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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.
8.5
pretty bad- Typical Repair Cost:
- $2,830
- Average Mileage:
- 126,500 miles
- Total Complaints:
- 17 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
- ford should recall (12 reports)
- not sure (5 reports)
transmission problem
Helpful websites
- No one has added a helpful site for this 2003 Explorer problem yet. Be the first!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Ford needs to recall this issue. My O/D light is flashing. The symptom is that it doesn't shift from 1st to 2nd gear very good. This causes my MPG to lower. I have not done anything to this explorer to cause this problem and feel that Ford should help out with this one.
- rsch110856, Richlands, NC, US