2003 Ford Explorer complaints

WHILE DRIVING ON A BACK COUNTRY ROAD AT 15 TO 20 MPH VEHICLE SUDDENLY BURST INTO FLAMES. THICK BLACK SMOKE WAS BILLOWING FROM THE FRONT RIGHT SIDE OF VEHICLE. CAUSE OF FIRE WAS UNKNOWN AT THIS TIME, AND UNDER INVESTIGATION.*AK

I WAS TRAVELING IN REVERSE (LESS THAN 1MPH) WHEN I STRUCK A TREE. THE ENTIRE BACK WINDOW OF MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER SHATTERED SENDING SHARDS OF GLASS INTO THE REAR THIRD ROW SEATING AREA. THE GLASS WASN'T SAFETY GLASS. THE AMOUNT OF DAMAGE (GLASS AND BODY) IS OVER $2,500.00. THERE ARE TWO AREAS OF CONCERN. FIRST, IF THERE WERE PASSENGERS IN THE 3RD ROW SEAT, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN COVERED IN GLASS ESPECIALLY IN THE FACIAL AREA? NUMBER TWO. WHY SHOUL THERE BE SO MUCH DAMAGE AT LESS THAN 1 MPH? IF I WAS REAR ENDED AT LET'S SAY 40 MPH, THE CAR WOULD BE TOTALLED. I FIND THIS INCIDENT POINTS OUT A DESIGN FLAW AND A SAFETY PROBLEM. JAMES HUTCHISON

RE: SECOND (MID-SECTION) SEAT - DRIVER'S SIDE 1. SEAT BELT BECAME LODGED BEHIND SEAT RELEASE CAUSING BACK OF SEAT TO JERK FORWARD AND STRIKE MY CHILD IN BACK OF NECK. 2. FACTS: A) WHEN MY DAUGHTER (12 YEARS; 89 LBS.) LEANED FORWARD IN HER SEAT, PRESSURE WAS PLACED ON SEAT BELT CAUSING RELEASE TO ENGAGE AND JERK FORWARD; B) MY DAUGHTER WAS STILL IN SEAT BELT WHEN I PULLED OFF THE SIDE OF ROAD TO CHECK ON HER; C) I WAS REPEATEDLY UNABLE TO GET THE BACK OF HER SEAT TO "LOCK IN" PLACE; D) UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND SEAT BELT TO BE LODGED SECURELY BEHIND SEAT RELEASE AND EACH TIME MY DAUGHTER MOVED FORWARD AND PLACED PRESSURE ON SEAT BELT, THE RELEASE WAS ENGAGED; E) THIS INCIDENT WASN'T THE RESULT OF AN ACCIDENT; E) BRAKES WEREN'T BEING USED AT TIME; F) SHE WAS SEEN IN EMERGENCY ROOM DUE TO PAIN IN HER NECK. BACK AND HEAD; SHE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH A CERVICAL STRAIN AND HAD TO WEAR A NECK COLLAR FOR FIVE DAYS. 3. CONTRIBUTING REASONS FOR OCCURRENCE: A) SEAT BELT IS SECURED TO SIDE OF VEHICLE; B) WHEN A PERSON GETS INTO THIRD ROW SEAT, IT'S EASY TO GET CAUGHT ON THE SEAT BELT CAUSING IT TO HANG BEHIND SEAT RELEASE; (C) IF SEAT BELT DOESN'T RETRACT PROPERLY, IT CATCHES BEHIND SEAT RELEASE; D) IT CAN ALSO CATCH ON FRONT OF RELEASE. 4. ADDITIONAL CONCERNS: A) SECOND SEAT RELEASE IS A TWO STEP RELEASE: IF THIS WAS A SITUATION WHERE THE BRAKES HAD TO BE APPLIED QUICKLY AND FIRMLY, SECOND PART OF RELEASE COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY ENGAGED CAUSING MY DAUGHTER TO BE STRUCK FROM BEHIND A

ANTILOCK BRAKE WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND GOES OFF. WHEN LIGHT COMES ON THE BRAKE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR AND WILL STILL STOP, BUT PEDAL PULSATES VIGOROUSLY. THIS OCCURS UNDER NORMAL BRAKING. ALSO WHEN THE LIGHT IS ON, UNDER A HEAVY STOP, ALL FOUR WHEELS WILL LOCK UP. THE TRUCK HAS BEEN AT THE DEALER (GWINNETT PLACE FORD, DULUTH, GA) FOR FIVE WEEKS NOW. THEY SAY THAT THEY HAVE FOUR OTHER EXPLORERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. FORD CURRENTLY DOES NOT HAVE ANY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM AT THIS POINT. THERE HAS BEEN A REVISED ANTILICK BRAKE CONTROL MODULE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE RELEASED LAST FRIDAY. AS OF THIS MORNING, FORD HAS STOPPED THE RELEASE WITH "QUALITY ISSUE - ALL PARTS ARE BAD AND CANNOT BE SOLD" SO NOW I AM BACK AT THE STARTING POINT AND STILL DRIVING A SMALLER RENTAL VEHICLE INSTEAD OF THE $34,000 TRUCK MY COMPANY BOUGHT FOR ME TO DRIVE TO DO MY JOB.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE WAS IN A COLLISION. UPON IMPACT,BOTH FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

ON MY NEW FORD EXPLORER WHEN I APPLY THE BRAKES AT SPEEDS ABOVE 40 MPH WHOLE FRONT END SHAKES VIOLENTLY, THE STEERING WHEEL ALSO SHAKES VIOLENTLY, AND THE VEHICLE LOSES CONTROL.*AK

ON MY NEW FORD EXPLORER, THERE IS A AIR CONDITIONER LEAK IS LETTING 134A GAS INTO THE OZONE LAYER. 134A PISSES OUT OF THE A/C SYSTEM EVERYTIME I USE THE AIR CONDITIONER UNIT.*AK

CONSUMER STATES THAT VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR 40 MINUTES WHEN THE REAR HATCHBACK WINDOW EXPLODED. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK

WHILE DRIVING 50-55 MPH VEHICLE WENT OFF THE ROAD INTO A DITCH AND HIT A TELEPHONE POLE. UPON IMPACT, FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. *AK

WHILE DRIVING REAR WINDOW EXPLODED WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE HEAVILY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARD WITH KEYS REMOVED AND FORD SAID NO DEFECT FOUND. *AK

WHILE DRIVING THE 2003 FORD EXPLORER, THE RIGHT REAR WINDOW SHATTERED UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS. *NLM

TRANSMISSION INDICATOR LIGHT ON. TRANSMISSION SLIPS DURING SHIFTING. DEALER INITIALLY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO UNTIL FORD ENGINEERING GIVES THEM THE FIX. SECOND VISIT TO DEALERSHIP THEY REBUILT TRANSMISSION TWO DAYS LATER TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AGAIN. *NLM

ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER XLT HAS STALLED WHILE DRIVING.*AK

I HAVE A 2003 FORD EXPLORER, ON MAY 25, 2003 I WAS TAKING AN ELDERLY LADY FROM A BOARDING HOME THAT I VOLUNTEER AT, TO THE CEMETARY. I GOT HER IN THE EXPLORER, TURNED THE KEY ON AND THE DRIVER SIDE AIR BAG EXPLODED, I NEVER EVEN GOT TO PUT THE CAR IN GEAR OR ANYTHING. .MY HUSBAND (GORDON SHERNAN) TALKED WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY AND BECAUSE OF THE VEHICLE BEING OVER WARRANTY, THEY WEREN'T THE LEAST BIT CONCERNED. I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHY ONE WENT OFF AND NOT THE OTHER, AND WHY IT WENT OFF BY JUST STARTING THE VEHICLE. I FEEL THIS IS REALLY A SAFETY ISSUE,NOT ONLY DID IT SCARE HALF THE LIFE OUT OF BOTH OF US, BUT MAKES YOU WORRY EVERY TIME YOU GET IN A CAR WITH AIR BAGS. IF I HAD BEEN DRIVING ON A ROAD WAY, I CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE HAD AN ACCIDENT. I FIND IT VERY LAX ON FORD MOTOR COMPANY PART THAT THEY ARE NOT CONCERNED AT ALL. FORTUNATELY I WALKED AWAY WITH JUST A SORE CHEST, SHOULDER AND STIFF NECK.*AK

FORD EXPLORER, 4-DOOR, 200 WINDOW ON REAR TAILGATE DOOR "POPS" OPEN ON ROUGH ROADS. HAPPENED 4 TIMES WITH NEW VEHICLE WITH UNDER 5,000 MILES.*AK

THE DRIVER'S POWER WINDOW BUTTON WAS VERY SENSITIVE. THE SLIGHTEST TOUCH/BUMP CAUSED THE WINDOW TO OPEN FULLY. THE CONSUMER ALMOST HAD AN ACCIDENT DUE TO THIS PROBLEM, WHILE DRIVING IN A RAIN STORM. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIBRATE EXCESSIVELY. THE CONSUMER LOOKED OUT OF THE REAR VIEW MIRROR AND NOTICED THE TIRE WAS ROLLING DOWN THE HIGHWAY. *NLM

THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS WHILE IN THE PARK. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *JB

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS BACKED OUT OF A PARKING LOT IT SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. THE VEHICLE TOOK OFF BACKWARDS AND HIT A TREE. *JB

THE SEAT BELTS DO NOT FULLY RETRACT CAUSING THE SEAT BELT TO JAM THE DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM, RESULTING IN THE DOOR NOT CLOSING PROPERLY AND OPENING AT ANY GIVEN TIME! *JB

THE VEHICLE LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, WHICH CAUSED THE CONSUMER TO PULL OVER. *JB 2003 FORD EXPLORER LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING, CAUSING THE DRIVER TO PULL OVER. *MR

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN A HEAD-ON COLLISION AT 35 MPH. NEITHER THE FRONT DRIVER NOR PASSENGER AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *NLM

THE BRAKE PEDAL BRACKET INTERFERED AND RESTRICTED THE PROPER APPLICATION OF THE BRAKES. *SCC *NLM

THE IGNITION, SEATS AND OTHER ELECTRICAL FEATURES DID NOT WORK, DUE TO A FAULTY SENSOR MODULE, DEALER REPLACED THE MODULE TWICE, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED.*JB

THE DRIVE SHAFT WAS REPLACED.*JB

WHILE ATTEMPTING TO PARK IN A PARKING SLOT, I SLOWLY EASED INTO THE SLOT AND WITHOUT WARNING THE VEHICLE SPED UP AND HIT A POLE DAMAGING IT AND DENTING THE VEHICLE LICENSE PLATE AND HOLDER.

PLASTIC UNDER (ATTACHED TO) REAR LIFTGATE WINDOW CRACKED IN COLD WEATHER. CRACK WAS ~10 INCHES LONG. ENTIRE LIFTGATE NEEDS REPLACING.

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING A LOUD CLINKING NOISE CAN BE HEARD. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. *NLM SQUEELING NOISE FROM MOTOR. TRANSMISSION LURCHED AND WOULD NOT ENGAGE. TRANSMISSION AND TRANSFER CASE HAD TO BE FLUSHED. REPLACE STEERING SHAFT FOR CLINKING NOISE. CLOCKSPRING REPLACED.

CONSUMER STATED THAT REAR LIFT GATE GLASS SHATTERED WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A "COOL" PARKING LOT ON A "COOL" DAY. TS