Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

Rear axle noise, replaced at a price of 1200 dollars. *jb

Have had mechanical problems with my 2003 ford explorer which should not have occurred with the least amount of miles on it. have had rear brake sensor replaced 2 times under warranty, front axle seal replaced under warranty and rear axle bearing replaced with 44000 miles and now the rear axle seal is leaking on the right side. the mechanic who does my repairs stated the axle seals are on backorder due to the amount of explorers the seals are defective on. i have not received any recall information on the seals as i believe this is a safety concern. could you please check into this defect. i believe there were several defective parts used on the 2003 ford explorers that have not been recalled or reported. thank you. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated during cornering and emergency maneuvers the rear differential locks up. there is also a shudder in the steering at this time. this has become progressively worse over the last 4,000 miles. the manufacturer stated the rear differential clutch pack required redesign. there is a new clutch pack available at the consumer's cost.

Ford explorer does not shift from 1st into 2nd gear, allowing vehicle to move into intersection then stall until transmission eventually slips into gear. ford tech line wants us to drive until the problem occurs continuously so the problem will be easy to find. dealer has reset cpu, replaced valve body, and now placed an "additive" in transmission. obviously having no idea as to the real problem. *jb

2003 explorer - transmission goes into *neutral* when accelerating between 2nd and 3rd and/or 3rd and 4th. a solenoid body has been replaced 4 times at decreasing mileage intervals. now failing for 5th time with 2,000 miles since last *fix*. failure has occurred while attempting to merge with freeway traffic. pursuing bbb arbitration for repurchase as ford is unable to repair. *nm

Purchased new 2003 ford explorer. at around 9000 miles had rear end replaced due to infamous loud whining noise. problem improved...but was not completely fixed. after complaining that there was still some noise, sale ford in kingston, nc said it was "uneven tire wear." replaced 2 tires. when taken back and told there was still a problem, we were told that they had "done all they could do except offer us a good deal on a trade." (like we will ever buy from them again). at 59,000 miles, we are now having rear end "chatter" when starting or stopping. ford is crap and so is their customer service. *nm

Rear axle is leaking and there is a humming noise on my 2003 ford explorer and thew transmission is slipping. i have 75000 mile warranty and vehicle has only 45,500 miles on it. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle experienced a problem with hesitation when the speed was kept constant. the dealership replaced the mass air flow sensor. the hesitation problem continued, the vehicle was returned to the dealership which was unable to duplicate the problem. while backing into the driveway the vehicle suddenly accelerated. although the brakes were applied the vehicle did not stop. the vehicle hit the contact's home resulting in a neck sprain injury. the acceleration continued until the shifter was moved into drive. the dealership was unable to determine the cause of the acceleration. also, contact complained that abs light was on and pedal felt stiff. vehicle ran rough. in addition, removed and installed automatic transmission main control valve body. *ak

Transmissions in 2003 ford explorers . first transmission replaced at 62,500 miles and second needs replacing at 87,000 miles. was told by mechanic that is the ford transmission problem for that year of explorer may complaints online about the same issue. *tr

Rear axle noise. started at about 34,000 miles but i did not bring to ford until just after the 3 year warranty. ford would do nothing and said repair was about $2,000. at 42,000 now and noise is getting worse. *jb

Repeated failure of rear axle, drive train noise from rear of vehicle between45-65mph.

Engine cut off while running, when i turned on high beams. engine rpms and engine accelerated, when i turned on high beams loss control of acceleration, when fog lights were turned on. message center flashed "check transmission", o/d off (overdrive off) flashed, when fog light were turned on. *nm

I own a ford explorer 2003 v6 truck i have had ford vehicles for the last 15 years. my issue is with ford service and the trucks transmission. i was in the service bay on august 17 for routine recall stuff and added some basic services to my visit. oil change, flush and transmission fluid change/check was in order. $500 later i am out the door. 25 days after the initial visit i am back at ford with concerns about my transmission. it seems to be whining and revving high while changing into 2nd and or 5th gear. the fluid all over my driveway certainly didn't give me a comfortable feeling. ford service confirmed a problem but could not diagnose it unless they tore it apart. i was instructed to make an appointment at the end of the month because the trans mechanic would be on vacation through end of month. i made an appointment for my truck to "once again" visit the ford service for an overnight visit. on september 29th. dropped it off and never got a call for three days. on october 3 end of business day, i called. they seemed to have forgotten my vehicle and would work on it the next day. tuesday i get a call in the mid morning stating that i need a new transmission or a rebuilt one . pricing ranges from $2600 to $3400. they couldn't tell my why or any more specifics on how an engine with 47k needs a new transmission. especially since it was recently in the shop for routine transmission maintenance less than 30 days prior to the incident. to whom it may concern...i have had many fords for the past 20 years and i have never seen a transmission go up under 50k miles. whether the service guys didn't tighten up something right or ford has an inferior product; i feel that i should not be held responsible for this issue. please advise. *nm

Dt: the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. noise coming from the front of the car. the dealership could never find the origin of the noise. the fourth time when the contact took the car to the dealership, they found that the origin of the noise was the torque converter. the dealer changed the torque converter on 9-22-05. the contact sold the car a few days after 9-22-05. the contact was disappointed with the service they received from the dealer. when they were trying to make the trade, the dealership offered them $13,000.00, and when they went back the dealership offering them $10,000.00. the contact wanted to file a complaint because she felt there may be a defect in the torque converter, and she wanted to complain about it to the dealership'. *ak

Factory rearend was replaced in my 03 ford explorer. since then the problem of gradual rearend deterioration has not been fixed. if the rearend fails catastrophically then a serious accident could occur. ford motors does not consider this to be a safety concern, but it definitely is. ford should recall all vehicles with the defective rearends and fix their problem. *tr

After a shudder was felt in the steering at 14,580 mi., it was discovered that the problem was in the rear-end. ford recommended a rear-end additive. (which was performed). at 37,000 mi. the shudder returned and a new clutch pack was installed in the rear-end. after receiving car from dealer, a whine started to occur between 50 to 70 mph. took back to dealer and was told this was normal. i called ford motor and they recommend that a "ring and pinion repair kit" be installed to prevent failure. dealer does not think this should be installed and that vehicle is o.k. to drive even though the tech can hear the noise.

Dear nhtsa: in october 2003 i purchased the nbx - v8 version of the ford explorer with an upgraded tow package for my wife. she never uses the tow package and i, very occasionally pull a 300lb utility trailer. i get the oil changed religiously and recently had the 30,000 mile 4wd lubrication package from goodyear for approx. $500. at 34,000mi my wife began to notice a non-descript noise in the rear end, a rumble at slow speeds while turning. she carries things in the back and thought they were rolling around. i drove the car at 36,600 mi and also noticed the noise but we had a low rear tire and i thought it was the tire pressure. the tire actually picked up a nail and went flat and i brought the tire to goodyear for repair. after the repair the rear end noise persisted only at low speeds and we finally got the car in to goodyear for evaluation at 38,000 miles. they replaced the rear differential fluid again and the noise persisted. they then went on line and pulled a technical service bulletin tsb 04-17-5 which was for limited slip axle chatter, shudder, binding sensation or vibration during low speed turning maneuvers in 2002-2004 ford explorers, 2003-2004 expeditions and 2004 f-150s. this was exactly what i was experiencing. since this vehicle is not used off road, is not used to tow anything heavy, is pampered but does get a fair amount of highway miles 38,000mi in 19 months, i felt that having a transmission problem at this stage was unusual. well, after talking to my manager at work, half the ford explorer fleet in boston was having this problem, with one vehicle in the shop 3 months and one never seeing the light of day yet. the tsb noted problems with the entire transmission. what about next time?? my vehicle. vehicle # [xxx] ford explorer silver v8 nbx version? they also know they have a real problem with their transmissions and the consumer will end up eating it. is ford quality job 1?? *js information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act ...

I have had several problems with my 2003 ford explorer transmission. it clunks out of gear when letting off the gas going from second to first gear. it also seems to disengage the transmission at times as it acts like it is in neutral going from first to second on occasion. i have had it in for repair several times. the "said" the replaced the transmission with one that was rebuilt, but it acted the same way. i have taken it back and was now told that until it actually breaks, they will not work on the transmission any longer. *jb

I have a 2003 ford explorer xlt 4x4, i have had nothing but problems with it, a few months ago i took it to the dealership because the abs light was on and the 4x4 was not working properly, they supposedly fixed it and told us they replaced a speed sensor, they also found 2 rear axle seal leaks and supposedly fixed those, then in october of '05 i took it in to the dealership because it was jerking between 30 and 40 mph and upon acceleration on hills not mention that i could hear something happening underneath my vehicle, they put it up on the rack and came back out and said the clutch in the rear end was scorched and needed to have the whole rear end replace, so i did but when i was driving it back home after the repair it started jerking again, and after several weeks of worry and wonder another dealership tells me that the transfer case is bad, my explorer is trying to engage itself in 4x4, so now i am having the transfer case replaced! my explorer has 41,000 on it right now and ford has not been much of a help, i have to pay $1500 for the transfer case, i will never buy another ford product, i will buy a foreign car. ford really needs to look into all of the complaints and technical service bulletins on these vehicles and i will do anything i can to promote that. *nm

Loud whine coming from rear differential. *nm

I have had numerous mechanical failures with my 2003 ford explorere. the front wheel brearings and front axle bearing have failed. the rear axle has been rebuild twice and replaced once. another rebuild is needed. total mileage is 49,000 miles.

Dt: the contact stated vehicle was making a clanking noise and it jumped out of gear. the dealer had the vehicle several times and upgraded the transmission. they replaced parts in the rear end of the transmission. the replacement of these parts did not solve the problem. *ak

Clutch in transfer case defective. causes vehicle to shift into 4 wheel drive unexpectedly.*ak

I bought a 2003 explorer new from the dealer and ever since i had this vehicle it has clunked into gear from park to drive, from reverse to drive, and sometimes when i am parked and put it in reverse to pull out of the spot it lunges back for no reason. i am afraid to even parallel park not knowing if it will go and lunge back and hit the car behind me. i have had it to the dealer approx. 9 times for the trans and they cant seem to fix it. they keep pulling at strings and changing parts and trying to fix the problem but it has not been fixed yet. this was 1 year ago and i am still having the same problem, the vehicle has been having more problems as the year went on and i continue to take it back to the dealer but they still cant seem to fix it. it started 10/2003 and this is 1/2005 and still not fixed... *nm

Bought vehicle nov 2002. no problems till jan 2005 at approx 35000 mi. whining noise coming from rear end at 45 - 65 mph. hoped problem would go away but has not. vehicle past warranty in feb 2005 when brought in for tailgate recall at 37,000. dealer would not look at problem. currently driving vehicle with whining noise.

2nd rear differential needing replacement (replaced rear end and both axle bearings). this replacement at 73,971 miles. previous rear differential replacement about 12k miles earlier. neither replacement covered under warranty, however 2 failures and the second at only 12,000 miles. *jb

Vehicle purchased in 2003 after 1 year roaring noise began in rear axle. vehicle taken to dealer and differential carrier assembly replaced. vehicle now having the same problem with differential assembly. (roaring noise) *tr

Whining noise coming from rear became louder 41,000 mile on odo dealer advised rear wheel bearings seals and strut inserts, we had the repairs made $1000.00 one year later we noticed more noise and chatter when turning,dealer advised rear differential needs rebuild, and new clutch packs. we are having the repairs made at this time. these are expensive problems ford should be held responsible. *jb

We have a 2003 ford explorer-when you shift from reverse to drive-like backing out of a driveway and then putting into drive vehicle doesnt move for a while-if you try to give it gas engine revs up and then slams into drive--in the meantime you are wondering if the car coming around the corner is going to rear end you and cause injury to your family and damage to your vehicle--been in the shop several times-put several parts in trans still the same. *ak

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission frequently malfunctioned. when he would shift into reverse or drive, the vehicle would not respond. he would have to wait ten minutes for the transmission to engage or even shut off the vehicle and try again. everytime the vehicle was taken to the dealer, they could never duplicate the failure. after a diagnostic was performed, the dealer could not find any failures. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer at least 5-6 times for the failure, but was not given any explanation. the current mileage was approximately 62,000 and failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

I am the owner of a 2003 ford explorer. i had problems with my transmission engaging properly and the transmission making a loud noise when shifting from park to reverse whether the vehicle was hot or cold. the transmission did this intermitently for a week or so until i took it into a dealership for repair. they said nothing was wrong. i drove it for another week with the same problems. the vehicle would lurch in mid-acceleration at any speed and would lunge when coming to a stop leaving me never knowing when i might stop on the freeway or run into the back of somebody. the next time i took it in they said it was the clutch pack that failed and the repair cost me $1,131.00. the repair consisted of removing the transmission, opening it up and replacing the parts and then re-installing the transmission. i have read a service bulletin recently from ford motor company saying that these problems have been reported in 2004 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers. they are saying that they will be fixed for free. i have a 2003 ford explorer and i am not aware of the two model years being mechanically dissimilar. i want it known that the 2003 explorers are suffering the same problems, which is why i am registering the complaint.*ak

2003 explorer's transmission made a loud "pop" or "whump" sound while driving about 20-24 mph. it was infrequent but alarming. *bf the noise seems to be occurring when the vehicle shifts gears. *nm *tc *jb

1 loud noise coming from rear-end(whining)2.fluid forced from front of differential.3. rear-end replaced 4 times to no avail.*ak

Transmission clunking from reverse to forward or from forward to reverse. whirling sound, 55-65 mph, rear differential.

Purchased a 2003 ford explorer 4x4 january 2004, around 10k miles noticed a shudder/slipping in transmission under hard excelleration. i brought vehicle to pulliam ford in cola. sc to have transmission and whining rear end repaired. when i called the service writer, he informed me that the technician said that they could not duplicate the transmission vibration, and that the whine was no louder than other explorers, even though they did acknowlege that the explorer did have a rear end problem. i am not satisfied and would like to get my 32k worth out of this vehicle, not a excuse for a poor product and poor service. *ak

While driving consumer heard a loud noise coming from the rear axle/driveshaft. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Consistent rear axle whine from 45-65 miles per hour highway driving, dealer, ramp ford in port jefferson, ny replaced rear end three different occasions, and finally stated that all explorers make the same noise. they could not give me any indication whether or not this is a safety issue. i definitely get the feeling that they wish i would just go away. there are numerous tsb's on this issue and i can not understand why there is not a recall on this obvious defect. *nm

I purchased a new 2003 ford explorer xlt 2wd in september 1, 2003. with 20,000 miles on the vehicle i noticed a whine from the rear end that was audible from 45 mph to 65 mph. the noise would stop when i let off on the gas and would resume when the gas was reapplied indicating a bearing failure. i took the vehicle to leith ford of wendell, nc, where i purchased the vehicle. they replaced the rear axle assembly under warranty on july 9, 2004 with 21,899 miles on the vehicle. the replacement rear axle made the same whine from 45 mph to 65 mph indicating rear bearing failure. the complete rear axle assembly was replaced by leith ford under warranty. the rear axle assembly was ordered from ford on october 20, 2004 with 32980 miles on the vehicle. the assembly was received and installed with 36,000 miles on the vehicle. with 63,280 miles on the vehicle i returned the vehicle on october 17, 2005 to leith ford to check out the same whine in the rear end from 45 mph to 65 mph. they confirmed that the rear bearings were failing and ordered a rear differential kit to rebuild the rear axle assembly. *nm

Various complaints involving the 2003 ford explorer xlt.*mr consumer believed that noise on vehicle was coming from rear. repairs and/or replacements were made on: front and rear suspensions, transfer case, and seals in the rear axle due to leak. now, consumer is waiting for a new axle assembly to be replaced on the vehicle. also, a cooling system noise on vehicle but dealer coudn't find the source of the problem. *la

Excessive noise form rear drivetrain. *jb

Took my suv into mr. tire to replace all 4 tires. left mr. tire & my o/d light started to flash @ 35 mph. took suv back to mr. tire to have them look at it. i wasnt sure if they might have cause it or not. they did a diagnostic on it & found a code p0741 tcc. they told me it could be just a selenoid or the converter. either way, its not locking up to do a 1:1 conversion for overdrive to save on gas & prevent overheating of the transmision. they told me to go immediately to a ford dealership. i went to purvis ford service department & they did their own diagnosis. purvis ford found that the converter is bad & coming apart. they also said it was overheating & this type of transmission for my vehical for that year was a bad transmission. also they've had customers w/ this exact problem w/ as little as 100 miles & some w/ as much as 100,000 miles. for a 120k mile "maintenance free" transmission (w/ exception of changing out the transmission fluid) this sure seems to be an expensive transmission. what is more interesting is that ford wont replace the transmission w/ the original type of transmission. instead they wanted to put a different one in that has an external cooler & filter. totalling $3300 not including tax. it was also told to me by purvis ford's service department that ford has had numerous problems with their transmissions on these vehicals. 2 other people alone was in their shop for rebuilds on their 2003 ford explorer transmissions. why doesnt ford voluntarily recall on this & replace them w/ this "new" type of transmission at no cost to the customer. right now i am not happy w/ ford & i will not keep my suv nor will i buy another one. this is the third problem i've had with this suv that has costed me big $$$$. i would not recommend anyone buying a ford suv. at this time i have not had the transmission repaired due to high cost. the suv is currently in my driveway not being driven to avoid furhter damage to the transmission. *ak

Roaring sound coming from the back end of the truck. *jb

Transmission failure took to dealer ,they rebuilt it.took it back 04/28/05 they rebuilt it again with 27998 miles on it. took it back 08/23/05 with 31714 miles they rebuild it again. took it back 02/11/08 before extended warranty ended on 02/19/08 they said couldn't find problem .i think because of the lemon law. now 12 /17/2013 it needs another transmission. *tr

2003 ford explorer- 5 speed automatic transmission randomly disengages. reproduced by first accelerating from 1st or 2nd gear and back off gas just before the transmission shifts. transmission disengages and engine revs up. must either rev engine up over 4k or backoff gas altogether to recover. ford is non-responsive to inquires. problem websites are full of similar experiences. *la

Aroiund 37,000 miles i started having electrical problems. half of them go off when they should and half of them stay on which runs my battery down and i have to be jumped. then around 40,000 mile i started hearing a lound whining noise from my rear end. the dealer said nothing was wrong. it is so loud you have to almost yell to talk to someone. then at 47,000 miles my service engine light soon started coming on. it has something to do with the coolant area. i am afraid to take my vehicle out of town and i owe too much on it to trade it. *nm

Consumer was unable to shift the vehicle out of park. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem. *ak

Transmission began locking up when vehicle was placed in reverse to back-up. *nm

While vehicle was parked and key out of the ignition vehicle rolled backwards, colliding into a tree. *ak

On 3 separate occasions the engine was started then with foot on the brake shifted into reverse. the auto won't shift into reverse. absolutely nothing happens. upon increasing the rpm by 50-100 the car slams into reverse and lunges 2-3 feet. *jb

Brake pedal goes down to the floor intermittently.this is a major safetty issue.the dealership has not fixed the problem yet.took in the shop for more than 3 times.also the oil leak from the rear main seal,harshe shift in transmission ,power steering pump failure,oil pan gasket leak ,master cylinder leak ,coil (spark plug) failure.*ak