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.
2.6
hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
58,000 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
-the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer with an odometer reading 58000 miles and the front defroster did not work. The contact stated that while was driving at 45 mph he heard sound coming from dashboard, then the defroster failed to blow hot air. Presently, only cold air blew out from the defrost. The contact took the car to the dealer, and they told him that the vehicle was out of warranty, and he would have to pay for the repair. Also, he called the manufacturer, and they told him to take it to the dealer to have it fixed because there is no recall at this time. Updated
- Holmdel, NJ, USA
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A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Holmdel, NJ, USA