2005 Ford Explorer Structure
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH BACK PANEL DEVELOPED A FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PANEL 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.
DRIVER SIDE HINGE DISCONNECTED,THE BOLT WAS MISSING. THE SHIFTING, UNBALANCE WEIGHT CAUSED PASSENGER SIDE HINGE TO CRACK. THE WINDOW FELL STRIKING THE BACK OF THE HEAD OF THE OWNER,UNLOCKING AND REACHING IN TO THE CARGO SPACE. A SMALL CHILD WAS WITH HER WHO COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED,. HAD THIS TOP OF THE LIFTGATE FALLEN OFF IN TRAFFIC IT WOULD HAVE CAUSED SERIOUS INJURY AND CAR DAMAGE. MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT HAVE BEEN FILED AND RECALLS WERE IN EFFECT FOR OTHER MODEL YEARS. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A FRACTURE ON THE LIFT GATE UNDER THE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE PANEL BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MECHANIC ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PANEL WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. *TR
2005 FORD EXPLORER XLT REAR PLASTIC TAILGATE PANEL CRACKED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AROUND FORD OVAL EMBLEM. *TR
THERE IS A VERTICAL CRACK ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE STARTING UNDERNEATH THE WINDOW. LENGTH OF ABOUT 2 TO 3 INCHES. JUST SEEMED TO APPEAR. WAS NOT THERE ONE DAY THEN THERE THE NEXT. *TR
CRACK UNDER REAR WINDOW ON REAR HATCH DOOR. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE PANEL BECAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC OR A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000.
THE PAINT IN THE VALLEYS ON THE ROOF HAS ALL FLAKED OFF AND IS RUSTING. PROBLEM WITH THE PAINT. I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE 2 YEARS AGO AND FIRST NOTICED IT LAST YEAR. *TR
THE PANEL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE REAR LIFT GATE WINDOW CRACKED THE ENTIRE LENGTH OF THE PANEL. APPROXIMATELY 8 INCH CRACK. I HAVE SINCE SEEN SEVERAL OTHER FORD EXPLORERS AND A MERCURY SUV WITH THE SAME CRACK. OBVIOUSLY FORD HAS A PROBLEM WHICH THEY ARE NOT MAKING GOOD ON. *TR
BELOW REAR WINDOW, TOP HATCH CRACK OUT OF NO WHERE. REASON FOR FILING COMPLAINT IS I JUST SAW ANOTHER FORD EXPLORER THAT HAD THE SAME CRACK. *TR
LIFTGATE PLASTIC BODY PANEL CRACKED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM RIGHT SIDE OF THE FORD EMBLEM/LOGO. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH BACK PANEL DEVELOPED A FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THE PANEL NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A MASSIVE FRACTURE UNDER THE REAR EXTERIOR LIFTGATE WINDOW PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 74,976. *TR.....UPDATED 05/09/13 *BF UPDATED 06/10/2013 *JS
LIFTGATE PLASTIC BODY PANEL CRACKED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM LEFT OF THE FORD LOGO INSERT. *TR
WENT TO LOAD STUFF INTO THE BACK AND NOTICED A SPIDER CRACK ON THE PLASTIC PANEL RIGHT BELOW THE REAR GLASS PANEL. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW IT GOT THERE BUT THIS SEEMS TO BE REPORTED BY ALMOST ALL 05 EXPLORER OWNERS AND IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED UNDER FORD'S LIABILITY SINCE IT IS SUCH A COMMON ISSUE AND NOT JUST A SMALL AMOUNT OF VEHICLES OCCURRING THIS PROBLEM. *TR
THERE IS A VERTICAL CRACK ON THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE STARTING UNDERNEATH THE WINDOW. LENGTH OF ABOUT 2 TO 3 INCHES. JUST SEEMED TO APPEAR. WAS NOT THERE ONE DAY THEN THERE THE NEXT. *TR ## VIN FAILED
LARGE CRACK THROUGH THE ENTIRE LIFT GATE PANEL UNDER THE WINDOW. *TR
NOTHING THAT I AM AWARE OF HAPPENED. I WAS WALKING BEHIND THE VEHICLE IN MY DRIVE WAY AND NOTICED A LONG CRACK BELOW THE GLASS ON THE LIFTGATE. AS THE WEEKS WENT ON IT KEPT CRACKING AND NOW IT IS ALMOST CRACKED ALL THE WAY. *TR
WHILE SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY IN A PARKED POSITION, THE UPPER TAILGATE PANEL, DIRECTLY TO THE RIGHT AND RUNNING RIGHT NEXT TO THE OVAL FORD EMBLEM, A 1/4" WIDE CRACK THAT RUNS VERTICALLY ON THE BACK PANEL APPEARED. THIS UPPER PANEL OF THE TAILGATE ALSO OPENS UP JUST THE WINDOW PART OF THE TAILGATE. THE TAILGATE ON THIS EXPLORER CAN OPEN UP TWO WAYS. ONE WAY BEING THE ENTIRE TAILGATE IS LIFTED SO THAT IT IS OPEN LIKE FOR A DOG TO JUMP IN AND IS THEN LEVEL WITH THE INTERIOR BACK PART (WITH THE SEATS DOWN), AND IT ALSO OPENS UP WITH JUST THE WINDOW PART WHICH IS WHERE THE CRACK IS. THIS CRACK IS SO WIDE THAT IT ALLOWS MOISTURE, SNOW, WATER, RAIN, SALT, ETC. TO SEEP INTO THE COMPONENTS WHICH HOUSE THE ELECTRICAL AND TAIL LIGHT, STOP LAMPS AND TURN SIGNALS. IT ALSO COMPROMISES THE BODY STRUCTURE AND SAFETY FEATURES. THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OF THIS HAPPENING AS I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH. THIS IS CLEARLY A DEFECT IN MANUFACTURING AND/OR PARTS OR COMPONENTS AND BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS, THE MANUFACTURER SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL NOTICE. AT THE TIME OF THIS OCCURRENCE, MY BACK TAILGATE WAS FACING WEST WITH THE SUN SHINING ON IT. COULD IT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE COMPONENTS SHRINKING AND EXPANDING? I HAVE PICTURES OF THIS ISSUE THAT I CAN E-MAIL TO YOU. UPDATED 9/13/12 *CN UPDATED 09/20/12
PARKED AND WENT INTO GROCERY STORE. CAME OUT GOING TO WHERE I HAD PARKED. AS I WALKED UP TO THE BACK OF MY VEHICLE I NOTICED A VERTICAL CRACK IN THE PANEL UNDER THE REAR WINDOW. AT FIRST I THOUGHT I WAS AT THE WRONG VEHICLE BECAUSE I KNEW MY 2005 EXPLORER WAS NOT CRACKED. UPON FURTHER EXAMINATION,I REALIZED THIS WAS MY VEHICLE. I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER EXPLORER AROUND TOWN WITH A VERTICAL CRACK IN THE SAME SPOT. SEEMS TO ME THIS JUST MIGHT BE A DESIGN PROBLEM. BELIEVE FORD MOTOR SHOULD REPAIR AT NO COST. *TR *JS
MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I WENT OUT IN THE MORNING TO TAKE MY CHILDREN TO SCHOOL. I NOTICED A LARGE VERTICAL CRACK IN THE LIFT GATE PANEL TO THE RIGHT OF THE FORD EMBLEM. IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN. THIS HAPPENED OVERNIGHT WHILE MY VEHICLE WAS PARKED. I DID SOME RESEARCH TO FIND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS YEAR/MODEL. *TR
MY CAR WAS PARKED IN A SMALL LOT AT WORK. WHEN GOING OUT TO LOAD SOME ITEMS IN THE CARGO AREA, A FRIEND NOTED THE VERTICAL CRACK IN THE LIFT GATE. IT IS TO THE LEFT OF THE FORD EMBLEM AND I HAVE SINCE SEEN NUMEROUS IDENTICAL CRACKS ON OTHER VEHICLES. THERE WAS NO COLLISION THAT CAUSE THIS, THERE ARE NO SCRATCHES OR DENTS. IT IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT. *TR
NOTICED CRACK FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF REAR BODY PANEL APPLIQUE ALONG SIDE OF FORD EMBLEM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKED THE PANEL BELOW THE REAR WINDOW OF THE TAILGATE OF THE VEHICLE WAS SPLIT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND STATED THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER ANY RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SEEN BY A TECHNICIAN OR MECHANIC. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 65,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 68,292.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2005 Ford Explorer has 143 Structure complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.