2003 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 335 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer, 30% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 77,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear axle” (8% of reports).
- 335power train complaints
- 77,000median miles at failure
- 9mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $4,000typical repair cost reported by owners
- 35%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.
- Rear axle: mentioned in 28 of 335 complaints (8%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2003 Ford Explorer at $4,000, and half of them between $2,200 and $5,000.
Based on 37 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2017), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do power train problems happen?
Based on 298 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 335 complaints, 9 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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.
2003 ford explorer. Consumer writes in regard to defective throttle in model vehicle. *as *tr
Shift lever broke off inside steering column of my wife's explorer when changing from park to drive to exit from a boat launch ramp with no boat on the trailer. Vehicle was towed on a flatbed wrecker to my garage. Broken element ( see photos) was not replaceable by itself. Steering column had to be…
Transmission shifts hard and clunks, is not safe to drive. The estimate repair is around $ 3,400. Will never buy a ford again.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 335 owner complaints about power train for the 2003 Ford Explorer (30% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 77,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $4,000 (half paid between $2,200 and $5,000), from 37 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “rear axle”, in 28 of 335 complaints.
Other 2003 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2003 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.