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 F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Unknown cause of incident. Vehicle is available for inspection. Vehicle spontaneously burst into flames. No reproduction due to incident happening on 09/02/2022. Vehicle inspected by Fire Department and California Highway Patrol. No warnings or symptoms leading up to incident. On 09/02/2022 I attempted to help my wife that was stranded out State Route Highway 36 in her 2009 BMW 750 LI at the Van Duzen Grange. I had been hooked up to her car for approximately 10 to 15 minutes with my truck idling when she screamed, " Your truck's on FIRE!" I barely got myself out of the cab when a ball of flames shot through the dashboard. 3/4ths of the truck was consumed in fire in less than 5 minutes. Fire Department arrived approximately 10 minutes later and doused the fire. Everything in my truck was destroyed. My wife's BMW suffered severe damage to the front end.
When it rains the rain is somehow getting into the fuse box under the steering column and causing it to drain the battery, short out some of the instrument cluster, make noise, blow fuses, and rust up. It is a fire hazard and it puts all inside the truck in danger. I have not yet had a fire but if I keep the truck as is it will eventually.
Tl* the contact owned a 2002 Ford f-150. After the contact turned off and exited the vehicle, he was alerted by a passerby that there were flames under the hood. The flames were near the driver's side of the engine compartment near the brake system. A fire inspector extinguished the flames. The vehicle was destroyed by the fire. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was uncertain if the failure was related to NHTSA action numbers: ea05005 (electrical system, vehicle speed control) and dp05005 (engine and engine cooling) and NHTSA campaign numbers: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 05V388000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle remained at the scene. The cause of the failure was not determined. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 175,000.
Woke up at 1 am one 4-1-2018 to my Ford f 150 on fire drivers side front under the hood. Unknow to us our local sheriff had spotted the fire and already called the fire department. Total loss. Bought the truck a few months back without any knowledge of a recall on the speed control switch. The vehicle was sitting in our drive next to our other cars for 3 hour with keys out of the ignition.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked. The contact extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 05V017000 (vehicle speed control). The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. Updated 03/03/17
The recall ie an inline fuse on speed control deactivation switch did not work it just caught on fire and ruined my master cylinder and brake system.it wont hold brake fluid now because the switch melted into it.Ford says oh well recalls been done
I purchased my 2002 Ford f150 super crew in August of 2002. I have had ongoing problems since I purchased the vehicle, and have had no responses or assistance from any Ford dealerships. The problems started out with my radio going on and off all on its own. I took my vehicle to the dealership at least 10 times alone for this problem. Never any assistance. The problems escalated around 40,000 miles and my whole electrical system seemed to be shorting out. I have had fire under the dash, the headlights not work, the wipers would only work when the vehicle was in park, same thing with the heater, it would not turn off after you shut the vehicle off. Now this week I had another fire which I was able to put out on my own. I took it to a different dealer and they identified the problem with the gem module and central junction box. …
Dt: in June while owner was sitting there was a honking noise. Owner was unaware if the honking was from other cars or from the alarm. Then ,he heard a loud pop. He went outside and saw the truck engulfed in flames. The truck had been driven about 14.5 miles for 20 minutes before being parked. The vehicle was sitting for about 15 minutes in driveway. When owner saw the fire the truck was already engulfed in flames. The fire was coming from the hood. It burned for about 15 minutes. The fire department put out the fire, it took about 5 minutes for them to extinguish the fire. There was no warning lights on in the vehicle nor any other type of warning that there was a problem. There were no problems with the electrical system, and owner didn't really use the cruise control. There were no other major problems with the vehicle. The owner was unaware of any recalls on the vehicle. …
The problem started with the vehicle not starting and the battery appearing to be dead. Battery was replaced and now the electrical issues are widespread and out of control. The radio, wipers, dome lights and dash lights go off and on and the starter tries to start the truck after it is running. I have been locked out of the truck due to the locks engaging on their own and I had to pull over in a severe rainstorm due to the wipers that all of a sudden stopped working. It has been root caused to be water intrusion into the vehicle from the windshield getting into the fuse box and the gem module is now bad. I have researched this and it very frustrating to know that this particular vehicle year is well known for this issue. I have read literally a thousand comments of people having the exact same issue with no resolution from Ford. …
Turns signals didn't while driving in cold vehicle in cold weather. Once the temperature warmed up the inside of the vehicle the turn signals worked normally. I had no problems in the warm months of the year. Turn signal lever works properly on and off. Thought it was the flasher unit, replace it and had the same problem. When the vehicle is cold ( somewhere below 40 degrees fahrenheit ) the turn signals do not work when steering wheel is in a lower tilt position. This is especially true if the temperature is close to freezing. When the cab of the pickup warms up signals will work. When the outside temperature is above 50 degrees f signals will work. The signal wires are stretched in the column by tilting the steering wheel down. The cold makes the wires stiff. When the wires warm up they flex to complete the circuit on the turn signal lever connection and active the signals properly. …
NHTSA investigations
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Electrical complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2002 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 106 complaints about the electrical system of the 2002 Ford F-150, 13% of the model year's 821 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (12 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford F-150 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2002 Ford F-150, though it has 2 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 F-150 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles, and 8% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 28 fires and 10 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.