Ford Explorer Sport Structure Problems
Owners have filed 110 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the Ford Explorer Sport across 8 model years. The 2001 model year has the most (30). The words owners use most often: “lift gate” (12% of reports).
- 110structure complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 6mention a crash
- 13mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 42%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Lift gate: mentioned in 13 of 110 complaints (12%)
- Rear liftgate: mentioned in 10 of 110 complaints (9%)
- Hinge attachments: mentioned in 8 of 110 complaints (7%)
- Body mounts: mentioned in 8 of 110 complaints (7%)
At what mileage do structure problems happen?
Based on 82 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 110 complaints, 6 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 13 an injury.
Ford Explorer Sport structure complaints by model year
| Model year | Structure complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 Explorer Sport | 2 | 40% | 73,204 |
| 2004 Explorer Sport | 11 | 61% | 50,500 |
| 2003 Explorer Sport | 25 | 38% | 104,500 |
| 2002 Explorer Sport | 28 | 21% | 83,246 |
| 2001 Explorer Sport | 30 | 16% | 70,000 |
| 2000 Explorer Sport | 2 | 3% | — |
| 1999 Explorer Sport | 7 | 8% | 59,500 |
| 1998 Explorer Sport | 5 | 4% | 68,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Structure:body:hood:hinge and attachments
Model years: 2000, 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles with steel hoods and certain pickup trucks equipped with sheet molding compound hoods. A wire formed hood striker could be susceptible to fatigue fractures. If the hood striker fractures, the hood could fly open while the vehicle is being driven.
Risk: A hood fly-up while the vehicle is being operated could result in reduced driver visibility.
Fix: Dealers will replace the hood striker.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Body mounts deteriorated crumpled.body down on frame causing irregular ride control
Rear window exploded overnight while parked in driveway. We live in southern ca and it was a rare cold night with lows in the 30's. Security camera's verified no one or no object damaged the window. It just exploded while parked the glass was strewn across a 3 car driveway.
Body mounts have deteriorated , mechanics i have had look at this said , should never happen , is unsafe and they see it all the time on this year and model also have learned that this problem cause windshield to crack when i applied hard breaking.
Ford explorer cracked read panel
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer sport. While driving 50 mph, a loud noise was heard when the sun roof exploded without warning. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Explorer Sports have structure problems?
No. NHTSA has 110 owner complaints about structure for the Ford Explorer Sport. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Explorer Sport structure?
Yes: 1 safety recall list structure. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about structure problems on the Ford Explorer Sport?
The most frequent phrase is “lift gate”, in 13 of 110 complaints, followed by “rear liftgate” (10).
See all Ford Explorer Sport problems.