Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||||
| 051710 | 10/07/2005 | 05258 | 10018064 | Noise from rear wheel hub bearings. *tt | 12/14/2005 |
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||||
| 050618 | 01/01/2005 | 05126 | 10016789 | Rear axle noise repair. *sc | 10/07/2005 |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | |||
| 05/20/2010 | 82665 | ||
| Although this defect did not cause an accident or injury, the potential was there for serious damage to this or following vehicles. specifically, the defect was the rear strut/spring assemblies i.e. broken and shifted coil spring. as this part sits close to the fuel tank, the piece of spring that broke off could have eaily punctured the fuel tank resulting in possible fire. it could also have wedged against a brake line, thus causing a brake failure and/or suspension failure/misalignment causing loss of control and an accident. in addition, if the piece of spring, weighing about three (3) pounds had fallen out, it could have caused severe damage to a following vechicle or it's operator had it bounced up and penetrated a windshield. the reason for the lapse in time in my reporting this condition is because i thought perhaps it was just a one time isolated failure to my vehicle. however, in talking to other ford explorer owners, as well as several auto repair shops, i have learned that this has been a common failure on similar vehicles. if this was a simple repair to a component that had little or no affect on the vehicles performance or did not present a safety condition, i would have probably just written it off to normal maintenance and repair. however, with my knowledge of automobiles, and a condition that could potentially cause damage as well as personal injury, as well as being a quite expensive repair, i felt compelled to report it to the proper people who perhaps have a larger data base than i do, and take action against ford motor company to mandate a recall or reimbursement to those ford explorer owners who have experienced the same failure as i have. | |||
| 01/11/2013 | 94356 | 1 | |
| Both rear coil springs rusted through and broke. *tr | |||
| 01/11/2013 | 94356 | ||
| Both rear coil springs rusted through and broke | |||
| 04/04/2007 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 55 mph the check engine warning lamp illuminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brackets that hold the timing chain fractured. as a result, the brackets and valve cover needed to be replaced. also, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds she could hear a grinding noise. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the front driver side hub assembly needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 120,000. pmb | |||
| 05/10/2012 | 54000 | ||
| Brought vehicle in for routine maintenance ( brakes ) when it was discovered that both rear coil springs were broken. while having springs replaced it was discovered that the rear wheel bearings also needed to be replaced along with the rear shocks. this vehicle has been driven only less than 55,000 miles under normal driving conditions on paved city and highway roads. after inspecting the broken springs we realized that the damage wasn't a recent occurance.they could have been defected at 40,000 miles or less.i believe ford motor company should be made aware of possible defected rear suspension parts it may be using in some of it's vehicle models and the potential safety risks this may pose on the general public. | |||
| 04/22/2012 | 110000 | ||
| Rear of vehicle emitted a thumping and popping sound. first thought that rear tire had blowen or that rear end had malfunctioned. after regaining control of vehicle and pulling off to shoulder on three wheels and a rotor, determined that the driver's side rear wheel and tire had disappeared. all lugs and nuts were gone. wheel had departed from vehicle and gone in an unknown direction. rotor and caliper where still attached to vehicle. policeman was later able to retrieve wheel and tire from some distance down the highway behind the vehicle. rim was scored all the way around the circumference of the inside of the rim. i assume that the rim had dropped down onto either the lugs or rotor prior to finding its way out of the fender well. blessed to be able to talk about this. ford motor company, there are recurrent problems here. had rear bearing replaced on same wheel approximatley 16 months prior. suggested repairs around $400.00 to start for this incident. there may be greater damage and cost because the vehicle rested and dragged upon the rear suspension strut and torsion bar prior to get it stopped and pulled off of the pavement onto the grassy shoulder. | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 10585 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated that both front coil springs fractured. the front passenger side coil spring failed first and was repaired. the front driver | |||
| 01/01/2012 | 10585 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact stated the passenger front and the driver front coil spring failed. the passenger front coil spring failed first and was repaired. the driver side coils spring was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 10,585 and the current mileage was 129,000. li | |||
| 02/05/2011 | 235000 | ||
| Broken coil springs front and rear causing the vehicle to try and swing around to the right on slippery surfaces. extremely dangerous. | |||
| 10/01/2009 | 100000 | ||
| I have continuous problems with my tires coming off of my 2003 ford explorer while driving following any work requiring removal of my tires (this has happened to me multiple times now). the first incident happened in 2006. the explanation that i have received is that the aluminum rims require extra torquing when placing the tire back on the vehicle. i'm not sure what the root cause really is but now i know that there is an issue with the metal in all of the areas associated with my tires being attached to my vehicle. everything is corroded behind the hub caps of all 4 wheels. this could be associated with the issue that the windstars are experiencing, maybe the annealing process used for the metal was defective? i don't know but this is a safety issue and i want an investigation opened so that it can be corrected. i have contacted ford regarding this issue so they are aware of this and i know that there are many other individuals experiencing the same exact issue with their explorers. | |||
| 10/13/2008 | 94000 | 1 | |
| I bought my 2003 ford explorer in sept 2007. after driving it to and from work i noticed a loud humming sound up front @ 94,000miles. when i finally had it looked at 2 months later, i had to replace the drivers side front side wheel bearing. now a few months later the passenger side front bearing is humming even worse so i had that one replaced. 10,000 miles later the drivers side has started doing the same thing again. i do not live on a dirt road, there is no reason for this to happen in such a short time. i have never had to replace a $400.00 wheel bearing (each) in my life on any truck or car that i have owned until now on a ford explore. *tr | |||
| 12/06/2008 | 70000 | 1 | |
| While driving loud grinding noise followed by a pulling to the side. a dangerous and possible catastrophic event. this is apparently a common problem with ford explorers. had car towed and new wheel bearing placed. a very expensive and should be unneeded repair. *tr | |||
| 05/05/2008 | 50000 | 1 | |
| Wheel bearing needs to be replaced after 50k miles which seems to be very common on 2000+ model year ford explorers. *tr | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 60000 | 3 | 11/01/2007 |
| Bearings in ford explorer almost seized.... this could cause a major problem if they had not been replaced. 3 out of four at one time? *tr | |||
| 10/02/2007 | 50000 | 1 | 02/01/2006 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving 25 mph, the rear end of the vehicle suddenly slumped and the rear driver side tire detached from the vehicle. the wheel, brake, rotor, lower control arm, and axle were damaged. repairs were made. the current and failure mileages were 50,000. updated 01/09/08.*lj the dealer replaced brake pads and rear end vibrating. updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| 09/11/2007 | 52000 | 1 | 09/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. as a mechanic was repairing the emissions module on the vehicle, he noticed that the coil springs failed. the failure was repaired. the current and failure mileages were 52,000. eq-10203418-4200, received 12/12/07 (2 doc). updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| 02/26/2006 | 5 | ||
| Have had mechanical problems with my 2003 ford explorer which should not have occurred with the least amount of miles on it. have had rear brake sensor replaced 2 times under warranty, front axle seal replaced under warranty and rear axle bearing replaced with 44000 miles and now the rear axle seal is leaking on the right side. the mechanic who does my repairs stated the axle seals are on backorder due to the amount of explorers the seals are defective on. i have not received any recall information on the seals as i believe this is a safety concern. could you please check into this defect. i believe there were several defective parts used on the 2003 ford explorers that have not been recalled or reported. thank you. *jb | |||
| 04/10/2003 | 29 | 1 | |
| There's a loud and severe vibration when the truck reached speeds between 59 - 63 mph. the dealership, in attempts to correct the problem, has replaced the tires 3 times, rotated the drive shaft several times and neutralized the engine motor mount yet the problem still exists. *nlm | |||
| 07/02/2003 | 1 | ||
| Consumer stated that while driving at high speeds vehicle will vibrate heavily. dealer notified. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT | |||
| 02/17/2011 | 81020 | ||
| 2003 ford explorer front wheel bearings make a loud grinding sound. common problem in all 2003 ford explorers. it ground down the wheel lugs from the inside and the tire came off on the freeway doing 60mph. the rotors got eaten up on the inside too. ford needs to address this issue before someone gets killed. | |||
| 04/09/2010 | 75000 | ||
| The front bearings on my 2003 ford explorer have gone out in the past two weeks. the vehicle has 75,000 miles on it. the car stopped steering and i had a very difficult time driving it to the nearest repair station. had i been on the highway it would have been a disaster. the right front bearing went at the beginning of the month and the left at the end of the month. the mechanics that worked on the vehicle stated that they see many of these. additionally we had to replace the rear strut assembly since the spring actually snapped. this too was familiar to the mechanic. when researching this issue i have found that many owners have the same problems. the mechanics i have spoken to stated that wheel bearings should not go that soon and that this is a hazard that should be fixed. | |||
| 01/12/2010 | 140000 | 1 | |
| I suggest you check the one url shown below - there are over 400 examples of ford springs fracturing because of a defect in the spring material. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_springs.html i have two broken springs - i called ford to ask if they would fix the defect of course they said no way - nhtsa has not forced us to do a recall. *tr | |||
| 04/19/2009 | 67000 | 1 | |
| Both front and rear wheel bearings failed on my 2003 ford explorer at 67,000 miles. the vehicle is only driven on paved roadways and has been maintained by both myself and ford. under normal operating conditions all 4 of these bearings should not have failed. *tr | |||
| 07/15/2008 | 73000 | 1 | |
| On 7/15/08 we brought our 2003 ford explorer to the dealership for a tune-up. we then found out our front wheel bearing needed replacing. other problems occurred too. the lower ball joints and upper control arm also needed to be replaced. we also had a front pinion seal leaking. the cost of the tune-up was $555.54 while all the other problems costs us $1402.30. we were prepared to pay for the tune-up but not for all the other problems. we asked if ford could help out before this work was done but the dealership said we were out of warranty so we had no choice but to pay and have it fixed because the dealership told us these were safety issues. soon after we left the dealership we noticed a loud noise coming from the front. we thought it was the tires. we brought our explorer back to the dealership on 7/31/08 only to find out the other front wheel bearing had gone. they told us it would cost another $365 and again we asked if ford could help out and they said we would need to call ford ourselves. which we did in the waiting room of the dealership. ford did not want to help at all. i explained to ford all the complaints i found on the nhtsa site as well as the technical service bulletins on the same exact problem we were having with our explorer. ford finally said they would cover $265 but we would have to pay $100 as a deductible. we said no and tried to explained to ford that these parts were defective and that ford should cover all the expenses. ford said it was up to the nhtsa site to issue a recall and until that time ford will not pay for these defective parts. the service manager then said he would cover the $100 but we would have to go after ford on our own for the past expenses. we had the part fixed but we want ford to step up and do the right thing and admit these parts are defective and cover the costs. our explorer has only 73000 miles and we feel these parts should not have gone. ford should care more about their customers safety. *tr | |||
| 07/12/2005 | 1 | 08/01/2003 | |
| Dt: consumer states he took his car to candy ford because he heard a noise coming from the front of the vehicle. another dealer had mentioned to him that it might be a wheel bearing. he asked candy ford to check out the car before putting a wheel bearing on the car. the dealer replaced the right front wheel bearing on the car without first checking the car to be sure that was what it needed. a man that works at candy ford told him that on the work order it was listed that they had changed the right front wheel bearing without checking the car out. he was charged $280.00 for something that is not fixed. he is still having the same problem; and it is getting worse. the dealer asked him to leave their premises. the manufacturer said that they would file a complaint against them. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 1 | 07/24/2003 | |
| Various complaints involving the 2003 ford explorer xlt.*mr consumer believed that noise on vehicle was coming from rear. repairs and/or replacements were made on: front and rear suspensions, transfer case, and seals in the rear axle due to leak. now, consumer is waiting for a new axle assembly to be replaced on the vehicle. also, a cooling system noise on vehicle but dealer coudn't find the source of the problem. *la | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - CONTROL ARM - UPPER BALL JOINT | |||
| 08/24/2005 | 63700 | 1 | 08/15/2003 |
| Dt: while driving on 8-24-05 the ball joint on the driver's side broke. the vehicle just pulled to the right. the consumer was able to pull to the side of the road without any accident. the vehicle is currently being repaired at a dealership. the vehicle is company owned. the company is aware that the consumer has filed this complaint.*ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||
| 09/11/2007 | 52000 | 1 | 09/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. as a mechanic was repairing the emissions module on the vehicle, he noticed that the coil springs failed. the failure was repaired. the current and failure mileages were 52,000. eq-10203418-4200, received 12/12/07 (2 doc). updated 12/12/07 *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - FRONT - WHEEL BEARING | |||
| 09/09/2007 | 72005 | 2 | 09/18/2004 |
| Loud roaring sound inside of car. turned out to be the front drivers side wheel bearing. replaced now the rear is doing the same thing. my vehicle doesn't have enough miles for these failures to happen. *tr | |||
| 04/09/2008 | 60000 | 6 | |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. at 50,000 75,000 and 80,000 miles, the wheel bearings failed. the two front and the rear driver side wheel bearings were replaced several times. at 30,000 miles, the contact took the vehicle back to the dealer for the state inspection and they stated that four wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the dealer further stated that the frequent failures of the wheel bearings may be due to driving on a dirt road. the manufacturer stated that there was no recall for the failure; therefore, he should take the vehicle to the dealer. the contact will have the wheel bearings replaced, but he feels that the manufacturer should be responsible for the cost. the dealer information and purchase date were unavailable. the current mileage was 130,000 and failure mileage was 60,000. | |||
| 03/27/2008 | 88000 | 1 | 09/23/2005 |
| Loss control of my suv, and found out my spindle, bearings and everything was shot! *tr | |||
| 03/06/2008 | 1 | ||
| Bought my 2003 ford explorer in june 2005. after lengthy trip home i noticed a loud buzzing sound up front. when we finally had it diagnosed about 6 months later, we had to replace the passenger front side wheel bearing. now the driver's side front bearing is buzzing even worse so we will need to replace that one as well. we have 66,000 miles on the vehicle. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2007 | 59500 | 4 | 10/30/2002 |
| My 2003 ford explorer limited, with 59k miles, developed a loud roaring road noise that seemed to be coming from the tires. inspection by the ford dealer identified 3 defective wheel bearings. the right front and both rears. i know that wheel bearings should not fail with such low mileage so i instructed the dealer to replace the 4th bearing which they said was not making noise because i wouldn't risk a failure while driving. i kept the old bearings and it is not possible to determine which one they thought was good. they are all extremely difficult to rotate and there is very obvious roughness during rotation. my extended warranty covered the cost of the first three. my primary concern is the short lifespan of bearings. the front bearings were so bad that i feel sure an extended trip would have caused catastrophic failure. my second concern is that ford has not acknowledged this problem. on-line research has confirmed that i am not the first to have bearing failure before 60k on a 2003 explorer. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2006 | 38000 | ||
| I was advised by the dealer investigating a squeeking complaint that my left wheel bearing needed replacing at a cost of over $300.00. at the time, it had around 38,000 miles and was out of warranty. my regular non-dealer mechanic told me that it was a very common problem with explorers, and the cost was about right. i purchased 2 bearing assemblies and replaced the left one. now, only a few thousand miles later, the right one is making so much noise i can't hear the radio, so i will have to replace it. i hate to think about spending $500.00+ every couple of years replacing these bearings when every other vehicle i have ever owned, all gm by the way, went over 100,000 miles with no problems. the dealer never mentioned, and actually denied, any tsb's or problems with the bearings. *tr | |||
| 12/08/2006 | 91000 | 2 | 06/22/2006 |
| Catastrophic failure of the front hub/wheel bearing assembly. *jb | |||
| 09/15/2005 | 41000 | 3 | 03/29/2003 |
| Ford has defective hub assemblies on the 2003 explorers. leading up to the defective hubs going out, there is a very loud roaring noise coming from what ever wheel the bearing is going out on. no accident was involved but it was defective and waiting to happen. wheels do come off of vehicles when the bearings go bad. ford is aware of this problem they have. i replaced both front hubs 9-15-05 with 41,000 miles on them. have just had to replace the left front hub again this week with unfortunately 15,000 miles on it which they only warrant it to 12,000 miles. i have corrected the problem at a big expense to me. at this time, i just cringe waiting to hear another one start roaring and going out. i do have all three wheel hubs that the bearing has gone out. *nm | |||
| 09/10/2005 | 41704 | 1 | 03/29/2003 |
| I was having a roaring noise in the front end of my vehicle. i rotated my tires, purchased a new set of tires and the noise was still there. i took it back to the dealer and they inspected it and said that i needed both , left and right front wheel bearings replaced. i had them repaired and i kept the old parts and they are available. this corrected my problem. it is faulty parts that ford should have recalled. my car was out of warranty, so the expense was all on me. cost me $572. if both had to be replaced, its obvious they were defective. i had 41704 miles at the time i had them replaced. i contacted ford , they took my information, but said they could not help me, there had been no other complaints. *nm | |||
| 02/14/2005 | 64000 | 2 | 05/27/2004 |
| I purchased a 2003 ford explorer 2wd , i recently found out that both front wheel bearing need to be replaced on this vehicle. there is possibly a defect with these parts.*ak | |||
| 11/22/2004 | 26000 | 1 | 03/31/2003 |
| A roaring noise was coming from the front of my 2003 explorer and an inspection at the dealer came up as poor tire wear. the tires were rotated but the noise never went away, it was just slightly quieted then became progressively louder over the past eight months. i had it into an oil change station and a tire dealer before taking it back to another ford dealer and was told on november 22,2004 that the problem was a front wheel bearing gone bad. i now need that part repaired and my vehicle is out of warranty. i have not had the work done yet but the estimated repair cost is $400. i do not feel this part should be in need of replacement at this time. the vehicle is less than two years old. *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR | |||
| 07/01/2010 | 78000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact noticed that the right rear coil spring was covered in a plastic sheet. the dealer was notified who informed the contact that there were no recalls. the contact did not inform the manufacture. the contact took the vehicle to a private mechanic who advised the contact that the rear coil springs needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the current mileage was approximately 80,000. the failure mileage was 78,000. bw | |||
| 10/18/2010 | |||
| My 2003 ford explorer has only 70,000 miles on it and three out of the four wheel bearings have had to be replaced, at a total cost of over $1,100. the mechanic told me that this could cause a dangerous situation such as abnormal tire wear or the wheel coming off during driving. this potentially unsafe situation warrants a recall by ford. | |||
| 04/09/2010 | 75000 | ||
| The front bearings on my 2003 ford explorer have gone out in the past two weeks. the vehicle has 75,000 miles on it. the car stopped steering and i had a very difficult time driving it to the nearest repair station. had i been on the highway it would have been a disaster. the right front bearing went at the beginning of the month and the left at the end of the month. the mechanics that worked on the vehicle stated that they see many of these. additionally we had to replace the rear strut assembly since the spring actually snapped. this too was familiar to the mechanic. when researching this issue i have found that many owners have the same problems. the mechanics i have spoken to stated that wheel bearings should not go that soon and that this is a hazard that should be fixed. | |||
| 01/12/2010 | 140000 | 1 | |
| I suggest you check the one url shown below - there are over 400 examples of ford springs fracturing because of a defect in the spring material. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/ford_springs.html i have two broken springs - i called ford to ask if they would fix the defect of course they said no way - nhtsa has not forced us to do a recall. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 67000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving between 50-60 mph, the contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the rear suspension. he took the vehicle to the dealer and they replaced the rear bearings; however, the failure recurred two months later. the vehicle is currently being repaired at a repair shop. through online research, he found numerous complaints for this identical failure with other ford explorers. the failure mileage was 67,000 and current mileage was 109,000. | |||
| 05/07/2009 | 100000 | 1 | |
| 2003 ford explorer 4 dr. rear coil spring is broken. no rust on outside of spring, but its broken due to bad metal used to make it. *tr | |||
| 05/07/2004 | 2900 | 1 | |
| I bought a 2003 ford explorer xlt right off the lot brand new. within months i noticed a small wet spot in the rear of the vehicle. after my first oil change i mentioned it to where i bought the vehicle and the told me that my differently is low but not leaking. then i asked what about the wet spot on the ground. with 7 months from that a huge puddle from the rear of my car on vacation with the vehicle and drop it at a ford dealer it's my rear differently seals. fixed that paid for it because they say where and tear. about 1 year later same thing get it fixed about 1 year and half same thing and continue to fix it. talk to ford motor company they say it is out of warranty but when i started calling them in 2004 it was only 5 months old and i paid for the piece to be repaired. today my vehicle is back in the shop for a fourth time same exact problem although now the ford dealership says the axle is frozen in there and they need to break it before fixing the rear differential. why hasn't this been recalled. seeking help for this lemon!!!! *tr | |||
| 07/15/2007 | 55000 | 1 | 06/01/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. the contact heard a loud whining sound coming from the rear of the vehicle while accelerating and decelerating. the service manager stated that he could not find anything in his computer that was related to the failure. there are currently ten nhtsa service bulletins related to the failure. the current mileage was 76,000 and failure mileage was 55,000. update 09/10/08 *cw the consumer was told the rear axle may have to be replaced. updated 09/11/08. *jb | |||
| 10/15/2007 | 120000 | 2 | 04/30/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a whining noise coming from the vehicle. the noise becomes louder as the vehicle travels faster. the whining appears to be coming from the rear suspension. the failure mileage was 120,000 and current mileage was 144,800. updated 04/14/08. *lj the consumer stated the transmission was replaced at no charge by ford at 55,000 miles due to a defect. the 4-wheel drive makes excessive noise when in gear. updated | |||
| 03/17/2008 | 72400 | 1 | 02/26/2003 |
| Recently had to have the rear bearing and hub replaced b/c it was going bad. repair shop informed me that it was very dangerous b/c the wheel could come off while driving and it was walking wearing the brake pads out unevenly resulting in additional safety concerns. the repair shop is replacing bearing assembly and all brakes. i have researched this and notice many other people having similar issues. it only was detected b/c we thought the transmission was acting up which was still under warranty. so we took it in. if we hadn't, my family could have been seriously injured if the wheel came off and/or brakes failed due to bearing being bad causing brakes to wear unevenly. the repair cost about $1500. *tr | |||
| 04/16/2007 | 59500 | 4 | 10/30/2002 |
| My 2003 ford explorer limited, with 59k miles, developed a loud roaring road noise that seemed to be coming from the tires. inspection by the ford dealer identified 3 defective wheel bearings. the right front and both rears. i know that wheel bearings should not fail with such low mileage so i instructed the dealer to replace the 4th bearing which they said was not making noise because i wouldn't risk a failure while driving. i kept the old bearings and it is not possible to determine which one they thought was good. they are all extremely difficult to rotate and there is very obvious roughness during rotation. my extended warranty covered the cost of the first three. my primary concern is the short lifespan of bearings. the front bearings were so bad that i feel sure an extended trip would have caused catastrophic failure. my second concern is that ford has not acknowledged this problem. on-line research has confirmed that i am not the first to have bearing failure before 60k on a 2003 explorer. *tr | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 1 | 12/26/2003 | |
| The vehicle shakes or vibrates when turning the wheel right or left at low speeds. *jb | |||
| 01/01/2005 | 1 | ||
| 2003 ford explorer rear end noise started at about 30000 miles. *nm | |||
| 11/20/2003 | 23000 | 100 | |
| There's a loud roaring noise in the rear end when the gas pedal is depressed. dealership indicated that this is due to a glitch in the redesigned rear end, but there is no solution at this time for it. *ak | |||
| 10/12/2004 | 3000 | 1 | |
| The rear-end of the vehicle made a humming noise when traveling between 30 mph and 45 mph. the owner has taken the vehicle to the dealer, as well as contacted the manufacturer who was not doing anything to assist the consumer. provide further details. *jb | |||
| 07/01/2004 | 1 | 07/24/2003 | |
| Various complaints involving the 2003 ford explorer xlt.*mr consumer believed that noise on vehicle was coming from rear. repairs and/or replacements were made on: front and rear suspensions, transfer case, and seals in the rear axle due to leak. now, consumer is waiting for a new axle assembly to be replaced on the vehicle. also, a cooling system noise on vehicle but dealer coudn't find the source of the problem. *la | |||
| 2500 | 1 | ||
| While driving at low speed consumer heard a noise coming from rear of vehicle. dealership serviced vehicle, but could not duplicate the problem. *ak | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - AXLE - SPINDLE | |||
| 02/13/2007 | 60000 | 1 | 12/12/2002 |
| My 2003 ford explorer was serviced at dick edwards ford in junction city , ks to replace a left hand rear axle shaft seal on the 12th of febuary 2007. vehicle was picked up at the dealership by my wife. on the 13th of febuary she was driving home from work (about 3-5 miles) she called me on her cell phone and said she could hear noises, smelled something burning and the rear of the car was moving around and the brake pedal was low. i told her to proceed home with caution. when she arrived home i looked at the vehicle, and noted the lh rear wheel assembly was at a 30 deg angle. i called dick edward ford and they informed me to have it towed to the dealership. today they implied it was a bearing failure. i looked at the vehicle, spoke to the mechanic and i noted it was a rear axle shaft retention nut malfunction. the nut had backed out on the axle to the point that the assembly was about depart from the vehicle. the mechanic wanted to blame the axle bearing, which was destroyed. this nut if improperly torqued, or the assembly is not installed properly prior to torquing the nut, the nut can become loose and back off, especially since it is rh thread, there is not a cotter pin or anything holding this thing together, only a torqued nut. they then told me that they would not pay for it as it was a coincidence this happened. i refuse to pay. i have pictures of the vehicle setting in my driveway. i should have taken pictures at the dealership when it was taken apart. if my loved one had been on the interstate doing 70 mph this would have probably have allowed the wheel assembly to depart from the vehicle resulting in a catastrophic accident. and possible death to her as well as others. how many other vehicles out there with the same poor engineering design ? *jb | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS | |||
| 02/19/2008 | 87000 | 1 | 08/08/2007 |
| The shocks and the wheel bearings on the back left passenger side tires on my 2003 ford explorer are shot. my explorer has 87,000 miles on it!!! *tr | |||
| SUSPENSION - REAR - SPRINGS - COIL SPRINGS | |||
| 06/27/2007 | 45506 | 1 | |
| Reference my 2003 ford explorer 4x4. right rear spring is broken. vehicle only has 45,506 miles. *tr | |||