Problems · by component

2003 Ford Explorer vehicle speed control problems

47 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2003 Ford Explorer cite vehicle speed control, 4% of all 1,313 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
47
4% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the vehicle speed control

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“BOUGHT SUV IN DECEMBER OF 2012 AND EVERYTHING SEEMED TO WORK FINE. WITHIN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES THAT THE CRUISE WOULD NOT ENGAGE WITHOUT PUSHING IT ON & OFF SEVERAL TIMES. AFTER JUNE OF 2013 IT RARELY ENGAGED AT ALL AT ANY SPEED. NOW, SEPTEMBER 2014 IT WILL NOT ENGAGE AT ALL. AFRAID IT MIGHT CAUSE SHORT &/OR A FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. NOTICED RECALL IDENTIFIED THIS PROBLEM ON 2002 MODELS. THIS VEHICLE WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN 2002, SO AM WONDERING IF THIS MIGHT BE ONE THAT GOT MISSED IN THE RECALL? OWN A 1994 F-250 THAT HAS BOTH 1993 AND 1994 PARTS ON IT. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 23, 2014Vehicle speed controlODI 10638582
“THIS EVENT HAS HAPPENED TWICE NOW MY 2003 FORD EXPLORER HAS EXCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING ! AND WHILE TRYING TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE SECOND TIME ENDING IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE ONLY HAD THIS VEHICLE JUST UNDER 2 MONTHS ! THE FLOOR MATS ARE NOT THE PROBLEM HERE. ONCE I WAS IN REVERSE AND A POWER SURGE CAME OVER THE VEHICLE THE BRAKES WOULD NOT WORK DIDN'T RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT BUT WAS SOMEWHAT AFRAID OF IT. I WAS COMING HOME LAST NITE TURNED INTO MY DRIVE AND THE VEHICLE EXCELERATED WITHOUT WARNING BRAKES DID NOT WORK AT ALL ENDED UP SMASHING INTO MY FORD ESCAPE THAT COULD HAVE BIN MY LITTLE GIRL OR SOMEONE'S CHILD! WILL NOT DRIVE THIS VEHICLE AGAIN. HAVE HAD FORDS MOST ALL OF MY LIFE NEVER SEEN THIS BEFORE! THERE'S A LOT OF EXCELERATION PROBLEMS LISTED ON THIS SITE I THINK IT'S TIME FOR A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE IS KILLED THANKS FOR YOUR CONCERN! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 26, 2014Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemCrash reportedODI 10561523
“I HAVE BEEN HAVING ISSUES WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY EXPLORER. IT WORKS FINE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS AND THEN OCCASIONALLY IT WILL NOT ENGAGE. MOST TIMES IF IT WILL NOT ENGAGE, THE DASHBOARD LIGHT DOES NOT SHOW UP, BUT SINCE LAST WEEK THE LIGHT HAS COME ON, BUT THE CRUISE CONTROL HAS NOT ENGAGED. SINCE THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE AND SEEMS TO RESOLVE ON ITS OWN, I CONTINUE TO TRY IT OCCASIONALLY. I TRIED TO SET IT LAST FRIDAY WHILE I WAS GOING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH. IT DID ENGAGE, BUT THEN BEGAN TO SLOWLY ACCELERATE. I TRIED PUSHING THE BUTTON THAT SHOULD REDUCE THE SPEED, BUT IT CONTINUED ACCELERATING, SO I KICKED THE BRAKE PEDAL TO DISENGAGE. I HAVE TRIED IT 3 ADDITIONAL TIMES AND EACH TIME IT ACCELERATES. THE LAST TIME I TRIED IT, YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, THE SPEED WAS PICKING UP INCREDIBLY QUICKLY. IT FELT LIKE I HAD JUST FLOORED THE ACCELERATOR. I WAS ABLE TO KICK THE CRUISE CONTROL OFF WITH THE BRAKE PEDAL THOUGH BUT AM NOW CONCERNED THAT THIS MAY HAPPEN WHEN THE CRUISE IS NOT ENGAGED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 10, 2013Vehicle speed control, EngineODI 10542922
“WHILE DRIVING THE O/D LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING ON MY DASHBOARD, THE VEHICLE SLOWED DOWN TO ABOUT 15 MILES AS IF THE TRANSMISSION WAS PULLING/SLIPPING, THE CAR MADE A HARD JERK AND BEGAN TO PICK-UP SPEED. THIS CYCLE REPEATED UNTIL I REACHED MY DESTINATION. THE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AND THE SAME EVENTS OCCURRED. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 17, 2013Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 10525391
“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”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 11, 2012Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Fuel/propulsion systemODI 10479743
“DRIVING ON I-26 AT 65 MPH. TOOK FOOT OFF GAS, CAR CONTINUED AT 65, DID NOT HAVE THE CRUISE CONTROL ON. I PRESSED BRAKE, CAR DIDN'T SLOW, PRESSED HARDER, STILL DIDN'T SLOW, MOVED GEARSHIFTER TO 1ST GEAR, COULD HEAR ENGINE REVVING, REALIZED GAS PEDDLE/ACCELERATOR WAS STUCK, TAPPED FOOT ON GAS PEDAL AND CAR FINALLY SLOWED. TOOK CAR TO FOUR SEASONS FORD IN HENDERSONVILLE, WAS TOLD THEY COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM BUT MAYBE THE CRUISE CONTROL CABLE SEEMED "POSSIBLY NOT QUITE SNAPPED IN PLACE". THEY SNAPPED IT BACK. HAVE NOT HAD ANOTHER PROBLEM BUT AM PARANOID ABOUT DRIVING THE CAR NOW. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 26, 2012Vehicle speed controlODI 10467848

Showing 6 of 47 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 5, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.