Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Structure25
- Visibility10
- Visibility/wiper7
- Suspension5
- Power train4
- Engine and engine cooling4
- Unknown or other4
- Vehicle speed control4
- Air bags3
- Electrical system3
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 4 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 19 2003 Explorer Sport vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 11 people died inside them, and 10 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport failed the safety check 1.80% of the time — 15% less often than the average 2003 passenger car (2.11%). Median odometer at inspection: 143,515 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 2 variants: combined 15.1–15.5 L/100 km (about 15–16 mpg US), CO₂ 347–357 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 17.1 | 12.6 | 15.1 |
| Explorer Sport 4X4 · Sport utility vehicle · Regular gasoline | 17.1 | 13.6 | 15.5 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 619276 | ON SOME VEHICLES, INCLUDING SPORT AND SPORT TRAC, THE FRONT AXLE LEAKS FLUID FROM THE VENT TUBE. *TT |
| 10018061 | STEERING SHUDDER DURING LOW SPEED MANEUVERS - 4.0L ENGINE. *TT |
| 10017891 | FRONT AXLE LEAKS FLUID FROM VENT TUBE - VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 4X4 OR AWD. *TT |
| 10017860 | MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP COMING ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES (DTCS) P0171, P0172, P0174 AND/OR P0175 (FUEL SYSTEM TOO RICH OR LEAN). *TT |
| 10014138 | SAFETY BELT RETRACTION SPEED. *TT |
| 10014096 | REVISED PROCEDURE FOR ADJUSTING ALIGNMENT ON ALL SUSPENSIONS - NEW RIGHT HAND UPPER CONTROL ARM DESIGN FOR TORSION BAR FRONT SUSPENSIONS. *TT |
| 10014086 | GENERAL (PCM) POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10014062 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10013369 | GENERAL POWER TRAIN CONTROL MODULE (PCM) PROGRAMMING PROCEDURES. *TT |
| 10013084 | FAST IDLE STRATEGY TO PREVENT SPARK PLUG FOULING. *TT |
| 10012954 | SAFETY BELT WEB STOP BUTTON SERVICE. *EH |
| 10011166 | POWER LUMBAR BLADDER EXPANDING THROUGH BACK OF SEAT. *AR |
| 10011159 | REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER GRID/INTEGRAL ANTENNA DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR - TERMINAL TAB REPAIR. *TT |
| 10010719 | OIL LEAK FROM OIL FILTER ADAPTER - 4.0L SOHC ENGINE BUILT BEFORE 4/1/2004. *TT |
| 10009321 | INOPERATIVE ELECTRIC REAR WINDOW DEFROSTER (HEATED BACKLITE) GRID LINES, INTEGRAL ANTENNA CONCERNS. *TT |
| 10009317 | MOISTURE IN HEADLAMP. *TT |
| 10008580 | LAMP-BRAKE-INVADVERTENT DISABLING OF BRAKE SHIFT INTERLOCK. *MJ |
| 10008359 | DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODE (DTC) C1233 & C1234 - REPLACE ANTI-LOCK BRAKE SYSTEM EUC. *MJ |
| 10008305 | NOISE-GEAR WHINE NOISE IN 1ST AND 2ND GEAR ONLY-VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 5R55E TRANSMISSION AND 4.0L ENGINE ONLY. *MJ |
| 10008191 | ROUGH IDLE, HESITATION ON COLD ENGINE TIP-IN AND/OR HESITATION DURING A 5-3 DOWNSHIFT. *TT |
| 10008190 | INTERMITTENT ENGINE DRIVEABILITY ISSUES. VEHCLES WITH AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION BUILT BETWEEN 03/04/2002 AND 12/01/2002. *TT |
| 10008189 | LACKS POWER/RUNS ROUGH/BLACK SMOKE CONDITION. *TT |
| 10008139 | SEAT MATERIAL RIPPING AND/OR SEPARATING AT THE SEAMS. *TT |
| 10008115 | GENERATOR NOISE IN COLD AMBIENT TEMPERATURES. *MJ |
| 10007416 | PAINT PEELING AND/OR BUBBLING ON THE CENTER FINISH PANEL OF THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. *TT |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS
SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation