CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Ford Explorer one of our worst vehicles on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2003 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
The body paint on my vehicle has held up pretty well, however, the exterior window and door trim has faded out really bad and also the hood guard. It causes the value of my car to decrease. I feel like if the body paint has held up, why not the trim paint? I would like to see this problem fixed.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The body paint on my vehicle has held up pretty well, however, the exterior window and door trim has faded out really bad and also the hood guard. It causes the value of my car to decrease. I feel like if the body paint has held up, why not the trim paint? I would like to see this problem fixed.
- jamacker, Poplarville, MS, US