Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Adjusted HVAC temperature from cold to hot. Approximately 5 seconds later, a loud and repetitive popping sound came from the defroster vents. I was startled and immediately stopped the car (on a 2 lane highway) to investigate. The blend door actuator is failing. This condition will cause a loss of climate control in the cabin. It can get stuck on hot or cold or anywhere in between. If it gets stuck in the cold setting, the windshield defroster will not work which could cause an accident due to loss of visibility. If it gets stuck on the hot setting, heat-sensitive passengers May be injured by heatstroke in the summer months since air will always flow through the vents when the vehicle is moving.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. When attempting to close the rear window, the contact noticed that the rear liftgate window hinges were cracking and were tilted on one side. The contact, a certified master technician, stated that the window needed to be replaced. The contact called fort mill Ford at [phone] (located at 801 gold hill rd, fort mill, sc 29708) and was informed that the VIN was not included in any recalls. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.
While the vehicle was parked in front of my house, the rear window exploded and I have a cctv video showing it was not smashed out. After reading that there had been a previous recall issued in 2004, I contacted Ford to inquire about the recall status. They informed me that the previous owner of the vehicle had already brought it in for this recall. After the recall repairs to prevent the rear window explosion, it still exploded later on.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. When operating the vehicle, the rear hatch door and the rear hatch window became unsecured and opened due to a crack near the rear window wiper. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 40,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the hinges on the rear windshield were loose and the rear window was not properly secured. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Tl* - the contact called about the 2003 Ford Explorer xlt. The contact stated that the air bag light stayed on, and when it was on, the airbag deactivated which was a safety problem. It happened all the time. The fuses have been changed under warranty, and now that it was not under warranty, it was no longer repaired free of charge. The contact stated that she was told by one service station that it was standard for the fuses to blow because of the fuse box location. Another service station told the contact that this was not true that the fuse box was to high in the car for pebbles to be able to get into the fuse box. Also, the windshield wipers won't turn off by them selves, even when the keys were out of the ignition. The contact stated that the airbag light and the door ajar light were consistently on. Moreover, the electronic seat would not move forward or backward. …
2 complaints - back rear hatch panel under rear window has multiple cracks live in augusta ga and visit florida and this seems to be a common problem every make body like mine have this crack and some panel has even fallen off. This has to be a manufacturing problem for this large amount of SUV's to have the same problem see more with problems than without. Also recently had problems with window intermittently not going down and back up after ice storm in augusta this year all four windows stopped going up and down. This also seems to be a common problem with this model and body style of Ford explorers. Owned a 1993 Ford Explorer eddie bauer had approx. 300,000 miles on it before I got rid of it and the most happened to this car was the transmission and rear brake leak which was the most expensive problem I had. …
My back windshield exploded last Thursday while parked in my driveway. Not only did the glass explode, but the fiberglass underneath the glass was pulled away from the backend of the truck in a bowing position. I had the back hinge replaced after the recall, it's been less than 12 months and the Ford dealership in nashua will do nothing for me, stating that they have never seen anything like that before and there are no other complaints. When I asked to speak to the area factory rep, they informed me that they didn't have one. I asked to speak to the manager, who pretty much said, here's your hat, what's your hurry, out you go...he then flagged me as being an "irate" customer. I am a mother of 4 young children, god forbid they had been in the car when that had happened. Ford should be ashamed of themselves..Ford-built strong my leg! …
I was driving my 2003 Ford Explorer at 70 MPH in the fast lane of the freeway and decided to pull the driver's side visor down to cut down on the sun's glare. All of a sudden, the plastic mount that holds the visor metal stem in place shattered and the visor came loose dangling in front of my face by an electrical cable. The visor was severely obstructing my vision so I had to quickly grab the it and hold it out of the way with my left hand while steering with my right to negotiate across 4 lanes of freeway traffic until I could stop the vehicle on the freeway shoulder. The electrical cable does not have a connector so it is not possible to disconnect it from the vehicle. As a result, I had to drive the next 20 miles using my left had to hold the visor up with my left hand while driving with my right until I could reach home.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 5 -10 MPH over a road bump, the hatch back window detached and fell from the vehicle without warning. The contact pulled over and saw that the hinges to the rear window were severely rusted, causing the window to detach. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was later contacted and advised him that the vehicle was too dangerous to drive and should not have passed state inspection. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000. The current mileage was approximately 148,000.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 52 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2003 Ford Explorer, 5% of the model year's 1,131 complaints. The component named most often is glass, side/rear (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof recall for the 2003 Ford Explorer, though it has 2 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Ford Explorer window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 23% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 4 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.