Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (buckles, retractors, anchors and pretensioners).
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).
I was traveling in stop and go traffic. As soon as space opened between me and the vehicle in front of me, I accelerated. While gaining speed I looked in my right rear view mirror to see if I could change lanes. While looking in my mirror the vehicle in front of me stopped. I hit the back of his vehicle with the front of mine. The problem I have is that my airbag(s) fired but did no deploy. You could clearly smell that they fired and my airbag light is now on. My seat belt did not cinch up and restrain me either. This car had been well maintained and was never in an accident before this one. As I see it, it was a total failure of the SRS.
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.
On my 2002 Ford Explorer SUV I have had to replace 3 of the 4 wheel bearings and hub assemblies(approx $250 each), with the 4th not far behind. I have also had to replace the 4-wheel drive module(approx $400-$500). I have had problems with the rear window motors going bad and having to replace these too. The air conditioning unit has stopped working. The passenger air bag dummy light has come on for no reason. The seat belt warning chime often comes on and will not go off, even though you have buckled your seat belt. You have to slam the buckle into place for it to go off and sometimes this does not work either. The transmission is now making a lovely clunking sound when shifting from park to drive and when you try to put it back into park, it does not want to. You have to put it up to park as far as it will go then go back to neutral and then into park from there. …
We have a 2002 Ford Explorer. The airbag warning light is on and stays on. It's been like this for a while now. I never thought much of it until I got online researching it and found that not only that it is a common problem, but a very dangerous situation. Apparently the airbags will not even work. From what I found the problem has to do with a cable that connects the seatbelt locking mechanism to the SRS system is to short also a possible problem with a clockspring. By doing something as little as moving the drivers seat all the way back can trigger the warning light because the cable is to short. I learned this mostly through people over the internet who took there vehicles to Ford dealerships and was told that was the problem. I called Ford to see if there was a recall on it or if they would fix it. No recall and won't pay to fix. …
When I tried to remove my key from the ignition, the entire ignition cylinder came out!! My car had to be towed and have a new cylinder installed! A year later, it happened again!!! So I have had to replace my Ford ignition cylinder twice and my car only has 60,000 miles on it now---so probably had only about 40,000 miles the first time it happened and 50,000 the second time. Also-- now my fuel gauge says empty all the time, even after I just filled it with gas! And it's too expensive to fix! I did get the driver seatbelt fixed, because it didn't tighten, but now it's too hard to pull out and use! Lastly, both inside mirror covers have just cracked off when lifting open, and I can't afford to replace both of the entire visors! We have 3 fords and this is the only one that's ever had problems. Dates are spread out so it's too hard to complete that part of the form below.
2002 Ford Explorer front out seat belts do not retract in cold temperatures. I took the vehicle multiple times to the Ford dealer and contacted Ford customer service and nothing has been done to correctly remedy the situation. At one point the dealer to get rid of me he installed low-friction teflon tape on the d-ring but that did not help at all. The return spring is too weak to carry the load. This is a safety item because the webbing is catching on to the door as it is closing causing the seat belt webbing to fritter and eventually to tear into pieces. Please look and investigate this matter immediately. If this complaint does not require full fledged recall, I am willing to get the dealer to replace front seat belts at Ford expense.
I bought a 2002 Ford Explorer eddie bauer in nov 2002. Around oct 2005 my airbag light came on and I was due for an inspection. I took it into a Ford dealership and they "diagnosed" it as a faulty seat belt...the seat belt worked fine, it even continued to lock-up during moderate braking. This cost me over $300. Not a month went by and the airbag light came on again. I called the Ford dealer, explained the problem and they told me that if it was determined it was a "new" problem I would be charged for that expense as well. I just can't believe that the light would come on after being "fixed" so soon.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated her child was seated and properly seated in a child restraint. The contact noticed the child restraint began tipping forward. She found that the rear driver side seat belt would not latch. The contact then inspected the remaining seat belts and found that all of the seat belts in the vehicle would not lock into place. The manufacturer advised there was not a recall for the failure and did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure and current mileages were approximately 80,000.
Dt*: the contact stated the air bag light intermittently illuminates. The vehicle was seen by a dealer. The service department determined both front seat belts needed to be replaced due to the integrated air bag/seat belt system. The entire front seat belts were replaced accordingly but the air bag light later illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The service department suggested replacing the seat belts again. Updated 3/3/2006 - the consumer has also had to replace the rear washer motor, odometer and has had problems with the automatic door locks.
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the air bag indicator remained illuminated. The dealer stated that the seat belt latch system does not work and they are charging him to diagnose and repair the failure. The contact stated that it is a safety hazard that the seat belt does not work. The failure and current mileages were 47,600. Updated 12/10/08 both of the rear springs broke and the rear axle bearing was bad. Updated 12/16/08.
Seat Belt complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are seat belt problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the seat belts of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 1% of the model year's 3,295 complaints. The component named most often is front (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Explorer seat belt problems?
No. NHTSA lists no seat belts 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 seat belt problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 61,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to seat belts 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.