2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Brakes Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 10%of 78 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 31,819miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the brakes of the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 10% of the 78 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 31,819 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“2003 Ford explorer sportrac, intermittently brake pedal goes to floor, pedal vibrates, unable to stop. No accident yet but very scary situation. Scheduled to have dealer inspect on 8/8/2011. This has happened several times. No error codes on vehicle diagnostics. This could cause a serious accident!!”
NHTSA complaint #10417202, filed 2011-08, 59,000 miles“2003 Ford sport trac safety parking brake release malfunctioned. Five year old daughter pulled gear shift into neutral without pressing the brake. Car rolled backwards into lake and submerged. I was able to get her out befor it sank.”
NHTSA complaint #10067860, filed 2004-04, 15,038 miles“Cruise control does not engage most of the time. I power the system on, but when pressing the set button, the system power quickly blinks on and off. Brake pedal is not depressed, it occurs at any speed.”
NHTSA complaint #10110099, filed 2005-02, 48,600 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10021546, filed 2003-06, 4,500 miles“While driving and attempting to apply the brakes they failed intermittently. No impact reported. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician test drove the vehicle but could not duplicate the failure. The master cylinder was replaced but the brakes failed again after it was replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer at left for two weeks. During that time the failure could not be duplicated. The consumer feels that the entire brake system should be replaced since the dealer is unable to correct the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10080191, filed 2004-08, 7,300 milesBrakes: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 4 | 13% |
| 2009 | 1 | 17% |
| 2008 | 4 | 17% |
| 2007 | 13 | 13% |
| 2005 | 3 | 5% |
| 2004 | 4 | 5% |
| 2003 | 8 | 10% |
| 2002 | 19 | 13% |
| 2001 | 8 | 5% |
| 1998 | 2 | 40% |
Other parts of the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
11 complaintsFuel system
11 complaintsBody and structure
10 complaintsEngine cooling
9 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsSuspension
7 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsSteering
4 complaintsTires
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsEquipment
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology