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.
I have read through all these complaints and find them very interesting. For a few years now I have noticed other Explorers with cracks in the rear plastic panel. I was just glad that it happened to mine yet. Well, a month ago it was really cold for a few days in a row and when I went out in the morning to go to work I noticed the crack. I believe the neighbors heard the loud"s__t" word I yelled. I had become a victim just like all the others. I made a list of off the things that are faulty: passenger seat heater - not working, rear speed indicators - not working, passenger side power mirror - not working. And here's the latest BIG issue: I was parking the car the other day and when I shifted into Park - the gear selector lever suddenly broke off. I had to have it towed to the local Ford dealership. They said it's not a safety recall and that it would be $2,200 to fix it. You can't just buy a new selector level - you have to replace the entire steering column. This is a Limited Edition model and it's just a crappy SUV. Never again will I buy a Ford. My wife has always drove a Honda and has never had any issues like I've had. Well, look out Honda - here I come!!!!
I have the same crack as everyone else, and it appeared suddenly after a sub-freezing night. I talked to the local Ford dealership about it, and they said since it was cosmetic it would not be considered a recall issue. Coincidentally, the person parked next to me at the service center had the exact same crack on her Explorer, and while I was driving out of the dealership parking lot, I saw another Explorer with the exact same crack.
The dealership told me they don't do body work, and I should call a body shop for the repair. My concern is spending the money repairing the panel, and it reoccurring again next year. I could probably do the repair myself, but I'd need to have a body shop paint the part for me.
I just went to the grocery store tonight and when I came out I noticed that rear panel is cracked under the rear window when I got home I asked my husband if he knew what happend he said he didn't know so we were confused until he found this website and we read all these complaints...so I guess we are screwed...this blows!!
We noticed a huge crack to the left of the rear door panel last night. At first, I thought maybe an object hit the car and caused this damage, but as I looked closer there was no sign of impact. I called the Ford dealer today to describe the problem and before I could say two words the adviser acknowledged that he has seen a few, and no warranty would cover the problem. He confirmed there are no recalls against this defect, and pretty much I am screwed and on my own!
Ford should pay for this, and I am surprised there are no class action against Ford motor company already. Poor quality, poor workmanship, and no wonder they are going out of business.
- Mark A.,
Mission Viejo, CA, US
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When I called the Ford dealer to ask about the problem, they acted like they never heard of this complaint before. I began to take notice of all the Explorers on the road with the exact same crack. I then brought it to the attention of the dealer when I had it in to have the hinges replaced. They told me Ford is not paying for the repair. Why are people sick of the American car companies again???? The same vehicle had the rear differential replaced 3 times due to another design issue.
At first I thought we had gotten hit when I saw the crack next to the Ford emblem on the tail gate, but after further analyzing the crack I noticed it's a pressure crack and thought one of the kids closed the tail gate wrong. But then....a few weeks later my other SUV an 06' Lincoln Aviator cracked at the same spot, thank god that was a lease and was sent back as soon as the lease was up....Ford has to know of this design defect on this model and needs to make thing right!!!! shame on you FORD!!!!!
During the summer my granddaughter was helping to wash the car and I noticed a few days later that the panel beside the decal was cracked. I felt sure that she must have done something, but then just about a week ago I noticed that it was cracked on the other side, and nothing has hit it or anything. After reading other complaints about this, I feel that Ford should give us some relief when we have this repaired.
Same problem as it seems everyone else is having, the tailgate cracked below the window. My fathers had just cracked the week before and my brother-in-law is a Sergeant for our local police department and they have one as a detective vehicle and it cracked about the same time as my dad's. I called Ford, they said we are on our own to fix it. I asked to speak to someone else and the guy basically just hung up on me. I am not giving up on this problem, I feel it is Ford's responsibility to fix it not mine. I hope everyone who complains about this contacts the BBB and continuously calls Ford everyday to bug the sh*t out of them. Ford is already in trouble I can't believe they feel they can lose the customers they already have. I will never buy another Ford,solely because of how I was treated on the phone, and I hope everyone who has had this problem with Ford will not either.
My son and myself have explorers. Both have cracks next to the emblems on the rear hatch. Nobody has hit the hatch. It just cracked on its own. This is a factory defect and should be rplaced by Ford. At this point we are sure we will NEVER go Ford again!
I felt my cracked rear window was just another example of my bad luck but after seeing all these complaints, I too feel that Ford owes us some compensation.
We took this vehicle in every 3k miles to the local Oak Ridge, TN Ford dealership. Toward the end of our warranty the lifters started messing up. Took it back in and they said they'd replaced the oil, filters, etc, couldn't find anything wrong. We ended up taking the vehicle to another dealer because the Oak Ridge dealer wouldn't fix the problem. The new dealer found sludge in the oil pan! (Seems we paid for oil and filters years on end that weren't replaced.) They asked for our receipts, said if we didn't have them Ford wouldn't honor the warranty and we would have to pay to replace the engine. (I found this odd because each visit was to a certified Ford service center, and was entered into the Ford dealership database, which fed Ford because we always received information from corporate.) Thank God I kept the invoices, presented them, and the dealer/Ford replaced the engine.
After getting the vehicle back we find the back liftgate is cracked! Not only that, but we are seeing more and more of this make/model on the road with cracked liftgates. RECALL!!!!!
Yes I to have this same problem with my Explorer, the rear panel has a big crack in it for no reason. I just figured maybe the heat caused it. I remember back during the summer it would sometimes make this loud thump noise like something had hit the back rear glass when I cranked it up. I did not realize there was others with this same problem as well.
I have a 2003 Ford Explorer. I came out of the grocery store one day and noticed the crack just to the left of the Ford emblem on the rear panel below the glass. There has not been any type of impact to the car that would cause the crack. Since this happened, I have noticed several other Explorers on the road with the same crack. I think Ford should be responsible for repairs.
I have been seeing this crack on many other Explorers on the road and have been wondering how it happens.Still don't have an answer but no impact was involved, I woke up on a cold morning and went out to the car and there it was. The car was in my private drive and blocked from behind by my Range Rover, my guess is that the cold temp caused th plastic to crack vertically in the proximate center of the lift gate. Since this happened I have seen at least a half a dozen explorers with this problem, it is clearly a defect which should be covered under a recall.
It's been very cold in NJ lately and I noticed this crack the other morning, after initially blaming it on the cold weather, I searched and found that there are many complaints on this exact problem. I said no more Fords after my last one, and now I mean it.
Was awfully surprised to walk outside today and find a crack all the way down the lower part of the rear hatch on my ford explorer. And am not looking forward to fighting it out with Ford... which it seems is what I may have to do. Sorry to hear that we are all having these issues and yet they don't consider this a RECALL issue. My family buys "Ford" because it's supposed to be American made, but if this is how they treat their customers, I might as well buy elsewhere!!! If it's not taken care of, we won't be buying Fords anymore!!! Also having trouble with automatic windows. We bought this vehicle used, so thought it was just a thing... but from further reading, this vehicle seems to have many faults!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I have read through all these complaints and find them very interesting. For a few years now I have noticed other Explorers with cracks in the rear plastic panel. I was just glad that it happened to mine yet. Well, a month ago it was really cold for a few days in a row and when I went out in the morning to go to work I noticed the crack. I believe the neighbors heard the loud"s__t" word I yelled. I had become a victim just like all the others. I made a list of off the things that are faulty: passenger seat heater - not working, rear speed indicators - not working, passenger side power mirror - not working. And here's the latest BIG issue: I was parking the car the other day and when I shifted into Park - the gear selector lever suddenly broke off. I had to have it towed to the local Ford dealership. They said it's not a safety recall and that it would be $2,200 to fix it. You can't just buy a new selector level - you have to replace the entire steering column. This is a Limited Edition model and it's just a crappy SUV. Never again will I buy a Ford. My wife has always drove a Honda and has never had any issues like I've had. Well, look out Honda - here I come!!!!
- William H., Virginia Beach, VA, US