Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, she noticed that the hood was shuddering. The contact veered to the side of the road and manually pushed the hood down several times however, the hood failed to close completely and would not latch securely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive at a slower speed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was being diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 99V164000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that both rear interior child locks failed in the locked position. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The dealer stated this was a normal occurrence. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 30,000.
Rear doors on 2000 Ford Explorer (4-door, 4x4, xlt) fail to open. In January of 2005 the left rear door would not open, either from the inside nor from the outside. This has just happened to the right rear door (December 2005). I have brought it to a Ford dealership ( don jenkins Ford in fuquay varina, nc) for both fixes, and the service writer acknowledged the problem immediately saying that they have seen this/fixed this on numerous Ford explorers before. This indicates to me that this is a known and repeating problem to Ford. Besides costing me $500 to fix both door latch mechanisms, my greatest concern is that this is a safety defect - my children are not able to get out of the vehicle, and no one can open the door from the outside either in the case of an emergency.
My driver's side door lock gets stuck in the locked position randomly. This occurs both while driving and parked. It also effects the child safety locks. This has been happening for about a year now. It is driving me crazy. I have to crawl over the passenger seat and wiggle the handle while trying to pull up the lock manually. I will eventually break the handle. After a little research I found 100's if not 1,000's or more people on the internet that have the same experience. Many are calling for a recall. Just google " Ford Explorer driver's door won't unlock" or this link http://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/Explorer/1998/accessories-interior/drivers_door_wont_unlock.shtml this is a serious safety issue!
Dt*: the contact stated on three separate occasions the door locks failed to open. The first was the passenger's side rear passenger door followed by the rear driver's side and now the front driver door. The vehicle was taken to the dealer each time and the latch assemblies were replaced. Updated 10/25/2006 - the technician told the consumer that this was a know problem with this model/year vehicle and that the problem is caused by a defect in the door latches. One of the pieces is made of a type of plastic which is not strong enough.
Tl contact owns a 2000 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear doors cannot be opened from within the passenger compartment. He assumed that the child safety locks were the cause of the failure. He found several consumers online who were experiencing the same failure. The dealer stated that they never heard of this failure and could not assist. The vehicle will be repaired. The failure and current mileages were 108,000. Updated 06/23/09. The consumer stated the dealer was able to get the doors to work. Updated 06/23/09.
The driver's side front door does not unlock properly with both the remote keyless entry or the unlock latch on the inside of the vehicle. Sometimes when this is attempted the door opens. However, the latch is still locked. The vehicle was taken to don's Ford dealership, and they did not offer an explanation. The consumer still plans to take the vehicle to a Ford dealer for repairs. A new latch and actuator was installed. The problem was fixed but the consumer felt that the problem was still inferior and unsafe.
The latch to open the car from the inside has broken for the fourth time. At first I thought it was the child protection switch but when I checked it was unlocked. I have sent it to the dealer three times and although they fix it (in a couple of days) I believe it is unsafe in the event of a fire or accident.
Dt*: the contact stated the rear liftgate latch, and the front and rear passenger doors kept jamming closed. Each door required excessive force to open. The vehicle was taken to a private repair shop, who determined the latches were faulty, and the parts were ordered. Updated 11/21/2006 -
Dt*: the contact stated the rear driver side door handle had to be lifted up higher than normal to open the door from the inside. The door was inoperable from the outside. An independent repair shop determined the door handle needed to be replaced.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2000 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2000 Ford Explorer, 3% of the model year's 952 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Explorer door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2000 Ford Explorer, though it has 9 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Explorer door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 97,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.