CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2004 Ford Explorer one of our worst vehicles on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2005 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
10.0
really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
123,002 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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.
Within three days of buying the vehicle, I encountered problems with remote, sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. driver's rear window, sometimes it would work and other times, it wouldn't. I took it back to dealer three times for same things. Rear end makes a very loud whining noise. It has been to dealer's three times also for fixing. Dealer states that there is nothing they can do and all of them are doing it. Vehicle, while in gear, would jump/jerk. Dealer replaced solenoid, it still does it sometimes.
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.
Vehicle has been in repair 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.
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.
- Flower Mound, TX, USA
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The consumer experienced a problem with the cruise control. The consumer would set the cruise control and then it will shut down by 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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Killeen, TX, USA