2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- None on file
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. That ranks 5th out of 14 Explorer Sport Trac model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (11 complaints, 14%), typically at around 25,000 miles. Complaints mention 5 crashes, 6 fires, 5 injuries. There are no safety recalls on file for this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
- 78owner complaints
- 0safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 5complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 11 | 14% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 13% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 12% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 10% | 6,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 8 | 10% | 96,600 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 9% | 26,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 6% | 83,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 5% | 151,232 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 5% | 48,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 5% | 2,100 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 5% | 16,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 3 | 4% | 90,446 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 3 | 4% | 80,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 2 | 3% | 100 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 3% | 9,769 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 3% | 85,959 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 3,100 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac recalls (0)
No safety recalls are on file for the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Vehicle rollaway allegations (PE09020) — opened Apr 21, 2009, closed Aug 19, 2009.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
drivers side rear brake line developed a hole caused by the emergency brake cable rubbing against it causing all the brake fluid to leak & the brakes failed. Fortunately my husband was driving on our rural road & not out on the main highway. We have not been able to get it repaired yet.
The driver was driving down the expressway and her back tire blew out causing her vehicle to spiral out of control and the vehicle then flipped and started rolling downhill, the vehicle airbags did not deploy in the vehicle at all. The driver and her mother are in critical condition. Yes, the…
Takata recall .. The smell of fuel inside the cab and outside is really bad. It's making me sick and giving me headaches. The truck doesn't run right and the mileage is awful.
We had purchased this vehicle bout a year ago and when we got it we went to get tires and front end alignment and they ended up replacing upper nd lower ball joints, control arm and sway bar on passenger side.this was 6/20/2017. It wasn't making any noise until 1/3/2018. I was going down city…
The cab to frame mounting bolt bushings, and steering stabilizer bushings are have and are crumbling. All need to be replaced. I feel ford is aware of this problem and should have to fix it. I just inherited this truck and just found out about this. Thank you.
Other Ford Explorer Sport Trac years
← 2002 Explorer Sport Trac · 2004 Explorer Sport Trac →
See all Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Owners most often report electrical system, structure, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 11 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
No safety recalls are on file for this model year.
Was the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac model years, the 2003 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.