| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
2003 Ford Explorer repairs by problem area
Engine (23%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (17%)
Brakes and Traction Control (1%)
Suspension and Steering (28%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (22%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (4%)
Other (4%)
Chart based on 137 repairs.
2003 Ford Explorer repair cost distribution
$2500+ (4%)
$1000 - $2499 (7%)
$500 - $999 (14%)
$100 - $499 (45%)
< $100 (30%)
Chart based on 116 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2003 Ford Explorer
Engine not specified
| Ford Explorer in New Jersey, United States Sep 2014 - Oct 2014 | |||
| Oct 201492000 mi | after reversing out of driveway would not shift into gear | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4dr SUV
239-horsepower 4.6L V8 5-speed automatic AWD
| Ford Explorer in Missouri, United States Aug 2010 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Sep 201094000 miUS $302 | air sensor | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4dr SUV
239-horsepower 4.6L V8 5-speed automatic 4WD w/low range
| Ford Explorer in Michigan, United States Jul 2008 - Apr 2010 | |||
| Mar 2010110000 miUS $70 | Changed alternator | ||
| Ford Explorer in Ohio, United States Aug 2008 - Jul 2013 | |||
| Jan 200854111 miUS $38 | Blew out blocked moonroof drains, replaced parking sensors, lubricated driver's "door ajar" switch | ||
| Sep 200854111 mi | Replace rear parking sensors. Lubricate door latch switches. Replace glovebox light assembly. Cleared sunroof drain lines Blew out blocked moonroof drains | ||
| Oct 200856000 miUS $340 | Left front wheel bearing hub assembly failing, replaced both front wheel bearing hub assemblies | ||
| Jun 200967000 miUS $60 | Multi-function (turn signal) switch failed, replaced with OEM part. | ||
| Jan 201077000 miUS $80 | Idle air control valve replaced to correct rough idle | ||
| Sep 201088000 miUS $170 | #3 fuel injector failed and was replaced. Spark plugs also replaced. | ||
| Apr 201194000 miUS $750 | Failed drive axle seal | ||
| May 201195000 miUS $350 | Replace upper and lower front ball joints, upper control arms due to failed ball joints and rusted control arms | ||
| Jun 2012104000 miUS $150 | AC refrigerant loss - system sealed and recharged Driver's side blend door actuator failed | ||
| Dec 2012109000 miUS $190 | Failed tensioner pulley bearings | ||
| Feb 2013112300 miUS $80 | #3 spark plug shot out of head after threads in head failed. Destroyed #3 coil pack when it happened. Apparently a common problem in 4.6L Triton engine. Driver's seat heat switch failed, replaced switch | ||
| May 2013114000 miUS $180 | Both front wheel bearing hubs failed, replaced both hubs | ||
| Ford Explorer in Ontario, Canada Sep 2005 - Jun 2008 | |||
| Jan 200549600 miC $2000 | Don't remember all the dates but the transmission was rebuilt 2x out of warranty and then replaced completely and paid for by Ford Canada & the dealership. Also antilock & reverse sensors repaired 3x in warranty. Heater blower, cruise control and computer | ||
| Dec 2007143840 miC $465 | Heater Blower Fan | ||
| Apr 2008154380 miC $90 | Wiring harness for windows loose. | ||
| Jun 2008154380 miC $200 | New ignition on the steering column since the old one came out with the key | ||
| Ford Explorer in Wisconsin, United States May 2008 - Mar 2010 | |||
| Feb 200865000 miUS $80 | Driver's seat heater went out. | ||
| Aug 200875000 miUS $40 | Shudders occasionally at about 40mph, since towing with overdrive still on. Think I messed up the transmission a little bit. Mechanic couldn't find anything wrong, advised always locking out overdrive when towing. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Colorado, United States Jun 2013 - May 2016 | |||
| Dec 2014175000 miUS $3500 | Transmission fluid pump died and caused tranny to run dry. | ||
| May 2016188000 miUS $4500 | One of the bearings disintegrated while towing. Engine is a complete loss. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Michigan, United States Nov 2004 - Mar 2010 | |||
| Apr 20045000 mi | April 2004 A/C no-op. Warranty repair. | ||
| Aug 200527000 mi | The following was covered under the Extended Warranty (and was told only because of Ext Warr!): New transmission & cooler. Timing chain rattle. Hood rust (since re-appeared). ECM reprogrammed. | ||
| Nov 200668000 mi | Ext'd Warranty: A/C operation intermittent. New control head installed. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Pennsylvania, United States Sep 2007 - Nov 2020 | |||
| Oct 200744000 miUS $160 | Broken heat shield on front transfer case. Broken duct vent in dash. | ||
| May 200852000 mi | Broken duct vent in dash. Rear window motor replaced. | ||
| Apr 200962000 miUS $750 | Left and right front wheel bearings replaced under extended warranty. Transmission problem fixed with computer flash at owner's expense. Pinion seal and rear axle seals replaced under extended warranty. | ||
| Feb 201074000 miUS $1000 | Replaced front & rear shocks/springs, replaced upper & lower ball joints. | ||
| Dec 201083000 miUS $1500 | Paint on hood was bubbling due to iron contamination in aluminum hood (see TSB 06-25-15 ALUMINUM BODY PANELS - CORROSION). Aluminum hood replaced with steel hood & repainted. Vehicle was beyond paint warranty time frame. | ||
| Aug 201193000 miUS $200 | Replaced all 8 ignition coils and spark plugs. | ||
| Jun 2012104000 miUS $400 | Replaced all seals and fluid in rear differential. | ||
| May 2013116700 miUS $200 | Replaced rear wheel bearings(Timken). Very difficult to remove old wheel bearings from assemblies; burned them out with a torch. | ||
| Feb 2014124900 miUS $2500 | Transmission developed major leak while driving. Transmission rebuilt by local transmission specialist. | ||
| Sep 2018151467 miUS $25 | Replaced rear stabilizer/sway bar links. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Michigan, United States May 2009 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Jun 200992000 miUS $500 | Failed wheel bearing w/ damage to hub bearing race. | ||
| May 201093000 mi | Heated seats stopped working; turning on rr defrost turned on all interior lights & gave "door ajar" warning. Dealer claimed bad harness to liftgate. $600+ (seriously!) repair was refused. Vehicle returned--issues had disappeared! | ||
| Oct 201099000 miUS $600 | Corroded ground: rear defrost, automatic light timeout and heated seats no-op. Heated seats still not functional. | ||
| Ford Explorer in New South Wales, Australia Nov 2012 - May 2017 | |||
| Apr 2017137020 miA $275 | Slow leak in radiator plug. Can wait. Ball joints required to be replaced at next service. | ||
| Ford Explorer in California, United States Feb 2009 - Jul 2010 | |||
| Sep 200996000 mi | Air conditioning compressor was in need of replacement- dealership replaced at no charge because I had just purchased it used. | ||
| Oct 200997200 mi | Driver's side rear window motor stopped working. Dealership replaced at no charge because it was missed in inspection before I purchased the vehicle. | ||
| Jan 2010101300 miUS $424 | Paint on roof directly above driver began to peel. Top coat of white paint only, primer underneath was still intact. Ford refused to even consider a repair based on poor paint quality. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Idaho, United States Dec 2008 - Dec 2012 | |||
| Jun 200842000 miUS $210 | DPFE - EGR Pressure Sensor IAC - Idle Air Control Sensor both replaced at same time | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4dr SUV
210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic RWD
| Ford Explorer in Illinois, United States Jun 2014 - Sep 2016 | |||
| Jun 201471000 miUS $1 | Replace Upper Ball Joint | ||
| Dec 201589000 miUS $775 | Right and left front wheel bearings with ABS sensors | ||
| Ford Explorer in Alabama, United States Feb 2015 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jun 2016181000 miUS $1200 | Damaged Tie rod end was replaced. Front upper a-frames on both left and right sides were also damaged. | ||
| Nov 2016184000 miUS $100 | Transmission wouldn't move immediately when put in gear. If you gave it a good amount of throttle, it would jerk into gear, then drove fine. It did this in forward and reverse gears. Got two different opinions and both agreed. Drivers side window power actuator broke. Replaced with aftermarket part. Rear hatch window actuator cable failed. Replaced with OEM part. Rear stabilizer bar linkages were broken. Replaced with OEM. | ||
| Jul 2017192000 miUS $250 | Alternator was bad. Replaced with new one. | ||
| Mar 2018199000 miUS $250 | There was an engine code that the temperature was not getting to optimal conditions. It ran fine, in fact it's been like that for over a year, but the problem turned out to be the thermostat. While I had a day off, I replaced the spark plugs and wires, air filter and the cruise control switch. | ||
| Nov 2021229000 miUS $300 | Timing chain cassettes broke. Didn't appear to cause any timing issues at the time we repaired it, it was just very noisy, but was running great. Replaced cassettes, put it all back together, then a few days later it got loud again. Suspect that it jumped time on the drivers side. Have not had time to pull engine again to repair. Besides, it's been cold. | ||
| Ford Explorer in California, United States Jan 2012 - Feb 2012 | |||
| Feb 2012151000 miUS $70 | Rear A/C blend door not working and constant clicking noise. Plastic part connecting radiator hose to engine failed. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Wisconsin, United States Feb 2017 - Jun 2018 | |||
| Oct 2017135000 miUS $200 | Transmission servo wore out the case. Replaced with aftermarket o-ringed version. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Puerto Rico Jun 2021 - Jun 2022 | |||
| Jun 202287000 miUS $1700 | The whole front suspension was replaced; shocks, springs, control arms, links, ball joints, bushings Rear Knuckle's replaced | ||
| Ford Explorer in Texas, United States Mar 2013 - Dec 2014 | |||
| Dec 2013178000 miUS $150 | Thermostat housing cracked leaked coolant. | ||
| Mar 2014180000 miUS $200 | Upper control Arms/ball joints. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Texas, United States Mar 2010 - Nov 2010 | |||
| Apr 2010107000 mi | blender door not allowing air conditioner to work properly. due to cost, will fix myself with help of friend. | ||
| Jul 2010111000 miUS $536 | issue had been previously reported as blender door. was actually fresh air intake assmbly. i believe was damaged by previous dealer work/maintenance. new dealer repaired without issue. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Arizona, United States Nov 2011 - Jun 2016 | |||
| Dec 2011148000 miUS $100 | leaking water pump | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4dr SUV
210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic AWD
| Ford Explorer in New Jersey, United States Sep 2012 - May 2014 | |||
| Feb 2012115000 miUS $2600 | replaced w/ rebuilt w/ 1 year warranty. work done by trans specialist shop. | ||
| Sep 2013135000 miUS $2000 | oil pump broke, engine seized. replaced with used engine. 90 day warranty. | ||
| Nov 2013145000 miUS $120 | both front struts were replaced after the spring on the right front strut cracked. bolt attaching strut to tie arm was rusted and seized. needed to grind bolt out. | ||
| Dec 2013147000 miUS $485 | wheel bearing worn down and had to be replaced | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4dr SUV
210-horsepower 4.0L V6 5-speed automatic 4WD w/low range
| Ford Explorer in North Carolina, United States Jun 2015 - Nov 2021 | |||
| Apr 2017114000 miUS $281 | Left wheel bearing making noise. Had it replaced. | ||
| Mar 2018132000 miUS $422 | Right front bearing replaced | ||
| Apr 2018130000 miUS $770 | Replaced both rear wheel bearings | ||
| May 2018132000 miUS $40 | Alignment | ||
| Mar 2020155000 miUS $200 | Noise from front of truck. I replaced driver side CV axle and bushings. | ||
| Ford Explorer in California, United States Dec 2007 - Sep 2010 | |||
| Sep 200763000 miUS $110 | Re-flash computer to resolve surging on deceleration/coast. | ||
| Jan 200865000 miUS $585 | Front wheel bearing failed. Had fuel filter and trans filter replaced at same time. Unable to duplicate poor mpg issue. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Washington, United States - Jun 2006 | |||
| Jun 200432000 mi | Transmission failed, repaired under warranty | ||
| Jun 200665000 miUS $100 | Transmission shift solenoid pack failed. Repaired under certified warranty. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Connecticut, United States Sep 2006 - Oct 2015 | |||
| Mar 200643623 miUS $660 | Front pinion seal leak; Power window (rear) drive/switch replacement. Covered by ESP. | ||
| Aug 200766900 miUS $2000 | Rear differential bearings; front sway bar bushings; both front lower ball joints; solenoid pack for the transmission. Covered under ESP plan, $2k was quoted cost w/o plan. | ||
| Nov 200772000 miUS $100 | Shifter was difficult to place in park after driving; TSB addressed the problem, part repaired. | ||
| Aug 2009100000 miUS $50 | Rear spring on the passenger side was broken. | ||
| Feb 2011127000 miUS $600 | Driver's front wheel bearing, sway bar links. | ||
| Nov 2012154600 miUS $250 | P0301 CODE REGULARLY SENT, NO RESOLUTION | ||
| Jul 2013165800 miUS $150 | Thermostat housing cracked | ||
| Sep 2013170000 miUS $630 | Exhaust noise, needed new muffler Sway bar link broken P0301 code still active Front bushings worn | ||
| Dec 2013173000 miUS $200 | P0301 code still active, replaced intake gasket and bolts. | ||
| Sep 2015187000 miUS $499 | Timing chain issue diagnosed with rear chain. $3500 to repair. No repair made. | ||
| Ford Explorer in British Columbia, Canada Jun 2015 - Jun 2017 | |||
| Jun 2016155000 miC $150 | I intermediate band replacement | ||
| Ford Explorer in British Columbia, Canada Sep 2007 - Jul 2010 | |||
| Oct 200786800 miC $90 | Suspension started sqeaking at bumps. Opened and lubricated. | ||
| Apr 200999200 miC $701 | Bearing made noise | ||
| Jun 2010118420 miC $450 | Check Engine Light came on. Driver side Oxygen sensor needed to be replace. | ||
| Ford Explorer in Wisconsin, United States Apr 2018 - May 2021 | |||
| May 2018137412 miUS $200 | Both upper ball joints loose, replaced both upper control arms | ||
| Ford Explorer in Oregon, United States Feb 2008 - Mar 2011 | |||
| Aug 200989000 miUS $400 | ABS - speed sensor bad. | ||
| Mar 201094000 miUS $125 | Blend motor assy replaced. 'click of death' | ||
| Jun 201096300 miUS $3600 | Transmission rebuilt with newer 07 -08 parts | ||
| Ford Explorer in Michigan, United States Jun 2016 - Jul 2016 | |||
| Jul 201692000 miUS $400 | The truck overheated while pulling a trailer. Replaced water pump and thermostat housing (that melted from the heat) | ||
| Ford Explorer in Minnesota, United States Jan 2016 - Dec 2017 | |||
| Mar 2016146000 miUS $10 | PCV valve | ||
| Ford Explorer in Ohio, United States Sep 2013 - Oct 2013 | |||
| Oct 2013118000 miUS $450 | Had Ford kit installed to reduce differential noise Left front wheel hub bearing went bad | ||
| Ford Explorer in Pennsylvania, United States Aug 2009 - Jul 2011 | |||
| Sep 201086000 miUS $300 | Replaced rear springs because right side broken. | ||
| Apr 201189300 miUS $200 | Cracked rear hatch trim below the lift up glass. Plastic body color trim piece cracking vertically. Mine cracked in 2 places over the period of 2 years, upon second crack, I replaced. bought part online, had painted professionally, I applied. | ||
| Ford Explorer in New York, United States Nov 2010 - Sep 2016 | |||
| Mar 2011181000 miUS $90 | Rear calipers... $90 and did them myself. They were frozen but still working. | ||
| Aug 2011189000 miUS $300 | Hit a bump in road and front right spring collapsed. Parked for a week while drove Lincoln (waiting for parts) and had replaced at shop. Fairly inexpensive and quick fix | ||
| Jul 2012192000 miUS $360 | Ford dealer told me eventually would need to repair about 20k ago but not to worry. Last oil change they said it was bad- and it was! They said 450 for repair- told me I could save almost 100 if went to small mechanic shop! thanks! | ||
| Mar 2013199000 miUS $125 | Door ajar light wont shut off. Drivers door wire severed- common problem and a quick fix once the problem was found. Exhaust replaced | ||
| Jul 2013205800 miUS $160 | Rear wiper motor burned out. Bought part on ebay for $80, and dealer charged $80 to replace | ||
| Ford Explorer in Ontario, Canada Jan 2013 - Feb 2013 | |||
| Feb 201385560 mi | upper and lower ball joint replacment for certification right pass window inoperable | ||
| Ford Explorer in Michigan, United States Feb 2009 - Jun 2011 | |||
| Apr 200972000 miUS $5 | Upper Control Arm, two new rear coil springs | ||
| Ford Explorer in Indiana, United States Nov 2014 - Jun 2016 | |||
| Jun 2016186000 miUS $750 | Failed water pump | ||
| Ford Explorer in Indiana, United States Jan 2016 - Feb 2016 | |||
| Feb 2016149000 mi | Timing chain is going out and rattling - engine needs to be replaced | ||
| Ford Explorer in Minnesota, United States Dec 2014 - Jul 2016 | |||
| Feb 2015157400 miUS $650 | Thermostat housing was leaking. Flush coolant, replaced thermostat housing and refilled. | ||
| Feb 2016171000 mi | Thermostat stuck open. Vehicle wouldn't reach operating temperature. | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4-door
8-cylinder automatic 4WD
| Ford Explorer in Illinois, United States Oct 2007 - Mar 2010 | |||
| Nov 200739000 mi | took 03 explorer to ford dealer for a number of repairs covered under extended warranty with 50.00 deductable.window motor front end boot replaced factory radio door ajar sensor | ||
| Dec 200740000 miUS $50 | replaced front rocker arms | ||
2003 Ford Explorer 4-door
6-cylinder automatic 2WD
| Ford Explorer in Illinois, United States Sep 2007 - Dec 2007 | |||
| Dec 200749000 miUS $100 | power steering pump leak | ||
2003 Ford Explorer
4-cylinder automatic AWD
| Ford Explorer in New York, United States May 2009 - Dec 2013 | |||
| Jun 200989000 miUS $40 | We hear a rattling noise but dealer could not hear it. | ||
| Dec 2013102000 miUS $225 | Rear end broke and was leaking fluid. | ||
See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Ford models.
