2003 Ford Explorer

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

• 09E025000 2009-05-11

  Recall 09E025000

  DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

  Recorded model years: 2003

• 09E012000 2009-04-07

  Recall 09E012000

  SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

  Recorded model years: 2003

• 07E104000 2007-12-11

  Recall 07E104000

  CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."

  Recorded model years: 2003

Showing 3 of 7 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 144 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

• 10156863 2019-02-07

  TSB 19-2026

  Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition

  Recorded model years: 2003

• 10155551 2019-02-07

  TSB 19-2026

  Some 2000 and newer Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles equipped with aluminum body panels may exhibit corrosion concerns appearing as bubbled and/or peeling paint with or without accompanying white dust. Panel replacement is recommended. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition

  Recorded model years: 2003

• 10028736 2009-05-01

  TSB-08-19-3

  FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT OIL SEPARATION FROM THE INTERNAL LUBE FOUND IN THE UNITIZED CARTRIDGE SEAL. OIL SEPARATION APPEARS TO BE AND IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED, AS AN AXLE LUBE LEAK. *PE

  Recorded model years: 2003

Showing 3 of 122 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 2,047 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

• EA09013 2009-08-18

  Vehicle Rollaway Allegations

  This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular failure…

  Recorded model years: 2003

• PE09020 2009-04-21

  VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS

  IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED CONSUMER REPORTS OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED EFFORTS WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK COULD BE A RESULT OF A GROOVE BEING WORN INTO THE SWING ARM RAMP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWING ARM IS A COMPONENT BOLTED TO THE STEERING…

  Recorded model years: 2003

• DP05005 2005-09-22

  SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

  ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED…

  Recorded model years: 2003

A further 39 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

• 2004328 2004-09-10

  Transport Canada recall 2004328

  On certain 2002 model year vehicles, the ball stud bracket located on the rear liftgate window could rotate out of position on the glass. If this occurs, the window lift strut may detach and become trapped between the glass and the liftgate, possibly causing the window to drop unexpectedly or break. In all of the affected vehicles model year 2002…

  Recorded model years: 2003

A further 112 records exist for the Ford Explorer where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

1,131 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

• reports mentioning a crash 60
• reports mentioning a fire 10
• reported injuries 57
• reported fatalities 2

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

• Body & structure366 (26.7%)Official recall records for this system: 27, covering model years 1995–2026.
• Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)357 (26.1%)Official recall records for this system: 33, covering model years 1999–2025.
• Engine82 (6.0%)Official recall records for this system: 29, covering model years 1996–2026.
• Tires & wheels75 (5.5%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 1995–2017.
• Suspension69 (5.0%)Official recall records for this system: 20, covering model years 1995–2023.
• Electrical system54 (3.9%)Official recall records for this system: 18, covering model years 1998–2024.
• Visibility (glass, wipers, mirrors)52 (3.8%)Official recall records for this system: 23, covering model years 2002–2026.
• Air bags (restraint system)50 (3.7%)Official recall records for this system: 6, covering model years 1995–2021.

Other / uncategorized: 44 classifications (3.2%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 30,985 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.