.e. Michigan, and it is common based on input from a ford dealer and another service facility)please let me know how i can attach pics.

Parking lever does not properly line up. Hope that this does not lead to the "roll away" issues.

The truck jerks into gear when put into reverse - it also jerks in drive but is more pronounced when backing up. The gears don't shift until i'm at 20 -30 mph and then they slip incredibly just to get get there. And even when i'm driving the car jerks as it is shifting gears. When i back into my parking space there is a full 10 second delay before the car to finally catapults into reverse. If there is ever anyone behind me they will literally be hit because of the jerking. The slow shifting into gears and jerking have been a consistent problem since taken brand new off the show room floor. Although the ford dealership service department"tested trans; performed pinpoint test; r&r trans pan; and added a replaced solenoid body" - nothing has stopped this problem. It still persists to this day. And it has only gotten progressively worse.

We was drive thestreet doing 30 mph until we came until a stop light . When the light turn green the transmission started to act like in didn't wontto go into gear . When only had the car for a year in only put almost less then 9 to 8 thousand mile on it. When the car full service every time... Don't know what to do any more.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the vehicle shook. Upon inspection, the driver noticed that the rear passenger side lug nuts had loosened and the tire was only being held in place by one lug nut. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred on the rear driver side tire but in this occasion the tire detached while driving 70 mph. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the transmission, studs, log nuts, rotors, and tires needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure mileage was 124,000 and the current mileage was 132,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the transmission failed. The vehicle would sporadically surge and would exhibit an abnormal grinding sound. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer where it was determined that the fly wheel was spinning because the torque converter had failed. The vehicle had not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 129,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the vehicle independently shifted from first to second gear accompanied by an abnormal noise from the transmission. Additionally, the contact experienced resistance when attempting to shift from park to reverse. The contact would have to shut off the engine and restart the vehicle before the vehicle would engage.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the gear lever would not shift in and out of gear until after several attempts. In addition, the transmission would slip gears while driving. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis. The contact was advised to rebuild the transmission and replace the torque converter. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 89,456.

Tl * the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 40 mph, the vehicle would decelerate automatically to 20 mph and not regain speed.the vehicle would also not shift into reverse.the failure occurred twice over a six year period.the vehicle's transmission has been replaced twice.the vehicle was not taken to a dealer.the manufacturer was notified.the approximate failure mileage was 22,000.

Transmission seems to slip and engine revs also when put in reverse transmission seems to jump.

There was a noticeably jerk and the o/t off light came on with the computer saying to "check transmission". The transmission mechanic said replace the transmission.

While putting the car in reverse in the parking lot the gear shift completely snapped off and the car was stuck in reverse.the keys were stuck in the ignition and i couldn't turn the car off.i had to put the emergency brake on and call for help on my cell phone.when help arrived after a couple of hours they were able to manuever what was left of the gear shift enough to put the car back in park and turn the car off.i called the ford customer service division and spoke with a representative named [xxx], he preceded to tell me that ford has never heard of such a problem and that he couldn't help me.he said there are currently no recalls available for this part.i searched the internet and found hundreds of the same complaint on fords and advised [xxx] and again he said ford has never heard of such a problem.i am relieved that it happened in a parking lot and it didn't cause an accident.ford should be ashamed of themselves and their shoddy workmanship and take the necessary steps to resolve this problem.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Rear panel cracked in the shed. I have had to replace my transmission a year ago replace front hubs several times. And just last week i had to replace the back wheel bearing again.i don't understand why ford has not done a recall on these things.i see a lot of fords with the same crack on the back hatch.this is just crazy. If i new we couldn't check transmission fluid i would have never got this truck.i will never buy a ford again. We also have a 1994 diesel that we had to put a transmission in at 80,000 miles it sits in the shed and now my husband drives a chevy.our ford diesel only has 134,000 on it what ashamed. It will not even crank when its cold. Bad work ford!!!!

Transmission failure. Shift solenoid "b" circuit failuretransmission does not shift into 2nd gear until vehicle reaches 3000 rpm. O/d light flashes, service engine soon light activatesand transmissionstays in 3rd gear. Don't use vehicle and is out of extended warranty.

The transmissions for ford explorers have about a 10% failure rate. The safety issue is that the car may not accelerate when needed. The transmission acts as though it is in neutral when shifting from second to third gears. The symptom also appears during normal acceleration (merging onto highways, trying to pass other vehicles).the danger is that you may not be able move out of the way of other vehicles.we have not been hit, but we no longer drive this vehicle on the highway.we expect a total failure at any moment, and do not want to be in a situation where the vehicle will need to be towed for a large number of miles.this vehicle is unsafe, and unreliable.ford should fix this product, much like honda did for their 2003 acura tl.

In 2005 i purchased a2004 ford exxltspnbx 11900from herz car sales.just few month after that i experienced the first of 20 criticalengine shutdowns that i experienced up to now.2. The failure is that the engine of my car turns off spontaneously at speeds between 50 and 70 mph.the consequences are:- sudden loss of power- sudden loss of steering servo, i.e. A sharp sideways kick if the car is ina curve- sudden loss of braking power- the need to shift to neutral and restart the engine, with the danger to shift to 'r' or even 'p' in panic, and to lock up the steering wheel at full speed (!!!)panic is the right wordfor the feeling my wife and i have experienced in every occurrence of this failure.3. After the first two failures i brought the car to a ford dealership.the car was still under factory warranty, but the workshop couldn't localize the problem. They test-drove he car for 200 miles and concluded he car was ok, in spite of the fact that i told them that i had two events in 20,000 miles. The total frequency has been by now once in every 2,500 miles, on average.the shutdown seems to be occurring with the cruise control on, more likely on slight downhill slopes.3. No solution for this problem so far.

The o/d off light began blinking and there was uncontrolled deceleration and when accelerating from a stop there is higher than the usual rpm's needed to shift from first to second gear.my investigation revealed this is a known problem with this particular year of ford explorer and there was an article in april, 21, 2009, atlanta constitution-journal reports regarding an announcement by the nhtsa regarding the faulty transmission problems.at this time there is no current recall for this issue, however, it is a costly repair to consumers for an issue which ford and the nhtsa is aware of.

While attempting to shift from "park," into "reverse," the column-mounted gear selector, broke away from the column and into my mother's hand. The vehicle sat in a parking lot for a few hours. Later on, we found a temporary workaround utilizing a pair of "vise-grips," and we were able to drive the vehicle home. The gear selector has not been repaired; and the vehicle just sits there, because the she is too afraid to drive it.

After coasting through intersections, transmission slips and then clunks as i accelerate

I was driving interstate 64 getting off the exist going around the ramp and a knocking noise started as i rounded the curb, then oil pressure dropped, my power was gone and, i barely made it off the ramp, but luckily the vehicle had enough speed to coast the curb to get to a safe place to stop. Upon having it checked out by a local mechanic he suggested that the engine and oil pump needed to be replaced? as a single mother i don't have the money for the repairs, and from others complaints that i've seen it makes me wonder if its worth the trouble to find another engine and will it happen again. I thought had found a good vehicle that only lasted a few months...feeling irritated...get it together ford because this 2004 explorer is trouble!! was this just a test dummy model to see what problems would come of it??? we want and need answers to these problems. We're spending so much hard earned money on a vehicle that has more problems that keeps happening often.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.when the vehicle is parked on an incline, it moves in reverse on its own.the vehicle has been to the dealer seven times, but they cannot determine the cause of the failure.the failure mileage was 54,000 and current mileage was 86,000.

Cannot accelerate, feels like transmission is shifting hard.scares me to be in traffic with two small children in backseat.put into reverse it jolts into gear after a few seconds.makes a loud noise when driving down the road.sometimes there is almost no acceleration making it impossible to get around town.

Back rear hatch cracked. Just like the 100's of others i found on my internet search of the problem. Our transmission also failed and had to be replaced, at our own cost.

2004 ford explorer with 54k miles has slip in transmission when shifted from park to reverse and will slip when the transmission shifts automatically. It catches and will produce a loud bump.it takes several seconds to catch when shifted to reverse.

First issue was with the solenoids now the issue is with 1-2 shift ratio. Shifting into neutral.

Wife and kids where driving home and the tranny started kicking in and out of gear (slipping). It jerked into first at the stoplight in town.

My steering column broke right off! trying to put it in drive @99,735 mi.had to tow it to shop, and replace the steering column. I see other people had this same problem.there should be a recall for this!!! i also had to replace the transmission @ 103,000 miles it would skip 3rd gear. Seems everyone else has to replace the transmission.also back bearings!!what a disgrace.recall this disgraceful workmanship! no honor!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when he attempted to shift gears, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact believed the transmission was defective however, the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 115,000.

Vehicle transmission slips when climbing elevation.starts clunking noise and won't shift.rpms go way up and vehicle still will not shift.hard to get vehicle into park on the gear shifter. Have thought the vehicle was in park only to have it roll when i take my foot off the brake.took vehicle to mechanic today who says a new transmission is needed. Appx cost 3600.00

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when shifting into reverse, the vehicle would not respond. When shifting, the vehicle would sporadically engage backward rapidly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test and advised that there was not a sufficient amount of transmission fluid in the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 67,000 and the current mileage was 76,602.

This is the second occurrence of this event.first one failed at 90,000 3 years ago.this was a rebuild ford transmission installed by the dealer.it failed again, this time the car was able to get safely to the side of the road, safety was an issue as it was not a movable car and stranded on side of busy road.

Vehicle rear-end whine.

Transmission and throttle body failed.

Paint peeling roof hood differential replaced twice bearings wear out repaired twiceback of tailgate panel cracked replaced 3 times

I was trying to park the car when i took it from drive to reverse the whole gear shift came right off. It will no longer switch gears nor can i drive it. I searched online and there are numerous other 2004 explorers that this has happened too. There are 16 different complaints which all were exactly like mine on carcomplaints.com. This is super dangerous, imagine if my children were in the car when i went to switch gears and it broke off and the were no way to move or stop it from hitting someone. The expense to fix this 'little' problem of fords is costing me more than i make in 2 months.

I bought a used 2004 ford explorer in september 2009. In june 20111 my husband and was driving and i was in the passenger seat. We both could feel the transmission slipping as he drove but figured that it could not be the transmission because the vehicle only had 57,177 miles on it. We arrived at our destination 10 minutes later and by that time we could no longer reverse the vehicle at all. I called the local ford dealership and they said to drive the vehicle over there and they would take a look at it. The paperwork i have from them states "verified concern, performed electronic transmission diagnosis, pulled code po731, checked fluid level - full. Dropped the transmission oil pan and found excessive metal debris indicating internal failure. Tech recommended replacing with a ford reman unit." the ford dealership's estimate for me was almost $5,000.00 for the transmission to be replaced. I called around to other shops and had the transmission replaced with a jasper unit which cost me $3467.30. It has a three-year warranty on it. I have been reading online about this problem with 2004 ford explorers. For almost a year before the transmission died it would often have delayed shifting when going in reverse and i just assumed it was a touchy pedal, looking back now i realize it was most likely the transmission. This never occurred to me because of the vehicle only having 57,000 miles on it. I no longer feel comfortable driving this vehicle knowing that it has the problems that it does but i have no other choice because we still owe more on the loan than the vehicle is worth.

Transmission shifts hard o/d light flashes.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving and attempting to shift gears, the contact's son pulled too hard and fractured the gear shifter. The contact stated that the gear shifter was currently too loose and would not shift into any gear. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage and vin were unknown.

Transmission going into reverse had started to be delayed and abrupt starting around april of 2005 at appr. 12,000 miles.it seemed to not shift into gear properly and would lurch into gear unexpectedly.we received a recall from ford in may 2005 stating that we had not yet been in for our recall.no notice had come before that one.i immediately called dealer and took in for transmission fluid change 3 days later.there has been no change and if anything things have gotten worse.i need to take my child 75 miles one way frequently for doctors appointments and am quite concerned about the safety of this vehicle.

Transmission failure, slips between gears, replacement required.

Flashing lights on panel. Accident in which car skidded. Dealer said defect in rear axle of2004 ford explorer.

Transmission was working just fine till one day it wouldn't shift into overdrive and then it was shifting hard from 2nd to 3rd. Rear window hinges broke. Rear tail gate cracked right down the middle by ford symbol. Also just the other day my passenger window stopped working no signs nothing of anything wrong. I'm going to start buying chevy this is just unacceptable. No wonder america is not doing good our car company's can't make good products anymore.

Vehicle's transmission started to slip, as we were driving we would hit the gas harder to compensate and then the transmission would catch causing the vehicle to surge forward unexpectedly.

While driving my explorer down the highway, the transmission blew with out much warning with my baby in the car. The vehicle went from drivable to not moving within one day. It started with a hard shift and acceleration being delayed when trying to make a turn. Then the o/d light came on and the vehicle lost all power within ten miles of my home leaving us stranded in the dead of winter on the highway with very little room to pull over so we could have been hit at high speeds.

2004 ford explorer in dealership service 5 times for slipping in the rear while driving in low speeds around corners, still not fixed!dealership has also attempted to fix severe delayed jerking after placing the vehicle in reverse on 3 occasions.had vehicle at dealership for 35,000 service, dealership took it upon themselves to attempt to fix rear end again and replace bearings in the hub with out my permission!going to arbitration with the bbb autoline to request ford repurchase the vehicle as it is very evident these problems have existed for years and still exist with the newer models.thank goodness no one was hurt, except my wallet!the dealership offered me an extended warranty for my troubles in july, it is now the last day of september and i have not received it!lemon law - 3 attempts to fix the same problem and you qualify.

The back hatch has a crack underneath the window in the middle around the ford emblem.just appeared....as i've noticed several ford 2004 explorers in this area have the exact same defect.recall is very much necessary.as well as the car jolting into drive and reverse....i still owe several thousand dollars on this loan and refuse to pay for any repairs....ford should do a recall on both...they need to hire some japanese workers since their cars seem not to have these types of issues.....i bought this car in feb of 2008 and had the transmission problems right after that.....car only had 48k miles on it.

I have had the shifter lock actuator replaced twice in less than 2 years.this actuator defect prevents my explorer from coming out of park.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 25 mph, the overdrive warning light illuminated intermittently on the instrument panel. The contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder and shut the vehicle off. After restarting the vehicle, the warning light continued to illuminate. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the transmission would have to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

First had my transmission looked at in may 2008 where it was slipping into reverse and jolting the vehicle, which had only 44133 miles.had it looked at my a ford dealer that told me there was nothing wrong.now in may 2012 at 110,000 miles my transmission was re-looked at for slipping into first and second gear.which at this time i was told that i needed a new transmissionand yet i am still making payments.ford complaint line tells me they are not doing anything to resolve this problem at this time and now me and my 3 children are without a vehicle because my transmission had now completely failed and the vehicle remains in a store parking lot broke down.thanks ford!

Transmission went at 74,000 miles.

My 2004 ford explorer has recently and quickly began shifting very badly. I always come to a complete stop and shift into neutral before shifting into reverse or drive because when shifting into reverse from p or d, it always takes a while, then clunks aggressively into place. While driving sometimes downshifting will also clunk into place. This issue has been reported by countless other drivers and has caused many potentially dangerous situations. From accelerating slowly then banging gears and taking off, to stuttering while trying to accelerate, or even switching into reverse while parking, and having the car try to jump back a few inches is only a few issues this problem has caused myself and countless others. People are replacing transmissions left and right to no avail, only a few 10 thousand miles after installing new transmissions, their car starts to experience the same issues as before. At low speeds and in parking lots this becomes a game of luck as you accelerate more than necessary to try to get going, then stopping and waiting a few seconds while you shift to neutral before shifting to reverse as fear of it banging into gear as you try to maneuver your car around people and other parked cars becomes a more dangerous task than it should be. In sum, while stationary, slow speed, or just cruising, the transmission while shifting gears, or shifting into reverse/drive, sometimes wants to bang into gear or lose power, or delay shifting only to bang into gear moments later. Some issues when taking cars into repair is finding metal transmission shavings where they shouldnt be! finally, the excessive banging can also damage the engine over time in addition to the transmission. Please reference the following link to get a better idea of the issues: https://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/transmission/transmission_slipping_shifts_hard.shtmlthankyou

When i shift into reverse it takes a few seconds to shift gear and when it shifts into gear it feels like the transmission fell on the ground . There's a big jolt right before it shifts into reverse.

Multiple problems with my explorer. When shifting into reverse car jolts with a clunking noise. While driving car jolts occasionally. When braking car shakes. Abs light is on and 4x4 high light flashes. Explorer was taken in december 2004 and fixed for the truck jolting into reverse. Truck now having the same problem. Truck to be taken back to the dealer next week.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission seized. The contact stated that when the accelerator was depressed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the gears failed to shift and the transmission had to be replaced. The vehicle was taken to the dealer.the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear wheel wells and frame were rusted. And the rear hatch was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.updated 09/30/14*lj the consumers stated the transmission jerks into gear.updated 02/25/2015

While driving down a 4-lane highway, transmission failed.no warning, just thump and done. My research reveals that dealership are reporting that 1 in 102004 explorers have transmission failure.also, heater blower motor went out over 1 year ago, leaving no default heat for defrosting the windshield.

When driving and you then shifting from drive to reverse it goes into reverse hard. Sometimes it eases into gear and other times it is very hard. I thought well maybe it was me did my foot slip off brake or something?? it wasn't that i made a very conscious effort to make sure i did it correctly and still had the same problems. I also noticed that the vehicle doesn't shift from drive to park correctly kind of stops you before entering park then will go in after you were denied the gear the first time. Currently still dealing with this was hoping there was a recall for either issue.

I was driving down the highway and all of a sudden my transmission started slipping and the cruise control kicked it because the vehicle started to slow down so it went into high rpms then the transmission grabbed and shot the vehicle forward and i lost control and we spun in circles off the freeway. Had it not of rained all day the suv would have flipped. Now my transmission is leaking fluid and it must be repaired by dealership or garage only and i cannot afford this repair and i see that there is a major problem these transmissions in these vehicles and me my child or my husband could have been badly hurt if not killed had this been on dry pavement!!!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle hesitated to accelerate from stops. The failure occurred while in drive or reverse. The contact also stated that the vehicle jerked violently while shifting gears. The vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 75,000.

As everyone else, i am have a lot of problems with my transmission.it shifts very hard and jerks when put into reverse.also having issues shifting from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd.problem is steadily getting worse.this morning the o/d off light started blinking.i killed the car and restarted it and it stopped.i dont understand why there has not been a recall on this.ford obviously knows that there is a problem.how could they not?i have found tons of message boards on the internet with everyone else having the same problem.

My vehicle failed to engage in park even though i shifted into park and console indicator displayed park.i had shifted into park on a steep hill. As i exited the vehicle, i released the brakes and one of my passengers alerted me that the vehicle was rolling backwards. I jumped back into the vehicle, applied the brakes and the motion stopped. I verified that park was displayed on the center console, which it was. I then shifted into reverse and neutral and back into park, and the second time the transmission engaged into park. Without my passengers alerting me to the vehicle motion, my vehicle would have crashed and potentially injured those in the vehicle. After determining the vehicle was in park, i examined the tire tracks in the snow to see if there was any chance that the vehicle slid rather than rolled on the road. The tire tracks showed clear tire indentations and did not indicate sliding, leading me to determine that the vehicle did not engage into park even though the console indicated it was in park.

I left work on friday when shifted from reverse to drive noticed i had a hesitation/slippage of gears in the middle of the road. I picked up my children went to the store noticed a mild burnt smell which i was told was transmission fluid burning so i was told to park the car. I finished my shopping came out got the kids in their seats started to back up and had no transmission. My kids and i were stranded 8 miles from home because we had no fair warning that it was going. I had never had any issues with it before. The guy i bought it from had replaced the transmission 2 years before i bought it. Ford needs to issue a recall and get things like this fixed. My kids and i could have been seriously injured has that happened on the road on the way home instead of in a parking lot.

In april of 2009 i bought a 2004 explorer from car connections in palm bay florida! this has been nothing but a nightmare!but my "main" complaint 2 weeks ago i took the truck in for regular service to find out that my "over drive" gear is gone. Aamco explained to me that ford knew that and it is a defective part!so, to get a 2nd opinion i took my truck to meineke, they also made the same comment of "that is a defective part from ford"and they will not recall the part!well, i am being charged from $3,400 to the lowest of $2,800 for repairs "excluding" tax! why am i and thousands of others paying for something that ford knew was going to be a costly repair for us consumers in this horrible recession! i feel that we/i should be compensated in some sort of way just to help for something bad they sent out. I can't even trade the truck in due to the value has decreased tremendously! i am stuck with a vehicle that is basically going to rust in my driveway for being so costly!please let ford know that they should honor what they knew was wrong! please help!

It slippes and won't just take off some take offbut the suv sits and when it does takebodf you have to let your foot up off the gas to get it to shift

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that after having some unrelated repairs performed on the vehicle, the vehicle failed to shift out of park and when it did, the vehicle could only be operated in third gear. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 123,000.

Just bought a 2004 explorer eddie bauer edition with 105,000 miles on it as soon as i got home the transmission started to slip.it lunges hard when put into reverse.this is a well known problem with ford.they refuse to do a recall.i'm sure someone will have to die before its dealt with.i pray it's not you or yours.

2000-2005 explorers have a rate of 1 out of 10 having transmission failure. I want to know why there is not a recall or a class action law suit for this vehicles transmission problems and failures. I would like any information possible to further this. There was mention on ford complaints and failures website for out of warranty explorers a "goodwill repair"? i contacted the ford company and said my vehicle did not fit the criteria. Yet when i asked for the guidelines to be sent or emailed to me, i was told this was confidential information and was told nothing could be done...i purchased this vehicle with my daughters disability money so that she would have a safe ride to dr's etc. A little over a year later the gears went totally out while driving. Road side assistance took 4 hours up until 4am. Lengthy wait for anyone let alone a disabled child. Now my daughter and i as a single mother can not afford another vehicle. Or the repairs for fords mistakes. Ford really needs to acknowledged their mistakes and fix them on a case by case basis or someone needs to put their foot up their tailpipe and sue the company. Any help suggestions or other ways to deal with this matter would be gratefully appreciated. Thank you ..[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer brand new from the dealership. At 70,000 miles i started to notice a change in the transmission slipping and suddenly kicking when going into gear. I took the vehicle to the dealership and they advised that the transmission would need to be replaced at my cost and there is no recall at the present moment. This is a safety concern because no transmission should start having problems with such little mileage. This matter really needs to be investigated and ford needs to correct this issue promptly.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 40 mph, an overdrive warning indicator illuminated while the vehicle decreased in speed. The contact stated that the vehicle was restarted, but the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,695.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated while driving 10 mph, the transmission failed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

When at a stop the automatic transmission fails to engage until engine rpms are too high for safe initial forward or rearward movement. According to the ford dealership in my city this problem is due to a defective solinoid body inside the transmission.there was one attempt to repair the problem by the local ford dealership in 2005 when the car had 11127 miles. At that time the automatic transmission solenoid valve was replaced, but the problem still persisted. That dealership went out of business about a year later.just lately the new dealership thought that the original transmission might have to be replaced in order to return the car to a safe and normal driving condition. The cost was estimated at $3500. This problem with the 2004 ford explorer has been reported by hundreds of other owners to the us dot nhtsa , but nothing has come of these complaints. The ford motor co. Also refuses to do any repairs under warranty and/or due to a factory recall, etc. The problem described refers to a very dangerous condition in which the drivers of 2004 ford explorers do not know exactly when or at what rmp level their car will suddenly and rapidly accelerate from a stop.

My car won'tshift in to gear any more.

I was on my way to work on a tuesday morning with my son who is a college student at my school on august 20, 2013.i work at a community college and it was the first week of the fall semester 2013 starting.i arrived about 10:15 a.m. And could not find parking.i found a parking stall in the staff parking lot.i put the ford explorer in reverse and was going backwards to park in the stall.when i moved the shift gear handle to put the truck into drive into the parking stall, the gear shift was just broke off.i couldn't believe it!i had to act quickly and hit the emergency brake and turn the ignition off from the car to make it stop.i was really scared!luckily, i dropped off my son so he can go to his first class.i had to have the car towed to banning, california and have my mechanic fix it.still to this day, ford cannot provide a part to fix the steering column shift level.ford says its on backorder, no one has the part.they don't know when i will have the part to fix my truck.i need help, i hope you can issue a recall on all 2004 ford explorers with gear shift level breaking off.very upset need your help to get my truck fixed.this matter has made me sick with high blood pressure and would appreciate someone to investigate this matter right away.

Transmission failure, common for ford explorer 2004.

Driving, and and light came on, 4x4 light blinking 5times every 2/3 miles.went to reverse and got a hard jerk.car started making a rubbing noise.took ithe shop was told it was either the transmission or the transfer case.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55mph the transmission down shifted to first gear causing the vehicle to slow down and the rear tires to drag. The contact was able to shift gears which brought the vehicle back to speed as he merged into a rest area. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to have a diagnostic performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 136,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body panel needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that while driving approximately 25-35 mph, a noise was heard coming from the rear differential. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. The vin number was not available.

Transmission is slipping and makes a grinding noise while driving and when back up turning the wheel it jerks and makes a banging noise. Garage said it be $3500 to fix it. It seems like tons of people with this suv are having the same problem.

I currently own a 2004 ford explorer and purchased new in 2005.have had to replace, the 2 front hubs 3 times, the rack and pinion steering and the transmission slips excessively.this vehicle is driven by my wife to school and home and used for transporting my family.i keep seeing the same problems online but no action by ford.can you say piece of junk?

2004 ford explorer with 49,000 miles.howling noise from rear.took it to ford; they rebuilt the rear differential at a cost of $1600.00.car has always been serviced at ford for routine maintenance.don't understand how this vehicle with such low mileage had to have rear differential replaced.in looking at service bulletins; this sounds like a defect that ford has not acknowledged.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 40 mph and without warning, the vehicle slipped into various gears. The contact also stated that the only way the first gear could be disengaged was to apply pressure on the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission had to be replaced twice. The vin wasnot available. The failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 85,000.

Overdrive light starting blinking car started shifting really hard and jerking.this is a known issue with ford explorers and need to be recalled. I dont have another vehiclebi really need help please

Well we just bought this explorer and just as i have read from others on this website our explorer is doing similar things. Such as shifting in reverse takes 3-7 seconds to take hold, going up the mountains the suv had major kickbacks and jerks. I have not taken to dealership as of now. Will make an apt. And put results later.

Every since we've financed this lousy suv 08/2012we've had a clicking noise from the rear and still cant figured out what that is,but the transmission has been slipping and shifting hard,we have replace front left wheel bearing and abs sensor just a few months ago and the bearing is bad again and the front right wheel has a bad ball joint and the visibility thru windshield is horrible,always have a hard time seeing, cna only see a few inches ahead!!! this car needs serious recalls the air conditioner stopped working in less then a yr!!! and we bought this car with only 68,506 miles!! we already spend over a grand for a fuel pump!!! this car sucks!!! plz help we still owe thousands and everytime we blink an eye it's not safe to drive because of wheel problems!!!!

While parked, i started up my vehicle and put the truck in reverse. However, the truck would not reverse. I was able to drive forward and took my vehicle to mechanic. He stated that the fords were "well known" for having bad transmission due to certain pieces not fitting, especially the 2002-2006 models. I searched online and realized this problem is a lot bigger than just "a few" cases. This is an epidemic of neglect! additional issues include the throttle body for which your establishment has already investigated but limited the "recall" for years 2009-2013. This should be extended further to cover all incidents within a certain mileage. Mine started around fifty thousand miles until i had it replaced for $650! i request an investigation on the transmission failures, specifically with the inability to reverse.

Going 55 miles an hour truck slip out of gear.

O/d light came on and the transmission started slipping and slamming in and out of gears and the engine started over revving.i have to pull off the road and turn car off and wait about 10 seconds to start car again in order for problem to clear.this has happened may times since.i bought the car new and have returned it to the ford dealer 3 times while under warranty and there fixes would not last long. Now they want $3,000 to replace the transmission which i feel they should have done in the first place.i contacted ford customer service and of course they said there was nothing they could do because it was out of warranty.i feel because of the cars history and low miles on it they should have at least done something. I feel if this happens on a major highway it could cause a major accident.

It seems that my transmission is starting to slip and shift hard.

When reversing, loud banging clunking noise is heard from the back. The car jerks back harshly after long delay in going back into drive.

Shortly after i first purchased the vehicle after about 2-3 years ago. I noticed it would jerk & was hard to shift gears. It would sometimes be in gear & not gas. After i took it to a shop to have it looked at it was a wire or cable loose to the trans. Everything seemed ok for awhile thereafter but then it started again. Just recently as i was on the expressway the transmission overheated light sensor came on & then the check transmission sensor followed. I researched and found that 1 out of every 10 customers with a ford explorer between 2000-2004 have transmissions issues. Also i called to ford customer service and was advised that there is no recall even with several complaints and that no goodwill or financial services could be offered to assist me with the repairing of my vehicle, even after i stressed my complete dissatisfaction with the outcome.

After purchasing my 2004 ford explorer i noticed hesitation and lurching upon acceleration causing a safety hazard when proceeding out into traffic.several service appointments were made and ford was unable to replicate the problem, although all other persons that drive the vehicle have identified it.with the new information recently released on these vehicles, i am very concerned for my safety and wish to have this vehicle repaired.

At 50,000 my 2004 ford explorer xlt started having transmission problems. It does a slamming when putting into reverse. The brake has to be pushed all the way to floor to keep the vehicle from lurching into anyone or anything. It also has a slipping and jerking when the vehicle shifts into 2nd and again when it shifts into 3rd. I am not the only person with this issue.

Transmission continually fails to engage properly.delayed response and harsh shift in gears.from reverse to drive and vice versa, there is a delay and harsh engagement.at first the incidents were barely noticeable and less frequent.now they are a common occurrence and more pronounced.fearful of complete failure whilst accelerating onto highway/street.often times there is a delay shifting into drive when reversing out of a parking spot.holding up traffic, etc.

2004 ford explorer having transmission problems.does not shift properly from park to reverse or drive to reverse.has a hesitation before it goes into gear.they should be recalled.there could be injuries because when it hesitates one is pushing on the gas pedal and all of a sudden it goes into gear.

My vehicle when put in reverse will hesitate then engage approx. 30 sec. Later as if rearended. When i am in drive and accelerate my 04 explorer xlt will hesitate then engaged.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, he could feel a slip in the gears. He also stated that when shifting into reverse, there was a violent shift in the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed the contact that he needed to replace thetransmission. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000. Updated 12/14/2011 updated 02/23/11

Dt*:the contact stated while placing the vehicle into reverse with the brake pedal depressed, the transmission jumps into reverse.the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection.the dealer could not duplicate the problem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 35mph and changing gears, the transmission hesitated. When reverse is engaged, there was a delay, a hard noise and difficult to shift. The dealer has not diagnosed the failure. The current and failure mileages were 36,000.

After shifting in reverse gear vehicle lurches forward. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

As i put the transmission into reverse, when backing out of my garage, there is a hesitation in the shift into reverse between 4 and 8 seconds, then the transmission goes into reverse with a bang.this just started happening to me, lately, on a number of occaisions.the explorer was bought in july of 2004 and as of this date has 9,500 miles on it, and the latest incident was 12-15-04.

2004 ford explorer xlt 22,000 miles. Vehicle will not shift into reverse unless you step on the accellerator. Then it engages with a loud bang, slams into gear and lurches backwards. Car also pauses between shifts during acceleration. Have a service appointment with dealer yet was told transmission solenoid to fix the problem was on back order.

I was dropping my son off at his friend's house.i pulled into the driveway and put the truck in park.i opened my door, got out, walked around the front of my vehicle and accompanied my son up to the front door.all of a sudden, the truck started to roll forward on the driveway and crash into the homeowners fence.when i got into the truck, it was still in park.there was damage to my front bumper as well as the fence that it crashed into.thank god it didn't happen while i was walking in front of it!this transmission on this vehicle has been a problem since the beginning.i too experienced the "thump" as it slammed into reverse, only for ford to deny there was a problem and finally put the additive into the tranny.what a way to fix the problem!...never again will i buy a ford.i just hope no one has to lose their life for ford to do something about this.

2004 ford explorer v6 transmission od light flashing and transmission slips out of gear at times.

Appx. 2 weeks ago i was driving my vehicle at about 45 mph and i heard this loud noise someplace around the passenger front underside of the vehicle.since, my brand new 2004 ford explorer xlt is having transmission problems.when putting into reverse, it does not go into gear until you put your foot on the gas and then it jerks very hard and the tires skip on the pavement.the vehicle also does this when putting into drive, and when driving will not go into gear unless you take your foot off of the gas pedal and then re-apply the gas.we leased this car brand new late july 2004 and have just reached the 4 month mark yesterday.the dealership denied any service problems or recalls for this but on your website i found at least 2 similar problems.the dealerships will not provide a rental car which i find absurd!this is a brand new car and obviously a problem with these cars.we have one vehicle and have to car pool throughout the day for the both of us to be able to work our jobs.the dealerships indicated that the car would have to sit for at least three to four business days before they can even look at it!if i were to take the car in, we would have absolutely no transportation to work as we just moved to a new state and city august of this year and know nobody.

There is clearly a defect in ford explorer transmissions. My 2004 explorer had shifting problems at the 2-21/2 year mark. It was limped through by replacing the solenoid. Now at 42/3 years (out of warranty) it is doing the exact same thing and suddenly needs a new transmission at the 41,000 mile mark. I feel ford has a clear problem based on the number of complaints and i am sure that is a small fraction of the problem as most people don't know to complain. Ford has put bandaids on the problem until the warranty is up, then the consumer gets stuck. While this may not be a safety issue, it is clearly a defective transmission/ design flaw and consumers need to be compensated. What does it take to have something recalled? does a life have to be lost? these transmissions are lemons and the consumers have been ripped off. Many probably remain silent because they think they were just unlucky so i am sure the complaints you have are just the tip of the iceberg. It seems your agency should protect not just from injury, but from frauds and deception. Ford has been deceptive and should be accountable for these lemons.

In 2005, my 2004 ford explorer was part of a recall for the transmission. I took it to ford service and they put some type of additive. They told me the problem was fixed. From 2005 to 2011 the transmission would have problems, it would turn off when i put it in reverse. Furthermore, when i put the car in reverse it would pause then shift back hard. Unfortunately, i never took the car back to ford to get it checked because the car would always turn right back on. In january of 2011 my car had 72,000 miles. While i was driving the car suddenly turned off on me. Immediately, the service engine soon light came on. Also, the o/d off light began flashing. When i would restart the vehicle it would turn on. However, when i shifted into drive it would turn off. So i was unable to drive the vehicle. I took the car to ford service and they explained to me that i need a new (remanufactured) transmission at a cost of $4,000. My car is currently in the service department waiting to be fixed.*ln

Purchased a new 2004 ford explorer in august of 2004.brought suv in for recall of transmission fluid additive/replacement.suv starting to hesitate and jump into reverse.when stopped at a light or stop sign on a hill the vehicle rolls backward when moving my foot from the brake to the gas pedal.brought back to dealer in july of 2006, replaced solenoid at approximately 16,000 miles.when vehicle is started revs a little high then balances out.leather seats also cracking and dealer will not replace them stating that it is simply wear and tear.

Power transmission-does not engage reverse every time the car is put into gear.took to dealer and was told this is a common problem.had to pay part of the repairs because the car was out of warranty.

Transmission failure!!!!the o/d warning began to flash...the recommendation is to service transmission asap.the only issue is that my 2004 ford explorer only has 61,672 miles.the estimated repair cost is approximately $2000-3000.

2004 ford explorer clunks when putting into reverse.this problem has been reported before and i think ford is considering a program. I have taken my explorer to the dealer, and they said they couldn't replicate the condition.it does it all the time, and i think they are avoiding repairs.the carhas only 9,000 miles and is under warranty.transmission has wrong fluid and faulty shift solenoid per ford's own press releases.

Purchased used 2004 explorer xlt 12/6/07 at 53,000 miles.approx 6 mos later, it began having delayed shifting and would jerk into reverse.at times i had pulled out too far into the road and needed to back up to avoid a collision and the car would not safely reverse quickly.it would hesitate and then jerk into reverse at a high speed.the tranny would slip after slowing down and then accelerating.once after shifting into reverse, i hit the gas and it revved up as if in neutral.i paused and hit the gas again without changing gears and it reversed.the first dealer said its tranny fluid was low and they topped it off.no change.the second dealer reprogrammed it with no change.they replaced the solenoid which seemed to fix the jerky shifting and improper acceleration.now it is progressively getting worse again, just like last time.it starts out only having issues once a month and then they become more regular until it happens every time you drive the car.i don't think the car is safe as i cannot get it to move quickly when i need it to.the car has a new appointment with the dealer and i think they are going to replace the transmission.i have seen sites where hundreds of other explorer owners have had the same problem, sometimes even much worse than this one.the dealers are stumped because it doesn't show any codes.according to the computer nothing is wrong with my car when even i can tell that it has major transmission problems.it now has 80,000 and i have paid the deductible at least three times and still no change.i better have a new transmission coming to me...

My 2004 ford explorer xlt makes a clunking noise and harshly shifts when going into reverse. Sometimes there is a lag of up to 5 seconds before engaging into reverse, which may put me in danger when trying to turn around in traffic.

Shifting from "drive" to "reverse" transmission engages harshly.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving in reverse approximately 2 mph, the transmission exhibited a delay response and would slip violently into gear. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they informed her that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. One year and six months later, after the new transmission was installed, the vehicle failed to accelerate over 30 mph. The failure was diagnosed by the dealer who stated that the transmission needed to be replaced for the second time. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000. The vin was unavailable.

I just purchased a used ford explorer xlt from a dealer and took for test drive seemed ok purchased the vehicle and noticed the next day upon driving that the transmission going from park to reverse out of my garage took a few seconds before cluncking into gear almost causing me to hit my garage i took to my mechanic which he changed out my fluid adding the additive that he new was required he owns a trans shop and is very reputable he stated about the recall also he checked my differentials in front and rear and noticed rear was all full of silver shavings we changed out fluids also but the shifting and vibrating still is occurring i did purchase a full warranty and after reading all the negative press on this site i hope the purchase of a ford vehicle and warranty was worth the money.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact observed a long hair line fracture along the panel below the rear windshield. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they informed the contact that the rear windshield panel would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 44,000.the consumer also stated he had difficulty shifting the gear into reverse. Updated 01/06/11 updated01/24/11 updated 02/03/11

Transmission is slipping, rpm's racing before engaging into gears. Hard clunk when shift from reverse to forward. Losing power while waiting for shifts to engage.

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer last year.almost immediately after the purchase but after warranty expiration i had to pay for a new wheel bearing.a few months ago i had the car serviced and was told the rear differential has issues.a loud roar as i drive.about a month ago i heard the familiar sound of another wheel bearing talking to me.i pick my daughter up everyday from school and rely on this vehicle to be functioning in a safe manner.i researched a bit and found complaint after complaint regarding these issues. I can see that this complaint is old news but it is a serious safety issue and an on going problem.it is not cheap either!i am disgusted with this car and demand this widespread issue be resolved.thank you for your time.joseph sullivan

My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a whine in the rear end at appx 56-58 mph. Took to dealer and was told it was the ring and pinion would have to be replaced.

I have a 2004 ford explorer.i have two complaints with this vehicle.the first is that the back gate cracked from the window.the second complaint is that my truck is making a loud thump in reverse, and after i put it in drive after being in reverse, the transmission is slipping making it dangerous to pull out into traffic.i was almost hit twice pulling into traffic from the engine slipping.

Shifting into reverse, the vehicle will not move, when you give it more gas, then suddenly surge. This latest incident, i almost hit a pedestrian.i thought this was a throttle response issue, but now i think it maybe a transmission issue.this has been an issue since the day i bought it....the dealer put some fluid in the transmission and re-calibrated the throttle. Dealer said this is the first year ford used an electronic throttle. (no cable from gas pedal to throttle body.) after reading the newspaper article, seems that many owners have had similar complaints.

My 2004 ford explorer has had a problem with chattering in the differential and delayed shifting of the automatic transmission gears, especially reverse, since it was purchased.when i am in an urban parrallel park situation, i have hit the car behind me hard on several occassions because of the delayted shifting.as you shift, you naturally put a foot on the accelerator.when there is a delay, the car then bolts into reverse at a high speed.i have brought my car to the dealer 5-6 times, and they have always done something, but nothing ever works to eliminate the chattering and the delayed shifting.

Since owning the car, it has had trouble with the transmission.when shifting into reverse it will suddenly lurch backwards.causing the car to momentarily loose control.it is a concern when backing out of parking spaces, and could potentiality cause an accident.the transmission solenoid and a few gaskets have been replaced, but the dealer does not know the true cause of the problem.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer writes in regards to having to replace the solenoid for the third time. *tgwthe consumer stated the vehicle would not engage into reverse without jolting and hard shifting.

At 25526 miles took vehicle to dealer for delay in shifting. Dealer flushed with bg conditioner. At 26073 miles returned to dealer for clunking on shifting, dealer removed pan found debris, overhauled valve body and replaced solenoid pack. Continued to have issues but dealer was unable to replicate. Transmission failure at 63323 miles on 04 ford explorer, total replacement of transmission for the cost of $3527.60 out of our pocket, no warranties honored.

2004 explorer exhibited signs of not shifting smoothly into reverse as early as aug/sep 04. Pronounced delay of shifting into reverse around 2004 holiday season.called dealership upon receipt of letter from ford in january, but transmission additive not yet available.after additive (march 05), vehicle continued to jump into reverse and forward shifting at lower speeds became more pronounced. This presents a hazard particular in city driving and in backing out of tight parking areas.have been working with dealer to anaylze proper repair and manufacturer's responsibility. No satisfactory resolution yet.

Transmission is sloppy when shifting in general, sometimes has lag time when shifting from forward to reverse and a clunking noise can occur. Dealer had investigated multiple times with minor adjustments helping to reduce about 50-75% of the issue.

Dt*: the contact stated the transmission is slipping, hesitating and jerking while going into gear. When putting the vehicle into park the lever is in the park position; however, the transmission is still in reverse. The transmission is making a howling noise that is being heard from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealership and the solenoid in the transmission was replaced. This did not remedy the problem.

I am having problems with the automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer (44,000 miles). I was having my ac fixed at my local dealership when they informed me there was an oil additive that needed to be put into my transmission to prevent hesitation and slipping due to a manufacturing problem. 6 months later i began experiencing harsh engagement when shifting into reverse as well slipping in the transmission when speeding up and slowing down. I brought the car back to my local dealership (world ford) where the work was done and they explained i might need to install a solenoid into the transmission and that would cost me $900.00. Knowing that this is a problem from the manufacturer i contacted ford corporate headquarters and explained everything. Ford corporate ran me around for about two weeks (hanging up the phone, placing me on hold for a long time and promising to call me back but it never happens). I have done quite a bit of research on this matter only to find out that there are thousands of people with the same problem. I found out that during the manufacturing of my vehicle an improperly formulated transmission fluid was used in the transmission. I also spoke to several people with this problem and i was told the $900.00 solenoid does not help the problem at all. I would like to know what actions i can take to get my car repaired. Thank you in advance for all your help.

I own a 2004 ford explorer xlt v6.on 2/9/2009, i left my workplace at about 6pm and within about 1/4 mile my automatic transmission started slipping.i shifted to 3rd gear and it did not slip.within about 1 mile after shifting to 3rd, the overdrive light started flashing.within about 5 miles the vehicle turned off and the service engine light came on as well, while i was traveling approximately 50 mph on a causeway!i was able to pull over to the right.i turned the vehicle completely off.turned the vehicle back on, put it into drive and no warning lights were displayed.i continued for about 1 mile, and drive started slipping again.i put it into 3rd, overdrive light started blinking.approximately another 5 miles the vehicle shut off completely and service engine light came on again.i was able to pull over to the right.turned the vehicle off, back on, and again proceeded home.i made it home.i have two children that luckily were not in the vehicle with me.my concern is that the transmission randomly failed and then the vehicle completely shut off, which could have resulted in an accident because the steering could've locked and the power brakes could've disengaged because the car was off.

Transmission slams hard into gear upon acceleration and when braking. Does this all the time. When shifting into reverse, it does not engage immediately and then engages hard with a sudden and unexpected lurch backwards. This happens 8 of 10 times when shifting to reverse. No attempt to correct as it appears there is no fix short of a new transmission = $$$ i don't have.

My transmission started slipping gears. It would also clunk and hang up in reverse. Sometimes when engaged in drive it would surge forward. Several times i have been very lucky and kept my foot on the brake. If not, i am afraid to think of the consequences.after taking to a certified ford dealership, it no longer slips in gear, but it still clunks. Now it hesitates when changing gear. The dealer says this is normal. I have tried 4 times to get them to fix this but they keep saying its normal. This is not my first ford explorer 4x4 and i have never experience any hesitations when the gears change in any vehicles i have ever driven or owned. This will be my last ford ever!

Transmission was sticking when the car was put in reverse.after a few seconds of acelleration there is a bang and the car jolts back rapidly. I am still afraid to parallel park.i also noticed some sticking/hesitation from park to drive. I took it in for service on 12/07/04 and the solenoids were replaced along with some other work on the trans. The dealership told me that the parts were on hand because they know about the problem.if that was the case why no recall letter?there are only about 6500 miles (rounding up) on my vehicle and when i purchased it in june of 2004 it was brand new. I am deeply concerned that the problem will return or that some of the others that i've read about will develop. How many complaints/repairs before a recall is issued?

I understand there are worse vehicle failures out there, but the sheer fact that so many owners of my vehicle, 2004 ford explorer (and its respective brothers: lincoln aviator and mercury mountaineer) are experiencing transmission failure has led me here.the transmission in my truck is getting progressively worse and at the moment i am almost afraid to have my wife and our 2 children ride in it.the delay in the shift causes us to slow slightly in traffic and i fear (as do so many other ford/mercury and lincoln owners experiencing the same problem) that its inevitable failure may result in an accident or worse.ford refuses to accept any responsibility for this even though every owner is experiencing this at the same mileage on the same model vehicle.one recall, in 2005 i believe, addressed a need for "solenoid additive" to the transmission.many feel this was just a band-aid placed over a broken bone for ford and merely delayed the transmissions failure.(past the warranty) could it be that so many explorer / mountaineer / aviator owners are simply running their $30,000+ vehicles into the ground?or is ford refusing to stand behind a faulty product?just like the firestone tires several years back, ford shouldbe held accountable before a bad situation becomes disastrous.

When shifting into reverse, the car jerks (shifts hard) backwards every time.eventually, transmission had to be rebuilt.the problem no longer exists.

2004 explorer has had ongoing transmission problems since the day i purchased it. I only became aware of the factory mistake in transmission fluid two weeks after purchasing a leftover. Somehow it wasn't discovered until more than a yearlater? i have problems with the car lurching into reverse and not engaging in park correctly. The car rolls about 2-4 feet when in park and now the new problem is it refuses to go into drive and revs in neutral until you press onthe arm of the gear shifter with considerable force. I have brought this into the dealer two times for this problem. Twice i was told there was nothing wrongand they couldn't duplicate the problem. When i was leaving the dealership the second time the car lurched into reverse in their parking lot, i'm only sorry that the service manager's care wasn't parked behind me! i am bringing it in again since the new trick is when you stop on the highway (to pay a toll) the entire chassis and body of the car shake and vibrate so violently that things fall off the dashboard. Only by depressing and holding the brake pedal to the floor can i diminish the shaking. I use my car for transporting my family. If it is not corrected this time to my satisfaction, ford will take this car back. I'm disgusted with the attitude of the dealerships i have taken it to and the incompetent service i have received since the day i purchased this vehicle.

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer new at a local dealership.i started having transmission problem soon after purchase. Not shifting into reverse properly.took the vehicle several times back to dealership.received transmission additive recall and took vehicle back again.about 5,000 miles after additive transmission problems worsened.solenoid replace at 20,000 miles and again at 35,000 with other transmission parts replaced.now at 59,000 miles of use transmission is completely gone and must be replaced.

When placing my 2004 ford explorer in reverse, it hesitates then engages in gear with a noticeable jump and "clanging" noise. Purchased vehicle new in 8/2004.

2004 ford explorer purchased new, experienced transmission issues very quickly, hard engagement into reverse, clunking when downshifting, car lurches upon acceleration during a slow turn. I have had into dealership 5 times, beginning 1 year ago at 10,000 miles. Recall additive put in 1st time, 2nd time at 15,000 miles i lost the entire right rack and pinion while driving (would not steer to the right), they told me after repair, the transmission problem was also gone. 3rd time they put in a qt. Of transmission fluid. 4th time they replaced the solenoid. 5th time i requested buy-back. Their transmission tech guy went with me, he observed the problem; happened multiple times. They did not keep vehicle at that time. One month later after i had to keep calling back they took the vehicle in again and this time they added another additive and reprogrammed the pcm. They also had to repair the transmission indicator cable, it told me i was in reverse when i was in park. Picked up car today, they told me it shifted great now, and they would give me an extended 5 yr. 75,000 mile warranty. I declined, stated i wanted a buy-back. While driving home, the car once again clunked while decelerating and also while accelerating into a turn. I have filed with the bbb auto line.

Delay in transmission engaging in either reverse or forward gear is highly dangerous because auto suddenly slams into gear and lurches forward.this has also occurred at highway speeds when the gear suddenly engages and causes a severe lurch forward with a bang so severe i thought i had hit something.also, there is a chatter when accelerating during a turn and vibration of the driveshaft at varying speeds.i was told by the service dept. When i complained after purchasing the car that this delay was normal.on the second visit, they replaced the differential which caused a vibration and whine in the drive train.i returned it and the differential again was replaced and the drive shaft balanced with no improvement.i have been waiting for parts for quite sometime.the fluid additive is not available nor has the solenoid been replaced, but i understand this does not work either.

My transmission slams into reverse and also has problems in the forward gears. Ford has a recall on the transmisson to put a lubricant in the transmission. I don't see how this will solve the problem. Vehicle has been to the repair shop with no positive results.

2004 ford explorer when shifted into park will show it is in park but is really still in reverse. This is a major safety issue which has not been recalled. In addition there was a recall for improper transmission additive being used and now the transmission solenoid on these models are going bad causing the transmission to shift erratically.

The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer has started slipping. It does not want to go into gear correctly. It only has 107,600 miles on it. I live just outside birmingham, al and the traffic is very heavy and dangerous here.not a place i want my vehicle breaking down.i just hung up the phone with ford motor co and they have nothing to offer in the way of help.they said tohold on to receipts in case of recall. :-(you bet your life i will!my sister's 2005 did the same thing at just over 100,000 miles.

When we purchased the vehicle it went into gear rough and i asked the sales person about it and he said that is how this vehicle goes into gear. We started to notice hesitation when we accelerated from either a stop or while driving. We brought it in and they said they calibrated the computer. Then we started to get rear end leaks and had to be repaired 3 times. The transmission problems continued and we brought it to another dealer because of the poor service at the purchasing dealership. They replaced a solenoid valve and overhauled main control. This did not help and then the problem began to show new symptoms. Now when we back up it locks up and then jerks back into gear going backwards. I have told both dealerships of my concerns about residual damage to the transmission and was assured that it would not happen. It has. Our last couple of visits we have been lied to and the work order has not been correctly reflecting what we said and what was found by the tech's. There is no mention on the report that two of then had the reveres problems happening to them. I did not want to leave with it like that but they would not change it. I do have a tech's statement written on it and signed. Now they replaced the rear end abs sensor and followed the 05-3-8 recall 4x4 control module per hotline. They said they did two road tests but i checked my mileage and they only drove 1.9 miles. How can you do two transmission road tests within 1.9 miles?we are very concerned and afraid to drive this vehicle and injure or kill our family and possible someone else. After doing some research we have found out that this is an on going problem with the 2004 ford explorer and that there are hundreds of people in the same situation with no resolution in sight. This at the very least will cost us all thousands of dollars for fords mistake and lack of responsible action. But in truth our families will end up either injured or dead first. Why will no one help us with this problem?r.s.

I have been driving a 2004 ford explorer since december 2004 when my daughter left it for me when she moved.it had approximately 11,000 miles. She had noticed a hard shift, especially when going into reverse and a rough idle and vibration, but had not had a chance to have it looked at.except for when i have been out of town, i have serviced that car at a ford dealership religiously.i complained about these problems but nothing was ever found.i was not even told about some of the things i have read about on your website which seem to indicate that ford was aware of the problems and causes.finally, at just under 36,000 miles, the transmission failed and had to be replaced.now, 47,000 miles later, this new transmission is leaking and they have to take it out to see where it's leaking from.i read here about that problem, too.to me, it is clear that ford is using mickey mouse transmissions which, of course, pose a safety hazard depending on when, where, and how the failure manifests itself, and is also an affront to the consumer who is being defrauded by being sold a far more inferior vehicle than the one for which they bargained.so,how's your investigation going?

My explorer limited hesitates a few seconds before shifting into reverse. When it finally does shift, it slams into gear. The engines does not rev during this period as i have heard others say theirs does. It seems to only do this when the car is warmed up and not every time. Also, it sometimes slams into gear after you've slowed down to turn onto another street then hit the gas. I have been to a ford dealer and had the transmission additive put in. This actually made things worse! i paid a lot of money for this car and expect it to perform as such.

Transmission began experiencing problems shifting between 2 and 3 rd gear, into overdrive, and into reverse.on 5/12/06 i took the vehicle to the dealership and the technician was able to diagnose the problem with my vehicle with the keys still in my purse and the vehicle in the parking lot.based on the other vehicles he had seen he had a good idea what my explorer's problem was.unbeknownst to me, three weeks prior to my problem my neighbor had the same exact problem with his explorer.evidently the transmission, solenoid, problem wit the explorer is common and would leave on to believe it tis a products liability claim on either the manufacturer or one of its parts suppliers.3 solenoids were replaced and my air filter was replaced.my out of pocket cost was $996..

Have a 2004 ford explorer with bad transmission. Delay in shifting in reverse and a jolt into gear caused be to slam into items in my garage. Although no one was hurt, it can happen. Ford has know of this issue as well as 2-3 gears slipping which can cause a slowing of the vehicle in traffic.

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer 30jun08, in march 2009, in less than a year i have had to replace the module/engine control, the battery and the alternator at the willowbrook ford dealership. I paid a total of 2033.60 in repairs. When i got home last friday night and was parking my car, as i went into reverse i felt a jolt in shifting from the transmission. Yesterday driving to work again i felt the transmission slipping and hard shifting. The o/d light begin to flash and i couldn't accelerate over 40mph. On my way home from work, again i could not accelerate over 30mph but now its making a horrible noise and the service engine and o/d lights are flashing. This is a well known problem as i have read numerous complaints about it online. Why hasn't ford recalled these faulty transmission? i have until jul10 before this car is paid off and still owe over 6000.00. This is the fifth ford i've owned and i am totally disgusted by this whole situation. As a single mom of 3, i don't have any thousands of dollars sitting around waiting to throw it away in ford repairs. Someone has to step in for us consumers who are being ripped off. Please help us.

2004 ford explorer transmission does not shift correctly.delays when put in reverse and then lunges back with a clunking sound.also, hard shift and clunking in drive.

My 2004 ford explorer jerks into reverse when shifting from park to reverse.it also slips gears in the lower gears when driving in a lower speed zone.this is an acknowledged problem, but ford refuses to fix the transmission.

The transmission was slipping and finally one day i put the car in reverse and the car did not even move.i had to get my transmission rebuilt at 60,000 miles. I also am having a big problem with the paint peeling off the roof of the car near which was not covered under any warranty which is crazy especially when the service dept at my local ford dealership says that my year and make has paint problems and they have seen it happen many times but no recall was ever issued.

No accident or injury has occurred. The transmission shifter binds when shifting into park. The interlock solenoid pin has worn a grove in the cam in which it contacts. When shifting from any gear to park, if you release the brake pedal at the right time the vehicle will not go fully into park.

Vehicle hesitates when put into reverse, then slams into reverse with a sudden jerk. Have to keep brake to the floor waiting for it to engage to keep the vehicle from hurting anyone. Upon waiting for part that is on back order, the vehicle now misses gears when driving down the road and sometimes slams into the next gear even if it is down shifting. Part was supposed to be hear last week and now they are telling us that it may be middle of next month before it gets here!we have children and are very worried about what will happen if this is not fixed very soon! mechanic said that all 2004 explorers are having this problem at about 15,000 miles which is when this began in ours. Very worried!!!!!

I have a 2004 ford explorer with less than 75,000 miles on it.i am a very conservative driver and do not put a lot of miles on my cars.the transmission went out and the guy at aamco said the inside of it was a mess, everything was chewed up.it cost me $3,550 to have it fixed.at the time it failed i was going down the highway at 55 mph and it suddenly dropped to about 25mph.

I bought my 2004 ford explorer limited feb 2008. The only work done was oil changes, tire rotations etc....around 50,000 miles suddenly1)the cruise control stopped functioning properly. When used it causes the vehicle to stall.....2) a crack appeared in the hatch for no apparent reason. No accidents, no weather issues....3) the o/d light comes on and the transmission symbol lights up. Hesitates went put in reverse then jerks into movement. Repair shop says the transmission needs repairs costing 2000+.

2004 ford explorer has extreme engagement into reverse. Have had multiple trips to dealership for repair prior to this final repair by independent repair shop. If driver doesn't anticipate this condition personal injury and/or property damage could occur.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. When the contact shifted into reverse gear the vehicle would not move for approximately four to five minutes. The vehicle also made a loud noise and then moved in reverse. The vehicle was previously taken to the dealer in 2007 and the solenoid was replaced per the warranty. The dealer wanted to replace the solenoid a second time for $1000 at the owners expense. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 42,000.

When putting the vehicle in reverse it surged. Consumer was able to stop the vehicle without any incident. Vehicle was towed to the dealership for inspection and the mechanicdeterminedthat the transmissionfailed.

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2007. Shortly after i started to feel two things, a hesitation in the gears as they shift from one to the next, and the more pressing issue, a stall followed by a jerk when put into reverse.i took it in three times concerning this issue and was told each time that it was normal and was a hesitation in the gas relaying the information to the "computer".the warranty has run out and i once again took it back for these same issues only this time they did find something wrong with it and i am stuck footing the bill on something that should have been fixed under warranty.i've also read several complaints on this issue on this site and on fords website and am wondering... Why hasn't anything been done?ford knows about this, and it is apparent theoffice of defects investigation knows about this, but it is still an issue!!!if ford isn't going to be a respectable company and fix this problem on their own, then why hasn't an investigation started to force them to fix this problem?this needs to be investigated, it obviously isn't a fluke problem and is a major safety issue!!!

Vehicles exhibit an axle whine or hum during acceleration, deceleration and/or cruise.

On january 17, 2009, i was attempting to back my 2004 ford explorer out of my driveway.when i attempted to put the truck into reverse, the steering column-mounted gear shift mechanism broke.the "wand" broke completely away from the column, with only the rubber covering holding it in place.later, when a mechanic opened up the steering column, it was apparent that the gear shift mechanism failed because a piece of metal broke in half; it looked to be made of some soft metal.because of the way ford designed the transmission, the entire steering column had to be replaced.the explorer had only 55,000 miles on it at the time of the incident.total expenses for repairs were in excess of $1,600.

2004 ford explorer, still has harsh shift from park to rear, have to press brake hard so car does not jerk when shifting to rear, fluid was replacedby ford dealer 2 years ago but harsh shifting never addressed since it was on and off 2 years ago, presently happens much more often.

There is a lag between putting the car in reverse and the car actually going backwards. When it does back up the car jerks backwards at an accelerated rate. It also does this when changing gears while driving. This started right after i bought the car, and i brought it back to the dealer, and they replaced the transmission fluid. This has not helped. If fact as the car ages, it is getting worse.

Trans in 2002 to 2005 ford explorers are bad. They slip in and out of gear. Sometime you have to wait 5 to 10 seconds before it will move and this almost got me hit in mine by a 18 wheeler more than once. Talked with ford dealers they all clam its a ford mess up but there is no recalls yet. And this is with them beginning with in 20,000 to 90,000 miles on the explorers. I know of over 900 cases of this first hand and someone needs to get ford off their butt and do something. Noone can keep putting out 3500.00 for a rebuilt trans while their still paying on the vehicles. All of them go bad right after the warranty runs out. Being in law enforcement i see this every day and its not sage for family's in these vehicles. If something isn't done asap someone going to get hurt or die. They slip all the time when you back up your sitting in the road for 10 seconds waiting for it to go in drive then drive slips until you get to 35 miles an hour then their fine until you stop again. Call ford motor company and they just say sorry cant help you should have got the extra warranty on the vehicle. Me personally if it happens again im going to ford motor company and drive it right through the front doors and leave it there.

Transmission does not always respond when shifting into reverse. Sometimes when shifting vehicle in reverse it does nothing and when you press the accelerator the vehicle then suddenly jerks backwards and makes apoping sound. Also, sometimes when slowing down it feels like it is ?dropping? out of gear.this only occurs occasionally. I took it in today for the recall notice i had received to replace the wrong type oftransmission fluid that was put in the vehicle at the factory. I am concerned that this will cause an accident when trying to back up in tight places.

The transmission of my 2004 ford explorer does not alwaysrespond when shifting into reverse. This problem is also occuring occasionally when shifting into forward or drive. The problem going into reverse has been happening for a while and quite often but yes it is intermittent. When shifting into reverse, the transmission initially does nothing and when you press the accelerator the vehicle lurches or the drive train bangs, depending on how much the accelerator is pressed. I went to the dealer and they say that it has to happen in their presence. This is not always convienent and could take several visits for them to agree that i am experiencing the problem. They also stated that they are not sure that the present approach to rectifying the issue is the correct or final one. I asked for a service bulletin regarding my vehicle and their policy on repairing this and they refused. I feel i am entitled to any and all service bulletins concerning this vehicle. Since this is a problem that can occur creating a unexpected amount of motion or movement of the vehicle when the vehicle lurches there should be a greater effeort to be proactive in addressing consumer inquiries not trying to avoid any expense on their part in fixing the issue.

Purchased my 2004 explorer in february '04.at approximately 20,000 miles the vehicle began having a delayed engagement into reverse which was harsh and caused the vehicle to jolt rearward.brought to dealer and it was fixed.vehicle operated normally until recently when the problem began again.vehicle now has 40,000 miles.seems this may be a recurring problem.transmission performance is also poor as this problem exhibits itself, especially noted when transmission downshifts.downshifting from 2nd to 1st is very harsh.is this going to be investigated?it seems a preliminary evaluation should be launched by given the volume of complaints of this exact nature.

Engaging the transmission in "reverse" it hesitates, slips then surges. Loud banging/clunking noises heard, sounds like universal joint. Dealer states parts on order. Apparently this is a known defect to ford, dealer blames it on a defective servo, synchro or solinoid. Awaiting nationwide back ordered parts from the same manufacture, what makes me think that this same part won't again fail. What is ford's responsibility regarding warranty extension for the transmission which still is encountering the same problems as i await the repair parts? sounds like a safety problem to me.

Purchased 2004 exp xlt in 2007 with 34,600 miles.took it to dealer while still under warranty.said jerking into reverse and delayed shifting between 2nd + 3rd was "normal".found out "normal" meant they all do it, but not that it is correct.a ford dealer told me solenoid body replacement will fix it.after reading the numerous complaints on-line, am not sure.the seat belt retractors do not work (didn't on the '94 either) but at least the seats in the 94 were comfortable.just do not ever buy a ford again!.a friend has exactly the same model with exactly the same issue.hard to believe ford does not want to do anything for their customers.but it does make it easy to understand why life-long ford owners will never own another one.my froend said they only offered him $3200 for his 2004 exp xlt on a trade-in.not very much unless they know about the problem.really sad ford will do nothing.i feel bad for all the good service people that are foced to lie to customers while ford hides behind the curtain.

Ford has an obvious design flaw in the transmission for the 2004 explorer.similar to thousands of others,when put into reverse the vehicle hesitates for 5 - 10 seconds and then bangs into gear with a sudden power surge.we've barely managed to avoid hitting the house and other vehicles.a "repair" just cost us ~$900.ford claims no knowledge of a problem.what a joke!

The contacts owns a 2004 ford explorer. After driving in reverse and parking the vehicle it began to move after the back door was opened. She was able to engage the brake pedal to stop the vehicle from moving and confirmed that the gear shift was in park. The body shop mechanic was unable to duplicate or diagnose the failure. The contact stated that it was caused due to slippage of the gears and although the gear indicator reads park it is not fully engaged. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 39000 and current mileage was 44000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked, she opened the rear glass window located on the lift gate.the window was open for a few moments until one of the two hinges broke resulting in the window hanging by one hinge.upon examining the broken hinge she noticed that the screw holding the hinge in place also broke in half. The failure was not diagnosed.the vehicle was not repaired.she also stated that the vehicle hesitated to shift into reverse and would lunge forward before moving in reverse. When shifting from reverse to drive, the failure recurred and she heard a popping noise when the vehicle finally shifts into gear. The failures have occurred intermittently.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was not repaired and the failure continued to recur intermittently. The failure and current mileages were 160,000.

I own a 2004 ford explorer and in 2006 i had to have the solenoid shifters replaced in my vehicle.after researching this problem on the internet i have found that this transmission problem is very common with the 2004 explorer model.my vehicle is now out of warranty and the same problem has occurred again.my hope is that you will take this complaint and research for yourself the many people experiencing the same problem and place a government recall correct the matter once and for all.it is a dangerous problem and causes the transmission to hesitate between 3rd and 4th gear in my case.this could potentially cause serious issues while at high speeds.please look into this matter and feel free to contact me with any other questions.thanks.

Vehicle goes forward after put in park and turned off. The transmission has been checked at ford dealership. Have letter explaining that if transmission fluid was not changed out that serious consequences may occur. Ford dealership not aware as this was not displayed as a recall. Herefore,transmission fluid was not changed at that time.

Transmission slams into reverse from park - warranty work performed at dealer 02/05 ford consumer relations campaign to address problem from manufacturer incorrect fluid added at assembly plant04/05 02/06 transmission has started same behavior before - ford tech's admit to problem but can not resolve - transmission still slamming into reverse after dealer computer update - obvious defect from dealer as thousands of complaints on the web for same issuepossible safety hazard should a child be walking behind vehicle or anyone for that matter.

Transmission failure on ford explorer 2004... The transmission failed on my explorer, 3 of the 4 gears were gone!.... This cost $7,000 to be replaced... I believe this is unacceptable for a 3 year old car to have this type of problem at this cost.not to mention i worked with a guy who had an explorer and a mountaineer and the transmission went on both of those vehicles.. They were an 02 and 04. Then this past week i had to have my brakes done.and the repair shop said i needed a few other minor things done... But i told them i had already spent $8,000 (all ball bearings replaced $1000 + 7000 for transmission)on the vehicle recently and can't get it done right now.and they asked if the problem was the transmission... I said, "yes why",they told me they had 5 explorers from the around the same age as mine that had transmission failures.now that's a total of 8 explorers in my area and i have heard of others from other people.ford needs to make good on this and offer some discount on a fix for this or have all the explorers from this time period recalled.i bought a new transmission even though is was $4000 more than a rebuilt one,because it came with a life-time warranty....i would appreciate it if there was an investigation made into ford's explorer so, that past and future problems can be rectified.

2004 ford explorer eddie bauer transmission problem (seen on many complaint websites.)solenoid body needs repair at 75,000 miles on car that has diligently had all scheduled maintenance.this causes transmission to slip hard in reverse and in transition between gears.it happened once and almost caused accident.no automobile needs to have this replaced under 150,000 miles.this costs $1,100 to fix (5 hours of labor and the part is $525.)the price of the part is ridiculous. Take care.

Transmission fails to engage in drive or reverse, or hesitates to engage, or hesitates to change gears on the highway.placement into drive or reverse "pounds" into gear.4x4 low & high hesitate or fail to engage, and often "stick" - failing to disengage or require multiple attempts to disengage.

2004 ford explorer - transmission delays engagement of reverse and drive.ford dealership replaced solenoid.problem returned within 9 months.the vehicle is out of warranty now and the ford dealership diagnosed a $975 repair including the replacement of the solenoid.

When shifting to reverse- step on gas - does not engage then suddenly a clunk and takes off very fast in reverse- worried about hitting someone- dealer has reflashed & then replaced solenoid in transmissionproblem still exists.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer states transmission problem *tgwthe consumer stated the transmission would slip out of gear and then there was a harsh bang when it was put into reverse. The consumer began to experience problems not long after the vehicle was purchased. He took the vehicle to the dealer and upon inspection it was discovered the factory put in the wrong fluid.however, two years later the problem resurfaced.the consumer went back to the dealer and they replaced the transmission fluid. The problem went away for a weeks, but soon returned.

Our vehicle only has 36,000 miles on it, and the transmission has succumb to an extremely unsafe condition after warranted factory repair for the third time now, where the transmission fails to shift while driving and basically leaves you coasting without speed control during a regular shift interval.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving the transmission will slip from second to third gear.the vehicle shifts very roughly into the reverse gear.also the glass from the rear window has loosened from the frame due to the clips.the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. Thefailure mileage was 99,240.

I left my vehicle running in park to drop off a gift to a friend.i ended up staying longer than intended, and was taken outside by a loud noise.after idling in parked for 20-30 minutes, my explorer had smashed into my friends garage door causing nearly $500 in damages to the door and scratches to the vehicle.nothing has been done about the problem, except we will not let the explorer idle in park.

When putting transmission in reverse it hesitates and slams in to gear. Very loud humming noise in rear when in any speed of acceleration. Vehicle is going to dealership tommorow.

See ford motor cotsb 04b22 or nhtsa item number 10013306, ford explorer 2004.subject vehicle's transmission, to a lesser degree, had started to exhibit the characteristics described therein prior to receipt of the 04b22 program notice. Random violent transmission operation.causes vehicle to lurch when accelerator is depressedafterplacing transmission in gear with vehicle stationary, occurs most often in reverse , before or after vehicle starts to move, most often before vehicle has started moving. I consider this a safety issue and shortening service life of drive line components. Five times to dealership in attempt to have problem corrected under warranty, dealership fine; manufacturer's reps. Verbally advised me that transmission operation is "normal", i requested they put it in writing, they refused.it is my understanding, verbally, they will not do anymore to correct the problem.the vehicle is under warranty.ford retained all original parts removed from transmission (warranty work).after filing this complaint and i receive case number i will forward to odi copies of all documents from my files on this issue.please note that the failure mileage(7500) listed elsewhere herein is only an estimate of the mileage at which this random malfunction ocurred; it started subtly and increased in magnitude over a period of time.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer writes in regards to transmission problem *tgwthe consumer stated there was a delay in the transmission when he attempted to put the gear in reverse.there was also a hard shift when the vehicle was warm and on several occasions, it would slam into gear.

I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt, purchased brand new with only 1 mile on it on 6/25/04. I have experienced violent jerking of the vehicle when turning the wheel, going in reverse, or shifting gears. I temporarily lose control of steering when this jerking occurs. The vehicle's transmission was recalledand subsequently serviced on 2/03/05 ...then again on 7/18/05... And again on 8/24/05 ...and i have an appointment in 2 days on10/15/05... All for the same problem. Apparently the necessary part is on national back-order so ford constantly puts a "band-aid" on the problem so in the interim, i am subject tomajor inconveniences and danger because ofthis defect.

Transmission shifting delay. Dealer has "fixed" twice and added the "new" transmission fluid with no improvement.my factory warranty runs out in 8,000 miles and i am very concerned about the future problems i will have with this transmission.it has already been adjusted, rebuilt and adjusted again with no improvement.

Purchased 2004 ford explorer used with 9k miles on it.immediately noticed strong jerking movement when putting into reverse.dealership fixed the problem, stated it was common.now 43k miles, same problem; much stronger.i'm noticing this jerking while driver forward as well.on occasion the car will just jump forwarded as if someone was jumping on the gas pedal.i've read similar complaints, some with injuries on www.mycarstats.com; over 197 complaints.this is a serious accident waiting to happen.ford need to recall and fix this problem.once the warranty expires people are being quoted over $3k to fix the transmission problems.

Dt: the contact complainedabout an automatic transmission problem.while driving the vehiclewill go in and out of gear without warning.ford has been contacted.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the transmission failed without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told that the transmission overheated, the fifth gear failed and the housing rod was fractured. The dealer also stated that the failure was common in the particular year, make and model vehicle. The failure and the current mileage was 153,435. Updated 04/19/12*ljupdated 04/30/12

In addition to hard shifting in the transmission, the rear differential "chatters" loudly when turning at low speed.the vehicle feels extremely loose and sloppy at 14,000 miles.

When moving gear selector from park to reverse and sometimes drive, there is a lag of about 3 to 5 seconds and then a loud clunking noise followed by a power surge of vehicle going into gear. Worried transmission is failing again. Took in for repairs same on same incident they said it was fixed. And guess what, i believed them.

Purchased the 2004 ford explorer in syracuse, ny in the fall of 2004.we received the recall notice about the transmission and had the service performed.the vehicle has been in to the dealer to fix a continuing problem about the transmission.the transmission has trouble shifting into reverse and when going up hill, on occasion. The vehicle's transmission also continues to make a "clunking" noise and physically lurches on occasion when traveling at speeds between 40 - 60 mph.the vehicle is within a couple hundred miles of the factory warranty expiration and ford has still not repaired the problem.we have spoken to the ford manufacturer directly and they have only offered to sell us an extended warranty.the local dealer service manager did indicate that he is authorized to offer an extended warranty up to 75,000 miles at no cost, but we have not received that in writing.we feel that this was a problem caused in the production of the vehicle and all repairs should be covered by ford, but they are not taking care of the problem.

2004 ford explorer xls with v6, bought new. Incorrect transmission fluid put in all 2004 explorers at factory. Recalled and put in additive around 40,000 miles. Transmission problems started one year ago, around 50,000 miles. Takes several seconds to engage and then shifts hard (clunks) into reverse. Happens 75% of the time.have been told we need a new (or rebuilt) transmission.

Dt: contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. After i first purchased this vehicle while driving the vehicle when putting vehicle in reverse it slams into reverse. When you put the vehicle in second gear it will slam into gear. My wife almost hit another vehicle while in a parking lot. The vehicle has been taken back to the dealership at least three or four times. They know that theres a problem with the vehicle but theres nothing they can do to fix it. They told me to just drive the vehicle. Also contacted the ford manufacturer i was told the same thing from the manufacturer. This vehicle is still under warranty.

My 2004 ford explorer has a transmission problem.i never know if and when it will go into reverse or park.it hesitates and i then find out what gear it is in.this explorer is a one-owner car.32,000+- miles on it.weekends only.yes, i went through the earlier recall, but it did little if anything to correct the problem,.at the time, i figured that i had been screwed into buying a defective car whose transmissions wouldn't last after the warranty ran out.sometimes, the transmission doesn't engage right away andthen jumps hard into reverse.other times, it hesitatesbefore going into drive and/or park.i never know.i am 57 years old.please tell ford for me ----not to pee on my leg and tell me that it is raining.they didn't fix the problem. And i believe it to be dangerous.and since bush isn't president anymore, maybe your agency can stand up again for american consumers.or will you?feel free to contact me or for ford to contact me.the truth is the truth.

Bought car with 9k miles on it, transmission slams into gear in reverse causing car to jump backwards, called dealer stated knew what problem was fixed under warranty.40k miles later it is happening again, more severe and jerking forward while driving.almost hit pedestrian, could not control.dealer states out of warranty will not fix.informed them this is the same problem, work is faulty.many complaints of this on-line with this type of vehicle.it is a major safety issue.car is now jerking more violently causing the wheels to screech when put into reverse.does there need to be a death or injury in order to investigate this?

My 2004 ford explorer has a bad transmission problem !!! jerks very hard in reverse , slips between 2nd & 3rd gears, sometimes slips while in traffic !! i feel this is very dangerous !!

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2006, noticed after a couple of months that when put the car in reverse would delay a few seconds and then it would make a clunk sound and then speed into reverse, that was at about 50,000 miles when purchased. In april of 2009 car would not go into reverse, had a transmission rebuild.it is now less then a year since rebuild and it is starting to shift hard again and while at a stop light today when i had my on the brake it made a clunk sound and jumped forward?good thing no other car was in front of me, i checked my rear view mirror and there was no car behind me, so i was not hit.also car is starting to delay when at a stopped position to start driving the car hesitates to go into gear.does it take someone to get seriously injured or die before this problem is going to be resolved by an obvious manufacturer error???? i have two children that get driven around on a regular basis and i am now worried that something is going to happen.i am taking my ford back in to have the transmission guy that repaired it look at the vehicle.uhaul will not let any ford explorers tow their products.

When shifting into reverse, it would take a few second then the transmission would slam into gear and the whole truck would jerk. Dealer replaced a part and reprogrammed the transmission. As of 12-7-04 the problem has returned.

Vehicle purchased with 78,375 miles - it was previously a us gov.'t vehicle. Rear-end noise noticed and seller had ford repair at a cost of $1,387.50 - vehicle was driven less than 12,000 miles and began making same noise in rear-end.due to distance to ford dealer, vehicle was checked out at a private repair service.diagnosis- rear seal failed causing severe damage to all rear-end parts.repairs included ring & pinion gears and differential bearings at a cost of $1,429.54when contacted, ford stated that although it was within the 12,000 mile, 12 month warranty period, they would not cover any of the costs because the service was not done at a ford dealership.

Ford explorer 2004 - transmission failure - premature transmission failure with only 56,497 miles on vehicle.driven normally with no off road driving.no recalls or class actions at this time according to ford.numerous complaints of this problem posted on legitimate internet sites.cost of repair $2800.00.

After one month of purchasing my explorer it started having problems going into reverse and also shifting while driving.when put in reverse it will jerk with a loud bang or clank and then surge.it continues to get more frequent. I am very worried about hitting another car or even worse a person.i received a letter from ford asking that i take to a dealership and they were going to add some additive to the transmission.i did return to the dealer and they serviced the suv.it did shift correctly for about 1 month, but then the problem started again. When i called the dealership to inquire as to what the problem is they said they were not aware of any problems or recalls from ford.i find this very hard to believe when i see all the complaints from people who own explorers.i want ford to fix this problem.i was having the problem before the warranty ran out and now that the warranty is out i feel that ford should still be responsible for this major problem.what has to happen before ford corrects this issue.does someone have to get hurt?

Vehicle is having trouble engaging from the park position to reverse smoothly. Consumer hears a popping noise, and feels the vehicle jumps when the gears are changed. Manufacturer hasbeen contacted.

2004 ford explorer -the transmission has failed to engage correctly multiple times. I have asked the dealer about this issue and the response was that the explorer "has a hard transmission". In order to get the transmission to engage correctly i have to either put the cur back in park/ nuetral and attempt to reengage or give it gas. This usually results in a lurch of the car going either backwards or forwards.this situation has the potential for a serious accident.

Auto-transmission hesitates when put into reverse then lunges once transmission is engaged. When shifting from reverse to drive there is a loud clunking sound. Automatic transmission shifts hard sometimes while in drive. Ford service said they could not reproduce and found no problem. This began happening at about 15,000 miles. Vehicle now has almost 36,000 miles and problem has gotten much worse. Engine dies when traveling low speeds and using the cruise control. Each time i try to use the cruise control when traveling 40 mph or less the engine dies. This creates a very dangerous situation when your driving along then suddenly you lose power to the steering and brakes because the engine has died!the seats are also problematic. The 2 back seats fold down. Both of the release mechanisms have been replaced and one needs to be replaced again. Both handles have broken off twice. The leather on the drivers seat has cracked and worn prematurely. The lumbar support knob on the drivers seat fell off but i didn't notice when it happened so it was lost and ford will not replace it without the defective part. Also the handle that is used to adjust the back of the seat has fallen off. I am a 53 year old women and 98% i am the only one using this vehicle. I do not routinely haul kids or other cargo around in this vehicle so you would think the seats would be holding up much better.

Transmission has been slipping gears since purchased new in 2004. It hesitates considerably to engage into reverse. When engaged in drive it's initially nonresponsive to light acceleration then surges forward.after taking to a certified ford dealership for solenoid work, it continues to misengage into multiple gears. This is not my first ford explorer and is radically different from the transmission performance of any suv i've driven.my concern is that after this problem is fixed, residual damage done to the transmission will be still present, which may not become apparent until after the vehicle is beyond warranty.

I have a 2004 ford explorer.about two weeks ago, i went to shift from park to reverse so i could back out of my driveway.the gear shifter broke off in my hand. It was dangling by some sort of cord.i could not shift into park, and could not get the key out of the ignition.i had to leave the car in neutral and put the parking brake on.i've had three mechanics look at it, and all of them said this is not something that should break.it is going to cost me $1100 to fix, because a whole new steering column has to be ordered from ford.i contacted ford via email, and they are not issuing a recall at this time, which i think is unacceptable given how common this problem is.

We bought this vehicle new in december of 2004 and it has been in the service dept. 8 times in the past 7 months for warranty repairs.it has been in 4 times for "hard cranks but no start", 4 times for rough idling, 1 time for an rpm problem (and in next week for a different one- it stays around 3 rpm after accelerating- i have to let off of the gas pedal for it to shift down), and it has been in for misc. Issues (whistling noise at front window, rattling console, etc.). Each time it has been brought in for the mechanical problems, they "upgrade the pcm".i have contacted the dealership and i have contacted ford directly numerous times for a repurchase because of my daughter's medical condition.it requires that she has reliable and safe transportation available at all times.the dealership knew about her needs when we bought this suv. However, i keep getting shuttled back and forth between the dealership, (schimmer ford, illinois) and ford motor company.as a long time purchaser of ford vehicles, i am really disappointed in the treatment that i am receiving.

Intermittently the vehicle will surge backwords when placed in reverse.at times when placing the car in reverse the vehicle will delay going in reverse and surge backwards uncontrollably.the dealer claims it needs new transmission parts.5 week back order because of so many complaints about this.why isn't there a recall.this is a major safety problem.manufacturer also claims it is related to transmission oil.

Transmission slips - lurches into reverse - recently slipped and wouldn't pull going up hill - 2 times in 2 days.

I have a 2004 ford explorer that is having a problem with the transmission.i have a harsh delay when going from park to reverse.ford is refusing to repair the vehicle unless i absorb the cost.there was a "customer program" issued in january 2005 and expired on 12/31/05.i did not receive the form by mail as i had moved and they are still refusing to fix it.they want to charge me over $1600.00 to repair my vehicle.

When shifting to reverse gear the vehicle hesitated before accelerating.dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 15 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into second gear.the check engine and overdrive warning indicators lights illuminated.the dealer stated that the cause of failure was the cylinoid circuit.the current mileage is 41,124 and failure mileage was 41,000.

A couple of months ago i notices that my explorer made a weird humming sound when i remove my foot off the gas going downhill at highway speeds. I also get the hard/clunk shift sound when going from park to reverse with a couple second delay. It takes longer then normal for vehicle to accelerate as if the truck is having difficulty shifting itself. Whaling city ford in new london ct said problem was that we have two tires that are a bit smaller then the rest and proceeded to try to sell us four new tires. I took it for a second opinion and the auto shop actually spent time on my vehicle and said that our tires are fine, it is the tranny. How can ford get away with this and what is my recourse since so many others are having this issue?

My 2004 ford explorer was taken in for repair in 8/12/05 because the ac stopped working. When i brought the car into world ford of kendall in miami, fl one of the service employees asked me if how my transmission was working and at the time it was fine. Upon receiving my car back on 8/16/05 the ac was fixed and my receipt stated the ac was fixed but it also mentioned something regarding a recall in my transmission. The receipt said there was an oil additive placed in my transmission. 1 year and 1 month later my transmission has begun slipping and hesitating. When i brought my car back to world ford of kendall in miami, fl to speak to them regarding my transmission i was told that their service work is guaranteed up to 12 months so there was nothing they can do for me. Upon doing my own research i found that the oil additive that was placed in my ford was to prevent the slipping and hesitation of my transmission. I called the corporate headquarters of ford and they told me that there is nothing they can do for me. It is obvious that ford knew about my transmission problems or a recall service would never have been done. They now want to charge me to fix the transmission on a car that was broken when it left the manufacturing plant. My car has 45,000 miles and no where in my paperwork or my car manual does it state i would have to put and oil additive in my car by 45,000 miles. When i spoke to ford corporate headquarters they told me if the oil additive does not work another procedure would have to be done but it would not be covered. This is unacceptable especially from a large corporation such as ford. My family drives this car and i believe we have an unsafe car resulting from a recall in my transmission. I addition to the transmission recall, the ac in my car has also broken twice and nobody wants to explain to me why there are so my problems with a 2 year old car. I would appreciate a response or at least some good advice. Thanks again.

Automatic transmissionhesitate when going into gear then shifts hard into gear while accelerating,ford is well aware there is a problem with these transmissions and should be recalled for repairs. Have done research on this and its a common safety problems with the ford explorer.

I have a 2004 ford sports trac explorer.there was a recall to put an additive into the transmission which i did.i am having a problem with the transmission.ocassionally when stopping the transmission does not step down gears and i have to just about stand on the break and quick put the transmission in neutral to stop the car.i took it to cavalier ford in chesapeake va. . they were unable to duplicate the problem and said that although it was a saftey issue they could go nofurther. I complained to ford customer service and they told me the same thing.

2004 ford explorer.in december of 2004, the truck was 1 year in service and had about 19,000 miles.we noticed the transmission slipping between first and second gears and delaying when shifting between park and reverse.we took the truck to the dealership and had problem fixed.we were told the "solenoid" (sp?) switch in the transmission was bad and had been replaced.we were told at the time this was a fairly common problem.beginning again in early december of this year, the transmission began the same pattern of slipping.the truck was now in service for 2 years, but had 40,000 miles.the truck was now out of warranty and the new "solenoid" switch in the transmission was now out of warranty.we took the truck to the dealership and were told it was the same problem as last time.the dealership would not offer anything off of the repair charge so we called ford customer service.we were told we should have had all of our regular maintenance done at the dealership and this problem would have been caught sooner.next we were told that ford was aware of this problem, but not enough had failed yet so there was no recall.the service rep offered to pay for $400 of the repair since we had replaced this part once and told us that we should be grateful ford paid for anything since the truck is out of warranty.i am grateful ford paid for part of the repair, but i feel strongly a transmission should not need to be repaired twice in one year for the same part.

Transmission is slipping when changing gears, especially when putting the vehicle in reverse. Sometimes takes several seconds for the vehicle to go in to reverse.

I purchased a 2004 eddie bauer 4.0 liter explorer. The previous owner brought the vehicle back for all recalls, particularly those related to the transmission. This included a complete trans fluid flush even though the ford states the 1st maint. On tranny is 100 k miles, changed the front seal that supposedly "corrodes in the presence of the old transmission fluid', and had the solenoid body changed to correct the transmission shifting problem.now the transmission is failing again at 34,000 miles. It shifts erratically and feels unusual while driving in forward, and once warmed up and at a stop, when shifting from drive to reverse, there is a 1 too 2 second pause and then the transmission shifts violently into reverse. Mechanic tells me that tranny will eat itself up. In short all preventable maint. And recalls have been done on car to avoid problem, and yet at 34k miles tranny is experiencing same problem again. You really need to put fords feet to the fire and get this fixed as a recall as this is a safety issue. Web is full of reports of trannys die-ing on the road with no warning. You all are the watchdog, please do your job.

We have a 2004 ford explorer with 41,000 miles.in the past 3 months we have had to have the transmission overhauled, universal ball joint replaced, wheel bearings replaced, parking brake replaced.all work has been done by the dealer.on the evening of 11/21/06, we were leaving my daughter's school and i got in the vehicle to back the car up a few feet so that my wife would not have to step in the mud. I started the car, put the car in reverse (foot on brake), and when i took my foot off the brake to move the car a few feet, it surged backwards,like a cannon ball in reverse; it crashed into a neon, which was parked 6 feet from our car, sent the neon flying about 15 feet into another car; (the neon's front endwas crushed).i felt i had no control over this vehicle whatsoever.we are thankful that it hit a parked car, rather than traffic coming from behind.what would have caused this?the policemen that responded to our call suggested that we not attempt to drive the vehicle, so we pushed it to the side of the road and had it towed to the ford dealer.the other car in the incident was not drivable and also had to be towed.one of the policemen that responded to our call said that they had a similar accident happen with one of their police cruisers (another ford product); when the car was put into reverse it shot backwards and hit another police car, but they did not sustain damage because the cars were parked so close to each other.please help us figure this out.we are afraid to get back into the vehicle. As of this date, ford has not figured out what could have happened to the vehicle. We also found on this website similar incidents with this model of the explorer.we are also waiting for our insurance adjuster's review of the incident before the collision work takes place.

2004 ford explorer, transmission problems since new, visited the dealer for repairs 3 times with no fix

2004 ford explorer.od light is blinking, service engine light is on, transmission shift stalls and lurks.mechanic says alot of ford explorers are having this issue and there is no recall.

Within a week of buying my 2004 explorer i experienced problems when shifting out of reverse. I also experienced a loud "clang" while doing steady interstate driving (over 200 miles). Over time transmission shifting became sluggish, untimely, and loud. A recall was received and a transmission additive was added. Problems continued with the transmission (same as noted above). In june '06- dealership replaced some parts of the transmission (under warranty). Five months later, i'm continuing with problems. Loud "clang" during long road trip. Jerky, hesitant shifting continues. Took car to dealership and no problems were found with the transmission and dealership was not able to duplicate during 30 mile test drive.car stalled in parking lot this week, jerky motion continues going up steep incline and loud "clang" exists on long roadtrip.warranty is about to run out in about 400 miles. I have contacted customer care center resulting in no help. Also have repeated problems with fuel gauge not registering properly.

When reversing, loud banging/clunking noise is heard from the back.the car jerks back harshly.

2004 ford explorer. Gear shift lever broke off in my hand when shifting from park to reverse.transmission indicator stuck between park and reverse.vehicle could start but not move.key stuck in ignition.shift lever broke off at metal cast inside column.towed to ford dealer. Needs entire steering column replaced to fix this part, cost over $1000.others with same problem due to defective part.called ford hq, but no help with covering repairs for this problem.

The transmission on my 2004 ford explorer is failing; is will slip out of gear, and then shift back into gear hard enough that it makes the entire vehicle shake and lurch forward. The vehicle only has 68k miles on it, and is only used as a commuter vehicle. It has never been taken off road, and i have never used it to tow anything.

I own a 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer with v-8.have taken to the dealer numerous times about abrupt and delayed shifting with transmission.dealer re-programmed transmission with no luck, no recall from ford but have heard hundreds of complaints on-line about same problem.truck now has over 90,000 miles and still has same problem.replaced leaking transmission pump last decembe08 and still hard shifting.will not return to ford for repairs when transmission or other drive train parts fail due to the hard up and down shifts, please help!

Abrupt shifting from park to reverse.took vehicle in four times for repair.solenoid was replaced twice, transmission fluid additive, then transmission fluid flush.unintended shifting by transmission resulting in vehicle to swerve at 50 plus miles per hour. Occurs daily on highway after letting off accelerator and coasting.

Within 7,000 miles of purchasing my 2004 ford explorer (eddie bauer edition) i began noticing a progressively worsening slamming into gear.at first it was just into reverse, then it was from reverse into forward drive gears, then it would slam every time it changed gears.when i took it in, ford replaced the valve body for the transmission, the rear differential, and a solenoid.seemed to correct the problem for about 10k miles.then the reverse slamming started again and some slight slamming when going from reverse to the forward gear.so i took it back and also asked them to do some routine maintanence inspections, during which time they informed me my rear left wheel bearing was bad and the vehicle was not driveable.at this time they also told me they could not duplicate the transmission problem.now, 10k miles later, it's back in the shop with slamming gears and whining noises coming from wheel area.the slamming transmission is basically shaking my vehicle apart bit by bit.my fear of course is the safety of the vehicle.i'm hoping i can get resolution before a part actually falls off while i'm going 70 down the highway.i've been reading news releases and owner forums and this seems to be a rather common issue, though luckily no one has been hurt as of yet.

My 2004 ford explorer xlt has a delay and then hard shifts from 1st to 2nd and 2nd to 3rd gear. I have already replaced the solenoid because of harsh reverse engagement and now am going to have to replace the valve body.

In may of 2004, i bought a new 2004 ford explorer.two months later in july of 2004, i found problems shifting the car into reverse.it would pause for about 5 seconds, then jerk very hard before reversing.i complained to the dealership that i bought the new car from, who proceeded to tell me it was "nothing".the problem continued, and i continued to bring the car into the dealership where i bought it from with no resolve. This continued until january of 2005. I finally took the car to an out of town ford dealership 2 hours away, who took my car for 5 days due to them having to replace the transmission solenoid.i waited for almost an hour the day i picked up my car for a service advisor to explain to me what this was, and the only answer i received was that it was a programming error.i since then looked up on the internet what this transmission problem was, and read an article that ford knew about this problem and was not recalling cars since it is not a danger.this is a danger.it can cause numerous neck problems from the jerking.i have suffered from lower back pain before buying the car, and the jerking from putting the car in reverse was not helpful.if anyone or anything is around the car while putting it in reverse, they can be damaged badly. This issue needs to go public.the dealerships need to take responsibility before there are serious injuries due to responsibility neglect for a poor product.

Driver was backing out of a parking space and vehicle hesitated. Then, the transmission shifted on its own. Mechanic determined that the solenoid body needed to be replaced.

My 2004 ford explorer awd has a transmission issue. When the transmission is placed in reverse or into drive, the transmission will often shift into gear very hard and cause the car to suddenly move backwards or forwards in a violent manner. The car will move while the brake is applied and i fear this transmission issue will cause some type of failure in the future causing the car to go forward or backward with no control. It shifts so hard from park into gear it feels as if another car has ran into the back of my car.i have read identical reports online from numerous other people involving ford explorers around this model year timeframe.

The vehicle has transmission problems that the company has recalled, after supposedly fixing the problem, the problem still exists. It jumps when put into gear. I feel it is unsafe and may lead to other issues. I am a single mother and i cant afford to fix it on my own. It is unsafe.

2004 ford explorer...well known transmission problems, delay and "bucking" into reverse...ford dealer has tried to fix but to no avail...

I have 2004 awd limited edition ford explorer with 69,000 miles. I am now faced with replacing the transmission at a cost of $5,000. This car is far too new, with far too few miles to be in need of a new transmission.

Purchased a new 2004 ford explorer automatic v6 in nov 04. Occasionally when shifting in reverse, engine would give a "hard" jerk. When driving the vehicle, stopped(especially) if roads were wet, when attempting to proceed forward, vehicle tires-good tires/even wear,rotated regularly and/or vehicle would loose control as engine attempted to move forward. Always a very annoying noise in rear riding as passenger. But it to dealer @ beginning, checked it out under warranty, noe vehicle has a little over"75930". Drove it from one state to another, parked it, next day drove it < than a 1/4 mile to store, shopped, returning home the "transmission" gave a very loud noise, grinding and a hard jerk, enough to hurt one driving or passenger's backs. 2nd gear unable to engage, rpm race to 40002nd gone! ford dealer quotes a repair(rebuilt) @ $3555.0+taxes @ rate of "$100.00" an hour = labor nearly a "$1000.00.brought it to a repriable trans shop quoted $3000.00 completewe have been a"die-hard" owners of fords for years, even own a 1956crown vic., 86 f250, 99 lincolncon't, 00mustang, and this )$ ford explorer is the worse vehicle puchased @ "$38,000". Never mind all the previous ones, never have i ever dealt with a fairly new vehicle of poor workmanship/design.reports reveal that these 04's definitely have ford manufactutrer defects or craftmanship faults.why do people give up on "american" vehicles, ah ah? @ "75,930+ miles a broken transmission.

2004 ford explorer with, less than 75,000 miles.needs to have the transmission repaired or replaced.my wife and two children were out driving in traffic when failure began to occur.unable to accelerate past 30-35mph.this is all after the dealership repeatedly told us no problems, overfilled trans fluid, and added the recall additive from ford.my wife reported.we informed ford multiple times about hard shifting or slipping feeling when accelerating, and very hard and loud engagements into reverse.there is an obvious problem, i guess it will just take a tragic event to admit the problem.

Original owner of vehicle,car shifts roughly into gear while driving feels like it is dragging,transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in reverse then engages hard with a suddenunexpected jolt backwards when car only had 3,945 miles in oct 2004.when car is in park i start the car it will sometimes jolt forward. Took car to dealer within 90 days of purchase for transmission & they replaced a solenoid in the trans. Took car back 2 more times within a year still having same problems now warranty up & ford will not help car has 170k= miles & is 6 yrs old still running but same transmission issues daily.this is very unsafe with the car jolting into gear especially when i start the car.they need to recall & replace the transmission.

2004 ford explorer transmission problem.transmission was leaking and not shifting right.i have had it to the dealer to be fixed twice,the first time i was told there was nothing wrong it was just overfilled,the second time they said they replaced the torque converter and the resealed pump bolts.i am keeping an eye on any more problems and i know you guys are tracking the trans problems with this vehical.if i could i would demand toget another vehical and it would not be a ford being though i probably will have to return for more service with more problem.i bought this thinking it was a quality vehical but i know know i made a mistake.thank you . Nancy sakevich.

My wife owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt with what i've found to be a common problem. The overdrive light flashes on the dash board. It usually is a transmission problem that is a very expensive repair. This issue with the explorer has been going on for over a decade. I think that ford should be held accountable. After all ford did take bail out money.i think that a recall would be the proper action for the ford. Motor company. I am one of thousands of consumers who have been abandoned by another big company.

A problem in the transmission causes the engine to shut off when coming to a stop. The engine will shutter, then die. This results in the loss of the power steering and brakes making this problem a severe safety hazard for all motorist and passengers. Ford has been notified but declines to admit this incident. It has to do with the jerking of the harsh reverse engagementnhtsa item number 10008268. I have had this problem since feb 2004, one week after the truck was purchased. They could not find what caused it until i hadthe harsh transmission engagement problem. After it was repaired the problem stopped. On dec 14, 2004 the engine shutoff started again. On dec 16, 2004 the harsh engagement started again. This truck was purchased new and all services have been done.

Purchased used 2004 explorer w/ 17k miles on it. Vin# [xxx] wife took possession of vehicle friday evening ready to drive away when she placed vehicle in reveres and it banged hard as it jerked into reverse and chirped the tires. Drove it home noticed the shifting from 2d to 3rd was hard and appeared to want to accelerate on its own and when it went into overdrive the rpms reduced but no noticeable signs that one could tell it had shifted into od.took it to dealer on 10th of dec 2004 for upholstery issues and the shifting issues. Going into reverse has a 2-5 sec. Delay and then shifts abruptly, this can and may very be a safety hazard and someone will be injured in due time. Only by god's grace did we happen to have the foot on brake pedal each time vehicle was placed in reverse; otherwise the jerk and jumping into reverse would have hit a person or another vehicle in a parking lot. I am presently waiting a final solution form ford. I will not be satisfied with the common reply that this is normal. That is unacceptable when others are placed in danger unawares! updated 07/24/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The past several months i have had numerous transmission problems.my explorer does not shift correctly.it hesitates when shifting which is really dangerous in traffic.also when i try to reverse it hesitates and then abruptly accerelates into reverse very hard and fast.it makes a loud noise when it happens also.it does this everytime i go into reverse.also my vehicle has lost all power in the middle of driving on the interstate. I have lost power on many occasions.it is very dangerous especially when i have to young children sitting in the back.

Ford explorer transmission failed at 84000 miles.this vehicle was released from the factory in 2004 without proper transmission fluid additive.ford addressed the problem 1 year later, but this transmission is failing well before its time.repair costs are $4500.ford will not offer any assistance.

My 2004 ford explorer xlt 4x4 experienced delayed/harsh engagement when shifting into reverse.it would have a delay of up to 5 seconds and then would engage and make a terrible clanging noise.on several occasions it would squeal tires and then jerk backwards.this put me in danger of being in a wreck because when i would shift into reverse i would expect it to actually shift, but it did not.i took it to a ford dealership and the pcc solenoid was replaced and transmission fluid replaced.

Ford explorer 2004 - bought brand new in 2004my ford explorer started having shifting problems after 1 year i bought it.ford dealer fixed it because it was under warranty.they claimed that it was the transmission solenoid. I am having the same issue 1 year after the fix was made and went back to the dealer.they said that the car is not under warranty anymore and it will cost me around 1400 dollars to fix it.i did not have them fix it and figured that i call ford customer service to get this fixed for free. That did not get me anywhere.this was back in 2006 or 2007 and i am still having this issue.this is a mechanical hazard because a failed transmission driving on a freeway can cause accident.i have a wife, a 4 year old and a 1 year old and always fear for their safety while driving the vehicle with them.

When i shift from drive or neutral into reverse, there is a long hesitation before the car then leaps backward hard.delay then hard reverse.when i am parallel parking, i have sometimes hit the car behind me hard because of this.this problem has been extented since i purchased the car new in 2004.i have brought the car into the dealer at least ten times when it was new.they made many changes, including an entirely new "box" of a sort i don't recall, all to no avail, finally telling me the problem was caused by installing the wrong trans fluid at manufacturing.recall necessary.

I purchased a 2004 ford explorer in november 2006 with 16,000 miles.at approximately 30,000 miles, i noticed that it shifted hard going into 3rd gear as i accelerated.the transmission would rev up, then shift with a thud.i do not drive the vehicle hard.this was noticed during normal in town driving.this happened intermittently.at 38,000 miles i took it to a ford dealership to have it checked (as my extended warranty was about to expire).i explained the shifting and acceleration problem in detail.they reported that this was within the specs for this truck.that it was normal acceleration.it is now 54,000 miles.the problems have gotten worse.it feels like the transmission slips into neutral, then clunks and grabs the next gear.there is also adelay and clunk when shifting into reverse.i've just taken it in and had the transmission flushed.the shop reported that there was no particulate or debris in the pan, so it is probably something internal.i took it to a transmission specialist and they are saying i need a new/rebuilt transmission.

When shifting into reverse there is a hard shift also hard shifts up and down while going forward.

This is in regards to transmission problems with ford explorers especially from the year 2000 to 2005. There have been few thousand complaints that i have seen on the internet and heard and also experience myself about the transmission an these vehicles and its ridiculous. The transmission bangs into gears like something is falling underneath bogs down when changing gears. Hesitates when changing gears and just plain transmission failure in which its happening before the vehicle even gets to 60k. I know hundreds of people that have had their transmission replaced at least twice before 100k so consumers please make note of these transmission problems on here because this is a real safety problem for you and your children. Thanks

Delayed harsh reverse engagements

Purchased my ford explorer jan 2004.problem with shifting occurred june 29th 2004. One year later 2005, the problem worsen, with slipping and hard shifting at the same time. Ford is not backing the explorer at all and we the people with these same complaints need help, or all of our money back from the vehicle, since the problem can not be fixed.

Delay and harsh transmission engagement in reverse and drive.

Automatic transmission takes anywhere from 3-10 seconds to engage when put into reverse.as this problem gets worse i've noticed that the shift points while driving seem out of form and more harse than normal.my dealer ordered a new selonoid (which cost $360) and will replace when it becomes available - currently on backorder (obviously this is a problem).

Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse.once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard "clunk".the dealership has diagnosed failure of the transmission solenoid and estimates this repair will cost ~$900.

Transmission has a hard clunk engagement when putting in gear and total disengagement while driving, thenthe od light starts to blink, and you have to either let off the gas, or tap the gas to get it to engage again, it started around 50,000 miles, and continues to do so, the is no recall and no warranty for it, dealer ship said it needs rebuilt or replaced 2200.00 or 4200.00 dollars, we don't have.

I bought it brand new in 2004 and have taken very good care of this vehicle, but it hasn't returned the favor.i have had multiple transmission problems that ford says that they all do it and won't fix it.my tailgate cracked next to the ford symbol, once again won't fix it.my paint on my hood is peeling off.i only have 50,000 easy miles on it but looking at it and driving it you would think that it had 150,000 on it.i will never buy ford again!

I financed a 2004 ford explorer in 2008 and about 6 month later i noticed the transmission starting to slip. Soon after it wouldnt hardly go into gear unless i reved up the engine then it would slam into gear really hard. Now it is getting worse. Im a disabled single father of my son who is also disabled and we are on a fixed income and dont have the money to fix this, [xxx] i still owe on it. I pay almost 300 bucks a month car payment on it.parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Purchased a used 2004 ford explorer on july 3, 2006 with 53823 miles.the car was maintained as required and low and behold, to my recollection, around 2008-2009 it started driving a little strange, it started vibrating hesitating.then duringthe beginning of 2009, check engine light came on, od light started flashing, gears started sticking, hard to brake and i was told that it ia a transmission problem and that i was not alone with the problem.a new or rebuilt transmission was necessary at a price of $3-4,000.if you would go on the web site at autobeef. Com, you will see all the complaints consumers are having about the same problem.i am urging you to please investigate this matter.ford needs to step up to the plate and recall all explorers.i still owe $9000 on this car and can not drive it.i bailed them out and they need to take responsibility for their faulty transmissions.disappointed and concerned consumer.thank you.

Purchased the vehicle new. Had regular maintenance performed. Shifting has been harsh and sporadic since nearly new. Has gotten progressively worse until now (jan, 2009) 67,000 miles when it became un-drivable. Took to ford dealer where purchased. Bottom line is that transmission is shot and they recommend a new tranny. Further research, online and with other owners, makes it obvious that this is a common, well known problem possibly having to do with incorrect tranny fluid installed when new. Ford says no recall, no warranty, and provides no relief. This is criminal.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately 45 to 50 mph when the vehicle became hesitant to acceleration attempts. In addition, the gears were slipping when shifting gears. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised him that the transmission would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

In feb. 2004 i purchased a brand new explorer. About 6 months into ownership there were some problems with a delay in switching from park to reverse. I took the explorer to the dealer. They stated it was the throttle position sensor, which the dealer did replace. Approximately a year later, the same problem started to happen again. I took the explorer back to the dealer and they repaired the same part again. The problem continued and progressively got worse so i was forced to take it back again in december of 2006 to the dealer. They proceed to tell me that the problem is the same exact problem which has already been fixed, twice. This time they tell me my warranty has expired and i will have to pay for the repairs. Well it seems to me if it was repaired correctly the first or second time then it wouldn't be happening just about every year. I would drive my truck locally and it normally would not want to move. One day on my lunch hour, i tried to cross a major 4 lane highway and this 2004 ford explorer, left me stranded in the middle of this lunch rush hour traffic, to be t-boned by on coming traffic. Talk about, emotional distress; i was so upset that i had to go home for the rest of the day.it is just as scary to think my truck would break down due to manufacturing problems with my kids in the truck. This happened so often and most times at night. The throttle position sensor and transmission fluid cost me $550.00 at 80k miles. The dealer informed me that you are not supposed to service the transmission until 100k but the dealer suggested it due to my many problems. I am at the point where i just will never buy another ford vehicle. Nothing has been done my truck has sat at the dealer since dec 2007, i can not afford the repairs. It seems there should be a class action suit filed against ford for fault transmissions.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the vehicle made a loud banging noise, hesitated, and then lunged into reverse without warning.the failure occurred after the vehicle was driven for more than an hour.the dealer was unable to diagnose the failure.the current mileage is 25,300 and failure mileage was 22,000.

2004 ford explorer transmission clunking and shifting roughly, taking long time to engage cause vehicle to roll back, does not seem to engage for a period of time.also whines so loud folks in back seat can't hear front seat people talking. Appears each time driven. Was that way when purchased new and dealer fixed it, now once again same issue.

The transmission in our 2004 ford explorer xlt awd required a significant repair in 7/05 at 11,311 miles because the transmission would not engage after shifting into reverse.dealer replaced shift solenoid and refilled fluid. Dealer estimated that cost to replace shift solenoid was $3,500 but it was covered under warranty.problem recurred and in december 2006 at approximately 32,000 miles, my daughter was involved in an accident when she backed into a parked car because the transmission failed to engage.we took it to the dealership and they replaced the shift solenoid a second time.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact placed the gear shifter into reverse to drive and noticed that the transmission would hesitate before engaging. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technicians replaced the solenoid in the transmission. After the repairs were performed, the contact continued to experience the failure. There was also an abnormal grinding from the rear of the vehicle. The dealer replaced the rear end bearing, three rear axles, the pinion bar and seals and a shaft kit was installed. The dealer also advised that the failure was caused by an over torque by the manufacturer.in addition, the contact stated that the driver and passenger side sun visor joints were failing sporadically and causing the visors to obstruct the contact's vision of the roadway. The sun visors were not repaired.the approximate failure mileage was 49,000.

The gear on my newly purchased 2004 ford explorer broke off. I beleive this to be a manufacture defect. When i tookthe truck back to the dealer they couldn't believe it themselves. I am afraid to wonder what else is wrong with this vehicle.

I was involved in an accident due to a transmission problem with my 2004 ford explorer. (3aug04). Broke and arm and still in brace andlonger weeks ahead. The problem is still not fixed. It has been acknowledge as a problem but no one will take my complaint or call me back. No lawyer will touch the case yet hear i am with loss wages maybe unable to use my arm (i'm a nursing student) but hey if that;s how ford works.. I'll never buy again. The transmission surges forcible in reverse, and while in driving, sometimes it goes forward while in reverse.. Please help.. At my wits end thanks..

Transmission failed after 41000 miles.while this is outside the warranty, ford has been known for transmission problems and won't fix the problem.

Transmission failure on 2004 ford explorer at ~109k miles. Crash/bang noise heard just before failure: high engine rpms and no forward propulsion, flashing od lamp and illuminated service engine soon lamp. Problem preceded by intermittent failure to engage reverse gear, or sudden jerking/rough engagement, occasional slipping of gears on acceleration. Upon total failure, dealership investigated,says "known problem with this vehicle", recommended complete transmission replacement at $4000. Vehicle is one of those recalled in 2005 for bad transmission fluid formula installed at factory. This vehicle has always had peculiar shift behavior which ford consistently said was normal for the vehicle. Apparently, as many other owners have since experienced, the rough shifting (perhaps precipitated by bad formula fluid and/or damage this may have done to other components) was indicative of eventual total failure.

We noticed a slip in the transmission when were stopped, then made a slow right or left hand turn.we felt the transmission slipping and a noise from the rear end.it also felt as if the 4 wheel drive was on.it felt as if there was a slight wheel hop.we took it to the dealer and they said ford knows about this problem.the dealer replaced the ring and pinion gear, axel seals, clutch pack and had to reprogram the 4 wheel drive computer.

Dt*: the contact stated while shifting the transmission into gear, the vehicle jumped.the problem progressively worsened and the vehicle did not respond properly to the depression of the accelerator pedal.the vehicle was taken to the dealership, where diagnostic tests determined the transmission needed to be replaced.

1) 2004 explorer eddie bauer transmission badly slipping and delay in engaging resulting in vehicle lunging forward once it engages.2) has been happening for about 3-4 years intermittently.dealer said this was normal in first time i complained.now it happens every day.3) had to have the trans rebuilt at a cost of $2328.25.

Transmission went out on my 2004 ford explorer only a day after i bought it from a dealership. The replacement transmission will cost me $3400 plus the $10550 that i paid for the vehicle the day before. What a big mess this is. *ln

I purchased a 2004 explorer limited with 18,000 miles.at 28,000 miles the dealership replaced a solenoid in the transmission per ford to eliminate a large "thud" when the vehicle was shifted into reverse.the problem went away for awhile but returned.today at 78,000 the vehicles transmission has failed and the dealership states it needs replacement.extended warranty provider refuses to cover the work.i have read that ford installed the wrong transmission fluid at the factory as well.bottom line is the ford transmission is defective and everyone knows it.how about a little justice here for the consumer?

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.when placing the vehicle in a parked position the vehicle it rolled backwards even when it was on a level surface. On one occasion the vehicle rolled backward and crashed into another vehicle. There were no injuries. When the failure occurred she notices the over drive light illuminated on the instrument control panel. The dealer stated that her second gear was missing; therefore, she would be responsible for paying $3,700 to replace the transmission. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure mileage was 95,000 and the current mileage was 100,000.

2004 ford explorer transmission failure.

2004 ford explorer-serious transmission issues with gears slipping/failing. Huge delay in reverse then a large jolt back is very dangerous.

I have had issues with my transmission jumping out of drive when i am going down the highway. I have three children and i feel this is very very unsafe.i have had the car in the shop three times for the same issue and everytime they have told me it was the reardifferential/transmission. I have called fords customer service line and they will not do anything.my explorer is now having issues going into reverse and staying in any gear.please look into these problems with the 2004 explorer before someone gets killed or injured from this.i have researched this problem and thousands of oither 2003-2004 explorer owners are having the same issues with the transmission and rear end.the 2004 ford explorer is a death trap.

My transmission does not work properly, and i feel i am in danger while operating my vehicle. The transmission jerks into drive and reverse and usually has long hesitations while using these positions, as well as the automatic shifting while driving.

2004 ford explorer nbx.owner put car in park and gear shift lever came off in hand. Car transmission stuck between park and reverse.had to get car towed to dealership.dealer states they have fixed numerous explorers with same issue in the recent past.in my opinion, this is a design flaw with the material used (appears to be aluminum) for the "donut" shaped ring that connects the gear shift to the steering column.contacted ford and they were unwilling help with expense ($1,500) of fixing this manufacturer defect.

There was a delay and jerk when vehicle was put in reverse. The gear popped, causing the vehicle to hit a tree while in reverse.consumer will contact manufacturer.

The transmission in my '04 ford explorer shifts incredibly hard, will stall in mid shift, and can slip into reverse from park at anytime. I am one of thousands of owners in the 2002-2005 years in which ford/mercury put these transmissions into explorers and mountaineers and they are junk. Something needs to be done by ford being they've fixed the problem in their 2006 models. The dealers don't know how to fix the problems.

2004 ford explorer, purchased new. Every since i have owned the car it has had a transmission problem and will not gear down when turning or slowing down from a normal rate of speed. Then takes apx 20-25 seconds to catch back up when accelerator pressed..has caused me to almost be hit several times.. Because it won't gowhen it does catch up there is a hard bump in the car and loud sound..very aggravating and scary.has been back to the dealership and told its a (sp) solenoid problem and had been fixed, but it hasn'thave been disgusted and been driving it this way because i don't have $2000 for repairs.

Transmission has a significant delay when shifting from 1st to 2nd gear and when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gearproblem occurs during moderate acceleration, approximately 2500-3000 rpms.transmission shifts acceptable during lighter and heavier accelerations.

When down shifting to reverse gear vehicle jerked forward. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.

2004 ford explorer engine shuts off and there is difficulty shifting gears.***no answer required***. *mrboth of theses malfunctions present a danger and a hazard and arevery serious defects.

On my explorer it has been to the dealer on 5 occasions now for the transmission. Delayed engagement when going from reverse to drive, sometimes feeling as if someone has rear ended me. On the first trip in an additive was added to the transmission, second trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, third trip the transmission solenoid pack was replaced, fourth trip the dealer couldn't reproduce the problem and the fifth trip the problem couldn't be reproduced. Was told by the dealer service manager that this is what the transmission is supposed to do. 1 day after getting my explorer back same issue. I don't feel that this vehicle is safe to drive.

Transmission is defective/ slams into reverse after several seconds of hesitation/delays in shifting in forward gears, and isdangerous!. Afraid every time car shifts gears because it happens sporadically, you never know when it will lurch or hesitate.bought this car 2 weeks ago, used, 19,750 miles on it in 37 years of driving have never experienced this with any vehicle i have owned . Every person i know who has a 2004 ford explorer is experiencing the same problem - ford is a large automobile maker, should provide a recall to its customers.

Problems witha 2004 ford explorer transmission operation. While driving at highway speeds the transmission will drop into 1st gear, bringing the vehicile almost to a full stop. The transmission also drops into a netural gear also while driving at highway speeds.

2004 ford explorer v8 120000 miles driving down road at 45mph no warning over drive light started flashing, check transmission light came on & lost all gears. Pulled over turned car off restarted it drove 5 feet same problem. Towed to repair shop the pulled codes & said the solinoid pack internally needed to be replaced. They did that problem is still occuring. Now looks like needs a trani. I took it in several times under warrenty but they could never duplicate it. Now its not under warrenty & ford wont take care of it.

The transmission is failing on my 2004 ford explorer.i have babied it for quite awhile because we already had plenty of electrical problems with it that had cost us a lot of money and we really have no idea where to get the money to fix this problem.we still owe a lot on it.when it first started, i spoke to my mechanic and looked on the internet for a solution. If you google "2004 ford explorer transmission", you will see a huge list of people with the same problem. Ford has the nerve to ask for a bailout with my money, but they won't stand behind their lousy product!!!this is going to cost me at least $2500 to fix and i think since they have been aware of the problem from the start, they should have to correct it before we start handing them money. This is more than unfair!further, the plastic parts on these vehicles are cheap and break easily. One of my visors is suspended from the sunroof by a phone earphone cord because the plastic hinge broke and it dangles in your way when you are trying to see out the windshield.please help!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while the vehicle was parked and the engine was running, the vehicle rolled into the contact's home.while driving to the dealer at 15 mph, the vehicle failed and would not move.the vehicle was placed in each gear, but it still would not move and the engine revved.the vehicle was towed to the dealer.when it arrived, the vehicle was placed in reverse and drove backwards.when the gear was placed in drive, it drove forward.the mechanic stated that the vehicle had a defective shift indicator and it was replaced.the vehicle operated normally when it was test driven.four days later, the failure recurred.the transmission is making noises when driving at any speed, especially when shifting gears.the vehicle is currently back at the dealer.the failure and current mileages were 51,578.updated 12-12-07.

When gears are put in reverse, the transmission hesitates for 3-5 seconds thena loud clunk is heard and the vehicles moves. Just purchasesdthe explorer from dealer today with 20,750 miles on it and nothing was disclosed about these problems. I'll take back tommorrow and hope they will fix the problem. Lemon????

2004, v-6, auto transmission, ford explorer, an intermitantproblem when the transmission clunks when put into reverse. Engine revs,feels like there isno connection to the transmission, as if in neutral, then unexpectantly it engages, causing the vehicle to lurch backward. We received a service notice from ford that this conditiononly happens in cold weather, to take the vehicle to our dealership and have them put in a special fluid which would fix the problem. Well it is now may 16 here in pennsylvania and it, the reverse problem is getting worse. We are going to the dealship again,

Car has a hard time engaging into gear, when backing up it feels like i've hit another vehicle. The vehicle just jumps in revers.i have almost ran over someone because of a delay in engaging into reverse. In drive it does the same thing. I worry that i am going to hit a car that might be parked in front of me or even a person. Not only that i worry that if i did hit another car i wouldn't know that i did it. The car has had problems starting. It has left us almost stranded twice. The cars battery has died for no reason, even after driving a couple of hours prior to trying to restart it. The front and rear window motors have gone out, the rear windows were stuck open in a rain storm with my two children in the back seat. The vehicle has lost power driving down the interstate and a warning light came on in the dash, the vehicle had only 5,000 miles on the odometer. The keyless entry quite working, wich also kept our key chain lockers from working. The car would not turn over, it would just make a click, when it would turn over, it sounded like gears were grinding.the vehicle went in for to be serviced for the first time a month after we bought the vehicle, dec. 5, 2003 and has gone in atleast once every two months since. The car has been in for servicing a total of 3 months out of the year that we have owned it. We have requested since it has been for the same problem 8 times and it has not been fixed that the dealership lemon the vehicle. But nothing has been done about it. The dealership doesn't know what the problem is and they have told us that they cannot fix it.we still have the same problem now. It can potentially hurt someone.

Delayed shifting from park to reverse and reverse to drive, sometimes 10 seconds to catch gear.hard shifting from park to reverse, slams into gear.clunking when parking or wheels at full lock.

1 - transmission shifts hard into reverse. Starting happening at approx. 11k miles. Took to dealer twice under warranty to have repairs made, but still shifted hard. One repair at 11k and one repair at 34k. Each time i was told that this was 'normal' by dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah). However, after repeated complaints, dealer (bergstrom ford of neenah) made repairs that they believed would help resolve the issue. Issue never went away.2 - complete transmission failure at 67k. Transmission would not shift into reverse. Could no back out of a parking stall at a retail store. Took to ford dealer (les stumpf ford) and got no assistance. Vehicle is out of warranty and i had to pay for repairs. Entire transmission needed replacement. No assistance from ford to make repairs.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the vehicle was not repaired after it had been serviced for a recall on the transmission.she placed the vehicle in reverse and five seconds later it jerked backwards.the contact experienced the same failure numerous times.the vehicle was returned to the dealer for inspection.the current mileage was 48,500 and failure mileage was 15,000.

We purchased a 2004 ford explorer 4.0 liter v6 approximately 6 months ago (46,000 miles).shortly after the purchase the vehicle began to shift hard from "park" into "reverse".the vehicle also shifts hard while in motion.it feels as if the vehicle has accelerated on it's own.mechanic advised the transmission will cost approximately $600.00 in parts, and approximately $800.00 in labor.it is unknown how long the transmission will last until complete failure.i have grave concerns that it may fail as we are on the interstate causing death or serious injury.

The transmission started having problems after just a couple of months. The first time i was told they had to add an additive to the transmission. It has been in 2 more times for this and this friday i just got it back from transmission repair only to go out and find tranny fluid all over my garage (70 miles after they fixed it again) i also had the starter go out in it and now they still cant find what is causing it...(likely story).

I have a 2004 ford explorer and it recently started making a rumbling noise. I brought it to my mechanic and he looked at it and said it was my transmission. He also said that it was an extremly common problem for 2004 explorers. If you google "2004 explorer problems" and click on any of the links the first problem is transmission issues. I have owned this car since it was new in 2004 and have not abused the car. For a 2004 car with only 75000 miles on it to have a transmission go it is a problem. I have been quoted $3000 to fix this problem the fix being a new transmission. When ford knows about this problem they should do something about it.

Hi! my 2004 for explorer has been suffering from transmission problems for over 3 years. The car was taken to the dealer for repair while under warranty multiple times with the dealer doing little to satisfy me or address the issue. The problem has gotten progressively worse to a point that it has become a public hazard to drive.it seems to jump in and out of gear as it wishes with a clunking sound, especially when put into reverse. I took the car to the dealership this past week after being advised to do so when i called ford's 1-800 number and they are suggesting that i replace the transmission. The catch is that my suv is now out of warranty at only 46k miles. Bear in mind they failed to remedy the issue in the past. I went online and found that this problem is rampant with this model and year. Many comments from other disgruntled owners may be found at: http://www.offroadexchange.com/modforums/index.php?topic=26.newevidently the problem goes as far back as production of 2004 ford explorers. Ford is failing to own up to this. I urge you to please take action so that this issue may be deemed part of a recall. These vehicles are posing a public threat and ford is doing absolutely nothing about it.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The transmission in the vehicle is constantly slipping. The vehicle hesitated after numerous attempts to adjust to the correct gear. Due to the failure it takes longer than it should to increase speed. The dealer made an adjustment to the transmission; however, the vehicle was notfully repaired. The failure mileage was 10,000 and the current mileage was 96,000.updated 05/15/09updated 05/18/09.

. 3- now it has actually began to die instead of just stalling and hesitating. Now they advise its the throttle sensor. In all 3 cases - when putting the car in reverse there is always a hesitation, then it will jerk hard into reverse. When slowing down at a stop sign or red light there will be another banging noise coming from the transmission.when putting the car in drive from the reverse there is always a delay then will jerk in forward drive.now the little wrench comes on and the check engine light comes on, when driving down the highway the car will die for no apparent reason, when this happensi can not do anything!!!! when is this going to be fixed? ford waiting on someone to get killed first? i have almost caused two wrecks with my car stalling out on the highway, as you can imagine going from 65 mph and then die without a warning and what am i to do with the traffic behind me? this is serious!! i took my car in and had it hooked up to the machine to read what was going on and the mechanic should me that the car would read nothing on any of their machines! the consumers need your help! we have these new (2004) vehicles that are dangerous and we should not be having to pay for a lemon.ford motor company had to know when this happen in their plant and should have not sold these cars!!!! please help and issue a recall, thank you for all of your help.

The od light is flashing and the trans is slipping. You can not excelerate in a hurry because it wont go making this truck a accident waiting to happen.

Transmission leaks, has been repaired 4 times by dealer.transmission has no dip stick to measure level and no way for user to add fluid.when leak is noticed user does not know oil level and can be left stranded in dangerous locations.has also been repaired for slamming due to solenoid problems also.

I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt 4x4which recently had to basically have the transmission rebuilt. I feel that this is a manufacturer defect simply because the vehicle is only 2 years old. Since the warranty is exceeded in mileage i was responsible for repairs, which totaled $1652.78. The vehicle had just under 56,000 miles when this occurred. I would greatly appreciate any help with investigating this problem. Just a little piece of info, i also have a friend that has a 2002 explorer that had the same identical problem. I do not find that to be coincidental! and her vehicle had about 70,000 miles on it when this happened to her.

There is a delay in the gear when vehicle is put in drive or reverse. Vehicle tends to jerk when the gear pops. Manufacturer will be contacted by consumer.

2004 ford explorer,which was purchased in november 2003 hesitates when shifting into reverse, when it does shift there is a jolt and bang as it engages into reverse.suv has been serviced on 3 occasions, the initial service performed apprximately 1 month after the purchase.each time i was told that it was a computer problem & that the computer needed to be re-programmed.in short, the vehicle continues to exhibit the jolt/bang when shifting to reverse.the vehicle is scheduled to go to the dealership (island ford) on staten island new york on monday november 22, 2004, at which time, i am told that the solenoid will be replaced.my greatest concern is that when this problem is finally solved, whether any residual damage was done to the transmission or differential, which may not become apparent until after the vehicle is beyond warranty.this problem has existed for nearly a year.

Bought 2004 ford explorer in 2008, noticed immediately that it was hard to put into gears but was told this was normal for fords.over the next year started noticing that when you put on the brake it felt like the rear end was falling out, again told that this is typical of a ford. Just this past week have noticed that the transmission does not shift without a big jolt and the o/d light has started flashing.autozone checked for codes and said it was p90775, which is suppose to be something in the transmission.took it to a transmission place and they want 2000-3000 dollars to build new trans.but said this is once again typical of a ford. Really!!! if ford knows this why are they not recalling the vehicles.transmission guy said all the previous warning signs have been exactly what he hears all the time with this make model and year. Help!!!my husband is religious about check fluids on our cars, changing them ect....first thing he noticed was there is no dipstick for the transmission fluid, what's that about?hiding something?

Transmission shifts very hard and when put into reverse it violently shifts to reverse. Have had the vehicle in for multiple repairs on the transmission and now the local ford dealership tells me i have to replace the transmission with the mileage on the vehicle a little over 70,000 miles.

We own a 2004 ford explorer.the ford recall to remedy factory transmission fluid problem was a band-aid to fix liver cancer.the transmission jumps into reverse a few seconds after shifting,and the shifts when going forward are "jerky".ford has tried to placate owners with an additive.the problem is ongoing.nothing has been done to correct the problem.

Purchased a 2004 ford explorer in 2004, noticed after a couple of months that when i put the car in reverse it would delay a few seconds and then it would make a clunk sound and then speed into reverse or shift hard, that was at about 50,000 miles.car at times would not go into reverse, had the transmission in the shop numerous times and shift solenoid replaced to no avail. Shifted okay for awhile and goes back to shifting hard again and while at a stop light several times or upon starting my carwhen i had my foot on the brake it would make a clunk sound and jump forward out of gear. Good thing no other cars were in front of me or my wife or children near the vehicles. This vehicles scares me and being in the military with a limited budget we cannot just buy another car so easily and so we drive this vehicle deathly afraid. Ford needs to make right, the government needs to address this issue before more people are injured or killed with the sudden acceleration orcoming out of gear involuntarily. Also car is starting to delay when at a stopped position to start driving the car hesitates to go into gear. Does it take someone to get seriously injured or die before this problem is going to be resolved by an obvious manufacturer error???? i have two children that get driven around on a regular basis and i am now worried that something is going to happen or my wife. This is still going on and getting worse. Here it is june 2010 and ford is getting away with ripping off customers and not being made to fix our investments nor the money we've had to spend on their mistake. I am taking my ford back in to have the transmission guy that repaired it look at the vehicle. How can thousands of complaints be ignored? you are reading this, you can pressure and bring it to light. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Delay/harsh clunk when shifting to reverse.

Transmission shift lag- 2004 ford exploreri presented my 2004 ford explorer [xxx] to a local dealer 2/28/05 for the recall involving a change of transmission fluid. This has not alleviated what i have noticed is a chronic and possibly dangerous problem with this vehicle. When placed in reverse, there is often a noticeable shift lag of a few seconds before the transmission actually engages. The most recent incident occurred yesterday, 7/26/05, when the vehicle was parked nose down on a hill, requiring me to back up to leave a parking spot in the city of pittsburgh, well known for its hilly terrain. Because of the transmission lag, i almost drifted into the vehicle in front of me before the vehicle finally went into reverse. I haven't noticed this in any forward gears with this vehicle, but this is the third and most noticeable event to date. Had a pedestrian walked in front of me, there may have been an injury, or even a fatality. After this event, i am returning the vehicle asap to the dealer. I will only use reverse at this time with my left foot on the brake until i feel the transmission engage.updated 07/19/2012 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving, there was an abnormal increase in engine rpms yet the vehicle would not accelerate.the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the transmission solenoid was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 64,000.

Dt*: the contact stated the automatic transmission did not engage gears in a timely manner.the problem started after 41000 miles and was not taken to a service dealer.

Automatic transmission slips and hesitates between gears especially at light throttle.ransmission does not engage reverse until throttle is applied.problem is getting worse.

Dt: the contact complained abouttransmission failure son several occasions. When shifting the vehicle into reverse the transmission locked for a few seconds, making a loud popping sound and thenshifting into reverse. The vehicle has been seen by the dealer six times. The dealer was able to duplicate the problem, but could not been able to locate the source of the problem. The following items were replaced on order to fix the transmission, includingthe rear speed sensor, the solenoid body, and several components were lubricated. None of these replacements seemed to repair the transmission. During the most recent failure the contact's husband was involvedaccident when the transmission failed. He attempted to back into the driveway during icy conditions. The transmission locked.he shifted the vehicle into drive and stepped on the gas. The transmission immediately engaged and the vehicle crashed into a tree in the yard. The vehicle sustained heavy damage. The police were not contacted because the accident occurred on private property. The vehicle is now in the possession of the insurance company at their impound lot.

I have had 2 problems with my ford explorer. 1. Crack in the rear window panel, ford won't fix. 2. Total transmission failure, had to replace at my cost.

Transmission on 2004 ford explorer xlt 4.6 awd doesn't engage in reverse or drive without hesitation. On going problem since about 15k.took to the dealer after receiving recall notice from ford. Dealer put "additive" in the transmission fluid said it would take about 3k miles to work out of the problem. I now have 24k on this vehicle and the shifting is getting worse.worried about pulling out of a parking lot etc, not knowing if the truck will move or not.leather seat covers were replaced free of charge from the dealer, as after 6 months there were numerous cracks in the leather.

Blinking o/d light, service engine light, park to reverse gear slippage, first to second gear slippage.

1- in reverse vehicle pauses- then proceeds to surge backward. Took to dealership- they fixed it- adv bad transmission sensor. 2- vehicle would go from 65- to - 40 as if i was hitting the brake. Took to dealer - they advertising general code read fine for about 2 months. 3- now it has actually began to die instead of just stalling and hesitating. Now they advise its the throttle sensor. In all 3 cases - the little wrench comes on and the check engine light.this is a 2004 bought brand new and only has 16,450 miles on it.......what will go wrong next??last date is listed below the stalling is an on/off thing.

When shifting from drive to reverse, hesitation up 5 seconds then bangs into reverse. Dealer said it was normal because of computer lag. Still doing it and taking it back to dealer again. This is an on going problem.

While leaving for work, shifted column gear shift from park to reverse and it snapped off at base.no force used other than normal.

Bought in feb. 2006 with 12,000 miles - the 2004 explorer xls when put into reverse hesitated, then jerked hard at first -- then as time went by -- approximately 2-3 months the jerking was while automatically shifting while driving.the jerking motion occurred 17 times while driving 35 miles.it seems to be getting worse over time.i've been to the dealer and they reprogrammed the computer.the dealer manager said that it still jerks in reverse after the 3rd time and offered no remedy of any kind, just $79.00 and there you go.all this within 20,000 miles.i don't feel safe driving - what if i need that reverse quick to avoid an accident and there is a hesitation in transmission shifting???

Vehicle had a history of suddenly jerking harshly while driving at highway speeds (65 mph), butat irregular intervals and problem could not be forced to replicate. At approximately 97,000 miles while on an out of state trip, the vehicle began to refuse to accelerate properly from a standstill, appearing to "limp" (in ford's words) until it reached 10-15 mph, then it would suddenly engage and accelerate rapidly, but would still quit accelerating briefly until reaching speeds >40 mph. At interstate speeds, the transmission seemed to run fine until going into mountains, where it would not find the right gear for maintaining speed. Car continued to worsen until finally reaching a dealership that was willing to look at the problem. No error codes were observed, so was told the transmission had to be overhauled or replaced. The overhaul was not going to be guaranteed nor would the dealership promise when the car would be repaired and recommended a ford rebuilt transmission, which i was forced to select. The vehicle still has problems, though not as severe as formerly, but there are still no error or service codes being returned by any of the car's electronics. I have no options other than to drive it until it fails completely again, wherever that may happen.

While driving normally, 'o/d off' light on dashboard comes on. Unable to accelerate and/or vehicle shuts off; the remedy: having transmission rebuilt or repaired. This has occurred three times in 3 years. Saw on a 6page forum of other ford owners having the same problem. Repairing a transmission is costly and its not one repair it's multiple over the life of owning the vehicle.

Vehicle was taken to dealer for transmission problem. Consumer was toldthatwhen placingvehicle in reverse, it jerked, andsometimes it raced.consumerwas told that part of the transmission needed to be replaced.

2004 ford explorer transmission problems.will not shift into reverse from neutral, car bucks when finally shifts into gear (reverse and forward). Car has stalled upon steering into a u-turn in the middle of an intersection. This is definitely a safety hazard. I fear for the safety of my family.

2004 ford explorer(solenoid pack) repair 2nd time.

2004/ford explorer fire while parked in parking deck,there was no previous warnings ,of any kind. Truck was running well ,no service lights ever came on. Truck only has 40,000 miles on it. Never had any sings or symptoms,that anything was going to happen. I have a police report. Fire dept. Report. Also valet parking managers report from 11/6/09.now truck is at toms ford ,hazlet nj. We need to know what went wrong , there was no prior warning to this event. Thank god i wasn't on the hwy when this occurred with my granddaughter 27 mths . Please help!

The transmission has a delayed shift and causes the engine to rev before shifting. This causes a hesitation especially when pulling out into traffic from a stop. This occurs every time and the 0/d light flashes as well. The service engine light is now because of the transmission problem. This is situation dangerous.

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle hesitated while reversing.when the gear finally engaged, there was a jolt felt.the dealership replaced the solenoid in may 2004 but the problem persisted.

Bought new 2004 explorer xlt january 1st 2005, upon driving the vehicle home i noticed a hesitation in the changing of the gears at low speeds, and it also seems to slip when making turns at low speeds. I took in to ford dealership right away and they said throttle body was sticking and replaced it. Also they updated the computer chip and said everything was fine. No change to the vehicle, i took to another ford dealership they could not replicate the problem so they said. They sent me on my way with no relief in sight, they did suggest that i have the transmission fluid recall and i did, it did not change anything. This is a safety issue no matter what ford says, if i need acceleration in traffic and my vehicle does not perform and hesitates or spits and sputters, i and my family are in serious danger and that is not acceptable to me and my fellow consumers. I will not be purchasing another ford product again. If ford has admitted they have this transmission problem, but will not recall and cannot fix this problem, how can they be allowed to let the consumer take the hit??

About 75,000 miles on vehicle, purchased new, regularly serviced.accelerating, the o/d light came on and the transmission went "thunk" as it tried to shift from 2nd to 3rd.restartingthe car the o/d light went off and the car shifted normally except occasionally the car shifts rough.the ford dealer wants $1800 to $4200 to repair.

I have a bad transmission.i shifts terribly into the upper gears and when it shifts into reverse, it often hesitates and then when it does shift, it sounds life the transmission is about to fall out.it shifts into reverse with a loud clank and big jolt.this has been happening since day one, 2004, and it was taken back to the dealer, who said it was an electronic problem, but they didn't fix the problem.

I just read an article regarding ford's admission that there are problems with the transmissions in the 2004 explorer.i have had my explorer for less than 6 months and have had it in the shop 3 times for transmission issues. First time, and last time i was told there was no problem. Any way to ensure that i receive a letter from ford regarding the repair plan they are going to put in place.

Vehicle hestitates between gear changes especially on lower gears. Although an additive was put in by the dealer, going from park to reverse is even worse. The vehicle often sits for 10-15 seconds before engaging either reverse or drive and even then, the change feels "rough."

Auto transmission jumping in and out of reverse gear.

For the past 8 months, when i put suv into reverse, there is a loud bang.sometimes suv sticks in "park", then slams back. Also while driving sometimes it hesitates and finally shifts. Upon stopping, suv rolls forward or backwards a great distance until it finally locks into "park." took suv to service dept. @ dealer and was told they did not find anything wrong.

-the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact started the ignition on a warm engine, and then moved the gear shift from the "park" position into the "reverse" position.immediately, the transmission exhibited extremely hard shifting.there were no prior warnings.the failure occurred intermittently.the vehicle was able to proceed to normal operation. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic tests.the technician stated the failure was related to the automatic transmission solenoid pack.the solenoid pack was replaced for the malfunction.the contact had concern on the safety risk involved.the failure mileage was 60,000.the current mileage was 81,000. Updated 05/15/09updated 05/18/09.

Explorer jerking and bucking when put into reverse. Problem eventually worsened with bucking once put into drive. Bought used at 31,000 miles.symptom evidenced at just over 33,000 miles. Transmission replacedat cost of nearly $4,000.addressed this issue with ford . Response- sympathetic but nothing they can do? or is there? design or manufacturer error. Either way accountability should not be an issue. Last ford i will own.

The automatic transmission on my 2004 ford explorer hesitates, then jumps into gear, and the problem appears to be worsening over time. It happens when in drive or reverse, but up to now, the problem has been particularly worse when the transmission is in reverse. Up to now this has been more of a nuisance than anything, however, when i attempted to proceed into traffic from a stopped position earlier today, the vehicle hesitated for 3-4 seconds before engaging. Several other explorer owners that i know have reported similar problems. This is clearly a safety problem.

Consumer had problems with the automatic transmission.each time the vehicle was backed up, it would hesitate when placed in drive.the vehicle also leaped forward with the consumers foot on the brake, it was placed in drive and the vehicle did not move. *scthe vehicle was a rental.

Vehicle does not engage inreverse, it makes a loud sound, and then it accelerates to the point of trying to gain control of the vehicle.

When shifting into reverse, the vehicle pauses and then jumps into gear.it has done this on several occasions.

Transmission started shifting hard the day it was purchased in 2004.now the transmission will not shift at all and the car has been parked in the driveway and is not drivable.i asked the ford dealership about the shifting problem within a week of purchase and they stated there was nothing wrong with the vehicle that they could find.

There are many know problems with this transmission.i have made repairs to many 5r55 series transmissions and they are all defective in a few different ways.i spent 5 years at ford repairing these problems and now my personal vehicle is showing symptoms of failure.the only proper repair for this is the complete replacement of said part.although the replacement part is most likely going to be a failed unit from another vehicle.

Dt*: the contact stated there is a shift delay before going into reverse or drive, after a 5-10 second delay it goes into gear.this is an intermittent problem.last week the shift lever assembly was replaced by the dealer because it broke off in the column.the vehicle was taken to the dealership about the delay problem however they are unable to get a diagnostic code to correct the problem.

Took car back to the dealer i purchased it from, complained of a rough shift into reverse, technician said normal with this transmission, took it to another dealer in city where i work they found the problem to be a solenoid in the transmission and it was repaired under warranty. 20000 miles later and 18 months later the same problem diagnosed, not in warranty any longer i contacted ford and they gave me a decision that there was nothing they could do for me.this same problem appears at lease 3 times on your website as service bulletins.

Dt*:the contact stated while driving 50 mph there was a loud noise heard coming from under the vehicle.the vehicle then lurched forward and came to a complete stop on the highway as if the rear wheels were locked causing minor injuries to the driver and passenger.after restarting the vehicle, the over drive light illuminated.the vehicle was driven to the local dealership and they determined there was metal in the transmission pan.they replaced the crank shaft pulley assembly, compressor, power belt, bolt, vibration damper, screen assembly, bearings, output shaft, pistons, rods and the carrier over drive.the manufacturer was alerted.

I purchased a new 2004 ford explorer in 2004 and had constant problems with the transmission - hard shifting, slipping, and delayed shifting. I brought it back multiple times to 2 very good dealers and the problems remained. They replaced my rear axle three times but said because there were no stored codes from the transmission, ford wouldn't let them do anything else. My transmission kept having delayed shift and hard shift problems so i kept bringing it in to my local dealer even after my warranty expired. After 6 times at 2 dealers, it was doing the same thing. I do not blame the dealers, as they were only taking ford factory direction. I called ford customer service several times prior to my warranty end, and was always told to go back to the dealer. During those calls to customer service, i requested a ford factory rep contact me but customer service refused and advised me again to go back to the dealer for service.last week, my transmission finally failed at 87k miles. It still shifted hard, and had delayed shifts, but it suddenly had no reverse, and extreme slippage in first gear. The check transmission light started flashing for the first time so it stored a code. I took my explorer back to the dealer who advised the code meant an internal failure of a band or other part and the transmission needed to be replaced at a cost of about $4500.the dealer service manager was very good about the entire problem, so i am still not at all upset with the local dealer.i paid almost $200 for the diagnostic of a failed band but decided to have the transmission repaired at a local transmission shop. There, the manager took the transmission apart to diagnose the problem and did not find a broken band or other part. He advised it was probably due to other problems that may have been there since it was new, and advised that i install a rebuilt transmission instead of rebuilding this one due to the problems with the aluminum case. I spent $3000; finally fixed.

(1) ford recall5r55s/5r55e/5r443 transmissionsapril 04 2005.04b22 ford explorer xlt(2) repair information regarding transmission issues. This vehicle was taken back to action ford mercury, hartsville, sc. On 10/23/06 with the same problems.the warranty has expired and the service department stated that i would be required to pay for a portion of these repairs. I have taken this vehicle back to action ford mercury (4) times, for transmission repairs.(see attachments),10/11/04, 06/08/05. Obviously, with (4) repairs , something is not right with the transmission in this vehicle. Both statements reference solenoid replacement.this transmission obviously has a 'factory defect', and should be repaired once and for all, or replaced. Expecting a customer to continuously bring a vehicle back in for repairs, for the same problems,even only paying deductible payments is ludicrous.i also talked in length with the action ford mercury service manager, 'richard', and he stated that they have not had any problems with the explorer transmissions. Seems that this is not quite true, at least nationally,in reference to the information retained on consumer web sites (see attached).actually ,this is a well documented problem with the 2004 models.

The transmission on my 04 explorer is failing.ford issued a recall to add an addative to the transmission which did not correct the problem.then the selaniod was replaced and the problems seemed to go away. Now 500 miles later the problem is happening again.no help from the ford dealer.

2004 ford explorer.when putting into reverse, vehicle bangs, you can hear and feel it.was in shop, and ffound nothing wrong.occurred occaisionally, now alot! now my transmission is leaking fluid.my warranty ran out 5,000 miles ago.i don't think this is normal in a newer car.

Vehicle transmission performance is inconsistent and intermittent, transmission will "bang" into reverse, rev up before engaging while going forward from a stop, hesitates when shifting between gears at lower speeds, appears to "slip" when making turns. Transmission and rear end replacement did not resolve problems.

4x4 eddie bauer explorer - bangs into reverse.

2004 explorer - eddie bauer purchased new on 12/03. At 29,000 miles - noticed that when turning sharp radius in parking lots - felt like the transmission would go in and out of gear. Simultaneously noticed hesitation upon auto shifting, and hesitation upon putting in reverse. Took to dealer replaced solenoid. 2nd trip to dealer - similar complaint - they replaced rear axle. 3rd trip - similar complaint, but now upon heavy acceleration - vehicle pulls hard left. Service manager at ford says they called factory, but nobody knows why. This is now not only a lemon, but because it's steering has become affected - i believe it is a safety concern. 3 major failures in 10 mos ownership, and some problems remain unresolved. This is not a safe or reliable vehicle.

Vehicle traveled at various speeds the transmission failed and as a result vehicle was unable to move and made an idling noise. Vehiclewas taken to the dealer for repairs for fourth time this year.

Transmission does not engage in reverse from park when put in reverse,than after 5-10 seconds will jerk into gear,transmission does not upshift correctly,seems to hesitate between gears.

2004 ford explorer-delayed then harsh shift of transmission into reverse, was in shop to replace solenoid and bad transmission fluid installed at the factory"-problem persists-car was purchased nov 2004 and has only approx 4500 miles. Problem is ongoing so there is not just one incident date.

Gear shift leveron the steering wheel column broke off when tried to take it out of park, on my 2004 ford explorer. Checking the internet for this problem i see it has happened to hundreds of people with ford explorers, no help through ford, a recall needs to be done. To many people with the same problem.

The gears on the vehicle were popping, which was not letting the vehicle have movement. The transmission on the vehicle has been repaired a total of three times, but the problem is still recurring.

2004 ford explorer shifting/transmissionselanoid shifting problem causing a safety defect with the vehicle.i have sopken with two different service advisor at the dealership who have indicated that this is a very common complaint and have written many of these issues.first incident 11/02/2004,second incident 11/2/2004.another person in my office has had the same problem.attorneys have web site requesting people to come forward with 2004 ford explorer transmission or shifting problemthis is a serious safety concern.

I am also having the transmission problem with my 2004 ford explorer. My vehiclejumps violently when it is put in reverse. When you first put it in reverse it will not move then all of a sudden it jumps backward. I also have been noticing that the truck feels like it is not in gearfeels like it slips . I have made no repairs on my vehicle as of yet, but after reading the newspaper article i see that this problem is occurring with other vehicles,. We all seem to be having the same problems.i hope that ford will take care of these ford explorer problems before their are more accidents.i have not had an incident as of this date 4/30/09, but i can tell you that when i put my vehicle in reverse i am very worried because of how violent the truck jumps backward.

Dt:the contact states his vehicle is stalled while driving.the first time this happened he took the vehicle to a local dealership, andthe pcm was reprogrammed.the vehicle stalled three times on november 6, 2005.this happens with no warning lights.the vehicle was taken to the same dealership.they could not duplicate the problem,therefore, no repairs were made.

While making a turn, the vehicle shut off, and had to be towed to the dealer.the pcm software was replaced. The consumerexperienced the same problem again.the consumer contactedthe manufacturer. There wasno response.

2004 ford explorer hesitated and did not shift when going over 40 mph.down shifted s for no reason and madea loud rumbling noise, had to pull over in heavy traffic at times; almost caused several accidents.

Still hesitates into reverse from drive after ford fix of additive to transmission. Problem getting worse, affecting shifting in forward gears now.

When shifting gears from drive to reverse a heavy knocking noise is produced.the gear selector would hang up in drive and the selector did not return.the vehicle would also unexpectedly jump out of drive.the shift solenoid was replaced but the problem remained the same. *sc

Driving vehicle, stopped, put vehicle in park, got out of vehicle briefly , got back in vehicle, pulled on gear shift leaver to put in drive would not go in drive or any other gear, prndl leaver broke off, could notremove key, could shut off the motor, had to have vehicle towed to ford dealer for repairs. Total cost of repair$1,501.19. I did not by this vehicle from ourisman ford. I bought it from a private owner.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.after starting the engine, the gear shifted from the "park" position to"reverse".there was a forceful forward shifting motion when that occurred. In addition, when the gear shift was placed in the "reverse position" and shiftinginto the"drive" position there was immediate hesitation. There were no warning light indicators illuminated on the instrument panel.the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection.the technician stated the failure was contributed to the shift solenoid which was replaced. An authorized dealer previously replaced the solenoid for identical failure.the contact is aware of the safety risk.the failure mileage was 8,804 and the current mileage was 55,000.

Circumstances with our newly leased 2004 ford explorer are such that we are requesting that you provide us with a new vehicle of similar year, make and model.this vehicle was purchased new on june 25, 2004 and has had numerous mechanical malfunctions that have made it hazardous and dangerous to operate.the 2 very serious malfunctions are not minor, but are of a very serious nature.1. Vehicles engine shuts off this has occurred in situations on the highway that have been extremely hazardous to the passengers and those of the general public.when this malfunction occurs, it occurs without warning.there is no consistency to when this happens, but it happens often enough that as operators we have lost confidence in the vehicle.we are reluctant to have children in it or to take it on the highway.it is without question that the defects in our 2004 ford explorer are serious.2. Difficulty putting the vehicle in gearit is becoming increasingly difficult to put the vehicle into gear.in other words, when you put the vehicle into reverse, it goes not engage in the gear.at other times, it will engage the gear after a prolonged delay.this is particularly dangerous when you step on the accelerator and it "unexpectedly" jumps into gear after a prolonged delay. This is extremely dangerous for the passengers, but particularly for any pedestrians walking behind the vehicle.both of these malfunctinos present a danger and a hazard and are very serious defects. Inacceptable response from ford dealershipregards,john piscalcfoinner city education [email protected]:mr. Michael piscalpresident & ceo

Placing the vehiclw in reverse, vehicle hesitates and then engages with a "clunk"; shifting into drive the same phenomenon occurs randemly. The major concern is that this jumping into gear happens sporadically as well !

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.when attempting to shift the gear selector lever, it fractured and caused the ignition to lock.the contact was unable to operate the vehicle.the vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and is in the process of having the component repaired.the cause of the failure was unknown.the failure and current mileages were 71,325 updated 01-26-09 the gear shift lever on the steering column broke. Updated 01/27/09.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked, the contact tried to shift to drive when the gear shift broke off. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 55,242.

Our 2004 ford explorer has a significantly delayed response when shifting into reverse. Once the transmission engages there is a loud and hard "clunk". This happens every time you put the truck in reverse.

On christmas eve 2006 i was shopping for presents... Went to may be 5 stores. After last store, i started car and when i went to put it in gear, the gear stick broke off into my hands. Transmission was stuck between park and reverse! there was no way to put it back together as it broke off at the base. Dealer replaced $1000 worth of parts. I feel this could have happened at any time and was lucky vehicle was in park rather than in drive when it happened.

In order to move the shift lever into the park position, it is necessary to push the lever up, let it return down a shortbit, and then put it into park.the lever wants to stop half way.this is a safety hazard because the vehicle may return to reverse without actually being in the park position.

2004 ford explorer gear shifter lever broke in my hand while vehicle was in drive.the vehicle is an automatic.this is a huge saftey issue because the vehicle was engaged in drive at the point of the lever breaking.the lever was not a steel piece and was defective.ford is unresponsive to this issue.

2004 explorer (automatic) column gear shift broke when shifted into reverse.part was not sold separately so had to purchase entire steering column.estimate cost of new part was approximately $500.luckily was able to locate used part for half the cost.replaced only the broken part which has gear shift lever attached.

Transmission got stuck in neutral when column shifter was put in the park position. As my wife got out to help her sister with her new born and baggage the explorer started rolling, my niece (in the back seat) got scared and jumped out of the vehicle and got ran over. The vehiclehit a pole and trapped my niece under the rear tire. I have since taken it to dealership 3 times so far, and it is still not fixed. Actually since i have gotten the explorer back it has started to clung really hard going into reverse, and has got stuck between third and fourth gear. While driving, causing the rpms to shoot up. I am waiting on ford to finally resolve this issue as i have been given the run around and am getting very frustrated.

Transmission/differential/rear-end problems, purchased 2004 ford explorer xlt in march of 2006, first complaint was that the prndl indicator would not move into the right gear,reported the defect in may, problem stopped but then started again. Brought the vehicle back to the dealer and had to pay to get the problem repaired. But also found that the rear-end is shotthe drive shaft keeps turning and the vehicle keeps rolling while in park. The vehicle also lurches when brake is depressed. Dealer states that the rear-end and differential is bad how can this be on a vehicle that has only 49000 miles on it .

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at speeds of 50 mph, the transmission warning light illuminated and there was an unusual noise coming from the wheel bearings. The vehicle was taken to a local repair facility where the contact was advised that the torque was defective and caused the transmission to malfunction. The dealer was contacted and also advised having the transmission replaced. The failure and current mileages were 84,000. Updated 08/27/10. *lj

2004 ford explorer with seals leaking. Consumer states that the front axle seal and pinion seal were replaced. The rear axle seal was leaking and also was replaced. Consumer would like to be reimbursed for the charges.the consumer stated on march 31, 2008 the rear axle seal on the passenger side was found to be leaking, after having the front axle seal and pinion seal replaced 2 weeks prior.

Rear axle noise/whining.

While turning the vehicle in either direction the front axle locks. Owner contacted the manufacturer, who sent an engineer to evaluate this problem. Currently,manufacturer does not have a solution for this problem.

There is a whine or "howl" coming from the rear axle of our 2004 ford explorer with less than 9000 miles on it. We brought it back to the ford dealer in camdenton, mo where it was purchased and explained the problem that there is a loud whine coming from the rear axle at speeds between 50 and peaks at 62. They said that they were having problems with those and said something about that it would probably need a rear pinion seal.after having the vehicle for two days and having given us the impression that it was going to be fixed, they said that the problem isn't bad enough to warrant repair and that it needs to be broken in longer.i was told that twice, once on the phone and once in person when i got there to pick it up.i told the man that i didn't believe that and that the whine is getting worse, not better.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 20 mph the front of the vehicle was stalling and vibrating when making left and right turns.the dealer stated that the clutch in the differential was failing.the clutch was replaced,and the failure no longer occurred.the current and failure mileage were 45000.

I own a 2004 ford explorer.car started vibrating at low speeds especially after a stop and when turning.i have taken it to two mechanics and both told me the rear differential needs to be replaced.i am a college student and just purchased the vehicle so i will be unable to pay for the costly repair.i have read online that many many other ford customers have had the same problem and ford has done nothing about it.

There is alot of whistling and squeaking in my front end and everytime i have it looked at i am told it just needs lubrication and after a few weeks the noise is back which i am sure means something is wrong and no one seems to find it.the squeaking is driving me nuts at every turn whenever you brake sometimes just accelerating will cause it to squeak.

There is no failure yet for our vehicle but there are many out there that has. Do a internet search for the 2004 ford explorer complaints and see for yourself the complaints for wheel bearing failure and rear differential failure that will eventually get someone killed. This is a very common problem and ford will not acknowledge or do anything about it.

Both rear wheel bearings were worn and noisy at less than 74,000 miles.these bearings should have lasted much longer.$800.00 to repair/replace.

I am handicapped and live on social security, this is important because of the bill i had to pay. I am making payments on a used 04 explorer, they are quite high so i got the extended service plan. The rear axle has whined ever since i got it. When it was drowning out the radio and finally started leaking the dealer, don jenkins ford finally agreed to look at it. I was reduced to laying on the floorwhile i waited because if i brought my wheelchair i would have no way to get it home. The dealer replaced the ring and pinion under the warranty company even though it was a factory defect, the car only has 65k miles. The parking brake fell apart when they removed the axles but they couldn't get the warranty company to pay for another factory defect so i had to give them almost $400 to get my car back. It was okay for the warranty company to pay for shoddy parts and questionable workmanship but not ford. I am disgusted with this modern morality, in my day they called these people by their proper name, thieves. No wonder the car companies are in trouble, cars cost almost one third the price of a starter home and are made with second rate chinese parts just to support the unions. It will be a cold day in '!@#$% and the devil will come upstairs selling snowcones before i will buy another car made in the last ten years.

Whining noise from rear of vehicle. Dealer stated that ford knows of this problem but doesn't currently have a fix for it!they asked me to call them back in 30 days.

Differential went out when drivingsuv rear axle grinds chatter.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving between 40-60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a whining noise when the accelerator pedal was depressed.the failure occurred continuously and there were no warning indicatorsilluminated on the instrument panel.the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the rear differential.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure and current mileages were 39,000. Updated 03-27-09 updated 04/01/09.

Hello, i have a friendwho works at carmax, he told me all explorers no matter which suffer from really bad ring and pinion gears. My father in law bought a brand new explorer last year, this year it has 50k miles and the ring and pinion are whining like crazy. Ford knows about the defect but they want to wait until 2010 when most of the people's warranties expire in my opinion. They say the same to everyone, that its not too bad to consider replacing it.

1. I have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. The vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. Rear differential, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vehicle to break down and if that happens the vehicle is no good to me because of the cost to fix it.3. I have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me.

Whining noise in rear end of 2004 ford explorer, dealer said there's nothing they can do about it, said don't worry about it , it doesn't hurt anything, 36,000 miles.

Repeated rear end housing failures.jan 06 vehicle was taken to the dealership for whining in rear end, "clunk" noise when shifting to reverse, hesitant transmission, and hard to shift between drive, park and reverse.rear end from factory was found to be extensively damaged and cracked due to broken clip present in rear end found when it was being removed.rear end was replaced for whining noise.2 weeks later, car was taken back to dealership because it was leaking rear end gear oil.i was told this was overrun and was ok. 4 weeks later the rear end oil puddled in my garage and the vehicle was towed to the dealership.once again the whole rear end housing was replaced.we i picked up the vehicle after over 3 weeks in the repair shop, i only drove 24 miles and the rear end began to leak gear oil again.also the muffler was cherry red and extremely hot when the car was returned to the dealership last week.the technicians were puzzled due to the fact that the catalytic converter was cool, but the muffler burning hot with charred spots present.the transmission has also been a problem, especially in reverse.the transmission hesitates when engages and clunks into gear.the solenoid was replaced to fix this problem but the car has not been out of the repair shop long enough to see if the transmission is fixed.this vehicle has been in the repair shop 37 days since jan 1 2006.at this point, the rear end could lock up due to constant leaking of oil and the extremely hot muffler posed a substantial fire hazard.

1. I have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. The vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. Rear differentral, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vechile to break down and if that happens the vechile is no good to me because of the cost to fix it.3. I have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me.

2004 ford explorer required new transmission in first year. Later, a loud whine developed from the rear of the car on acceleration. Annoying, but i didn't know if meant trouble. Abs and 4x4 high lights later began to come on intermittently. Mechanic found no cause. Just recently, at 79,000 miles, the vehicle began to feel like it was about to fall apart.ford dealer has had it for over a week, they say, after doing $1000 worth of useless work on it, that the entire rear differential has gone bad, and must be replaced. Apparently this was not caught up till now, but must have been responsible for the whine, the errant lights, and a ka-chunk that the brakes have been making for years, also never able to be diagnosed. (note: i didn't know where to categorize this, so i entered it in the other category because i didn't want to misclassify; also do not have vin as the vehicle is at the dealership).

I have a 2004 ford explorer .when i go from drive to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a loud bang. Also from park to reverse there is a 5 to 6 second delay then a bangsometimes it has the 5 to 6 second delay and lounges backward even with your foot on the brake. This could kill someone that is walking behind your truckthis is a very dangerous problem if you need to back up fast for emergency vehicles or move out of the way of on coming vehicles. Ford motor company released a statement on nov 22 ford spokeswomankristen kinley saidthey know about the transmission problems it was due to the wrong transmission fluid put in during manufacture they are replacing the solenoid and the fluid. My ford dealer knows nothing about this?and are saying there is no recall because there are no reported injuries.why do we have to wait for someone to get killed before the problem is fixed?ford motor co. Knows about this there spokeswoman has commented about itbut nothing is being done??

While drivingat any speed consumer was unable to control the vehicle, causing the driver to run off the road. Consumer was able to drive the vehicle to the dealership, andmechanicdetermined that the 4-wheel drive failed.

The vehicle continued to go into 4- wheel drive on its own.the vehicle accelerated, thenstalled.the mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem.there were several times when the vehicle was placed in reverse or forward the vehicle would buck. *sc

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph around a curve and over a pothole, the driver lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle then began jerking and the vehicle flipped over five times while the driver was attempting to complete the turn. The contact was a rear passenger in the vehicle. The contact stated that the rear seat belts failed to secure the passenger's properly. As a result, the contact's head was thrown through the window and stuck the ground each time the vehicle rolled over on the roof. The contact and one other passenger were injured. The vehicle was destroyed. The vin was not available. The failure and current mileages were unknown.

The lift gate on my truck is cracking and getting worse. Two of my seatbelts are hard to get out of the retractor and they are so tight that they are uncomfortable to the wearer.

Rear lift gate plastic cracked through ford logo with no contact. Third row seatbelt stuck and hard to release.

Transmission went out at approx 93,000 miles, heat went out around 85,000 miles, seat belts have been replaced once under warranty and again don't work, electric seat doesn't work, misc. Other things

The drivers seat belt has come unlocked on several occasions. It has happened so many times i tug hard every time i buckle up to make sure it's clicked and it has unlocked while driving even though i double check it.

We rented a ford explorer 2004.my 6yr old was in the 2nd row putting on his seat belt when it slipped out of his hand over his shoulder and had him strangled around his neck.we (his parents) could not loosen it.it only became tighter.we drove up to a hotel where they had scissors and cut it off his neck so he breathe properly again.

Overdrive light starting blinking car started shifting really hard and jerking.this is a known issue with ford explorers and need to be recalled. I dont have another vehiclebi really need help please

On 11/19/04 i almost was involved on an accident due to the failure of the driver back seat of my ford explorer 2000, 65,000 miles vin #[xxx]. I took it to my local ford dealer for repair on 11/22/04,and i was notified that it was caused by a broken bolt and there was a recall on it and they did the repair free of cost. When i seated on the repaired seat i noticed that the backseat is no longer parallel to the steering wheel; it is approximately 2" twisted to the left. In addition, when i hold the top of the back seat i can tilt it forward and backward and it has about 6" of play. I brought the problem to the attention of ford motor co. And they say that the problem is not part of the recall and they will not repair it unless i pay for it. The ford co. Says that the problem is caused by a broken track at the bottom of the seat. I believe there is aflaw in the mechanism since a driver seat should last more than 4 years or 65,000 miles. The seat is unsafe and actions to correct the problem must be taken before someone dies. I hope someone can help me with the solution of the problem and can save someone else's life. I am fortunate to be alive.sincerely,[xxx]. Updated 07/04/2012information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6)

Brake failure, front wheel brake hose (burst/failed), 3x in one year including failure of new parts installed by ford.this resulted in total lack of brakes, in once case while traveling on i287 at high speed!this was in 20011/2012 before we traded car in.ford insisted there was no problem with the part.the car had about 100,000 miles on it, was 6-7 years old.i have never experienced this type of failure on any other car i owned including many that were much older and had many more miles ... Let alone 3x on the same vehicle!this really must be a defective part!!!an the problem seems to be ongoing with newer models of the ford explorer as well?

While driving, the cruise control stopped working and car stalled.at the same time the abs light comes off and on.

The contact owns a2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the abs system would independently activate without warning. The failure caused the brakes to seize and the vehicle would sway 180 degrees to the side before stopping.the vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection. The failure was located at the brake hydro lock system. The contact was advised that the abs electronic unit needed to be replaced.the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 88,902.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while going 45 mph, the brakes were applied but failed. The contact tried to pump the brake pedal and it would only depress partially. She tried again a few moments later and the brake pedal was depressed completely into the floorboard. The contact had to use the parking brake in order to slow down. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection where they informed the contact that there was a failure in the brake line, which needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred several times later. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 115000.

Stopping at red light stepping on brake vehicle speed up instead of stopping. Causing me to side swipe four vehicles and go through an intersection

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving 55 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle lost power steering and braking, which resulted in a crash. All the warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and then towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. A police report was filed. There was one injury that required medical attention. The contact was treated for second degree burns. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the brakes failed. The vehicle did not stop until after repeated attempts to apply the brakes.the vehicle was restarted after several minutes and operated normally for five miles. The vehicle then accelerated independently, reaching speeds of up to 65 mph before the contact was able to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and the contact was awaiting diagnosis. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 124,000.

The brake pedal went to the floor as i was about to pull out of a parking space. I shut the vehicle down and called for a tow. I had the vehicle towed to a service station. The mechanic found that the rubber hose component of the brake line had sprung a leak, leading to the complete lack of braking. My concern is that if it had happened on the highway or in traffic, or just about any other moving situation, i would likely have crashed, with dire results to me and potentially to others. There was no warning. There were no lights. I have never experienced a situation like this in over 30 years of driving approximately 1 million miles .very disconcerting. Very disappointing. I would like for ford engineers to explain themselves.

The oem steel brake line that connects the left and right rear brakes was apparently rubbing against some components over the right frame rail which abraded the plastic coating resulting in corrosion of the brake line and failure of the braking system.

I have a 2004 explorer limited and just turned 14,000 miles and my abs light comes on every time i start the car and accelerate. Also the cruise stopped working. From what i have read it sounds like the abs module which ford has apparently been aware off. Not happy!! i would not expect this sort of problem with only 14,000 miles.

The contact owns a 2008 volvo vnl. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked on an incline when he applied the parking brake and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled away. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to an independent auto shop for diagnosis. The technician determined that the brake slack adjuster on the second axle was faulty. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 415,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While braking from speeds of 25 mph, the abs warning light illuminated on the dashboard. The vehicle was taken to a local mechanic where the contact was informed that the brake sensor would need to be replaced. There were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 92,505.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The abs warning light was illuminated on the instrument control panel. The rear brakes also failed during brake application on gravel roads. The vehicle was taken to the dealer at least five times, and was repaired according to the extended warranty. The failure mileage was 5,000. The current mileage was 62,000.

My 2004 ford explorer caught on fire today.the fire began under the hood.per the fire department, the fire started around the cruise control and brake master cylinder area.ford does not have a recall out for this year model, unlike the 2003 and older models, but this is definitely a manufacturer problem.the car was driven to several points, drop the kids of at school, one at daycare, and a stop for breakfast. Nothing was wrong with our car.after arriving to work,my wife got a call that her car was on fire.there were no signs, malfunctions that something was wrong with the vehicle.regularly scheduled maintenance were always performed.

Brake system issues, 2004 ford explorer.braking systems makes a significant bump and noise when applying brakes.

The brake line is leaking fluid. This would cause the pedal to go to the floor when depressed and extended stopping distance. The dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. Please provide more information.

Easter sunday, my family was on their way back home on the freeway. Out of no where they hear loud snapping noises and next thing they knew the rear passenger tire came off. The cars skidding on the road and finally comes to a stop. Luckily for my family they walked away unharmed. The car is currently at my home, won't turn on anymore, the wheel studs are all broken off, the rotor along with the rest of the assembly is damaged. The car is a mess and now i'm trying to figure out how im supposed to deal with the situation.

2004 ford explorer had brake problems**ccthe abs locked up and caused the vehicle to overturn.the air bags failed to deploy during the accident.

Dt*:the contact stated while applying brake pressure at various speeds, the antilock brakes activated on normal road conditions without warning.the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who replaced the wheel speed sensor.afterwards, upon applying brake pressure at any speed there was a pronounced vibration within the brake pedal.the vehicle was inspected by a dealer who was unable to duplicate the problem.the manufacturer was contacted.

At all times the abs brake light is on. Also, whenvehicle is used in wet weather it will skid. Vehicle is scheduled to go to the dealer in the near future.

2004 eddie bauer explorer 4x4:engine failed, safe mode when nothing appears to be an issue.others on news groups claim they found it to be faulty abs electronic control unit.

While driving 70 mphcheck engine light came on, then, moments later the engine revved up and down, and the brakes failed, not allowing the vehicle to stop. Dealer stated the vehicle jumped timing.

While driving vehicle suddenly started accelerating uncontrollably. Driver applied the brakes and the pedal went to the floor. Vehicle continued to accelerate excessively. While making a right turndriver hit the curb and flipped four times landing upside down in a ditch.driver and passenger sustained injuries, and were transported by an ambulance to a hospital.vehicle was towed and totaledby the insurance company.

2004 ford explorer xlt having recurring problems with antilock brake system. *njthe consumer stated the abs light illuminated twice. The first time the problem occurred, the dealer diagnosed the problam as a faulty switch which they replaced.the second time the light illuminated, the dealer stated the problem was a speed sensor on the rear axle.

Loud pop from rear-end.abs light,wrench,and check engine light came on.found to be a bad speed sensor and defective rear-end.suv has been in the shop for 2 weeks and no rear-end in sight.

My 2004 ford explorer has several issues since 38,000 miles, the recent complaint at 57,000 miles is the abs module and the cruise control. The abs light came on and at the same time the cruise control stop working. Took it to the dealership i purchased it at. They tried to reset the computer. Advised me i would need a new acs module for the abs. I contacted ford motor company to try and get the module replaced under warranty. The best ford would do is to split the cost of the module with me, but i would have to pay for labor to install. When asked how much the module cost. Was told 1160.00. This would not guarantee that i would not have this problem again. The dealership told me they would try to find a used module. I called back after several days and was informed they could not find one. The next day i got on the phone and within 20 mins had found a module at a local salvage yard. Asked the dealership if they would purchase the used module with the money ford was going to provide with the new module to fix it. They said no. Ford motor company is aware that many of the 2004 explorers have abs and powertrain issues, yet they fail to acknowledge.now i can tell a difference in my braking. Sometimes now when i have to use the brakes, i can feel something is not right. I am worried that when i will need the abs to work i will not have the ability to stop. I am disappointed that the cruise control has stopped working as well with this amount of mileage. The dealership has been unable to tell me if the cruise control is related to the abs module. They never check the cruise control problem and was not aware of it till i had called them back on the used abs module. Ford needs to step up and take care of these major issues with these explorers....poor parts installed at time of manufacturing.ford should be liable.

Brake master cylinder resevior leaks brake fluid. This has been replaced once and continues to leak.dealer states ford insists it is normal to leak. Dealer states 3 out of 4 explorers leak brake fluid.has been to dealer on 3 different times to be repaired, still leaks. Once a week the fluid has to be washed off the resevior and inner fender well.

- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at60 mph the contact felt the brake pedal shutter when the brake was depressed. Also, the contactfelt the steering wheel vibrate. The dealer stated that the problem was due to the rotors. The dealer resurfaced the rotors at 12,000 miles. Approximately eleven months later the contact experienced the same problem. The dealer stated the rotors needed to be replaced. The dealer replaced the rotors at 24,000 miles. Two months later ,the dealer replaced the rotors again, and the rotor assembly at 26,000 miles. Four months later the contact had the same problem. The dealer resurfaced the front and rear rotors at 30,000 miles. There have been no further occurrences. The vehicle currently has 36000 miles.

After only 300 miles on the odometer---discovered the 2 front rotors were warped and the car shook when braking.we asked that they be replaced.ford area rep would not allow it...the dealer, instead, "turned" the rotors by taking off 50% of surface.ford said this still met their spec for warranty repair.we believe it is unfair!!

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 65 mph on a dry interstate, there was a loud pop that sounded like a balloon popped.when the brake pedal was applied, the pedal would not move.the vehicle spun around and ran into a ditch which resulted in an accident.there were minor injuries sustained and a police report was taken.the vehicle was towed to an independent body shop who determined the master cylinder had fractured apart.

The car was running fine and no warning light of any kind came on. We went to go start it today and it start up fine. When we tried to put it in all the gears and pressing on the gas it didn't do a thing. I mean it won't move at all.

Started driving and when i went to make a turn i felt a grab. Thought i might be imaging things but happened again on the next intersection turn this time causing me to have to make a wheel correction. On the third turn it was markedly worse and a grunch sound accompanied it and it was more difficult to make the turn.and then next few turns markedly worse again to the point i am considering pulling over and getting a tow as now it is dangerous. I figured out that it was mostly straight driving to the mechanic garage and three turns so i drove cautiously. A very difficult drive making turns and i could barely turn into the garage drive as the steering barely worked and was accompanied by very loud grunching. It was a quick fix as a bolt in the steering column had come out.had this happening ona highway this could have been a life threatening situation to navigate off the highway.no injuries.

Dt: 2004 ford explorer - theconsumer complained aboutsteering difficulty as well as popping/jolting sensation. This happens regardless of speed, but only occurs in sharp turns. Vehicle has been fixed, but this information isnecessary forthe public to be informed.this applies to four wheel drive on 2004 and 2005 models. There is a technical service bulletin(tsb) regarding this problem. While trying to make a u turn the vehicle is intwo wheel drivebecause the four wheel drive didnot engage on its on.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that smoke emitted from the steering column while the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they confirmed that the multi function switch malfunctioned. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 145,000.

I own a 2004 ford explorer 4wd, xlt 6 cy engine.i was driving it last week and the front end felt loose.i pulled into a parking spot and when i tried to put it in park the shift lever fell apart in my hand and the steering column fell apart.i was only going 5 mph at the time but i wonder what would happen if i was going 40 or so., i had lost control as i parked!!the ford mechanic said he had never seen this before.

4the steering wheel sticks intermittently when it's turned to the left or right and does not return without pulling it back. *ph this was a major problem when pulling out in traffic or going around a sharp bend.the vehicle had been to the ford dealer three times and was told that all the new explorers were made that way and there was nothing they could do about it.there was a big clunk at times when backing up and turning to the right or left.the ride was very bumpy and caused the occupants to be thrown from side to side while driving.*sc

On friday, august 24, 2007, i was attempting to back out of a driveway.i put my foot on the brake, started my 2004 ford explorer and began shifting the gear out of park into reverse when the shift broke.i could not do anything, the engine wouldn't turn over or anything.since it was late friday, i left the suv parked until saturday, the next morning, when i had it towed to doug stanley ford in desoto, texas, where i purchased the vehicle.a service technician told me they would have to order a needed part to repair the suv.he said he thought they'd receive the part by monday or tuesday.on monday, he told me they wouldn't get it until november 12.he said that he'd called all around and had to get the part from the manufacturer.i checked online and others have experienced this very same problem.i am thankful i wasn't somewhere far from home when this happened.i have a new baby and need reliable transportation.i have never heard of a dealership needing 2 months to get a part.i truly think this is a serious defect that could eventually get someone hurt.

When shifting into reverse there is a hard shift also hard shifts up and down while going forward.

Noise in front end, premature failure of tie rod ends.

In the days prior to the failure, when i turned the wheel far right or left for extreme turns, there would be a slight thump to the extent i thought something let loose.i had the car in for a regular oil change etc(scheduled maint) and told the shop about this event but they said they checked it and could find nothing wrong.i was turning into a head in parking spot and noticed when i turned the wheel to the left, i felt that i had lost control of the steering. When i put the car in park, the gear shift lever fell apart in my hands. It had detached from the steering column and i could not remove the key.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that while having the vehicle inspected, it was discovered that the ball joints were worn out. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure.the approximate failure mileage was 130,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately between 55-65 mph. The transmission vibrated excessively. Also, on a separate occasion the vehicle wobbled and made a roaring noise outside of the vehicle. The noise occurred whenever the contact drove more than 55 mph. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic with the replacement of the wheel bearing; however, the failure continued to occur.the vehicle was recently towed to an independent mechanic and the cause of failure has not been determined. The failure mileage was 82,000. The current mileage was 95,000.

Gear shifter fell into my hand while trying to put my 2004 fordeddie bauer explorer from park into reverse.the vehicle is parked but not in park. It is only being held still by parking brake as it is stuck in between park and reverse.the key can not be removed because the car is not in park.there were zero events leading up to this failure. Fortunately, i was parked in my drive way buti can only imagine the consequences had i been parked on a hill or had the shifter broke while in gear where it would have remained.i have not repaired the problem as of yet it just happened today, but after doing research it appears as if entire steering column needs to be replaced andi am to spend any where from $1000 to $2000 to replace a defective part with a brand new defective part to have it happen again at any time.i was able to locate over 100 complaints on the exact same issue dating back to 2/2007. I am curious as to why there has been no recall for this situation.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked, he attempted to shift and the shifter level broke. The contact turned the vehicle off and vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired at the time of the complaint. The current and failure mileages were 27,650.

I brought my suv dec 2004.i had only 40 miles on it.i now have a little over 7,000.one month after purchasing my suv it wouldn't start up.i took it in to be serviced but they were unable to find anything.a month later it would stall while driving and when i shift from drive to reverse the whole truck jumps into reverse.it also hesitate to go into reverse.i've been having this problem for the past 8 months.i continue to take it ford to get service.first they didn't find anything wrong now thye're saying that it's a recall and "fixed" the problem.but i continue to have the problem.. I'm currently in the process of tryimg to get ford to give me a new truck.but they only trying to offer 2,500 dollars.i don't want the money i wanta new truck.i paid for a new truck not a truck that will contiue to have problems.my abs light keeps coming on too.i'm going to take it back to ford to have it looked at again.it's such a hassel to keep taking my truck back for the same problems and it's not being fixed.i don't think they know what is wrong with my truck.ihave lemon.

Power steering fails when driving at all/various speeds.failure is felt during/attempted turning of the wheel in either direction while driving.steering becomes very difficult and suddenly power steering kicks in and becomes unsafe as great pressure is being applied to steering wheel to overcome power steering failure. Dealership claims no known failures and cannot find problem with my steering system.as a systems safety engineer, i suspect defect in system and manufacture has yet to admit.request assistance to force manufacture/dealership to investigate and determine problem.

At slow speed when turning the steering wheel shakes and vibrates. Consumer tookthe vehicle to the dealer.however, dealer isunable to correct the defect.

Dt: the contact stated the tie rod housing that attaches to the wheel failed, causingthe contactto lose control of the passenger's side wheel. This incident cause d an accident with no injuries. This occurred while traveling at 15 -20 mph. The wheel hit the telephone pole which caused major structural damage under the vehicle. The dealership stated they did not know what to do with the vehicle, and urgedhim to file a complaint with the insurance company.

Dt*:the contact stated while driving on the highway the vehicle started swaying as if it were in a lot of wind.two days later the vehicle was taken to the dealership. Upon inspection, the mechanics discovered the rear tie rod ends were packed with mud causing the tie rods to corrode and rust. The tie rod ends were replaced.the dealership explained to the contact the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was alerted.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 20 mph, the contact heard a humming noise.the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that the bearings were worn in the rack and pinion and needed to be replaced.the replacement would cost $400 because no recalls were available.the powertrain was unknown.the current mileage was 54,000 and failure mileage was 52,768.

Paint has started to bubble and peel off of the hood of my 2004 explorer.i was told by a ford mechanic they have been seeing alot of this because of the metal used in the hoods-should not be happening for a car barely 4 years old.my old explorer was much older and never had this problem.

Crack suddenly appeared in the rear panel below the window. From the glass to the bottom of the hatch. Had window tightened.

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.

Rear panel vertical crack below window.

Purchased this vehicle as used on 4-19-13 and had noticed the crack to the left of the ford emblem. Upon closer look today there is a second crack about 8 inches to the right of the emblem.

2004 ford explorer with the back plastic door been split in half, it looks like this is happening to a lot of ford explorers, we have taken the truck to the dealer. The problem is not on a recall and it will be on our own expenses.

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 back widow cracked and ford was contacted to see if any recalls were in place for that part. We were told there was not a recall for that issue. My husband was slowing down to turn into a parking lot and went over a bump. Because the glass runs under the panel, it got stressed and busted. We have replaced the part with another ford back hatch.

My vehicle is a 2004 ford explorer - eddie bauer.in may of 2009 the paint began to bubble in places along the front of the hood.these spots became larger and eventually the paint chipped off, revealing a corroded bare aluminum surface.the hood is not metal, therefore it can not rust.it must be a paint defect.

Have a 2004 ford explorer i bought new.it now has approximately 95250 miles. After washing car 2-5-10, a mild day here in ct though wintertime, i noticed trim panel under rear window showed vertical crack most all the way through.several days later crack had migrated all the way through to bottom of panel. Contacted ford customer service online 2-17-10 asking if this was a safety concern as had read others had it happen to them as well on various automobile websites like edmunds.understood before writing it was not a recall at that time. Got a polite response 2-18-10 that though sorry for the inconvenience, i should bring it to the dealer for assessment.i never thought it was bad enough to warrant such a trip.however, i am noticing that the window how seems to rattle when closing if only the window portion is opened rather than the entire rear door.i really want to believe that the window is not in jeopardy of separating from the frame when i'm driving down the road.can you confirm that other explorer owners of this vintage have in fact registered complaints with nhtsa as i am doing tonight.will ford be asked to make repairs to owner's vehicles for this defect?thank you in advance for your feedback.

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 nhtsa 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.

Paint is coming off drivers running board. I have owned this vehicle for only 3 weeks.

I own a 2004 ford explorer that has just experienced a random crack in the body in the hatchback. The crack appears immediately below the rear window, above and below the ford emblem. There was no precipitant to the event and there is no obvious trauma to the vehicle. I have had no repairs or problems with this area previously. The ford dealership i do business with said they have seen several vehicles with the same issue and could fix it for between $600 & $700. I spoke to ford motor co. Who said this is not under my warranty because it is not a recall. I do not understand how a structural defect on my vehicle, not caused by myself or a 3rd party, can not constitute a recall. How can ford say this isn't dangerous? if a piece of the body were to fly into another vehicle while i am driving or the glass cracks and shatters, there could be serious damage to someone else. Why would a "recall" only be instated if someone were to be hurt? why wait? i think ford should fix this issue at no charge to me, the owner.

Cracked rear panel in tailgate below window.

2004 ford explorer.large crack in hatch back between glass and handle (around the ford logo).this occurred with normal vehicle use and dealer refuses to fix.crack continues to expand.afraid that if crack is left unfixed it will eventually cause the back glass to fall out of the hatch due to lack of proper support.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while the contact was attempting to close the rear glass door, the door completely detached from the hinge, which connected it to the vehicle.the failure occurred without prior warning.the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer.the current and failure mileages were 60,000.updated 10/14/08updated 10/23/08.

Othe vehicle was received on 2/16/2004, on 2/18/2004 the drivers side running boardbroke when i stepped onto itwhen entering the vehicle on the drivers side i stepped up onto the running board and it cracked at the seam causing me to fall back into the driving lane. The dealer replaced the drivers side running board on 2/24/2004. On 2/26/2004, the passenger side running board crack in the same place, this was only the second time someone entered on the passenger side of the vehicle. I am waiting for the dealer to replace this one. Should this happen while there is traffic moving near the vehicle a person could fall back and be struck by another vehicle.

Leaving work at end of day, pulled out of parking space and rear glass shattered. The edges of the back hatch pulled away from the truck and curled up causing the glass to blow into the truck. A crack in the plastic of the hatch (which i have seen on many of this year model) has not been recalled and i have emailed ford many times about this problem for fear of water getting in behind the panel. My belief is that water did get behind the panel and that is what caused the plastic panel to pull away and blow in the glass. Luckily my children were not sitting in the 2nd or 3rd row seating or this would have been a much larger problem. I believe ford should have this problem addressed and recalled before someone gets seriously hurt from that flying glass.

All of the paint on my 2004 ford explorer is falling off just on the roof.

Paint is peeling on the roof of my 2004 ford explorer.went to the dealer where i bought the vehicle and had them look at it.they said i"n 6 years i am only the 2nd person to have this problem" and "that it is not covered under warranty".they would not acknowledge a manufacturer defect or problem.i am just writing here to get this information on record, because it is my understanding that this is not an uncommon problem and that this is very typical with ford vehicles.thank you

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.

Closing the glass liftgate on a 2004ford explorer, the hinge pin pulled through the hinge structure causing the glass to drop.while attempting to catch the glass hand was pinned, but no injury was suffered.

Letter to the deputy administrator from senator burr on behalf of constituent concerning a crack in the plastic surrounding the rear window of her 2004 ford explorer *tgw

2004 ford explorer rear back panel has a significant crack which came on suddenly. I did not realize that this problem has happened to others until i started checking on how to fix it via the net.

The rear lift gate window of my 2004 ford explorer exploded while the vehicle was parked.according to the ford dealer, this apparently is something that is known to happen.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated the hatch back fiber glass failed. The fiber glass cracked in half. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the fiber glass failed due to stress. The contact stated the fiber class was defective. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but refused to assist with the repair. The failure and the current mileages were 110,000.

On 19 apr 2012 while opening the back hatch window, the passenger side hinge of the window failed.when this occurred the driver side hinge was bent and the hydrulic lifts popped open the window rather rapidly which could have severely injured me if it hit me.i was unable to close the window myself so i could drive again.a bystander helped me out to close it.after reading other reports and complaints online, this is not an isolated incident for 2004 ford explorers.

About a year ago i noticed the panel below the rear window start to crack. As time went on the crack continued down the entire panel next to the ford emblem. The rear window now makes a rattling noise. I don't know if it will loosen enough for it to pop out if i hit a bump in the road. It has certainly reduced the value of the vehicle. I went online to see if anyone else was having this problem and was shocked to see hundreds of comments. I contacted ford and they said there was no recall from you and that until there was i should go ahead and have it fixed. Repair costs seem to be around $400. For the panel plus painting. I really think a design flaw should not be my problem. They know it was a flaw since the newer models are designed completely different.

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.

I have had 2 problems with my ford explorer. 1. Crack in the rear window panel, ford won't fix. 2. Total transmission failure, had to replace at my cost.

The paint on the roof is all peeling off it looks like crap i was told that it would cost about 600.00 to 1,500 to repaint and fix it car paint should not peel off the roof i have read that other people have had the same trouble with the paint on there explorers.

The rear hatch just came off as i was driving out out of a store, the hinge just broke off.

Went to open rear door and noticed a crack running down the back panel below the rear window. My ford explorer is a 2004 with less than 60,000 miles this should not of happened this is a defect that ford should take care of.instead i was told to call my insurance company are you kidding this is fords problem not mine.it could fall off while i'm driving and hurt someone what is going on in america.

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.

4 years ago the plastic next to the ford emblem cracked right of the emblem on my back hatch. I looked into it and there was 10's of thousands of the same complaint that i had at an average cost of only $800. Then tonight my wife got some chairs out of the rear hatch then when closing it the rear glass falls out of the explorer because " the aluminum rear hatch hinge on the right side broke" which has an average cost of $300. Mind you the little piece that holds the window hinge on is only the size of an eraser head, both of the rear hatch defects are not under any recall yet many complaints have been filed and or posted via the internet. This is a safety concern to families as it should be to the ford motor company " which seems not to care " and also to the nhtsa as it could be a huge safety issue if this was to have happened traveling down the high way at 70 mph.

While loading groceries, i noticed the hinges to my rear window were cracked.i quit using the window in fear of it breaking. The cost to replace the plastic hinge is completely outrageous!i also had a friend call today and his hinge broke, thankfully the glass did not break.ford knows the hinges are defective.why would a major company like ford overlook this problem and take a chance of many law suits due to their negligence? there are over 1600 complaints recorded.how many more is needed for a recall?ford needs to stand behind their product.i hesitated buying this ford because my first ford caught fire while i was driving it. Thirty years later i still think of all the bad stories and now, i want my chevy back.

I have 2004 ford explorer. I have a cracked panel below the rear window, it cracked in two places. While driving that piece can fall off and hit a person walking or hit the car behind, which would result in paying the other person for damages or hospital bills. This problem or defect, recall which ever you want to call it, ford hasn't done anything about it so far. There are numerous people with the same vehicles, with the problem.i thought can bring this up to your company and see where this goes. Thank you for time hope to hear that this can be resolved.

The ford motor company is well aware of the problem with its ford explorers produced 2002-2008. The back door panel cracks all the way through just under the window. There are thousands of owners with this problem and many documented who have been driving the vehicle and had the back window completely explode.there is no telling when this is going to happen only to alarm the driver and cause a major freeway accident.right now there is a class action lawsuit moving to get the ford company to repair this problem. But they are waiting for a major accident, injury or loss of life to do the right thing.

Exterior paint on the hood of my ford explorer 2004 is blistering and chipping.i don't think this should be happening.

Crack in panel below rear window next to ford emblem. Both rear windows will not go up or down.

Paint on the roof of my vehicle has peeled off only to reveal rust.of course, the warranty states that if there is no perforation then not their fault if more than 60 months have passed.

Crack in panel under back glass.

Rear panel to the left below the back window, next to the ford emblem is cracked.the vehicle has not been involved in any accident, it just happened on it's own.after searching the internet, i have found that many 2004 ford explorers have had the same problem.i was told it would cost approx. $400 to repair.i think there should be a recall on this issue, as it seems to be a defect.

Paint cracked and peeling on both sides of roof rack. Dealer was notified and said there wouldn't be any problem in submitting the claim on the paint. After my research and a month of run around the dealer finally acknowledged there was a paint problem. I was told by dealership that i was wasting my time on the claim because ford was not going to back it's vehicle up..what a waste of time and money on my part. Ford will never see my business again!!! i hope this goes along with alot of other people concerning this matter!!

I have a 2004 ford explorer with peeling paint on the roof of the vehicle.i contacted ford's home office and was told that their mechanism to repair the defect expired after 12 months or 12,000 miles.the vehicle is not old enough or exposed enough to the elements for this to happen.

Noticed my 2004 ford explorer had a crack in the plastic panel under the rear window when i was washing it in my driveway. Not sure if this is a recall but i see about 100 others have filed a complaint about it. It should be a recall.

Noticed the lift gate hinge of our 2004 ford explorer is cracked.we've now removed the glass from the lift gate and are trying to find parts for it.this is a potential danger, not knowing when the glass can crack/shatter.this is obviously a defect in the manufacturing of the part.

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 10/20/09the 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.

Vehicle rear liftgate has a crack down the middle of it.failure occurred at approximately 63,000 miles.problem confirmed as common problem with this year/model of explorer.no repair or replacement as of this time.

I awoke one morning and i found a large crack in the rear hatch of my 04 ford explorer. It was not like that the previous evening when i got home. I researched the problem online and found many similar stories. I also found that there is currently no manufacturer recall to remedy the situation.plastic rear hatch cracked under extreme temperature. Rear glass may break while driving and pose hazard to other drivers.plan on replacing, however i don't believe i should pay for it because of the poor quality of the original part.

Cracked panel below rear window, went to garage and found this, cracked all the way thru.

2004 ford explorer:1) plastic exterior panel below rear window is cracked, in 2006 ford had a repair assist program, thereby acknowling the failures.it no longer is offering that repair assistance??there are numerous reports of this failure on internet forums. 2) left rear window hinge broke free from the window when i opened the window, i was fortuante it did not fall on my head (the riser piston was the only thing that kept it attached to the vehicle). I had to pay $50 for new hinges.i am waiting for the non-replaced hinge to fail as well.there are numerous reports of these hinge failures on the internet.the ford dealer nearest ford world headquarters in deaborn, mi where i bought the new hinges told me they have sold 10 new hinge packages in the last 2 months to customers due to the same failure.

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.

Cracked rear panel below window,this crack one day, no apparent reason.

Went into my garage to get into my explorer and noticed a cracked panel below rear window.seen other ford suv's with same cracked panel by the ford emblem on rear panel.called ford and asked if there was a recall on this and they told me no and refused to help me get the problem fixed.i did nothing.the crack just came out of no where.it wasn't something i did.its a manufacture problem seeing that there is other suv just like mine with the same problem and a crack in the exact same area!

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.thank you,

Ford designed a plastic piece of molding that is glued to the back glass of every explorer.this has cracked on every explorer i have seen.it has been fixed once by ford, but it has broke again.i assume that if it has broke every two years so far, it will continue to break.ford has refused to fix this defect.

The hinges that hold on the rear window are failing and i cannot open the rear window because i am afraid that it will fall off.other year explorers were recalled for this very reason and i cannot understand why the 2004 model was not recalled.the parts are the same as they were in other years.

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.

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.

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

No accident involved, walked out of my house into the driveway and noticed "the explorer crack" on the left side of the ford emblem. Temp was 26 degrees that night.

A crack has appeared in the plastic panel below the window on the rear lift gate. It extends from top to bottom just left of through ford emblem. It has not been hit or damaged in any way. It split on its own.

Cracked rear hatch. I had heard about this problem and my hatch didn't crack till after this cold winter. But, this is the first winter that this explorer has been kept outside, not garaged. My garaged is under my house and insulated. It never gets below freezing in the garage. I called ford and asked them if they can help financially with the repairs. They said no.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the rear door panel cracked underneath the window. The contact was concerned because the windows were not secure and could fall out at any time. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 74,000.

My 2004 explorer developed avertical 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.

Crack suddenly appeared in the rear panel below the window, from the glass to the bottom of the hatch.

After a cold spell in january the panel under the rear window fractured from the window down.we took the car to the ford dealer and was told this is very common and it would be around $400.00 dollars to fix.if this is common why is ford not correcting this without the customer having to pay out of pocket.it seems this is a manufacturing problem not a consumers!

Cracked rear panel on 2004 ford explorer. Drove it through a car wash and it shattered. It can fly off and hit someone.

After a day of shopping i pulled into my driveway and parked my suv. I went to open the rear window hatch when the left side came apart from the vehicle and landed on top of me. Fortunately the right side of the window was able to stay intact while my husband was able to run to my aid to lift the door up. I am four months pregnant and my three year old son was standing by my side.i have read that many complaints about this issue have been made to the ford corporation regarding this problem but they continue not to rectify the issue at hand; while leaving vehicle owners helpless when this situation occurs. I read that this was a good avenue to report this issue since ford continues to ignore the problem and wonder if my husband would not have been in shouting distance what would've happen to my son, unborn child and myself!!!!!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate was cracked. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 89,846.

Vertical crack under the rear window.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that as she approached the vehicle, she noticed that the horizontal panel under the rear lift gate was fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised her that the panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was replaced for the horizontal panel and emblem. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 21,652. The current mileage was approximately 36,000.

Crack in rear hatch below rear window. As i understand it, this is a known fault for which ford is not willing to take responsibility. Ford should fix problem at no cost.

Crack appeared on panel below rear window. Crack extends from the rear window to the bottom of the top rear hatch. No mistreatment of vehicle has occurred; crack appeared spontaneously while unoccupied in my garage. Will bring to ford dealership tomorrow to inquire about replacement.

The rear panel under the back window of my 2004 ford explorer is crack, there were no events leading to this failure, like so many others it just cracked.

10/20/2010 - spokane, washington - rear panel under back glass around ford logo cracked after a cool morning 32-35 degrees.the crack extends from the window all the way to the bottom of the panel.

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.

While the vehicle was parked for 2 or 3 days under the carport in the driveway, the back panel under the window cracked for absolutely no reason.

Rear panel cracked under window. There was no damage to vehicle, an di have seen several ford explorers with the same crack.

The panel below my rear window has cracked on my 2004 ford explorer. I did not drive it that day, so i know i was not hit, or the door was not slammed.

Rear applique has cracked down the middle for no reason. I contacted the a dealer and they were aware that this was a defective item from ford, but ford has not issued a recall. I contacted ford and was told they are not aware of this issued.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hatch was defective and the plastic that covered the license plate area on the hatch became fractured. As a result, when the hatch was opened, the contact and two children sustained lacerations to the hands. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 35,000 and the current mileage was 114,000.

2004 ford explorerright rear liftgate glass hatch hinge has failed.glass hatch did not fall but is hanging by remaining hinge and is unstable or unsafe.issue same as nhtsa action number: rq08003.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was an excessively long fracture in the rear liftgate near the manufacturing emblem below the rearview window. The vehicle was not inspected or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.

I bought this 2004 ford explorer in 2006. The panel below the back window was loose.they sent a glass dealer out to fix it.they just put hot glue or something to mend it for the time.needless to say it's 1/2 falling off now.

The panel below the rear window cracked for no apparent reason.i loaded my gym bag into the back and closed the hatch.when i came back 5 min later to wipe the dew off the window i noticed 2 vertical cracks on the panel.the cracks seem to be getting longer and i fear the window may fall out.

The rear hatch hinge holding the rear window broke.it happened in a parking lot but the hatch window fell on me.

Cracked plastic panel below the rear window by the ford emblem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that after exiting the vehicle, she noticed that the rear hatchback window panel was fractured. The vehicle was not taken to a mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure and advised the contact that they were unaware of the issue. The failure and current mileages were approximately 92,000.

There is a long crack in the back area below the back hatch window, it looks like water runningdown by the ford emblem but it is a crack. I have seen this same crack on other ford explorer. That why i belief it is a defect in the vehicle itself.

We have a 2004 ford explorer that had a spontaneous crack occur on the back lift gate below the glass and through the ford emblem. We have seen many explorers on the road with this defect and were told that this is not going to be recalled and would be responsible for fixing. Although we considered; most people that have had this fixed; the crack happens again. This would cost 4-8 hundred dollars to fix and will probably occur again.

The rear liftgate panel cracked for no apparent reason.

Just noticed after 32,000 miles and about 3 and one-half years of ownership that paint on front edge of hood of 2004 ford explorer is blistered in several places and beginning to chip.

Walked outside one day and noticed a crack in the plastic panel below my rear window. I have seen many other explorers with the same problem.

Plastic under back glass around ford logo cracked after a cool morning. (maybe 35 degrees)now the crack stretches open and closed various amounts each day.

Defect in hatch area of ford explorer causing a crack near the ford emblem. Happened when vehicle had less than 60k miles. Called ford dealer who said not covered under warranty.

2 vertical cracks in upper rear hatch below window

The liftgate glass hinge on my 2004 ford explorer broke as i was closing the rear window glass. Without warning it just came undone with the screw popping loose. Cheaply made material of the liftgate glass hinge was clearly the cause, along with a faulty design that allows the bolt to strip out of the hinge.

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

Rear glass on explorer became disconnected from brackets.this matches prior complaint number rq08003.

Rear body panel appliqueford series part #402a30.

I am the owner of a 2004 ford explorer, with apprx. 50,000 highway miles. In 2007 i walked outside to find the rear back panel under the window with the ford emblem was cracked. I took it to the ford dealership , it was still under warranty. The total cost for repair was 403.47, i had to pay 250.00 & the warranty covered the difference of 153.47. Here it is 2011, i walk outside to find the rear panel under the window with the ford emblem cracked again, the only difference this time is , i have no warranty. This apparently is a defect on fords part, the same crack 2 times on the same vehicle after being replaced and ford has not recalled yet. Their is not one day you driveand not find ford explorer owners driving around with cracks on the rear panel. Come on ford own up or lose consumers.

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 .

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.

I went to open small window type rear gate and the left hinge broke. I caught the gate before it hit the ground and had to drive very slow to get car home safely.

Wife came back from school and told me the problem. We have a 2004 ford explorer with a crack on the rear trunk lid below the rear glass where the ford emblem is, looking through the internet and found out that there are a handful of complaints regarding this panel becoming crack what so ever and still no recall.

Rear hatch window hinge (left side) broke and released the glass while driving. Window fell to one side. I had to make an immediate emergency stop. It was difficult to prop window to a safe position and lock down. It must remain locked down until i can fix it.

Rear panel vertical crack below window.

The rear door panel underneath the glass on my 2004 ford explorer cracked. This is a common problem with hundreds of complaints filed. Ford motor co should fix the problem.

The hinge on the right side of the rear liftgate glass is falling off.i purchased this vehicle used in august 2012.the hinge seemed to be in tact then but has slowly been corroding and falling off.the glass makes an awful noise when i drive over pot holes, bumps, etc.i do not use the glass in fear it will fall on me.there have been times when i turn my vehicle on and the message center says "rear liftgate ajar" only to find that somehow the glass liftgate is not latched.nobody uses it so unsure if the corrosion and broken hinge is causing the glass to ajar from the latch.i called a local ford dealership to see if this has been recalled on my vehicle, as it has on numerous other 2004 ford explorer.i was told it was not recalled and the part is $50/piece.the left hinge is starting to do the same as well.i am scared that this will eventually fall off while i am driving the vehicle and think this should be recalled as it is a huge safety issue.

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.

Went to open rear window hatch and right hinge snapped off causing whole rear window panel to fall on me.the left hinge managed to stay in place and was able to get center latch reattached to keep the window panel from completely falling off.only a matter of time until left hinge snaps.taking it in for repair but both hinges could have easily snapped and potentially fallen into the roadway.this is a heavy load bearing hinge and if broken when a child opened it could have caused serious injury.i notice this is not uncommon with this particular vehicle and is a danger not only to the owner but potentially to those on the road behind this model.

I am so angry., i own a 2003 and a 2004 explorer. The 2004 has a crack that suddenly appeared in the rear panel. Ford knows this is and has been a problem with a defect in their product and talk condescendingly to their customers on the phone if you try to discuss it with them. They are not capable of doing anything but reading a response from a card, they are unable to have any type of conversation other than reading their canned response. This is the last time that i will buy a ford.

Rear lift gate plastic cracked through ford logo with no contact. Third row seatbelt stuck and hard to release.

There is a crack to the left of the fordisignia on the rear lift tail gate. The crack runs from the bottom of the rear panel just below the rear window to the bottom of that panel. The panel is the top half of the lift gate where the gate opens to enter items without opening the entire tail gate.i understand from other ford explorer owners that this can cause the rear window to blow out because the panel is no longer secure due to the crack.obi#10487645

Plastic applique on liftgate cracked while vehicle was parked and liftgate was not being used. This is the second time this has happened since we purchased the vehicle five years ago. The crack continued to spread until now the piece is in two separate pieces. The pieces are loose and could possibly come off while driving which could be a dangerous situation. Ford refuses to fix this even though it is clearly a design flaw in all 2002-2005 explorers. We have seen many explorers on the road and on used car lots with this same defect.

2004 ford explorer crack back trunk lift.

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.

Cracked panel below rear window.also, rear window appears loose.

Car sat in driveway. Noticed rear hatch was cracked. Nothing had hit the car and hatch was not opened therefore it was not slammed. Went to internet to look up a recall but there isn't one. This is a factory defect. I found many sites of the same cracks in the same place. Talked to my service manager, he told me that he has heard of many explorers that did the exact same thing!

I have cracks in the plastic on the outside of my lift gate . Each time i use the handle to lift the cracks become worse. There are several posts online asking about the same problem. Every onei see in a parking lot or on the road has the same problem. Ford reports that it affects 1997-2007 explorers. I don't understand why this hasn't been addressed. I called ford and they referred me to your organization.some of these cracks i have seen reach to the back window which i believe would be a safety hazard.

I noticed one day that the rear panel of my 2004 ford explorer xlt was cracked.there was no crash nor indication of damage from outside source.i believe the cracked formed because of the expansion of water which seeped in throughout the year.there is no recall for this problem and i see the crack on every explorer on the road within a few years of mine.i need to get a recall in order to fix this problem not caused by me and which everyone else i know who has this model have the same problem.

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.

2004 ford explorer.a crack appeared on the rear tailgate panel directly below thetailgate glass and next to the ford emblem.the dealer, summerville ford, summerville, sc,informed me that although he sees this problem often on this explorer body style, no recall has been issued and ford would not pay for the repair.obviously, ford is aware of this poor design resulting in body integrity failure, based on the other explorers i have witnessed on our roads with the same damage and the other complaints to nhtsa.but ford is refusing to do anything to correct this failure. I notice the new explorers no longer have this poor tailgate design.this is damage caused by ford's poor design and should be acknowledged and repaired by ford.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that there was a 6-inch crack from the base of the rear window to the license plate.the dealer was not contacted.the manufacturer was contacted, but denied any assistance with repairs to the failure.the vehicle was not repaired.the approximate failure and current mileage was 70,000. The vin was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the horizontal panel under the rear lift gate was fractured. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 85,000.

I walked around to the back of my explorer to put groceries in the back trunk area to find the plastic cracked by the ford emblem. It runs the length of the flip open glass panel that has now broken the integrity of the car leaving it much easier for someone to break in. The car was not involved in any sort of collision, no other marks were seen.

The rear window hinge pin (passenger side) has corroded and broken allowing the window to fall off of the rear tail gate. I noticed the broken hinge before using the lift gate which has prevented it from falling off thus far. I have read that this is a very common problem on this vehicle and ford will not own up to the problem.

Significant front end impact with no airbag deployment. Vehicle was moving forward at the time of the accident on a city street.

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

Paint on the hood of my 2004 ford explorer began to bubble and subsequently peel off. Needed other, unrelated body work, and had the dealer shipfix the paint problem along with other body work. Fortunately, the body shop guy only charged me $100, since he already had the paint (and i think felt a little sorry for me). Have had no further problems with the paint.

I noticed a paint bubble on the hood of my 2004 ford explorer. Is this a paint defect that is causing my vehicle to rust? i would like to know if ford is doing anything to fix this problem since it seems that many other owners are having the same problem.

Panel beneath rear glass cracks on ford explorers.several reports of same occurrence on internet and 3 (including myself) where i work.almost all same description, "panel breaks near ford emblem".

Ford 2004 explorer paint bubbling at front of aluminum hood. Clearly a defect. Took to dealer where the body shop manager said he repainted 70 so far this year but ford will not take care of it. Asked to meet with the district supervisor. Set up a meeting when he would be in town. He would not even come out to talk to me and sent someone else out to tell me ford will not fix it because in my warranty it reads, "rust must permanent from the inside out". I argued that it is an aluminum hood and will never rust! i then wrote ford motor company and have never heard back from them. I keep checking for recalls and have seen nothing to date. My wife and i see many of the same vehicles with this same problem all the time. Shame on ford!! i would like to see something taken care of with this. This is clearly a defect and not something any of us consumers ever did to make this happen.

Back rear hatch cracked. Just like the 100's of others i found on my internet search of the problem. Our transmission also failed and had to be replaced, at our own cost.

The contact owns a ford 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the lower portion of the lift gate glass exhibited a long stress crack. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000. The vin was unavailable.

I was in my driveway and i popped my back window, so i could get some items out of my back part of my vehicle. When i went to close the back window, my window fell sideways, almost busting me upside my head. I've read a few things saying that this was a recall on the year, make and model of my vehicle. I'm not sure how to go about finding out if that is correct or not. If it wasn't recalled, it should of been.

My daughter weighs 99 lbs she opened hatch at gas station and the window portion of the entire hatchback fell off also there is a crack in the plastic down the hatch which i see on every old explorer.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate exhibited a fracture that started from the top of the manufacturing emblem and down to the bottom of the liftgate. The contact spoke with the manufacturer but was advised that there was nothing that could be done to assist. The vehicle was not repaired. The current mileage was 89,000 and the failure mileage was unknown.

The lift gate on my truck is cracking and getting worse. Two of my seatbelts are hard to get out of the retractor and they are so tight that they are uncomfortable to the wearer.

Rear panel of the 2004 ford explorer is cracked, we are afraid to open and close with the possibility that the window will fall out and possible hurt some one.

Rear glass lift gate:cracks appeared in the rear hatch on both sides of the rear ford logo.( i now notice many ford explorers with same cracks). Top right glass hinge twisted significantly and top left glass hinge twisted slightly. The fastening bolts for both glass hinges are rusted through. This resulted in the rear glass window shifting, apparently causing the cracks in the tail gate. I contacted sunshine ford's service dept. In newburgh, ny and was told ford is not responsible for fixing/replacing this defect. They chose their words carefully. They emphasized that "my model year" was not recalled for this defect. I asked if "any" explorers had a recall for this defect. They would not say; but instead repeated,"my model year" was not recalled for this defect. Nhtsa has already received consumer complaints of injuries from owners whose lift gate glass broke off its mounting hinge while open, and caused head injuries. It is only a matter of time before a rear lift glass panel detaches from an explorer in motion on a highway. That could easily lead to a multivehicle accident along with multiple fatalities.i checked and ford had a similar part recall for 2002 & 2003 explorers. Ford changed the part then and has not met the # of complaints to be forced to recall 2004 and up explorers. Unfortunately, i think many explorer owners check with the dealer as to whether or not there was/is a recall and give up upon hearing no. We need to get anyone we know with this problem to file a complaint with the nhtsa. It is only a matter of time before some innocent person dies as a result of this "known" defect!as i understand it, this is a known defect for which ford is not willing to take responsibility. Ford should fix this problem at no cost.

I have this crack in the middle of my liftgate and i have seen some other ford explorers and found on internet complaints about it.i called ford dealer and they said there was no recall for this.as i have said. I have seen other fords with the same crack on the middle of the lift gate.

Vertical crack down the middle area of the rear lift door around the ford emblem.

When closing rear panel, the panel cracked.

The panel under the rear lift gate window has cracked 3 times now.this panel cracks near the ford emblem on either the right or left side. I called ford and filed a complaint and was told that they have no information on this being an issue. My panel has cracked for the 4th time and ford is refusing to do anything about it. I have had the vehicle since 2005. I can submit photos if needed to support this matter. The panel appears to crack due to the lift gate flexing when it is opened and closed. In the past 3 years, i have observed "all" the fords around that year have busted panels and they're telling me there is no problem.....another cover-up in the making!

A crack has formed in the rear lift gate panel.it occurred overnight while not in use about 2 weeks ago.i didn't think much of it until i began noticing many other explorers and mercury mountaineers of about the same year (2002-2004) with the same defect.i decided to see if there was a recall, but all i could find was a lot of people complaining and no action from ford.i don't know how many others have filed a complaint with you, but at one website there are at least 290 other owners who have posted a complaint. If your interested, here is the link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/body_paint/cracked_panel_below_the_rear_window.shtml.

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.

The rear liftgate window hinge broke off and the entire rear window fell on my wife.the hinges are made of a white type of metal that has corroded and sheared off.the pins inside apparently broke and it didn't appear to be falling off, it just came off.the window hit my wife in the arm and leg.we were lucky it wasn't one of our kids closing the gate at the time or that they weren't inside when it happened or this could have been a lot worse.after searching online for information about this issue i found thousands of complaints about this exact issue and hundreds of post of injuries incurred from this.ford recalled other vehicles with the same issue with the same part and yet the 2004 was never included.something needs to be done.a part over time shouldn't break off and cause a safety hazard.

The rear hatch door cracked and noticed so took to auto body shop and they told us it was a ford defect and if fixed it would crack again due to the make of this car.

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.

2004 explorer/eddie bauer - the plastic trim below the rear widow cracked. As stated in many of the other complaints, the ford dealer says there is nothing they can do, it's a ford problem. Current mileage is 76,000.

Paint bubbles in the hood. The dealer just responded that it was a manufacturers problem and that i would just need to replace the entire hood at a large cost.

2004 ford explorer cracked rear panel.

2004 ford explorer xlt, upper rear hatch cracked was not hit or abused.

The tail gate on the 2004 explorer should be recalled,it will only get worse and lots of people will die when the back windows just start falling out. Every explorer i see it like this! built ford tough..lol.....i guess it's ok for a few hundred to die until ford maybe recall it, it's there responsibility!!!!!!! i will never buy another ford till this gets fixed. Think of all the lawsuits in the making ford..bad business!!! fix my found on road...before you get sued...my back window will fall out soon and guess who`s getting sued. Fix your junk ford you lied to me quality is job 1000 making money and lying is job 1..your sicklingboycott ford i already have 3000 plus with this problem just wait ford you'll get yours...

2005 ford explorer has a crack in the rear hatch. Our friends had the same issue and the rear window eventually shattered while they were driving. This seems to be dangerous but ford has not issued a recall.

As i stopped to get gas i noticed my vehicle had a crack right on the plastic along the right side of the ford emblem directly under the tail gate glass. I called the dealer and was told it is was a common issue but could notdo anything about it unless i pay out off pocket for it or the company recall the part. I have no problem paying to resolve the issue, the problem i have is i take good care of my car alot (i own a show style car) and this seems to be a recurring issue everywhere else with this same type of vehicle and i would like to know what the ford co is trying to do to address this issue? i go this site from a forums site ( http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/body_paint/cracked_panel_below_the_rear_window.shtml ) what can be done to address this issue?

A crack on my 2004 explorer under the back window. There are 1000's of others on the road also have see all the complaints on the internet. This has to be recalled before the back window falls out.

There is a vertical crack on the top rear lift gate 10" to the left of the vehicle logo toward the rear door. In cold temperatures, the crack is barely visible yet in warmer temperatures, the crack would expand.

When closing the rear window hatch, the left hinge that holds the glass completely let go of the glass. Fortunatley my husband was the one closing it and was able to catch the glass before it broke the other hinge and pulled the glass off completely. The right hinge was also bent, as the window will now not sit level to be put back into place. This should be recalled, as there is a large hazard of th window falling. What if my daughter had been standing underneath as usual, or he had not been able to catch the window and it broke and sen "exploding" glass pieces everywhere. I see that this appears to be a very widespead issue when looking through complaints. Also, the tailgate in my explorer has also experienced the same mysterious crack that so many other vehicles have had. One day it was fine, then it was cracked. Could these issues be somehow releated? or is the entire hatch just full of flaws.

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.

A crack formed below the rear glass panel on our 2004 ford explorer. The crack formed due to a flaw in the rear door panel. I have noticed the same crack on the same spot on either side of the ford emblem on nearly 80% of the ford explorer's we see on the highway 's in the atlanta area.

2004 ford explorer has a cracked rear panel splitting the entire back panel.i contacted ford and they will not do anything about it.i think it could be a safety concern as the whole panel could break off by the rear window.i've researched this on line and this appears to be a common issue with my year explorer.ford should take responsibility for their faulty product.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that after opening the rear glass lift gate window, the two aluminum hinges fractured causing the lift gate to fall. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician stated that the hinges needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired since the parts were not available. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact noticed a crack on the lift gate near the manufacturer's emblem. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000.

When the explorer was bought used in 2015 the cracks that are common in the glass lift gate cover panel did not exist. We purposely did not open the glass part of the lift gate to avoid cracking it. Eventually it cracked on its own just from opening the full tailgate. Then recently the lift gate latch keeper bolts/studs rusted to the point of failure behind the cracked panel and the glass lift gate released on its own. Luckily the explorer was parked. However, the interior lights came on as a result. This drained my battery in this summer's heat. I had to purchase a new battery. To avoid this battery issue from happening again, i rigged the lift gate latch with zip ties through the holes to temporarily hold the lift gate shut. It won't hold long like this so i need to fix the attachment parts that rusted behind the glass and then the colored cover panel that is now badly cracked, the cracking of this very poorly designed and poor choice of material body part let water get behind it and hold there after it cracked like virtually all those on other explorers. This trapped water caused rust of the latch attachment studs behind it.ford's issuance of vsb's about this issue are proof they were fully aware of there bad material choice for this panel and i feel they should still be on the hook to repair and replace parts despite failure occurring after the vehicles warranty expiration, based on such a poorly designed and widespread tailgate issue that is later in the vehicle's life a safety issue, since the glass lift gate can open upon latch attachment bolt failure, due to rust.

Back hatch panel on my 2004 ford explorer cracked into two pieces for no reason.looked online and many other owners are having the same problem and no recall on this part has been issued.i have not replaced the part yet as it is a $400 repair that is obviously due to poor quality of parts used by ford.

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.

Rear panel below rear window cracked.

Crack appeared on plastic panel just to the left of ford emblem the car had 92k miles when occurred.body shop estimate $500.00 to repair.

Sun visor bracket cracked and disintegrated leaving sun visor blocking my view.had to pull over and disconnect the wire and remove visor. 2nd incident, pressed button to open rear glass and the hinges snapped ejecting the heavy glass panel at me. Had a child been opening it, they could have been killed. As it was, i caught the glass panel.

Noticed a number of cracked rear panels on late model ford explorers (2004-2006)- this problem is widespreadon the ford explorer- ford has failed to acknowledge that this defect in workmanship exist- ford should recall these vehicles or offer a goodwill repair these ford explorer owners.

2004 ford explorer cracked rear panel.

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.

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.

A crack appeared on the lift gate top panel just below the wiper.the crack runs vertical from the top of the panel around the ford emblem to the bottom of the panel.i noticed that others are having this same problem at around 70,000 on the 2004 ford explorer eddie bauer edition.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contact stated that the rear tailgate metal was fractured in half in the center near the ford emblem. The contact was concerned that the rear windshield could shatter because of the failure. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or a local mechanic for the failure. The vin was unavailable. The failure mileage was 87,000 and the current mileage 88,200.

The panel under the rear hatch window has cracked and keeps getting wider.

Months after purchasing this car the rear lift gate panel cracked due poor design.

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.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate was fractured directly on the logo where the lift gate lock was located. The defect could have caused the rear lift gate to open while driving. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 14,000 and the current mileage was 16,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate panel was fractured below the glass. The vehicle was never involved in a crash. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for repairs nor was the manufacturer notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,000.

The left rear lift gate window hinge broke causing the window to fall and bruise my daughter's arm.terrible design and fraught with peril.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.since november of 2008, the contact has been experiencing issues with the rear hatch door.there is a crack directly in the center of the hatch where the lock is located.as a result, the rear window opens without warning.while driving over speed bumps or potholes, the window opens.the vehicle was taken in for inspection, but the contact was informed that the warranty was expired.she feels that this is a safety issue, which could cause a serious crash.the current and failure mileages were 42,106.

Rear body panel around back window split

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.

The rear hatch panel on my ford 2004 explorer cracked for no apparent reason.when i went to the local dealer he said it is a common defect.when i asked how much it would cost to repair he quoted me $650.00i have seen dozens of this model in my daily driving experience in az.why hasn't ford made a replacement for all of us who have this problem.it irritates me that they say quality is number one but won't own up to a defect that is replete in emails on line?

The rear passenger window hinge broke causing the glass to fall on top of me and hit me in the head and knock me down to the ground.

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.

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.

Paint on roof of vehicle is chipping and body is rusting.

I have a 2004 ford explorer, and one day the car is fine the next there is a crackon the rear panel i though it was my fault but then i started seeing moreexplores with the same crack it has to be a defect.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the panel on the exterior of the rear lift gate was fractured. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

The pins on the liftgate window are breaking through the hinge.the driver side has broken clean through and the passenger side is beginning to break through even though i haven't used it since the other one broke.there is also a crack under the window on the back lift door.

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.

My 2004 ford explorer's rear trim underneath the rear window blew off the truck at 60mph.the (whole trim) shot through the sky like a boomerang.it sent a motorcyclist behind me off roading.it very well could have lead to his death as there were tree's a few feet away.i have not replaced any parts yet in fear it may happen again.

2004 ford explorercracked panel below the rear window.

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.http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/body_paint/cracked_panel_below_the_rear_window.shtmli don't have the money to pay for poor craftmanship issues.i feel as if ford should rectify the situation immediately at no cost to it's customers.

2004 ford explorer eb. Back liftgate cracked below glass. No accident or impact occurred.

There is a crack in the rear panel under the windshield of my 2004 ford explorer xlt.aside from being unsightly, i'm afraid that this crack will weaken the panel which is integral to keeping the rear windshield seated properly.

Cracks appeared below the rear window of my ford explorer. There was no accident.

Cracks on rear panel happened a few years ago. I was told it's a common known problem with ford, but they won't repair it and it's not needed. Now the hatch won't fully close or lock shut due to the parts behind the ford emblem rusting out due td the cracks. Water has gotten behind it, also the rear wiper will not work due to the water getting through from the cracks. I can now not drive my only truck that fits my family. We were leaving to go out to a family advent, and i noticed the back hatch was open, that is when i found out how damaged it was due to the panel being cracked. I called ford, they told me i would have to repair it out of my own pocket at a ford dealership. This could cause a huge issue if i drove and the back widow fully came off while driving, it could have severallyhurt someone or damaged another vehicle and or person, or persons. This common issue needs to be corrected and recalled. I'm not the only one!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer limited. The contact stated that the rear liftgate was fractured and the contact was concerned that the window would possibly fall out while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised him that the failure was not a safety concern and offered no further assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

2004 explorer rear tail gate crack next to ford emb.

My 2004 ford explorer back hatch has a big crack on the left side of the ford emblem.this happened overnight with the weather change.i have researched the internet to see thousands od similar stories with the same issue.

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.

The car was parked in a grocery store lot. I used the remote to open the back latch to store my groceries. It did not open. I tried again. Suddenly the back window exploded and the back hatch came off it hinges. I am unable to drive the car until it is repaired. I found many stories online that said the same thing has happened to other 2004 explorers and ford has not done anything with the complaints. Thisepisode could have been very serious had it occurred while driving or if someone had been hit by the flying glass debris.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked, the contact stated that the lift gate strut fractured without warning. The failure was similar to nhtsa campaign id number:04v442000 (structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments).the dealer and manufacturer informed the contact that his vehicle was not included in the recall and offered no additional assistance.no repairs were made. The current mileage was 35,000 and the failure mileage was 30,000. The vin was unavailable.

My complaint isn't safety related buti have saw this on so very may ford explorers. The rear plastic below the rear hatch window cracks on either side of the ford emblem. I thought maybe it was just mine.. But i have seen this on so many of ford explorers.to me this is a defect and from what i read ford says its not a recall issue. But to me it is, its a defect that all though it is not safety related is still a defect none the less..

2004 ford explorer: engine seized for no apparent or obvious reason at 53,000 miles.not repairable.also, rear plastic panel beneath window cracked. Just read that this is a very common occurrence.

My 2004 ford explorer has a cracked rear lift gate just below the window, adjacent to the center ford emblem.it was described to me by my local ford dealer as a manufactured defect as a result of the horizontal plastic deck lid being glued to the metal lift gate.during contraction and expansion of these two materials during fluctuations in weather, the lid will crack.i have noticed approximately 30-40% of 2002-2005 explorers with the same problem.ford could elevate this problem by replacing the plastic panels with a better material or glue.my warranty expired at 36k and i noticed this problem won't occur until the vehicle is about 50k-75k of 3-4 years.ford wants $500 to repair plus paint for a total of $700 dollars.

The hinges that hold on the rear window are starting to break.the 02 and 03 model explorers were recalled for this but ford refuses to issue a recall for the 2004 models even though this appears to be a huge issue affecting a large numbers of explorers.i have caught it before total failure but many people have had the glass come loose and injure them.it is a huge safety issue.

The paint on the roof of my 2004 ford explorer is chipping.i spoke with two auto body shops and 1 ford dealer, and they all said that the chipping is due to the fact that the primer did not adhere properly to the vehicle, so the paint is chipping.in reviewing this issue, i read online that there is a multitude of people experiencing the same issue.i spoke with ford, and they told me that there is no financial assistance available to help me, although they acknowledged that this issue is their fault.i would like there to be a recall so that i can get this issue resolved.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contact stated that the panel below the rear window of the tail gate developed a crack. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated it was a design flaw and the panel needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the warranty had expired. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 60,000 and the current mileage was 75,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer xlt. The contact stated that upon inspection, the left hinge that held the trunk window snapped unexpectedly. The window was held by the contact while another person latched the window back into place. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 25,000.

The back hatch has split next to the ford sign. It gotcold and when i got up to crank my truck i saw it.it was not hit and was in the shed when this happen. I was told it had a recall from someone that has the same thing happen to her. We also have had the transmission replaced.ford really need to fix this .i can sayi will never buy another ford!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rear hatch cracked on my 2004 ford explorer.

My 11 year old daughter went to close the rear window gate and the right hinge broke off at where the hinge attaches to the window. My wife and daughter tried to get it lined up with the hinge again but was not able to do anything with it and had to drive home with the windows hanging by the struts.later when i got home i noticed that the right strut was not decompressing as well which probably put some pressure on the hinge. I tried to push it back up manually it wouldn't budge. I was able to remove the right strut and close and latch the window but now it's crooked and obviously not working.i did research and see there are tons of complaints about this same thing happening on 04 explorers.i am very concerned that the window will fall off and this almost caused bodily harm to my daughter when it failed and fell.

Vehicle was parked.operator opened rear hatch glass, at which time the right hinge separated.this caused the glass to slam down.fortunately, the operator was able to jump out of the way to avoid injury.the glass did not break, but the struts are bent.both the right and left hinges appear to be defective and in need of replacement.the rear hatch is not usable until the hinges and struts are replaced.

Car was parked. I opened rear hatch (just the window part) and the passenger side hinge broke causing hatch to fall down on my head (quite painful!). About a year ago this same thing happened with the drivers side hinge (though i was able to catch it before it hit my head). I had that side repaired, but now it looks corroded so i worry it will happen again.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. On october 7, 2010, the contact noticed that the rear liftgate glass had a crack in the panel. The dealer stated that there were no related recalls. The contact called the manufacturer who stated she might be eligible for reimbursement, if there failure became a recall. The current and failure mileages were approximately 57,000.

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!!!!!!

Rear liftgate glass hatch failure hinge and attachments back glass fail off.

On december 15, i went shopping and when i went to place items in the back of my vehicle, i noticed a crack all the way from the back window to the bottom of the panel. I take very good care of my vehicle. There was no indication that the vehicle had been hit as there were no damages.

I bought a 2004 ford explorer xls and just started to notice the paint on the roof is beginning to peel off,which is now happening in two locations.i searched online and did see other similar complaints due to a primer defect in these models.as of today no recall has been offered but i feel ford should fix this problem. I complained to ford and they told me that this is not covered under my warranty. I spent a lot of money on this vehicle and plan on using it for at least 4 to 5 more years. I am scared to get a car wash thinking more paint will come off.

When we had the cold snap a few weeks ago, a plastic panel, under the rear window cracked. The cost to repair this is about $450 to $550. Searching on line, this seems to be a problem over a number of model years, as there are several hundred reports. In the past week, i have seen 7 more explorers with a similar crack. Ford customer service says there is no recall. It is not a safety issue, but it is expensive to repair.

2004 ford explorer. In 2008 the rear back panel cracked and was replaced by ford at a cost of $100 to me.it is now 2011 and the rear back panel has cracked again but this time the crack(s) appear on either side of the ford emblem.ford needs to recall these back panels because they are defective.

I looked at the back of my 2004 ford explorer, ltd one morning (10/11/2016) and there was a crack straight down the back panel. The vehicle was parked in my driveway. After discovering the split in the panel i started to notice that there are several explorer with this same problem. I asked my dealer and they said there was no recall and the only suggestion would be to get it repaired myself. This is clearly a ford issue. Now while driving a hear rattling and hope the entire panel doesn't fall off.i did call the ford customer service today to register my concerns. They also told me there were no recalls at this time but he would file my concern and gave me a case # [xxx] for future reference. I am on a retired income and this is something i can't afford to have repaired then keep receipts in hope that ford will do the right thing and recall and/or assist me with the repair expenses. In reading on-line after several owners had the panel replaced, it cracked again later. Please advise me and help me get assistance with this issue with my 2004 ford explorer, ltd back panel splitting for no obvious reason.information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

Rear cracked panel on 2002-2005 ford explorer -when it rains water fry the rear taillights .

My back gate to my 2004 ford explorer has cracked and i have read where this is a severe problem as my window could fall out.this is a very serious problem and by reading online there are hundreds of thousands of these that have done this. Which means there needs to be a recall.

Rear glass liftgate hinge broke causing glass to fall out of position.vehicle was stationary and liftgate glass was being opened when the hinge failed. This is the second ford explorer this happened to.the first one was a 2006 ford explorer.

There is a crack running vertically through the entire rear panel just below the window. It runs right along side the ford emblem.this happened in dec. 2014. I do not know/recall if the vehicle was moving or not. I just discovered the crack. I thought that it had happened because we were visiting bend, or and it was extremely cold. This isn't a safety issue i don't believe. But, given i see at least one explorer every 2-3 days with the same crack it seems to me that ford should fix the problem.

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.

I opened the lift gate window to load groceries when the right side of the window suddenly let go up near the hinge. This caused the right side of the window to drop and then the left hinge broke, causing the entire rear window to drop. I was able to catch it so it didn't break and eventually release the support struts so i could get it into the back of the vehicle. It appears that the fastener near the hinge was corroded through and when i tried to open the window the weight was finally too much for it so it snapped, releasing the window on that side.fortunately this fastener failed in a parking lot and not on a freeway or the whole rear window may have come off and posed a danger to the cars behind. Ford has already issued a recall for 2002 and 2003 models which used the same hinge assembly, don't know why 2004 was not included.

I noticed a crack in the panel beneath my rear window in my 2004 ford explorer. The crack has continued to get larger since i noticed it a couple months ago.

The contact owns a 2004 ford ford explorer. The contact stated there was a crack underneath the window of the tailgate. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing or to be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 8,627...updated 03/25/14

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the hinges on the rear liftgate broke and the window fell down on the contact's shoulder, resulting in a shoulder injury. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was informed that the hinges on the rear liftgate needed to be replaced. The dealer also stated that the vehicle was not included in the recall associated with nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (structure: body: hatchback/lifgate: hinge and attachments). The failure and current mileages were 160,000.

Bought a 2004 ford explorer in march 22, 2017 from lbsi automotive. Seen a crack in rear panel, didn't think much of it.on july 9 2017 went to open lift gate at walmart and hinge busted and window shattered on me and my husband hit my face glass all over me,cut my husband in few places, .looking online to replace it and seen that the crack in rear panel was causing problems.i had a 3 month old son in back seat and thank god it didn't get on him. My opinion the dealer should have been aware of this and told us.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when opening the rear lift gate, the hinge fractured and fell back, striking him in the head. The contact received a minor injury as a result. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer nor repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,900.

I discovered a crack in the plastic panel below the rear window of my 2004 ford explorer last night while unloading groceries.there had been no impact to this area of the vehicle so i had no idea where it came from.i checked with a local body shop and the estimator told me this is a very common issue with ford explorers and mercury mountaineers. It was apparently a manufacturing defect and that i should check with ford. I stopped by the local ford dealership but the service manager was out to lunch. The salesman i talked to said he saw the problem a number of time when he worked at the lincoln mercury dealer. Waiting for the service manager to call me.

The plastic piece of molding underneath the rear glass window cracked and fell off.nothing was done to prompt this.i have read that thousands of other vehicles have this same issue.

My 2004 ford explorer has a crack in the rear hatch.it appeared out of nowhere.it was not preceded by an accident or anything.upon talking to a friend whose car has the same problem, i researched this problem on the internet and found that it happens a lot.

2004 ford explorer rear lift gate glass hinge snapped and allowed glass to fall.issue appear to be similar to action # rq08003.

I have replaced the panel under the rear lift gate window 3 times at a cost of over $ 400 per time. This panel cracks near the ford emblem on either the right or left side. I called ford and filed a complaint and was told that they have no information on this being an issue. I am an auto insurance claims adjuster and i see this problem daily on my insured's vehicle. My panel has cracked for the 4th time and ford is refusing to do anything about it. I have had the vehicle since 2006.i can submit the invoices for my repairs and photos if needed to support this matter. The panel appears to crack due to the lift gate flexing when it is opened and closed. The local ford dealership said they try to put something behind the panel when they replace it to help reinforce it.

The rear panel cracked for no apparent reason.

The hatch below my rear window has cracked on both sides of the ford logo on my explorer. It seemed to have happened over night.i am concerned that it may not be strong enough to hold the window in while driving.ford has had three years of models with this some problem and hasn't made it right by it's owners.

Liftgate glass applique cracked.

My car was parked in front of my residence on the street, it had not been driven that day.the back window in the tailgate exploded, causing damage to the tailgate.no one was driving it, it had not been touched that day.there was a prior crack in the tailgate which i have seen on other explorer's, and since learned that it is a defect in the care.

Paint peeling roof hood differential replaced twice bearings wear out repaired twiceback of tailgate panel cracked replaced 3 times

Liftgate has a crack and the hinge to the liftgate broke due to crack.it is hazardous to drive due to possible falling while driving or parked.

Update on rear cracked panel:rear back panel replaced twice. Ford service told me it would cost approx $800 to replace cracked panel again then suggested i take my '04 ford explorer to a body shop for a repair at a cost of approx $200 which i did.that repair lasted about 3 months...panel has cracked again.if the glass falls out someone is going to get hurt. It is ridiculous that ford will not take full responsibility for this defective part.

Crack in rear panel on lift gate below window at the ford emblem.

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 panel below window cracked.

I get a strong smell of rotten eggs when driving. It only happens when i drive for a long time. My back hatch is cracking in 3 or more spots i am afraid that it will probably fall off and cause damage to someone driving behind me.

Letter to the deputy administrator from senator burr on behalf of constituent concerning a crack in the plastic surrounding the rear window of her 2004 ford explorer *tgw

I was closing the upper door on the back of my suv when the right hinge broke and the door almost dropped to the ground. I managed to wrestle it back up but the hydraulic shock on the door broke and leaked fluid all over the car. I cannot get it back into the window opening properly it is open about an inch. I am afraid to drive the car in case the window falls out.

Hinge on liftgate glass fractured and broke. 2004 ford explorer.see 2003 nhsta recall 04v442000. Liftgate glass hanging off and car unusable.metal fatigue on hinge/glass attach point on glass.could my car have received "older" defective parts from previous year as it has a manufacture date of 08/03? numerous previous model year problems with same part.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact noticed a crack on the rear liftgate panel.the manufacturer advised him to take the vehicle to the dealer for inspection.the failure mileage was 55,000.

I have a 2004 explorer and i lifted the glass hatch today and it broke and began to fall on my head, luckily i reacted and grabbed it before it knocked me out. I had to get help because it was to heavy for me because i have a bad back, had surgery and was afraid that i was going to re damage. I had to have my husband come up there while we held it because struts would not fold it in. Took it to ford and am being charged a diagnostic charge to diagnosis it i am not sure thatis needed, and parts are going to be $155, and i was told that they are not responsible for the window if it breaks!parts are not available they said they will order. I have no car, no warranty, and a sore back from another problem ford is aware of but refuses to accept responsibility for. Thank god it did not hit my 11 year old in the head or neck this could be very dangerous even deadly.

The area on the back hatch underneath the glass cracked in a straight line. I came out of my house after a cold morning and that's what i found.

Liftgate glass applique cracked.

Right rear liftgate window hinge failed (cracked) causing heavy (apprx 40 lb) glass liftgate glass panel to fall on a person causing minor injury. Appears 02/03 models recalled for same issue (despite ford's response on the first investigation of this it is the same issue as 02/03).the hinge part is inadequate to hold the heavy glass panel in place over time with use. Since the back glass is a heavy slab of unframed, tempered glass it could "explode" if it falls potentially causing serious injury or traffic accidents to trailing vehicles.ford apparently does a good business in selling these replacement hinges at a cost of over $100 each for a small piece of weak cast metal. Forty pound slabs of glass falling off of vehicles with no prior warning is a safety issue! research indicated many other owners with the same complaint.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear panel was cracked by the emblem in the rear liftgate. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired at the time of the complaint. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that there was no recall related to the failure. The current and failure mileages were approximately 55,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate exhibited a fracture down the middle of the hatch. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnosis or repairs. The manufacturer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 72,000 and the current mileage was 78,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was a small oblique on the rear liftgate which fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where they advised replacing the oblique but the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. After opening the liftgate window, the contact noticed a crack on the driver side hatch. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 172,000.

I have a crack on the rear lift gate of my 2004 ford explorer. It runs vertically from under the window, around the left side of emblem, to the bottom of panel. I understand that this is a common design flaw. I had this repaired once already in september 2006. This is the 2nd occurrence and ford is not repairing it under warranty, because my 12 month period ended 6 weeks ago. I feel this needs to be rectified, as it is a 2nd occurrence and obviously a manufacturer flaw.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the plastic underneath the window of the rear liftgate has cracked.the manufacturer stated that the failure was not covered under warranty; therefore, the contact would have to pay for the repairs.she feels that this is a safety issue because the frame around the window could crack and cause the window to fall out.the current mileage was 79,900 and failure mileage was 56,000.

A crack appeared above and below the ford emblem on the back flip up window at approx 50,000 miles.

While at work my rear lift gate window exploded. At first site i thought it was vandalism but nothing (car chargers/cd's/ road side kit etc) was taken. After further investigating, things just didn't add up nor were consistent with the site of my destructive rear window and uplifting of the panel underneath the shattered glass (which was mostly on the ground as opposed to being inside my vehicle.)

My 2004 back rear window panel cracked- defective panel from ford, approx every ford explorer has the same problem and ford will not recall as a mfg defect you can find hundreds of complaints for the same problems on all ford explorers 2002 to 2005.

2004 ford explorer 33,663. Miles panel under window of hatchback has cracked down the middle. After viewingthe same complaint from owners of this same vehicle, i do not understand why their has not been a recall.

Y 2004 explorer (bought in nov. 2004) has the same problem with the crack in the panel below the liftgate window. The crack just miraculously appeared about three weeks ago. The crack starts right below the window then curves around the right side of the ford logo before traveling straight down again for another 3-4 inches.the dealer stated it was not covered by my warranty.i have noticed a few other explorers around town with the same issue.i searched the web a found the same issue as well.

Crack in rear hatch body panel containing ford emblem. Defective part has not been replaced. Crack occurred by itself, no additional physical damage to hatch itself or rear end of vehicle. Ford had received over 900 complaints about this item and there is an ongoing class action lawsuit for this defect in california.

Found a crack in the liftgate panel.no impact was suffered to the panel.crack goes from top to bottom right though the ford emblem.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the rear panel was cracking on her vehicle near the ford emblem.the manufacturer could not assist with the repairs.the motor for the rear windshield wipers caused the rear panel to crack.the current and failure mileages were less than 80,000.

The rear lift glass hinges on my 2004 ford explorer broke during use of the lift glass. The pin broke right through the hinge on both sides.this happened while car was parked and lift gate window was open.left side just fell, and then right about 1 minute later, i just happened to have some 2x4's in the back which prevented the window from falling to the ground.this seems like a pretty dangerous defect. Internet research has revealed this issue was cause for a recall on the '02 & '03 explorer and seems to be wide spread on the '04, yet no recall for the '04.

On friday, may 28, 2010 my husband attempted to open the liftgate on our 2004 ford explorer when the glass separated from the vehicle and landed in his hands.it did not shatter because he was holding onto it.upon inspection, we discovered that the left hinge that connects the liftgate to the vehicle had snapped. The liftgate is currently hanging on the right hinge as we do not have the resources at this time to have it repaired. I have since learned that investigation of the same part was opened in june 23, 2004 and closed on october 24, 2008.although on page 12 of the response to nhtsa ford motor company admits that this failure is caused by "the use of non-optimal coating on the steel pin that joins the two zinc die-cast sections of the hinge", the company assumes no financial responsibility in covering the repairs because no recall has been issued.i urge you to take a proactive approach to this issue as it could cause serious injury and there are numerous complaints from consumers who are not aware that they can report them to this agency.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that he opened the rear trunk window and the left hinge became fractured. The window fell onto the contact unexpectedly, which saved the window from falling and shattering. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the mechanic stated that the hinge would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 80,602.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate back panel developed multiple cracks, which caused the liftgate windshield to become very unstable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The vin was not available. The failure mileage was 98,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the rear liftgate glass was hanging beside the struts.the dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer denied any assistance with repairing the failure. The vehicle was not repaired.the failure and current mileage was 180,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact noticed a crack on the rear hatch of the liftgate.the dealer inspected the vehicle and stated that the failure is a common occurrence.as of december 4, 2007, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle.the manufacturer offered restitution of $150; however, the contact declined the offer.the failure mileage was 27,846 and current mileage was 27,946.updated 01-11-08. The consumer stated the cost of repairs should not be passed onto the consumer. Updated 12/31/07

A large crack has formed on the rear lift gate panelright next to the ford emblem.the crack runs vertically and runs the length of the panel which is several inches. This crack is not due to any physical damage and appears to expand/contract in different outdoor temperatures. This panel supports the glass in the rear lift gate.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the lift gate fell off the hinges when it was being closed.the contact was forced to drive the vehicle with the lift gate disconnected.a mechanic stated that it needed two glass brackets and the hinges needed to be replaced.the repair cost would be more than $600 at the owner's expense.there were no warning signs that the lift gate was loose.the dealer stated that there was no warranty available.the fuel system was unknown.the failure and current mileages were 45,000. Updated 11/14/07

One of the rear lift gate hinges has failed.the pin has pushed through the hinge.the structural strength of the aluminum used as seemed to failed.the other hinge shows similar signs of failing but has not completely failed.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate panel was cracked below the glass and the vehicle had never been involved in any accidents. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that the failure was known but she would be responsible for repair costs. The vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000. The current mileage was 35,373.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicles hatchback was cracked. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 77,000.updated 08/10/11*ljupdated 08/12/11.

Had my used 2004 ford explorer for one week and the liftgate latches both broke.if it hadn't been for the shocks that were on the liftgate, the window would have crashed to the ground and shattered in a thousand pieces.from what i'm told, i'm going to have to contact the dealership and pay god knows what to have it fixed.can't even use my trunk now.the dealership is a joke.

Back glass hatch fell off in my hands could have really hurt someone.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.in an attempt to load the rear of the vehicle, the contact noticed an 1/8 inch wide and 6 inch long crack in the center below the rear window.the rear window would not close due to the crack.the dealer was notified of the failure.the current mileage was 52,000 and failure mileage was 49,551. Updated 05/06/08.*ljthe top portion of the hatch has shifted. Updated 05/06/08

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated the plastic lining under the tailgate window was cracked. The manufacturer was contacted several times but would not provide any assistance. The dealer advised they were aware of the failure however they were not liable for the failure without a recall. The contact stated that every year and model of his vehicle that he has observed exhibits the same failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were approximately 52,000. Updated 07/23/10

2004 ford explorer eddie bauer edition.rear lift gate cracks without cause.research has indicated this is a known problem since early 2000 with no corrective resolution by ford.what happens if these pieces fall off during initial cracks without drive awareness and injuires someone or property?i believe ford should be made to fix this known error before accidents occur and notify customers the chances of this occurring is high.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact statedthere was a crack on the rear lift gate from the vehicle logo toward the rear door. The contact stated in cold temperatures, the crack was barely visible yet in warmer temperatures, the crack would expand. The dealer advised the failure was common in his year, make and model but was not under recall.the failure mileage was 78,000 and the current mileage 78,500.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the plastic panel on the rear hatch was cracked and could potentially fall off. The contact called the dealer regarding the cracked panel and the dealer informed her that there was no recall regarding the plastic panel and stated that the part was available for purchase. The contact had not replaced the plastic panel. The failure mileage was 74,000.

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.

Failure of the lift gate hinge pin.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the liftgate was fractured down the center. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that he would be responsible for replacing the entire liftgate. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000 and the current mileage was approximately 48,000.updated 12/21/10the consumer stated no repairs were made. He believed the integrity of the rear window liftgate has been compromised. Updated 12/29/10

Crack in panel below rear window of my 2004 ford explorer.

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.

Developed crack in back panel under rear window on liftgate. Nothing touched it.came out one morning and found it there.ford will not fix it without me paying $150. I've seen 200+ complaints on the internet with the same problem.i bet over 50% of the explorers sold do this.this is not normal.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the panel in the rear liftgate was split. The contact called the dealer who stated that the failure was common. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that there were no recalls and repairs would be at his expense. The failure mileage was approximately 62,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 55 mph, the rear hatch opened without warning. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.updated 01/09/15*ljthe consumer stated the glass has shattered once before. The liftgate developed a crack. Updated 9/28/2015

The back panel of the car underneath the window has developed a 4 inch vertical crack overnight. The hatch has not been open or closed for several weeks and has not been bumped or hit to my knowledge.

Ford explorer lift gate panel cracked i have not replaced it yet i see a lot of these on the road since my has cracked.

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 updated 03/12/09.

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 separatefrom the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 141,500.

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 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate hatchback hinge was corroded and cracked, causing the glass to separate from the frame. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The manufacturer advised the contact that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000 (recastructure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 80,000.

The liftgate glass hinge on my 2004 ford explorer (model exxltspnbx) broke while closing.there is only one bolt holding each of the two hinges onto the glass and the bolt broke on one of the hinges.fortunately,i held the glass as to not slip down and pull the other hinge causing it to break.the window lift did hold it but would not slide back up.the lift had to be removed in order to shut and latch the window door.the back panel below the window was cracked when i bought the car and this may have lead to shifting in the window and additional stress added to the bolt in the hinge.this is the same problem that occurred in the 2002 and 2003 hatch window hinges.there are many examples online of the bolt breaking in the 2004 models but a recall has not been issued yet as has the two previous years.

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.

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 contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while opening the rear glass hatch the contact heard the glass crack ,and noticed that the hinge came loose on the right hand side of the hatch.the contact can provide pictures.the current and failure mileage was 51,283.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 06/03/10updated 06/07/10.

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 tookthe 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.

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.

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 hinge on the rear tailgate window came apart unexpectedly.i had popped it open using my keyfob release button to load some bags into it and the hinge immediately failed.the window itself twisted and was hanging by the 2nd hinge that hadn't failed and the gas shocks that enable the window to stay open without holding it.i was able to fit it back together to close it.the following day, i contacted the dealership to order parts.what i was told was that there was a recall on the 2003 but no the 2004 model.i was actually able to pick up a recall pack that contained both hinges.the parts manager sold them to me @ cost because this is apparently a common problem.there were no injuries, however, if one of my children had been standing nearby it is quite possible that the would have gotten hit by the glass as it came down.finally, i walked away about $20 poorer (because i repaired it myself) and with several scratches on the paint around the hinge and the back tailgate.

On june 4 2007, i opened the hatch on my 2004 ford explorer xlt. When i shut the hatch, the whole assembly fell and the glass hatch shattered showering me and the explorer and the garagewith thousands of shards. I sustained some small cuts on my face. I was lucky that my son was already in the carseat and not outside by the suvlike he usually does. Otherwise he would have been hurt by the thousands of glass shards. Later, i noted that thehinge on which the hatch was suspended, the one side broke off causing the whole hatch assembly to fall and the glass to shatter.i was also lucky i was wearing my sunglasses(which broke).i noticed that the metal part on which the hatch was hung was put on cockeyed which probably caused the problem. Hatches are meant to be opened and closed and the whole hatch assembly is not supposed to fall down on simply closing the hatch. I e mailed ford and told them about the defect but they were less than helpful. My suv is still in the shop. I took it to a ford dealer. I have pictures of the damage and the glass shards which went over the explorer all the way to the front windshield.

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 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.

On 11/23/2006, my wife, put something in our 2004 ford explorer via the rear hatch when the drivers side glass hinge broke. The glass remained in tact, but to be able to close the hatch i had to remove the two struts. This appears to be similar to recall #04v442000 on the same model vehicle in 2002.

Dt: the contact stated there wasnhtsa recall campaign04v442000 regardinghatchback hinge and attachments. The vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall; however,it is not included in the recall due to the vin.the contact took the vehicle to an independent repair shop but no repairs were made.updated 1/25/2006 - the hinges sheared off and the hatch on the liftgate fell off when opening.the part has been replaced but fords replacement hinges have not been modified to correct the problem.ford refused to pay for repair.

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.

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)?

Rear liftgate glass hinge failed and glass struck me in arm and chest as i lowered glass.

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!

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 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 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.the contact stated that the rear hinge liftgate was fractured. The contact referenced nhtsa campaign id number: 04v44200(structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments)but the dealer informed the contact that his vehicle was not included in the recall.the manufacturer was made aware of the failure yet the vehicle was not repaired.the current mileage was 76,000 and the failure mileage was 76,000.manufactured near the cutoff date of mentioned campaign. Same exact problem. Paid for replacement hinges. Replaced myself. Updated 09/14/2011 *lnupdated 12/13/11

Dt*: the contact stated the window hinge in the rear lift gate fractured, and then the weight of the window fractured the second hinge.the vehicle was taken to a service dealer and the manufacturer was notified.the manufacturer informed the contact the vehicle was not included in recall #04v442000 regarding the structure: body: hatchback/liftgate: hinge and attachments, although the failure was the same.

Rear lift gate hinges cracking at pin causing rear gate glass to shift down and tailgate not to latch correctly.

- the contact stated that the back of the hatch ofthe2004 ford explorerwith 74050 failure mileagewas cracked.the contact was concerned that the hatchback glass could fall out and injure her children.the vehicle had not been taken to the dealer, but they have been contacted andwere aware of the problem.the current mileage was 75,000.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Upon opening the rear glass hatch, the passenger side of the hinge broke when fully open and the windowfell down, hitting me in the head. The panel below on this same window to the left of the ford logo plate had also cracked about 6 months ago.

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 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.*lj

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 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.

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.

1.opened the back hatch glass2.the left hinge broke and the glass fell.i was able to catch the glass to keep it from falling.i pushed the glass back up and was able to get the glass closed and latched.my left shoulder has been hurting since the incident.3.i took the truck to the dealer and they replaced the hinge bracket.they replaced both the left and right hinges.

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.

I have a 2004 ford explorer xlt and i was closing the rear hatch when the hinge pins snapped and luckily i was holding it when it broke. If there was a problem with other vehicles then i think there should be a recall on all 2004s.

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.

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 left hinge on the glass hatch failed during a normal closing operation.the light aluminum casting failed as a result of metal fatigue causing the full weight of the hatch to fall on my wife.the ford dealer claims this failure is not covered under nhtsa recall campaign number 04v442000 and that my wife must have brutalized this truck.the replacement parts that i purchased from the dealer and installed are clearly much heavier castings.the issues concerning campaign number 04v442000 still exist on this 2004 model year vehicle.i have the old parts and pictures comparing them to the new ones.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. She stated that when closing the lift gate the hitch snapped and the glass almost fell out as a consequence. The dealer was contacted and they stated that there were recalls for the same problem for the 2002 and 2003 vehicles. Nhtsa action number, rq08003, structure body, hatchback/liftgate, support device visibility glass, side /rear structure body, hatchback/liftgate, hinge and attachments were related to the failure and was closed on october 24, 2008. The contact temporarily repaired the vehicle. The contact is afraid to drive the vehicle since the hinge could snap and potentially cause serious injuries and/or a crash. The failure and current mileages were 79000.

Paint bubbles in the hood. The dealer just responded that it was a manufacturers problem and that i would just need to replace the entire hood at a large cost.

Bubbling and blistering of the paint from the hood of 2004 ford explorer.

The paint on my hood is peeling away.i did not notice some paint "bubbling" on the hood of my 2004 ford explorer when i bought it brand new.after washing it i saw the paint was clearly defected.it did not bother me at first, but now after 3 years and 52,000 miles the paint is chipping away where it was "bubbled".the area in question is the front left corner of the hood, in two small places.when i noticed it was chipping away there was already 4" square inches of sheet metal showing.i took it to the dealer where i bought it and they said it was a known issue (ford tsb 04-25-1) but they could not do anything about it since my truck is out of the warranty period.they explained the aluminum hood is the problem and an entire new hood would cost $1300.they explained that ford knows about the problem but has decided not to issue a recall.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.after driving 55 mph, the contact noticed paint chipping on the hood of the vehicle.she took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the failure was not covered by the warranty and advised her to repair it herself.she took the vehicle to a mechanic and he stated that the failure was a manufacturer defect and she should not have to pay for the paint job.the current and failure mileages were 46,500.

Paint on top of hood bubbling at two spots on front passenger side and also on numerous locations on under side edge on front of hood, a large paint blister on underside at hood latch and several paint blisters on back under side of hood by driver windshield.

Paint peeling from vehicle.

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. *lj

Cracked panel below the rear window.

2004 ford explorer eddie bauer.panel under tailgate cracked.clear crack from top to bottom where ford emblem is, appeared overnight.was not involved in any accident.53,385 miles

I was at a grocery store with my young children, came outside, popped the tailgate (top half of the trunk on ford explorer) and loaded my groceries in the car.my 12 year old then went to close the trunk (top half only) and the left side of the tailgate came off of the hinges.the window/tailgate was extremely heavy, so i had to run to the back of the car and help her to hold the window up.then, as we were trying to put the window/tailgate back onto the hinge, the other hinge broke and the whole window came down.the window was only connected by the wiring and the shocks that are inside the window.we easily could have been injured by this falling window/tailgate.mind you i had no warning that these were going to fail...no cracks, no problems closing the tailgate, nothing!my daughter, a woman who was in the parking lot, and i could not get the window back on so i could drive it home (45 minutes away), so i had to call my brother in law to come help me because he was closeby.he ended up having to take the shocks of the window/tailgate off completely, so that we could put the window/tailgate into the car so i could drive it home.the wiring was still connected.i have contacted ford directly, and they will not take responsibility for this failure...even though they have done recalls on the 2002 and 2003 ford explorer plastic hinges for the tailgate.same problem, different year.i have researched online looking to find if my 2004 explorer had a recall, and found that many people had this same things happen to them on their 2004 explorer.i am not the only one.

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.

The tailgate on my 2004 ford explorer cracked last winter.i took it to the dealer and they said that it was not recalled.i noticed many of the same vehicles with the same problem.i believe that this is a manufacturing issue that should be resolved by ford.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact statedthat the rear hinge on the tailgate was broken where the glass washanging. The dealer was informed about the failure and stated that there were no related recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and the current mileage was 131,000.

Tailgate window hinges failed on 2004 ford explorer. The window fell out and damaged the lift struts. I was not injured.

2004 ford explorer's rear hatch/tailgate hinges broke.

I have an 2004 ford explorer with the crack in the panel below the rear window/hatch. I think that ford motor corp needs to repair these for all of the customers who have purchased these vehicles and are having issues with the crack leading to water damage.

Rear panel on 2004 ford explorer is cracked. This happened in february of 2009. Nothing has been done to repair this due to the cost. This is a defect common to this model and should be repaired by ford. This could cause shattering of glass window if it becomes loose.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer states rear cross member support snapped forcing the vehicle to become inoperable *tgwafter further inspection by a ford mechanic and the insurance company, they concluded it was due to a manufacturing defect as the cross member support was not welded properly when the vehicle was built.

On august 8, 2008 i opened the back glass of my 2004 ford explorer at which time the bracket at the top of the glass broke loose causing my glass to fall. It hit me in the head when it fell and would have possibly fell on me if the other bracket had not stayed in place. I contact ford motor company but have been unable to determine what model years of the ford explorer were recalled previously for this same problem. My explorer was not covered under the recall but i believe it should have been as ford installed faulty brackets on my truck. Currently my husband purchased a "recall kit" from ford to correct their faulty equipment and is in the process of trying to fix my back glass so that my vehicle is drivable again.

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

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.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While examining the vehicle the contact noticed a crack on the panel below the rear window. The vehicle has not been diagnosed and there were no prior warnings. The current and failure mileages were 89000.updated 01/03/11

2004 ford explorer xlt closing liftgate glass and hinges sheared on both sides.hinges need to be replaced waiting for part.have original hinge parts.no rear glass on vehicle until replacement parts are available.

My 2004 ford explorer has a crack on the rear window panel by the ford emblem, its been this was for awhile, just thursday night i noticed glass on the ground behind my vehicle then looked up and it was my back window. It shattered, the panel bowed out as if it warped outward and shattered the window. Luckily it had been parked and no one was around when it happened. As a result of this the entire lift gate and rear window will need to be replaced. I'm still waiting for my insurance to come and appraise the damages.

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.

The rear liftgate glass hatch on my model year 2004 ford explorer broke off and left the glass hatch hanging on one hinge almost falling off, whilei was opening the glass hatch from the rear of my vehicle.i immediately called the dealer to report the problem. I brought the car to the dealer and was charged $415.01.not including rental car cost,to repair my car.i literally open the hatch door and it fell off.no one should open a car door and it falls off. This could have been one of my children opening the door and they could have been injured badly by this defect in the car.

2004 ford explorer. Consumer states cross member support snapped forcing the vehicle to become inoperable *tgwan inspection revealed the cross-member support was not welded properly during the manufacturing process of the vehicle. (son wrote in on behalf of his father who owns the vehicle)

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. *ljupdated 03/10/09.

The hatch back cracked down the middle. Right below the windows.i just shut the glass door and notice a crack.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While drivingapproximately 40 mph he heard a loud low pitch grinding noise coming underneath the rear wheels.a passenger in the vehicle stated that she could feel vibrations underneath the seats. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and was in the process of having the failure diagnosed. The failure mileage was 79,500 and the current mileage was 79,664.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was an abnormal noise coming from the front end of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the dome over the shock absorber was rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure and current mileage was 117,000. Updated 08/11/2014*ljthe consumer stated ford would not repair the vehicle.the vehicle was traded in to ford with a reducedamount to the trade in allowance because of the failure. Updated 08/12/2014

Two out of four wheel bearings are howling on this vehicle.

I purchased my 2004 explorer and at about 36,000 miles i had to bring the vehicle in to have the wheel bearings replaced. Now at 65,000 miles once again the wheel bearings are going bad.i have never owned nor have i ever heard of a vehicle where the wheel bearings only lasting about 30,000 to 40,000 miles.the first time the dealer replaced the bearings however this time the vehicle is not under warranty.to buy a new vehicle and have to replace the wheel bearings every 30,000 to 40,000 miles is not acceptable.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at 35 mph, a loud abnormal noise emitted from the vehicle and it started to swerve out of control. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 185,000. The vin was not available.

2004 ford explorer xlt, mileage at time of failure 28,819 left front bearing hub failed prematurely vehicle started to pull to the left. No injuries, repair cost $270,00. Vehicle off warranty due to age. All vehicles should be warrantied for 36,000 miles or more with no years . Wheel bearings should last at least 75,000 miles.

Wheel bearings going bad, from time to time.

While driving at any speed vehicle vibrated heavily.consumer had made contact with the dealer on three separate occasions. But,mechanic was unable to duplicate the problem, which still exists.

Front bushings broken on 2004 ford explorer - both sides.service rep says that the wheel could pop off and create a serious accident.

I went to take my 2004 ford explorer in for a state vehicle inspection.it failed due to faulty ball joints.the explorer has 15,000 miles on it and it is unacceptable for this to happen.also, if i did not need an inspection, there would have been serious consequences.this is a safety concern that needs to be addressed.

Both front wheel bearings failed the week before last on the 2004 ford explorer xlt i bought new from ford motor company about 2 years and 45,500 miles age.i replaced both after a diagnoses of failure by a ford dealership by going to a private, non-ford repair shop at a cost of just over $ 781.00. The labor here was $ 142.00 - the balance was local taxes and the replacement bearings which were only available from and purchased from ford motor company.the dealer also diagnosed a defective ring and pinion gear which is not the case - yet.didn't even get to the driver'sfront seat back which has collapsed without accident on the door side.

Without warning my rear wheel hub assembly keep braking.suddenly the vehicle starts to shimmy and pull and make grinding noises and the wheel is practically falling off by the time i get home.this has happened to me 6 times in the past year!so far i have been lucky and my wheel hasn't fallen completely off, only because i have replaced the rear differential twice in the last 2 years so as soon as i feel something out of the ordinary i have it checked!it is terrifying when it happens, the whole wheel wobbles and going slow only makes it seem worse.i've had to replace the whole hub assembly at a cost of $300.00 plus each time!

Rear wheel bearing on my 2004 explorer were bad and on one side the wheel bearing was so bad that the rotor was moving with no effort to move it and the suv only had 76,000 miles on it.

1. I have had bad vibration and a loud noise from the rear end of my 2004 ford explorer. The vibration has been so bad it has actually blown out 2 tires in the rear while i am on the highway. 2. Rear differentral, it happens all the time, it is going to cause my vechile to break down and if that happens the vechile is no good to me because of the cost to fix it.3. I have brought it to the ford dealership for the problem and they want to charge me over a $1000 to fix it when they are aware of the problem with it because there has been over 3 more cases other than me they have told me.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately 25 to 55 mph when he noticed an abnormal howling from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer and they advised that they would shim the pinion and ring gears to silence them. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred twice after the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 29,700.

Wheel bearing failure, rear, both sides. At 40,000 miles, and again at 86,000 miles. Normal driving, primarily highway. This is dangerous and potentially life-threatening to occupants of the subject vehicle, as well as any vehicles in proximity during bearing failure. Loss of control can, and probably will result. Premature wheel bearing failure is common on these vehicles. The community at large is slowly spreading the word about the danger to self and family regarding this. I wish i had known earlier, i would not have purchased this vehicle. It is irresponsible of the manufacturer to sell a vehicle with this predisposition to failure. I work in aerospace, and this would never have gotten through failure analysis during the design phase. I will now begin attempting to contact anyone that this has happened to in an effort to get them to file a complaint as well. Eventually you will hear us. Maybe the media will get involved, they love this kind of stuff, especially if they can drag government indifference into it. I know you guys know about this. You just don't think enough people have complained yet, so it gets ignored. I'm going to start trying to change that. Maybe nothing will happen, maybe it will become a giant mess, who knows? either way, i can't let this go without saying something. This thing is marketed and sold as a family vehicle, and there is no way on earth i will ever put my wife and children into it again. And my conscience will not allow me to just trade it or sell it with this issue being exposed, just to get rid of my problem and pass the risk onto some other family. Here's a link, if you want to see that this has happened more often than we'd all like to admit: < http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/wheels_hubs/wheel_bearing_failure.shtml > you'll find a lot of this with a simple google search. I wish i'd done this before i bought this deathtrap. Whether you do something or not, i have no say in that, but i'm going to try to expose it.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while accelerating from a stop or attempting to make a right or left turn at various speeds, the vehicle vibrated as if something was rubbing in the rear.the vehicle has been taken to the dealer twice regarding this failure.the dealer is currently stating that the vehicle has rear suspension failure in the clutch pack.the vehicle has a tsb 06-4-4 for this failure.the current mileage was 79,900 and failure mileage was 23.

My 2004 ford explorer was making a horrible rubbing/grinding sound coming from the rear of the vehicle.when i took my foot off the gas pedal, the noise was more pronounced.i took the vehicle to my mechanic thinking it was the brakes and he informed me that the entire rear of the vehicle was "loose" and i should have a diagnostic test done by a ford dealer.i took it to my local dealer where i purchased the vehicle.the technician informed me that he would have to remove the entire rear differential to open it to find the problem.after that being done, i was told that he found "faulty" ring and pinion and carrier bearings that needed to be replaced so an entire new kit had to be installed and refilled with fluids which intern ended up costing $1,400.i could not get a satisfactorily explanation as to why this would have happened to my vehicle which only has 46,000 miles on it, never been in an accident nor has it ever towed anything.i told my mechanic this and he said that this should not have happened with such low mileage.i am very upset that the certified ford dealer admits on paper that my vehicle had "faulty" parts yet i am the one who had to pay the price!

Rear differential failure-i think this should be looked into as i have searched the internet and there are too many complaints about this. Maybe it was not the tires causing all the crashes but the bad rear ends that ford is aware of. Rear whining noise and grinding from all suv models.

Vehicle has both rear coil springs broke on both sides, evidently is same spot of the coil. Ford refuses to consider this problematic or an issue to their concern. Unfortunately, it is a safety hazard.

Loud pop from rear-end.abs light,wrench,and check engine light came on.found to be a bad speed sensor and defective rear-end.suv has been in the shop for 2 weeks and no rear-end in sight.

First the abs light came on. Then a loud noise came from the front.after the auto shop called and informed me that it was all wheel bearing and backing plates went bad and$1500.00 dollars later i looked into problems on line with ford explorers i seen over 42 complaints with the same thing. That is a lot of money seeing as how im still paying of the loan!

2004 ford explorer, was eastbound when the tongue of the trailerhe was pulling broke off due to rust.the trailer traveled across all three lanes striking the center wall and overturning. (ohio traffic crash report #10-0447-90) updated 09/13/10

Overdrive light comes on and the car will not shift gears.. Coded pressure control solenoid.put one in and it still has the light blinking and runs like crap..

2004 ford explorer - i bought this vehicle new in dec. 03. Starting at approximately 14 months old, it starts stalling out, just dying completely. No signs, no symptoms, just die at a slow rate of speed. The first time it happened, i chalked it up to bad gas or something? finally, on the 3rd. Dead time, i took it into the dealer. They said they changed a fuse and it should be fine. It died again ... And again. I took it back. They installed a black box (flight recorder & told me to drive it until the machine regestered "3". I had to keep the button by the steering column so i could push it quickly when the vehicle stalled. The first stall, i pushed the button & it registered "2". It died again just a block down the road (rush hour traffic on casino row, hwy 90). I pushed the button again & it registered "3". The next week i took it back to the dealer. They had the car 4 days this time & couldn't figure it out. Finally they called the engineers who said to "clean & tighten the grounding straps". That friday, it died again. A couple of times it has dies, my newly licensed daughter was driving & now she is affraid of my car! the steering column locks when it dies. We were coming back from walmart & i kept telling her "turn, turn", she yelled "i can't". The car had died again! because of the hurricane, i couldn't take the vehicle back in. It died a total of 6 times during evacuation. 5 in slow traffic jams & once when coming 60 mph off the interstate onto an exit. I have since taken it back in to the dealer again (at the urging of ford customer service) and they kept it 10 days & still do not know what is wrong! they gave me my car back & suggested i take it to another dealer.?! i am a united states air force instructor and i do not have the time to take it in constantly to the dealer. Plus, i pay an outrageous car payment just to have my vehicle sit in repair.

Tires! tires! tires! again!a second tire has suffered tread separation and failed completely. Why can't i get anyone to take this problem seriously?

When putting the explorer into reverse it would shift hard and throw the vehicle back and then when you put it into drive the engine would race and rev up high and then slam into the next gear. It made the vehicle hard to be reliable. Took the explorer in and they said this is a known problem for ford vehicles and they don't know why there is no recall for it but the transmission was shot now having to pay $4500 out of pocket to get my vehicle fixed as i need it for dr appointments. They said the o/d had put shavings down in the pan as well as other problems with the transmission and it would cost more to replace individual parts than to do the entire thing. Frustrating to know that ford knows this is an issue and doesn't do anything to help the consumer.

I have a 2004 ford explorer, about a month ago i noticed the plastic hinge for the back tailgate glass was breaking off. After visiting several ford used car lots, i seen several explorers with the broken hinge and realized this is a very common problem. I have contacted ford and expressed my concerns, but they are standing by their product. I recieved an estimate of $360 to repair the hinges, but being a single parent of four there is no way i could afford to have this repair done. I hope that ford will step up and recall this issue but no luck yet.

Rear body panel around back window split

Overdrive light starting blinking car started shifting really hard and jerking.this is a known issue with ford explorers and need to be recalled. I dont have another vehiclebi really need help please

While traveling on the i285 interstate weheard a loud pop/ snap and we were trying to figureout where it came from,my daughter noticed glass shards on clothes and that ts when we looked up and realized the moonroof had shattered.

Automatic windows - rear windows - motor went out - replaced once - doing it again, have to take it back in.rear air system does not blow out heat.again, needing to take it in again.had i not gotten the extended warranty on my vehicle i would be without rear heat.

Transmission went out at approx 93,000 miles, heat went out around 85,000 miles, seat belts have been replaced once under warranty and again don't work, electric seat doesn't work, misc. Other things

Both hinges on the rear hatch glass broken.window ready to fall out of vehicle.can't believe this item hasn't been recalled as there are tons of complaints about these hinges.

The truck doesn't come with a cargo net or a device that can be used to separate the cargo area from the trucks cabin. Which in the event of an accident can cause serious injuries to the occupants because the cargo can fly forward and hit the occupants. Consumer was told at the time of purchase that they can purchase a net, but has now found out the net cannot fix this truck. *sc

In sept 2009 the transmission on my 2004 ford explorer failed an needed to be replaced. The vehicle had an extended warranty and the cost of the repair was covered. 18 months later the rebuilt transmission failed at 60,400 or 20,000 miles after the rebuilt transmission was put in. The extended warranty expired on 1/30/11 or 60,000 miles. The rebuilt transmission according to ford expires with the vehicle warranty even though if you purchase a rebuilt transmission for a ford vehicle not under warranty they will offer a 3 year/100k mile warranty. I called ford with my dilemma and explained that the rebuilt transmission went 33 days after the expiration of the warranty or 400 miles above the 60,000 mile limit. I was told that they were very sorry this happened but there is nothing they can do. Outside the issue of not being very fair since if i had purchased the transmission on my own the repair would have been covered, this 2004 ford explorer is now on its 3rd transmission and the vehicle only has 60,000 miles on it. Something seems inherently wrong with that. Thanks for reading my complaint.

The ignition keys loses the program and i constantly have to have noth reprogramed. I was told this was a recall that ford knows about. The cause the car inability to start

When opening the rear hatch window, there was a failure in the pin in the hinge causing the window to fall. The window was not broken however a repair had to be made before the vehicle was drivable due to the possibility of the glass falling.

In the middle of the rear panel under the rear glass near the rear wiper cracks.the first time we paid to havethe panel replaced.because we were concerned that the glass would come loose causing an accident.less than 18 months and the cracks have reappeared only now there are two cracks in the same location.we have seen multiple cars on the road with this same crack.the dealer says they have seen as well.called ford regarding this issue. However, ford refuses to acknowledge that there is a default in the panel which can causes the rear glass to fall out causing serious accidents.

Truck suddenly accelerated when i was in traffic not moving.

2004 ford explorer limited edition transmission went out. It does not gear backwhen at a stop and fixing to go. It goes very slow until it switches gears.

I was getting stuff out of my back seat and my rear window just blew out shattering glass all over .the bottom piece that secures the glass to the door warpred about 6 inched on each side exploding the glass

2 vertical cracks in upper rear hatch below window

When the air conditioner is on, there is a loud squeak each time the clutch engages.when taken to the dealer(john chandler ford amarillo, tx), they state it is a normal occurance.you can hear the noise over the stereo and any talking.the vehicle has been to the shop @ 6 times, and no corrective action has been done for this issue.

Purchased 2004 explorer in november 2007.95489 miles. No prior indication in drivability, noise or lights coming on. Going along, most speed available was 20 mph, rpms on 6; then jerked to change gears. Driving on highway in town during rush hour, overdrive light and check engine lights came on. Limped into nearest repair shop, which happened to be a transmission shop,. Transmission had to be rebuilt. Obviously ford knew about these problems because they had sent shop update notices and what to do with transmission problems

Blend door motor for the heat melted...apparantly this is a common problem for explorers...is this not a fire hazard???? the piece is plastic and melts...could this not cause a fire?

There are many cracks below rear window which are getting larger and larger.the safety concern is that the entire window will fall out because obviously the hinges are being affected by these large cracks.there have been many many concerns on this exact problem and for safety reasons, ford needs to recall all vehicles that this affects before someone gets killed or hurt really bad.

The hatch back cracked down the middle. Right below the windows.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. When the contact depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would not move. When she depressed the pedal again, the vehicle would suddenly take off at a high rate of speed. The contact called the dealer who stated that the problem was common but there was no remedy. The manufacturer had not been notified. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.updated 12/30/10updated -1/10/11

My 2004 ford explorer has had a problem since it was new where the cruise control (speed control) would disengage on its own and at the same time kill the engine. The dealerships could not make it happen again and have never been able to fix the problem. It does it much more often at speeds less than 50 mph, so i don't use the cruise at slower speeds; however, it has now started doing it above 50 mph and the abs light also comes on occasionally. This situation is extremely dangerous because when the engine dies your power-steering no longer works and steering is very difficult.it sounds to me like this should be included in a recall.

I was driving on the interstate about 70mph. I was in the far left lane. My explorer suddenly lost pressure tried hitting the gas pedal to the floor, rpms, still dropping, no fuel pressure at all. I was trying desperately to get over at the same time trying to take into account the speed of the other vehicles and if i was going fast enough to make it over two lanes of traffic. By the time i made it over to the right shoulder i was literally going about 5mph. It was the most intense moment in my life, car, trucks, tractor trailers moving at 70+mph don't see you until they are up on you. I have researched and ford has known issues with their throttle body assembly. Instead of taking care the issue they wait until something catastrophic happens to take care of it. This unacceptable they know there is a problem with this part and they wait and wait until some magical number or lord forbids someone dies trying to get off the road. You call them and they tell you "no recalls on your vehicle at this time keep your receipt if you get it repaired incase a recall occurs in the future" what this means is, "they probably know there is an issue but enough people haven't complained"! they have lawsuits being filed as we speak so i'm asking "nhtsa" to issue an investigation on our behalf. Everyone please make your voices heard!!!!

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that when the vehicle was in park with the emergency brake engaged, the vehicle would abnormally accelerate without warning. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was contacted who advised the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer for a diagnostic test. The vehicle was not repaired or diagnosed. The current mileage was approximately 60,000 and the failure mileage was approximately 59,500.

On december 17, 2008 at around 6:50 a.m., i was driving my wife to work. We live in a quiet village type residential area. After two minutes or so after i pulled out of our driveway, my 2004 ford explorer suddenly accelerated at a very high speed, without my stepping on the gas pedal. I estimate the vehicle reached 45 mph or more in a very short span of time, and apparently increasing. The vehicle speed was out of my control for 3 seconds or more, despite my foot being away from the accelerator. At first i thought i was skidding on black ice, but i realized this couldn't be because the engine was increasingly roaring and getting louder as i gained speed. It reminded me of the sensation when cruise control picks up speed on the freeway. Besides, i wasn't losing control of the steering wheel. It felt like my gas pedal was not only stuck, but was being pressed even further more. When i realized i wasn't skidding, i quickly applied the brakes and vehicle slowed down. Good thing, the street was deserted. The most significant memory was the sudden roaring of the engine and the rapid acceleration despite my foot being off the gas pedal. The temperature outside was 38f, with a slight drizzle.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving at approximately 20 mph when the throttle body suddenly kicked back. He turned off the ignition and restarted to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle had not been taken to an authorized dealership and the contact had not called the manufacturer at the time of the complaint. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. The current mileage was approximately 82,000.

Traveling with the cruise control set at approximately 58 mph, traffic 100 - 120 feet in front of the vehicle came to an abrupt stop.pressed the brake to disengage the cruise control and started applying pressure to the brake pedal.the vehicle seemed to initially start to slow, however, as we approached the stopped traffic, the engine continued to rev and we could not stop, causing us to hit the rear-end of the vehicle in front of us.the vehicle we hit moved forward a few feet and we hit the rear-end again as the explorer's engine continued to rev and drive us forward even with constant pressure applied to the brake pedal.after the second collision, we were able to pull the explorer off to the side of a road, notify the police, and file a accident report.the explorer has not yet been taken to the dealership to evaluate what had happened.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while stopped, the vehicle accelerated independently and without warning. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis where the throttle body sensor unit was replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified but offered no assistance. The failure and current mileage was 74,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that since the vehicle was purchased it hesitates during acceleration. The dealer confirmed that the vehicle was operating normally and may appear abnormal since it has a v8 engine. The contact stated that the vehicle currently is not accelerating at all.a local mechanic stated the vehicle is a safety hazard due to the lack of acceleration. The contact is concerned of the possibility of a crash occurring. The current mileage was 100,000 and the failure mileage was 25,000.

When you engage cruise control it shuts down the engine.

While driving 70 mphcheck engine light came on, then, moments later the engine revved up and down, and the brakes failed, not allowing the vehicle to stop. Dealer stated the vehicle jumped timing.

I own a 2004 ford explorer. Previous models (2002) were recalled for the abs light and speed control issue (09s09). I have the same problem on the 2004 explorer. The problem is intermittent, it is ok for a while then the problem shows up again.could this be a fire problem?

Speed control operates only intermittently, disconnects without warning, and occasionally speeds the car up without warning.rear warning system is also intermittent.

I have discovered that my 2004 ford limited v8 cruise control can kill the engine while the car is in motion.i have been using the coast button on my cruise control to reduce speed as i approach a speed sign lower than my existing speed.if i hold the button as the car slows to a speed below 35mph (approximate) the engine quits leaving me with no power steering or vacuum braking.i've tried it several time and the fault is consistent.whenever the car slows to below the minimum cruise controlthe device should disengage, not stall the engine.i think this is a serious issue andowners should be aware of it.

When pressing on the accelerator there is a sometimess a delayed reponse when the vehicle moves it is sudden and unxpected. As result of this i recently backed into a fence causing damage to my car and the fence

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving approximately 65 mph on normal road conditions, the engine failed when the speed control switch was activated.the failure occurred without warning whenever the speed control selector was activated.the engine was able to be restarted and resume normal operation.the manufacturer stated that the vin was excluded from the recall.the nhtsa campaign id number could not be found online.the failure mileage was 73,000 and current mileage was 80,000. Updated 04/15/09. *ljupdated 04/16/09.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving approximately 55-60 mph when the electronic throttle warning light illuminated. The vehicle independently began to decelerate and before stalling. The contact shifted into neutral and coasted to the side of the road. She was able to restart the vehicle after ten minutes. The failure occurred twice. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The dealer suggested that the throttle be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 93,830 and the current mileage was 93,839.

It slippes and won't just take off some take offbut the suv sits and when it does takebodf you have to let your foot up off the gas to get it to shift

While driving, the cruise control stopped working and car stalled.at the same time the abs light comes off and on.

I own a 2004 ford explorer xlt. When i attempt to use my cruise control around 30 -35 mph my vehicle turns off and all the gauges turn on. The first time it occurred i was on a curve going about 32 mph and i nearly ran head on to the car in the only lane because you loose power steering and it gets difficult. Everytime i have to pull over and turn the vehicle back on. It only happens at this speeds and driving on a military post where the speed limit is 30mph can be dangerous.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.when the contact started the ignition and depressed the accelerator pedal, the vehicle unexpectedly lunged forward.the failure occurs whenever the gear shifter is in the drive or reverse positions.the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for inspection and they were unable to determine the cause of the failure.the vehicle has not been repaired.the vin was unknown.the failure mileage was 40,000 and current mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While reversing, the contact's vehicle accelerated on its own and crashed into a chevrolet cobalt. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, but the failure could not be diagnosed. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure recurred multiple times, resulting in the contact crashing into a tree and other unknown vehicles. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and did not assist. The failure mileage was 175,000. The vin was unknown. Vin is not valid

While turning left at low speed, without warning the vehicle accelerated.the driver was not able to control the vehicle and collided into a garage.the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection.the mechanic can not duplicate the problem. Consumer was turning left towards garage when vehicle accelerated to about 50 to 60 mph. *la

Transmission slippind o/d light flashing rpm's high just bought car not happy

I have a 2004 ford explorer (v8 eddie bauer) i recently ran into a strange situation. I set the cruise control at 35 mph and as i was going down a small hill, the car stalled. I put it into neutral and it started with no problem at all. It is very dangerous when the 2004 explorer stalls whenever the cruise control is set and it is going at a slow speed.

Details:on going problem with throttle control, when you are stopped or just starting out and give gas it dose not start to go so you give it a little bit more gas and then it will jump forward or backward( if you are backing up) to appoint that it will some times squeal the tires. The transmission also would shift so hard it feels like you are hit from behind.in for repair at sellers sexton ford, st robert mo.

There is a long hesitation while attempting to accelerate either from a complete stop or while the vehicle is rolling.

While stopped at an intersection our 2003 ford explorer accelerated without touching the accelerator pedal. If the brake hadn't been firmly pressed the vehicle would have shot into the oncoming traffic.in order to temporarily correct the problem, the transmission was shifted into park and then back to drive where we were able to accelerate normally.dealer cannot reproduce problem and suggested a computer software upgrade.

Loud pop from rear-end.abs light,wrench,and check engine light came on.found to be a bad speed sensor and defective rear-end.suv has been in the shop for 2 weeks and no rear-end in sight.

The engine shuts off while using the cruise control.

I was driving at approximately 45 mpg and the vehicle started to slow down on it's own in the middle of traffic.i was close to home and able to get it into my driveway.i had to have it towed to the shop where they diagnosed that the electronic throttle body module was bad and replaced it at a cost of repair of $644.00.

When setting cruise control at around 35 to 40 mph the engine dies.the power steering stops working and is very difficult to steer out of traffic.turn the vehicle off and then it will restart and run until you try to set the cruise again.

When driving the vehicle will properly engage the cruise control.if you press the accelerate or decelerate buttons the engine will shut off while the vehicle is still moving.this occurs every time the cruise control system is used.the vehicle becomes very difficult to control and stop when the engine shuts off as the vehicle is moving.i have stopped using the cruise control as i am afraid for the safety of my family.i have not repaired this problem as i thought it was a ford defect and subsequently used your website to search for recalls.no recalls or current investigations are currently listed regarding this problem.please investigate this issue so that ford may repair it.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the check engine light flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle suddenly shut off. The contact disconnected the battery to reset the computer so the vehicle would start. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a local repair shop where the contact was told that the transmission did not need to be replaced but the throttle body did. The vehicle was repaired at that time; the contact had not experienced any further problems since the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 56,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford expedition.while parked in the drive-way, she turned on the ignition, and then shifted the vehicle into drive.the vehicle accelerated out of the drive-way for 50 feet, without intention.the vehicle ran over a large roadway curb, and came to a complete stop at the neighbor's property.a police report was filed.the driver sustained no personal injury. The insurance company was notified of the malfunction. The failure and current mileages were 90,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While parked, the vehicle began to roll backward while the contact was standing outside of the vehicle. The vehicle crashed into a gate and then began to roll forward. The contact was able to enter the vehicle and depress the brake pedal causing the vehicle to stop. The contact shut the vehicle off yet the failure recurred a second time. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. The approximate failure mileage was 90,000. Updated 9/20/11 updated 2/23/12

Driving through town was out in intersection and it just took off speeding slammed on brakes and i shut it off. Started it back up and like lost all power no control of foot feet explorer started shaking and died tried to start no success. Towed it home had mechanic put it on computer and got p2111 ford -throttle actuator control system stuck open. And i changed the tps and no luck changed the whole throttle body no luck still won't start.was doing research and several fords have been having same problem but when i called dealership he said he couldn't do anything about it because my vin. # wasn't on the list.if other people are having the same thing happen to them that i am having why can't he help me too.

I was parking in an underground garage at jefferson/woodward in detroit. I was traveling about 5-7 mph looking for a parking spot.i found and spot and began to turn into it.when i turned my wheel, my truck immediately accelerated and wouldn't stop even though i put my foot on the break.i jumped a curb and hit a brick wall.my vehicle is currently being repaired at ed schmid ford in ferndale.my major concern is that my insurance premium may increase because this accident is viewed at and at fault accident. Ford is going to send someone out to check out my 2004 ford explorer to see if there was a problem with the accelerator.

Dt:the contactowns a 2004 ford explorer. She brought the vehicleto the dealership six times since 8-23-05. The car stalled at40 mph or less.the dealership replaced the computer chip and an air filter piece. It still stalled. The dealership could not duplicate the problem. The first incident occurred on 8-19-05. There were no lights that come on prior to stalling. The rpms dropped dramatically before this happened. This didhappen only when she took foot off of the accelerator. She did not qualify for the lemon law because of the mileage on the car, 25,500 miles. The miles the first time this happenedthe mileage was23,800. Shespoke to the manufacturer , and saidthey were not sympathetic.

Dt:the consumer stated that the vehicle suddenly accelerated while coming to a stop.the consumer was pulling into the garage with her foot on the brake.the tires started squealing and spinning.the vehicle then had gone out of control and lunged forward.the vehicle proceeded to go through a set of cabinets and pinned the consumers husband between a wall and the vehicle.the vehicle suffered major damage and was not drivable.the consumershusband sustained major injuries and spent a week in the trauma unit.the accident had been investigated by the police department.pictures and other documentation are available.there was other property damage.(12/08/05)*sc

When using the cruise control enginestalled. Consumer contacted the dealership and the manufacturer, and was told that they were aware of the defect. However, they were unable to correct the defect.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the cruise control switch was disconnected on october 16, 2007 under recall number 05s28.the dealer stated that the part may not be available until march of 2008.the contact felt that this was an unreasonable amount of time for the repair.there had been no failure to date.the current mileage was 74,000.

The vehicle is a 2004 ford explorer.when i set the cruise control at certain speeds it sometimes shuts theengine off.ford has done nothing to correct the problem.they tell me that they cannot duplicate the problem.i have taken three of their technicians in the car with me and shown them that it shuts the engine off.however, they say they don't know what causes it.even though this problem has existed since the first day i owned the ca, they now want me to pay to diagnose and fix it.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 65 mph with the cruise control engaged, the vehicle shut off completely.the contact was able to pull off the road and restart the vehicle.the vehicle has not been to the dealer.the current mileage was 33,300 and failure mileage was 32,900.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.while driving 30-40 mph, the engine stalls and the brakes fail without warning.the dealer suggested that the throttle body could be the cause of failure.the contact stated that whenever the coast button is pressed, the engine shuts down completely.the vin was unknown.the current mileage was 82,000 and failure mileage was 81,000.

Parked car outside garage @ 23:00 hours.approx. 01:15 am neighbors were banging on our windows to wake us up saying our car and house were on fire.

Vehicle was parked in a parking garage andthe attendant saw smoke coming from the roof of the vehicle, and it automatically burned while parked.

2004 ford explorer experiencing problems with acceleration. *mr the throttle response surges at low speeds.ford issued actions to be taken to reflash the accelerator control but it did not fix the problem.this was a dangerous surge that accelerates 3-5 mph from speeds between 10 to 15 mph with a dead spot proceeding the surge. *sc

The hinge on the glass hatch broke as i opened the hatch. There was no damage to the hatch hinge prior to this.

Rear window hinges on 2004 ford explorer broke.

2004 ford explorers have a ton of problems, but one of the worst is that the sun visor hinges break causing the visor to dangle by it's electrical cord that powers the vanity mirror on it. Every morning i have a 7 mile drive headed south on a main thoroughfare and i can't see to change lanes because i have lost the use of my sun visor because ford has not been held responsible for the cheap garbage they produced in 2004! the dangerous transmission problem is bad enough, but to have a visor dangling in your face while you are trying to drive is incredibly unsafe!and they are asking us for money for a bailout?!as far as i am concerned, they should be worried about getting bailed out of jail for stealing from people and then endangering their lives! please hold ford accountable for the cheap garbage they sold to people for $30.000 plus in 2004.what happens when i have a wreck because i can't see? are we to consider a sun visor a luxury item now? please help.thank youlisa hayes

I knew the back rear panel had a crack going down it, but thought nothing of it because most explores have the same problem. It wasn't until i was driving down a very dark road at 6 am and boom! the back glass just popped. I thought it had been shot out. The sheriff's department showed up and he thought the same thing. But the only thing we found was between the hydraulics on the window itself, the crack in the panel and temperature outside it imploded. My insurance in ky paid for it, but it took two windows and it still isn't right.

While opening the smaller window in the back of the car, the window started to fall. Luckily there were two people to catch it. I noticed the passenger side hinge was broken.we usually take our infant around to the back of the car while we load things. Fortunately, we had already buckled her in. Had the glass fallen or we not paid attention , it could have seriously injured her or us.

Blend door actuator pin is defective. I have researched this problem online and it is a widespread issue. Heat / defrost will not work. In the wintertime this makes driving extremely hazardous.

The sun visor on the 2004 ford explorer has a weak bracket that holds the visor. If the bracket fails, that can cause the driver to lose control and have an accident.

Driver side sun visor fell off while driving, almost ran into another car. Cheap plastic part only dealer has for $116.43 without installation.

Rear window hinge fractured causing glass to fall off of rear door.this is the same problem as the 2002-2003 ford recall #04s20. Ref nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000.ford does not include the 2004 explorer in their recall but the problem is the same.i have heard of other 2004 explorer owners having the same problem and the service manager at the dealer who replaced the hinge said it is a common problem on the 2004 model year.i feel that the problem extended into the 2004 models and should have been included in the recall of the 2002-2003 models.

This issue involves the driver side sun visor.the plastic piece on the left side of the visor that holds it in place on the ceiling has broken off.when you hit a bump or dip in the road the visor falls down and blocks your view to see what is going on in front of you.this is a real safety concern to me. I don't want to hit someone or something because of this.i am asking fora recall to be issued.thanks

I heard a clicking sound under my dash and did not have heat.i askedford dealership to diagnosis problem and was quoted $1400 to repair heater plenium and possible blend door repair( diagnosis also cost $90).did not have problem fixed for that amount but was concerned as i live in wisconsin and heat is necessary to defrost windshield.later, i googled the problem ( ford explorer clicking sound and no heat) and wassurprisedto see many articles about this issue and that ford has known about this engineering problem since 1995. The diagnosis was costly and probably could have been done by a first year technician for less than what i paid as i later found out, the blend door issue is awell known problem.i then contacted ford customer service and was told that there was nothing that ford could or would do for me and this issue.in my opinion and many others i have discussed this issue with, having a blend door failure is a safety issue. I will need to deal with it before fall as i can not defrost windshield with cold air.

While attempting to close the window on hatchback, the window hinges broke.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the sun visor came off of the mount causing it to obstruct the drivers visibility. He also stated that as a result of the heat in the vehicle the plastic mount started disintegrating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who made advised him that there were no recalls related to the failure and stated that the visor assembly needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The failure and current miles were 115,000. Updated 08/19/11

Sun visors have been replaced twice.horizontal plastic panel with the ford logo has cracked and been replaced 3 times. Current one on vehicle is cracked.sent an e-mail to ford and was told basically"too bad--out of warranty ".formoco has known of this problem on both the ford and mercury but has done nothing to fix it because it is not a safety issue.and of course this " damage " will lower the value of my vehicle when i sell/trade it for something other than a ford.

The rear passenger window hinge broke causing the glass to fall on top of me and hit me in the head and knock me down to the ground.

When deck glass was raised the left hinge broke causing the glass to fall.i caught the glass preventing it from shattering on the pavement.the weight of the deck glass then caused the right hinge to break.had to replace hinges through a auto body shop.this could have caused serious injuries!my quick reaction in catching the glass prevented any injuries.had my children been with me it could have been a different situation. After doing research i found that previous year model ford explorers have been recalled for this same thing happening.

Cracked panel below rear window.also, rear window appears loose.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph, the sun visor became detached. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 148,000 and the current mileage was 154,000.

Cracks appeared below the rear window of my ford explorer. There was no accident.

The rear lift gate window of my 2004 ford explorer exploded while the vehicle was parked.according to the ford dealer, this apparently is something that is known to happen.

My 13 yr old was loading groceries while the window was popped up it fell w/o warning severely hurting her head rt bracket on upper window brokecan cause serious injury.

The visors on 2004 ford explorers are made of cheap plastic that are a definite safety issue.when the plastic that holds the visors up cracks, the visors will fall into the vision of the driver.there is no easy way to take the visor down and it will continue to obstruct vision until it is take to the dealer for repair.both visors on our vehicle have had the same issue, and a simple web search shows that many other have the same complaint.

Back plastic panel just below the back window? there is crack from the bottom of my 2004 ford explorer. There is a crack in the plastic panel from the window down to the ford emblem. Ford and my dealership want me to pay for it and yet i have spoke with others that have had the same problem in 2002, 2003 and was fixed under warranty. I just purchased the explorer from gibbson ford, dickson city, pa last october. It only has 35, 000 miles and i have the extended warranty but they said it is not covered. If you read www.blueoval.com there are others that have had the same problem. Gibbons and ford want me to pay for the repair, yet it really is a defect. They are not even using it on the newer vehicles. The ford call center and on line people tell me there is nothing they can do. It is the dealers responsibility, yet gibbons tells me that ford tells them what to do. I am stuck in the middle.any help

Plastic pin securing blend door actuator breaks, freezing blend door in position.(cool)unable to get heat from vehicle hvac system.can not defrost/defog windows in cold/wet weather.visibility is limited during cold/wet weather. The reduced visibility caused me to veer off of pavement in a rural area near my home because i could not see the lane markers. Research on the internet shows this is a recurring, common problem.ford motor co. Is aware of the issue but has not taken steps to resolve this dangerous situation.

Pin on rear hatch window broke,which can cause window to fall out.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The rear window panel had developed cracks. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealership . The current and failure mileages were 53000.

When opening the rear hatch of my 2004 explorer the hinges failed.the glass door fell away from the hinges and was being held only by the hydraulic arms.when i tried to move the glass which i was holding in my hands it shattered.i was told there was a recall on the 2002 and 2003 models but not on the 2004s.obviously the problem has not been corrected.

Defroster heat control failed, couldn't see through windshield.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear window on the hatch shattered. The contact looked at the hatch and found a crack on the metal piece of the hatch directly underneaththe window. The contacts insurance company inspected the vehicle and said it was a defect. The manufacturer told the contact that this was an isolated incident and the rear window was not under warranty or recall. The failure and current mileage was unknown.

Http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/accessories-interior/supports_for_sun_visors_cracked.shtmlthe sun visorclip has broken and i am unable to use the visor, it just dangles.it can cause an accident. One needs to be able to use the visor for sun protection.i feel ford should do a recall because so this is happening in too many vehicles so there has to be a manufacturing problem.[xxx]information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).

The panel below my rear window has cracked on my 2004 ford explorer. I did not drive it that day, so i know i was not hit, or the door was not slammed.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated the driver and passenger sun visors were fractured. The dealer advised replacing the visors at her expense. The driver side sun visor was replaced. The contact stated the failure recurred on the driver side sun visor. The passenger side sun visor was never replaced. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure and current mileages were 96,607.

Back glass hatch fell off in my hands could have really hurt someone.

Visor hinge broke - passenger side.

Sun visor anchor based of 2004 ford explorer cracked and fell out, causing plastic pieces to fall on face, and making visor fall in front of line of sight while driving on highway . Using sun visor is now not possible.

The brackets holding both the driver and passenger sun visors broke in 2008, just four months after we bought the vehicle (may 2008). We had them replaced on 09/19/2008. The new sun visors on both the driver and passenger side are again cracking as of 09/02/2011, with the driver's side again almost falling off. This will be the third set of visors on this vehicle since we purchased it in may 2008. This is ridiculous. Ford will not replace them, even though they are under warranty. Many other ford explorer/ranger owner's are experiencing the same problem.

Driving on interstate,while i grabbed sun visor to turn to side it fell off and i went off road but got safely back on. No injuries to me or wife.

Defective clip/hinge in sunvisor assembly of 2004 ford explorers, breaks and cracks with normal use due to faulty design.safety hazard due to the fact that once it breaks to a certain point the sunvisor will hang in drivers view and impede vision.a large amount of people are having the same problem i am having.some of their comments can be viewed at http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2004/accessories-interior/supports_for_sun_visors_cracked.shtml to begin your investigation.luckily ours came apart when the car was stopped, but someone using the visor to increase visibility may not be so fortunate.

In winter the blend for actuator went out in explorer and left me with no great so when i drive i have to continue to try and wipe frost off of the inside of windshield it is dangerous to have to drive vehicle in winter and always wiping windows especially with kids in the car there are many reports of this happening in this model and year of vehicle this is definitely a safety issue you are driving down road at night and as soon as you pass a car the cars headlights mess with frost on window and it is blinding not to mention when it rains and the windows steam up and you can't see then either.

On may 31st of 2013 at approx. 4pm, after removing some items from the back of my 2004 ford explorer via the window hatch, i proceeded to shut the window and i heard a snap followed by the right side (as i am facing the vehicle)of the window fall. I was able to catch the window and began to try and line the window back up and close it by securing it to the locking mechanism at the base. Noticing me struggle with the window a gentleman came over and began trying to help me, only to find that the window would not budge due to the right side (as i am facing the vehicle) shock/support/strut being froze.we could not get the shock to retract which prevented the window from closing.while i continued to hold the window up the gentleman went to get his tools to remove the shock/support/strut.with the shock/ support/ strut removed we could then align the window and close it by locking it into the locking mechanism at the base. I strongly believe that due to the sock/support/strut on the right side freezing up, it prevented the window hatch from closing properly which in turn caused the right side hinge to snap under the pressure. I have not opened the rear window hatch since and will be contacting ford as to what their course of action will be for such a failure. Any assistance with this issue would be greatly appreciated.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the hinge of rear passenger glass fractured, causing the window glass to shatter. The contact was able to notice wear on the rear driver's side, but the driver side had not broken. The vehicle was taken to dealer for inspection, but no repair was made. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The current and failure mileage was 97,102.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the hinges for both the driver and passenger's side sun visors became fractured, making the visors unusable. The contact stated that due to the defect he was unable to reposition the visors in order to block the sun when driving. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and no solution was offered. The failure mileage was 65,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while loading the vehicle, the hydraulic arm failed and the glass of the lift gate struck a passenger in the head. The passenger suffered a laceration to the head. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure mileage was 127,000.

Was driving on the road almost to my parents house when i heard an explosive sound. I look in my mirror to discover that my rear windshield had exploded. At first i thought a rock had hit it but when i got out i discovered that the hydraulic arms had expanded and pushed out the sides of the hatch, which resulted in the shatteringof the windshield. My children were in the car but fortunately the glass only exploded into the back of the car and not into their seats.

Air conditioner and defroster are moldy, causing illness.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The glass for the rear lift gate has developed cracks in it. The rear defroster was also inoperative. He notified the dealer, and a technician stated that it would cost $500.00 to replace the component. The technician also added that they were aware of the failure. No repairs were made.the manufacturer was notified, but no assistance was provided. He has pictures of multiple vehicles with the same model type, including his vehicle, with identical failures. The failure mileage was 55,000. The current mileage was 65,000.

The blend door behind the glove compartment won't close. This prevents proper defrosting, heating and cooling regardless of the weather. In the winter freezing air blows through, chilling all passengers. In the summer, all the heat from the roads comes through. Our ford dealer says they can fix it for over $1000!! there are too many of these defects on the road and ford knew of the defect at least 2 years before my suv was even made.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that heat no longer flowed through the vents and she was unable to defrost the windshield. As a result, her vision was obstructed while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and they informed her that the blend door needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they offered no assistance. The failure and current mileages were approximately 36,000. The vin was unavailable.

I had to have the heater blend door replaced on my ford explorer. The cost was over $1000.00. The entire dashboard had to be removed. I know that a tsb was issued by ford on this problem,many owners have had the same problem as i did. This is an engineering/manufacturing defect that is not only costly to repair,but in my opinion can cause the windshield to fog up while driving because you can not control the heater function. This can lead to a poor or non visibility situation and could cause an accident. Please look into this problem to avoid any possible accidents. I have read numerous reports from other owners online regarding this problem.please contact ford about this potentially hazardous problem and issue a recall notice. The blend door is not strong enough to withstand the blowers air pressure. Thank you for your help in this matter.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the contact stated that the blower that recirculates air has failed.as a result, fumes and anti-freeze consume the passenger compartment of the vehicle.the contact suffers from numerous headaches and sleepiness.she consulted with a medical physician and was informed that the amount of fumes being congested poses a significant safety risk.the dealer stated that the flapper for the blower needed to be replaced at the cost of $300.the vehicle has not been repaired.the failure mileage was 56,000 and current mileage was 86,000.updated 3/24/09 updated 03/27/09.

The heaters blending door is broken so the air flow will not be redirected.it is currently in the dashboard setting and i am unable to redirect air flow to the defroster.the dealership wanted $1500 to replace the heater because the broken part is molded onto the heating element and they need to remove the entire dashboard.i searched for similar complaints, and fords vehicles have a long history of blending door problems.not being able to redirect the air flow is extremely dangerous, especially during the winter months.

I was told by my mechanic that the handle on the door that allows the defrost to operate was broke off. Not sure why this would ever occur.i was told it would cost close to 1,000.00 to fix. It is now a safety hazard whereas window will not defrost in bad weather.i was wondering if this was a defect, and others had this problem?

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that none of the windows were able to be opened when engaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection and they stated that the fuse needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown....updated 05/29/13

While closing the rear window glass hatch the driver side hinge broke allowing the window to fall out on that side.the rear glass hatch window is heavy and could have easily broken the hinge side allowing the glass to fall off the vehicle.a previous ford recall on the very same component covered vehicles up to 2003.the exact same problem is occurring to this 2004 vehicle.contacted ford and they are not willing to help owners out.had the vehicle been traveling at highway speeds and the hinge let go, there would be a very high probability of property damage and a very high probability of personal injury to others on the road.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear window panel was fractured. The vehicle was taken to three repair facilities where the contact was advised that the rear window panel would need replacing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 28,000 and the current mileage was 28,990.updated 12/01/10. *ljupdated 12/07/10

The operator of the sport utility vehicle opened the rear window to obtain materials in the back of the suv.once the rear window was lifted open. The bolt that attaches the hinge to the window sheared off, causing the window to fall down and striking the operator in the head and neck.the part will be replaced (hinge and bolt).the failed parts will be kept.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.directly below the rear window, near the rear trunk door, the fiberglass window was cracked.the vehicle has not been inspected, but the contact believes that the failure was something that the manufacturer should recall and repair.the vin was unknown.the current and failure mileages were 52,800.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate glass unexpectedly shattered without accessing the door. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000....updated 04-10-14 updated 04/22/14

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact statedthat the fiber glass fitting under the window next to the tailgate began cracking and was becoming progressively worse. The owner had not contacted the dealer. The current and failure mileages were approximately 57,000.

- the contact owns a 2004 ford explorer.the rear hatch lift near the rear windowcracked.the dealer would not repair the windowbecause the vehicle was out of warranty.the failure mileage was 56,400.the door ajar light flickeredon and off until the hatch was pushed and then the light would stop flickering.

The left side power widow motors failed at the same time. Ford motor co. Says it is normal. I disagree. This is the second time the driver side window motor has been replaced in three years.

Driver window stopped rolling down.

Crack in panel below rear window next to ford emblem. Both rear windows will not go up or down.

Driver's side auto window fails to operate.had it repaired once and failed again within a week.taking it in for 2nd repair.

Aug 2008 i was closing my rear window on my 2004 ford explorer when the right hinge broke and shattered the window and still has not been fixed.

A year ago my rear left window hinge broke. Cost to repair $50 for part. Now the right rear window hinge broke cost now has increased to $80 for repair. Rear panel cracked when heat wave occurred. Ford says no recalls for each issue. This seems to be an issue on this model of ford. Ford holds no recall for both issues.

While pressing the remote key to open the sun roof it would not close completely on its own.consumer has to play with the remote key in order to closeit properly.consumer drove the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and mechanicdeetrmined that this vehicle was operating as designed.

Windshield wipersworked intermittently, making the visibility in the rain difficult. Dealer will repairvehicle for $437.00.*tc

Rear wheel studs sheer off causing wheel to come off while driving. Gave no warning, and was not visible due to wheel cap covering.has happened twice in 2 months, two different wheels.both rear. Had to replace all 5 studs, lugs, and rotor on first failure.replaced studs, lugs, and wheel on second.lugs are still intact with the studs.studs show stress fracturing prior to breaking off.have the studs/lugs from last break.

When driving to work i began to hear a noise in the front end part of the vehicle. After leaving work and driving less than 1 mile the noise got loud, so i pulled over and waited for a tow truck. Had the vehicle towed to a shop and fixed. 1 year and 1 week later it had to be replaced again.

Was driving my vehicle on the highway and got off went to turn.the lug nuts sheard off, thought it was a flat tire.this has happened three times.there is no recall for this.i had my kids in the vehicle all three times.i would like to have this matter resolved.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, he heard a loud noise. After inspecting the vehicle he noticed that the bolt to the lug nuts were separated from the rear driver and passenger tires. The vehicle was taken to a tire specialist where the lug nuts were replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure and the current mileages were unknown. The vin was unavailable.

On the highway, passing a tractor trailer and the right rear wheel bearings gave out. Wheel froze and caught on fire. Pulled over and fortunately others had stopped and assisted in putting fire out. Was terrifying - our children were sitting in the back! we then ended up stranded away from home as we were on a family trip.

Rear right tire came off suv as i was traveling with 3 children and wife in suv at 60 mph in a 55 mph zone, as per the tow and mechanic person they stated we could have been killed due to suv going from one side of the road to the other on coming traffic side, my son is having nightmares about this.

While driving home at 25 mph, i heard and felt a vibration from the front of the car.since i was only a few hundred yards from my parking lot i continued directly into the parking lot (only minor turns were necessary). Upon entering the parking lot, i turned the car left to park in my spot.immediately after turning the wheel left, the right front of the car collapsed. I got out of the car and noticed the right front wheel had fallen off and the entire hub (and car front end) actually landed inside the wheel (thus minimizing secondary damage). Upon closer inspection, i found 2 lug nuts still attached to the studs on the ground next to the wheel.inspection of the hub showed that 4 of the 5 studs had sheared off flush with the hub (there was one stud remaining on the hub).next day, i replaced the entire hub assembly and checked the torques on the other 3 wheels.i had to have a body shop replace the front fender (it was jammed up and back into the hood and passenger door).i still have the old hub assembly.

I had just got on the freeway when the rear of my truck started shaking. I knew something was wrong so i exited the freeway at the following exit. I was driving on the side streets to get home at approximately 25 mph. I turned a corner and heard and felt the rear end of my truck fall. The rear passenger tire fell off as i was turning the corner. Upon further inspection all the lugs except one were sheared off. We had the truck towed to our mechanic's shop. The mechanic couldn't figure out what had caused this. We have also had to replace all the ball joints with the rear passenger ball joint being replaced twice now. Our mechanic was able to replace all the lugs and pull the rear corner panel back out but the incident ruined the rim which will have to be replaced. A week later i asked my son to check the lugs on the tire and 2 were loose again.

I was driving to work when my 2004 ford explorer lost the rear passenger rim and tire.the car rattled and then there was a loud thud and sparks coming from that area.this has only occurred once but it stripped and broke some of the studs were the wheel attaches.i had the car towed where i had the tires replaced, brakes checked and fixed, alignment, and broken studs fixed and replaced.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact stated that the wheel studs detached on multiple tires while driving. The failure recurred three times on multiple wheels on different occasions. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken once to an independent mechanic where the studs were replaced; however, the failure continued. The contact also stated that she replaced multiple studs herself. The manufacturer and dealer were not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Loud wheel noise. Increased / decreased with speed. Front and rear bearings had to be replaced at 50,000 miles. Ford has a tsb for the replacement.lemon state lawyer stated they have had hundreds of calls for same problem, at same mileage.

While driving north on us23 at brighton mi the right front wheel and tire separated from the vehicle because of the fracture of the 5 wheel lugs. According to the msp this is a common occurance because of metal fatigue caused by the improper use of impact and not torque wrenches when the vehicle is serviced. The problem is being ignored by the auto manufacturers, and i have found publications on this subject matter. There are likely millions of affected vehicles in service, and the wheel loss would produce results similar to the previous ford/firestone tire problem.

Right rear tire keeps coming off. The lug nuts keep breaking off, this is the third time it happens.the rim was replaced, but still are breaking off.

On 5/6/21 at ramp ford 4869 nesconset hwy.,pt. Jeff.sts.,ny at 10:00am dealer sevice mgr. Met with nysdmv auto facilities inspector on a claim against mavis discount tire,556 route 25a, mt sinai,ny case 1pi-01937 on a right rear wheel. Ramp removed r/r wheel to inspect with state inspector, appears like axle nut on r/r has not been removed r/0361772. On 7/12/21 mt. Sina tire r/0 7828-18 when fixing a tire flat, found r/r one broken stud,one addition lug nut missing from r/r wheel. Immediately ramo service manager denied his tech improperly reassembled r/r wheel nuts on all five wheel assembly studs. With three studs the ford vehicle was in inimanent highway danger. Such lost of 40% of wheel nuts may have caused lost of life. Mt. Sinai tire replaced fourth missing nut, fixed flat and scheduled fifth wheel assembly stud. Ramp 's general manager was imformed of poor and dangerios serviceand stated he was not a mechanic! reimbursement for 5/6/21 were denied by dealer! dealers .denies any warantees of labor since customer signed their disclaimer. All repairs are provided by the dealer facility1520504 as is without any warranty of guarantee! this disclaimer was only signed by non-owner after inspector left dealer. Inspector has pictures and stated he did not see the reassembly of r/r brakes, calebre, wheel nuts after inspection was completed. This was a dangerious omission of not properly torquing nut to ford motor spec. Ford motor denies any warantee of repairs by ramp.

Bought my used 2004 explorer a week prior and had to have the back wheel bearings replaced.used dealership told me that they would help out and never followed thru.

The right rear passenger wheel came off my 2004 ford explorer when i was driving westbound on interstate 70 near kingdom city, mo.all five (5) bolts and lug nuts securing the wheel/tire were broken off.my wife and i were traveling at 70 mph in the right hand lane of interstate when there was a sudden loud noise from the rear and the vehicle swerved violently to the right and then left.the vehicle spun and entered into the grass median in the middle of the interstate and the cable stopping system.the vehicle became entwined with the cable system causing it to flip on its side and come to rest.the left and right side air bags deployed, but the front air bags did not.my wife and i had difficulty releasing the seat belts since the vehicle was laying on its right side.i was finally able to release both seat belts and open the sun roof for both of us to exit the vehicle.the engine area was smoking, but did not catch fire.luckily, my 2004 ford explorer did not completely roll over or that my vehicle nor my loose rear wheel and tire did not hit another vehicle that were near me on interstate 70 at the time of this accident. Upon examination of right rear wheel well, the right rear wheel and tire were completely missing and the five (5) lug bolts had all sheared.there appeared to quite a bit of fluid around the wheel well. It might have been brake fluid.we were able to find one of the lug nuts, which still had a part of the sheared bolt remaining inside.i would never have thought that all five lug bolts securing the wheel and tire could fracture and shear allowing the wheel and tire to become free of the vehicle axle.the missouri state highway patrol wrote up an accident report, #150733145.my wife and i were pretty shaken up by the accident.her right side, arm and wrist and my head, neck and side hurt after the accident.

I drive my car like a normal man would.i don't take it off road and don't abuse it in any way.i have already had wheel bearings replaced before now they are going out again.ford explorers seem to have this problem often and i am afraid taking this car on the road that the wheels are just going to come right off with me driving on the freeway because the bearings and hubs on these vehicles are improperly assembled and it is only a matter of time before mine go out again with me in it driving at a high rate of speed and being killed.i am not the only one with this problem!!ford needs to do something quickly before someone is injured or killed.

2004 ford explorer factory installed chrome wheels have severe peeling,cracking and flaking around lug nuts including inside, outside and top of rims on wheels.possible consequences cracking, peeling and flaking of wheel materials could result in failure of wheel and /or tire seal failure while driving.ford service tech stated the all wheels must be replaced for safety reasons.

Left side front and rear wheel bearing needing replacement.the rear wheel bearing was so bad it was actually wobbling.

Daughter driving vehicle, right wheel bearing ceased, causing rear end of vehicle to fish tail, had to drive home on back road (not highway) as the vehicle would have flipped.car was smoking so bad, could not be placed into garage as it would have burned down the house.had to be towed, damaged from bearing to rear axel and emergency brake/cables.if she were on the highway she would have been killed.there are multiple complaints about this problem, what will it take?anyone heard of any class actions to make ford step up to bat and recall these unsafe vehicles?

I have a 2004 ford explorer.i have had to replace both front bearings and now the rear bearings are bad and i was told that they need to be replaced.apparently it is a safety issue and ford is doing nothing about this. Do you have any suggestions as to what can be done before an accident occurs with my vehicle.i cannot afford the repair.what steps can be taken to have ford recall the explorers with this problem.it seems that there are many out there with the same issue.

I took my car for a new set of tires at america's tire (discount tire). After changing the tire, one the technical noticed i have a "loose hub assembly" on my left rear wheel and he suggested that i should get that fixed immediately because it's a safety issue. There is a possibility the wheel may come off at freeway speed.i took my cars in to my mechanic the next day, and he jacked up my car. The mechanic put one of his hand at 12 and the other at 6 o'clock on the tire, and rocks it. The tire was wobbling back and forth when he did that, which suggested a bad wheel bearing, or possible bad hub assembly. At the end, it was determined that i had a bad wheel bearing, which was replaced for $400.usually a hub assembly/wheel bearing should still be in good condition at 52,000 miles. I guess because it's a ford. I have many problem with this vehicle, the rear right window sometimes doesn't work, the fuel tank system malfunction (changed it under warranty), the "service engine soon" light comes on every 5,000 miles. I'm not buying another ford. I thought american cars' quality is now comparable to the japanese, unfortunately they're still lagging.

3 out of 4 wheel bearings have had to be replaced on 2004 ford explorer between 71,000 and 82,000 miles.drivers side front was replaced between 71,000 and 72,000 miles, drivers side rear replaced shortly after and now the passenger front needs replacing at 82,000 miles.several posts on the internet with the same complaint for the same make/model/year of this vehicle.i was told by the ford dealer that if i didn't fix them the tire could fall off at any time with out warning.

2004 ford explorer factory installed chrome wheels this is the second set - i paid $1600 to replace first sethave severe peeling, cracking and flaking around lug nuts including inside, outside and top of rims on wheels. Possible consequences cracking, peeling and flaking of wheel materials could result in failure of wheel and /or tire seal failure while driving. Ford service tech stated the all wheels must be replaced for safety reasons.

While driving, i took a left turn and felt a bumping in my right rear tire.i pulled over thinking it was a flat tire.in fact, the wheel bolts had been sheared off completely.when i had the car towed to a repair shop, they discovered that a total of 10 bolts/nuts needed to be replaced and 8 out of the other 10 bolts were loose or worn. I also needed to get a new wheel.this morning while driving to work, i took a left turn and the exact same thing happened, again with the right rear tire.the bolts were sheared off.i have not yet brought the vehicle in for repairs for the latest incident but i have no doubt there will be additional bolt damage on at least some of the other tires.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While decelerating at approximately 5 mph, the front passenger side tire broke off of the vehicle resulting in a crash. A police report was filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for inspection. The current and failure mileages were unknown. The vin was not available.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer limited. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, there was a vibration coming from the rear driver side wheel. The contact noticed that the wheel was fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 144,000.

Right-rear wheel fell off while traveling 40 mph. Fortunately nobody was hurt this time. After reading other posts about problems with wheels falling off and with lug:nuts i decided to post our incident too.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. The contact was driving less than 10 mph and approaching an intersection to attempt a left turn. Suddenly, the front end of the vehicle collapsed and the front passenger wheel fractured from the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer yet the technician was unable to locate the problem. The manufacturer referred the contact to an independent mechanic for further investigation. The vehicle was repaired for the front end damages and the technician was unable to provide an explanation to the cause of the failure. Through research, the contact discovered the failure was a common occurrence with this model, as a result of defective wheel lug bolts. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the lug bolts were replaced on the four wheels. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving approximately 20 mph, a rattling sound emitted from the vehicle. After parking and inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered that four lug nuts were detached from the rear passenger tire and two of the rim spokes were cracked. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician was unable to diagnose the failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

The driver owns a 2004 ford explorer. The driver stated that four of the studs on the right rear rotor broke off and that the wheel almost fell off. He heard a loud noise while driving approximately 25 mph. The vehicle was towed to a repair shop. A local mechanic informed him that the studs broke and replaced all five studs. The contact neither took the vehicle to the dealership nor spoke with the manufacturer to-date. The current mileage was approximately 80,000. The failure mileage was approximately 79,950.

Without warning the rear wheel of my 2004 ford, explorer broke off going 65 on the interstate.all five lugs snapped off. No one took responsibility. I had to pay for repairs. It was either a defect or negligence on the part of the dealer where i had it serviced.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer which was purchased in september 2007. While driving 25 mph and making a right turn, the rear driver's side wheel came off of the vehicle. The vehicle hit the ground and would not move any further. The lug nuts and bolts sheared off of the wheel assembly. The vehicle was towed to a local service center where they replaced the lug nuts and bolts. On a separate occasion, while driving at speeds of less than 30 mph going through an intersection, she heard a loud noise. She then maneuvered the vehicle to the side of the road where she found the bolts had sheared off into the wheel cover and caused the lug nuts to come off of the passenger's side rear tire. There were no recalls for the failure. The contact was awaiting repairs a second time. The failure mileage was 39,000 and the current was 56,000. The vin was not available.

The contact owns a 2004 ford explorer. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle shook and vibrated. The failure occurred twice. An independent mechanic replaced the studs on both front wheels. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 119,884.

I noticed an increasing noise coming from my front tires of my 2004 ford explorer 2wd eddie bauer on 8/18/05 - 8/19/05.i checked and discovered that 2 of the 5 right front wheel lugs nuts were broken off.when i further checked the tension of the 3 reamining lug nuts, i disoverd that 2 of them were also broken off but wedged in the rim.i had one lug nut holding the wheel on in place.needless to say, this could have resulted in a terrible accident as i drive home from my employer aaa michigan at speeds of 55 mph.i rotated these tires 1,000 miles ago, just as i have rotated tires on 20 cars over the course of 35 years.i had hand tightened the lug nuts.someone needs to check the quality of these lug nuts for potential defects.

Dt:the chrome on the wheels was chipping off and the consumer feels that he should not have to pay to get them fixed and that the cracking is a safety issue.the dealer says that the warranty expired and that they will not fix them for free.the manufacturer said that they will assist the consumer in paying for the problem but the consumer turned them down.*sc

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We found the following complaints for FORD EXPLORER (2004)

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