There are 50 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2005 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a crack on the top panel of the rear liftgate. The contact was concerned that the rear liftgate would fracture if she opened the liftgate. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
THE FAN BLADES HAD MANY BIG CRACKS IN THE PLASTIC BLADES,THE DRIVER DOOR THE BODY IS CRACKED BY TOP OF DOOR HING BACK DOOR IS THE SAME, THE PAINT IS PEALING AND STARTING TO RUST ON TOP.THE PLASTIC THERMOSTAT CRACKED.
THE FRONT, DRIVER'S SIDE, TIRE CAME APART AND CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE'S BODY AND POSSIBLY OTHER DAMAGES NOT SEEN. I NEED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC FOR AN INSPECTION TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER DAMAGES. THE TIRE IS A GOOD YEAR EAGLE RS-A. THE DOT # IS 4B08 DLWR 3701. TIRE SIZE P235/70R16. I WAS DRIVING ON INTERSTATE I-75 WHEN THE TIRE CAME APART. IT WAS TERRIBLY SCARY. I DID NOT REALIZE WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND THOUGHT THE VEHICLE WAS FALLING APART. I PULLED ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND REALIZED THE TIRE HAD COME APART. THE RUBBER COMING OFF THE TIRE CAUSED QUITE A BIT OF BODY DAMAGE. THE VISIBLE DAMAGES INCLUDE DAMAGES TO THE DRIVER'S SIDE HEAD LIGHT, RUBBER RIPPED OUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE BLINKER, MOLDING UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR WAS RIPPED OUT, PAINT DAMAGE, TIRE WELL DAMAGE AND LOOSENING OF OTHER MOLDING ON DRIVER'S SIDE. A MECHANIC WILL HAVE TO INSPECT FOR UNSEEN DAMAGES.
THE BACK LIFT GATE PANEL CRACKED ON THE BACK OF OUR FORD EXPLORER AND WHEN WE WENT TO SHUT THE LIFT GATE THE WHOLE BACK WINDOW SHATTERED. FORD WON'T REPLACE IT BECAUSE THEY SAY ITS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE AND OUR YEAR OF OUR FORD WAS NOT APART OF THE RECALL OF THESE PANELS BEING CRACKED. PLEASE BE AWARE THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THESE CRACKS THAT THE BACK WINDOW CAN SHATTER WHEN CLOSING THE LIFT GATE.
WE HAVE A 2005 FORD EXPLORER AND THE BACK LIFT GATE PANEL WAS CRACKED RIGHT BY THE FORD SYMBOL. WHEN WE WENT TO OPEN THE BACK LIFT GATE AND THE PANEL WHERE IT WAS CRACKED BROKE IN HALF AND SHATTERED THE WHOLE BACK WINDOW AND INJURED US. FORD WANTS TO CHARGE ME $140.00 TO JUST LOOK AT IT. COME ON FORD DO WHAT'S RIGHT! BEWARE IF YOU HAVE A CRACKED PANEL ON YOUR FORD! IT CAN BREAK IN HALF AND THE GLASS CAN SHATTER.
2005 FORD EXPLORER. FRAME IS ROTTING ALONG THE WELDS. NOT UP AND DOWN. LENGTH WISE RUNNING WITH THE FRAME. OBVIOUSLY A FACTORY WELD ISSUE AND A BIG ISSUE AT THAT AS THE ISSUE COULD HAVE THE FRAME FAIL AND ENTIRE HUB/AXLE/WHEEL ASSEMBLY RIP RIGHT OFF THE VEHICLE. THIS IS ALSO A VERY COMMON ISSUE WITH FORD'S IN GENERAL FROM 02-2005. AS YOU ALREADY KNOW I'M SURE. THIS VEHICLE WAS WELL MAINTAINED AND TAKEN CARE OF AND THE FRAME ISSUE HAS MADE AN OTHERWISE GREAT RUNNING LOW MILEAGE VEHICLE WORTHLESS. NOT TO MENTION HAD THE ISSUE NOT BEEN FOUND VERY DANGEROUS! PLEASE GET THESE DEATH TRAPS OFF THE ROAD!! HAVE PICTURES BUT THE FILES ARE TO LARGE TO SEND. THANKS.
I HAVE A 2005 FORD EXPLORER AND UPON OPENING MY REAR TAILGATE, THE SCREWS ON THE TWO HINGES BROKE FROM THE GLASS. TTHE ONLY THING HOLDING IT HALFWAY UP IS THE HYDRAULIC POWER LIFTERS. GLAD I WAS PARKED AND NOT ON THE HIGHWAY
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS FRACTURE IN THE REAR HATCH ABOVE THE REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER AND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE HATCH. THE FAILURE ALLOWED MOISTURE TO ENTER THE DOOR. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED THAT THE FRACTURE WOULD CAUSE THE REAR WINDSHIELD TO SHATTER, CAUSING SERIOUS INJURIES OR WORSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE INSPECTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 138,000.
CRACKED APPLIQUE ON REAR LIFT GATE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE LIFTGATE WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 117,000.
CRACK IN REAR HATCH PLATE BY FORD EMBLEM
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE OPENING THE REAR DOOR, THE CONTACT NOTICED A LARGE CRACK ON THE REAR PANEL THAT EXTENDED FROM THE REAR WINDOW VERTICALLY ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE END OF THE PANEL WHERE THE FORD EMBLEM WAS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY THE INSURANCE ADJUSTOR. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC NOR THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
WALKED OUT TO MY GARAGE AND NOTICED A CRACKED HAD SHOWED UP OVERNIGHT. IT GOES FROM THE BACK EINDOW, BY THE RIGHT EDGE OF THE FORD LOGO, TO THE BOTTOM OF THE LIFT GATE. IT IS ALMOST PERFECTLY VERTICAL, I HAVE SEEN A TON OF THESE ON XLTS. I THOUGHT I WAS LUCKY, I WAS WRONG.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2005 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCHBACK PANEL CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD A CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN TO REPLACE THE PANELING, BUT IT WAS DISCONTINUED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. UPDATED 4/15/15*CN THE CONSUMER STATED THE PANEL BELOW THE BACK WINDOW WAS CRACKED. UPDATED 04/21/15*JB
TYPICAL FORD PROBLEM WITH 2002-2005 EXPLORER/MOUNTAINEERS. REAR TAILGATE CRACKED ALL ON IT'S OWN BECAUSE IT'S COLD HERE, AND BECAUSE IT'S A DEFECT FORD SHOULD HAVE FIXED WHEN THEY KNEW OF THE ISSUE. I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE (OF MANY) WITH THIS PROBLEM. *TR
CRACK ON BACK PANEL FROM WINDOW DOWN AROUND FORD EMBLEM LITERALLY JUST APPEARED ONE DAY. MY EXPLORER WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 2005 AND IS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION EXCEPT FOR THIS MYSTERY CRACK THAT I AM NOW NOTICING ON A LOT OF EXPLORERS AROUND THE SAME AGE. IT IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT! WHEN IS FORD GOING TO TAKE CARE OF THIS?....UPDATED 11/13/15 *BF
THE BACK TAILGATE PANEL HAS A CRACK BESIDE THE FORD LOGO. LOOKED ON LINE AND SAW THIS IS A LISTED PROBLEM WITH 2005 EXPLORERS.CALLED FORD THEY WERE NO HELP. *TR
PAINT IN ROOF CHANNELS BUBBLING, ROOF RUSTING. *TR
I WALKED OUTSIDE TO ENTER MY VEHICLE AND NOTICED A CRACK IN THE HATCH LIFT ON THE BACK DOOR ADJACENT TO THE FORD EMBLEM THAT WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY THERE. SINCE THEN, I'VE NOTICED THIS SAME FLAW ON MOST FORD EXPLORER XLTS OF APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AGE AS MINE. *TR
TOOK MY SUV TO BODYSHOP YESTERDAY I NOTICED THE ROOF TOP EXTERIOR WAS PEELING PAINT AND RUSTING. IT WILL LEAD TO LEAKING PROBLEMS IF NOT REPAIRED BUT OWNER OF SHOP SAYS THAT THERE IS NO WAY OF THEM BEING ABLE TO SEAL IT PERMANANTLY IT IS A MATTER OF HOW LONG NEW PAINT WILL LAST . TO HAVE IT REPAIRED IS VERY COSTLY BUT IF NOT WILL DO FURTHER DAMAGE. *TR
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
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.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026