Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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.
My 2002 f150 truck dropped the fuel tank on 5/26/2017. Miraculously, my wife and daughter weren't killed. My wife and daughter were using the truck, helping a friend move. Luckily, they just left mcdonalds restaurant when it broke. They were on a side street and were forced to stay where they were. The eastpoint fire-department were called on scene due to gasoline leaking out of the tank into the street. They stayed with the vehicle until aaa was called. They towed the truck on a flatbed truck and delivered it to my guys auto repair, gratiot, roseville, mi. My truck had a recall on it for safety straps, which were the cause by breaking. I tried to get it fixed at dorian Ford, clinton twp.,mi. 2 years prior, but was given a 'runaround' by dorian Ford, telling me to bring it in for repair in 2 months time. I forgot when the 2 months were up and dorian Ford didn't try to contact me. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f150. The contact was driving 35 MPH when the ignition caught on fire and melted the area where the ignition key was located. The contact merged onto the shoulder as the fire independently diminished. The contact received burns to the fingers. He then attempted to reinsert the key into the ignition however, to no avail. The vehicle was pushed to the contact's residence and later towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the ignition would need replacing. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign id number: 11V385000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting) for corrosion of one or both of the fuel straps. The contact stated that the dealer would not repair the vehicle under the recall but was not advised as to why. …
My fiance and I had to place are full size spare on that came with truck it was brand new we had no choice bc this was Friday evening and out local tire shop was closed tell today (Monday) yesterday we drove 7 mile to collinsvile to change brakes after we finish we load our 3 kids and befan to hide home another 3 miles from home we notice the truck shaking then we heard load pop and tail of the truck lost control for about 2 second once we got control back we pulled to safety to only see the driver side of the bed cracked tore and shattered. Even the hose where u fuel u truck up at had been damagetting when we continued to examine the tire it wasn't blown and it's still holding air. But plz explain to me how the entire center section of tread ripped off for no reason and not only put my children in danger but damaged my truck to a severe extent ? …
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. While the vehicle was parked the contact stated it caught fire . The police and fire department were notified of the fire. The fire department extinguished the fire. A report was filed. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. There was damage to the roof of the building where the vehicle was parked. A consumer who occupied the building observed that the vehicle was on fire, suffered smoke inhalation and was treated at the scene. There was a recall under NHTSA campaign id number: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) that May be related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,125.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. While walking past the vehicle, the contact noticed a strong odor of fuel. The contact discovered that the fuel tank straps were corroded and created a hole in the fuel tank, which caused fuel to leak from the tank. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V385000 (fuel system, gasoline) but the remedy could not be performed at the time due to the corrosion of the fuel tank. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 202,000. The VIN was not available. Updated 05/31/2016
Fuel tank dropped to the road while driving causing the truck to be engulfed in flames. Driver made it out with first and second degree burns. Two dogs in the back seat died in the fire. Initial investigation by the insurance investigator determined that it was the fuel tank straps that failed. There is an investigation (pe10036) by the NHTSA for fuel tank straps on Ford f-150s 1999-2001. The 2002 and 2003 f-150 use the same straps. Larry hershman of NHTSA has contacted me about this incident. Updated 06/13/11 & 06/14/11 updated 08/11/11 updated 3/01/2012
There's a recall already for the fuel tank straps in the salt belt states.I live about 20 mile from tenn.im seating at my job and looked out the window and my fuel tank strap broke.the tank was about 2 inch above the road.call Ford and they said its not covered.im in the mountains and we use road salt every year.what makes ten any different.this could have been bad it started dragging on the road while I was driving.wher the strap rust.it caused the fuel tank to rust.now the tank is leaking same place the strap rusted.help.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. The contact stated that the fuel tank straps fractured and the fuel tank dropped. The vehicle was unable to be driven due to the failures. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 11V385000 (fuel system, gasoline) according to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer advised the contact to take the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing and repair. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-150. The contact stated that there was a fuel odor coming from the fuel tank. The contact noticed a strap hanging under the fuel tank and that fuel leaked onto the driveway. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that there was rust and holes underneath the tank that came from corrosion and that the straps on the tank needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 135,000.
Related recalls
Fuel system, gasoline › Storage › Tank assembly › Mounting
Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year Ford f-150, 2004 model year Ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 Lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from June 20, 1995, through August 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a Ford or Lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection.
NHTSA investigations
Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion
One or both of the steel straps holding up the fuel tank and attaching it to the truck frame can corrode and fail (break or separate).If one strap fails, the tank may tilt and drop and possibly contact the road surface.If both straps break, the entire tank may drop to the road.If either failure occurs while the vehicle is being driven, contact with the road can abrade the tank and create a hole from which gasoline…
Fuel System complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2002 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 86 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2002 Ford F-150, 10% of the model year's 821 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly › mounting (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford F-150 fuel system problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 11V-385 (mounting, Jul 29, 2011). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford F-150 fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 130,000 miles, and 1% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 6 fires and 3 injuries to fuel & propulsion 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.