There are 9 stored owner reports matching the body & structure leading-label group for the 2004 Ford Explorer Sport in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 9 of 9 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)LIFTGATE GLASS HINGES BOTH BROKE CAUSING GLASS TO FALL OFF OF REAR DOOR AND NOW GLASS CANNOT BE OPENED. 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. *TR
THE REAR LIFT GATE ON MY EXPLORER CRACKED ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE FORD EMBLEM. THE GATE CRACKED DURING NORMAL OPERATION OF THE VEHICLE. I HAVE A HABIT OF LOOKING OVER MY VEHICLE. THE CRACK WAS DISCOVERED WHEN I INSPECTED MY VEHICLE BEFORE GOING INTO MY HOME. ON MY NEXT SERVICE VISIT I ASKED MY FORD DEALER IF THERE HAD BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD HAD NOT GENERATED A RECALL FOR THIS DEFECT. THERE MAY BE THOUSANDS OF EXPLORERS WITH THIS DEFECT, I SEE THEM EVERY DAY. I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE FORD COMPANY FOR NOT TAKING CARE OF THIS DEFECT. I HAVE PURCHASED MY LAST FORD. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN SHE NOTICED THAT THE HINGE ON THE REAR LIFTGATE WAS NOT PROPERLY HOLDING ONTO THE GLASS. AS A RESULT, THE GLASS WAS SLIDING DOWN INTO THE LIFT GATE PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER AND THEY WERE UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.
CRACK IN REAR UPPER TAILGATE. *TR
WE WERE DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND THE HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE FELL OFF THE HINGES. I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE THIS CAR IN OVER TWO YEARS DUE TO THE FACT THAT I CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY FOR A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. I HAVE FILED NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THIS VEHICLE OVER THE YEARS. IT HAS BEEN SITTING IN THE GARAGE. I KNOW THAT YOU INVESTIGATED IN 2008 RQ08003. I HOPE WE GET SOME ASSISTANCE. MY PREVIOUS COMPLAINT FILE NUMBERS ARE 05687908: LISTS THE ENGINE BLOWING UP, MIRROR FALLING OFF, CRUISE CONTROL SHUTTING OFF, ETC. BUT I HAVE RECEIVED NO ASSISTANCE FROM NHTSA. I HAVE SPENT OVER $3,000.00 ON THIS CAR FOR MANUFACTURING DEFECTS. (DOCUMENTED). *TR
THE REAR LIFT GLASS HINGES ON OUR 2004 FORD EXPLORER BROKE DURING USE OF THE LIFT GLASS. THE PIN BROKE RIGHT THROUGH THE HINGE. WE WERE NOT DRIVING IT AT THE TIME THANKFULLY, AND ALSO CAUGHT THE GLASS BEFORE IT HAD A CHANCE TO HIT THE GROUND.
I OWN A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE GLASS HATCH HAS BECOME INCREASINGLY HARD TO CLOSE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS, BECAUSE OF THIS AT TIMES THE HATCH IS NOT COMPLETELY LATCHED AND WILL POP OPEN UNEXPECTEDLY. THIS PAST SATURDAY, 05/02/09, THE GLASS HATCH HINGE COMPLETELY BROKE OFF WHEN I WENT TO CLOSE IT. MY FRUSTRATION IS THAT I AM WILLING TO PAY FOR PROBLEMS THROUGH NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR AND OF COURSE THROUGH MY OWN ERROR, BUT THIS IS MANUFACTURING DEFECT. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. SHE STATED THAT THE TAILGATE ABOVE THE GLASS CRACKED. THE MANUFACTURER CONFIRMED THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR HER VIN. THE VEHICLE WILL NOT BE REPAIRED SINCE THE CONTACT DOESN'T HAVE A WARRANTY. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 35,133.
NOTICED THAT THE BACK PANEL OF TAILGATE IS CRACKED ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2008. THE CRACK RUNS FROM UNDERNEATH THE REAR WINDSHIELD TO THE FORD EMBLEM AND THE CONTINUES TO THE HANDLE OF THE TAILGATE. THE CRACK IS OPEN, AND I HAVE CUT MY FINGER ON IT WHEN CLOSING THE TAILGATE. I'M TRYING TO CLOSE IT ANOTHER WAY, BUT THERE'S NO OTHER PLACE TO PUT YOUR HAND TO CLOSE THE TAILGATE BECAUSE THE CRACK COMES DOWN TO THE MIDDLE OF THE HANDLE. I AM AFRAID THAT THE PANEL WILL FALL COMPLETELY OFF OR THE REAR GLASS WILL DISLODGE AND FALL OUT. I AM TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP THIS WEEK TO DETERMINE HOW TO GET IT FIXED. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 29, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.