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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
3 / 12
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
89,408 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.

2003 Ford Expedition electrical problems

electrical problem

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2003 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 2 of 5)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #64

Jan 012013

Expedition

  • 42,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Open door sound indicator while engine is running--vehicle stopped to let passenger out. When any door is opened, the open-door high pitched steady-hum sound comes on, which is normal, however, the hum will not shut off. It continues loudly for 8-10 minutes and then reduces to a faint hum under the dash. The sound(s) continue even after the SUV is turned off, put in park, and the key is removed. We are the original owners of the 2003 eddie bauer Expedition and it's otherwise in excellent shape with just 57,000 miles. This problem has recently been verified by a local Ford/Kia repair shop whose mechanic scratched his head in confusion; however, they want to charge us to tear the dash apart to attempt to figure out why this is happening. They can't turn the indicator speaker off altogether. We want to know what Ford knows about the problem; mainly, what is causing the problem. Can if be fixed via a simpler solution (maybe a simple fuse or wiring?), is this is a possible future fire danger, and have any others have experienced this unusual occurrence.

- Eagle Point, OR, USA

problem #63

Aug 292016

Expedition

  • 128,500 miles
Vehicle stall while driving freeway.my wife first then I experience myself stall vehicle on fast lane very dangerous.vehicle just shut off cannot steer the wheel lucky enough to glide to safety side.fuse box burning the fuel pump relay lots of complaint in internet how many lives to waste before anyone act on it.

- Winnetka, CA, USA

problem #62

Aug 042016

Expedition

  • 124,000 miles
Fuse relays keep burning out! I have brought over 10 relays in 2 weeeks. I have done my research and this is a common problem with all 2003 Ford and is very exspensive to fix. I was shocked to find that it has not been recalled! there are videos on you tube to prove that all of these trucks have this problem. I was told I had to replace the entire fuse box but eventually I will have the same problem out of that fuse box because thus is a defect in all 2003 Ford Expedition. The car cuts off while driving and has almost caused me to be in 2 very dangerous car accidents! it has stopped on me on the highway and street! when I saw that this is a very common problem with the fuel emmision relays and the fuse box I decided to file this complaint in order to get this recalled!

- Memphis, TN, USA

problem #61

Apr 302016

Expedition

  • 200,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Credit acceptance corporation 25505 w twelve mile road P.O. Box 513 southfield, mi 48037 1-800-634-1506 installed a gps device when I purchsed this vehicle used. I had it replaced once by the dealer because it not only disabled the vehicle when not moving, but it created a dangerous problem when I was driving cutting the vehicles power off. Credit acceptance denies they had anything to do with it. This started to happen when I fell behind on payments.

- Bell, FL, USA

problem #60

Jan 142015

Expedition

  • 121,000 miles
2003 Ford Expedition XLT 4.6 fuse box fail fuse pump relay burn, on 01/14/2015 while the truck was in motion on the 5fwy going 70 miles the truck shot off luckily my wife was able to pull to the emergency lane with out hitting any other car on the fwy. I replace the fuse box for another used one that I bought at a junk yard, the truck run got for a year, on 01/05/2016 it happen again while driving the truck on the 118 fwy going 75 the truck shut off again same problem fuse box, fuse relay is burn in have post it 3 videos on you tube look for 2003 Ford Expedition XLT 4.6 cranks won't start is under javalosrealestate

- Panorama City, CA, USA

problem #59

Dec 152015

Expedition

  • 149,000 miles
While driving on the highway at 70 mph, the vehicle just suddenly lost power and shut down. I managed to get the vehicle to the side of the road. After a few minutes it started and I continued on, after a few miles the same thing happened again. I got it started again and was trying to make a rest stop a few miles away. While pulling into the rest stop the vehicle lost power again and resulted in a collision because of no steering or brakes. The loss of power happened 8 times that day. While looking for answers about the problem, I found on the nhtsb website that other vehicles of the same make, model and year also experienced this same problem that turned out to be a problem with the fuse block. I took it to a Ford dealership to have it checked out. They said it was a fuel pump issue. That would not cause a loss of power. I took it to another mechanic who did find that it was indeed a faulty fuse block. The same mechanic told me that this was not the first time they had come across this problem. This is a dangerous condition that needs to be rectified before someone loses their life in an accident because of this. The loss of power occurs without any warning or check engine lights or codes.

- Townsend, GA, USA

problem #58

Jan 262015

Expedition

  • 160,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This specific make and model year has a defective fuse box which case a fuse called a PCM relay to melt and causes the vehicle to stall and not start. The fuse box will buzz continuously but the vehicle does not start. You can replace the relay which is about $15 but this is more than likely temporary and it will melt and cause the vehicle to stall. The only remedy is to replace the fuse panel entirely which brings me here, the panel alone is $500 and that doesn't include labor and taxes. Ford is well aware of this issue as there are thousands of forums online that refer to this specific manufacturer defect. I've spent thousands replacing parts that did not need repair. Ford needs to foot the bill for this defect because it's a manufacture's defect not a consumer (wear and tear) issue.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #57

Oct 242015

Expedition

  • miles
My passenger window and both back windows have dropped several times. I have had to have this fixed more than once on the back passenger side window, what happens is ill try to put the window up and the window motor makes a struggling noise and I am unable to roll up the window. At this point I'm sure it must be a defect because of how it has happened to each window more than once. Also the bumper that goes around the entire car is extremely faded and I am unable to get fixed I have gone to get estimates for a pain job but have been told due to the material it is just going to fade I would need to get it sanded and have them do some special treatment I cant afford and they will not just paint over it for me because they guarantee there work and would have to redo it too often. All the Expedition I see have the exact same issue.

- Pasadena, CA, USA

problem #56

Oct 032015

Expedition

  • 129,000 miles
Cars stalled while turning left against traffic. Would not start right away. Had to wait a few minutes trying to start it and finally it started and I could clear the intersection. Very dangerous and fortunate that oncoming traffic was able to stop. Have cleaned throttle body, aic but fuse on fuse box is melted causing intermittent operation. Started out once a month and now frequently to include this last one in traffic.

- Plano, TX, USA

problem #55

Mar 062013

Expedition

  • 84,055 miles
There are many issues and concerns about my 2003 Ford Expedition. From reverse back up sensor blinkers windows, four way flashers, cd player, four wheel drive, wipers, back up lights, power mirrors, power seats, dash board gages, power locks, all will stop working suddenly at different periods of times. Ford has staitef there are no recalls for this years make and model when all owners of this vehicle have complained about all of these issues. I am fiancing this vehicle for $10 thousand and demand a recall for electrical issues for this vehicle. The internet is pasted with similar issues and Ford is taking people's money to try and fix all the issues and never completely fixing the issue. I need an answer to my problem and I want Ford to buy back my vehicle.

- Quincy, MA, USA

problem #54

Apr 232014

Expedition

  • 185,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the fuse box in the vehicle smelled like smoke and was overheating. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the fuse box needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #53

Feb 132014

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 60,500 miles
On Feb 13, 14 the door locks on the right hand side of the Expedition failed to lock when the car was placed into motion - which made the car venerable to entry or exit with or without stopping. Took the car to the dealer, we were told needed to replace both right side door locks because they are a matched set - cost $500. Two weeks a go the same thing has happened to the left side of the car have an appointment for Monday Feb 23 to investigate the door locking problem. Two sets of locks failing (righthand side & lefthand sides) within a year should be investigated for defective parts and possible injury if someone were to open the door while the car was in motion.

- Wichita Falls, TX, USA

problem #52

Dec 112007

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 38,000 miles
While driving on the highway my car shut off.I came very closs to being killed or serious injuried.my mechanic couldnt find the cause. This happened about 10 times in 7 years.can you help me?

- Inman, SC, USA

problem #51

May 012014

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 141,000 miles
My 03 Ford Expedition would not start and was making a ticking sound. Found out it was a relay switch changed it and it started but it keeps blowing about every 3-4 weeks.

- Easley, SC, USA

problem #50

Jun 202014

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 140,000 miles
I was traveling at 70 mph on the interstate. The car popped, sputtered and died. Has steadily gotten more and more frequent. Engine dies at idle, dies at slow speeds as well as faster speeds. Very dangerous! have replaced the PCM, wiring harness, and fuel pump. Is not repaired. Power mirrors readjust themselves when the keyless entry is used. Several warning lights stay on, door ajar, check fuel cap, advatrac will not turn on. Rear window will not work. Back up sensor will not work. Interior lights as well as exterior lighting will not power off when car is turned off. You must manually turn them off or the battery drains.cd player will not eject cd's loud popping sound in the front end and grinding sound when stopping. I have had this in the shop since June of 2014 and they cannot find the problem. Have already spent $1000 trying to repair. This vehicle is dangerous and can very likely cause an accident. It is not safe to drive. Ford auto shop wants to charge me $100 an hour to diagnose the problem then they are not sure if they can find the problem, they are telling me it could cost between $500-$1000 just to find the problem. I have checked several web sites and see that there are many, many people with the same problems with the same type of vehicle. This should be looked into before someone is injured or killed in an accident caused from the car stalling!!!

- Lowell, AR, USA

problem #49

Aug 282014

Expedition

  • 220,000 miles
The contact owned a 2003 Ford Expedition. While parked in a residential driveway, the vehicle caught fire and burned down to the frame. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the fire was unknown. The manufacturer was not notified. The VIN was unavailable. The failure mileage was 220,000.

- Dekalb, MS, USA

problem #48

Aug 132014

Expedition

  • 164,523 miles
After accelerating from a stop, a loud bang was heard. What had happened? a spark plug blew out of the aluminum head, taking the threads with it. I was not aware that fuel would continue to blow out of the spark plug hole which could have been ignited by the ignition coil or exhaust manifold. Ford is aware of this issue, but has not recalled the defective aluminum heads, but rather offered a repair kit to fix the stripped threads when this issue occurs. This could have been a very different ending if the fuel would have ignited.

- Ephrata, PA, USA

problem #47

Jul 042014

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 185,400 miles
Engine wont turn off with keys taken out, dashlights on and off, air conditioner came on when door was opened, warning bell and no keys in ignition, head and tail lights remain on, side mirrors move and will not go back, when key pod used all these problems go off at the same time.

- Warrior, AL, USA

problem #46

Jun 022014

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 107,500 miles
The engine would randomly shut off with no warning. Sometimes the engine would shut off while driving, other times would shut off at a stop light. The issue happened 10 times over a 3 day period. I was lucky to not crash as the engine died once while making a turn on a busy road. Once it died, so did the power steering and brakes - very scary. There were no engine codes that came up and no indication anything was wrong, the engine would simply shut off. While diagnosing the issue I did some internet research that indicated it could be the fuel pump relay issue. The fuel pump relay is a non-serviceable relay that is soldered to the main fuse box circuit board. I removed the fuse box and disassembled it revealing the fuel pump relay was getting hot and had melted the solder on the board. When the relay cooled, the solder made contact and the engine would start right up. When driving the solder would warm up and break contact. This would shut the fuel pump off and the engine would die. There are reports of this all over the internet. The only repair for this item was to replace the main circuit board as the relay cannot be replaced without soldering to the circuit board. Once the fuse box was replaced, the issue was resolved. I believe this could potentially be a huge problem and could lead to serious accidents. I have read this problem affects numerous years of the Ford Expedition.

- Hacienda Heights, CA, USA

problem #45

Apr 232014

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 139,000 miles
The car was running well and suddenly it die. No lights in dash board, no shakes, no any previous sign of trouble. Simply it die. I pumped the accelerator pedal and the car continue running. Next time, few days after the incident, the car does the same. This time do not continue running when I pump gas. I have to put in neutral and start it again. It start at once. Could be more than two weeks without signal of problem and then, it happen again. Some other time, it happen 4 or 5 times in a half hour trip.

- Rogers, AR, USA

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