2003 Ford Explorer steering problems
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the steering on the 2003 Ford Explorer — 2% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Shifter broken inside steering column. Stopped at a gas station when putting into park it broke. Had to keep my foot on brake paddle for 2 hours until two truck arrived”
filed Jul 9, 2019
“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…”
filed Sep 5, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Steering problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 1 | 3% |
| 2025 Explorer | 9 | 9% |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% |
| 2022 Explorer | 9 | 3% |
| 2021 Explorer | 6 | 1% |
| 2020 Explorer | 25 | 2% |
| 2019 Explorer | 9 | 3% |
| 2018 Explorer | 20 | 3% |
| 2017 Explorer | 76 | 4% |
| 2016 Explorer | 530 | 22% |
| 2015 Explorer | 345 | 19% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2003 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.