2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD WHEN THE SUN ROOF EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 130,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

REAR LIFTGATE WINDOW ON MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT EXPLODED INTO A MILLION PIECES. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND I WENT TO OPEN THE DOOR AND IT JUST EXPLODED.

TRUCK WAS RUNNING FINE. THEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS COMING OFF OF OR ONTO EXIT RAMPS. SEEMED LIKE AS THE ENGINE DECELERATED IT WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL. SOMETIMES IT WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND THE GEAR AND SOMETIMES I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WHICH WAS REALLY SCARY SINCE I WAS IN TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A SHORT TIME LATE (A MATTER OF WEEKS). I NOTICED IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR WHEN THE TRUCK WAS COLD (AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. THIS HAS RAPIDLY PROGRESSED INTO ALMOST COMPLETE FAILURE. I CAN STILL GET THE TRUCK TO MOVE IF I SHIFT MANUALLY INTO L1 OR L2 BUT D DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. ADDITIONALLY I NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES MY O/D LIGHT WOULD BE BLINKING AND SOMETIME O/D WOULD GO COMPLETELY OFF AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR. I FOUND IF I STOPPED, TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTARTED IT WOULD OFTEN FIX THE ISSUE. THIS IS NOT LONGER TRUE. I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC ON MONDAY. I LOOKED UP THE ISSUE AND SEE THAT THIS IS COMMON COMPLAINT WITH MANY EARLY 2000 FORD VEHICLES. SHAME THE COMPANY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT'S FAILURE AND STAND UP AND FIX IT. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS ISSUE BUT I COULD SEE IF THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AS SOMEONE WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC OR IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC THAT THIS COULD DEFINITELY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, A NOISE EMERGED FROM THE REAR HATCH WINDOW. THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED THAT THE PIECE THAT HELD THE WINDOW IN PLACE WAS FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SAME FAILURE IN MARCH OF 2015. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 159,149.

I HAD JUST PUT A BAG OF GROCERIES IN THE BACK, WAS CLOSING THE REAR GLASS HATCH WHEN IT EXPLODED ABOUT 1/3 OF THE WAY DOWN. VERY LOUD NOISE, AND TINY GLASS PIECES SHATTERED ACROSS 3 PARKING SPOTS, INTO AND ALL AROUND OUR VEHICLE, INCLUDING THE GROCERIES WHICH I DISCARDED. THIS CAR IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

REAR LIFTGATE WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED. VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND BEEN SO FOR 3 HOURS. TEMPERATURE WAS ABOUT 60 DEGREES. THERE WAS NO VISIBLE CRACKS OR OTHER DEFECTS. WAS WITNESSED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE. DID NOT JUST CRACK OR BREAK. IT SHATTERED INTO THOUSANDS OR PIECES. WAS NOT BEING OPENED OR CLOSED. VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STATIC

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE BODY MOUNT EMITTED AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND WAS DETERIORATING. THE FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

I BOUGHT MY FORD EXP.SPORT TRAC IN 2005 WITH A FEW MILES ON IT. I SOON FOUND OUT THAT IT HAD A FEW PROBLEMS WITH IT'S INTERIOR LIGHTING. THEN IT WAS THE DOOR LOOKS, THEN IT WAS THE RADIO GOING ON AND OFF BY ITSELF. THEN THE WINDOWS WENT UP AND DOWN ON THERE OWN. NOW THE AC COMES ON AND OFF WHILE IN THE OFF POSITION. AS OF TODAY KNOW ONE KNOWS WHAT AS GOTTEN INTO MY TRUCK AND WHEN I ADJUST MY STEERING WHEEL DONE THE TURNING LIGHTS DONT WORK AND I HAVE EVEN RECEIVED A TICKET FOR IT.

I WAS LEAVING THE STORE PARKING LOT. I STARTED THE CAR, PRESSED THE BREAK, PUT THE VEHICLE IN DRIVE AND THE PASSENGER SIDE AIRBAG DEPLOYED. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED SINCE THE FIRST INCIDENT IN SEPTEMBER 2014. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT HIT OR BUMPED IN ANY WAY. I WAS NOT BACKING OUT, I WAS IN DRIVE TO PULL OUT OF THE SPACE. *TR

TOOK VEHICLE IN FLUID CHANGES, COMPLETE CHECK, AND TO INVESTIGATE A LEAK UNDER VEHICLE. AFTER "COMPLETE" CHECK SAID THEY FOUND BAD SERPENTINE BELT, AIR FILTER AND BUT NOTHING VALVE COVER GASKETS AS CAUSE OF LEAK. COST TO REPAIR GASKETS OVER $1000. WHILE DOING REPAIR THEY CALLED AGAIN AND SAID THEY FOUND THAT THE REAR TIMING CARTRIDGE WAS BROKEN AND PIECES OF IT MISSING. TOLD ME THAT BOLT WAS WORE HALF WAY THROUGH AS TIMING CHAINING WAS RUBBING IT. SAID IF IT BREAKS BEFORE REPAIR ENGINE WILL "BLOW" AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. TOLD ME IT WOULD COSTS OVER $2,500 TO REPLACE THIS CARTRIDGE. TOTAL COST WAS NOW OVER $4,000. I ASKED WHY PART WAS BAD WHEN ENGINE ONLY HAD 84,000 MILES AND WHY THIS WASN'T FOUND WITH THE "COMPLETE" CHECK. MECHANIC STATED ONLY SAW IT BECAUSE HE HAD THINGS APART TO FIX VALVE COVER GASKETS. TOLD ME IT WAS A PLASTIC PART AND EVEN WITH LOW MILEAGE THE PLASTIC DETERIORATES WITH TIME. SAID PART ONLY DESIGNED TO LAST 100,000 MILES. IF I AM TO BELIEVE THIS FORD MECHANIC, FORD USES A PLASTIC PART IN A CRUCIAL PART OF THE ENGINE (TIMING) AND IF THAT PART FAILS THE ENGINE WILL "BLOW". AND THEY CANNOT KNOW THE PART IS BAD UNLESS THEY HAVE THE ENGINE APART FOR OTHER MAJOR REPAIRS. SO IF THE VALVE COVER GASKETS WERE NOT LEAKING THE ISSUE WOULD HAVE BEEN UNDETECTED BY THE FORD MAINTENANCE "COMPLETE" CHECK UP. IN ADDITION FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A WARNING THAT THIS ENGINE WILL POSSIBLY "BLOW" AFTER ONLY 100,000 MILES IF THIS PART NOT REPLACED BY A $2,500.00 - $3,000.00 REPAIR. FORD SHOULD PAY FOR THIS REPAIR. THEY DESIGN A VEHICLE THIS WAY WITH NO WARNING TO THE BUYERS/OWNERS. IF I AM TO BELIEVE THE FORD MECHANIC THERE IS NO WAY TO REALLY KNOW YOU MAY HAVE A PROBLEM. HOW ARE WE TO PROTECT OURSELVES? MY FRIEND SHOWED ME THIS SITE AND DID SOME SEARCHING ON OTHER BLOGS/SITES DEALING WITH VEHICLE ISSUES. THERE ARE NUMEROUS CASES OF THIS UNACCEPTABLE ISSUE. *TR