There are 50 owner-reported powertrain & transmission complaints for the 2003 Ford Explorerin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2003 FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO DEFECTIVE THROTTLE IN MODEL VEHICLE. *AS *TR
TRUCK WAS RUNNING FINE. THEN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS IT WOULD SLIP OUT OF GEAR WHILE I WAS COMING OFF OF OR ONTO EXIT RAMPS. SEEMED LIKE AS THE ENGINE DECELERATED IT WOULD SLIP INTO NEUTRAL. SOMETIMES IT WOULD EVENTUALLY FIND THE GEAR AND SOMETIMES I HAD TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP, WHICH WAS REALLY SCARY SINCE I WAS IN TRAFFIC WHEN THIS HAPPENED. A SHORT TIME LATE (A MATTER OF WEEKS). I NOTICED IT WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR WHEN THE TRUCK WAS COLD (AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. THIS HAS RAPIDLY PROGRESSED INTO ALMOST COMPLETE FAILURE. I CAN STILL GET THE TRUCK TO MOVE IF I SHIFT MANUALLY INTO L1 OR L2 BUT D DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. ADDITIONALLY I NOTICED THAT SOMETIMES MY O/D LIGHT WOULD BE BLINKING AND SOMETIME O/D WOULD GO COMPLETELY OFF AND THE TRUCK WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO HIGH GEAR. I FOUND IF I STOPPED, TURNED THE TRUCK OFF AND RESTARTED IT WOULD OFTEN FIX THE ISSUE. THIS IS NOT LONGER TRUE. I WILL BE TAKING THE TRUCK TO MY MECHANIC ON MONDAY. I LOOKED UP THE ISSUE AND SEE THAT THIS IS COMMON COMPLAINT WITH MANY EARLY 2000 FORD VEHICLES. SHAME THE COMPANY DOES NOT RECOGNIZE IT'S FAILURE AND STAND UP AND FIX IT. I DID NOT HAVE ANY ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS ISSUE BUT I COULD SEE IF THIS FAILURE OCCURRED AS SOMEONE WAS PULLING INTO TRAFFIC OR IN THE MIDDLE OF HEAVY TRAFFIC THAT THIS COULD DEFINITELY CAUSE A SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
MY TRANSMISSION LIGHT HAS BEEN COMING ON. I WAS ONLY AT 117K MILES WHEN IT HAPPENED. THAT'S TO SOON FOR A TRANSMISSION TO BE ACTING UP ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S ANEW ONE ACCORDING TO CARFAX THIS IS THE SECOND TRANSMISSION FOR MY EXPLORER. THE FIRST ONE WAS PUT IN ONLY AT 3 YEARS OLD. IT WILL SOMETIMES JERK INTO REVERSE OR TAKE A SECOND TO GO INTO DRIVE WHEN I SWITCH GEARS. MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT ALSO FLASHES WHICH I ASSUME MEANS MY OVERDRIVE NO LONGER WORKS. THE LIGHT ONLY COMES ON AFTER DRIVING OVER 40 MPH. SO IF I'M ON THE HIGHWAY I CAN'T GO THE SPEED LIMIT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT THIS LIGHT COMING ON. I TOOK IT TO A TRANSMISSION SHOP IT NEEDS A TORQUE CONVERTER AND A REBUILD. I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. THEY TOLD ME TO BUY A NEW CAR. WHEN I GO UP HILLS MY EXPLORER ALSO HAS TROUBLE EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULDN'T. I ALSO NEED A NEW SOLENOID PACK.
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THIS EVENING THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN STEADILY BLINKING AND THE TRANSMISSION TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO SHIFT (RPM ALMOST RED LINE) AND WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO 5TH GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND FIRST NOTICED THE TRUCK NOT SHIFTING AND WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. IF YOU TURN THE TRUCK OFF THEN BACK ON THE O/D OFF LIGHT TURNS OFF BUT THE TRUCK STILL WON'T SHIFT CORRECTLY AND THE LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK AGAIN. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 133,000 MILES. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF 2003 FORD EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM.
WHILE DRIVING HOME FROM WORK THIS EVENING THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN STEADILY BLINKING AND THE TRANSMISSION TOOK WAY TOO LONG TO SHIFT (RPM ALMOST RED LINE) AND WOULDN'T SHIFT INTO 5TH GEAR. I WAS DRIVING ON A CITY STREET AND FIRST NOTICED THE TRUCK NOT SHIFTING AND WITHIN 3 MINUTES OF DRIVING THE O/D OFF LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. IF YOU TURN THE TRUCK OFF THEN BACK ON THE O/D OFF LIGHT TURNS OFF BUT THE TRUCK STILL WON'T SHIFT CORRECTLY AND THE LIGHT STARTS TO BLINK AGAIN. MY TRUCK ONLY HAS 133,000 MILES. I GOOGLED THIS PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF 2003 FORD EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE THIS SAME PROBLEM.
MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER XLS IS HAVING ISSUES WITH THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. WHEN I ACCELERATE FROM A STOPPED POSITION, THE TRANSMISSION STALLS, SLIPS AND DELAYS WHEN IT SHIFTS INTO THE NEXT GEAR. AS I SEARCHED FOR ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION I FOUND 100'S OF COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS MATTER. FROM WHAT I HAVE FOUND, THE TRANSMISSION IS A DESIGN FLAW
TRANSMISSION FAILURE, A COMMON OCCURRENCE IN THESE VEHICLES
I PURCHASED MY 03 FORD EXPLORER BACK IN 2/15. IT LOOKED LIKE I PURCHASED A VERY VERY GOOD USED VEHICLE. EVERYTHING HAS BEEN FINE WITH IT UP UNTIL 2 WEEKS AGO. MY DOOR AJAR LIGHT KEEPS COMING ON WHEN EVERYTHING IS CLOSED, THE OD LIGHT IS BLINKING NON STOP AND THE TRUNK WINDOW OPENS BY ITSELF WHEN I AM DRIVING. WHEN IM DRIVING IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS TRYING TO "CATCH UP". LIKE IT KNOWS I'M TRYING TO DO A CERTAIN SPEED BUT ITS WAY BELOW AND AFTER A MIN. OR SO, THEN IT WILL GO THE CORRECT SPEED. I HAD IT HOOKED UP TO A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL AND ITS GIVING ME THE CODE OF P7032 (SOMETHING LIKE THAT). SOMETHING ABOUT 2ND GEAR OF TRANS? IVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THIS MAKE, MODEL AND YEAR.. IVE ALSO READY 100S OF REVIEWS AND COMPLAINTS ON THESE ISSUES. WHAT I DON'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND IS WHY ISN'T FORD DOING ANYTHING ABOUT THIS???? IF YOU ARE A MANUFACTURER AND SEE ALL THESE COMPLAINTS AND REVIEWS (WHICH I'M SURE THEY DO) THEN WHY AREN'T THESE VEHICLES GETTING RECALLED? I'M NOT RICH IN ANY WAY FASHION OR FORM. I'M A SINGLE MOTHER OF 4 WHO WORKS FULL TIME AND RECEIVES NO GOV'T ASSISTANCE. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THIS IS A "KNOWN" ISSUE I WOULD NEVER HAVE SPENT MY HARD EARNED MONEY.... DOES ANYONE KNOW IF ANYTHING IS BEING DONE ABOUT THIS??
BEING THAT I AM DISABLED, I'M AFFRAID THAT WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY GOES COMPLETELY OUT, I'LL BE STRANED SOMEWHERE OR THE SUV WILL CAUSE A WRECK AND HURT/KILL ME OR SOMEONE ELSE. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE TRANSMISSION ON THIS EXPLORER THAT A RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT OUT. I CAN NOT AFFORED THE REPAIR COST OR THE COST OF ANOTHER SUV/CAR, PLEASE HELP!
"TAKATA RECALL"I BROUGHT THE TRUCK AND THE AIRBAG LIGHT WAS FLASHING 4X4 LIGHTS FLASHING ALSO, SMELLING OIL COMING FROM THE DEFERENTIAL ON THE BACK AXLE. NOW, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED SLIPPING AND HE CHANGED A PART . THEN, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED TO SLIP AGAIN. ALSO,I WANTED TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT HE DECLINED IT . HE SAID " HE PUT TO MUCH WORK INTO THE TRUCK AND ALL THE PARTS ARE NEW IN WHICH ONLY THE TIRES AND MUFFLER WAS REVOLVED ".
I BOUGHT MY FORD EXPLORER XLT BACK IN JUNE OF 2015. SINCE THEN I REPLACED MY OXYGEN SENSOR DO TO A FAULT IN THE SYSTEM AND MELTING BACK IN AUG. 20015. THE SUV WOULDN'T START BECAUSE OF IT AND HAD TO BE TOWED. SINCE I PURCHASED AND HAD REPLACED THE OXYGEN SENSOR BY A FORD DEALER, I NOTICED THE SUV HAVING POWER FAILURE EVEN FROM A COMPLETE STOP AND NOW THE OVER DRIVE OFF LIGHT FLASHES; THIS STARTED IN THE BEGINNING OF NOV. 2015 I NOTICED THAT THERE IS OVER 2755 COMPLAINTS OF TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS AND FAILURES EXACTLY THE SAME AS MINE, BUT NOT ONE RECALL. THIS IS A ISSUE WITH THE SUV THEMSELVES AND NOT OWNER ERROR. I HAVE CHILDREN AND DON'T WANT TO END UP STRANDED IN THE STREET OR SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY DUE TO TRANSMISSION FAILURE. THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING CAUSING THE TRANSMISSION TO BREAK DOWN OR FAIL AND I REFUSE TO BE THE THE BLAME NOR PAY THOUSANDS TO FORD DEALERSHIP TO FIX A FLAW IN THERE OWN SUV. A RECALL NEEDS TO BE MADE FOR THIS PROBLEM AND IT IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURE FLAW.
THE O/D OFF LIGHT & CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHTS WENT ON, THEN VEHICLE WOULDN'T SHIFT PROPERLY AND BECAME INOPERABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE TRANSMISSION EXPERIENCED DIFFICULTY SHIFTING FROM FIRST INTO SECOND GEAR. WHEN IT SHIFTED, AN ABNORMAL SOUND WAS HEARD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 152,000.
FOR YEARS FORD HAS HAD A POORLY DESIGNED HYDRAULIC MANUAL CLUTCH SYSTEM . OFTEN IMPOSSIBLE TO SHIFT AT RED LIGHT OR WHILE DRIVING AND HAD MANY NEAR REAR END COLLISIONS DUE TO NOT BEING ABLE TO CONTINUE SHIFTING AND MAINTAINING SPEED. FOR OVER A DECADE THE POORLY DESIGNED SYSTEM GETS AIR BOUND RENDERING THE CLUTCH USELESS . THIS IS CAUSED BECAUSE THE HYDRAULIC LINE HAS LOW AND HIGH SPOTS AND AIR BECOMES TRAPPED IN THE HIGH SPOTS AND RESULTS IN LOSS OF CLUTCH OPERATION . THE ENTIRE SYSTEM MUST BE REMOVED AND ELONGATED TO ALLOW AIR TO BE RELEASED FROM SYSTEM . NO BLEEDER VALVE AT MASTER CYLINDER FOR ONE THING . THERE IS A BLEEDER VALVE AT THE SLAVE CYLINDER BUT BECAUSE THE LINE HAS MANY TWIST AND TURNS WITH HIGH SPOTS BLEEDING DOES NOT ELIMINATE AIR TRAPPED IN HIGH SPOTS . THIS IS A WELL KNOW PROBLEM AND A DANGEROUS ONE . FORD COULD CARE LESS . ITS ABOUT TIME FORD ANSWERS AND MODIFIES THIS FAULT . YOU NEED ONLY GO ONLINE AND ENTER FORD RANGER HARD SHIFTING PROBLEMS AND YOU WILL SEE IT IS COMMON PLACE PROBLEM . OF COURSE AFTER THE 36 K WARRANTY THIS BECOMES A COMMON PROBLEM AND FORD TURNS THERE CHEEK . I CANT TELL YOU HOW FRUSTRATING TO BE AT A RED LIGHT AND UNABLE TO SHIFT ALONG WITH NOT BEING ABLE TO SHIFT AT HIGH SPEEDS WITH CARS RUNNING UP YOUR REAR . PLEASE ADDRESS THIS BEFORE LIFE IS LOST . THANK YOU . I URGE ALL RANGER OWNERS TO GET ON BOARD. *TR
MY FORD SPORT TRAC HAS FAILED TO LOCK WHEN THE GEAR SHIFT IS PUT INTO THE PARK POSITION. WHEN YOU START TO GET OUT THE VEHICLE WILL ROLL AND YOU WILL HEAR A CLICKING NOISE IN THE TRANSMISSION. IT HAS DONE THIS FOR SOME TIME AND I HAD IT FIXED ONCE BUT IT IS DOING IT AGAIN. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE JERKED AND QUICKLY SHIFTED INTO SECOND GEAR. THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED AND THE OVERDRIVE WARNING INDICATOR WAS FLASHING. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE OVERHAULED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,300. UPDATED 9/12/14*CN UPDATED 09/23/14
THE TRANSMISSION LIGHT, 4'4 AND THE OD LIGHT CAME ON. IT DOES SHIFT GEAR FROM 1 TO 2 UNTIL 3000 RPM. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY DECELERATED DOWN TO APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH AND THE OVER DRIVE WARNING SENSOR LIGHT ILLUMINATED. ALSO, THE CONTACT INDICATED THAT DURING THE INCIDENT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT INTO GEAR. THE FAILURE RECURRED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 156,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE AND THE TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTIONED WHILE IN THIRD GEAR. ALSO, WHILE DRIVING UP HILLS, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE OVERDRIVE AND CHECK ENGINE SENSOR LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAULTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 94,000.
TRANSMISSION OD LIGHT FLASHING, SLAMMING INTO GEAR WHILE SHIFTING. WE HAD THE PAN DROPPED AND FOUND PIECES OF THE GEARS INSIDE... NEED A TOTAL REBUILD OR NEW TRANSMISSION. AFTER READING ALL OF THE PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL I BELIEVE FORD NEEDS TO MAKE SOME KIND OF RECALL.... *JS
Showing 1–20 of 50 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 25, 2026