2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

ENGINE & MULTIPLE PARTS IN 2003 FORD ARE NOT 2003, THEY ARE 2001 & 2002. 2002 ENGINE AND EARLIER HAD A TSB FOR THE TIMING CHAIN GUIDES & OILING. EVEN THOUGH TAKEN INTO THE DEALERSHIP WITH THAT COMPLAINT, MINE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE 2003, NOT AFFECTED BY THOSE PROBLEMS, SO SERVICE DID NOT REPAIR FOR TSB. LATER ON TIMING JUMPED BECAUSE GUIDES NOT REPLACED, BENT VALVE AND RUINED THE ENGINE TO TUNE OF $5,000, PLUS PARTS SPENT TO GET TO THAT POINT & RENTAL CARS. SHOULD BE NOTED THE FIRST REPLACEMENT MOTOR INSTALLED BY FORD RAN ONLY 15 MINUTES BEFORE IT BLEW FROM TIMING CHAIN DEFECT/POOR MANUFACTURING. HISTORY: BEFORE END OF 75,000 MILE EXTENDED WARRANTY I TOOK THE SPORT TRAC INTO THE DEALER TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE LITTLE COMPLAINTS. ONE COMPLAINT WAS SLIGHT RATTLE TYPE OF SOUND WHEN THE CAR WAS COLD/COLD MORNING. DEALER SUGGESTED AN ENGINE FLUSH & TO SWITCH TO FULL SYNTHETIC OIL. THAT DID HELP FOR SEVERAL THOUSAND MILES. ENGINE RATTLE CAME BACK, ONLY VERY OCCASIONAL BUT WORSE SOUND THAN BEFORE ON REAL COLD MORNINGS. WAS COASTING TOWARD RED LIGHT, LIGHT CHANGED & I GAVE IT GAS, ENGINE STARTED MISSING SEVERELY AS I TOOK OFF W/CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMING ON. LIMPED THE CAR HOME. PUT CODE READER ON & STARTED REPLACING PARTS CALLED FOR, MOSTLY TUNE UP, THEN EGR COMPONENTS, ETC., NEW CODE THROWN AFTER EVERY REPAIR. SMOG PARTS FOR 2003 DID NOT FIT, I HAD TO TAKE THE PARTS BACK & EXCHANGE THEM FOR 2001. WHEN ENGINE WAS CHANGED SERVICE REP TOLD ME ENGINE IN CAR WAS 2002, EVEN HAD TO REPLACE THERMOSTAT HOUSING BECAUSE ROUTING WAS DIFFERENT, ANGLE INCORRECT, NOT 2003, I TOOK PICTURES OF BLOCK & #'S, NOT A 2003, IT IS 2002 (PICTURES SHOW MY ENGINE, NO DIRT ACCUMULATION AT ALL). CARB STATES I CANNOT INSTALL AN ENGINE OLDER THAN THE CHASSIS INTO THE CAR, MOST ESPECIALLY OLDER SMOG COMPONENTS. CAN FORD? CAN FORD SELL A CAR AS NEW, SPECIFIC MODEL YEAR, BUT USE LEFTOVER PARTS FROM PREVIOUS YEARS & STILL CALL IT A NEW CAR? ISN'T THIS FRAUD? HOW CAN VEHICLE BE REPAIRED, TSBS FOLLOWED, ETC.? *TR

BOUGHT PRE-OWNED EXPLORER AND AFTER $84,000 MILES (WHEN I NOTICED - SO, PROBABLY WELL LESS) THE WHEEL BEARINGS NEED TO BE REPLACED. I'M FINDING WAY TOO MANY OCCURRENCES ONLINE FOR THIS TO BE AN OCCASSIONAL THING. *TT

BROKEN COIL SPRINGS FRONT AND REAR CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO TRY AND SWING AROUND TO THE RIGHT ON SLIPPERY SURFACES. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. *TT

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO START THE VEHICLE WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,600.

2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORTRAC, INTERMITTENTLY BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO FLOOR, PEDAL VIBRATES, UNABLE TO STOP. NO ACCIDENT YET BUT VERY SCARY SITUATION. SCHEDULED TO HAVE DEALER INSPECT ON 8/8/2011. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. NO ERROR CODES ON VEHICLE DIAGNOSTICS. THIS COULD CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT!! *TT

2003 FORD EXPLORER XLT. CONSUMER WANTS TO KNOW IF HIS VEHICLE IS INCLUDED IN RECALL # 11V352000 *TGW

I BOUGHT 2003 FORD EXPLORER IN 2008, USED, AND IN 2011 I OPENED MY BACK GLASS AND THE HINGE SNAPPED ON THE LEFT SIDE AND THE GLASS STARTED FALLING, AND THE ONLY THING THAT SAVED THE GLASS FROM BREAKING WAS THE RIGHT SIDE HINGE HELD. I CALLED THE FORD COMPANY AND THEY SAID THAT I COULD TAKE IT TO A DEALER AND HAVE IT INSPECTED, BUT THERE WAS NO SAFTEY RECALL ON MY VEHICLE. I LOOKED ONLINE AND IN 2004 THE 2003 FORD EXPLORER WAS RECALLED FOR THIS VERY PROBLEM. *KB

MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER HAD A "THUNK" NOISE FROM DAY ONE. FORD DEALERSHIP "COULD NOT DUPLICATE" THE COMPLAINT EVEN THOUGH I TOOK IT BACK MULTIPLE TIMES. HAD TO REPLACE THE TORQUE CONVERTER AT 70K MILES AND NOW AT 135K MILES THE WHOLE TRANSMISSION AND ANOTHER TORQUE CONVERTER FOR RATTLING AGAIN. OD/OFF BLINKING LIGHT AND CHECK TRANSMISSION NOTICE CAME ON WITH ERRATIC SHIFTING AND LOSS OF 2ND AND 5TH GEARS. REPLACEMENT OF TRANS ELIMINATED "THUNK" AND MY $4600. SIMILAR COMPLAINTS WITHOUT ANY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF FAULTY MATERIALS OR ENGINEERING BY FORD HAS PLAGUED HUNDREDS IF NOT THOUSANDS OF EXPLORER OWNERS. WHERE IS THE EXPECTED INVESTIGATION OF THESE PROBLEMS? WHY DO WE HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL ACCIDENTS OR INJURY TO HAVE FAULTY AUTOS RECALLED? WHY ARE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED MORE OF A SAFETY CONCERN THAN TRANSMISSIONS THAT LEAVE DRIVERS WITHOUT PROPER MOVING CAPABILITY ON THE HIGHWAY? WHERE IS THE RECALL FOR THESE UNITS? *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK ON THE REAR LIFTGATE, EXTENDING UP TO THE WINDOW. THE CONTACT EXPRESSED CONCERN OVER THE POSSIBILITY OF THE WINDOW SEPARATING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FAILURE WAS COSMETIC AND THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO ASSIST WITH REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 77,130.

SUDDENLY THE TRANSFER CASE STARTED JERKING AND THE SUV WAS SHAKING BADLY THAT I ALMOST COULDN'T DRIVE IT HOME. I WAS LUCKY TO HAVE THIS HAPPENING AT 1/2 MILE FROM MY HOUSE AND AT ABOUT 20-25 MILES PER HOUR! IT WAS NO CODE TO INDICATE WHERE THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHIN THE POWER TRAIN. I TOOK A PART THE REAR END, I FOUND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. I STARTED TO TROUBLESHOOT THE TRANSFER CASE AND I NOTICED THAT THE ELECTRICAL MOTOR WITH ACTUATOR DOES NOT SPIN THE SHAFT FROM TRANSFER CASE, REASON THAT THE TRANSFER CASE CAN'T SELECT FIRMLY THE POSITION OF HI, LOW OR 4WD!!!!. OBSERVING THAT THE MOTOR OF THE TRANSFER CASE SIFTER DOES NOT SPIN, I PURCHASED A NEW MOTOR FROM FORD,. AFTER REPLACEMENT, THE PROBLEM PERSISTED; SO, I REPLACED THE TRANSFER CASE MODULE, BEHIND THE GLOVE BOX; NO RESULT. TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THE CAR AROUND I UNPLUGGED THE TRANSFER CASE MOTOR SHIFT FROM THE MAIN HARNESS AND THE SUV STAYS NOW IN 4WD WITH BLINKING LIGHTS ON MY DASH FOR ABS AND 4X4 WD!!! I AM STILL WANDERING WHAT COULD HAPPENED TO ME IF THE JUMPING AND GRINDING WAS TO HAPPEND WHEN I WAS DRIVING THE CAR WITH 65-70 MILES PER HOUR AND THE POWER TRAIN COULD SNAP AND THE DRIVESHAFT COULD FLY OUT... WHO SHALL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MY LIFE OR SOMEBODY ELSE'S THAT I COULD HIT? I CONSIDER THAT THE MANUFACTURER SHALL RECALL THE EXPLORER'S AFFECTED AND ADDRESS THE TRANSFER CASE ISSUES. THE OLD PARTS THAT I HAVE REPLACED ARE AVAILABLE, THEY ARE FUNCTIONAL. I STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT IS WRONG BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND ANY ADVISE FROM ANY FORD SITES\, NEITHER FROM A QUALIFIED DIAGNOSTIC SPECIALIST. IF I GO TO FORD DEALERSHIP THEY WILL BE CHARGING TONS OF $$$ UNTIL THE CAR RUNS AGAIN; THEY DON'T CARE HOW MANY PARTS WILL REPLACE AND I WILL HAVE TO PAY FORD'S MISTAKES FROM MY POCKET; THIS IS NOT RIGHT! *TR