2005 Ford Explorer Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2005 Explorer most often report a vertical crack forming in the rear liftgate panel near the Ford emblem, followed by transmission problems (hard or delayed reverse engagement, slipping, and in some cases transmission replacement) and a fuel gauge that drops to empty and turns on the check engine light. Many reports come in between roughly 50,000 and 130,000 miles, and the liftgate cracks often appear without any impact, sometimes on a vehicle that is simply parked or being washed.

1. 1
   Body and structure

   Cracked rear liftgate panel near the emblem

   • 119 complaints (24%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (112 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2009–2022

   Complaints describe a vertical crack developing in the panel below the rear window, usually right beside the Ford emblem, sometimes spreading into a visible gap. Owners often say there was no collision, dent, or scratch involved; some first notice it after closing the liftgate, after a car wash, or simply while walking around the vehicle. According to several complaints, the dealer declined to cover the repair and pointed out that no recall applies to this model year, and some owners say they later found the same crack on other Explorers of the same age. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 135,000 miles, often with no triggering event.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Open and close the liftgate and inspect the panel directly beside the emblem and along the bottom edge of the glass for hairline cracks; also check that the glass hinges and struts hold the gate up.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My car was parked in a small lot at work. When going out to load some items in the cargo area, a friend noted the vertical crack in the lift gate. It is to the left of the Ford emblem and I have since seen numerous identical cracks on other vehicles. There was no collision that cause this, there are no scratches or dents. It is a manufacturer defect.”

   NHTSA complaint #10474196, filed 2012-09, 115,000 miles

   “Hatch panel between window and latch split (cracked) when I closed window after putting in groceries. Car has 60,000 miles, called dealer in july to see if a recall had been established due to the fact that I know of 7 other 2005 Ford explorers with the exact same crack, happened the exact same way. Told me no but sounds like a defect. Didn't offer to take care of.”

   NHTSA complaint #10361789, filed 2010-10, 60,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission slipping, harsh reverse, or failure

   • 82 complaints (17%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 6.0 yrs old (75 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,400 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2022

   Owners describe delayed or harsh engagement when shifting into reverse, slipping or flaring between gears, hesitation before the vehicle moves, and in some cases the transmission quitting entirely with no forward or reverse gears. Some complaints mention fluid leaks around the converter housing and smoke from fluid contacting hot exhaust. According to complaints, dealers typically recommended a replacement or rebuild, and several owners report paying for a transmission well before 100,000 miles. Reported across a wide range, from about 39,000 up to 155,000 miles, with many between 60,000 and 100,000.

   4 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test reverse engagement from a cold start and check for a delay or clunk, watch for slipping on the 2-3 upshift, and look for fluid leaks or a burnt smell; ask whether the transmission has been serviced or replaced and whether the fluid additive program was applied.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving home after work all of the sudden transmission over heat alarm comes on, then white smoke out the back on my truck. 2005 Ford exploder xl model I stopped waiting a while and then was able to get home. Took in for service and yes the transmission is gone. At 140000 k. Not the bad part is that this is the 2nd transmission I have put in this truck. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10258820, filed 2009-02, 80,000 miles

   “Our 2005 Ford Explorer has only 60 thousand miles and we have had to replace the transmission. Our mechanic has told us that this should not have happened at 60 thousand miles, and another mechanic told us that Ford vehicles are starting to become known for the bad transmissions. After reading some complaints online, I have decided to report this, as many Ford customers have had to have transmissions replaced at very low mileage. Ford should consider a recall.”

   NHTSA complaint #10544681, filed 2013-09, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Fuel gauge reads empty, check engine light on

   • 47 complaints (9%)
   • median 52,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (40 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,000 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2018

   Complaints describe the fuel gauge dropping to empty or reading incorrectly after refueling, the distance-to-empty display showing dashes, and the service engine soon light coming on along with it. Several owners say the gauge was intermittent at first and then stayed wrong, and some report replacing the fuel level sensor more than once. Owners note the repair can be costly because the sensor is inside the tank, and according to complaints the dealer sometimes reprogrammed the instrument cluster without lasting effect. Reported from about 25,000 to 100,000 miles, frequently shortly after refueling.

   5 related service bulletins

   What to check: Fill the tank and watch whether the gauge and distance-to-empty read correctly, and check that the check engine light is off; ask whether the fuel level sensor or instrument cluster has been replaced or reprogrammed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Check engine light came up, but the car did not show any difference in performance. I took to advanced auto and they said the gas tank sensor failed . I checked with a local mechanic and he said it would be major job and could take more than 6 hours labor the estimate was over $1000. But the car is running fine, but the check engine is on constantly and it goes off when the tank is almost empty. When I put gas, it come back on again and stays on. Gas tank needle drops to empty suddenly and it goes up again. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10512966, filed 2013-05, 88,500 miles

   “I recently purchased a near new 2005 Ford Explorer. The vehicle is in pristine condition and has very low mileage to the point where it is below the industrial average. Since I purchased the vehicle, I have fueled it several times, always filling the tank to the top. Every time I have filled the vehicle up, the fuel gauge has dropped to empty and the mileage till empty indicator shows just dashes. In addition to the gauge dropping to empty my service engine light comes on immediately following the fuel gauge dropping. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10226347, filed 2008-05, 36,000 miles
4. 4
   Vehicle speed control

   Throttle body / electronic throttle faults and stalling

   • 72 complaints (14%)
   • median 58,514 mi at 5.0 yrs old (60 state mileage)
   • 10 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,700 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2020

   Owners describe a wrench or engine failsafe light appearing, loss of power, lurching, and the engine stalling or revving unexpectedly while driving. Some complaints link the behavior to a failed throttle body assembly and report that replacing it resolved the symptom, while others mention the vehicle shutting off at speed and restarting after being turned off. Several owners say the dealer could not duplicate the problem. Reported from roughly 8,000 to 130,000 miles, often during steady driving or after braking.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask whether the throttle body has been cleaned or replaced and whether the electronic throttle software update was applied; during a test drive watch for a wrench light, hesitation, or an idle that wanders.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Because of the recent GM recall ignition issue, I thought I should let someone know about the serious similar issue I had 3 times before I traded my car in. The car would just shut off while driving. And all 3 times, I pulled to the side of the road and restarted the car and continued on my way. I was lucky to have a place to pull over safely. I took it to my mechanic twice, found nothing wrong. Took it to Ford and they found nothing wrong. I traded the 2005 for a 2011. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10575830, filed 2014-03, 80,000 miles

   “While driving, when I applied the brakes, the car lurched and made a noise. About 1 minute after that, a warning light that stated engine fail safe mode and a little wrench showed up on the left of the instrument panel. I was driving home, and the car started to speed up without my increasing the speed using the gas pedal. The car continued to lurch off and on until I got home. I researched this problem on the internet and it seemed to be the throttle body assembly that had failed. Upon taking it to the mechanic, that is exactly what is was. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10413050, filed 2011-07, 58,084 miles

Buying note. Check the rear liftgate panel for cracks and test the transmission and fuel gauge carefully on a test drive, since these are the areas owners report most. Ask for service records showing whether the transmission, fuel level sensor, or throttle body has already been addressed.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.