Differential Unit Problems of Ford Explorer - part 1

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to an independent mechanic who checked the vehicle visually and became aware that there was fluid leaking from the differential onto the driveshaft. The mechanic referred the contact to a dealer to have the vehicle diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 21v154000 (suspension). The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Popping noises from front pto . Pto case split in half driving down the road with my kids in the car causing vehicle front tires to skid for a split 2nd and differential fluid spilling all over the under carriage causing smoke.

See all problems of the 2014 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2010 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was undergoing an oil change at chuck colvin auto center (1925 or-99w, mcminnville, or 97128, (800) 223-5099), the contact was informed that the rear differential was leaking and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was currently at the same dealer awaiting repairs. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,200.

See all problems of the 2010 Ford Explorer 🔎.

All four seals where leaking including pinion seals. Clunking noise 40 to 50mph when you let go of the gas ,holds back,heater gauge+mph gauge don't work most. Of the time. Paint chipping away all over. Replaced all seals 5 times +yoke cvhalf shaft. Replaced front differential still making the noise. Poor lighting at night. It has a miss fire gave it a tuneup and still is doing it. Radio volume won't turn down it goes louder when turning down.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Paint peeling roof hood differential replaced twice bearings wear out repaired twice back of tailgate panel cracked replaced 3 times.

I've have my vehicle for 10 years. Paid the dealership $450 to have a warranty for the power train and when I went to the dealership for them to fix it they wouldn't. I find out that my major issues are the mechanical differential. Still having the this issue to this day and can never have my transmission cleaned or flushed because of that. Also, my fuel system gets clogged a lot and gas mileage is horrible. Also, my antifreeze leaks after I paid money to have the cracked seal fixed. This is just scratching the surface. I have many things wrong with my vehicle I feel should be covered by the manufacturer but I would like to know what defects are out there for my vehicle.

Tl - the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a whinnying noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the rear differential was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 133,000. Pm.

See all problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a burning odor was noticed as the rear differential seized within moments. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who confirmed that the rear differential had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. Th e manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear liftgate body panel was cracked. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the body panel needed to be replaced. The contact also stated that while driving approximately 25-35 mph, a noise was heard coming from the rear differential. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear differential needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was unknown and the current mileage was 80,000. The VIN number was not available.

Tl- the contact owns a 2006 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that when shifting into drive or reverse, the vehicle would jerk violently. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic who informed the contact that the failure could have been caused by an incorrect differential. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was not available. Kmj.

See all problems of the 2006 Ford Explorer 🔎.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she noticed a fracture on the lift gate window. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where they advised her that she would have to have the panel replaced. The manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000. Updated 04/26/lj the consumer also stated the rear differential was replaced.

See all problems of the 2003 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Our 2002 Ford Explorer XLT with 109,000 miles has serious transmission slippage between 2nd and 3rd gears. The local dealer and an independent repair shop state that the transmission needs replaced at a cost between $2,500 and $3,500. It is dangerous to drive in its current condition because there are times when it will not accelerate. The rear differential and ball bearings also need replaced according to 2 seperate mechanics. There is a random thumping coming from the back of the vehicle daily. The cost to repair is between $2,000 and $5,000. They cannot tell us exactly until they actually get in there to do the repair.

I have had issues with my transmission jumping out of drive when I am going down the highway. I have three children and I feel this is very very unsafe. I have had the car in the shop three times for the same issue and everytime they have told me it was the reardifferential/transmission. I have called Fords customer service line and they will not do anything. My Explorer is now having issues going into reverse and staying in any gear. Please look into these problems with the 2004 Explorer before someone gets killed or injured from this. I have researched this problem and thousands of oither 2003-2004 Explorer owners are having the same issues with the transmission and rear end. The 2004 Ford Explorer is a death trap.

I have a 2006 Ford Explorer and I had to replace transmission and rear before vehicle reached 70, 000 miles. I was told by the mechanic that they could not replace transmission oil and differential until 100,000 miles. Ford should guarantee the transmission and rear end up to 100,000 miles, it's nt fair to the consumer.

Vehicle purchased with 78,375 miles - it was previously a us gov. 't vehicle. Rear-end noise noticed and seller had Ford repair at a cost of $1,387. 50 - vehicle was driven less than 12,000 miles and began making same noise in rear-end. Due to distance to Ford dealer, vehicle was checked out at a private repair service. Diagnosis- rear seal failed causing severe damage to all rear-end parts. Repairs included ring & pinion gears and differential bearings at a cost of $1,429. 54 when contacted, Ford stated that although it was within the 12,000 mile, 12 month warranty period, they would not cover any of the costs because the service was not done at a Ford dealership.

Defective rear differential on 2002 Ford Explorer .

2004 Ford Explorer with 49,000 miles. Howling noise from rear. Took it to Ford; they rebuilt the rear differential at a cost of $1600. 00. Car has always been serviced at Ford for routine maintenance. Don't understand how this vehicle with such low mileage had to have rear differential replaced. In looking at service bulletins; this sounds like a defect that Ford has not acknowledged.

2004 Ford Explorer required new transmission in first year. Later, a loud whine developed from the rear of the car on acceleration. Annoying, but I didn't know if meant trouble. Abs and 4x4 high lights later began to come on intermittently. Mechanic found no cause. Just recently, at 79,000 miles, the vehicle began to feel like it was about to fall apart. Ford dealer has had it for over a week, they say, after doing $1000 worth of useless work on it, that the entire rear differential has gone bad, and must be replaced. Apparently this was not caught up till now, but must have been responsible for the whine, the errant lights, and a ka-chunk that the brakes have been making for years, also never able to be diagnosed. (note: I didn't know where to categorize this, so I entered it in the other category because I didn't want to misclassify; also do not have VIN as the vehicle is at the dealership).

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. He took the vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that the bearings and gear of the universal rear differential unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 77,000.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer limited that has had continuous rear axle leaking and operating issues. I have had the bearings replaced three times, the shaft axle seal replaced, the knuckle assembly replaced and the spindle replaced. I had this work done at cortese auto group in henrietta NY (585-475-1211) in June of 2007 and April of 2008. I just noticed differential fluid leaking from the rear axle assembly area on March 16, 2009 and called the cortese group to see if they would honor their previous repair. They advised me that I was beyond the "original problem" 2007 repair date and the cost was on my own. To repair this leaky axle seal will cost me in the neighborhood of $400 and considering this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, I feel Ford motor company or cortese should fix this problem with no cost to me. I have done some research online and it appears this problem is very common among Ford Explorers (had I known that at the time of my purchase, I would have reconsidered buying from Ford). If this problem is very common among Ford Explorers and is a safety issue, why is it not considered a recall and repaired by the manufacturer of the vehicle? please advise me what my rights are and if anything can be done on behalf of other affected consumers. After all, in this tough economy, who has $400 to throw at a problem that was a known deficiency to Ford and one that should have been addressed by the company. . .

Wheel hubs especially the rear - constantly going bad usually 12 months or less- rear differential vented with hose over rear tire. Causes water to get into gears - major problem. I keep catching the problem but only because I now look for them but it has been close - recently I had to have it taken to the repair site as it was too dangerous to drive.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. While driving between 40-60 mph on normal road conditions, the contact heard a whining noise when the accelerator pedal was depressed. The failure occurred continuously and there were no warning indicators illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for diagnostic testing and they stated that the failure was related to the rear differential. The vehicle has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 39,000. Updated 03-27-09 updated 04/01/09.

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph he heard a grinding noise in the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who informed him that the rear differential was fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

See all problems of the 2005 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Ford Explorer rear end differential constantly needs replacing. Ford dealer charger me $1800 and used salvage parts eventhough I told them not too.

The contact owns a 2004 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the transmission was beginning to slip and would hesitate when trying to accelerate. The differential unit was replaced once and was currently being replaced a second time. The contact believed the failure to be a manufactured defect. The failure mileage was 55,000 and the current mileage was 90,000.

See all problems of the 2008 Ford Explorer 🔎.

Rear differential does not allow speed differences between wheels. Car turns like it has a locked or fixed axle. Causes a shudder when turning. Could results in control problems with the vehicle during sudden maneuvers. Issue is due to faulty clutch pack in the Ford factory differential or incorrect differential fluid specification from factory. Not really sure which. Solution was to replace the clutch pack. Ford has also specified a different differential fluid from the factory installed fluid in one of their technical service bulletins.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer with 103,000 miles on it. The rear end of the SUV has started making a humming noise. I took it to my mechanic and they said the entire rear differential and wheel bearings will need to be replaced. After some research I have discovered many many 2002 Ford Explorer owners have the same problem. This problem will cost over $1000 to fix. If it is not fixed it is an issue that will seriously put my family in danger when riding in this car. This problem needs to be made a recall. Please advise me what to do.

2002 Ford Explorer limited, 4wd, 4. 6l - 84,000 miles: rear differential unit whining/roaring for a few months and getting progressively worse. I have mechanical background and looked at the vehicle on rack with mechanic. Rear differential is obviously very bad and I am lucky I did not take my family on vacation with this problem as if the wheels would have locked at highway speed it could cause serious accident/injury. I have not heard of problems such as these with regular/easy use at such low miles and with proper maintenance (as I have done). I have also replaced left front wheel bearing and am suspicious of right rear wheel bearing, which will be evaluated after repair of rear differential.

At 75,000 miles, the vehicle started to make an extreme grinding noise in the rear. Took to a car repair shop and they indicated the rear differential was shot. All the bearings in all four wheels were shot. The car repairman indicated that he has seen many of Explorers come in with this exact same problem. To make matters even worse, the parts are not engineered to repair economically. You must buy all new assemblies just to repair bearings. The total cost of the repair is $2,500.

I purchased a 2004 Ford Explorer last year. Almost immediately after the purchase but after warranty expiration I had to pay for a new wheel bearing. A few months ago I had the car serviced and was told the rear differential has issues. A loud roar as I drive. About a month ago I heard the familiar sound of another wheel bearing talking to me. I pick my daughter up everyday from school and rely on this vehicle to be functioning in a safe manner. I researched a bit and found complaint after complaint regarding these issues. I can see that this complaint is old news but it is a serious safety issue and an on going problem. It is not cheap either! I am disgusted with this car and demand this widespread issue be resolved. Thank you for your time. Joseph sullivan.

Rear differential and also the transmission. Please do a recall on this before someone dies. You make tons of money off your loyal costumers, now do something for them and fix an obvious problem that mechanics, dealerships and owners of 2002 Ford Explorers know about. Thank you.

2003 Ford Explorer. Consumer writes in regards to humming/whining noise in the rear end of vehicle and a frequent leak in the differential. The consumer stated several components such as the ring an pinion, bearings, seals and gear and pinion were all replaced. However, the issue remained unresolved. Also, the rear hatch was cracked. When the consumer inquired about a replacement and its cost, the dealer advised against the replacement/repair as the new hatches had the same problem. The vehicle overheated and had to be towed to the dealer. A diagnosis revealed a damaged thermostat housing.

I just purchased a used Ford Explorer XLT from a dealer and took for test drive seemed ok purchased the vehicle and noticed the next day upon driving that the transmission going from park to reverse out of my garage took a few seconds before cluncking into gear almost causing me to hit my garage I took to my mechanic which he changed out my fluid adding the additive that he new was required he owns a trans shop and is very reputable he stated about the recall also he checked my differentials in front and rear and noticed rear was all full of silver shavings we changed out fluids also but the shifting and vibrating still is occurring I did purchase a full warranty and after reading all the negative press on this site I hope the purchase of a Ford vehicle and warranty was worth the money.

While in park vehicle rolled backwards down incline almost striking person at bottom of driveway luckily he jumped out of the way and it struck side of his truck causing damage, driveway had been snow covered but cleared down to asphalt, had been parked approximately 10-15 minutes prior to this happening . This has since occurred multiple times in varying weather conditions, including rainy, snowy, and sunny with dry pavement. The vehicle has rolled forward and back, with and without the parking brake set, which the parking brake it takes longer and rolls slower; each time there after striking vehicle parked closely as a precaution, wheels get chocked now when parked on incline to prevent SUV from rolling. Ford has checked multiple times and not found any issues and fixed or replaced nothing saying it is because of the rear differential not a containing limited slip gearing.

Bought my 2002 eddie bauer 4x4 with tow package and v-6 new from the dealer in August 2001. At 45k had to have the rear differential replaced as the vehicle was making the usual "whining" sounds at both low and high speeds. Was told by the dealer that their mechanic would install the part with "tighter specs" and that it should last longer than the original. Yeah right!! at around 75k, the rear diff started leaking. Had the leak fixed and as you may suspect at around 80k the "whining" sound typical of rear diff failure came back. Had it replaced again along with the rear wheel bearings this time which were also worn to the point of needing replacement. I do use this vehicle off and on the road and have used 4wd probably more than the normal Explorer owner. Also do some occasional towing but am always careful to stay within the weight limits and take it easy on the speed while towing. I've taken excellent care of this vehicle following the maintenance schedule exactly. It is just terrible that Ford keeps installing these parts even though they know they are defective and won't last more than 40 - 80k. Some compensation would be nice, maybe through a class action lawsuit. One thing for sure. No more Fords for me!.