2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 10 MPH, SHE HEARD A LOUD, ABNORMAL NOISE. AFTER INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, SHE NOTICED THAT THE REAR DOOR HINGE WAS FRACTURED AND CAUSING THE DOOR TO HANG. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE BUT DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 04V442000 (STRUCTURE). THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,600.

DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT HIGH SPEED. O/D AND TRAMISSION LIGHTS CAME ON TRAMISSION DIED! *TR

O/D LIGHT SUDDENLY STARTS FLASHING WHILE DRIVING AT NORMAL SURFACE STREET SPEEDS OF 40 - 45 MPH. WITHIN 10 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND IT FELT LIKE THE VEHICLE WAS LABORING; MY WIFE THOUGHT THE EMERGENCY BRAKE WAS ENGAGED. SHE NEVER MADE IT HOME - WITHIN MINUTES, THE VEHICLE SLOWED, WOULD NOT ACCELERATE AND SUBSEQUENTLY BROKE DOWN. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHO DETERMINED THE TRANSMISSION WAS A TOTAL LOSS. WE PURCHASED THE EXTENDED WARRANTY WHEN WE OBTAINED THIS VEHICLE FROM SAID DEALER. ALTHOUGH WE HAD WELL OVER 10,000 MILES LEFT ON THE WARRANTY, IT HAD EXPIRED LESS THAN 4 MONTHS AGO SOLELY BASED ON CALENDAR DAYS!! THIS IS A SECONDARY VEHICLE FOR US AND DOES NOT GET A LOT OF USE; LESS THAN 10,000 MILES A YEAR. BOTH THE DEALER PERFORMING THE REPAIRS AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER CARE WERE SURPRISINGLY UNSYMPATHETIC TO THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND WERE UNABLE (OR UNWILLING) TO MAKE ANY CONCESSIONS. SO, $4,200 AND A WEEK LATER, I HAD A 'NEW' RE-MANUFACTURED TRANSMISSION. I WAS SOMEWHAT SUSPICIOUS OF THE SEALED TRANSMISSION - ONE THAT DOES NOT HAVE PROVISIONS TO MONITOR THE TRANSMISSION FLUID - WHICH WAS MANUFACTURED AND INSTALLED ON THE 2003 MODELS. AFTER LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE, IT HAS BECOME QUITE APPARENT THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF THESE TRANSMISSION FAILURES ON SIMILAR VEHICLES. I EXPECT TO GET AT LEAST 150,000 MILES FROM MY AUTOMOBILES - AND I HAVE WITH A FEW OTHER VEHICLES FROM ANOTHER US MANUFACTURER. CONSUMERS WHO USE THEIR HARD EARNED MONEY TO PURCHASE US MANUFACTURER'S PRODUCTS SHOULD EXPECT A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF QUALITY, RELIABILITY AND CUSTOMER SERVICE. IT IS VERY UNLIKELY THAT I WOULD CONSIDER FORD FOR MY NEXT AUTOMOBILE PURCHASE. MILEAGE AT FAILURE: 111,846. *TR

WHEN I STARTED MY TRUCK, THE INTERIOR DOME LAMP WOULD NOT GO OFF AND DOOR AJAR INDICATOR WAS CHIMING AS IF THERE WAS A DOOR OPEN. I GOT OUT OF MY VEHICLE AND WALKED AROUND THE CAR OPENING AND CLOSING ALL THE DOORS AS WELL AS THE LIFTGATE AND REAR HATCH GLASS. I GOT BACK IN THE CAR AND IT WAS STILL GOING OFF. AFTER I STARTED DRIVING AND GOT ABOVE 10MPH THE LIGHT AND INDICATOR WENT OFF. I DID A SEARCH ON THE WEB AND FOUND OUT THAT ITS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR FORD EXPLORER OWNERS REGARDLESS OF THE YEAR IT WAS MANUFACTURED. ALL OF THE WIRES THAT RUN FROM THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR AND INTO THE BODY OF THE VEHICLE BECOME BRITTLE OVER TIME WHICH EVENTUALLY LEADS TO CRACKS AND BREAKS IN THE WIRES THUS RESULTING IN A ELECTRICAL SHORT. FORD SHOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS ISSUE GIVEN THAT ITS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR EXPLORERS MANUFACTURED BETWEEN 2001 AND 2009. FOR THOSE WHO ARE ELECTRICAL SAVVY, YOU CAN RUN NEW WIRES YOURSELF. FOR THOSE OF US WHO ARE NOT, WE HAVE TO RELY THAT SOME MECHANIC ISN'T GONNA RAPE OUR POCKETS AND CHARGE SOME RIDICULOUS PRICE TO FIX IT. THANKS FORD MOTOR COMPANY!! *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, SHE APPLIED THE BRAKES BUT THE PEDAL TRAVELED TO THE FLOOR BOARD AND VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND. THE CONTACT THEN BEGAN TO RAPIDLY PUMP THE BRAKES UNTIL THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE CONTACT SUFFERED AN INJURED KNEE DUE TO THE PRESSURE SHE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL. THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE PISTONS HAD SHATTERED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 190,000.

2003 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO HUMMING/WHINING NOISE IN THE REAR END OF VEHICLE AND A FREQUENT LEAK IN THE DIFFERENTIAL. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED SEVERAL COMPONENTS SUCH AS THE RING AN PINION, BEARINGS, SEALS AND GEAR AND PINION WERE ALL REPLACED. HOWEVER, THE ISSUE REMAINED UNRESOLVED. ALSO, THE REAR HATCH WAS CRACKED. WHEN THE CONSUMER INQUIRED ABOUT A REPLACEMENT AND ITS COST, THE DEALER ADVISED AGAINST THE REPLACEMENT/REPAIR AS THE NEW HATCHES HAD THE SAME PROBLEM. THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER. A DIAGNOSIS REVEALED A DAMAGED THERMOSTAT HOUSING.

SEVERE CLANKING/BANGING NOISE IN PASSENGER REAR. REPLACED SHOCKS. NOISE WORSENED. RESEARCHED AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS REGARDING BODY MOUNTS WITH FORD EXPLORER SPORT VEHICLES. UPON INVESTIGATION - REACHING UP UNDER VEHICLE FOUND NO "BODY INSULATOR LEFT ON PASSENGER SIDE REAR AND ON DRIVER REAR THE INSULATOR CRUMBLED LIKE DIRT AND FINE POWDER. THE BODY MOUNTS APPEARED TO BE MANUFACTURED OF A FOAM LIKE MATERIAL - SUBSTANDARD AT BEST! REPLACEMENT PARTS MUST BE PURCHASED THROUGH FORD SINCE NO OTHER AFTERMARKET PARTS ARE AVAILABLE. PARTS ONLY (THAT BEING ABLE TO SALVAGE THE BOLTS AND SLEEVES) AND PURCHASE THE TWO PAIR OF INSULATORS ONLY - $680.00. THE SAME MATERIAL THAT FAILED AND SHOULD NOT. THERE ARE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD WITH BODY MOUNTS FOR 40 TO 50 YEARS. THIS IS A MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITY AND THE COST FOR THESE PARTS IS THIEVERY. IT IS UNSAFE TO OPERATE A VEHICLE WITHOUT REPAIRING DEFECTIVE BODY MOUNTS DUE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF BODY ROLL OR OTHER LOSS OF CONTROL. SINCE THE MOUNTS SHOULD NOT FAIL THROUGHOUT THE LIFE OF THE VEHICLE I SINCERELY REQUEST AN INVESTIGATION BE LAUNCHED INTO THE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS BEING FILED FOR THE YEARS 2001-2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT BODY MOUNTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FOR EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN HE ENGAGED THE LIFTGATE AND THE HINGES FRACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 105,000. *UPDATED 09-18-13 *BF UPDATED 09/24/2013 *JS

I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-10 AT 3:30 IN THE AFTERNOON ON MY WAY HOME AND MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER OUT OF NO WHERE WENT IN REVERSE I WAS ABOUT AN INCH AWAY FROM HITTING THE CAR BEHIND ME. MY CHILDREN WERE CRYING SCARED AND I TOO WAS SHAKING TRIED TO MAKE IT HOME BUT MY CAR WOULDN'T GO PAST 20MPH AND WE GOT STUCK AT THE GAS STATION HAD TO GET TOWED TO MY HOUSE. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION AND CANNOT AFFORD ONE I JUST BOUGHT THE CAR A YEAR AGO. THANK YOU FORD FOR ALMOST KILLING ME AND MY CHILDREN! *TR

WHILE DRIVING THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING ON MY DASHBOARD, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 15 MILES AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS PULLING/SLIPPING, THE CAR MADE A HARD JERK AND BEGAN TO PICK-UP SPEED. THIS CYCLE REPEATED UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION. THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AND THE SAME EVENTS OCCURRED. *TR