2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I HAVE CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH MY TIRES COMING OFF OF MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER WHILE DRIVING FOLLOWING ANY WORK REQUIRING REMOVAL OF MY TIRES (THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME MULTIPLE TIMES NOW). THE FIRST INCIDENT HAPPENED IN 2006. THE EXPLANATION THAT I HAVE RECEIVED IS THAT THE ALUMINUM RIMS REQUIRE EXTRA TORQUING WHEN PLACING THE TIRE BACK ON THE VEHICLE. I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE ROOT CAUSE REALLY IS BUT NOW I KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ISSUE WITH THE METAL IN ALL OF THE AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH MY TIRES BEING ATTACHED TO MY VEHICLE. EVERYTHING IS CORRODED BEHIND THE HUB CAPS OF ALL 4 WHEELS. THIS COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE ISSUE THAT THE WINDSTARS ARE EXPERIENCING, MAYBE THE ANNEALING PROCESS USED FOR THE METAL WAS DEFECTIVE? I DON'T KNOW BUT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND I WANT AN INVESTIGATION OPENED SO THAT IT CAN BE CORRECTED. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD REGARDING THIS ISSUE SO THEY ARE AWARE OF THIS AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE MANY OTHER INDIVIDUALS EXPERIENCING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE WITH THEIR EXPLORERS. *TR

WHEEL BEARING NEEDS REPLACEMENT. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. AT ONLY 52,000 MILES THE TRUCK STARTED MAKING A HUMMING SOUND. HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. $500! *TR

WHILE DRIVING ON HWY 38 IN SC, THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED SHAKING REAL BAD AND THEN THE ENTIRE SUV STARTED SHAKING AND WE VEERED OFF THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD INTO A FIELD. THE FRONT LEFT TIRE CAME OFF AND WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION I SAW THAT 2 OF THE 5 LUG POSTS WERE SHEARED OFF AND THE OTHER 3 WERE BENT. IN ADDITION THE MOLDING AROUND THE FRONT RIGHT TIRE CAME OFF AND THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS JAMMED SHUT. AFTER EVERYONE WAS OUT SAFELY THE SUV HAS BEEN TOWED AND IS WITH AN AUTO CENTER FOR REPAIRS AND BODY WORK. I SEARCHED ONLINE AND THIS IS A KNOWN PROBLEM FOR THIS VEHICLE YET FORD HAS NOT HAD ANY RECALLS DESPITE THE FREQUENCY OF THIS ISSUE. IF YOU SEARCH "2003 FORD EXPLORER PROBLEMS" IT WILL COME UP. THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED INTO BEFORE SOMEONE GETS KILLED. I CAN SEE THAT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE PAID FOR THEIR VEHICLES TO BE REPAIRED ONLY TO HAVE IT HAPPEN AGAIN ON ANOTHER WHEEL. *TR

WITH NO WARNING, WHILE DRIVING MY 2003 EXPLORER YESTERDAY, THE O/D OFF LIGHT COMES ON THEN THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT ALSO COMES ON. AFTER THAT I NOTICE THE SHIFTING OF GEARS FEELS REALLY WEIRD. IT SHIFTS SLOWER AND HARDER WHEN IT SHIFTS. I CANNOT DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE IT IS UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY 2 YOUNG CHILDREN. THE REPAIR SHOP SAYS I NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WHICH WILL COST ME $2000 THAT I DON'T HAVE, TO PUT INTO A VEHICLE I AM STILL PAYING ON. IF I CONTINUE TO DRIVE IT WITH THE TRANSMISSION THE WAY IT IS NOW, IT COULD LOCK UP AND MAKE ME STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, AND POSSIBLE GET MYSELF AND OTHERS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR KILLED. THIS SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR VEHICLE THAT I HAVE, BUT I DIDN'T NOT KNOW THAT UNTIL I BEGAN DOING RESEARCH WHEN IT MESSED UP YESTERDAY. *TR

THE TRANSMISSIONS IS FAILING IN 2ND AND 5TH GEAR. IT OCCURS EVERYDAY AND YOU CAN NOT ACCELERATE WITHOUT IT STICKING IN A HIGHER GEAR, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO STOP SAFELY. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER-4.6 LITER V8 4 WHEEL DRIVE, THE VEHICLE HAS 158,000 MILES AND HAVE EXPERIENCED THE SPARKPLUG BLOWOUT WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK. I WAS TRAVELING ON A BUSY STATE ROAD WHEN THE ENGINE MISS FIRED AND THEN HEARD A LOUD POP AND THE ENGINE WENT TO MISSING BAD. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED TO THE SIDE AND CHECKED TO SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I LIMPED THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT AND PROCEEDED TO REINSTALL THE PLUG AND COIL PACK. THE FORCING PUSH OF THE PLUG BROKE THE COIL PACK AND TORE THE PLUG BOOT. I JUST REPLACED THE COIL PACK AND PLUG BOOT ASSEMBLY AND REINSTALLED THE PLUG BCK IN. I FEEL THAT THIS ISSUE IS COMMON ON THE 4.6 LITERS, A FRIEND AND SHADETREE MECHANIC DID A MOTOR SWAP IN AN EXPEDITION WITH THIS SAME MOTOR FOR THE SAME REASON CAUSE THE PLUG IN CYLINDER #4(PASSENGER REAR) TORE THE THREADS COMING OUT AND LET LOOSE METAL INTO THE PISTON JOURNAL AND CAUSED SEVERE DAMAGE. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PAINT ON THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE WAS BUCKLING AND CHIPPING IN LARGE AREAS. THE FAILURE BEGAN AT SPREAD TO BOTH THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDES OF THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WOULD NOT PROVIDE ANY ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 82,000. UPDATED 11/16/10. *LJ

I KEEP READING ABOUT 2 COMPLAINTS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AND FORD SHOULD TAKE ACTION ON; THE FIRST BEING THE BACK TAIL GATE... FORD DO THE RIGHT THING. THE SECOND HAS TO DO WITH THE TRANSMISSION, OVERDRIVE LIGHT, THE PARKING BRAKE AND THE CRUISE CONTROL. I USE THE CRUISE CONTROL WHEN DRIVING LONG DISTANCES AND WHILE ON A FEW TRIPS THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT WOULD COME ON FOR NO REASON, AT LEAST I THOUGHT, I THEN FOUND OUT THAT I HAD AN ABS PROBLEM AND WHEEL BEARINGS PROBLEMS. ALL HAPPENING AT THE SAME TIME? AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH MY TRANSMISSION WAS DRIPPING FLUID ON MY NEW DRIVEWAY! THIS WAS WHILE I ONLY HAD ONLY 70,000 MILES, IT WASN'T RIGHT, I CHECKED OUT THE BRAKES, THEY HAD BEEN REPLACED BEFORE HOWEVER WHEN I PULL OFF THE REAR DRUM / DISK TO CHECK THE PARKING BRAKE THAT'S WHEN I FOUND THE PROBLEM. I NEVER USE MY PARKING BRAKE, IT ROTTED AND DELAMINATED AND WAS DRAGGING HENCE THE OD LIGHT, THE OVERHEATING OF THE TRANSMISSION WHICH BLEW OUT THE SEAL, THE EXCESSIVE BRAKE DUST WHICH WAS PARTIALLY THE CAUSE OF ABS SENSOR MALFUNCTIONING. THE LAST PART IMPACTS THE BEARINGS, WHEN THE ABS SENSOR MALFUNCTIONS IT CAN APPLY THE BRAKES AS IN SKIDDING OR IN TIRE SLIPPAGE ADDING TO EARLY UNNECESSARY WEAR ON BEARINGS AND AGAIN OVERHEATING OF THE TRANSMISSION. FORD NEEDS TO INSTALL A FEW "SMART" SENSORS, ONE WHICH COULD TRACK PARKING BRAKE MALFUNCTIONS, ALSO ONE FOR FAIL SAFE TEMPERATURE READINGS FOR THE TRANSMISSION. (THAT IS BEFORE IT IS COMPROMISED.) DO THE RIGHT THING FORD, YOUR SALES DEPEND ON IT. *TR

OVERDRIVE LIGHT IS BLINKING AND TRANSMISSION IS SHIFTING HARD AND SOMETIMES NOT AT ALL. THE CAR HAS 90,000 MILES ON IT. NOTHING HAS EVER BEEN TOED. IT IS A DAILY COMMUTE CAR I HAVE OWNED SINCE BRAND NEW. THERE IS NO WAY I SHOULD ALREADY NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION. ALSO THE WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE GONE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FRONT OF MY CAR. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO COUNTLESS OTHER PEOPLE WITH THIS YEAR (2003) EXPLORER. I HAVE RESEARCHED BOTH AND THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THIS CAR. AND BOTH ARE EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS FOR SAFETY REASONS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A HUGE DEFECT FROM FORD AND NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. SHE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE CRACKS ON THE REAR LIFT GATE UNDERNEATH THE REAR WINDOW. AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED HER THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN FAILURE BUT SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE IT REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 115,000.