2003 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-60 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR SUSPENSION. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY REPLACED THE REAR BEARINGS; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE RECURRED TWO MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT A REPAIR SHOP. THROUGH ONLINE RESEARCH, HE FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS FOR THIS IDENTICAL FAILURE WITH OTHER FORD EXPLORERS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 67,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 109,000.

I BOUGHT MY 2003 EXPLORER IN 2002 AT 110 MILES. WITHIN THE 3 YEAR WARRANTY THE AIR CONDITIONING HAD A URINE SMELL AND KNOCKING NOISE IN THE REAR BUT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FIX IT. AS A RESULT I HAVE A SLOW LEAK WHICH MEANS IT HAS TO BE CHARGED EVERY YEAR. IN FEB 2007 A CRACK FORMED IN THE REAR PANEL THEY DIDN'T WANT TO FIX. OCTOBER 2007 AT 45000 MILES I NEEDED WHEEL BEARINGS FOR INSPECTION. AT 48000 MILES WHEN I PAID MY TRUCK OFF MAY 2008, WITHIN A FEW DAYS THE 0/D LIGHT & SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON RESULTING IN MY GEARS SLIPPING. I FOUND OUT THROUGH SEVERAL SHOPS THAT MY 2ND AND FIFTH GEARS WERE BURNED OUT. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THE SOLENOID BODY, THEN HAS TO GO IN TO CHECK FOR MORE. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL BECAUSE I HAD NO EXTENDED WARRANTY WHICH WAS A WASTE OF TIME BECAUSE FORD WASN'T COOPERATING. SO NOW IT'S JUNE 2009 AND I'M STILL DRIVING IT A WHOLE YEAR LATER BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED. I LEARNED HOW TO DRIVE THE TRUCK BUT I'M REMINDED EVERYDAY ABOUT THE PROBLEMS. PARK TO REVERSE IS A STRUGGLE, IT DOESN'T START EASILY SOMETIMES, IT HAS NO POWER WHILE DRIVING, ABS AND DOOR AJAR LIGHTS STAY ON, AND REVERSE ALARM WHEN TO CLOSE DOESN'T WORK, AND INSTEAD OF BEING HAPPY I PAID IT OFF IT'S NOTHING BUT A FEELING OF FRUSTRATION, ANGER, AND REGRET FOR BUYING FROM FORD. *TR

MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER SOMETIMES WILL LOCK THE SHIFTER AT REVERSE AS I MOVE IT TO PARK. IT FEELS LIKE IT WENT ALL THE WAY TO PARK, BUT IT REALLY STOPS (AND WON'T MOVE) AT REVERSE. LETTING OFF THE BRAKE, ASSUMING IT IS IN PARK, CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACKWARDS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HINGES FOR THE REAR LIFTGATE FRACTURED AND ALMOST CAUSED THE GLASS TO DISENGAGE AND CAUSE INJURY. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V442000 (STRUCTURE:BODY:HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE:HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS); THEREFORE, THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 130,000.

TODAY I GOT IN MY FORD EXPLORER AND NOTICED THAT MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS FLASHING. SO, PULLED OVER TO SEE WHAT THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS AND SOON RIGHT AFTER THE ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON..I THEN LOOK THROUGH THE MANUAL AND IT INDICATES THAT IF THESE LIGHTS WERE TO COME ON PLEASE TAKE IT TO SERVICE ASAP. I DID THE FOLLOWING AND TOOK THE SUV TO PEP BOYS. I DESCRIBED MY PROBLEM TO THE SERVICE MANAGER AND HE SAID PLEASE DON'T TELL ME IT'S A FORD EXPLORER....I HESITATED AND LOOKED AT HIM WITH A PUZZLED LOOK ON MY FACE AND SAID YES. WHY ? I SAID. WELL FORD EXPLORERS ARE KNOWN FOR THIS PROBLEM AND THAT I SHOULD CHECK TO SEE IF THERE ARE ANY RECALLS. I THEN WENT TO FORDS WEBSITE AND FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO CHECK FOR ANY RECALLS ON YOUR VEHICLE AND ENTERED MY VIN# AND GOT BACK NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE. WITH ALL THESE COMPLAINTS AND CONSUMERS CRYING ABOUT THIS PROBLEM HOW CAN WE ALLOW A CAR GIANT LIKE FORD TO GET AWAY WITH THIS MANUFACTURING PROBLEM? AT LEAST THEY SHOULD HAVE THE DECENCY TO INFORM YOU THAT THERE CARS HAVE BEEN KNOWN FOR HAVING TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS DATING BACK TO 1995. THE LIST OF PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAVE WAS RUDE AWAKENING AND VERY DISTURBING TO SEE. WE NEED A RESOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT TAKES. PLEASE CONTACT ME DIRECTLY IF YOU NEED TO. *TR

03' FORD EXPLORER, STEERING COLUMN WON'T SHIFT INTO OR OUT OF PARK CORRECTLY, HAVE TO PUSH VERY HARD ON BRAKE AND STRUGGLE W/SHIFT TO GET IT TO WORK. DURING OIL CHANGE OPERATOR NEARLY HAD A ROLL AWAY ACCIDENT AS PARKING TO RETURN TRUCK TO OWNER AFTER CHANGE. THIS OCCURS AT LEAST 4 TIMES A DAY. *TR

MY WIFE AND I OWN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 04V442000, THE LIFTGATE GLASS STRUTS BRACKETS AND GLASS HINGES WERE ALLEGEDLY REPAIRED. ONE OF THE GLASS HINGES THAT WAS ALLEGEDLY REPLACED HAD FAILED. THE HINGE PIN FOR THIS HINGE HAS BEEN SHEARED OFF IN A SIMILAR MANNER TO THE PROBLEM WITH THE ORIGINAL HINGES COVERED UNDER THE ABOVE REFERENCED RECALL. MY FORD DEALER AND FORD ARE ENTIRELY UNWILLING TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE UNDER THE ORIGINAL RECALL, STATING THAT THEY HAVE MET THEIR OBLIGATION. SINCE THE 'REPLACEMENT' HINGE HAS FAILED IN THE SAME MANNER AS THE ORIGINAL I AM LEFT WITH ONLY TWO POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS. THE 'REPLACEMENT' PART IS SIMILARLY FLAWED OR THE PART USED IN THE RECALL WAS NOT THE REPLACEMENT PART. REGARDLESS OF THE EXPLANATION, A SAFETY ISSUE REMAINS WITH THE GLASS LIFTGATE ON MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER AND IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE ABOVE RECALL. THE LIFTGATE GLASS HAS NOT (YET) FALLEN, BUT WITH A FAILED HINGE SUCH A ACCIDENT WILL OCCUR. *TR

NO NOISE/WARNING. THE CAR HAD BILLOWING BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ON INSPECTION OIL WAS GUSHING FROM A VALVE AT THE BACK OF THE ENGINE AND BURNING, IT NEARLY BURST INTO FLAMES. IT WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, WHO FOUND THE TIMING CHAIN HAD BROKEN, SLASHING A VALVE COVER AND CUTTING INTO THE BACK OF THE ENGINE. IT CAN BE FIXED FOR $3,000 PLUS TAX ESTIMATE, BUT THE FORD DEALERSHIP RECOMMENDS AGAINST THIS AND SAYS IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE /REFURBISHED ENGINE $5,000 PLUS TAX. FORD REFUSE TO ACCEPT THIS IS A DEFECT, DESPITE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS I HAVE SEEN ON THE INTERNET. THE CAR WAS A FORD EXPLORER 2003 WITH ONLY 60,720 ON THE CLOCK. I BOUGHT IT NEW AND MAINTAINED IT WELL. I STILL HAVE PAYMENTS ON IT SO AM SELLING IT FOR $2000 TO COVER THE PAYMENTS. IT WAS A $34,000 CAR. *TR

THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG WARNING LIGHT COMES ON INTERMITTENTLY FOR NO REASON (HAS SINCE I BOUGHT IT USED IN 2006). THE DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND WON'T ALLOW ME TO LOCK/SET MY ALARM ON MY VEHICLE PLUS IT LEAVES THE INTERIOR LIGHTS ON FOR A WHILE (STARTED ABOUT 6 MONTHS AGO). I AM NOW EXPERIENCING A BANGING SOUND UNDER THE HOOD WHEN I CHANGE THE TEMPERATURE (HEAT OR AIR CONDITIONING)(STARTED IN LAST 4 MONTHS). I HAVE TO TURN THE FAN ON HIGH TO GET IT TO STOP. IT WILL DO IT EVEN IF THE TEMP IS OFF SOMETIMES. IT ALSO WILL NOT LOCK INTO GEAR WHEN PUT INTO PARK ON AN INCLINE (MY DRIVEWAY)...WITHOUT ROCKING BACKWARDS INTO GEAR(STARTED IN THE LAST 6 MONTHS). *TR

I CURRENTLY OWN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. ABS LIGHT HAD BEEN SHOWING SOMETIMES AND GAINED A SMALL VIBRATION IN THE ENGINE. THEN ONE DAY BY A TURN OF THE KEY THERE WAS A LOUD THUMB SOUND AND IT NEVER STARTED AGAIN. PUT A NEW STARTER ON GOT IT STARTED BUT IT HAD A MAJOR PECKING SOUND COMING FROM TRANSMISSION. TOOK TRANSMISSION OUT AND FOUND THAT THE TORQUE HAD A BAD RATTLE IN IT. REPLACED TORQUE AND RESTARTED ENGINE AND STILL HAD ANOTHER SMALL PECKING SOUND IT WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE DROPPED OIL PAN AND FOUND TO HAVE A BALANCE SHAFT CHAIN GUIDE BUSTED AND THE TIMING CHAIN WAS LOOSE. SO BY THE TURN OF THE KEY RESULTED IN TORQUE LOCK UP IN WHICH CAUSED STARTED DRIVE TO BUST AND ALL THE PRESSURE WHEN THE NEW STARTER KICK IN BROKE TORQUE LOOSE AND CAUSED THE CRANK TO OVER SPIN THE TIMING CHAIN IN WHICH BROKE CHAIN GUIDE. SO LUCKY IT HAPPENED BY THE TURN OF THE KEY INSTEAD OF DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. *TR