Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2005 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
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 cracked tailgate that is a defect. I have seen this same crack on numerous Ford Explorer's 2002-2005. I have contacted Ford and have gotten no where with this problem.there are numerous complaints of this same problem. I thought the door was closed to hard, that is not the case until I kept seeing the same crack on every Ford Explorer 2002-2005 then a light bulb went off there's something wrong with the tailgate, that makes it eventually crack. This has not been fixed on our vehicle, we worry the glass could shatter while continuing to close it as I have read with some owners. Please help us solve this problem.
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.
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.
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 the consumer stated the panel below the back window was cracked. Updated 04/21/15
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.
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.
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
The rear lift gate trim panel split vertically from the glass to the bottom of the lift gate. The crack runs adjacent to the Ford emblem on the lift gate. I see a lot of this occurring on similar year models and consider that this is a design defect that should be addressed.
Body complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2005 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 151 complaints about the body & structure of the 2005 Ford Explorer, 30% of the model year's 497 complaints. The component named most often is body (107 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2005 Ford Explorer body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2005 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 2005 Ford Explorer body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 77,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.