CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2003 Ford Explorer one of our worst vehicles on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2003 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
All the door mounted trim has come loose. The plastic clips/pins that hold the trim to the door has slowly broken. Two out of four have fallen off completely.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
All the door mounted trim has come loose. The plastic clips/pins that hold the trim to the door has slowly broken. Two out of four have fallen off completely.
- slaughterrl, Roanoke, V, US