2003 Ford Explorer Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 57 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer, 5% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 67,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear window” (32% of reports).
- 57visibility complaints
- 67,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 30%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 window: mentioned in 18 of 57 complaints (32%)
- Blend door: mentioned in 7 of 57 complaints (12%)
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 45 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 57 complaints, 3 an injury.
Ford Explorer visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 5% | 7,300 |
| 2025 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 7,550 |
| 2023 Explorer | 5 | 5% | 11,750 |
| 2022 Explorer | 10 | 4% | 35,500 |
| 2021 Explorer | 20 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 13 | 1% | 45,980 |
| 2019 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 43,000 |
| 2018 Explorer | 11 | 2% | 73,500 |
| 2017 Explorer | 32 | 2% | 69,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 36 | 1% | 83,913 |
| 2015 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 27 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 30 | 1% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 16 | 2% | 38,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 14 | 1% | 47,800 |
| 2010 Explorer | 3 | 3% | 48,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 50,750 |
| 2008 Explorer | 4 | 3% | 77,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 6 | 3% | 64,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 15 | 2% | 40,051 |
| 2005 Explorer | 23 | 5% | 53,168 |
| 2004 Explorer | 100 | 8% | 68,328 |
| 2003 Explorer | 57 | 5% | 67,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 129 | 4% | 70,500 |
| 2001 Explorer | 15 | 4% | 65,651 |
| 2000 Explorer | 45 | 5% | 60,800 |
| 1999 Explorer | 216 | 16% | 80,300 |
| 1998 Explorer | 108 | 6% | 79,500 |
| 1997 Explorer | 90 | 5% | 75,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 78,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 19 | 2% | 100,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists visibility 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. WHEN ATTEMPTING TO CLOSE THE REAR WINDOW, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR LIFTGATE WINDOW HINGES WERE CRACKING AND WERE TILTED ON ONE SIDE. THE CONTACT, A CERTIFIED MASTER TECHNICIAN, STATED THAT THE WINDOW NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT CALLED FORT…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. When operating the vehicle, the rear hatch door and the rear hatch window became unsecured and opened due to a crack near the rear window wiper. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that the hinges on the rear windshield were loose and the rear window was not properly secured. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 Ford Explorers have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 57 owner complaints about visibility 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 visibility?
No recall currently lists visibility for this vehicle.
At what mileage do visibility problems start?
The median reported mileage is 67,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the 2003 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “rear window”, in 18 of 57 complaints, followed by “blend door” (7).
Other 2003 Ford Explorer problems
See all 2003 Ford Explorer problems or visibility problems across all Explorer years.