Most common 2003 Ford Explorer problems
Share of the 1,131 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Explorer complaints by model year
Best Explorer years: 2024, 2023, 2019. Years to avoid: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2013, 2015. Compare all years →
2003 Ford Explorer recalls (2)
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments
On certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut May become disengaged or the hinge May fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break.
Remedy: Dealers will have the liftgate glass strut brackets and glass hinges replaced. For the vehicles built from August 1, 2000 through March 3, 2002, the dealers will replace the hinges and liftgate strut bracket.
Structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and Mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 3 possible defects involving the 2003 Ford Explorer:
Vehicle rollaway allegations
In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), Ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column.
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2003 Ford Explorer owners say
Body & structure all 354 →
There is a crack down the middle section of the liftgate for quite some time. The liftgate has been unlocking and opening automatically by itself. On only rare occasions has the liftgate opened all the way while driving. On the morning of 7/28/2022 while the vehicle was parked in my driveway the liftgate was discovered to have again unlocked by itself and opened slightly and now with one of the two hinges holding the glass sheared leaving the liftgate glass hanging by only one hinge. With the glass now hanging without having both hinge supports functioning and the inability to close and lock the liftgate, 1) the glass could fall out while driving and 2) with the liftgate unable to now close and lock, contents of the back storage area could fall out of the vehicle while driving. On 8/1/2022 the vehicle was inspected by the foreman of the Service Dept. at Healy Ford, Goshen, N.Y. …
I have owned this 2003 Ford Explorer since it was brand new in 2003. It currently has 70,009 miles and has been kept in a garage and not driven often over 13 years. Within two years of purchasing this vehicle I noticed a crack in the middle of the lift gate under the glass. I talked to two Ford dealerships that advised it was not a defect but my fault for gliding the glass to harshly. I had not used the glass often and had never slammed it.m since that time I've seen hundreds of Ford explorers from the early to mid 2000s with the same crack in the same location. Today I was behind four different explorers from the same time period and all had the same crack. I checked online and realized there are thousands of complaints about this defect with some drivers stating the back glass bursts while they were driving. …
Transmission & drivetrain all 335 →
I own a 2003 Ford Explorer, I have owned it for almost 5 years and took care of it. I also paid alot of money for it and after about three years out of nowhere my o/d light started blinking and my car started shifting wrong. I had the solenoid on tranny replaced soon as I put it in 4wheel drive my o/d light started blinking again and shifting wrong. This is making the car accelerate to much at times and almost not wanting to shift others.so while waiting thinking I need a new transmission my engine light comes on followed by a light ticking noise, that got louder and louder over about a month.so the car was taken to the dealership an put on a computer they said I should junk it, yes its 5 years old but I bought my car from their and I paid alot for it.so no one knows exactly what's wrong with it I myself believe but Ford.I been told I need a new transmission and my timing chain is bad …
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 . …
Engine & cooling all 91 →
Hello my name is [redacted] just writing you cause my neighbors have program my vehicle meaning they hack my 2003 explore pretty much they want to take over my driving they trying to dominate me in this matter when in reality is not going to be possible that's why I come to your people's corporate plus they have invade my family privacy they have a gang organization watching me every where I go had few confrontation they just want me to confront them so they could put me in jail this is not going to happen i apologize for the inconvenience I told police regards this matter they didn't do nothing about it .
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. While driving 65 MPH, the temperature gauge increased to high and the vehicle caught fire under the hood without warning. The air bags did not deploy. There were no injuries due to the fire. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
2003 Ford Explorer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 15 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: Full-size pickup.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2003 Ford Explorer a good car?
Based on 1,131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2003 Explorer rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the Explorer at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Ford Explorer?
The body & structure — 354 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about body. Next are the transmission & drivetrain (335) and engine & cooling (91).
How many recalls does the 2003 Ford Explorer have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2003 Ford Explorer, the most recent from September 13, 2004 (hinge and attachments). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Explorer?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024, 2023 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2013 and 2015. See the full Ford Explorer years comparison.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Explorer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 73,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.