I've read at least a hundred posts in a dozen different forums about this. Everything imaginable has been mentioned. New plastic from Ford won't crack; new glue, no glue, warranty claims, lawsuits, etc. Replacement panels installed by both Ford and owner have cracked, some have not. SOME Explorers have never cracked at all!

So, I'm thinking about my own fix. Make a panel out of hardwood, contoured to match the real part. Seal it well, paint it to match, then put it on with rubber cement. Seal around the edge with silicone rubber. Lots of work, no guarantees, but seems liklier of success than the plastic part.

Whaddaya think? impish

PS: I got an '04, of course! Not cracked when I got it, at 6 years old, cracked within the next year. FWIW, I've seen the least cracked, I think, in silver color, gets less hot, maybe? WTH do I know?

NO IDEA WHY THIS DUPLICATED THE EARLIER THREAD.