Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
While closing the rear window glass hatch the driver side hinge broke allowing the window to fall out on that side. The rear glass hatch window is heavy and could have easily broken the hinge side allowing the glass to fall off the vehicle. A previous Ford recall on the very same component covered vehicles up to 2003. The exact same problem is occurring to this 2004 vehicle. Contacted Ford and they are not willing to help owners out. Had the vehicle been traveling at highway speeds and the hinge let go, there would be a very high probability of property damage and a very high probability of personal injury to others on the road.
I have cracks in the plastic on the outside of my lift gate . Each time I use the handle to lift the cracks become worse. There are several posts online asking about the same problem. Every one I see in a parking lot or on the road has the same problem. Ford reports that it affects 1997-2007 explorers. I don't understand why this hasn't been addressed. I called Ford and they referred me to your organization. Some of these cracks I have seen reach to the back window which I believe would be a safety hazard.
Sun visors have been replaced twice. Horizontal plastic panel with the Ford logo has cracked and been replaced 3 times. Current one on vehicle is cracked. Sent an e-mail to Ford and was told basically "too bad--out of warranty ". Formoco has known of this problem on both the Ford and Mercury but has done nothing to fix it because it is not a safety issue. And of course this " damage " will lower the value of my vehicle when I sell/trade it for something other than a Ford.
Was driving on the road almost to my parents house when I heard an explosive sound. I look in my mirror to discover that my rear windshield had exploded. At first I thought a rock had hit it but when I got out I discovered that the hydraulic arms had expanded and pushed out the sides of the hatch, which resulted in the shattering of the windshield. My children were in the car but fortunately the glass only exploded into the back of the car and not into their seats.
Sun visor bracket cracked and disintegrated leaving sun visor blocking my view. Had to pull over and disconnect the wire and remove visor. 2nd incident, pressed button to open rear glass and the hinges snapped ejecting the heavy glass panel at me. Had a child been opening it, they could have been killed. As it was, I caught the glass panel.
Have a 2004 Ford Explorer I bought new. It now has approximately 95250 miles. After washing car 2-5-10, a mild day here in ct though wintertime, I noticed trim panel under rear window showed vertical crack most all the way through. Several days later crack had migrated all the way through to bottom of panel. Contacted Ford customer service online 2-17-10 asking if this was a safety concern as had read others had it happen to them as well on various automobile websites like edmunds. Understood before writing it was not a recall at that time. Got a polite response 2-18-10 that though sorry for the inconvenience, I should bring it to the dealer for assessment. I never thought it was bad enough to warrant such a trip. However, I am noticing that the window how seems to rattle when closing if only the window portion is opened rather than the entire rear door. …
On May 31st of 2013 at approx. 4 pm, after removing some items from the back of my 2004 Ford Explorer via the window hatch, I proceeded to shut the window and I heard a snap followed by the right side (as I am facing the vehicle)of the window fall. I was able to catch the window and began to try and line the window back up and close it by securing it to the locking mechanism at the base. Noticing me struggle with the window a gentleman came over and began trying to help me, only to find that the window would not budge due to the right side (as I am facing the vehicle) shock/support/strut being froze. We could not get the shock to retract which prevented the window from closing. While I continued to hold the window up the gentleman went to get his tools to remove the shock/support/strut. …
The transmission is failing on my 2004 Ford Explorer. I have babied it for quite awhile because we already had plenty of electrical problems with it that had cost us a lot of money and we really have no idea where to get the money to fix this problem. We still owe a lot on it. When it first started, I spoke to my mechanic and looked on the internet for a solution. If you google "2004 Ford Explorer transmission", you will see a huge list of people with the same problem. Ford has the nerve to ask for a bailout with my money, but they won't stand behind their lousy product!!! This is going to cost me at least $2500 to fix and I think since they have been aware of the problem from the start, they should have to correct it before we start handing them money. This is more than unfair! Further, the plastic parts on these vehicles are cheap and break easily. …
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. …
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. …
Window & Wiper complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2004 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 105 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2004 Ford Explorer, 8% of the model year's 1,304 complaints. The component named most often is glass, side/rear (18 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2004 Ford Explorer. 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 2004 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 78,000 miles, and 5% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 6 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.