2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

THE VEHICLE IS A CLOSED TRANSMISSION ..CONSUMER HAS NO WAY OF CHECKING OR MAINTAINING LEVEL..OR CHECKING THE COLOR OR IF CLUTCH SHARDS ARE PRESENT...CONSUMER HAS TO PAY $115 TO EVEN HAVE TRANSMISSION LEVEL CHECKED...CONSUMER CANNOT PERFORM PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE ON THEIR VEHICLE...THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH FORD OWNERS THAT FORD IS NOT WILLING TO ADDRESS. *TR

BOTH REAR DOORS FAILED TO OPEN FROM THE INSIDE AFTER BEING USED ONLY A FEW DOZEN TIMES EACH. THE CAUSE WAS THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE (PLASTIC) BROKE INSIDE THE DOOR. THIS IS A BIG SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE THIS MEANS THAT REAR SEAT PASSENGERS CANNOT EGRESS THE VEHICLE WITHOUT IT BEING OPENED BY SOMEONE ON THE OUTSIDE. THIS IS EVIDENTLY A COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY FORD VEHICLES USING THIS DOOR HANDLE - THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RECALL ISSUED YEARS AGO. *TR

I HAVE KEPT UP WITH FORD'S SUGGESTED SERVICING INTERVAL FOR THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS HALFWAY THROUGH AN EXTENDED DRIVE ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN SUDDENLY THE TRANSMISSION FLUID TEMPERATURE READING ON MY SCANGAUGE II WAS IN EXCESS OF 235 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT AND THE O/D OFF LIGHT COMES ON AND THE DASHBOARD CONTAINED ERROR MESSAGE OVERHEATING TRANSMISSION. I PULLED OVER TO A GAS STATION AND SAW THAT THERE WAS NO TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAKAGE THAT WAS READILY APPARENT. AFTER THIS INCIDENT, I HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUID SERVICED AND THE OVERHEATING ISSUES SEEM TO HAVE REDUCED, BUT SEVERAL TECHS AT VARIOUS TRANSMISSION SHOPS NOW SEE ERROR CODES P0732 AND P0755. I NOW NOTICE GEARS 1 AND 2 ARE SEVERELY SLIPPING, AND I WAS INFORMED THAT MY TRANSMISSION WAS DAMAGED, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE A TOTAL REPLACEMENT COSTING OVER $3,000. I DO NOT HAVE THIS KIND OF MONEY JUST LYING AROUND, AND TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 100,000 MILES SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON ISSUE AMONG 2002-2004 FORD EXPLORERS/MERCURY MOUNTAINEERS/LINCOLN AVIATORS. WHY IN OVER 10 YEARS THERE HAS BEEN NO RECALL OR WARRANTY I DO NOT KNOW, BUT IT SPEAKS OF GREAT IRRESPONSIBILITY AND DISTRESS IN FORD'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT. IF FORD DOES NOT ISSUE ANY TYPE OF RECALL OR WARRANTY FOR FAILURES OF THIS NATURE, I WILL CEASE TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS. *TR

WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 35 MPH, THE TOP PORTION OF THE LIFTGATE ON THE VEHICLE OPENED INDEPENDENTLY AND THEN THE DRIVER SIDE HINGE FRACTURED CAUSING THE LIFTGATE TO FALL AND HANG BY ONLY ONE SIDE. IN ADDITION, THE COMPRESSION ROD WAS BENT WHEN THIS OCCURRED. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING THE VEHICLE THE COMPRESSION ROD HAD TO BE REMOVED AND THE LIFTGATE HAD TO BE TEMPORARILY FASTENED WITH HARNESSES. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A BODY SHOP TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE MILEAGE WAS 83,000. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE AIR BAG WARNING INDICATOR REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHENEVER THE ENGINE WAS IN OPERATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS, WHO WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A TROUBLE CODE. THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 112,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE OVER DRIVE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ACCELERATION POWER WHILE TRAVELING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE CONTACT ALSO MENTIONED THAT A GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD. THE LOCAL MECHANIC PERFORMED A DIAGNOSTIC BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE A FAILURE CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185,697.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING WITH THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL ENGAGED AT 68 MPH WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO DECELERATE AND SOME SMOKE WAS PRESENT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE CONTACT OPENED THE HOOD THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE OF SMOKE IN THE ENGINE AREA. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE HOUSING UNIT BEING CRACKED OTHER THAN FOR BEING DEFECTIVE, COLD TEMPERATURE OR HIGH HEAT THAT COMES IN CONTACT WITH IT. THE HOUSING UNIT SHOULD NEVER SPLIT APART. THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNIT WAS LEAKING. THE OVER DRIVE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS FORCED TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE ONTO THE EMERGENCY LANE. THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIVE FORWARD OR IN REVERSE AND IT ALSO FAILED TO FUNCTION IN FIRST GEAR. THE VEHICLE WOULD ONLY MOVE FORWARD IN SECOND GEAR. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE DRIVING FIVE MILES IN SECOND GEAR TO HIS RESIDENCE AT 35 MPH. AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED THE CONTACT ALSO ADDED ANTI FREEZE TO THE VEHICLE. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO FAILED SHORTLY AFTER THE FAILURE OCCURRED AND HE WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE IN REVERSE GEAR. THE MECHANIC STATED THAT THE BANDS IN THE TRANSMISSION MAY HAVE CAUSED THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE THERMOSTAT HOUSING UNIT WHICH HAS THREE HOSES ATTACHED TO IT. FORD WAS CURRENTLY CHECKING THE TRANSMISSION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,600. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,620.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR LIFT DOOR WAS MISALIGNED AND BECAME CRACKED. THE VEHICLE WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED FOR THE REAR LIFT DOOR HINGE HOWEVER, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REPAIR CAUSED THE MISALIGNMENT. THE CONTACT PURCHASED A NEW REAR LIFT DOOR AND THE DOOR WAS REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 28,273.

MY ENGINE WENT OUT AFTER ONLY 140000 MILES ON IT WITH NO WARNING. I KNOW SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT OWN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER AND THERE ENGINE WENT OUT AFTER ONLY WITH 100000 MILES ON IT. IT COST ME OVER 3200.00 FOR IT TO BE REPAIRED. *TR

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 77,000 MILES, JUNE 2010. REPLACED WITH FORD PART AT FORD DEALER. REPLACEMENT TRANSMISSION LASTED 3 YRS/8 MOS, AND LASTED 45,000 MILES (8 MONTHS BEYOND WARRANTY). FORD WILL NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, OR PROVIDE ANY RELIEF WHATSOEVER IN RESOLVING THE PROBLEM. TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ANY POINT, AT ANY TIME, COULD BE VERY VERY DANGEROUS. *TR