2003 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 54 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 51,475 miles. The words owners use most often: “door ajar” (17% of reports).
- 54electrical system complaints
- 51,475median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 2mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 36%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Door ajar: mentioned in 9 of 54 complaints (17%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 46 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 54 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 4 a fire, 2 an injury.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 12% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 186 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2003 Ford Explorer. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. While driving approximately 10 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning and crashed into a ditch. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The contact and four bystanders pushed the vehicle…
My transmission light has been coming on. I was only at 117k miles when it happened. That's to soon for a transmission to be acting up especially since it's anew one according to carfax this is the second transmission for my explorer. The first one was put in only at 3 years old. It will sometimes…
While driving home from work this evening the o/d off light began steadily blinking and the transmission took way too long to shift (rpm almost red line) and wouldn't shift into 5th gear. I was driving on a city street and first noticed the truck not shifting and within 3 minutes of driving the o/d…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 54 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2003 Ford Explorer (5% of the 1,131 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 Ford Explorer electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 51,475 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “door ajar”, in 9 of 54 complaints.
Other 2003 Ford Explorer problems
- Structure problems (354)
- Power Train problems (335)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (69)
- Suspension problems (63)
- Visibility problems (57)
- Wheels problems (56)
- Air Bags problems (50)
See all 2003 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.