2003 Ford Explorer Other Problems

Your transmission won't shift into gear properly, and your 4-wheel drive is stuck in 4-wheel low and won't shift out. When you start the car, the engine revs up to 5,000 RPM but the vehicle only moves at about 2 miles per hour. The transmission will likely need professional diagnosis and possible rebuild or replacement to restore normal shifting and drivability.

While closing the back hatch, the glass window suddenly shattered and exploded. Your vehicle was parked in your yard at the time. This could happen again when operating the hatch, potentially causing injury from broken glass.

Your headlights have become cloudy, which reduces visibility at night. Additionally, your rear hatch door has developed a crack. Both issues should be addressed to maintain safe visibility and prevent water intrusion into the vehicle.

THIS SUV'S ARE GETTING HOT DURING THE TEXAS WEATHER, WHY ARE NOT INCLUDING A SOLAR FAN INSTALLED TO KEEP THE AIR CIRCULATING IN THE SUV, TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING WHY ARE NOT ADDING THE SYSTEM ???

WHENEVER WE ARE DRIVING IN THE CAR, MY WIFE AND I GET DIZZINESS AND NAUSEA. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER SAY THERE IS AN EGGY SMELL SOMETIMES. MOSTLY, NO ODOR BUT AN OVERWHELMING SENSE OF DIZZINESS ONLY WHEN WE ARE IN THAT CAR TO THE POINT WE AVOID DRIVING AS MUCH. THIS HAS BEEN ONGOING FOR YEARS. I THOUGHT IT WAS A SEAL ISSUE CREATING A WEIRD PRESSURE INSIDE THE CAR UNTIL IN MY RESEARCH FOR A SOLUTION I CAME ACROSS NEWS STORIES ON CARBON MONOXIDE IN OTHER FORD EXPLORERS.

VEHICLE WAS PARKED WHEN REAR WINDOW EXPLODED AFTER DOOR CLOSED. SHARDS OF GLASS FLEW OUTWARD

BROKEN GEAR SHIFTER

I CONTACTED FORD REGARDING RECALL WITH THE LIFT GATE. THERE WAS RECALL IN 2004 FOR MY VEHICLE THAT WAS TAKEN CARE OF IN 2005. IN 2016 THE SAME THING HAPPEN WHERE THE LIFT GATE BOLTS BROKE AND THE GATE FELL AND THE GLASS SHATTERED ALL OVER ME. I WENT THROUGH MY INSURANCE COMPANY AND GOT IT REPAIRED. AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS RECALL I BOUGHT THE CAR USED SO I HAD NO IDEA OF THE CALL. FORD TOLD TO CONTACT A DEALER THE DEALER SHOP MANAGER TOLD ME FORD WILL NOT REFUND MY DEDUCTIBLE SINCE THEY REPAIRED IT UNDER THE RECALL. ALL I WANT IS MY 250 BACK BECAUSE THE SAME THING HAPPEN THAT THEY SO CALLED REPAIRED. IS THERE ANY WAY YOU CAN ASSIT ME. I DO HAVE MY BILL FROM THE REPAIR SHOP THAT MY INSURANCE STATE FARM TOOK CARE OF. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED I WAS CLOSING THE LIFT GATE WHEN IT FELL DOWN AND GLASS SHATTERED.

GREETINGS THE PROBLEM THE CABIN NOT WELL SEALED FROM ANY FUMES PLUS THE A/C DOOR INSIDE TO KEEP THE AIR RECYCLE FALLING OFF NOT WELL SECURE CONSEQUENTLY GETTING FUMES FROM THE OUTSIDE AND ALSO I CAN SMELL THE CABIN IN THE MORNING WHEN I GET INSIDE FROM EITHER OIL LEAKS AND EXHAUST BURNS, IT NEEDS ATTENTION PROMPTLY SINCE FORD DOES CARE OR GET CONCERN ON ANY PROBLEM. IT HAS BEING HAPPENING MORE SINCE 2006 AND ALSO THE TRUCK INSULATION IT IS BAD SINCE MOST COLD WEATHER PENETRATES THE CABIN WHEN YOU DRIVING YOU CAN FEEL THE AIR COMING IN. IT NEEDS TESTING AND RECALL, IT HAS BEING INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF FUMES COMING IN FROM THE OUTSIDE OTHER TRUCKS. YOU MAY HAVE TO DO THE FUME SMOKE TEST HOW MUCH IT GOES INSIDE THE CABIN.

BACK GLASS EXPLODED. WHEN I PRESSED THE GATE RELEASE BUTTON, GLASS EXPLODED ON MY AND MY FOSTER CHILD I WAS HOLDING.

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.

2003 FORD EXPLORER SHUTS DOWN WHILE DRIVING. I LOSE BRAKING AND STEERING ABILITY. IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY TIME. IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES . TODAY 12 FEB. 2016 IS THE LATEST DATE.

CRACKED PANEL BELOW THE REAR WINDOW

VEHICLE WAS PARKED(ENGINE COLD) ON RESIDENTIAL STREET,ALARM SOUNDED,UPON OPENING HOOD DISCOVERED FLAMES, PUT OUT IMMEDIATELY WITH EXTINGUISHER, CAR WILL NOT RUN AND THERE APPEARS TO BE EXTENSIVE DAMAGE ESPECIALLY ON RIGHT SIDE.

MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER REAR PASSENGER, AND REAR LIFT GATE AND WINDOW EXPLODED. IT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOME.

MY HINGES TO MY BACK GLASS HATCH KEEP BREAKING AND GLASS KEEPS ALMOST FALLING OFF. I'M AFRAID THAT KIDS MIGHT HIT BUTTON UNDER THE HANDLE THAT POPS IT OPEN AND IT COMES DOWN ON THEM AND HURT THE BADLY!! THIS IS THE 5TH TIME SINCE 2011 THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED AND I CALLED BEFORE TO MAKE SURE WAS NO RECALL AND WASN'T AND STILL ISN'T FOR MY YEARAKE AND MODEL. I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FIX IT UP MYSELF UNTIL THIS LAST TIME. SO I AM UNABLE TO FIX IT NOW. I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH FORD AND THE GAVE ME THIS SITE AND MY REPORT # FOR THAT CLAIM IS CAS7942030. EACH TIME ITS BEEN PARKED.

THERE IS A CRACK IN THE REAR LIFT GATE DOOR. HAVE SEEN THIS ON MANY OTHER FORD, MERCURY, ETC. ALSO THE DOOR AJAR INDICATOR STAYS ON.

OPENED BACK HATCH TO PLACE HELIUM BALLOONS IN; UPON CLOSING THE REAR GLASS EXPLODED. WE HAD THE FULL HATCH OPEN, NOT JUST THE GLASS PART & CLOSED IT AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY.

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

MY TRANSMISSION FAILED WHILE TRYING TO CROSS A BUSY INTERSECTION. IT WOULD NOT SHIFT AND I WAS UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. IT WAS A SCARY MOMENT; LUCKILY THERE WAS NO CRASH. FORD KNOWS ABOUT THE HIGH FAILURE RATE FOR TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 03 EXPLORERS, BUT REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING OTHER THAN OFFER TO PUT IN A NEW TRANSMISSION AT AN EXORBITANT RATE. THEY SHOULD HAVE ISSUED A RECALL ON THESE TRANSMISSIONS, BUT HAVE REFUSED TO DO SO, IN SPITE OF MANY COMPLAINTS.

CAR SUDDENLY LURCHES FORWARD AND ROCKS BACK AND FORTH. CAR WAS PARKED IN DRIVEWAY WHEN STARTED, IT SUDDENLY LURCHED FORWARD, ROCKING BACK AND FORTH LEAVING A BRUISE ACROSS MY SHIN FROM THE RUNNING BOARDS. TWO DAYS EARLIER, MY DAUGHTER CLOSED THE BACK HATCH WHICH CAUSED THE TRUCK TO LURCH BACK AND FORTH, LUCKILY, JUST BUMPING HER. THIS HAS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT WAS ALWAYS PROPERLY IN PARK WHEN IT HAPPENED.

THE BACK PANEL OF MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER CRACKED RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE. IT IS THE PANEL JUST BELOW THE BACK WINDSHIELD. IT WAS FINE ONE DAY, AND SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE THE NEXT. I KNOW IT IS NOTHING I DID. I GOOGLED TO SEE IF ANYONE ELSE HAD THIS PROBLEM AND I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS FOR THE EXACT SAME THING! THIS NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS DEFECT, NOT THE CUSTOMER. PLEASE, PLEASE, RECALL THIS FOR US. WE PUT OUR TRUST IN FORD BY PURCHASING THEIR VEHICLES AND WE WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD TAKE CARE OF THEIR MISTAKES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. *TR

THE HEATER NO LONGER WORKS AND NO MATTER WHERE THE HEAT DIAL IS TURNED, IT MAKES A CONSTANT TICKING SOUND. I LOOKED INTO GETTING IT FIXED AT A LOCAL SHOP AND WAS TOLD IT WAS GOING TO BE AT LEAST A $1,500 CHARGE. *TR

I JUST RECENTLY TOOK MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4.0L V6 TO MY LOCAL DEALER BECAUSE OF A COLD DRAFT COMING FROM THE GLOVE BOX AND OR FLOOR PANEL ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. UPON NOT EVEN GOING INTO FURTHER EXPLANATION ABOUT MY PROBLEM THEY KNEW EXACTLY WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS; STATING IT IS THE "BLEND DOOR." THEY SAID "THE PINS FROM THE DOOR BREAK OFF AND CAUSES THE DOOR TO FALL MAKING IT NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY CREATING A COLD DRAFT AND THE HEATER OR AIR CONDITIONING NOT TO WORK PROPERLY; IS A "COMMON PROBLEM".' WHEN I CALLED DOWN THERE TWO DAYS LATER, TO GET MY QUOTE ON FIXING IT, THE MANAGER IN PARTS SAID 'THE PART WAS $50.00 AND WAS GOING TO REQUIRE 4 HOURS OF LABOR BECAUSE OF HAVING TO TAKE THE WHOLE DASH OFF TO GET TO IT; I WAS LOOKING AT ROUGHLY $330.00 WITH PARTS, LABOR, AND TAX.' I PERSONALLY FEEL THIS IS A 'MANUFACTURES DEFECT' AND WHY SHOULD THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR A 'MANUFACTURES DEFECT?' ALSO, IF THIS IS SUCH A 'COMMON PROBLEM' WHY IS THERE NOT A RECALL FOR IT BEING FAULTY; OTHER THAN BECAUSE IT'S NOT A SAFETY HAZARD. I APPRECIATE ANY TIME YOU PUT INTO MY QUESTION AND DILEMMA. I WILL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO AN EXPLANATION AS TO WHY IT ISN'T A RECALL. *CN

PAINT IS BUBBLING UP AND PEELING ON MY ROOF IN 3 AREAS. I CAN SEE THE METAL. *JB

TL-THE REAR END OR THE TRANSMISSION AND THEY CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. YOU PUSH ON THE ACCERLARTOR THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND THEN IT SLAMMED INTO GEAR. IT YOU COME TO A STOP SING SOME TIMES IT WILL GO AND SOMETIMES NO IT FEELS AS IT SOME THING DROPS FROM UNDER THE TRUNCK.

THE VEHICLE'S PAINT IS BUBBLY/BLISTERING ON THE FRONT EDGE OF THE HOOD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GERMAN FORD DEALERSHIP WHO NOTED THE CORROSION, TOOK PICTURES, AND INITIATED A REPORT TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY. AT THIS TIME THE DEALER REFUSES TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE AT NO CHARGE BECAUSE THE VEHICLE'S 36/36,000 WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED, AND IS AWAITING A FORMAL RESPONSE FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN A CRASH OR FIRE. *JB

WE OWN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER XLT. WE WERE DRIVING ON I-79 AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR LOST POWER SO THAT WE COULD NOT GO ABOVE 25 MPH ON A VERY BUSY HIGHWAY. WE WERE TOWED OVER 100 MILES BACK HOME TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WERE TOLD THAT "FOR SOME REASON THE AIR MASS SYSTEM WENT BAD AND CAUSED THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS TO GO BAD." THE MECHANIC STATED THAT HE WOULD TRY TO GET THE DEALERSHIP TO PAY FOR THE CATALYTIC CONVERTERS SINCE THEY ARE SO EXPENSIVE, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THIS OFFER WAS MADE IN ORDER TO COVER UP AN ISSUE WITH THE MANUFACTURING OF THE VEHICLE. THE CAR IS STILL IN THE SHOP 5 DAYS LATER AND WE DO NOT KNOW ANYTHING MORE AS TO HOW THIS COULD HAVE OCCURED. WE HAVE BEEN DILIGENT AT KEEPINGUP REGULAR MAINTENANCE AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 43,000 MILES ON IT, SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE OCCURED WITH NO WARNING WHATSOEVER. WE HAVE TWO SMALL CHILDREN AND ARE VERY GREATFUL THAT NO LARGE TRUCKS WERE RIGHT AROUND US AS THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT OR WE COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY HURT AS THEY CAN NOT SLOW DOWN FROM 75MPH TO 25MPH IN A QUICK MANNER.

THERE HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH MOLD IN THE AIR CONDITIONING CONDESNER UNIT.

I WAS TRAVELING IN REVERSE (LESS THAN 1MPH) WHEN I STRUCK A TREE. THE ENTIRE BACK WINDOW OF MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER SHATTERED SENDING SHARDS OF GLASS INTO THE REAR THIRD ROW SEATING AREA. THE GLASS WASN'T SAFETY GLASS. THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE (GLASS AND BODY) IS OVER $2,500.00. THERE ARE TWO AREAS OF CONCERN. FIRST, IF THERE WERE PASSENGERS IN THE 3RD ROW SEAT, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IN GLASS ESPECIALLY IN THE FACIAL AREA? NUMBER TWO. WHY SHOUL THERE BE SO MUCH DAMAGE AT LESS THAN 1 MPH? IF I WAS REAR ENDED AT LET'S SAY 40 MPH, THE CAR WOULD BE TOTALLED. I FIND THIS INCIDENT POINTS OUT A DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY PROBLEM. JAMES HUTCHISON