I'm hearing a popping noise from the right rear (passenger side) on my 03 expo eb. The sound occurs shortly after start-up and/or after turning vehicle off. It doesn't occur every single time and I've tried to go to the dealership, but the vehicle is shy and the sound never happens when they test drive.
Has anyone else experienced this? It sounds like it maybe coming from the exhaust.

 

if your talking like a poping noise like a camp fire wood poping sound then yes its the exhaust i dont have a 03 explorer or anything but i got a 91 that does it and a 01 mustang that makes that popping noise like crazy especially after long drives and or driven it hard and fast...on my explorer i thought maybe it wasnt flowing good is why it seemed to heat up like that and made that popping sound but haveing a 01 mustang that does it even worse then my 91 explorer makes me think its just a matter of ford useing the cheapest thinwall tubing for their exhaust they can find. It heats up like crazy but then again with it being so thin it seems to cool very fast also.. so maybe its a good thing. I hope the info helps, if you do find out later that it is somthingbad please let me know cause like i said i got 2 cars making the same noise and i have wrote it off as normal...good luck

 

my '04 expy does it too! like someone kicked the gas tank or something, more like a high pitched thump, like you said flexing metal.

joe

 

if it sounds like one of the old oil cans popping (expanding metal) then i know exactly what your problem is. my 04 exp. did the same thing EVERY time i turned off the car.... by the timei got my stuff out of the car it did the loud popping noise. EVERY time i took it to the dealer, it did a faint noise for them and of course they could not duplicate it!!! Your problem is the muffler. i was reading this forum one day and somebody else had the same problem. He told me it was his muffler....his car was still under warranty....he took it in, they replaced the muffler and no more sounds.... i printed his email, took it to the dealer....they replaced my muffler, and i have never heard the sound again... Good Luck!