Really loved my Explorer because it is an exceptional ride, plenty of room with 3rd seat and I felt safe. UNTIL the O/D light started flashing and took it to a station to check out the problem and they just said it may be time to look for another car, otherwise your looking at a very costly transmission job.

This is on top of 2 gaskets leaking oil causing a significant smell after a small amount of driving. It's been sitting in my driveway because I'm hesitant to take it to the dealer when feeling like I'll get fleeced for items that may/not be wrong with the car and not knowing exact problem.

After looking on this site, this appears to be a common problem with this model. Because of the commonality, you would hope at the very LEAST, Ford would own up and let people know what specifically is the defect in order to be able to make a wise decision of whether to invest the money to fix or prepare for another car note.

This definitely effects my decision of whether or not to EVER go with ANY Ford in the future if I cannot feel safe in my own car and being paralyzed monetarily from fear of a dealership taking advantage on top of a car transmission that appears to go out at only 147,000 (Rounded) miles. And by the way, front wheel bearing was changed in 06 at only 49,198 miles.

Also frustrated because the dealership alone has charged at least $4,268.65 in repairs over the tenure I've owned this vehicle (not including tires) siting such items as "The Works" and "Service" appearing to be as vague as possible which is why I'm fearful of any future visits to a dealership.

Just purchased the vehicle after test driving for about 10 miles in town and on interstate highway. Noticed a little slowness shifting from 1st to 2nd but otherwise seemed to do okay. The O/D Off light started flashing once I got on the interstate but didn't notice any change in performance. RPM at about 3,000 and 75 MPH seemed okay. Thought I would check this problem out online and found that this is a very significant and costly problem to fix.

Should I have it fixed right away or wait to see how long it lasts? Thought I got a good deal on this vehicle but maybe not. To repair will make vehicle costs more than value by several thousand dollars. Not a happy camper FORD and I have been a Ford person since my 1965 Mustang! Always said FORD meant First On Race Day but now thinking more like Fix Or Repair Daily or Found On Road Dead!

Like everyone else, I have a 2003 Ford Explorer XLT. It was driving fine and then the thing started staying in first gear too long and was slipping when in reverse. This may have lasted a day before the od light started flashing. I called a local transmission shop fearing the worst. I dropped the car off and as everyone else, the transmission had went bad and needed rebuilt. Cost of almost $3000 to have it repaired. It had only 157000 miles. It shouldn't have went that quick.

Now I always have and always will have my car maintenance on schedule because that is my only source of transportation. I am not a rich man. I don't know about you but I don't have 3000 dollars lying around.

I was able to work up the money to have it fixed. So got it back and has been fine till now. It was rebuilt in Feb of 2015 and today is 12/31/15 and only 11,000 miles on it since rebuild its back at the transmission shop again with it slipping. I hope this doesn't lead to another rebuild. If it does luckily it's under warranty but I do definitely agree that Ford should step in and recall these transmission and give us hard working Americans or money back. There have been way to many of these transmissions going out to not to do something.

Shout out to Ford motor company "do the right thing"

VERY FRUSTRATING "FORD", YOU REALLY SHOULD STAND BEHIND YOUR PRODUCT!!!!!! YOU SURELY KNOW ABOUT ALL THE COMPLAINTS OVER YOUR EARLY EXPLORERS. I DO LIKE THE STYLE AND THE RIDE OF THIS 2003 FORD EXPLORER AND I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING MY EXPLORER WOULD WOULD TURN UPSIDE DOWN. I CANNOT AFFORD A $2000 FIX AND I REFUSE TO BUY A NEW CAR AS AT MY AGE I DO NOT NEED A CAR PAYMENT.

IT BOGS DOWN TERRIBLY AND WILL SHIFT VERY HARD, THE TRANSMISSION FLUID IS FINE, WHICH WAS A PAIN IN THE 'A' TO GET TO. THEY SAY THE SOLENOID NEEDS REPLACING WHICH MEANS THE WHOLE BOX FOR THEM NEEDS REPLACING WHICH THE PART IS $179 OR SO, BUT TO HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DO THE REPAIRS IT WILL BE AN ADDITIONAL $1300-INSANE. I HAVE READ SO MANY COMPLAINTS ON THE INTERNET OVER THE SAME PROBLEM WITH THE EARLY EXPLORERS AND FORD IS NOT DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I HAVE CALLED AND ASKED THEM FOR A 'GOODWILL REPAIR' AND THEY HAVE REFERRED ME TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP, WELL THAT IS WHAT I CANNOT AFFORD. SO HERE I AM DRIVING BACK ROADS AND GOING SLOW AND PROBABLY WILL RUN IT INTO THE GROUND-THEN I WILL BUY A HORSE!!!!

I am an expat here in Qatar. A year ago I bought the car to someone. Things are perfectly okay till only two days back (Sept. 17, 2014) the problem in gear occurred. Same as with other customers complaint, my Ford Explorer is experiencing a bad gear shifting. Also an O/D Off & check engine are showing at the message center plus a bleep of "Check Transmission". I am certain that if I will bring the car to the Ford workshop it will cost me much and may a burden to my pocket. Any help or suggestion from you is highly appreciated.

I had my transmission rebuilt at 97,000 miles in 2006. Leading up to that, I had all sorts of issues with my transmission and my vehicle had been in the dealership dozens of times for this issue. My truck now has about 177,000 miles and the other day my O/D light began to blink. My transmission now has very uneven shifts and surges. I plan on taking the truck to the dealership to take a look but speaking to a few mechanics I know, they all tell me with the reputation the 2003 ford explorer transmission has, its most likely going to have to be rebuilt/replaced.

When I brought my vehicle into my transmission shop on 4/17/2014, the salesperson told me that I had three choices, to get it rebuild for 2503.00, rebuild with aftermarket parts for 2100.00, or just fix the necessary components for 1700. Of course I chose the last one. He went over what went wrong, and he told me that the band broke on the second gears which causes on of the shaft to break. Because of this, I had metal debris in my whole transmission. The torque converter, all of the gears, and the solenoid needed to be replaced. He told me since I am not replacing all of the components, your transmission may go out again at 10000 to 30000 miles. That is yet to be seen. At least O/D light and the engine light will be turned off. I am very disappointed that my transmission went out after about 85000 miles and I had to spend so much money. You think Ford would have had a recall on their transmissions. We'll see if I have to take it back to the transmission shop after 10000 to 30000 miles.......

I need some advice: My truck transmission seems to be slipping or not going in 2nd and 5th gear. I had my mechanic do a transmission flush and install a new solenoid. After $500 still doing the same thing. I researched it and this is a common problem in Fords and found a part on line for $200 called a servo bore. My husband took the truck to one mechanic and he stated I needed a rebuilt transmission and the cost will be $1200 - 1600 but this include the solenoid that cost $400 and he will keep it for 5 days. He was told this was already install so he said he will have to be sure. But not the one I was thinking of but he still did not come off the price.

So my husband took it to another mechanic and he stated he can fix it for $500 which included $250 for a rebuilt solenoid and $89 labor per hour and he will be done in 2 hrs. When he was told that we just installed a new one he said he won't use it he will use the rebuilt one. So he said he will tell us how to fix the problem. Well we did what he told us and it still is doing the same thing. My husband's thinking we should pay this man $500 to do the same thing we just did twice. I told my husband that is stupid to give a brand new part for a used rebuilt part.

I have went to Ford and received two brand new solenoids and was not given an answer as to how to fix this. All they say is that if this is your second solenoid then it is not the solenoid, it's the mechanic. They need to do a recall.

OMG!!!! Overdrive light began flashing moments after my wife began driving off one day. A block away she was at a light and the car refused to shift into ANY gear, she pounded the gas and the engine roared... but went no where. I told her to turn car off and cross her fingers. Moments later it worked, no OD light.

Hoping it was a one time error what a mistake! Later the O/D light came back and I noticed severe problems shifting between gears, especially low gears. Took to AAMCO. Shop indicated that it was a known problem with this model of Explorer and they would have to rebuild the entire transmission. For safety, I had to pony up the nearly $3500 to get it done.

A week later, rental car expense, and multiple trips to get it done, ended up with differential problems too! Geesh!