Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

2003 ford explorer. consumer writes in regard to defective throttle in model vehicle. *as *tr

Shift lever broke off inside steering column of my wife's explorer when changing from park to drive to exit from a boat launch ramp with no boat on the trailer. vehicle was towed on a flatbed wrecker to my garage. broken element ( see photos) was not replaceable by itself. steering column had to be replaced. this was not normal wear and tear, but rather a faulty /weak component that represents a danger. i have noted reports of identical incidents online. thus far, neither the dealer nor ford national "customer service" is prepared to reimburse.

My transmission light has been coming on. i was only at 117k miles when it happened. that's to soon for a transmission to be acting up especially since it's anew one according to carfax this is the second transmission for my explorer. the first one was put in only at 3 years old. it will sometimes jerk into reverse or take a second to go into drive when i switch gears. my overdrive light also flashes which i assume means my overdrive no longer works. the light only comes on after driving over 40 mph. so if i'm on the highway i can't go the speed limit because i don't want this light coming on. i took it to a transmission shop it needs a torque converter and a rebuild. i contacted ford and they won't do anything about it. they told me to buy a new car. when i go up hills my explorer also has trouble even though it shouldn't. i also need a new solenoid pack.

While driving home from work this evening the o/d off light began steadily blinking and the transmission took way too long to shift (rpm almost red line) and wouldn't shift into 5th gear. i was driving on a city street and first noticed the truck not shifting and within 3 minutes of driving the o/d off light began flashing. if you turn the truck off then back on the o/d off light turns off but the truck still won't shift correctly and the light starts to blink again. my truck only has 133,000 miles. i googled this problem and discovered that the vast majority of 2003 ford explorer owners have this same problem.

While driving home from work this evening the o/d off light began steadily blinking and the transmission took way too long to shift (rpm almost red line) and wouldn't shift into 5th gear. i was driving on a city street and first noticed the truck not shifting and within 3 minutes of driving the o/d off light began flashing. if you turn the truck off then back on the o/d off light turns off but the truck still won't shift correctly and the light starts to blink again. my truck only has 133,000 miles. i googled this problem and discovered that the vast majority of 2003 ford explorer owners have this same problem.

My 2003 ford explorer xls is having issues with the automatic transmission. when i accelerate from a stopped position, the transmission stalls, slips and delays when it shifts into the next gear. as i searched for issues with the transmission i found 100's of complaints regarding this matter. from what i have found, the transmission is a design flaw

Transmission failure, a common occurrence in these vehicles

I purchased my 03 ford explorer back in 2/15. it looked like i purchased a very very good used vehicle. everything has been fine with it up until 2 weeks ago. my door ajar light keeps coming on when everything is closed, the od light is blinking non stop and the trunk window opens by itself when i am driving. when im driving it feels like the car is trying to "catch up". like it knows i'm trying to do a certain speed but its way below and after a min. or so, then it will go the correct speed. i had it hooked up to a diagnostic tool and its giving me the code of p7032 (something like that). something about 2nd gear of trans? ive been told that this is a known issue with this make, model and year.. ive also ready 100s of reviews and complaints on these issues. what i don't seem to understand is why isn't ford doing anything about this???? if you are a manufacturer and see all these complaints and reviews (which i'm sure they do) then why aren't these vehicles getting recalled? i'm not rich in any way fashion or form. i'm a single mother of 4 who works full time and receives no gov't assistance. if i would have known that this is a "known" issue i would never have spent my hard earned money.... does anyone know if anything is being done about this??

Being that i am disabled, i'm affraid that when the transmission finally goes completely out, i'll be straned somewhere or the suv will cause a wreck and hurt/kill me or someone else. there have been thousands of complaints about the transmission on this explorer that a recall should have been sent out. i can not affored the repair cost or the cost of another suv/car, please help!

Takata recalli brought the truck and the airbag light was flashing 4x4 lights flashing also, smelling oil coming from the deferential on the back axle. now, the transmission started slipping and he changed a part . then, the transmission started to slip again. also,i wanted to switch to another vehicle but he declined it . he said " he put to much work into the truck and all the parts are new in which only the tires and muffler was revolved ".

I bought my ford explorer xlt back in june of 2015. since then i replaced my oxygen sensor do to a fault in the system and melting back in aug. 20015. the suv wouldn't start because of it and had to be towed. since i purchased and had replaced the oxygen sensor by a ford dealer, i noticed the suv having power failure even from a complete stop and now the over drive off light flashes; this started in the beginning of nov. 2015 i noticed that there is over 2755 complaints of transmission problems and failures exactly the same as mine, but not one recall. this is a issue with the suv themselves and not owner error. i have children and don't want to end up stranded in the street or side of the highway due to transmission failure. there has to be something causing the transmission to break down or fail and i refuse to be the the blame nor pay thousands to ford dealership to fix a flaw in there own suv. a recall needs to be made for this problem and it is clearly a manufacture flaw.

The o/d off light & check transmission lights went on, then vehicle wouldn't shift properly and became inoperable.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving 45 mph, the transmission experienced difficulty shifting from first into second gear. when it shifted, an abnormal sound was heard. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it diagnosed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 152,000.

We have recurring wheel bearing and hub assembly issue. the timing i put on the form may be off a bit but not much. its all like a recurring ford explorer nightmare at this point! we have replaced bearings, hib assembly, tie rod, then rear end went up ( and shouldn't have)/now again, another bearing and wheel sensor. the truck cuts out when at a slower speed. i lost steering a few months ago while driving and when i try to put it in gear, sometimes it won't move.i have called ford, nhtsb and no one is willing to make ford recall these issues and ford won't do the right thing knowing it's an ongoing problem with a lot of fords! please someone help! i have multiple sclerosis and a heart issue. i need a safe reliable car and can't afford to get another one. someone, please do the right thing here! i know its an older model and i question if this is why the recall isn't happening.idk but this isn't right. the truck is sitting out front needing an additional $700 of work . after rear end, tie rod, bearings, brakes in the past several months, we have no way to fix this lemon. always been ford but if they or a governing agency doesn't help.. never a ford again. look at all the complaints for the same thing!!!! shameful.

Was leaving gas station, shifted from park to drive, shift lever broke off into my hand. obviously a defect, as i have over 2 million miles under my belt, driven numerous cars & trucks, and have never had this happen before in over 40 years of driving, both personally and professionally. i see there are hundreds of similar complaints for this, why is there no recall?? *tr

For years ford has had a poorly designed hydraulic manual clutch system . often impossible to shift at red light or while driving and had many near rear end collisions due to not being able to continue shifting and maintaining speed. for over a decade the poorly designed system gets air bound rendering the clutch useless . this is caused because the hydraulic line has low and high spots and air becomes trapped in the high spots and results in loss of clutch operation . the entire system must be removed and elongated to allow air to be released from system . no bleeder valve at master cylinder for one thing . there is a bleeder valve at the slave cylinder but because the line has many twist and turns with high spots bleeding does not eliminate air trapped in high spots . this is a well know problem and a dangerous one . ford could care less . its about time ford answers and modifies this fault . you need only go online and enter ford ranger hard shifting problems and you will see it is common place problem . of course after the 36 k warranty this becomes a common problem and ford turns there cheek . i cant tell you how frustrating to be at a red light and unable to shift along with not being able to shift at high speeds with cars running up your rear . please address this before life is lost . thank you . i urge all ranger owners to get on board. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving 30 mph, the vehicle jerked and quickly shifted into second gear. the check engine indicator was illuminated and the overdrive warning indicator was flashing. the repair shop stated that the transmission needed to be overhauled. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 163,300. updated 9/12/14*cn updated 09/23/14

I have had three incidents with my 2003 ford explorer. the first incident involved the suspension ( sway bars snapped, tires had to be repaired). second incident was the transfer case and a wiggling drive shaft along with rear wheel bearings ( parts deemed defective by mechanics) , and emergency brakes that snapped off in my mechanics hands because they were rusty. now it is transmission work for a possible faulty sensor. ford needs to recalls before someone is killed due to catasrophic equipment failure! ive called them every time and they are aware of the issues but refuse to do anything other then document them and say have a nice day! *js

The transmission light, 4'4 and the od light came on. it does shift gear from 1 to 2 until 3000 rpm. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle suddenly decelerated down to approximately 45 mph and the over drive warning sensor light illuminated. also, the contact indicated that during the incident the vehicle failed to shift into gear. the failure recurred on multiple occasions. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 156,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate and the transmission malfunctioned while in third gear. also, while driving up hills, the failure recurred and the overdrive and check engine sensor lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 94,000.

Transmission od light flashing, slamming into gear while shifting. we had the pan dropped and found pieces of the gears inside... need a total rebuild or new transmission. after reading all of the problems with this year and model i believe ford needs to make some kind of recall.... *js

My son purchased this explorer brand new and i bought it from him four years ago and i love this as it is the best design in the suv's, and i can not afford a new vehicle as i am no young gal any more. we have maintained it faithfully and have had no serious problems with it and is at 145000. i was driving to work going 55 mph and the o/d light comes on and i push the button and it would not go off. i pulled over and tried the button a few times-nothing. i shut it off, turned it back on-no light was on-proceeded down the highway and the light turns back on and it will not shift and is straining shift. i took it in to jiffy lube to go ahead and get another oil change and let them check the transmission fluid and they said that they could not access it to check the fluid-they suggested a transmission flush at $200-why can't they access it? wouldn't a dip stick save a lot of trouble? as i look at all the complaints about the transmission troubles in the explorers, i am very shocked. please can you help me out here as i cannot afford high maintenance bills that would be charged through a dealer. just tell me if there is a simple solution to fixing it so that my brother may repair it and get it back on the road. one response is as such: after talking to 2 ford reps today, and turned down flat for help, i have decide its now a quest.... ford stated they didn't have enough complaints for the nhtsa to open up an investigation to possibly order a recall...... soooo, for all those that have issues, call ford and also make a complaint on the nhtsa site www.nhtsa.gov or call them at 1-800-424-9393. my family is a ford family and we currently have 5 fords in our household, a mustang, ford f150, ford focus, expedition, and the explorer that is having issues. this isn't including extended family. ford is about to lose future business.... *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

Truck jerks when trying to pick up speed picks up speed very slow sometimes doesn't want to go in drive. *tr

O/d off dash light began to flash. service engine soon light came on. transmission needs to be rebuilt. advised to report this known common problem with 2003 ford explorer models. *tr

I attempted to put the vehicle in reverse and when i shifted to reverse the vehicle slammed into reverse so hard that it hit the vehicle that was parked behind me. *tr

Transmission failure at 45000 miles. needs to be replaced. cost $3200. out of warranty. although the car is 11 years old it has not much mileage. a transmission should not fail at 45000 miles. *tr

Ford explorer 2003 34.656 miles garage kept o/d light starts blinking at 25miles hr. transmission servo ports need to be bored & sleeved. hydraulic pressure low at servo ports. updated 11/24/2014 *js

The vehicle is a closed transmission ..consumer has no way of checking or maintaining level..or checking the color or if clutch shards are present...consumer has to pay $115 to even have transmission level checked...consumer cannot perform preventative maintenance on their vehicle...this has been an ongoing problem with ford owners that ford is not willing to address. *tr

I have kept up with ford's suggested servicing interval for the transmission. i was halfway through an extended drive on the highway when suddenly the transmission fluid temperature reading on my scangauge ii was in excess of 235 degrees fahrenheit and the o/d off light comes on and the dashboard contained error message overheating transmission. i pulled over to a gas station and saw that there was no transmission fluid leakage that was readily apparent. after this incident, i had the transmission fluid serviced and the overheating issues seem to have reduced, but several techs at various transmission shops now see error codes p0732 and p0755. i now notice gears 1 and 2 are severely slipping, and i was informed that my transmission was damaged, which would require a total replacement costing over $3,000. i do not have this kind of money just lying around, and transmission failure at 100,000 miles seems to be a very common issue among 2002-2004 ford explorers/mercury mountaineers/lincoln aviators. why in over 10 years there has been no recall or warranty i do not know, but it speaks of great irresponsibility and distress in ford's service department. if ford does not issue any type of recall or warranty for failures of this nature, i will cease to buy their products. *tr

O/d light started blinking and my transmission started slipping in the early gears. *js

The o/d light came on. i had to let off on my accelerator pedal to get my car to shift into 2nd gear. sometimes i would push on the accelerator and at 4000 rpm, my car would shift. after taking the car into the transmission shop, the technician told me that the band for second gear snapped and a rod starting grinding which dispersed metal into the transmission. the rod as well as the gears, solenoid, and the torque converter had to be replaced. the cost of this repair was 1700 dollars. should my transmission be going out this soon? why wasn't there a recall for this transmission? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the over drive light illuminated and the vehicle lost acceleration power while traveling various speeds. the contact also mentioned that a grinding noise was heard. the local mechanic performed a diagnostic but was unable to locate a failure code. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 185,697.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the overdrive warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 72,000.

I have had to had the transmission replaced 3 times so far on this vehicle. after looking online and talking to the transmission shops in the area, this seems to be a problem (at least for the ford owner) with this year of the ford transmission. one estimate is they see this year at least 4-5 times in a two week span. the entire 2003 ford transmission seems faulty and costing customers thousands of dollars to fix. ford has been asked to investigate their transmission for this year with no resolve (at least not to the public). if a transmission fails on an uphill and the owner does not catch on fast they may cause an accident. *tr

Flashing o/d off, check transmission, and check engine lights went on. took to transmission service co for inspection. there response was this model ford transmission was no good. they flushed system, added new fluid and asked that i pray for extra miles. that was nov.'13. now feb '14, transmission lighting same check lights. total re-build likely at $2500 +/_. complaints on 2003 explorers at carcomplaints.com are extremely out of control signaling something wrong. please inquire about this defect and the 2003 explorer in general. *tr

1. transmission does not let you accelarate. pressure builds up while you are pressing on the gas pedal and it doesn't increase your speed until 10 seconds or so of pressing the gas pedal, and than it explodes and you are thrust back with the acceleration. very dangerous when you are trying to change lanes or are entering the highway. lack of acceleration has almost got us into a few accidents. 2. sensors are not functioning, constantly telling me that the doors are open. i don't know when a door is actually open or not. 3. the rear hatch is cracked and i'm afraid it doesn't provide enough stable prorectection for the rear glass to be held in place properply.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving approximately 25 mph, the transmission failed to shift gears. the over-drive and transmission warning indicators were also illuminated continuously. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the engine was turned off. upon restarting, the failure persisted. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

driving on interstate at high speed. o/d and tramission lights came on tramission died! *tr

While driving the o/d light began flashing on my dashboard, the vehicle slowed down to about 15 miles as if the transmission was pulling/slipping, the car made a hard jerk and began to pick-up speed. this cycle repeated until i reached my destination. the light came on again the next day and the same events occurred. *tr

I was driving down i-10 at 3:30 in the afternoon on my way home and my 2003 ford explorer out of no where went in reverse i was about an inch away from hitting the car behind me. my children were crying scared and i too was shaking tried to make it home but my car wouldn't go past 20mph and we got stuck at the gas station had to get towed to my house. i have been told that i need a new transmission and cannot afford one i just bought the car a year ago. thank you ford for almost killing me and my children! *tr

O/d light suddenly starts flashing while driving at normal surface street speeds of 40 - 45 mph. within 10 miles, the transmission started slipping and it felt like the vehicle was laboring; my wife thought the emergency brake was engaged. she never made it home - within minutes, the vehicle slowed, would not accelerate and subsequently broke down. the vehicle was towed to the nearest ford dealer who determined the transmission was a total loss. we purchased the extended warranty when we obtained this vehicle from said dealer. although we had well over 10,000 miles left on the warranty, it had expired less than 4 months ago solely based on calendar days!! this is a secondary vehicle for us and does not get a lot of use; less than 10,000 miles a year. both the dealer performing the repairs and ford motor company customer care were surprisingly unsympathetic to the circumstances and were unable (or unwilling) to make any concessions. so, $4,200 and a week later, i had a 'new' re-manufactured transmission. i was somewhat suspicious of the sealed transmission - one that does not have provisions to monitor the transmission fluid - which was manufactured and installed on the 2003 models. after looking into this issue, it has become quite apparent that there has been an inordinate number of these transmission failures on similar vehicles. i expect to get at least 150,000 miles from my automobiles - and i have with a few other vehicles from another us manufacturer. consumers who use their hard earned money to purchase us manufacturer's products should expect a reasonable amount of quality, reliability and customer service. it is very unlikely that i would consider ford for my next automobile purchase. mileage at failure: 111,846. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the overdrive and check engine transmission warning lights both illuminated upon starting the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a dealer for diagnosis but no cause for failure was found. the vehicle would also jerk and lunge forward when the contact was driving at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnosis and the contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 154,615.

While driving my vehicle on sunday, while driving my vehicle stalled in the road. the truck felt as if it was trying to pull a hill. this was very scarey for me and my children because if someone was coming behind us or if i was turning into the flow of traffic this could have been a terrible accident. afterwards the vehicle couldn't go over 30 mph without shifting out. this is very dangerous and ford should recall this immediately before someone is killed. *tr

Transmission is not shifting into second gear and overdrive. overdrive light flashes. previous owner had a new transmission put in through ford motor company and it started occurring again within a week of the replacement. i purchased the vehicle in april and have had it to numerous repair shops for transmission filter changes and tune ups, nothing helps. now im told it needs a new transmission. the transmission in it now is only 8 months old. it revs really high after first gear then kicks into second only after letting off the gas and manually shifting with the shifter. it will not shift into overdrive at all. the overdrive off light is constantly flashing. i highly doubt my next vehicle will be a ford!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated the over-drive light illuminated while driving 65 mph and the vehicle slowed down to 20 mph. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer stated the transmission was defective and needed to be replaced. the contact did not replace the transmission. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Transmission failure. *tr

Unexpected transmission failure. transmission not shifting gears properly. vehicle in good condition no fluid leaks. vehicle driven and maintained properly. this issue has occurred to numerous explorer owners with low mileage as my vehicle. *tr

I was driving my 2003 ford explorer and i was going about 40 miles per hr. i was approaching a red light, and as i was braking my vehicle accelerated without me having my foot on the gas paddle. i have had major transmission work (re-built trans, $3000) on my vehicle, in which i had to take it back to the transmission repair shop three times, yet i continue to have unexplained problems. the vehicle seems to be unsafe for me to drive at this time. *tr