Used 2003 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews
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Excellent car
lapennell, 01/13/2012
2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.6L 8cyl 5A)
42 of 42 people found this review helpful
This is the first Ford product I have owned and it has changed my opinion of Ford. I have owned this SUV for about 5 years and have found it to be very reliable. I have done mainly routine maintanence. Of course the hatch plactic/glass is cracked like all other '03s. I have not had any transmission problems. I have replace a couple of wheel bearings. But, I now have 225,000 K on the car. It doesn't burn a drop of oil and goes through any amount of snow. I would highly recommend this make/model/year/engine.
Excellent Vehicle after 7 Years
Andre, 11/14/2010
2003 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
35 of 35 people found this review helpful
After reading through the Cons. Reviews on this site, I felt the need to comment on my bullet proof Ford Explorer. I am at 99,900 miles and have had not one problem and the engine and smooth transmission still perform like the day I bought it. Before my daughter's try outs for a local perf. arts school, her clarinet lessons were a necessity. Through major snow storms that kept most in their homes, we were able to tackle the snow and ice with ease and still make it to her lessons. The ride and handling are exemplary and the hwy ride is very quiet-my family and I feel no pressure to speak up during front-to-3rd convers. I follow the maint. guide and it will likely serve me well for many more..
Best suv ever
devildog8821, 08/22/2014
2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer AWD 4dr SUV (4.6L 8cyl 5A)
31 of 31 people found this review helpful
I absolutely love my explorer had it for 2 years and no major problems bought it when it had 75000 miles on it and it now has 115000 miles. One thing I learned is its not the vehicle it's the driver that makes stupid mistakes. Just cause its an suv doesn't mean it's meant for off road use. I also disagree with the gas mileage I have the 4.6 v8 and it gets 17.2 in the city and 24 on the highway absolutely love the fact that when I fill it u p it says 387 miles to empty and it only costs about 65 to fill it up. Absolutely love it!!!
Second Owner of a 2003
lassentrailer, 04/10/2015
2003 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
47 of 48 people found this review helpful
I bought my Explorer from the same dealership that sold it to the original owner, and that owner had followed the service schedule to the letter (as shown in the Carfax report). It had 101,000 miles on it when I bought it in 2013, it's got 118,000 miles now. I don't much like trucks, being a sports car kind of driver, but I really like the Explorer (which btw handles WAY better than you'd expect, due no doubt to the IRS. I have emulated the first owner's habit of maintaining the snot out of it: new brakes/rotors, transmission flush and fill, cooling system the same (differentials and transfer case next). I am quite happy with my Explorer.
Still loving my 2003 Explorer at 188,000 miles
Jennifer, 09/02/2015
2003 Ford Explorer XLT 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
51 of 54 people found this review helpful
This has been a very reliable vehicle for my family. It is my daily runner back-and-forth to work (22 miles each way), as well as our long distance driver (frequent trips out-of-state). With almost 200K miles, I thought maybe I'd start having problems, but so far I've had to put very little into it. I bought it at 100K miles and since then have had issues with electronic things like the security alarm would go off when the doors were locked and after trips to local dealerships with no answers, out local repair guy disconnected two sensors in the doors. The lights don't come on now when you open those doors, but it also fixed the issue with the alarm going off for no reason. Other fixes have included a new starter just a few miles ago, but mostly I've only ever had wear and tear things need replaced like brakes and rotors. I have a third row seat that isn't used often, but when we do haul other family and friends with us, I love that extra seating. The storage is fantastic and the front seats have plenty of leg room. The back seat isn't as roomy as my daughter would prefer, but she travels well back there. I average 16-18 miles per gallon between high way and city driving. I am struggling with how long to keep this great vehicle. I paid $7500 for it in 2009 and the KBB value is currently $3600. It has very little rust (although a problem of this year Explorer is the back hatch cracking under the glass). It did have one crack when I bought it and now it has two. I really do love this trust worthy vehicle!
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- Performance
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- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
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