Most common 2002 Ford Explorer problems
Share of the 3,295 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Explorer complaints by model year
Best Explorer years: 2024, 2023, 2019. Years to avoid: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2013, 2015. Compare all years →
2002 Ford Explorer recalls (4)
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Structure › Body › Hatchback/liftgate › Hinge and attachments
On certain sport utility vehicles, the liftgate glass strut May become disengaged or the hinge May fracture allowing the glass to fall and possibly break.
Remedy: Dealers will have the liftgate glass strut brackets and glass hinges replaced. For the vehicles built from August 1, 2000 through March 3, 2002, the dealers will replace the hinges and liftgate strut bracket.
Structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and Mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Tires › Sidewall
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The right side tires May have horizontal cuts on the edge of the tread that could have occurred during vehicle assembly.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the tires and, if any slices are found, the cut tires will be replaced. Owner notification began June 7, 2001.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 7 possible defects involving the 2002 Ford Explorer:
Inoperative air bag system
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…
Vehicle Rollaway Allegations
This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.By the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during EA09-013, ODI identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.The highest rate for any particular…
Mis-assembled airbag clockspring
In July 2001, Ford issued a special service message announcing that some air bagclockspring devices May produce noise when the steering wheel is turned full left or right.Ford was aware that some clocksprings May have been improperly installed.the improper installation May also cause an open circuit and the air bag warning light to illuminate.starting with vehicles produced in September 2001, Ford adding length to…
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 owners say
Transmission & drivetrain all 1,502 →
In January, 2006, my car stopped dead on the highway. After it was towed to the dealership, we were told that a valve had broken and had been sucked into the engine, causing engine failure. Our only alternative was to have the engine replaced - which we did for over $5000.00. The following January, (2007), after the first measurable snow fall of the year (since our engine had been replaced), the car went into a huge fishtail skid on a snowy road and after the first skid, was caught by the cable guard rail on the side of the road - causing another $5000.00+ repair. When brought to the dealership after the accident, we were told that the 4 wheel drive electronic monitor had failed and we had no 4 wheel drive. My concern - besides the cost and inconvenience and scare of the accident is that there were no warning lights to let me know that the car's 4 wheel drive had failed. …
2002 Ford Explorer transmission failure and uncontrollable accelerator. The transmission had been shifting hard for months but it is considered by Ford to be a "sealed" unit and it is not recommended that the customer maintain the fluid level, so there was nothing I could do. In jan 2010 the accelerator stuck while entering the freeway and we were out of control, I thought I was going to die and had to turn of the car on the freeway with no shoulder after brushing the guard rail and was subsequently rear ended. The o/d off light began blinking that day and it was tough to reach 60mph. Service engine light came on and I shopped around for diagnostic. Independent trans. Guy said it needs complete rebuild, Ford dlr agrees but for twice the cost. New parts are not available. …
Body & structure all 486 →
September 2, 2023 at about 6 pm I pulled over to grab a couple water bottles from the rear of my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport cause my engine was overheating. I got out walked to the rear of my vehicle pushed my unlatch button on the tailgate and I lifted the glass part of the rear hatch. Both air hinges were not working correctly to keep it up so I gently rested the glass on my hair that was put up in a bun and just a little bit of the glass was resting on the very top of my head where my hair was slicked back for my bun so my hands were free to grab the bottles of water. (My hair was the softest of resting place's). As I reached in the back to grab the water bottles I heard the loudest bang and hundreds of little pieces of glass fell everywhere around me. I was in so much distrot that I actually thought someone had shot at me with a fire arm but missed me and hit the rear glass instead. …
I was driving my Ford on the highway and the next thing I know my feet were really hot and black smoke started coming up. Then the black smoke started coming from the engine and I nearly crashed trying to get to the edge of the highway before the fire took over the whole front of the car. Luckily the fire department was right there for another accident. It was incredibly disturbing experience. Luckily my 3 small children were not in the car.
Suspension all 422 →
The rear toe arms came unhinged or disconnected from their placement and sank down to continuously rub a groove in the inner rim. The suspension was affected, the steering was effecting especially when turning, it made the brakes stick, and made loud crunching and rolling noises. It is quite frankly dangerous. It was through no fault of mine that this happened, just weak design. I took it to a shop and they charged me all my money, but nothing was fixed.
I got a knock on my door by the fire department telling me that my car set on fire I filed a claim with my insurance and they told me to file a claim with Ford because they have reason to believe it was the cruise control button that set the car on fire .
2002 Ford Explorer engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined | Range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric | 2WD | 45 / 33 / 39 MPGe | 38 mi | |
| 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 automatic | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 19 / 16 | — |
| 4.0L 6-cyl | 5-speed manual | 4WD/AWD | 14 / 18 / 16 | — |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 15 | — |
| 4.6L 8-cyl | 5-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 | — |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Ford Explorer a good car?
Based on 3,295 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 Explorer rates avoid: 3.2× as many complaints as a typical year of the Explorer at the same age. It is one of the Explorer 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?
The transmission & drivetrain — 1,502 complaints, 46% of all complaints for this model year, most often about automatic transmission. Next are the body & structure (486) and suspension (422).
How many recalls does the 2002 Ford Explorer have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2002 Ford Explorer, the most recent from October 13, 2009 (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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2024, 2023 and 2019. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2013 and 2015. See the full Ford Explorer years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Explorer problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 79,000 miles; 22% 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.