Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (headlights, tail lights, turn signals, interior lights).
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 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While entering the vehicle, the interior lighting remained illuminated and leaked water into the vehicle. The contact noticed water stains by the visors. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 133,748.
The side curtain airbag spontaneously deployed upon side door closure of a Ford Explorer. The vehicle was sitting after re-fueling. Concurrent with and immediately prior to the deployment of the airbag, the door alarm system was chiming that a door was ajar, and after inspection by a mechanic it was determined that the security/door warning system module has failed. Ford was sent the airbag module for inspection, and has yet to provide the results of the module inspection - after a period of more than 5 months. Further problems persist with the electronic system. The door ajar alarm continues to sound at random intervals, the interior lights flicker on and off at random intervals, and the door locks repeatedly lock and unlock, all of which cause a distracting potential safety hazard while driving.
Brake light switch fails to activate until moderate brake pedal foot pressure is applied; resulting in delayed/inadequate brake light activation and difficulty disengaging gear selector from park. Also, speed control will not turn off until pressing hard enough to engage secondary/backup disconnect on speed control. Initial application of brake will result in vehicle attempting to maintain speed, incurring increased throttle application and auto transmission down shifting. Removal and observation of the switch action appears to show the mechanical interface between plunger and contacts results in contacts opening wider in the initial travel of the switch before actually closing, resulting in delayed closing of the switch.
Where to start... Broken cruise control, headlight switch has a short, driver side passenger window doesn't roll down, trouble going into gear, car suddenly dies at interstate speeds, loud grinding sound from the engine bay (like an electric knife sharpener) that is getting increasingly more frequent, service engine soon light will not go off, brakes squeal and don't stop the vehicle properly, support for the hatch (which is cracked 8 inches or so in two places) doesn't lift hatch completely, and the fuel economy is down to 4-6 mpg in the city. I hate it! I don't feel like my girlfriend is safe driving it, and I think Ford should be forced to make their wrongs into rights!
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the rear tail lights and both turn signals stopped illuminating. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who inspected the lights and stated that the wires were corroded and needed to be repaired. The mechanic performed the repairs. The failure recurred approximately three weeks later. The manufacturer was notified, and offered assistance. The failure mileage was 111,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that sporadically, the brake lights would not illuminate when the brake was depressed. The dealer did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The manufacturer was aware of the failure. No repairs were performed. The current mileage was 111,000. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
Door ajar light comes on. Recycled engine checked all doors and again light comes on. Or while driving, the doors automatically unlock. The alarm sounds for no reason sometimes. Sometimes the interior lights comes on and stays on usually when I have trouble with the door ajar issues.
Headlight complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are headlight problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 25 complaints about the lights of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 1% of the model year's 3,295 complaints. The component named most often is brake lights › switch (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Explorer headlight problems?
No. NHTSA lists no lights 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 headlight problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 0 injuries to lights 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.