This problem may be covered under warranty. Ask your Ford dealer.
8.7
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$1,064.00
Average Mileage:
89,285 miles
Total Complaints:
25 complaints
Most common solutions:
- 3rd party repair, no way i'm giving dealer more money (12 reports)
- dealer replaced all the bearings (6 reports)
- replaced all 4 wheel bearings and brakes (5 reports)
- not sure (2 reports)
wheels / hubs problem
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2012Jan 04
Explorer
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
Bought the vehicle in 05 from Car Max. Had issues since day one that Car Max repair kept saying that wsa the 4 wheel drive and they could not seem to fix. ! Car has made a bad humming noise for 7 years. Recently went to Pep Boys who replaced the Hub bearings and stated that this was a real hazard. Now miraculously the noise is completely gone. The labor was extensive, but 1,157 later the car is much more pleasant to drive. Thanks for nothing Car Max!
2008Nov 24
Explorer
- Automatic transmission
- 63,000 miles
We have replaced 9 wheel bearings over the last 3 years.It is a pain inn the ass to no end we have replaced the brakes almost every 2 years
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2011Sep 23
Explorer XLT 4.0L Ltr
- Automatic transmission
- 161,543 miles
DAMN FORD, FIX OR REPAIR DAILY, I HAD PROBLEMS WITH MY 98 EXPLORER HUB'S AND NOW WITH THE 2003 EXPLORER HUB'S I AM DOING THE WORK MYSELF, THESE 3 BOLTS ON THE HUB ARE A BITCH TO GET AT AND A BITCH TO GET OFF, AND STUPID ENGINEERS PUT A CAST ALUM AND STEEL TOGETHER THAT'S A FIRST NO NO! CANT MIX THE METALS LIKE THAT, AND THE LAST HUB THAT WENT ON THEY USED A SEALER BETWEEN THE STEEL HUB AND CAST,
WHAT A BUNCH OF STUPID ENGINEERS, MAKE IT SO IT CAN BE WORKED ON, CANT GET A SOCKET ON THE BOLTS AND A WRENCH SLIPS AND DOESN'T FIT BETWEEN THE C/V SHAFT AND THE BOLT, AMERICAN CAR'S SUCK, MY STRUTS FOR MY CADDY ARE $600 EACH, NO MORE AMERICAN CARS FOR THIS FAMILY
2009Nov 01
Explorer ES V6
- Automatic transmission
- 115,000 miles
Replaced all bearings, to find out 2 months later one of the rear bearings went. I had to pay labor to have it fixed. Now 11 months later another bearing went...i had to pay to have that fixed too......How is it you can drive a car for 115,000 miles and the bearings are fine...After 1 year of driving around in new bearing.. and 2 of them are shot???? Really...am I expected to pay for this?
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2010Oct 01
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 84,000 miles
my front bearings failed and i was able to replace them myself.. got the parts from a internet company, but now i have to repair the rear... the noise is a lot less but i have to take the knuckle to a shop because the bearings are pressed in... yuk..i must say i also needed to replace the serpentine belt twice already.... i have a Camry with 250k and i am still running everything original other than brakes, timing belt,water pump and oil pump. normal wear repairs... wish ford could make them like that..read a couple of threads on the whistling in the rear end...( not the bearings ) harmonic balancer and oil viscosity might be the culprit... i guess I'll turn the radio up for that one..i don't like stripping differentials..good luck everyone
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2010Jul 09
Explorer XLT
- 88,000 miles
More problems with the Explorer. Transmission, wheel bearings, exterior trim falling off. Terrible design by Ford
2010Oct 02
Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 145,000 miles
I have a ford explorer to with the same f.. problem, wheel bearings, it sucks because I was so proud of ford, and argue with my friends all the time by being on the ford side!!! I bought it with a 90.000 miles and I drove it for two years, now it has 147000 and gives me a lot of headaches, I just got done the brakes all 4 the wheel bearings, and steel. I have some noise from the front I have no idea what that is , the service engine light turning on and off ,abs light the same, the cruise control an the horn doesn't work too, looks like I have to spend a lot of money for the repair,bought the car have to bring the money not to spend them!!!! I think the European cars are much better!!!
2009Dec 01
Explorer XLT
- Automatic transmission
- 63,000 miles
So I bought my 2003 Ford Explorer and everything was fine until about 65,000 miles. I noticed a noise coming from the rear and thought it was tires. I replaced the tires and no change. It progressively got worse so I took it in and was told it needed wheel bearings by two different mechanics. I replaced at that time the right front and right rear, cost $525.00 for part and labor. When I got it back about a month later I started to notice a noise again, so took it to same place and he said the remaining two were bad also. I again replaced them the left front and rear Costing $ 550.00. Since then I have had to replace the Right front again and both the rear back ones costing $600.00.
So in total including the originals my vehicle has had 10 wheel bearings on it. This is unexceptable and ridiculous!!!. I don't know what to do anymore and am very frustrated to say the least. The parts came from a well known establishment and I am hoping I can at least get some of my money back. I found a new mechanic who changed the last two and said they were extremly bad and was surprised to know it had only been about 16 months since they were changed. FYI beware of buying a ford. I will never purchase another one..There are other things wrong with this vehicle and my best friend also has owns one and has sunk thousand of dollars in to it also.
2010May 10
Explorer Eddie Bauer V6
- Automatic transmission
- 115,000 miles
We have the 2003 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION, and noticed a whining sound starting when you were driving it. We weren't really sure what it was, til we realized it was wheel bearings. The noise was so loud tho, we couldn't figure out which one was making the sound. Til one day, the noise got a lot worse and it was coming from a back wheel. We replaced that one and still could hear the noise from before in the car when driving it. Long story short, we ended up replacing all 4 wheel bearings, which I add, is not cheap at all. And low and behold, we once again hear the same noise. We think coming from the back once again. This is ridiculous that you would have this much trouble from a car. I have never had this many wheel bearings to go out on one car alone. FORD is a joke obviously and needs to make their products with better quality. I still owe on this vehicle and this is one of a few problems we have had. The most recent being the transmission, and now it cant even be drove, so I am paying a car note on a car that cant be used. What a JOKE!!!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2010Aug 07
Explorer XLS 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 87,200 miles
I also heard a load roaring noise coming from my car. I even thought it was my tires. I first replaced both of the front tires. Cost me about $500.00. Then it continued so I bought another set of tires ($700.00). The noise kept getting louder. Then there was the thumping I have been feeling under the drivers side. I had all 4 hubs replaced for $1,536 dollars and there is still a thumping noise coming from the drivers side.
The load roaring noise is gone but after I have spent all this money. Taking my car back to dealer this weekend to try and figure out what the thumping is.
2010Apr 20
Explorer XLT V8
- Automatic transmission
- 72,000 miles
Had front wheel bearings replaced, now can hear noise coming from the rear end...rear bearings next.
2008Oct 10
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 68,000 miles
If several people are complaining about the same thing, I believe there is a huge problem. All my bearings are going bad. Within a years time I have had to replace 3 wheel bearings. This is something that never happens on on most vehicles. What the hell, this is definitely a recall issue to me!!!!!
2009Aug 20
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 47,000 miles
Yeah along with the tranny my wheel bearings are bad 3 or four so they tell me at 47K miles on my beautiful 2003 Ford Explorer! :-( This thing is a POS!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2009Aug 27
Explorer XLT V6
- Automatic transmission
- 96,000 miles
First my front bearing went, then i'm driving down the road and th erear bearing went. Ridiculous. So many people are having problems and ford is allowed to just keep collecting money from people who can't afford to keep replacing these piece of crap parts.
2007Feb 20
Explorer XLT 4.0L Sohc
- Automatic transmission
- 160,000 miles
OH MY GOODNESS!! THIS NOISE IS ABOUT TO DRIVE ME INSANE. I GET OFF THE GAS CONSTANTLY TRYING TO STOP THE HUMMING NOISE COMING FROM MY REAR END. THIS IS THE SECOND EXPLORER I'VE OWNED AND I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER ONE BECAUSE THEY BOTH HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH THE REAR ENDS. THE NOISE WILL DRIVE YOU CRAZY! WE REPLACED FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AND ONE ON THE REAR BUT THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. FORD YOU'RE JUST NOT DOING A GOOD JOB!!!! I USE TO LOVE U, BUT NOT ANYMORE.
2008Oct 21
Explorer XLS 4.0L L6
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
Just another in my ongoing series of horror stories with this miserable vehicle. Ford sucks... and they know it.
2009Apr 17
Explorer XLS V6
- Automatic transmission
- 67,000 miles
The front and rear wheel bearings failed on my 2003 Ford Explorer all at once. The vehicle is driven to and from work on paved payment with no off-roading. The wheel bearings should not fail at 67,000 miles. I have owned 2 other cars with higher mileage and this never even came up as a possibility. Ford pointed out the problem, but failed to admit it was a design flaw. I asked how many have they replaced around that mileage and they said a lot. I wonder how many Toyota's, Nissan's, and other foreign companies have this problem? I can't seem to find 100 (if not 1000's) of complaints on them, yet, I find them on the Exporer!
I am saddened to say I am no longer buying American. Start making a better product to show you need to make $65 an hour. The only accountability being shown towards this company is it's low stock price and decline in auto sales. Too bad they didn't fix problems like this before people started buying foreign cars.
My advice to future owners. Please do not waste your money. Take it from other people who lost theirs to help you know enough about this vehicle to not waste yours.
2009Mar 01
Explorer 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 62,000 miles
I had to replace all 4 wheel bearings after 62,000 miles. It seemed like such a coincidence that at first I thought the mechanic was trying to pull one over on me until he showed me them one at a time.
It's like Ford put toy bearings on the truck. They look totally undersized for the job. No wonder they failed. The last few miles driven in the Explorer sounded like an airplane taking off, with the wailing and droning sounds especially loud in the front end.
What the hell is Ford thinking---there is no chance anyone who goes through this after just 62,000 miles will ever buy a Ford product again. These are expensive, time consuming, and safety issues. Ford is so shortsighted its unfathomable. My Explorer has been, by far, the most expensive car to maintain I have ever had.
2009Mar 03
Explorer 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
Oh my god! I can't believe the pile of identical problems at the same mileage.
The humming inside my truck is deafening! Sure enough, both rear and the right front bearings are bad. Only 75,000 miles-ridiculous. $650 for both the rear, $500 for the right front due to an ABS connection. From what I read, the other front will go soon.
Oh yeah, pinion seal leaks and the driver's door proximity switch doesn't work (dome light stays on, door locks don't work with the key out). Pull the bulb or you'll have a dead battery some day.
2007Sep 07
Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 78,000 miles
Ok So I bought my 03 explorer in 2004 with 12000 miles on it. It was a gem. At about 65 thousand miles i started noticing a noise that I thought were my tires. So I talked to my tire guy and got "the best tires you can buy" from him. Well that didn't fix the problem. So I go to ford and tell them whats going on. they tested it, said they didn't hear it. I got more specific with it said it happened between 59 and 74 mph. They said they didn't hear it. Well I had them take apart the bearings "CUZ EVEN I KNEW THATS WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS". Well they replaced the front bearings for me for merely 850 dollars. I then drove to NYC to a Yankee game with some clients of mine. Got on the hwy and THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. an embarrassing drive for me 3 hours of hell each way. Needless to say my clients weren't happy and neither was i. I got on the phone immediately with ford and said WTF, nothing is fixed. I brought it back to them, to have them tell me that the front need replacing another 850 and the car sounds normal. Now 22000 miles later ITS HAPPENING AGAIN. IM SO FREAKING PISSED about htis car, and nobody will buy it cuz of the noise. Thanks ford YOU BLOW
2008Mar 12
Explorer XLT 4.1L
- Automatic transmission
- 70,394 miles
First off...as I looked at the complaints I noticed a majority were American cars and coming from Detroit...I laugh when people bitch about loosing their jobs in automotive...what do they expect when they produce crap. Front and rear wheel bearing shot at 65K miles and finally fixed the front ones at a cost of $750 bucks. The rear ones are next on the agenda...I will never, ever buy a Ford again...their cars suck and so does their football team...both Ford products...but what would you expect in the way of quality...they reward the Lion's President Matt ' I Haven't got a Clue" Millen with another 5 year contract for having the worst record in Football in his first 5 years, so why would they make a better decision when producing cars? I worked at Ford for a while and I have never seen such incompetence in my entire life. And their company worth is reflected in their stock price...in the toilet. The best thing that could happen to America is they go out of business so they can't peddle their crap...and did I mention the paint flying off my hood because the bozo's don't know how to prep galvanized steel before painting...oh yeah...and the air conditioning compressor went out after 3 years of owning it and I lived in Michigan at the time...where the weather sucks as bad as the auto manufactures do...This is the same company that killed their customers with bad tires and covered it up (and I was a cop and worked a fatality of an 18 year old girl that was killed in a rollover, tire failure accident and comforted her while she lay dying in a flipped over Explorer) and they killed cops when their cars blew up from being rear ended (while other manufactures cop cars weren't) and covered it up...this company should be in front of Congress and then closed down for it's shoddy workmanship and leadership.
2007Oct 25
Explorer XLT 4.0L V6
- Automatic transmission
- 91,000 miles
OK, had 3 bearings go bad this time after already replacing one at 50k. Dealer again indicates this is no big deal and typical wear and tear. When asked if at least we're replacing the remaining 3, they admit one of the failures is a repeat of the one that went at 50k. Totally ridiculous.
2007May 23
(reported on)Explorer LX 4.0L
- Automatic transmission
- 75,000 miles
Just put Explorer in the shop, for a noise in the front end, found that both the front wheel bearing were bad, back in February had it in the shop to replace both back wheel bearings, the mechanic told me the front needed replacing also, I told him he was full of crap because there is no way all 4 wheel bearings could fail at one time. Now guess what, 3 months later I am replacing both the front wheel bearing, at my expense.
What are the odds of all 4 wheel bearings failing on a "QUALITY" vehicle. Ford tells me I have to pay for repairs, $500, seems like there is a problem with the wheel bearings, I would understand if I was driving through water and mud, but that is not the case. A poor product and Ford should stand behind their product, but in this case they do not.
"Ford Quality"--hardly the case.
"Ford, a better idea"--Hardly the case.
2003Apr 01
Explorer ES
- Automatic transmission
- 50,000 miles
For the first three years I had to complain and complain to the dealer about the "roar"
in the rear and they finally admitted that they got a bad batch of bearings and they ended up replacing "every" bearing in the vehicle, one complaint at a time. I won't buy
another Ford.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2010Jun 01
Explorer Eddie Bauer 4.0L V6
It boggles the mind that one vehicle would have 2 bearings fail let alone 3 or more @ roughly the same mileage, how does that saying go 2 things happen at the same time its a coincidence, 3 things happen its a conspiracy!
How about 4. This is proof of either poor design or defective parts. I mean really they are bearings, which for most cars in my experience you may have one fail in 100,000 miles not 4. whats worse is the Ford dealer technicians would replace one and tell me the car is fine, when clearly they have not fixed the horrible vibration issues, then come to find out the noise slowing stops after each wheel, finally ending in all four being bad. How does that happen really? At $700 an axel and only a one year warranty from Ford for their own parts???? now guess what, its two years later and I have bad bearings again????? in just two years and only 10k miles on them... WTH Ford.
At some point this has to be a recall issue you cannot hide behind wear and tear items forever when its this common, just like window regulators on late 90's VW breaking in force at what point do they take accountability for this garbage?
Don N.
Mansfield, MA, USA
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