Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 35 MPH and attempting to brake, the brake pedal traveled all the way down to the floorboard. As a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to an unknown collision facility and deemed destroyed. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
My cars cruise control failed to disengage when I applied the footbrake, pushed the off switch, the gear shift would not move and the key would not turn off. The car was checked by police and when it was tested they were unable to find a fault in the failsafes however they are still suspicious of the vehicle. I had to call police and was in a runaway car on the freeway for 30mins. When I hit a median strip I lost enough speed to be able to use the little braking power I had left, as each time I applied the brakes the engine would accelerate back to the set sped and the brake pedal became hard to push. When I stopped I also pulled the handbrake as ordered by the police over the phone to avoid a headon, the left shoe of the handbrake snapped and the car skidded to a stop. The police disconnected the battery when they did testing. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, she noticed smoke and flames coming from under the hood. The fire department was called to extinguish the fire and the origin of the fire was unknown. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a local mechanic where the failure was located at the master cylinder. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was contacted and a claim was filed. The contact was awaiting further instruction by the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Was driving my 2002 Ford exploder, when I excited the vehicle I saw smoke and flames coming from the driver side rear wheel. I grabbed my son and got him from the vehicle. A passerby came over to help get my son from the vehicle. He informed me that my emergency brake had seized on. I would like to know how this happened when I have not used my emergency brake. Fire dept called and vehicle is now sitting in a parking lot. Until I can get the money to repair it.
While pulling into parking space (right) in parking garage my Explorer experienced a sudden accleration-at full throttle (snapping the steering wheel to the right) (extremely loud revving, whining and another sound like a bad belt screech all at the same time) before the crash. No brakes (pedal went to the floor). Crashed into steel I-beam bending it and cracking concrete pillars. No airbag on impact.
Dt*: the contact stated the brakes failed, which caused an accident. The brakes were inspected about one month prior to the incident, and the pads and brakes were did not display any problems. The brakes failed and the vehicle had not been to a service dealer to determine what caused the failure. A police report was taken, and no injuries were sustained.
The ABS dash light comes on when you start the vehicle and stays on . The airbag light blinks 33 then stays on. There was a short in the trailer brake and alarm which caused the entire car to shut down would not start until battery cables were removed for a few minutes then vehical started but every time you close a door or any vibration the alarm goes off.
Rear pads and rotors failed June 8, 2015. O/d light blinking with check engine light on, on June 12, 2015. Transmission shop got the codes and stated I don't have 2nd and 5th gears. $2000.00 cost. Please force recall! Help! Many other repairs including u-joints, tie rods, front axle, front rotors with pads etc. Since I bought it in April 2013.
Ford Explorer 2002 2 wheel drive was driving at 65 MPH on freeway. A car cut off the Ford and anti lock brakes were applied. Brakes locked and driver lost control of SUV. SUV rolled over and off the freeway. Side air bags and front air bags did not deploy.
Brake complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 132 complaints about the brakes of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 3,295 complaints. The component named most often is antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (37 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Explorer brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2002 Ford Explorer, though it has 4 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Explorer brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 13 crashes, 3 fires and 3 injuries to brakes problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.