Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission slipped and caused the overdrive light to illuminate. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. the failure was located and the contact was advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. the rear hatch frame was also fractured and caused the rear hatch to split in half. the manufacturer was made aware of the failures. the vin was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 112,000.

Check transmission indicator on in information center and overdrive light on. grinding noise from under vehicle. *tr

Without any prior indication of an issue, the overdrive light started flashing. after stopping at the next traffic light, it appeared the transmission was having a problem getting into 2nd gear. needless to say, the tranny problem continued and now needs to be replaced. this issue seems be consistent with that of many, many early 2000s explorer owners. i feel an investigation into this issue is warranted. *tr

Transmission failure. *tr

My 2003 ford explorer while going down the road, i started to notice that it was a hard shift from 1st to second gear, the rpm would go to almost 4000rpm, then almost slam into gear. my o/d light started flashing, and my check engine light came on, when i got home i researched it on the internet and found there are numerous problems with the ford transmissions, after contacting ford they basically told me i was out of luck they wouldn't help,,,, i have been a loyal ford customer for years and so has the rest of my family and my business uses ford vehicles. someone needs to research this, ford is getting away with a big injustice by making a substandard transmission that is costing their customs thousands of dollars. but all ford will say is if the nhtsa decides to investigate and sees its a problem then they will act on it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the transmission shifted gears independently with the illumination of the over drive indicator. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem and informed the contact that there was not a recall related to the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 136,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact was driving approximately 15 mph when the transmission began to slip gears. the failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, who stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the problem and informed the contact that there was not a recall related to the defect. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 94,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, the transmission failed and the vehicle stopped accelerating. the contact attempted to restart the vehicle to reset the problem but the failure recurred. the vehicle was towed to a transmission center for inspection and they advised that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance. the failure mileage was 126,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving on an incline at an unknown speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate and the overdrive warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the solenoid pack and the oxygen sensors needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the contact also mentioned that the check transmission and check engine warning lights illuminated. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 80,000. the vin was not available.

Ok we were driving pulled out and it did not shift to second gear and cars were coming up and honking horn it takes car a long time to switch to 2nd gear at light and this is very dangerous can get hit. the o/d light flashes causing service engine light to come on. transmission was serviced and i was told it was a ford issue with these transmission ford was not successful at helping their needs to be a recall on these transmission they are very dangerous and the customer is constantly paying the price on these vehicles. *tr

Vehicle transmission will not shift into upper gears. o/d light blinks on and off. there are many complaints on this issue to ford. ford will not repair or compensate owners for this known dangerous and faulty transmission issue on many 2000-2003 explorer's. this should be a recall. *tr

Transmission shifts hard and clunks, is not safe to drive. the estimate repair is around $ 3,400. will never buy a ford again.

While i was merging from one road to the next the explorer transmission felt like it popped out of gear. when i continued the transmission would not change gears without me "feathering" the gas. took it to a repair shop and had to pay $2000+ to repair/rebuild the transmission. *tr

I was backing up to the garage to unload the stuff in the back and the car made a loud whinning noise and took off fast..i couldn't stop the truck.. *tr

It's the transmission. the vehicle is having problems going into gear and jerking. the transmission is sealed so i can not change the fluid myself either. there are many others having the same problem as i am having. how do i go about getting a recall on the transmission? *tr

The vehicle was driving down the highway when suddenly the o.d off light started flashing. when it approached local streets i noticed the transmission was slipping going into 2ng gear. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who immediately diagnosed it as a defective transmission. a little research on the 03 explorer transmission indicated it was a 5r55s model which has an astronomical failure rate. its also a sealed unit which doesn't have a dipstick to check the fluid level or condition ( burnt smell). the ford explorer also leads the list by having 4 out of the top ten vehicle complaints for worst model years cars. all the top complaints are for transmission failure. *tr

I have a 2003 ford explorer xlt with 105,000 miles on it. yesterday (4/24/12) it would not go into reverse and had difficulty shifting into 2 and 3 gear + the overdrive light just started blinking on and off. i took it back to the ford dealer where i purchased it and i am told it will cost me $4,000.000 to repair! i have contacted ford motor customer service (fmcs) and they tell me that there are no recalls on this issue nor can they offer me any assistance with the cost. the guy i spoke to at the fmcs was rather shocked at the $4,000 price tag and did agree with me that the trans failed prematurely. however, there was nothing he could do to help me. this conversation was recorded by the ford customer service center out of florida. i have been online looking over several blogs and several web sites and it appears that this is a common problem. it also appears that the ford explorer has a huge problem with transmission failure, mostly from the early 2000s -- especially the 2002 to 2004 ford explorer. mine is a 2003! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explore. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph the transmission failed. the over drive warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact then depressed the brake pedal and everything seized before stalling. the contact restarted the vehicle and the vehicle functioned properly. the vehicle was taken to a repair shop where they stated that the solenoid was defective in the transmission. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified but provided no assistance because the vehicle was no longer under warranty. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the over drive light illuminated and the vehicle shifted erratically. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was found that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was 96,706.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving 35 mph the overdrive warning lamp was illuminated. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 100,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while restarting the vehicle, the gear shifter detached from the steering wheel. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where it was diagnosed with a failure to the steering column that needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 75,900. ..updated 04/11/12 *bf the consumer stated when he put the vehicle in reverse, the entire gear shift came out in his hand. leaving the vehicle in reverse. he was able to turn the ignition switch off. a cast iron bracket was completely broken off in the steering column. updated 05/31/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle would not accelerate over 15 mph and the overdrive light illuminated while the failure occurred. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic and a diagnostic test was performed. the failure was located at the third gear, which would not shift, and caused the transmission to fail. the transmission would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileages were 152,000.

O/d light flashing and wont go into overdrive. the transmission is a sealed unit. *tr

Traveling the i-95 corridor in north carolina at approx. 3am the transmission over drive light began flashing and the check engine light came on shortly after. vehicle began to have shifting problems. had to ease into 1st gear and play with accelerator pedal to shift out of 1st gear. not a good feeling when 500 miles from home and in the middle of nowhere. researched and found that this is becoming a common problem for these vehicles. brought vehicle to aamco and was informed again common in the explorer. cost estimate for repair $2500.00. vehicle had 77000 miles at time of failure. called ford for "goodwill" repair. should have talked to a door knob. standard reply "vehicle out of warranty". driving over forty years, never experienced transmission failure. this is a design flaw that they are not acknowledging. they may not pay now but in the long run the cost will be great. drove my last ford. *tr

I was driving down tx hwy 190, and my o/d light started flashing on my 2003 ford explorer, it was found that the shift solenoid pack was going out, it was an electrical issue with the solenoids, the pack was replaced and now it is doing it again, ran the diagnostics on it and it is the exact same problem, the shift solenoid pack electrical problem on a solenoid pack that is barely a year old and the mileage is now at 201000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle has had two rebuilt transmissions. the contact stated that the transmission started slipping again and the torque converter had to be replaced. the failure and the current mileage was 77,000.

I called ford customer relations to report my transmission was failing, and discovering that many people were reporting the same issue on the web: flashing overdrive light, constant engine service light, and my transmission was sticking and not shifting properly. i told the representative about my issue and immediately they said i did not have the extended warranty. i told them i did have the extended which was up to 100000 miles, but i was barely over by 3000 miles. i explained that a lot of other people were complaining about the same transmission issue with the same make, model, and year. the agent sounded like he was reading from a script, including his supervisor saying i was out of warranty, sorry, and go to the dealer you bought the car from. when it was clear he was not going to do anything, i asked to speak with a supervisor, but it was clear that she was not going to do anything either. all i was asking for was a goodwill repair discount, and they refused. i grew up with fords; fairlane, falcon, galaxy, maverick, ltd, taurus, expedition, t-bird, and explorer. i am not going to say i will never drive another ford, but i no longer feel loyal to the brand. honda's and toyota's transmissions last longer and they stand by their product. i am very disappointed about thier lack of customer service and indifference with my problem. this is going to cost $2500 for a rebuild or $3500 for a new transmission. *kb

Transmission failure. transmission does not want to up shift, it will shift hard. o/d light flashing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission would not shift into gear and failed. the check engine and the bs warning lights were illuminated. the contact notified a mechanic of the failure and was advised that the transmission would likely need replacing.the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 148,000.

I went to leave for work one morning & i noticed the rear panel was cracked. it wasn't like that the night before, so it literally happened overnight. my mechanic said it was cosmetic & common problem with these trucks. i was told the window would be fine, but there is a chance of the panel piece falling off. i haven't had it fixed yet due to the expense, but i am afraid a piece may fall off while driving which could injure someone. to add insult to injury, a week later, my transmission started slipping & the o/d light was flashing. i had it towed & sure enough, it had to be rebuilt. it also needed a new hub bearing and both front ball joints had to be replaced. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving approximately 30 mph, the transmission began to slip gears in a jerking motion. there was also a hesitation and the engine revved continuously. in addition, the over drive and transmission warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. the indicators remained illuminated until the engine was turned off. the vehicle was diagnosed by two different independent mechanics and they informed the sensor solenoid would need to be replaced and possibly the transmission. the vehicle was in the process of being taken to an authorized dealer for a third opinion. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 74,000. the vin was unavailable.

The transmission slips gears between 1st->2nd and 2nd->3rd gears. the car has never been used for towing and has been maintained by a ford dealership according to the recommended servicing. at only 80,000 miles, it should not be having transmission issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving 50 mph, the overdrive and check engine warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the failure and informed the contact that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified who advised that there were no recalls for the failure and offered no further assistance. the failure mileage was 175,024.

While entering the highway, my suv would not shift into gear. the fastest it would go was 35mph, the tachometer was pegged out, the o/d light was flashing on and off and transmission would not shift into the next gear. almost got hit by vehicles traveling the speed limit which is 65mph, because the transmission would not shift properly for me to merge into traffic. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. the contact was driving 30 mph when the overdrive warning light illuminated and the vehicle became hard to shift. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing where it was diagnosed that the overdrive band was fractured and possibly had caused damage to the torque converter. the manufacturer was contacted but the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 34,029 and the current mileage was 64,846. updated 11/22/11*lj the consumer stated the shifting was erratic at steady speeds, there was a hard bang when shifting. the pcm was reprogrammed. there was a clunk noise when coming to a stop. the dealer replaced the transmission fluid. the overdrive light illuminated and 95% of the time, the vehicle would not shift out of 1st gear. updated 03/12/12

The transmission on my 2003 ford explorer is gone. *kb

Transmission failure....o/d light flashes and service engine light stays on. *tr

Suddenly the transfer case started jerking and the suv was shaking badly that i almost couldn't drive it home. i was lucky to have this happening at 1/2 mile from my house and at about 20-25 miles per hour! it was no code to indicate where the failure occurred within the power train. i took a part the rear end, i found nothing wrong with it. i started to troubleshoot the transfer case and i noticed that the electrical motor with actuator does not spin the shaft from transfer case, reason that the transfer case can't select firmly the position of hi, low or 4wd!!!!. observing that the motor of the transfer case sifter does not spin, i purchased a new motor from ford,. after replacement, the problem persisted; so, i replaced the transfer case module, behind the glove box; no result. to be able to move the car around i unplugged the transfer case motor shift from the main harness and the suv stays now in 4wd with blinking lights on my dash for abs and 4x4 wd!!! i am still wandering what could happened to me if the jumping and grinding was to happend when i was driving the car with 65-70 miles per hour and the power train could snap and the driveshaft could fly out... who shall be responsible for my life or somebody else's that i could hit? i consider that the manufacturer shall recall the explorer's affected and address the transfer case issues. the old parts that i have replaced are available, they are functional. i still don't know what is wrong because i couldn't find any advise from any ford sites\, neither from a qualified diagnostic specialist. if i go to ford dealership they will be charging tons of $$$ until the car runs again; they don't care how many parts will replace and i will have to pay ford's mistakes from my pocket; this is not right! *tr

My 2003 ford explorer had a "thunk" noise from day one. ford dealership "could not duplicate" the complaint even though i took it back multiple times. had to replace the torque converter at 70k miles and now at 135k miles the whole transmission and another torque converter for rattling again. od/off blinking light and check transmission notice came on with erratic shifting and loss of 2nd and 5th gears. replacement of trans eliminated "thunk" and my $4600. similar complaints without any acknowledgement of faulty materials or engineering by ford has plagued hundreds if not thousands of explorer owners. where is the expected investigation of these problems? why do we have to wait until accidents or injury to have faulty autos recalled? why are spark plugs ejected more of a safety concern than transmissions that leave drivers without proper moving capability on the highway? where is the recall for these units? *kb

O/d light spontaneously came on. can not be turned off. transmission takes off slow. first gear slams into second, with slow takeoff causes cars behind me to stop short because my takeoff is very slow. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph the over drive light began illuminating on the instrument panel and the vehicle began to shift into a higher gear. the contact turned the vehicle off and upon restarting it, the vehicle began to function normally. after driving for a few miles, the failure recurred. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to have the failure diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 110,000 and the current mileage was 111,000.

My 2003 ford explorer was parked in my driveway and it somehow rolled down approx 150 feet and smashed into a tree. there was no one in the vehicle it was parked and the keys were in the house. i immediately called my insurance (state farm) and they had me call a collision garage to come out and they came within the hour. they have stated that the vehicle is a total loss. the next morning i called ford and they disregarded anything i said and said my insurance should take care of it. i am still paying on a loan for this car and i do have full coverage but i am now without a vehicle and i am scared to think of what might of happened if my daughters would of been playing in the backyard. *tr

First i must say i love this truck. its my second one and both had same problems. while driving home from work all of a sudden truch lurched forward then o/d off lite started flashing then check engine lite flashing.took it to my mechanic and it came up with a po775 code, he said its very common and not the first one hes seen do this. pressure control solenoid b needs replacing for about $400.00 then after removing pan whole transmission needed overhaul now $2200.00 later. i think ford knows of this problem and should stand behind it. also blend door stopped working and all 4 calipers seized up. dont know if ill ever buy another ford.also power windows quit working, broken wire in door. nothing but trouble with this vehicle.i think a class action suit should be started against ford for repairs on these transmissions.i cant afford to dump hundreds of dollars into this truck after paying thousands of dollars for it.

I have a 2003 ford explorer and my o/d light keeps flashing i took it to the dealer to get it checked and they said i need a new transmission because i have no 2nd or 5th gear they also said this is a common problem with that year. they said the shift sealnoid went out so now i cant drive my truck tell i can afford 3400 dollars to get it fixed so that has made it harder for me to get to work and to get my family where they need to be. *tr

Vehicle transmission slips out of gear and sometimes wont engage. frequently occurs at stop/start movements. ocurrs in forward and reverse. "o/d off" light is frequently displayed. unsafe to drive anywhere!!! *tr

The transmission on our 2003 ford explorer had to be replaced. it could have left us stranded on the road. ford knew of this problem with the transmissions on the 2003-2004 explorers. i think they should make an adjustment on the cost of the repairs. transmission are supposed to last longer than 71,000 miles. we did not mistreat this vehicle in any way. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that she noticed a fracture on the lift gate window. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised her that she would have to have the panel replaced. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 39,000. updated 04/26/12*lj the consumer also stated the rear differential was replaced.

Transmission went out. *tr

Well this will be the 2nd transmission for my 2003 ford explorer, the first was at 88700 miles about 4 years ago. it took the dealership almost 2 weeks to figure out what was wrong. then 2 weeks after that heard a loud ping while driving home, at 9:00 at night, took in to dealer and the drive shaft had water in it. now i am the original owner, truck has never been off road, never towed anything, highway miles. so, i fix all that( about $3,000.00 in one month) now this past weekend coming home on the interstate truck gives a large shudder 3 times, i almost get run over by a tour bus because truck is getting ready to die. limp home can't drive over 60 miles an hour, went back roads home, did not like going up small hills. when 1 mile from home o/d off light came on and transmission started acting bad. pulled into driveway, barely. now i'm pissed because here i go again pouring out money to fix and almost got hit on interstate. *tr

Accelerator defect ; the car atuomatically sped up without my foot on the gas pedal. caused damages to 3 other vehicles, 1 of which was totalled. *tr