Most common 2002 Ford Explorer Sport problems
Share of the 133 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Explorer Sport complaints by model year
Best Explorer Sport years: 2005, 2004, 1997. Years to avoid: 2001, 2002, 1998, 1999. Compare all years →
2002 Ford Explorer Sport recalls (3)
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch May, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected…
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt.
Seats › Front assembly › Recliner
On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 5 possible defects involving the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport:
Vehicle rollaway allegations
In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), Ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column.
Stuck engine throttle
On July 7, 2005, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation to investigate alleged stuck throttle complaints in certain model year (my) 2002 Ford explorer and Mercury mountaineer vehicles equipped with the standard available 4.0l sohc v6 engine.at that time, odi was aware of 15 complaints that alleged stuck engine throttle causing unwanted vehicle acceleration and 1 alleged crash as a…
Rear liftgate glass assembly
Complaints report failure of the rear liftgate glass support while the operator is opening or closing the glass.the falling glass can strike the operator or bystander.the injuries reported are bruises to the head, neck or back, cuts to the face, arm or hand.on September 9, 2004, Ford notified the agency that it will recall approximately 955,732 my 2002 and 2003 Ford explorer and Mercury mountaineer vehicles to…
Front seat back recliner attachment
By letter dated August 4, 2003, Ford notified the agency that it is conducting a voluntary safety recall (NHTSA recall no. 03V281) involving certain model year (my) 1998-2001 Ford explorer / Mercury mountaineer 4-door, my 1998-2000 Ford explorer 2-door and my 2001-2002 Ford explorer sport and sport trac vehicles equipped with high back seats.complaints allege that the driver's seat back reclined without warning.a…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2002 Ford Explorer Sport owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 32 →
The transmission of our 2002 Explorer started slipping, jumping, jerking' surging, refusing to shift, shifting slowly and other associated things approximately 4 years ago. There is no consistency, it does it whenever it wants, regardless of the speed, outside temperature, driving distance. I feel Ford owes me a new, redesigned transmission with installation. I would like to know what Ford is doing about the problem with the transmission which was installed in this model and year explorers.
My 2002 Explorer Sport o/d light began blinking when I bought it in feb 09. The car has about 104,000 miles on it. Soon after I bought the car, the transmission slipped. I took it to the mechanic and they could not reproduce the problem. About a year later, 4/29/10, the o/d light began blinking again. I had the transmission serviced and a diagnostic test ran on the transmission. This cost about $300. On 5/3/10 I took my Explorer in again because the light came back on. They ran another test and told me I would have to get the transmission replaced or rebuilt but it should last me a little while longer. That same evening my car would not shift into gear. I had to turn the car off and turn it back on to get it into gear. I could not go over 5mph and my RPM's were unnaturally high for the speed I was traveling. By the time I got up the hill I was on I could go no further. …
Body & structure all 28 →
I noticed the rear window lift gate was slightly ajar, so I closed it, and suddenly the hinge bracket on the right side, connecting the window at the roof, popped loose, extending the window lift support, making it now impossible to close the back lift gate glass. I checked into the issue, and found a recall, campaign # 04V442000. This hinge has never been replaced. I want to have this fixed under recall.
This is the second time this has happened. My rear tailgate window exploded. The car had been on for about ten minutes, warming up. I loaded my items into the car through the tailgate window. When I was done, I closed the window. Before it was even closed, the window exploded into thousands of pieces. There was glass all over. The window was recently replaced at the Ford dealership.
Windows, wipers & sunroof
This is the second time this has happened. My rear tailgate window exploded. The car had been on for about ten minutes, warming up. I loaded my items into the car through the tailgate window. When I was done, I closed the window. Before it was even closed, the window exploded into thousands of pieces. There was glass all over. The window was recently replaced at the Ford dealership.
My husband and I own a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport. Friday, oct. 24th, 2008 we had traveled out of town about 2 hours away from our home. We were on our way home and we were completely stopped at a red light. All of a sudden we heard a huge boom and the rear liftgate glass shattered. We did have the police come out and inspect the vehicle for any indications as to what May have caused the glass to shatter. They did not find anything that would have caused the problem. When my husband and I got home we did some research online to find out if there was a recall on this type of problem. We did find that in 2001 Ford recalled thousands of Ford explorers for a similar issue. We contacted Ford and were told that our vehicle was not part of that recall. They directed us to NHTSA to file a complaint due to our issue being almost identical to this recall. …
2002 Ford Explorer Sport engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | RWD | 15 / 20 / 17 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 16 |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 18 / 15 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport a good car?
Based on 133 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Explorer Sport rates avoid: 2.1× as many complaints as a typical year of the Explorer Sport at the same age. It is one of the Explorer Sport years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport?
The transmission & drivetrain — 32 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the body & structure (28) and windows, wipers & sunroof (15).
How many recalls does the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, the most recent from August 3, 2007 (vehicle speed control). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Explorer Sport?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2005, 2004 and 1997. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2001, 2002, 1998 and 1999. See the full Ford Explorer Sport years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Explorer Sport problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 71,000 miles; 31% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.