2003 Ford Explorer Suspension

LOUD ROARING SOUND INSIDE OF CAR. TURNED OUT TO BE THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE WHEEL BEARING. REPLACED NOW THE REAR IS DOING THE SAME THING. MY VEHICLE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH MILES FOR THESE FAILURES TO HAPPEN. *TR

REFERENCE MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER 4X4. RIGHT REAR SPRING IS BROKEN. VEHICLE ONLY HAS 45,506 MILES. *TR

RECENTLY HAD TO HAVE THE REAR BEARING AND HUB REPLACED B/C IT WAS GOING BAD. REPAIR SHOP INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS VERY DANGEROUS B/C THE WHEEL COULD COME OFF WHILE DRIVING AND IT WAS WALKING WEARING THE BRAKE PADS OUT UNEVENLY RESULTING IN ADDITIONAL SAFETY CONCERNS. THE REPAIR SHOP IS REPLACING BEARING ASSEMBLY AND ALL BRAKES. I HAVE RESEARCHED THIS AND NOTICE MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVING SIMILAR ISSUES. IT ONLY WAS DETECTED B/C WE THOUGHT THE TRANSMISSION WAS ACTING UP WHICH WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. SO WE TOOK IT IN. IF WE HADN'T, MY FAMILY COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED IF THE WHEEL CAME OFF AND/OR BRAKES FAILED DUE TO BEARING BEING BAD CAUSING BRAKES TO WEAR UNEVENLY. THE REPAIR COST ABOUT $1500. *TR

CATASTROPHIC FAILURE OF THE FRONT HUB/WHEEL BEARING ASSEMBLY. *JB

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER. AS A MECHANIC WAS REPAIRING THE EMISSIONS MODULE ON THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED THAT THE COIL SPRINGS FAILED. THE FAILURE WAS REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 52,000. EQ-10203418-4200, RECEIVED 12/12/07 (2 DOC). UPDATED 12/12/07 *TR

THE VEHICLE SHAKES OR VIBRATES WHEN TURNING THE WHEEL RIGHT OR LEFT AT LOW SPEEDS. *JB

MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER LIMITED, WITH 59K MILES, DEVELOPED A LOUD ROARING ROAD NOISE THAT SEEMED TO BE COMING FROM THE TIRES. INSPECTION BY THE FORD DEALER IDENTIFIED 3 DEFECTIVE WHEEL BEARINGS. THE RIGHT FRONT AND BOTH REARS. I KNOW THAT WHEEL BEARINGS SHOULD NOT FAIL WITH SUCH LOW MILEAGE SO I INSTRUCTED THE DEALER TO REPLACE THE 4TH BEARING WHICH THEY SAID WAS NOT MAKING NOISE BECAUSE I WOULDN'T RISK A FAILURE WHILE DRIVING. I KEPT THE OLD BEARINGS AND IT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO DETERMINE WHICH ONE THEY THOUGHT WAS GOOD. THEY ARE ALL EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO ROTATE AND THERE IS VERY OBVIOUS ROUGHNESS DURING ROTATION. MY EXTENDED WARRANTY COVERED THE COST OF THE FIRST THREE. MY PRIMARY CONCERN IS THE SHORT LIFESPAN OF BEARINGS. THE FRONT BEARINGS WERE SO BAD THAT I FEEL SURE AN EXTENDED TRIP WOULD HAVE CAUSED CATASTROPHIC FAILURE. MY SECOND CONCERN IS THAT FORD HAS NOT ACKNOWLEDGED THIS PROBLEM. ON-LINE RESEARCH HAS CONFIRMED THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST TO HAVE BEARING FAILURE BEFORE 60K ON A 2003 EXPLORER. *TR

I WAS ADVISED BY THE DEALER INVESTIGATING A "SQUEEKING" COMPLAINT THAT MY LEFT WHEEL BEARING NEEDED REPLACING AT A COST OF OVER $300.00. AT THE TIME, IT HAD AROUND 38,000 MILES AND WAS "OUT OF WARRANTY". MY REGULAR NON-DEALER MECHANIC TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH EXPLORERS, AND THE COST WAS ABOUT RIGHT. I PURCHASED 2 BEARING ASSEMBLIES AND REPLACED THE LEFT ONE. NOW, ONLY A FEW THOUSAND MILES LATER, THE RIGHT ONE IS MAKING SO MUCH NOISE I CAN'T HEAR THE RADIO, SO I WILL HAVE TO REPLACE IT. I HATE TO THINK ABOUT SPENDING $500.00+ EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS REPLACING THESE BEARINGS WHEN EVERY OTHER VEHICLE I HAVE EVER OWNED, ALL GM BY THE WAY, WENT OVER 100,000 MILES WITH NO PROBLEMS. THE DEALER NEVER MENTIONED, AND ACTUALLY DENIED, ANY TSB'S OR PROBLEMS WITH THE BEARINGS. *TR

FORD HAS DEFECTIVE HUB ASSEMBLIES ON THE 2003 EXPLORERS. LEADING UP TO THE DEFECTIVE HUBS GOING OUT, THERE IS A VERY LOUD ROARING NOISE COMING FROM WHAT EVER WHEEL THE BEARING IS GOING OUT ON. NO ACCIDENT WAS INVOLVED BUT IT WAS DEFECTIVE AND WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHEELS DO COME OFF OF VEHICLES WHEN THE BEARINGS GO BAD. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM THEY HAVE. I REPLACED BOTH FRONT HUBS 9-15-05 WITH 41,000 MILES ON THEM. HAVE JUST HAD TO REPLACE THE LEFT FRONT HUB AGAIN THIS WEEK WITH UNFORTUNATELY 15,000 MILES ON IT WHICH THEY ONLY WARRANT IT TO 12,000 MILES. I HAVE CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AT A BIG EXPENSE TO ME. AT THIS TIME, I JUST CRINGE WAITING TO HEAR ANOTHER ONE START ROARING AND GOING OUT. I DO HAVE ALL THREE WHEEL HUBS THAT THE BEARING HAS GONE OUT. *NM

I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE LOWER BALL JOINTS IN MY 2003 SPORT TRAC MULTIPLE TIMES. AT 37000 AND AT 60000 MILES. *NM

2003 FORD EXPLORER REAR END NOISE STARTED AT ABOUT 30000 MILES. *NM

DT: WHILE DRIVING ON 8-24-05 THE BALL JOINT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE BROKE. THE VEHICLE JUST PULLED TO THE RIGHT. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT ANY ACCIDENT. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY BEING REPAIRED AT A DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS COMPANY OWNED. THE COMPANY IS AWARE THAT THE CONSUMER HAS FILED THIS COMPLAINT.*AK

DT: CONSUMER STATES HE TOOK HIS CAR TO CANDY FORD BECAUSE HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. ANOTHER DEALER HAD MENTIONED TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE A WHEEL BEARING. HE ASKED CANDY FORD TO CHECK OUT THE CAR BEFORE PUTTING A WHEEL BEARING ON THE CAR. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING ON THE CAR WITHOUT FIRST CHECKING THE CAR TO BE SURE THAT WAS WHAT IT NEEDED. A MAN THAT WORKS AT CANDY FORD TOLD HIM THAT ON THE WORK ORDER IT WAS LISTED THAT THEY HAD CHANGED THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING WITHOUT CHECKING THE CAR OUT. HE WAS CHARGED $280.00 FOR SOMETHING THAT IS NOT FIXED. HE IS STILL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM; AND IT IS GETTING WORSE. THE DEALER ASKED HIM TO LEAVE THEIR PREMISES. THE MANUFACTURER SAID THAT THEY WOULD FILE A COMPLAINT AGAINST THEM. *JB

I WAS HAVING A ROARING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE. I ROTATED MY TIRES, PURCHASED A NEW SET OF TIRES AND THE NOISE WAS STILL THERE. I TOOK IT BACK TO THE DEALER AND THEY INSPECTED IT AND SAID THAT I NEEDED BOTH , LEFT AND RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS REPLACED. I HAD THEM REPAIRED AND I KEPT THE OLD PARTS AND THEY ARE AVAILABLE. THIS CORRECTED MY PROBLEM. IT IS FAULTY PARTS THAT FORD SHOULD HAVE RECALLED. MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SO THE EXPENSE WAS ALL ON ME. COST ME $572. IF BOTH HAD TO BE REPLACED, ITS OBVIOUS THEY WERE DEFECTIVE. I HAD 41704 MILES AT THE TIME I HAD THEM REPLACED. I CONTACTED FORD , THEY TOOK MY INFORMATION, BUT SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ME, THERE HAD BEEN NO OTHER COMPLAINTS. *NM

THERE'S A LOUD ROARING NOISE IN THE REAR END WHEN THE GAS PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THIS IS DUE TO A GLITCH IN THE REDESIGNED REAR END, BUT THERE IS NO SOLUTION AT THIS TIME FOR IT. *AK

I PURCHASED A 2003 FORD EXPLORER 2WD , I RECENTLY FOUND OUT THAT BOTH FRONT WHEEL BEARING NEED TO BE REPLACED ON THIS VEHICLE. THERE IS POSSIBLY A DEFECT WITH THESE PARTS.*AK

A ROARING NOISE WAS COMING FROM THE FRONT OF MY 2003 EXPLORER AND AN INSPECTION AT THE DEALER CAME UP AS POOR TIRE WEAR. THE TIRES WERE ROTATED BUT THE NOISE NEVER WENT AWAY, IT WAS JUST SLIGHTLY QUIETED THEN BECAME PROGRESSIVELY LOUDER OVER THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS. I HAD IT INTO AN OIL CHANGE STATION AND A TIRE DEALER BEFORE TAKING IT BACK TO ANOTHER FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD ON NOVEMBER 22,2004 THAT THE PROBLEM WAS A FRONT WHEEL BEARING GONE BAD. I NOW NEED THAT PART REPAIRED AND MY VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY. I HAVE NOT HAD THE WORK DONE YET BUT THE ESTIMATED REPAIR COST IS $400. I DO NOT FEEL THIS PART SHOULD BE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT AT THIS TIME. THE VEHICLE IS LESS THAN TWO YEARS OLD. *JB

WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH REAR LEAF SPRINGS FAILED. AS A RESULT, REAR END COLLAPSED, AND VEHICLE COULD NOT BE BE DRIVEN. DEALER STATED THE PART WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL JANUARY 2005. *AK *SC

THE REAR-END OF THE VEHICLE MADE A HUMMING NOISE WHEN TRAVELING BETWEEN 30 MPH AND 45 MPH. THE OWNER HAS TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, AS WELL AS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER WHO WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING TO ASSIST THE CONSUMER. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *JB

CONSUMER COMPLAINED OF VIBRATION PROBLEM. . STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED WHEN MAKING TURNS OR WHEN VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION OR STATIONARY. TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALERSHIP, WHO ROTATED THE TIRES. THE PROBLEM STILL OCCURS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT LOW SPEED CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM REAR OF VEHICLE. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. *AK

THERE'S A LOUD AND SEVERE VIBRATION WHEN THE TRUCK REACHED SPEEDS BETWEEN 59 - 63 MPH. THE DEALERSHIP, IN ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM, HAS REPLACED THE TIRES 3 TIMES, ROTATED THE DRIVE SHAFT SEVERAL TIMES AND NEUTRALIZED THE ENGINE MOTOR MOUNT YET THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *NLM

CONSUMER STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT HIGH SPEEDS VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE HEAVILY. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK