Problems with 2003 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

When dirving vehicle at slow speed and applying the brakes it feels like someone has rear ended you, as the vehicle lunges forward. it has happened to me three or four times and is more frequent with my wife as it is her vehicle. today my wife was backing up and it felt like someone ran into the front of her as the vehicle lurched backward. she said it really bounced her head. today is the first time it has happened in reverse. this is a 2003 ford explorer, v-8 xlt 2wd. i have some time off later this month and will be taking vehicle to the dealer.*ak

Car vibrates at highway speed. have had in shop three time now. the fourth is coming. they have replaced the driveshaft, fixed some bent metal, and are now going to replace the rear.

My wife and i bought a new 2003 eddie bauer explorer vin [xxx] with 1 mile registered on it. we purchased it 9/15/03, since day one the vehicle has had a whine in the rear, a vibration at 55 mph. complaints to ford as well as to the len stoler dealership,11275 reisterstown road, owings mills, md 21117 phone 410-356-2635 has brought nothing but frustration. the vehicle can't be fixed is what we are told! but after 5 visits, it is being worked on now for the vibration 12/04/03, the whine in the rear still cannot be fixed. notifications from ford to its service centers: driveline axle concerns from ford motor company 509000 dealing with problem 17054 quote: 2002- 2004 explorer 4 dr-rear axle whine, some 2002-2004- explorer 4dr vehicles may exhibit axle whine at normal or during acceleration. to service, perform normal diagnostics. if specific root cause is not identified, be aware that engineering is currently investigating via the quicker service fix process. a service procedure will be published as soon as it becomes available, please continue to submit concern reports for any vehicle which exhibits this condition. monitor oasis for updates.-this is one of our problems, dealership cannot fix it at this point, so we are stuck with a whining rear in new vehicle. the second problem with our vehicle is trying to be fixed, quote: 17107 2002-2004 explorer 4x4 driveline vibration or drone/boom at highway speeds. some 2002 -2004 explorer 4x4 vehicles may exhibit a vibration or drone/boom at 55 - 75 mph. electronic vibration analyzer [xxx] reading will fall under 1st order rear driveshaft at 2700 rmp . if concern is till present in 3rd gear and isolated to the driveline, a premium balanced driveshaft is available. install 3c5z-4602-aa driveshaft assembly, referring to workshop manual section 205-00 for procedure. if vibration persists after replacing driveshaft, reindex at pinion flange 90 degrees at a time, for 360 degrees, until vibration is minimized. *nlm information redacted pursuant to the freedom of infor

Soon after purchase the explorer (2wd) developed an axle whine from 55-70 mph on acceleration. it's quiet on coast. the local dealer found a tsb (#16898). they replaced the driveshaft as specified. the only change was the range of the whine, now 58-63mph. back to dealer on 1/8/04. they said a fix was in the works, call back in 3 months. called today (4.21), no fix and no date. ps: sure sounds like a bad ring/pinion to me...*ak

About a month after we purchased our 2003 ford explorer xlt, we noticed a whining noise from the rear of the vehicle. we notified the dealership and they refused to work on it. they said ford is investigating the noise and could give no time frame on when if would be fixed. asked us to just be patient.. this is totally unacceptable, and the way customer relations has been dealing with us, ford should be embarrassed. we are currently research the lemon laws. we do not want a brand new vehicle that makes this awful whine (which is getting worse day by day). who knows if it is safe, given ford's trac record! *jb

My 2003 ford explorer 2wd xlt started making whinning noises when placed into gear. the car has been to the dealer nine times with over $1200 worth of work. really don't have any faith in the technicians or service manager. going through arbitration now to have the lemon repurchased by ford.*ak

I have recently bought 2 brand new fords from champion ford in shreveport louisiana. my brand new ford xlt explorer 2 door sport has been in the shop for various repairs longer than i have had the vehicle. the vehicle was purchased on 09/27/2003 since then the hood had to be re-painted, both side body molding has been replaced, the front turn signal light came loose , both bottom exterior body door trim had to be replaced, interior trim piece below the rear window broke and had to be re-placed, but the main problem is a vibration in the motor/transmission that vibrates the dash i have spent already over $60.00 in gas back and forth to dealership, me and my wife have taken off two days at work costing us over $500.00 in loss of pay, i have already paid the first truck note and insurance payment and now the truck is back at the dealership for repairs for approximately one more week of repairs. on 10/17/2003 the truck was brought back to the dealership and my wife drove another explorer of the same make/model and had no problems i then was told by the service mgr. that this problem was inherent to this make/model. i then approached the sale mgr. with the hopes of either exchanging or trading up too the 4 door model to help defray the profit loss. it was explained to me that the vehicle had already depreciated some $4000.00 and that to swap vehicles it would cost me an additional $75.00 an up a month car note. i have contacted ford motor company who basically told me i was stuck with the vehicle even though the dealership has had the vehicle longer than i have had it. i was sent from employee to employee mgr. of this to mgr. of that. i would appreciate any information or ideas you could provide me with this situation. this vehicle is to be my wife's truck and i would like her in a safe truck that is safe for her to travel in. the dealership has already replaced the cosmetic faults but has stated that this problem is of doubtful outcome.

Excessive whining noise coming from the rear differential/drive axles/driveshaft area of the vehicle at speeds between 50 and 60 m.p.h. *la

Purchase vehicle on july 30, 2003. rear axle whine during speeds between 45 - 60 during acceleration/ decelleration diagnosed on 13 october 2003. advised that engineers were working on a fix and no service was to be performed. very displeased at the attitude of ford customer service representatives and the lack of service received with ford vehicle. filed complaint with settlement dispute board and with better business bureau. next step is to contact attorney to file lemon law. also, consumers need to get out information to the public that ford is selling these vehicles knowing there is a problem and is not willing to fix them.*ak

I bought a 2003 ford explorer 4wd, v8 - sept. 22, 2003. about 3.5 weeks later it began to shake and made a loud noise. i haven't gotten 1100 mile on it before it began its downward spiral. i took it into be repaired on 10/13/03 regarding the whining but i forgot to mention the vibration-- it only happen on 2 occasion thus far. but the whining is constant - around 50 mile and above. i was by the service person the engineers are working on it and i am to wait until they find a cure for it. i am not trusting them with my safety, i was told it was in the driveline/axle /driveshaft- the name changes but still the same explanation - no fix as of yet. could be long-term or not at all. i want this vehicle replace - asap. *la

While driving between 35 mph and up consumer heard loud noise coming from under the vehicle. dealer stated the need to replace the differential. *ak

Had to replace rear axle seals on 2003 explorer with 500 on new vehicle. *la

2003 ford explorer - loud whining noise from rear drive line around 55-70 mph. *jb

While on any type of incline our ford explorer xlt rolls back while in drive. after telephoning ford motor company, i was told by ann to take the issue up with the dealership where the car was purchased. she said there were no recalls related to the issue of the rollback while vehicle is in drive on an incline. when we took the vehicle back to the dealer where we purchased it, they said they would work with us and ford motor company. in early december after speaking with the dealership manager and service department manager, i was told that the 8 cylinder vehicle that i purchased has a different transmission than the 6 cylinder. while the 6 cylinder explorere does not roll back on an incline while in drive, the 8 cylinder model does. i was told that it is simply the way the transmission is designed and that changing the transmission will not eliminate the roll back issue. when i picked up my vehicle on dec. 7, 2003, tony (service dept. manager) told me that claudia would be calling me within the next week to make some type of arrangements with me along the lines of an extended warranty due to the fact that perhaps the transmission would experience problems down the road. my main concern with the roll back issue is that my daughter is going to be driving this summer, and we cannot allow her to drive this vehicle. for an inexperienced, new driver to operate this vehicle could have the potential of turning into an accident due to the vehicle roll back while on an incline in drive. this is the first new vehicle my wife & i have ever purchased and we are extremely disappointed, not only about the rollback issue but by ford's lack of interest in the rollback issue. repeated emails to ford motor have gone unanswered, and as of the date of this complain neither claudia or anyone from ford motor co. has contacted me.*ak

While driving the transmission would shift into neutral on its own without warning. this caused the vehicle to slow down as if the brakes were being pressed. the consumer managed to move the vehicle to side of the road and restart it. the vehicle was driven to the dealership to have a mechanic check the transmission. the technician found nothing wrong and the problem has not been resolved. *nlm

2003 ford explorer eddie bauer. 50 to 60 mph rear axle whine started at 6000 miles, at 12,000 miles dealer inspected and said the rear axle assy was unsafe to drive and replaced the assy. whine returned and dealer replaced the assy again at 24,000 miles. whine has returned and i am considering going to independent shop to repair since beyond 36,000 mile warranty. can't understand why ford can't fix this widespread problem. *nm

New 2003 ford explorer 2wd 4.0 6cyl prob began at 500-700 miles. excessive vibration and whining noise at speeds from 40-70 mph. vehicle appears to struggle when accelerating, and cruising speeds. dealer unresponsive after learning that ford engineers acknowledge problem and have no current fix. dealer unwilling to explore a replacement vehicle, or refund. ford feild services engineer admitted to me that approximately 50% of new explorers have this faulty "ring & pinion gear" and that vendors are working to certify replacement parts.

I purchased a new 2003 explorer xlt in mid-february 2003. at about 9500 miles the suv developed a whining noise from the rear differential. local ford dealer confirms noise, but is unable to fix as "ford engineers have not yet found a fix" also at 3800 miles the at failed and was repaired-not replaced. local dealer is supposed to let me know. as of 3/9/04 no word. this suv is a poor vehicle.

I bought a 2003 ford explorer 4wd v8 june 4, 2003. about 1 month later,and less then 2,000 miles on the vehicle, i started to notice a vibration when driving between 60 and 70 mph. the vibration became more noticeable and i took the vehicle in for service at star ford in glendale in early august. the service department believes the vibration is coming from the drive train, probably the rear axle assembly. i was notified that there was a technical service bulletin for this problem on 2002 - 2003 4wd mountaineers and explorers and that the engineers at ford were working on fix for this problem. after discussing the vehicle's problem with the quality control manager at star ford, i brought the vehicle back to the service department in an attempt to correct the vibration problem. but, the attempt to correct the vibration did not work. now, i am left with a vehicle that has a vibration, that seems to be coming from the drive train, which the engineers at ford motor company have not been able to determine the source or cause, and the mechanics at the dealer cannot fix. i am extremely dissatisfied and would like the vehicle replaced or my money refunded. *jb

Multiple issues with my 2003 ford explorer which include the electronic mother board having been replaced twice (under warranty), cracked liftgage (not under warranty cost $300), transmission rebuild approx 90,000 ($3000), dome lights do not turn off, door ajar lights, electric rear windows do not open, o/d light flashes and now the final problem after having replaced my transmission in july 2011 is a drive train or drive line issue. at approximately 45 mph after dropping from a higher speed, a thumping happens. diagnosis for this issue has been 3 days still with no final determination. *tr

The transmission on my 2003 ford explorer failed. i'm told this is a consistent problem but ford won't stand by their product. *jb

I put the date of incident as the date i purchased the vehicle. i put this date as such because ever since i purchased this vehicle, we have had nothing but run arounds by the service providers and constant repairs every 3-7 months since i purchased the vehicle. the first major repair occurred when i had owned the vehicle for 18 months, at 35,998. it had an $1800 transmission job. subsequent repairs have been focused transmission issues (always something slightly different than previous), engine function, and other mechanical issues. an extended warranty was purchased, but due to the parameters of the warranty, all issues were not fixed because they "were not able to be duplicated", (i.e. an intermittent transmission issue that had been occurring for 30,000 miles). now that we are out of our warranty vehicle, we have an overpriced vehicle that is still owed on that will continue to need significant repairs. the most recent issue is the heating element, including the actuator and blend door function. this faulty piece will fail in the cold position. this causes a safety issue because you are faced with a repair that you may not be able afford (since they can run up to $1200) and having heat in the winter. with the current auto industry having the issues they are, they need to begin to make quality vehicles that aren't made to break just to get more money out of customers. to have continued customers, a company must have a consistent product that people can trust. the current american auto industry does not have that. *tr

Transmission indicator light on. transmission slips during shifting. dealer initially said there was nothing they could do until ford engineering gives them the fix. second visit to dealership they rebuilt transmission two days later transmission is slipping again. *nlm

2003 explorer xlt, 2wd: loud noise coming from driveline from 30 through 70 mph. dealer changed differential gear set--no fix. then changed the driveshaft--no fix. i now have 26,000 miles on it and the noise is so loud it is distracting. ford says they have no fix (transmission? axles? another bad ring and pinion set?). dealer says one of their staff has a 2003 with the same problem....still no fix.*ak

I have a 2003 ford explorer. i recently was pulling out of my garage when i realized i needed to check and see if i had my glove and shoes in the back for my softball game. i put my car in park and popped the trunk, when i got out of my car the car kicked back into reverse and started to roll. luckily the door caught on the garage door and bent it, but no one was hurt. clearly, the transmission kicked back into reverse without me doing it. this is not the first item i have noticed something 'screwy' like this with my car, it has been acting up a time or two before. *tr

2003 ford explorer----5 second lag, delayed engagement, harsh jerking movement from reverse to drive to reverse, and a bang can also be heard. shuddering is also prevalent. power train module was reflashed to correct problem. lag condition still is present sometimes. first incident was on april 21, 2003, latest incident was in may 2004.*ak

The vehicle rolled backwards while in the park. the dealership was unable to duplicate the problem. *jb

The drive shaft was replaced.*jb

at 600 mini winding in rear end deler said drive it and see if it gets better it did not so at around 2000 mi damerow ford replaced all bearings and seals problem worse then before seals went out, and had to be towed in to damerow ford replaced rear end with tested rearend same problem at 2400 mi same problem at aprox. 3000 mi later damrow replaced with another svt rear edn this was also, tested and again at 19,000 mi and ait was replaced at mackenzie ford at 25,000 mi it was replaced again and now it has abad vibration noise 40 to 70 mi and above at 28,000 it goes back tommorrow we will see what if nothing they can do. *ak

2003 ford explorer "o/d off" light blinking. *tr

While driving and without warning a loud clinking noise can be heard. the dealer is aware of the problem. *nlm squeeling noise from motor. transmission lurched and would not engage. transmission and transfer case had to be flushed. replace steering shaft for clinking noise. clockspring replaced.