2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Fuel system Problems

TAKATA RECALL .. THE SMELL OF FUEL INSIDE THE CAB AND OUTSIDE IS REALLY BAD. IT'S MAKING ME SICK AND GIVING ME HEADACHES. THE TRUCK DOESN'T RUN RIGHT AND THE MILEAGE IS AWFUL.

NHTSA ID

11240999

Incident

Mar 2, 2019

I HAVE A BAD PROBLEM ( 2 ) TIMES WITH THE FUEL PUMP THE FIRST ONE WAS SPRAYING GAS OUT TOP EXTERIOR OF FUEL PUMP .MY HUSBAND WENT TO A WRECKING YARD AND PURCHASED A USED FUEL PUMP THAN 5 TO 6 MONTHS LATER DONE THE SAME THING SPRAYING OUT TOP EXTERIOR ELBOW OF FUEL PUMP. I USE MY TRUCK TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER BACK AND FORTH TO SCHOOL AND IT IS A VERY DANGEROUS CAUSE THE FUMES WERE REALLY BAD INSIDE OF CAB AND PLUS IF SOME ONE WAS TO THROW A CIGARETTE OR ANYTHING THAT COULD IGNITE THE LEAKING GAS . I THINK THAT THIS MATTER SHOULD BE FIXED CAUSE I KNOW THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT HAD OR HAS THIS PROBLEM AND NOT TO SAY ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE WRONG LIKE MY HIGH BEAMS NOT WORKING THE FRONT DOOR WINDOW IS VERY SLOW GOING UP AND DOWN AND THE BACK DOOR ( PASSENGER RIGHT SIDE ) BLOW MOTOR AND ECT. THE BIG ONE IS THE FUEL PUMP I FELL THAT THIS IS THE WORST AND IT SHOULD BE FIX BEFORE SOMEONE GETS BADLY HURT OR KILLED. *JB

NHTSA ID

10538569

Incident

Aug 2, 2013

Mileage

1,002,000 mi

SITTING AT A STOP SIGN VEHICLE WENT INTO ACCELERATION GAS PEDDLE WENT TO FLOOR. FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE. CHECKED NO CARPET STUCK UNDER THE GAS PEDDLE. FOOT WAS NOT TOUCHING GAS PEDDLE. IT WAS ALMOST LIKE THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS PRESSING THE GAS PEDDLE. CRUISE CONTROL WAS OFF. SHUT VEHICLE OFF THEN BACK ON ISSUE WENT AWAY. THIS HAS HAPPENED OTHER TIMES TO MYSELF AND MY WIFE. SOMETIMES WHILE PUSHING THE GAS THE GAS PEDDLE LEAVES YOUR FOOT AND CONTINUES TO THE FLOOR ON ITS OWN, PRESSING THE BRAKE AND TURNING VEHICLE OFF SEEMS TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE. THIS ISSUE HAPPENS SO IN FREQUENTLY THAT IT IS HARD TO REPRODUCE FOR SERVICE SHOP. *TR

NHTSA ID

10479743

Incident

Oct 3, 2011

Mileage

83,000 mi

I HAVE HAD FUEL TANK ISSUES FOR A YEAR NOW AND THEY ARE GETTING WORSE. MY GAUGE STOPPED WORKING ABOUT 13 MONTHS AGO WHICH WAS NO BIG DEAL. NOW I AM UNABLE TO PUT MORE THEN 4-5 GALLONS OF GAS IN AT A TIME. THE SAFETY SENSOR STOPS THE PUMP FROM FILLING UP MY TANK AND IF I TRY TO DO IT A LITTLE AT A TIME IT JUST SHOOTS GAS OUT OF MY FILL AREA AND GETS EVERYWHERE. I HAVE BEEN DOUSED IN GAS AND I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS IN VERY BAD AREAS. THE SENSOR REPLACEMENT WAS ONLY A TEMPORARY FIX, NOW IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO PUT GAS IN MY TANK AND IT'S STARTING TO RUN POORLY. I HAVE TO STOP EVERYDAY FOR GAS. THIS IS A MALFUNCTIONING FORD PART THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED AND REPLACED. I HAVE RUN OUT OF GAS AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS EVERY THING SHUTS DOWN INCLUDING THE POWER STEERING. IT WAS DANGEROUS AND DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER MY TRUCK, I WAS GETTING ON THE FREEWAY AND THE ON RAMP WAS A SEMI-CIRCLE. *JS

NHTSA ID

10458465

Incident

Mar 22, 2011

Mileage

78,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT SHE ATTEMPTED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO START THE VEHICLE WHILE DEPRESSING THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL, BUT IT WOULD NOT START. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE CONTINUED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED A TOTAL OF FOUR TIMES WITHIN THE PAST SIX MONTHS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,500 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 82,600.

NHTSA ID

10417653

Incident

Jan 31, 2011

Mileage

82,500 mi

WHEN FILLING GAS TANK OF FORD SPORT TRAC, GASOLINE SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING SPRAYED OUT OF FILLER PIPE COVERING MY CLOTHS WITH GASOLINE. I TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO DEALER AND TOLD IT HAS BEEN REPAIRED. NEXT TIME I FILLED THE TANK, GASOLINE AGAIN WITHOUT WARNING ERUPTED FROM FILL PIPE AND SPRAYED ON MY SHOES AND PANTS. AGAIN RETURNED THE AUTOMOBILE TO DEALER AND TOLD THAT THE VENT PIPE HAD WATER IN IT. TOLD THAT IT HAD BEEN FIXED. AFTER AUTO RETURNED IT FILLED ONCE WITHOUT DIFFICULTY. HOWEVER, THE SECOND TIME I TRIED TO FILLED IT, GASOLINE SPRAYED OUT OF FILL PIPE. I IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO DEALER. THIS TIME I WAS TOLD THERE WAS A FORD "SERVICE BULLETIN" ON THE VEHICLE INDICATING THAT VENT HOLE WAS TOO LARGE AND WATER AND OTHER MATERIAL COULD THEREFORE INTO VENT PIPE. DEALER REPAIRED AUTOMOBILE BUT WOULD NOT RELEASE AUTOMOBILE UNTIL $500.00 REPAIR BILL PAID, DESPITE FORD ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THIS WAS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT IN CERTAIN SPORT TRAC MODELS. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT, CAUSING GASOLINE TO SPRAY ALL OVER PEOPLE AND RUN OUT ON THE GROUND. WITH THE ADMISSION THAT IT IS A DEFECT, FORD SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO RECALL ALL SPORT TRAC AND PAY FOR REPAIRS. DOES IT REQUIRE THAT SOMEONE FIRST BE BURNING TO DEATH BEFORE APPROPRIATE ACTION IS TAKEN? *JB

NHTSA ID

10146788

Incident

Oct 15, 2005

WHILE DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY VEHICLE DECELERATED 5 MPH BEFORE REGULATING SPEED. AFTER EXITING FREEWAY, VEHICLE DIED AT STOP LIGHT. VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALERSHIP WHERE THEY INFORMED ME THE INERTIA SWITCH, LOCATED UNDER KICK PLATE ON PASSENGER SIDE, WAS DAMAGED AND THUS CUT OFF THE FUEL PUMP. ONCE FIXED, VEHICLE RAN FINE. THIS IS A SAFETY DEVICE IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT, BUT IT IS LOCATED IN A VERY BAD LOCATION.*AK

NHTSA ID

10093239

Incident

Sep 26, 2004

Mileage

8,500 mi

VEHICLE WILL STALL AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT AND THE ENGINE HAS NOT REACH NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE, FUEL TANK FULL AND THE VEHICLE IS PROCEEDING UP AN INCLINE. WHEN VEHICLE STALLS YOU CAN START THE VEHICLE AND PROCEED. AFTER REACHING NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE OR THE VEHICLE HAVE TRAVEL FORTY TO EIGHTY MILES ON THE TANK OF GAS IT WILL NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM UNTIL YOU REFILL THE TANK AGAIN. IF THE TANK IS KEPT FULL OR NO MORE THAN ONE OR TWO GALLONS ARE USED UP. IT WILL NOT STALL. I HAVE HAD IT BACK FOR REPAIR FIVE OR SIX TIMES BUT NO LUCK. THE LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER THEY PUT A RECORDER ON THE VEHICLE WHICH I KEPT FOR THREE WEEKS AND IT RECORDED THE STALL. THE DEALER STATED THAT IT WAS BEING OVERFILLED BUT I NEVER OVERFILL THE VEHICLE AND I EXPLAINED THAT TO THEM. I PURCHASE THE VEHICLE NEW ON 7/31/03 AND DROVE IT HOME ON THE TANK OF GAS THE DEALER PUT IN IT. THE VEHICLE SAT FOR TEN DAYS WHILE I WAS ON VACATION AND WHEN I RETURNED I DROVE IT THE NEXT DAY AND IT STALLED AND IT HAD NOT BEEN REFUELED. THE TANK WAS STILL FULL FROM THE DEARLER'S ORIGINAL FILL-UP. I TOOK IT BACK THE FIRST TIME 8/19/03 AND THE DEALER REPLACE A PART(VALVE) THAT THEY INDICATED MAY HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE BUT IT DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *LA

NHTSA ID

10082296

Incident

Aug 14, 2003

Mileage

30 mi

GASOLINE IS EXPELLED FROM THE FILLER PIPE EVERYTIME I TRY TO REFUEL THE TANK. THE PROBLEM WORSENS WITH EACH ATTEMPT TO REFUEL BECAUSE THE GAS PUMPS CONTINUOUSLY SHUT OFF FOR SAFETY REASONS. DEALER HAS REPLACED A SAFETY VALVE TO THE TANK WHICH TEMPORARILY HELPED BUT THE PROBLEM IS NOW WORSE THAN EVER. THERE IS CURRENTLY NO MANUFACTURER'S RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM.*AK

NHTSA ID

10032888

Incident

Aug 15, 2003

WHEN REFUELING GAS SHOOTS BACK UP THROUGH FILLER PIPE ONTO CONSUMER.*AK

NHTSA ID

10024681

Incident

May 15, 2003

THE VEHICLE EXPELLED GASOLINE EVERYTIME THE CONSUMER WAS REFUELING THE TANK AND THE GAS PUMP AUTOMATICALLY SHUT OFF, AS IT IS DESIGNED TO DO. THE PROCESS OF FILLING THE TANK INCREASED FIVE FOLD, TAKING APPROXIMATELY 25-30 MINUTES, BECAUSE THE PUMP REPEATEDLY SHUT OFF AND EXPELLED GAS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND WAS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT THERE WAS NO CURRENT FIX FOR THE PROBLEM. THE EMERGENCY BRAKE NEEDED ADJUSTING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED. *MR *SCC *NLM

NHTSA ID

10021546

Incident

Feb 20, 2003

Mileage

4,500 mi