Used 2003 Ford Explorer Consumer Reviews
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2 time transmission victim
wjohnstone74, 07/24/2012
2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4WD 4dr SUV (4.6L 8cyl 5A)
14 of 17 people found this review helpful
I owned this truck for 4 years. In that time it blew two transmissions, all the wheel bearings, two sets of brakes all around, broke a rear spring, cracked rear hatch plastic, seized steering column, two doors that would not close in cold weather, a door that would not lock, a blown coil probably other things too. One of the worst cars I have ever known, reliability wise. I did really enjoy driving it, engine was a fuel pig but really smooth. 4wd worked ok, it was basically full time, but only with rear wheel slippage. I tried to get help from Ford when the second tranny blew, but nope. So to heck with them, I own all Japanese now (Ridgeline and Lexus) and they are nearly flawless
Beware of Transmission Reliability
huemeister, 12/30/2011
2003 Ford Explorer XLS 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
9 of 11 people found this review helpful
I and my family have been avid and loyal Ford customers for many years until now. Bought the Explorer new. I was alarmed when I went to the web and the government site and saw many customers complaining about Explorer transmission failure. I called Ford Customer Relations and was met with indifference and no help. I asked for a goodwill repair or discount and they flatly refused. A transmission specialist said that Ford built a very bad transmission during that time and it is a surprise that there was no class action against them for a poorly designed transmission. I am not going to say I'll never drive another Ford, but I will shop with their competitors. We now own a Honda CRV.
2003 Ford Explorer for sale near you
3 of 39 listings
- XLS Sport 4dr SUVMSRP: $2,500163 mi away
- XLS 4dr SUVMSRP: $3,495181 mi away
- XLT 4dr SUVMSRP: $4,900207 mi away
See all 39 listings
2003 Ford Explorer NBX
Herm, 11/03/2017
updated 05/06/2020
2003 Ford Explorer NBX 4WD 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
4 of 4 people found this review helpful
Purchased this vehicle new in November 2002. Currently has 145,000 miles on it. Rear end always had a whine which was especially noticeable around 60 mph, but a few years ago, I changed to more highway friendly tires which reduced the whine. I did not know this model has this issue until I read other reviews here. When the air conditioner is off, it still seems to blow cooler air as I think the way it is designed air flow continues past the coils into the cabin, so you have to have the heat on a low setting to counteract it. Had the transmission rebuilt at 115,000 miles. The dealer wanted over $4,000 for the rebuild, AAMCO did it for $2,600 and gave me a two year warranty. The gas gauge has never worked correctly, but it is intermittent. Took it in years ago under warranty, but the dealer could not find anything wrong with it. I just make sure I gas it up once a week. It has the rear window frame crack like every other NBX/XLT I have seen on the road. This is a design error which Ford should have fixed, but now that the vehicle is 15 years old, who cares (I read on another website some owners are pursuing a class action lawsuit). When the car was new, I used to get 15 mph in town and 21 on the freeway at 70 mph. Nowadays, I get about 17-18 mph for combined driving. My major complaint is the Ford dealership here in Colorado Springs. I do not trust them, so I take my vehicle in for service elsewhere now that it is not under warranty. The dealer here is very high priced, and is ALWAYS suggesting repairs for a couple of thousand dollars (e.g., new Macpherson struts. When I ask what is wrong with the original struts, the answer is nothing, we recommend you replace them based upon mileage. Struts are high tensile steel which should last the life of the vehicle in my opinion). Anyway, I good vehicle. I like to drive it around as it still has pep and power, and has always had a nice sound system. Sits up high too. One more issue. The airbag warning light comes on occasionally, but I think it is because the connection under the seat has come loose over the years, so I reach under there and squeeze it. That seems to take care of it. No body rust, but the paint on the posts did not take long to degrade after only a couple of years. I use Chevron Techron every 6 months, rotate the tires at every oil change, and change the oil every 5,000 miles. And I pretty much follow Ford's other recommendations for maintenance.
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- Reliability
- Value
It's the quality, stupid!
The Parkers, 09/05/2006
2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer Rwd 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
6 of 7 people found this review helpful
We purchased our Eddie Bauer in September of '03 and have absolutely loved it, except for one thing...the QUALITY! This vehicle has been nothing but pure junk from the minute I drove it off the lot. It came from the factory with a bad moonroof seal. Wind whistled in for months, but I was afraid a trip to the dealer would make it worse. Of course, when water started pouring in at ~38K miles, they wouldn't repair it. Had documented problems with rear end at 32K, 41K, 60K and finally at 71K the rear end failed. Ford and dealer refused to help out even though I had receipts to document the problem. $900 out of pocket for a problem that began in warranty. Been a Ford man all my life, no more!
2003 Ford Explorer 4.0 V6, Great SUV
smithhh9156, 09/24/2013
2003 Ford Explorer XLT Rwd 4dr SUV (4.0L 6cyl 5A)
5 of 6 people found this review helpful
We have a 2003 Ford Explorer 4.0 v6 2wd with 113k. Love it! We have had 0 problems with it besides the oil temp gauge going out. Has leather that's in nice condition, only tear is on driver side and probably one inch long, but really thin. On the side of the seat... We have 3rd row also.