Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
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).
Well I have a 2002 Ford Explorer xlt. It has the trailer brake which I never have used yet. I have a couple issues with it. The theft light blinks as long as the vehicle ain't running. Some times it doesn't like to start and has a brand new battery. Sometimes when put in gear while running it will shut it's self off. I also noticed when I bought it from another private sell that when I was driving the Explorer that I kept smelling a burning smell like plastic and wires as well as smoke and heat admitting from the center console area. I dropped a piece of plastic in the center console area. I pulled up the center console area plastic and witnessed the factory wiring that runs to the center console lighter and else where sparking and smoking. …
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.
The door locks lock and unlock all by themselves dozens of times in a row while I am driving. With this the dome light flashes off and on and the door ajar light flashes and the interior chime goes off constantly. All of this happens at the same time. This is a huge and common issue with thousands of forum posts by other owners who have spend countless $$ at mechanic's to no avail. This can cause wrecks at night it is very distracting. Especially the dome light. Why is Ford ignoring this obvious safety design flaw? Liability is yours .. There are too many complaints of this same problem for you to claim you are not aware. If someone gets car jacked while locks are freaking out you might get sued. It happens the most if someone is in passenger front seat.
2002 Ford Explorer caught fire. Consumer stated that the vehicle caught fire while his mother was visiting his sister in a different state. No attempt was made to repair her vehicle and rental cost them $600.00 out of pocket. Prior to the fire, the consumer asked the mechanic to inspect the vehicle, because warning lights were coming on and going off intermittently. The consumer had a list of documentation relating to electrical issues. The vehicle had to get a jump several times, the vehicle would hesitate when first starting up. The brake lights were stuck, the dealer replaced the brake pedal switch. The cruise control was inoperable so the dealer replaced the brake light switch. The alternator and wheel bearings were replaced.
Approached stop sign at a slow rate of speed - basically coasting 30 - 40 feet from a driveway, as the brakes were applied, the engine started to rev up, liken to the cruise control engaging, and brakes could not restrain vehicle and it was basically pushed through the stop sign and collided with an oncoming vehicle, there was insufficient time to put the vehicle in neutral or turn off the engine, this was the first time this ever happened, vehicle was in good condition and mechanically well maintained, the weather was clear and the roads were dry, the vehicle was taken to a dealership to have on-board computer read - no error codes were noted, as a result of the accident - the vehicle was totaled.
I bought a used 2002 Ford Explorer in April of this year at a used car lot. It was a beautiful blue SUV in remarkable good condition. I had it four months, and it caught on fire while at a stop sight on my way home from a shopping strip twenty miles from my home. It started smoking and while I was fumbling for my purse to get my cell phone to call for help, it caught fire and bystanders on the thoroughfare pulled me forcefully from the car, and then called the fire department. It was a total loss when the entire hood caught fire and melted. My garage mechanic, who had just seen the car, told me that he could see no reason why it would have caught fire. Can you help me?
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds the transmission independently switched to 4 wheel drive and the vehicle stalled. The failure recurred several times. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transfer casing and ignition coils needed to be replaced. The ignition coil was replaced and the transfer casing was repaired however the failure recurred. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failures. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 80,000.
The radiator started going out on me. I had to fix it twice. The breakes I keep having the continued fixing them every 4 months. Recently October 25, 2019 it started smelling like burnt rubber came thru the air vents. Things with the electricity oe a shortage. With the tires they put wrong tire size. They told me to sign and go because they didn't have my actual tire size. Its always on the smalls streets and on freeway or. Highway it smells like burnt rubber. The owner didn't notify me or bother to tell me it was on recall already.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While the vehicle was idling at a stop light, the overdrive warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled several times. In addition, the vehicle was difficult to shift into second and third gear as well as drive, which was when the intermittent stall failure occurred. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The vehicle was parked and unable to be driven due to the intermittent failures. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.
Was driving on hwy and my vehicle just shut down as I was turning off the main road, lost all control of steering. When I raised the hood I saw my radiator smoking and all of a sudden it popped. Had to have it towed in to the shop and was told that the radiator had exploded and the engine seized up! How could this happen? I never even had it to over heat or the light never even alerted me. Just blew up and left me stranded. I was told after the fact that there is a recall on the radiator!
Electrical complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 148 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 4% of the model year's 3,295 complaints. The component named most often is wiring › interior/under dash (7 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Explorer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system 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 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 94,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 4 crashes, 19 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.