Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
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).
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. …
I am an owner of a 2002 Ford Explorer. I have had numerous issues with the transmission. When traveling at highway speeds the transmission will intermittently disengage causing the vehicle to have to be pulled to the side of the road, shift into park, then back to drive. I have consulted with my local Ford dealership numerous times on the issue. I have been repeatedly told that this is a known issue with the Ford Explorer / Mercury mountaineer transmission. Ford motor company is failing to address this issue as being a safety concern. My mother owns a 2005 Mercury mountaineer with the same exact issue. The previous owner replaced the transmission shortly before I purchased the vehicle due to the same issue. The transmission was replaced with a new transmission from Ford. I wonder how many people have been in accidents because their Explorer/mountaineer transmission disengages? …
My wife was unloading two grandsons from our 2002 Ford Explorer. She had removed the youngest one when the four year old got into the driver's seat on his knees and pretended to drive. The iginition was off and transmission in park. He pulled on the shift lever, the automobile began to roll backwards. My wife opened the drivers door to stop the vehicle. It began to roll backwards faster and the open door struck her knocking her to the ground. The vehicle struck two trees shhortly after that causing $5675.77 in damages to the vehicle. I called Ford motor company 0n August 5, 2005and spoke to tiffany explaining that the "brake-shift interlock' had failed causing the incident described above. Her question to me was, "what do you want Ford motor company to do about this." I replied that I wanted compensation for damages and the defect corrected. …
Tl contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that she had issues shifting gears and when she would turn corners, the vehicle would shift out of gear. Other times, she had issues shifting into drive and moving forward. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that there were no related recalls. The transmission was replaced in 2008 at a repair shop. However, the failure continued. When the contact placed the vehicle in park (with the engine on) and went into a store, the vehicle shifted into drive and hit a building and then moved back and hit another vehicle. There were no injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken back to a repair shop where the contact was informed that a component of the steering column would not allow the vehicle to lock into gear. The steering column was repaired. …
2002 Ford Explorer can slip from park into reverse, causing a roll-away accident. The gear shift is loose enough that a driver can shift the truck into "p" on the gear shift, but the truck is not actually all the way in park. When this happens, it can slide into reverse. This is what happened to my wife and daughter. She put the car into reverse and backed up the driveway. She left the vehicle in park on the level driveway to run a bag of groceries inside. She opened the rear gate, went inside, dropped them off, then heard a loud crash. The truck had slipped out of park and into reverse, causing it to crash into the house. I can reproduce this behavior easily. I took it to bob tomes Ford of mckinney, tx and spoke with maureen pollack of Ford's consumer affairs. They said that they could find no defect (of course). …
In late January, 2008 something struck the radiator and transmission cooler of my 2002 Ford Explorer. I was not aware that an object had penetrated both of these causing coolant and transmission fluid leakage. The engine locked up and the transmission stopped working. My local Ford dealer replaced my engine and some parts in my transmission. Since then my transmission has failed numerous times having to be towed back to the dealer. When the failures occur, the vehicle will rapidly slow to a stop in mid traffic. I have been almost struck in the rear each time this has happened. The Ford dealer that repaired my transmission at a cost of $2000 will do nothing to correct the problem especially now that total transmission failure has occurred. I have researched the internet and found thousands of these vehicles have the same problem. I was a deputy sheriff for 16 years. …
This requested recall involves a 2002 Ford Explorer having an automatic transmission. During normal use, the shift lever breaks off at a cast rotating cylinder that transmits the torque from the gear shifter to push and pull the cable that puts the vehicle in park, drive, neutral, and reverse. The vehicle also had a tendency to jump out of park even before the part broke which caused the vehicle to roll back and almost pinned me between another vehicle when the vehicle rolled back and crashed into a vehicle parked downhill. This was a near miss accident. Ford wants to charge $1500 to replace the entire steering column. We elected to junk the vehicle at this time until another solution can be found. Vehicle still drives if you reach your hand and push/pull the transmission cable to shift the automatic transmission into gear. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. While driving at approximately 55 MPH, the transmission shifted from third gear to fourth gear independently and the vehicle decelerated. The vehicle made an abnormal noise and the engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was driven to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the transmission was burned out and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH, a snapping sound emitted from the vehicle and the steering wheel became hard to turn. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician diagnosed that the power steering pump was defective which prevented it from holding the fluid damaging the anti-brakes system. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. …
This is an update to complaint no. 10459987. After looking at the car records, we discovered that during a service of my transmission, Ford factory required the dealership to cut the metal transmission line and installed a rubber line with a filter. If they did not install the filter, then the warranty would have been void. After installing, no one ever inspected or replaced the line or filter. It was simply forgotten. 75,000 miles later the rubber line was resting on the exhaust, which burned a hole and caused transmission fluid to leak and spray onto the catalytic converter and caught fire. We were lucky in that we saw the smoke early and no one was injured. I am concerned there are more cars out there with this retro-fit filter on the transmission that no one is inspecting or maintaining because it is not on an official maintenance schedule.
NHTSA investigations
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…
Transmission complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 1,502 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2002 Ford Explorer, 46% of the model year's 3,295 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (887 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford Explorer transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain 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 transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 80,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 25 crashes, 3 fires and 14 injuries to transmission & drivetrain 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.