2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

AS I HAVE BEEN DRIVING LIKE I NORMALLY DO THE O/D LIGHT CAME ON BLINKING. THEN I PRESSED THE BUTTON FOR IT NOTHING HAPPENED. I CONTINUED WITH MY DAILY ROUTINE AND THE LIGHT CAME ON AND OFF. AND CONTINUED TO BLINK. THEN ALL OF THE SUDDEN I WOULD STEP ON THE GAS BUT IT WOULD NOT GIVE ME ANYMORE THAN 15MPH. WHEN I CAME TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT MY CAR DID NOT WANT TO GO ANYMORE SO I HAD TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. IT DIDN'T WANT TO CONTINUE GOING. THEN AFTER THE THIRD TRY IT GAVE ME MORE GAS TO DRIVE NORMAL NOT EVEN A MINUTE AFTER IT DID IT AGAIN. I WAS AFRAID YO GET HIT BY TRAFFIC AND SINCE I HAD MY THREE TODDLERS I WAS SCARED. I PULLED INTO A SHOPPING CENTER AND CALLED MY DAD. AND ALSO A MECHANIC. IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION WHEN THAT VEHICLE HAS HAD ALL ITS NEEDS. I CANNOT AFFORD IT AND ITS UPSETTING SEEING ALL THE COMPLAINTS ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM ABOUT IT KNOWING I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE WITH THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS A DEFECT AND IT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND CRASHED INTO A GUARDRAIL. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE DRIVER SUFFERED LACERATIONS TO THE LEFT ARM AND REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 260,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE IGNITED IN FLAMES WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CONTACT DID NOT DISCLOSE HOW THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 180,000.

THE PROBLEM THE SEAT BELTS DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH SPRING ACTION TO RETRACT CAUSING TO BE LAYING DOWN AND IT IS GETTING CAUGHT BY THE DOOR LOCK MECHANISM MESSING THE BELT PLUS CAUSING THE DOOR NOT TO LOCK PROPERLY, EITHER THE DRIVER OR THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DOOR CAME UNLOCK SINCE THE HARNESS DID NOT RETRACT. IT NEEDS ATTENTION AND BEING REPLACE BY THE DEALER OR BEING RECALL TO MAKE SURE IT IS REPLACE. THE BELT IS GETTING DAMAGE.

SECOND OWNER OF THIS VEHICLE AND HAD FOR ALMOST A YEAR. DRIVING SON TO SCHOOL AND SUDDENLY HEARD A LOUD RATTLING NOISE UNDER HOOD. TOOK DIRECTLY TO MECHANIC AND FOUND OUT TIMING CHAIN WAS GOING. MECHANIC SAID HE HAD SEEN THIS PROBLEM A LOT IN THIS MODEL AND AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE. *JS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR HATCH WAS OPEN AND THE HINGES THAT OPENED THE GLASS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V442000 (STRUCTURE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 175,500.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS STRUT BRACKETS AND GLASS HINGES WERE FRACTURED AND TILTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALSO TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V442000 (STRUCTURE). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

FOR YEARS FORD HAS HAD A POORLY DESIGNED HYDRAULIC MANUAL CLUTCH SYSTEM . OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT AT RED LIGHT OR WHILE DRIVING AND HAD MANY NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE SHIFTING AND MAINTAINING SPEED. FOR OVER A DECADE THE POORLY DESIGNED SYSTEM GETS AIR BOUND RENDERING THE CLUTCH USELESS . THIS IS CAUSED BECAUSE THE HYDRAULIC LINE HAS LOW AND HIGH SPOTS AND AIR BECOMES TRAPPED IN THE HIGH SPOTS AND RESULTS IN LOSS OF CLUTCH OPERATION . THE ENTIRE SYSTEM MUST BE REMOVED AND ELONGATED TO ALLOW AIR TO BE RELEASED FROM SYSTEM . NO BLEEDER VALVE AT MASTER CYLINDER FOR ONE THING . THERE IS A BLEEDER VALVE AT THE SLAVE CYLINDER BUT BECAUSE THE LINE HAS MANY TWIST AND TURNS WITH HIGH SPOTS BLEEDING DOES NOT ELIMINATE AIR TRAPPED IN HIGH SPOTS . THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM AND A DANGEROUS ONE . FORD COULD CARE LESS . ITS ABOUT TIME FORD ANSWERS AND MODIFIES THIS FAULT . YOU NEED ONLY GO ONLINE AND ENTER FORD RANGER HARD SHIFTING PROBLEMS AND YOU WILL SEE IT IS COMMON PLACE PROBLEM . OF COURSE AFTER THE 36 K WARRANTY THIS BECOMES A COMMON PROBLEM AND FORD TURNS THERE CHEEK . I CANT TELL YOU HOW FRUSTRATING TO BE AT A RED LIGHT AND UNABLE TO SHIFT ALONG WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH CARS RUNNING UP YOUR REAR . PLEASE ADDRESS THIS BEFORE LIFE IS LOST . THANK YOU . I URGE ALL RANGER OWNERS TO GET ON BOARD. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE FIBERGLASS WAS CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

THE MECHANIC CALLED IT A REAR COMPLETE STRUT ASSEMBLY PART OF THE SPRING BACK BY THE BACK WHEEL ON THE DRIVER SIDE IS BROKEN OFF *TR