2003 Ford Explorer Body Problems
- 134
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 134 stored complaint records:
- 0 indicate a crash
- 1 indicate injury
- 0 indicate fire
What owners report
- Hatchback/Liftgate · 5 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 48 |
| 100–150k mi | 29 |
| 30–60k mi | 25 |
| 1–30k mi | 8 |
| 150–400k mi | 8 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body
Rear window lower panel plastic cracking up, replaced three times, still cracking due to no support and bending too much, i called ford does not care if continues cracking up, it looks ugly also panels can cause an accident to other cars getting into their windshields loose parts. They know about the problem and not fixing it.
ODI 11115329
Body
Awoke the morning of may 10, 2017 to find the entire back liftgate and window exploded outwards and inwards of our ford explorer. The vehicle was parked in front of our home, we are rural, so no evidence of someone purposely breaking it. Our sheriff in cascade county, montana, stated it appears to be something internal probably the lift struts exploding. This seems to be a problem as stated on many online sites, and…
ODI 10984673
Body
The rear panel of my 2003 explorer cracked today for no reason. Not sure if this is a safety concern. When i "googled" the problem, it seems this is a common problem that ford once addressed.
ODI 10943689
Body
THE REAR LIFT-GATE HAS A CRACKED PANEL.
ODI 10888102
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear lift gate hinge fractured which caused the lift gate to remain unlocked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,000.
ODI 10864740
Body · Unknown Or Other
The brackets connected to the liftgate released while the car was parked and locked and blew the back liftgate panel out along with shattering the glass.
ODI 10763918
Body
Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated while closing that the liftgate both hinges fractured. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where both hinges and struts were replaced. In 2005, the vehicle was repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure) however,the remedy was insufficient. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 165,000. Js
ODI 10722402
Body
I noticed that the paint was peeling off in several places on the vehicle. Six months later more paint has disappeared. *tr
ODI 10694602
Body
A recall was issued for 2003 ford explorers for the hinges on the back window tailgate. The right side hinge on my 2003 ford explorer broke, i was fortunate to be strong enough to catch the glass before it snapped the other hinge. When i contacted ford after seeing the recall notice online, i was told my ford was not part of the recall. I have also checked on the nhtsa site and it was not listed there either. My…
ODI 10633706
Body · Hatchback/Liftgate
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the lift gate window became detached intermittently. The liftgate door failed to close properly and it developed a crack at the bottom. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the lift gate needed to be repaired and the window needed to be replaced. The contact was not included in recall nhtsa campaign id number: 04v442000…
ODI 10605562
Body
Noticed upper part of rear tailgate under glass next to ford emblem is cracked from top to bottom. *tr
ODI 10637242
Body
While driving at approximately 35 mph, the top portion of the liftgate on the vehicle opened independently and then the driver side hinge fractured causing the liftgate to fall and hang by only one side. In addition, the compression rod was bent when this occurred. In order to continue driving the vehicle the compression rod had to be removed and the liftgate had to be temporarily fastened with harnesses. The…
ODI 10574294
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the lift gate opened independently and caused the driver's side hinge to become fractured. In addition, the compression rod was abnormally bent. The contact made a temporary adjustment to the lift gate in order to continue driving the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the…
ODI 10563672
Body
Plastic rear panel below the rear gate glass cracked directly beside the ford oval. The panel is now split into two pieces. Contacted ford dealer and ford customer service (via email) and ford will not stand behind the failure of this panel. This is a common complaint with explorers and ford has not even as much as tried to help the customer with repairs. *tr
ODI 10562365
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the rear hitch was cracked. In addition, the door ajar warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer. The mechanic did not diagnose or repaired the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 125,000. *tr
ODI 10560860
Body · Electronic Stability Control · Power Train
1. Transmission does not let you accelarate. Pressure builds up while you are pressing on the gas pedal and it doesn't increase your speed until 10 seconds or so of pressing the gas pedal, and than it explodes and you are thrust back with the acceleration. Very dangerous when you are trying to change lanes or are entering the highway. Lack of acceleration has almost got us into a few accidents. 2. Sensors are not…
ODI 10794609
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving 10 mph, she heard a loud, abnormal noise. After inspecting the vehicle, she noticed that the rear door hinge was fractured and causing the door to hang. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number:…
ODI 10534532
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 for explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was parked when he engaged the liftgate and the hinges fractured. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vin was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 105,000. *updated 09-18-13 *bf updated 09/24/2013 *js
ODI 10532297
Body · Structure
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated the rear lift gate glass hinge corroded and fractured from the vehicle. The vehicle was previously included and repaired under nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that both of the hinges were corroded and would have to be replaced.…
ODI 10525135
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact noticed a large fracture under the rear liftgate glass near the manufacturing emblem. The fracture was approximately six inches long. The vehicle was not inspected. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.
ODI 10504349
Body · Structure
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that he noticed that the lift gate was fractured near the manufacturing emblem. The failure caused the interior lights and the anti-theft alarm to activate. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and they advised him that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa…
ODI 10505486
Body · Unknown Or Other
I used my key remote and popped open the back hatch and while the hatch was up the hinge snapped dropping the hatch on my head nearly knocking me out cold.
ODI 10726489
Body · Suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that while turning at various speeds, the body of the vehicle began to bounce abnormally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was stated that the body mount needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was notified. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
ODI 10535350
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the back panel below the window became cracked. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
ODI 10562414
Body
The back lift gate has a crack. I have noticed this on practically every other exploer of this year. I contacted ford several years ago and they said since it was a defect that was not a danger they would not recall or repair it.
ODI 10984158