2004 Ford Explorer visibility/wiper problems
12 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the visibility/wiper on the 2004 Ford Explorer — 1% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“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…”
filed Feb 5, 2019
“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…”
filed Dec 13, 2015
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Visibility/wiper problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 14% |
| 2025 Explorer | 9 | 10% |
| 2024 Explorer | 3 | 16% |
| 2023 Explorer | 4 | 4% |
| 2022 Explorer | 17 | 7% |
| 2021 Explorer | 23 | 6% |
| 2020 Explorer | 55 | 5% |
| 2019 Explorer | 3 | 1% |
| 2018 Explorer | 16 | 2% |
| 2017 Explorer | 44 | 3% |
| 2016 Explorer | 32 | 1% |
| 2015 Explorer | 24 | 1% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2004 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.