2004 Ford Explorer Visibility

REAR WINDOW HINGES ON 2004 FORD EXPLORER BROKE. *TR

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. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT 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.

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. *TR

TL* 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.

TL*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.

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. *TR

DRIVER SIDE SUN VISOR FELL OFF WHILE DRIVING, ALMOST RAN INTO ANOTHER CAR. CHEAP PLASTIC PART ONLY DEALER HAS FOR $116.43 WITHOUT INSTALLATION. *TR

TL*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 *CN UPDATED 03/27/09.*JB

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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

VISOR HINGE BROKE - PASSENGER SIDE. *TR

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 YOU LISA HAYES *TR

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. *TR

DRIVER WINDOW STOPPED ROLLING DOWN. *TR

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. *TR

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 *TR

TL*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 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. *TR

I HEARD A CLICKING SOUND UNDER MY DASH AND DID NOT HAVE HEAT. I ASKED FORD 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 WAS SURPRISED TO 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 A WELL 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. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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? *TR

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. *TR