2002 FORD Explorer

Transmission failed like all the other ones out there… I can’t find one that’s any good or that dosent need rebuilt for over $2500 I took this explorer to every transmission shop in Muskegon mi and they all said the same thing that.. this is the worse transmission ever 5r55w this is completely **** and you have a recall for a lift gate glass that could break at this point I would rather have a car the runs with no glass.. do something

I’m the original owner problems started on the date above. The problems: paint peeling off hood even though it was garaged, exterior driver side mirror melted, while still under warranty the controls for rear interior temperature controls weren’t working, shortly after warranty expired those controls failed again. 2 transmissions, the 2nd transmission was replaced because lower casing cracked. Door ajar light comes on even though doors are secured also the security alarm comes on for no reason even brought it to one of your dealers and they couldn’t fix that. Check engine light comes on but the OBD reader shows no codes. Valve cover gasket’s leaking right after warrantey expired. Never used Cruise control because I’ve been told could have fire under the hood. I got this car is because we bought a 1998 Explorer that we were the original owner and it had a short in the console when still under warranty they even replaced the wire harness and still had a short. Only reason I’ve kept this vehicle is because I would never get the money I should get for it. We bought a 2008 Honda Odyssey has over 245,000 miles on it and just like the 2002 Explorer followed maintenance manual and the only major repair on the Honda was the water pump. Would never by another Ford vehicle because of all the problems we’ve had on the 2 Explorer’s. Against my warning to my daughter she is leasing a 2021 Explorer and while driving home the rear window shattered, at least she is leasing it, she was going to buy it after lease expired but, now when lease expires she’s turning it in. My family has learned that Ford vehicles are nothing but problems. I had a friend who was going to buy a Explorer, but after I told him of problems with 3 Explorers my family has had he’s buying a Honda Pilot. Forgot to mention that when I had 1st oil change I had it changed it to synthetic oil because dealer said it was better

2002 ford exploere rear hatch panel applique Cracked for no apparent reason.

Transmission failed in a two lane highway.

TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT WITH ONLY 88000 MILES ON ENGINE

Transmission shifting hard and making noise

Transmission failure, No 3rd gear. No repairs as of yet, cannot afford to fix. Gear worked on the way to work, gear completely gone when beginning to drive home.

Rear window exploded while car was parked in driveway. We live in Southern CA and it was a rare cold night lows in the 30\'s and in the morning the it was discovered the rear window has exploded during the night. Security camera\'s verified no one caused the damage. It just exploded and I don\'t know if the cold weather had anything to do with it our not.

FORD EXPLORER CRACKED REAR PANEL

Cracked rear lift gate panel

I opened the rear hatch on my vehicle and the window exploded in my face.

Transmission slipping in 3 gear

When I closed my trunk this morning after placing my luggage in the whole back window shattered completely the struts and the little black thing that holds the window up top broke

Transmission stalls, jerks, grinds and has difficulty shifting. Additionally, O/D (overdrive) light continues to flash. I have had 5 different professional diagnosis as to what the problem is, no one is sure. Ford Motor Company should recall the transmission.

When changing gears there are Knocking sounds,hesitation during shifting, and acceleration issues.

I AM ON TRANSMISSION #3 MY EXPLORER ONLY HAS 78k MILES HELP

Transmission. Overdrive light blinking. Now lost 2 and 5th gear

transmission shifting problem, told I need new transmission

Back glass shattered after closing the hatch

Transmission quit working, gear slip after drove 10 minutes, won\'t wanna move back or foward

Transmission is failing !!!!! Not just me but hundreds of other 2002-2004 fords are having this same problem . It is unsafe to drive this car but I have no choice!

My truck has been in 5 times 1 new transmission 2 rebuilt and part added now it’s in again with another possible rebuild I just want a fix to this problem

Bou used. Gears slipping, not going into gear sometimes, while in drive and coming to stop transmission seems to go into nuteral and won’t go have to shift it into 1st then gradually move shifter back to drive. Hard knock when shifting from park to drive or putting in reverse.

Air conditioning does not provide cooling air. There is freon and the unit functions.

Transmission slips between 2nd and 3rd gear shifts. This is not an intermittent problem.

See failures

Transmission shifts into gear but will not go in OD, D3 and reverse. I have to put it in D2 D1 to go anywhere. Just bought this SUV for my wife cause we have a baby on the way. Had it for 4 days and the transmission went out. She was on the freeway when it went out. Dangerous!
4×4 module also was not working when i bought it. I had to replace that for $124.00.

Transmission had to be completely replaced after only having the vehicle 9 months. While being repaired the Inner Steering Column Shaft broke and needs to be replaced as well.

Transmission does not want to shift from 2nd to 3rd unless you let off gas

Sparks plugs blew out Problem start since 2013 when the car turn 105,000, this year 2015 , the car needs a new head

See failures

Rear window crashed, shuttered into 100 pieces, rear panel cracked.

Overdrive light came on. Check transmission light came on. The truck suddenly started screeching loudly, nearly caused an accident while going to the airport on an expressway.

Neither problem has been fixed. My car only had 112000 miles and transmission is going out. I did some investigating and many others with the same year model had the same problem. This is not coincidence. There are thousands on car complaints. Com. Ford should be held liable for this malfunction. Also tailgate cracked.

my back glass just shadered why i was driving down the road.

I have not had the vehicle repaired. After reading that this is obviously a manufacturer defect, and Ford’s refusal to address it or help in any way, I will probably sell the car at a very low price to someone who can repair the car themselves, or I will donate it. I do not expect a car to last forever, but I think that a transmission should last longer than 130,000 miles. The transmission began slipping before 130,000 miles, and our mechanic replaced O2 sensors thinking that was the problem. Two weeks later, the OD light began flashing, the check engine light came on, and the car would not shift into gear when driving.

I drove my truck from Waterloo ny to Lancaster ny and when I reached my destination my truck was acting weird at first it wouldn’t shift out of first and then when I did get it to shift when I came to a stop light the truck learched forward and I was able to stop within inches of the car in front of me. When I got back home I took it to a local mechanic who asked me a few questions about the truck and test drove it. Then we had another incident where we drove to Syracuse ny and when we got to our destination the truck did the same thing only this time it threw a check engine code which was the pressure siloniod b code p0744 and the blinking over drive light
when we got home I took it back to the same mechanic and he told me the the o/d light flashing was the tell tale sign of a transmission going to fail I still drive it because I don’t have the money to get it fixed so at this point it. drive it until it dies .

I bought the car in May 2014, after about 1 month later , the light of transmission is lighting, I went to the local dealer for service, they said I should pay 2000 dollars to repair the transmission.

Ford Dealership Ford Of Orange gave me a run around. Telling me they do not make appointments at all. Everything would be on a walk on Basis; making it to difficult to make the repair on a part that I found out is a recall for liftgate glass strut – 04V-442

First failure was in 2009 and we had it replaced with a rebuilt transmission from Ford. That transmission failed in 2012 and we had it replaced at the Ford dealer under the warrenty we purchased on the last transmission. This current transmission is not failing.

CRACKED BACK HATCH ON EXPLORER FAILED AND BACK WINDOW EXPLODED GLASS ALL OVER MY WIFE

” Check engine soon” sign is on. ” O/D” sign is on.

paint on roof and hood peeling turning white.
Back window broke.
back trim piece cracked and later pieces fell off.

O/D light blinking, check engine light on with difficulty shifting into 2nd and 5th gear along with deceleration. 118,000 miles. Should not need a transmission. I am on a fixed income. Where is the recall or class action suit. HELP!!

TRANSMISSION SLIPS/ENGINE REV’S WHEN IN 2ND GEAR UNTIL 3RD GEAR IS ENGAGED. WHEN 3RD GEAR IS ENGAGED IT DOES SO WITH A VERY HARD SHIFT. OD “OFF” LIGHT CAME ON AND SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT CAME ON.

TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND WHINING

Transmission goes into neutral when you brake hard. takes 30-60 seconds for transmission to re-engage.
Door ajar light and buzzer continuously go off and on. Replaced driver side door switch. Continues to go on and off.
Rear hatch door cracked along Ford emblem. Door has opened on its own while driving down road. Crack has pinched and cut my hand more than once.
ABS Light came on never went off.

Transmission failure

Rear hatch has crack in body

CRACK DEVELOPED IN PANEL BELOW REAR WINDOW ON LIFT GATE

auto trans failed suddenly

The rear panel under the rear window has cracked

The cracked rear panel has caused five (5) problems:
1) False “Door Ajar” warning
2) Dead Battery
3) Rear Window won’t open
4) Back-up warning indicators don’t work, and last night
5) The Brake lights wouldn’t turn off even after the engine was turned off

Sounds like I had the same problem thousands of other Ford Explorer owners have had. If you read this and are having or had transmission problems, please report it. Sooner or later Ford will have to take a stand or lose many customers to other car manufacturers. Its funny how the American car companies say “Buy American”, then put crappy parts in the cars they manufacture and when the parts fail don’t have the courage to stand up for themselves and fix it. The sad part is Ford knows this and still won’t do anything about it!!!

Cracked rear panel below window. Cracked when backing out of driveway yesterday when it was cold

Bought a used 2002 Explorer with 116,000 miles on it, went through all the wear items and replaced with new. I drove this vehicle to work for a while, enough to get the mileage to 140,010 miles then suddenly started to slip into 3rd or miss all together 3rd gear.
1st to 2nd works fine, 2nd to 3rd is gone (engine raves like it went into neutral) when you let off the accelerator it goes into 4th gear on will pull again, O/D works also.
Dangerous for anyone in vehicle, this is a very serious safety concern, if someone was to have to get into traffic and this vehicle was to this they could very easily be run over by a vehicle they are trying to stay ahead of or had pulled out in front of.
Ford has known about this problem for years now and is doing nothing to make it go away are remedy the poorly designed transmission and it just ticks me off that the federal highway safety people dont make ford do a recall to fix the affected vehicles before someone gets killed.

Transmission failure

The overdrive light flashes and the transmission has difficulty changing gears. A loud clunking noise accompanies shifting gears. This problem is too common with this make and model to not be addressed.

Rear right passenger window has a hard time going up…have to help it.
Door open light on all the time
Rear wiper motor not working
Service engine light on
Horn honks when cold outside
car won’t move in reverse
car won’t go in to reverse if parked uphill

My Ford Explorer has had so many ridiculous problems. This one is extremely inconvenient. The car has trouble shifting gears, it spins from 1st to 2nd gear and then I have to let go of the accelerator for it to shift again, it skips 3rd gear altogether and jerks into fourth after pressing and depressing the accelerator a series of times. Once it’s in 4th gear, it doesn’t go past 50 MPH. My mechanic says his monitor detected a faulty solender and the entire pack has to be replaced, but that may not be the only problem. If that doesnt do the trick (even though it needs to be replaced regardless) he will have to open the transmission and possibly rebuild or replace some of the parts. I have encountered hundreds of other 2002 ford explorer owners with the same problem. Aside from this, I have a list of other dangerous issues that this car has had and that has endagered my family’s and my life numerous times: – Gear shift breaking off the steering column as I shifted from reverse to drive in the middle of a busy intersection. – ignition cylinder/switch breaking – possible spontaneous explosion recall related to the cruise control – rear latch breaking and inability to use the rear latch. – electrical system failure – doors not closing properly & draining the battery – faulty alarm system – faulty temperature gauge and radiator – Ford not allowing customers to buy just the parts needed for replacement and repair and forcing their customers to purchase entire packages ONLY in order to get the necessary parts at extremely high prices. Ford should be incriminated for selling these vehicles knowing full well that they are flooded with life threatening issues to their customers.

Electrical system has many problems, cruise control will not always work, alarm goes off at ramdon times, interior lights will not come on or will not shut off, radio will not turn off when front doors are opened, have to open back doors. Too spendy to fix.

The vehicle spends more time in a repair shop than it does being driven. its been a steady repair one after the other since I bought this vehicle. the dealer I bought it from refused to offer any help. Ford refused to honor the recall on the transmission stating the recall is over.

Transmission O/D light is on again so probably another replacement. It’s not been that long since replaced.

Transmission slipping, and acting erratically, when parked on any kind of hill transmission won’t come out of park, lots of play in transmission
wheel bearings constantly going bad

total transmission failure.

Transmission won’t shift passed 3rd gear, possibility of shifting into Reverse while driving. Error Code PO745

Transmission slipping.

The transmission started slipping, and then clunking into gear, and later on, it would also slip out of gear. The dealership service department flushed the system and told us thast they REMOVED extra fluid. The 02 transmission is a closed system. (Were broken pieces from inside the system displacing their volume of fluid? We were not told why.) We were told that the transmission would need to be replaced, or rebuilt, at our expense.

The transmission completely failed.

rear cracked panel!! getting worse!! This is unacceptable! My explorer is in excellent condition and this panel will soon come off in pieces!! Please help!!

I haven’t repaired the problem as of yet, but my o/d off light is flashing and the service engine light is on constant. The transmission has an extremely hard time shifting from first to second gear…sometimes causing me to have to release the accelerator to allow it to shift (in my opinion a safety hazard in itself). I’ve been told I need to either rebuild my transmission or replace it at a cost of $2100-$3500. After researching this problem online I’ve discovered that there are numerous people with the same issues and I’m sure countless more that do not realize they should come forward with this information to allow a recall.

I bought this vehicle new and a year after the warranty went out the transmission went out and need to be rebuilt at my expense. Four years and 40000 miles later its out again. I called the dealer to see if Ford would give any assistance and they told me to call customer service. I called customer service and spoke with a customer service rep and a supervisor. They told me they couldn’t do anything and referred me back to the dealer. I asked to speak to someone else and they told me their was no one else above them, and could not give me another number. Only an address in Dearborne Mi.

Driveline- the 4×4 shift module failed and had to be replaced.
Transmission- it failed and had to be replaced with a rebuilt unit.

4×4 not working

ON 06/21/2012 I VISITED COMMUNITY AUTO SALES 803 E. HOLT BLVD; ONTARIO, CA. 91761. I WAS INTERESTED IN A 2003 FORD EXPLORER V6 THAT I HAD SEEN ON AUTO TRADER ADVERTISED FOR $6998.00. WHILE THERE THE SALESPERSON SAID THAT THERE WAS ANOTHER 2002 EXPLORER V8 THAT WOULD BE BETTER BECAUSE IT HAD APROX. 15000 LESS MILES ON THE ODOMETER. I DROVE THE VEHICLE IT SEEMED OK. UPON BRINGING THE VEHICLE HOME I REALIZED A MIDDLE SEAT HAD SEEMINGLY BEEN REMOVED AS THERE WERE HOLES IN THE FLOOR WHERE SOMETHING HAD BEEN ATTACHED. THEN I NOTICED THE REMAINING 2 SEATS HAD SEAT BELTS BUT NO BUCKLE WHICH THERE IS THERE IS NOTHING TO FASTEN THE BELT TO. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SEEM RELUCTANT TO DEAL WITH THE PROBLEM I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS VERY EXPENSIVE TO FIX AND THAT THEY HAD ALREADY SENT PAPERWK TO THE DMV. I WANT TO RETURN THE VEHICLE AND RECOVER MY $1300.00 DOWN PYMT AS THIS VEHICLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOLD LIKE THAT. I AM ALSO HAVING TROUBLE WITH A WATER LEAKAGE PROBLEM AND FEEL I HAVE BEEN SOLD A BILL OF GOODS A DEFECTIVE VEHICLE

The problem is the transmission going completely out without warning at 55mph in heavy traffic. I was driving at 55mph in 4 lane rush hour traffic, the o/d light flashed a couple of times and the transmision just stopped working. The vehicle was just coasting to a stop in heavy 4 lane traffic at rush hour with my children in the vehicle. I had it checked at a dealer and they said it was the servo boar which I have never heard of and can not be fixed without replacing the transmission. This I am told used to be a seperate line that could be replaced alone, but now is made into the transmission.

My solenoid pack for my transmission was bad so I had it repaired and now the transmission is bad. I a constantly told about how bad for transmission are and I am upset about there being no recall. Also my tailgate has a crack on the back of it and so does almost every other ford explorer that I have seen. I am highly upset and will never buy a Ford again if there is no recall on either of these.

Out transmission isn’t out YET, it’s on its way out. When accelerating it stops at 25-35 MPH and the RPM rev up to the red limit if you don’t take your foot off the gas and it wont switch gears for a minute or so. Sometimes you hear a loud dropping sound and the entire car jerks when it switches gears. This first happened when speeding up on a busy main road near Detroit, almost causing us to be rear ended. We took it to a transmission garage and were informed it would be $2,000 or there abouts to fix. Had the other driver not been paying attention or had this happened on a highway myself, my fiance, our four children would have been seriously injured or worse. Apparently the transmission is a recurring problem with this model of vehicle and the manufacturer should be made responsible for this blatantly dangerous defect.

transmission failure

The vehicle bogs down after leaving a complete stop, then jams into gear. It skips while in first gear. Also, overdrive is having some issues and overdrive dash light will flash and a message pops up and says check transmission. The repairman said the transmission needs to be pulled and overhauled.

Air conditioning/heat: rear damper that controls air flow between floor and ceiling vents became inoperable.
Body and Frame: Plumbers crack appeared below back hatch window for no apparent reason
Wheel/axle: both rear wheel bearings started to fail and had to be replaced

Sealed transmission failure. This transmission isn’t due for it’s first service until 150,000 miles. No way to check fluid level.

Body trim below back window cracked in the center. Transmission went out completely, Need new wheel barrings on all four wheels, Rear springs broken

87,000 trans went, aamco rebuilt 2850.00. 9 months later went again aamco rebuilt again, now one year later trans is going again! I’m broke that 3 complete trans. and a repair. 118,090 miles

TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN SLIPPING SINCE MAY HAD IT SERVICED BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. CAN NOT CHECK THE TRANSMISSION FLUID AS YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL TOOL AS WE DO NO HAVE. DROVE THE EXPLORER UNTIL IT DOES NOT MOVE ANYMORE AS THE COST TO REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION IS 2800.00

My mother went into the hospital in May and passed away in July never leaving the hospital. It has been one problem after another with this Explorer. Money is what I am putting into it and its insane. Now the latest is I pulled into a parking place to run in and pick up contacts and came back out, it wouldn’t crank. I called my son , he came and the fuse was blown he replaced. It finally cranked. Next time I left it running. 2nd time we were at the DMV cut it off, came back out to crrank wouldn’t crank, fuse was blown again. I called our mechanic he said bring it to him but use a 25 fuse in it. It finally cranked. My mechanic replaced the reset button on the passenger side . 3rd time I was alone, stopped to put gas in, got back in WOULDN’T crank. Call my mechanic again. Had to have it towed this time. $125 and now he says its the fuel pump AND the switch that will cost over $1000. I don’t have that kind of money. The bad thing is this is our only car and I bought it for my son at Terry Cullen Chevrolet in Morrow, GA and he will be leaving for college in January and driving THIS TRUCK. I now see there are many people with fuel pump problems on this vehicle. There should be a recall on this because the garage has said he has fixed 5 fuel pumps on explorers since May of this year. that tells me Ford has a problem but won’t own up to it and make it right. they wonder why sales are down and people aren’t buying American anymore, because OUR manufacturers won’t stand behind their product. Sell it and don’t mention it again. Should be Fords new advertisement

Two days ago out of the blue my o/d light started blinking the day before that I heard a whining noise from the car that I had never heard before. I immediately pulled over and had the car towed to my local Ford dealership. They called and said that it was the transmission and the only way to fix it was to replace it. I asked them how this could happen when there had not been any problems at all with shifting, or slipping at all. They said they did not know and they did not have an answer. They gave me a paper with two error codes on it. PO735 and PO775. I looked these up and seen that of all the complaints with these vehicles the transmission is the biggest complaint. Hopefully something can and will be done about this, I have three children if the transmission was having problems like they say why did it just now start making a noise and why was there no other warning before this happened, hopefully I can get some answers.

Transmission failure

About 2 months ago, The radiator went out, and we replaced it with a new one, as well as the housing gasket. A month later my transmission starts acting up, it goes from first gear to third, it skips second. I took it to a Transmission specialist to get it fixed. I was there when they took the transmission down, and took it apart, they said it was gonna cost me $3,786.60 to get it fixed/rebuilt. I did some research online, and found out that there’s thousands of people with the same problem. Why is’nt FORD doing anything about it? As of right no 9-9-2011 My truck is still in the shop, I can’t afford to pay the repair costs.

#3 cylinder plug blew. Had towed to dealer. Dealer said they could fix easily by installing a helix coil adapter & could have car ready next day. Dealer calls back and says they fixed it but it was really running bad and that they would not recommend driving it. I asked what the solution was and they said they could pull the head and refinish it but that they would not recommend doing such. I asked about a Jasper and they said they would not recommend as Jasper has a poor warranty (12 months+limited mileage & no labor) while a new Ford engine would have 3 years, no mileage limit & be warranted for both labor and parts. As I needed the vehicle – as it is I had to rent a vehicle. After getting the vehicle back and talking with several other Ford dealers – it would seem that there is a strong possibility that the Ford dealer installing the helix coil may have dropped debris into the engine – as none of the other dealers said they have ever had to replace an engine for a blown spark plug. Ps: the plugs were the originals from the factory. I have tried to work with the dealer to get some sort of reduction in what I had to pay but they have been less than interested in talking with me. so am trying figure out what my next step should be. All advice would be appreciated as apparently the plug blowing problem is common!

The transmission has gone out twice, once at 59000 miles in 2007 and now again at 105,000 – actually need a solenoid replaced because have taken it for service soon enough to avoid more damage to tranny.

transmission will not go into drive or above 3rd gear. three springs snapped. all four shocks blew out because of the spring failure. three sway links also snapped because the the suspension failure.

transmission was rebuild in Oct of 2010 (we were told we were getting a brand new one) and in February of 2011 (3 months later) the same exact thing is happening and we need to get a new/rebuilt transmission. We understand there is a warranty for the transmission but I will be out a car for 12 days and the warranty does not cover a loner or rental!
In May of 2010 we needed to replace the engine. We had to fight with the dealership (for 3 weeks while they had my truck!) because we new this was covered under the extended warranty and they said it was not. Finally the warranty people called the dealership! Under the coverage I should have gotten a loaner car or they would pay for a rental….Ford dealership said they didn’thave any loaner cars available (even though every radio commercial bragged about this) and they would not pay for a rental.
A year after we bought the car the paint above the headlights bubbled and chipped away.
When starting the car and putting it out of reverse to back out of the driveway the dome light does not shut off and you cannot see what is behind you at nighttime and you need to rely on your sideview mirrors.
The door adjar light NEVER turns off since 2006.
The child safety lock constantly slips and the people in the back seat cannot let themselves out.
The overhead light inside the car worked for about 2 months and we cannot get it back on.

transmission slipping and has over drive light blinking or o/d light and 2 new front a arms and a new rear spring and rear caliper and rotors my wife bought this pos this is why i drive chevys

Transmission has failed again as of March 1, 2011 and I am exploring options of what to do. I am the original owner and the transmission failed in 2006 and I had the transmission completely rebuilt at a FORD dealer in Woodbridge, VA to have it fail again 5 years later. No towing ever done with this vehicle. This is absolutely frustrating and speaks volumes to the lack of quality of FORD products.

O/D Light flashing on and off. Result was transmission failure on gears 2 & 5. Needed Servo Piston Assy replaced.

o/d light blinking and suddenly car speed drops to 20 miles. Garage says transmission needs to be replaced at $3,800. Car has been well maintained by the book and should not have a failed transmission at 122,000 miles. Steering colum had to be replaced at 51,000 miles because you could not change gears-stuck in reverse. Ford did pay for steering colum.

I was driving along HWY 10 La Junta Colorado with my elderly mother at 65 mile per hour my transmission shreeked and my car lost power I went off the road hurting my moms back, After research I see that 10 out of every ten Ford Explorer are having transmission problems, this is actually going to be the second transmission, what can I do???

Another rear panel cracked open.

See failures

My Explorer won’t shift into 3rd gear.

2002 Explorer is notorious for failed transmissions, Little did I know when I purchased this Explorer in 2004, that the 02 transmission had already failed and an 01 transmission was installed, same out come. Now the transmission is going to need more work again, because of financial difficulties I am facing I would rather get rid of this POS, but I can’t afford that, so I will spend another 1000-2000 to get the transmission fixed so it will run another 3-4 years. They may look like a good deal because of the price, but stay away from 2001-2002 Explorer’s.

Transmission slipping between 3rd and 4th gears. Had trans service done to no avail. Problem still exists!!!

Transmission slipping and clunking

The first problem we had with this vehicle was with the rear liftgate arm breaking, then the power for the windows went out, cd player started going crazy, spitting out the cd’s and went out, the passenger front seat stopped working, the driver heat went out. The o/d light started blinking and the check transmission light came on. We took the truck immediately to get it serviced. One to two wks later the truck started making grinding noises, jerking, stalling, gears wouldn’t shift and kept stopping. I called the shop and took the truck back and was told that something was wrong internally and would have to be taken apart to see what the problem was. He said the presence of metal shavings. We took the truck to another shop and was told that the reason the tranny went out was because we had it serviced. A Ford service tech said that once the trans is serviced it goes out internally and needs to be replaced. I called the ford customer service about three or four times and no help from them. Ford has to know that the these transmissions are no good and should replace these transmissions free of charge or compensate some of the bill.

Ford Explorer Cracked Rear Panel.

Explorer Sport: O/D light began to flicker on and off, and the transmission would not shift properly. Would stay in a lower gear during acceleration as the rpm continued to climb. Had stored codes diagnosed with the following: P0732 (gear 2 incorrect ratio), P0733 (gear 3 incorrect ratio), P0734 (gear 4 incorrect ratio). Was advised not to continue to drive vehicle. Required complete transmission rebuild (by an independent including upgrades) including the replacement of the torque converter due to excessive metal filings throughout. The vehicle has never been used for towing (no hitch) and is not abused.

Currently the vehicle will surge forward when the brakes are applied. Have had issues with the trans shifting into forward/reverse for years. Now getting worse and having a hard time stopping and accelerating

Cracked rear panel below rear window. Finding out a very common problem. Ford Motor Company/local dealership will not help out. My cost to repair will be about $500.

This is the 2nd transmission for my 2002 explorer, the sprag in the transmission clutch free-wheels both ways. Happened before also. 1st time was Aug 2010, 80,000 miles, repair cost $2100. Ford paid nothing. 2nd time Aug. 2011, 160,000 miles it is in the shop now so the cost is yet to be determined, this is the 2nd time to a shop, 1st time last week was to the ford dealer, they said nothing was wrong..

When putting the truck in forward or reverse the trucks skips, jerk since I purchased it. When I took it to the dealers they said nothing was wrong. When making a sudden stop and then when I started to drive, the truck would jerk as if someone hit my truck from behind.

Below read window there is a crack in the plastic panel. March 2010, approximately 98000,

Transmission has fully blown, stopping my vehicle in the middle of the road. Serious hazard which almost cost several accidents! While trying to get quotes on getting my transmission fixed, every mechanic stated that they see this happen with MOST 2002 Explorers and that there is a design defect with the shifting. I experienced this prior to the transmission completely failing! Why is there no recall for this faulty transmission which is clearly a safety hazard!!!! ????

Transmission failure at approximately 100,000. Needed rebuilt transmission.

tRANSMISSION FAILIURE WITHOUT WARNING. O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING AND TRANSMISSION FAILED TO SHIFT FROM 2TH TO 3TH

transmission failing. 2wd automatic.

This is the 3rd time in less than a year that I have had issues with my transmission. This time the O/D off light was flashing and my RPMs went up to 300-400 and my car would slow down (like it slipped into neutral). I had to quickly pull over to the shoulder so I would not get rear ended. I am scared to drive this Ford any longer. I have three kids and I don’t feel safe in this SUV any longer.

There are 2 cold weather cracks on the rear plastic panel under the window. This happens in cold weather. I have seen many other Ford explorers of the same body style with similar cracks.

Rear applique( on glass hatch) cracked. It had already been repaired once in Jan. 2005- at 24000kms. Cracked for no reason and of course the local dealer is of no use.

O/D off light starting blinking and a "CHECK TRANSMISSION" warning appeared on the message center. Took it into the Ford dealership and was told I needed a new transmission as third gear had stopped working. Repair Estimate was for $5,500. I have now researched this myself and have found this is a ridiculously common occurance and that this is actually more mileage than most get out of 2002 Ford Explorer transmission. I don’t feel I should be responsible for putting out $5-6k every 150,000kms for a new transmission.

O/D light flashing, having problems switching gears, runs rough and hard to accelerate

MANUFACTURER DEFECT ON THE TRANASMISSION! FORD NEEDS TO FIX THIS ON A GOODWILL REPAIR !!! NEED CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT !!! GET IT RECALLED AND FIX IT !!!!

Just happened today Dec. 29, 2010. Have not got repaired…but estimate is over $2500.00

I WAS DRIVING TO MY DAUGHTER"S HOUSE IN MT. WASHINGTON, KY., & WAS AT THE THE HALFWAY MARK ON RT. 71, (MILE MARKER 69), IN BETWEEN JEFFERSONVILLE & WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OHIO. ABOUT 30 MILES BEFORE IT QUIT FOR GOOD, THERE WAS SOME CLUNKING NOSES, (FELT LIKE A FLAT TIRE), BUT THEN IT WENT NORMALLY UNTIL THE REST STOP. WE USED THE FACILITIES & PROCEEDED TO LEAVE. THE CAR STARTED OKAY, BUT WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE, IT WOULDN’T GO. WE PUSHED IT OUT OF THE PARKING SPACE THINKING THAT WOULD HELP. IT WOULDN’T GO INTO DRIVE EITHER. IT COULD HAVE CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT & I HAD MY DAUGHTER & 6 YR. OLD GREAT-GRANDDAUGHTER WITH ME. IT WAS A VERY FRIGHTENING ORDEAL.

I have a 2002 ford explorer. Not even year. Had no sign of transmission problems. Went from home to gas station to get gas turned off. Put gas in got back in over drive light started to flash. Drove down road to work thought maybe I hit o/d switch on gear shift parked at work for day. Went to go home no light got half way home light on again. Did not drive for a week. My brother put it on diagnostics code came up 755. Had it towed to a shop. Got news transmission needs to be rebuilt. I am furious with the whole situation. I bought the thing from dealership ganley ford in wickcliffe ohio. No warranties. 2,000.00 don’t have much choice but to fix paid 8,000.00 for the thing with 64,000 miles on it. It reached that 84,000 mark like it says all over internet transmisson problem. They need to help us recope some of our money back.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer and the Transmission just went out on it. I will tell the story from the begginging. Ok so I was about 30 mins away from my home and driving on the freeway back home when the OD light started blinking very fast. Then I get off the freeway and stop and the red light then when i started to go the transmission started doing all sorts of crazy shit it was changing gears like crazy and finnaly settle out. Then right before i turn in my drive the transmission just QUITS! it just STOPPED! i put it in park then drive and nothing…no sound.. no movement it would just roll backwards. so now it sitting on the side of the road where i pushed it to. ALL OF THIS HAPPENED IN 30 MINS! Nothing was wrong before this happened.!!!! Please someone help and lets get this to be recalled!

GEAR SHIFT LEVER SHEARED OFF/ SELF REPAIR

Front blower will not divert air to the windshield…air only blows out of front vents and floor vents. Cost to do this was quoted at >$600. O/D light came on and it was determined that the transmission was bad. Cost from dealer was >$3000 to repair. Had to take it to a transmission repair shop to fix for $2100. A 2002 Ford with ~95K miles should not experience either of these issues. I am requesting a refund to fix both these items.

Defect which occures in 2002, 2003 and 2004 Ford Explorer – Cracked Rear Panel

Vehicle would not pass emission test and I had to get a dianostic test which cost me 140.00 and then I finally took it back to the dealer and was told that the EGR sensor had to be replaced which would cost me 321.00 with my Ford discount of 10%. Now I have paint bubbling around the molding on my front drivers side fender and a few years ago I had to have the airbag sensors replaced.

transmission slips when shifting thru the various gears. shifting is not smooth at all. dealer says that transmission needs to have the transmission solenoids replaced.

Transmission shifted hard and would not start out in first gear. Driving when this problem happened on the freeway almost caused a accident, till I shifited into nutral and coasted to a stop. I though the engine was going to blow up when it happened.

Transmission has been making sounds when it shifts. Took it to dealer who said they just needed to reprogram the transmission and service it per TSB 02-06-02 and service the transmission. Work was done on 2/7/05 with 61601 miles.Dealer said the transmission was broke i.e. third gear on 1/12/06 at 79,962 miles.

Transmission failure most costly.

Transmission failed. Transmission was found to have metal shavings inside housing. All lines, filter, coolers and transmission was replaced by dealer with Ford remanufactured transmission under Ford ESP extended warranty. My total cost was the $50 deductable of the warranty.

Transmission failed and required a complete rebuild. The company which rebuilt the transmission rebuilt transmissions for Ford dealers. The transmission failed again in August of 2007. The service company paid half the secondtime and gave me another warranty. He said the Explorer transmission is fragile and nearly all will go out between 70,000 & 100,000 miles.

Tranny failed just past the 50k…specifically gears would not engage.

Today, out of nowhere, with no idiot lights, changes in gauges, my 2002 explorer died on rt. 80 during rush hour traffic. By the grace of God, I mananged to get the car to the side on the road (just missing being plowed into by an 18 wheeler). After a few minutes it started up and I managed to get to my dealership. I was told my car was in need of a new engine which would cost over $5000.00. This is a leased vehicle and it will cost more to repair than to finish my payments. I was told I was low in oil, but it was too late. How is it that my oil gauge was normal, engine temp gauge was cool and there was absolutely no other warning. Why are there gauges in the vehicle if they do absolutely nothing and are obviously not accurate? I cannot afford to fix this – my warrenty was up 6000 miles ago. I have had nothing but headaches with this SUV. As a single mother with a 3 year old, i cannot afford to be without a car, and now I cannot afford to fix the one I have.

There is paint missing from the roof rack. It is down to the silver.I have paint starting to blister on the hood of the car.The paint is rubbing off on the bumpers. I am interested in the Class action.The car looks like 1 big piece of s*it, and I paid them enough money for it.I won\’t even get into the mechanical problems.

THERE IS A SPLIT ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE LIFT GATE APPROX 6-12 INCHES IN LENGTH. THIS OCCURRED AFTER SOME RECALL WORK ON THE HINGES WAS DONE. THE DEALER AND THE FORD MOTOR CO. STATE THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SPLIT AND THEY ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS OCCURRENCE. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A FAULT IN THE OUTSIDE COVERING OF THIS AUTOMOBILE AND COULD BE A SAFETY FACTOR IF ALL THE OUTSIDE OF THE AUTOMOBILE IS THIS FRAGILE AND PRONE TO SPLIT. WHAT PROTECTION DO YOU HAVE IF YOU ARE HIT BY ANOTHER AUTO? YOU MAY FEEL THIS IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, IF SO THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

The vehicle is being taken in to Ford dealer today. It has 79K miles on it. I have had the vehicle serviced at a ford dealer except for oil changes. I have had the plastic cover on the middle of the back deck lid replaced (under warranty), it split right under the ford emblem. I have had numerous complaints with the transmission slipping, delayed shifting and rough shifting. I was told on that it was due to a electronic transmission and it was “normal”. The rear differential has been repaired once already for leaking about 1 year ago and it started leaking while parked this weekend. The rear end making a sound when traveling at speeds on the highway. It has done this for about a year which is when I took it in for service the 1st time for the rear end leaking. The engine is making a whining sound that sounds like a bearing going out. This tire blew out at about 55K on the highway. I am taking it in for service today. My grandfather owned a ford dealership and it is dissapointing that this will be the last Ford Explorer that I will own. I owned a 96 explorer also, the transmission went out on it also but at least it had over 100K miles on it. These are items that should last at least 200K, especially with proper fluid replacement as performed on my vehicles.

The transmission went at 45,980 miles On my 2002 ford explorer. All maintinence had been performed on the car and the vehicle was NOT used for any off road driving. It is unreasonable to expect a transmission to fail under those circumstances at that milage. I know they have recalled 2004 and 2005 for faulty transmission fluid formulant that over time may cause delayed/harsh revese engagements.

The transmission started slipping, flickering O/D light, then stopped moving entirely. This truck has never pulled a thing or been 4-wheeling. My wife uses it as a glorified grocery getter for snow.

The rear lift hatch on the right side of the FORD emblem, started out with a very small crack. At first I thought it was just a scratch. About a month later it definitly looked like a crack. Now it’s cracked all the way down to the bottom of hatch and is seperated at least a quarter of an inch. Today I noticed another crack started on the other side of the emblem.I have the extended warranty (10 yrs or 100,000mi) doesn’t do me any good. The extended warranty was almost $4,000 xtra.Started searching for others with the same problem and found out I’m not the only one out there. At National Highway Traffic Safety Adm. found 15. Something should be done about this. Ford should correct this ” DEFECT.” Contact me if you are also have this problem. Maby in numbers they will see it is a DEFECT.

The rear end started whining at about 40,000 miles. Had fluid checked, all o.k. Tires were replaced, no change in tone of noise. The whine did follow engine speed. Not noticeable below 30 MPH. The rear has finally failed at 75K. Dealer estimates cost for repair between $1200 – $1500. Went to 3 dealers, all stated I have an isolated problem which is a outright lie as there was a FMC issued service bulletin issued in 2004 which has now been pulled back. This is my 4th Ford product and I will never purchase from them again, along with my children and other family members. It is unfortunate to have to go that route as American workers will be effected as the result of corporate greed and failure. The 2002 redesigned Explorer may not roll over, but it is poorly designed or defective suppliers were utilized.

The plastic moulding cracked at the bottom of the rear hatch glass. This occured after the hinge recall. It appears that the window is misaligned after the recall causing the plastic to hit the taillight each time you close the door. Ford dealers said originally the whole window had to be replaced, now they offer a kit. Service manager claims window is not adjustable. Poor design when your vehicle cracks in a little over 3 years.

The paint on the roof of the vehicle is slowing peeling off. We were told that this is a defect, but why doesn’t Ford want to pay to have this repaired? It is going to cost me at least $750 – 1000 and this vehicle DI NOT come cheap in the first place. If they can’t fix it, this will be the last Ford I buy!

The paint on the hood and other areas cracked and blistered.

The check engine light constantly was coming on and the transmission would slip and wouldn’t go into the next gear. This happen to me while I was on a road trip. I had to spend $2500 to get this transmission fixed because Ford wouldn’t fix it under their warranty. Ford needs to recall these transmission issues and pay up.

The back panel is cracked below the rear window. I do not have the $ to fix it and it keeps getting bigger. The transmission went out at less than 100k miles 1 week before Christmas. I had to pay with a credit card which I am still paying. I am the 2nd owner and car has always been maintained. The power window linkage broke on rear passenger side window. I have not yet fixed this either due to lack of funds so I have to keep pushing the window up and wedging things in it.

The automatic transmission on the 2002 Ford Explorere must have a design flaw or something. Every owner I have talked to has had the same problem with the vehicle and Ford will do nothing for us. The transmission starts to slip in forward drive gears and then into reverse. The problem starts at unusually low milage. Mine happend at 57,300 miles. This is a dangerous problem that will get someone killed if it happens while entering a freeway! Dispite all the complaints- Ford refuses to correct the defect. Every 2002 Ford Explorer owner has had to put thousands of dollars into transmission repair bills after purchasing this lemon. What will it take for Ford to admitt this was a design or engeneering defect with the vehicle? I want them to pay for the repairs! I am lucky I was not killed on the freeway when my transmission failed!

Side Airbag deployed for no reason.I had pulled over and stopped my Ford Explorer to let my husband out of the passenger side. He shut the door. The passenger side curtain airbags went off. Ford Warranty (yes I have extended warranty) refuses to cover saying that the car was involved in a crash. Well in July I had a slight fender bender in a parking lot. I have pictures from the insurance clearly showing that the airbags did not deploy and that they estimated the damage (a dent in my right front bumper) was approximately $500. Ford advised me to go through my insurance. My insurance, State Farm will not cover, as they say that the July incident did not cause the airbags to deploy in September and that they cannot pay for an electrical or mechanical malfunction. I went back to Ford dealership where my car is with the pictures and they say that they had the warranty guy come out and look at it and that warranty is again denied – they say that it was in a crash. Please advise.

Several areas on the hood and front fenders appear to have blistered. It looks like the top coat of paint has flaked or chipped off.

September 2002: Fuel injector for #3 cylinder failed, causing gasoline to be sprayed over engine. Discovered in driveway during vehicle warm-up. No indication of problem except for smell.October 2003: Fuel injector for #3 cylinder failed, causing gasoline to be sprayed over engine. Failure occured at some point during driving. Discovered only due to fuel smell. No other indication.Dealer fixed both times. Concerned about occupant safety -appears as though fire could easily ignite, and lead to serious injury or death. No warning that system has failed.

See failures

See failures

See failures

Rear liftgate Applique Cracked in cold weather. Ford claims that windshield washer fluid gets into the liftgate and that coupled with cold weather causes the crack. Obviously this is a defect in the manufacturing of the vehicle and Ford is refusing to pay to have it fixed. According to local dealership, they have seen \"several\" Ford Explorers come in with this same exact crack and the custormer was forced to pay out of pocket for it.

Purchased truck in May ’04 in Oct. ’04 experienced 4×4 failure on trip. Truck would shift into 4×4 Low on its own and not come out. After numerouse trips to dealer finally resolved after $600.00 and rental car. Recently in on Nov. 10th transmission is getting hung up in overdrive after two trips to dealer, diagnosis of failure of overdrive. Solution complete rebuild on the tranmission after 60,104. Fords first reccommended transmission service (chage fluid) ia at 60K Miles. Dealer wants $3000.00 to repair. Independent repair shop is starting today (Nov. 11th) for $1,900 to rebuild. I have had three Ford’s all of which have had Transmission rebuild under 90K Never Again!

Purchased Explorer used in June of 2005. Took to dealer two days later for u-joint repair. Ford Motor didn’t want to repair so Crestwood Dodge paid for repair because Ford’s refused. Power window would not go down in May of 2006.Transmission started acting up in Septmeber of 2006. Car only has 74,300 miles on it so I did not think it could be transmission, however dealer looked at on October 6, 2006 and said the transmission was broke. Called Ford Motor Headquarters and spoke to Robert who said that the car may qualify for the under 75,000 miles assistance warranty program but car had to be taken in to dealer for dignostic. Called Ford Headquarters and spoke to Amy at ext.: 7356 on 10-6-06 at 11:20am and she said they was nothing they could do. When asked about the assistance for the program that is under 75,000 miles, she said that I did not met crteria for that program. When asked what the criteria was, I was told they could not release that information. I requested supervisor and was given Eric, emplyee ID # 7346 and was told the same thing.

PUCHASED 6 MONTHS AGO..SLIPPAGE BETWEEN 2ND AND 3RD. TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS FOUND ONLINE, WENT TO DEALER, DEALER REFUSED TO ASSIST. DEALER REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE TRANSMISSION IN THIS VEHICLE HAS HAD MULTIPLE PROBLEMS.

Problems with my 2002 Ford explorer and later I found out just about every Ford owner is that the o/d light starts to flash and then you start having major transmission issues.My transmission started to fail in the middle of a busy interstate,causing the car to jerk violently,putting me and my family in grave danger and causing a traffic nightmare.After taking my car to a ford dealer and doing some research,I was told Ford knows about the problem and is working on it.Ford has even sent out a service bulletin to all of its dealers about this known issue.Number 03-25-4 Dec03 a/t-5r55w.As I search the internet and talk to many other disatisfied Ford owners and we want action.I feel this car is extremely unsafe and now I’m stuck with it.

Paint on the hood is bubbling up and the vehicle and is out of the warranty period. This seems to be a conistent problem with the paint on these vehicles. The vehicle was previously repaired once during the warranty period for this same issue and the dealership repaired it at no charge.

PAINT CRACKING ON ROOF AND HOOD AND RUST SHOWING ON HOOD CALLED A FORD DEALER AND WAS TOLD OUT OF WARRANTY

Our first transmission failure was at 14,443 miles in which there was (as described by service department) vent leak from the converter area. They had to remove the transmission and replace vent and clean the area.The second failure occured at 55,232. At this time the car was no longer under warranty. The overdrive light was flashing and we contacted Sunrise Ford to have it looked at. The diagosis this time was a PC-C solenoid was open and had no resistance, “recommend new solenoid body but there was no way to know condition of inside components. Pan inspection was clean but fluid looks like it had never been serviced. Removed pan and replaced solenoid body, filter and pan gasket”.The third failure was complete and total failure of the transmission.

One week after purchase back to dealership for repairs: Transmission problems on 1. sluggish not changing gears. 2. Back to dealership for repairs: Transmission October 2004, mileage 38282, N/C under warranty. Transmission will not move after coming to a stop, I would have to put gear shift into park and back to drive to get the transmission to re-engage especially after a hard stop. Cost $149.95 deductible paid by me. 3.Back to dealership for repairs: Transmission: January 2005, mileage 45260. Transmission fluid leaking sluggish when changing gears. Deductible paid $100.00. 4. Backe to dealership for repairs: Transmission: February 2005 mileage 51218, Transmission dumping transmission fluid while driving sluggish when changing gears, N/C. 5. Called dealership: Transmission: August 2006, mileage 93000, Called dealership to inform Service Manger At Earnhardt Ford in Chandler Arizona, of transmission problems transmission not changing gears at all. This is the same problem that was covered under the warranty and taken in for repairs 4 times, that has been ongoing and never corrected just covered up. Now the warranty has expired but still have the same original transmission problem exist. Estimated cost of repairs a minimum of $1800.00. Dealer: Earnhardt Ford, 7300 W Orchard Lane, Chandler, AZ 85226, 480-940-4442. Dealer inform me that I am on my own with the cost of transmission repair.

On Monday (6/7) I brought my 2002 Ford Explorer into the Sound Ford (Renton, WA) Service Department because on 6/5 I had my rear hatch open to put some items in the back and noticed my left gas shock had came loose; when I attempted to close it, the entire window shattered causing several cuts to my hand as well as my wife\’s hands. I explained the situation to the Service Department and was told that they would not repair this problem on my SUV and that if I were still under my original factory warranty of 3 year, 36,000 miles it would?ve been covered. I continued to explain to my representative that I purchased the SUV with only 47,000 miles on it and purchased an extended warranty of another 3 years, 36,000 miles. The representative at Sound Ford told me that they do not honor aftermarket warranties. I thought to myself and asked him, how could this be when I purchased this warranty from Sound Ford at the tune of almost $3,000. After six hours of sitting there waiting for an answer, I was told I would have to use my own insurance to have this repaired at a cost to me of $500 dollars. Of course, my very next question was that if this were to happen again, am I just out of luck? ?Yes,? he replied. I decided to seek legal advise on the matter and as it turns out, there was a recall on this particular problem and it affected a little over 50,000 2002 Ford Explorers in July of 2001. Well my attorney also did research on my vehicle and as it turns out although my Explorer is a 2002, it was originally sold in March of 2001. My attorney also explained to me that this vehicle was never checked for this safety flaw per my VIN number (1FMZU73E12ZA23793). At this point, I have a consumer complaint filed with the BBB as well as taking the advise of my attorney and seeking assistance from the Washington State Attorney General office. I have already spoken with someone there and they assure me that this matter will be addressed as I am a customer and the vehicle is just too new for something like this to go wrong. Because I did not purchase the SUV new, it does not fall under the WA State Lemon Law so I cannot pursue this matter justly here. My next steps are to wait to hear back from both the BBB and the WA State Attorney Generals office and if this does not work, my attorney has prompted me to seek consumer help from all local TV stations prior to finally seeking legal justice via the court system. Below is a copy of the Recall Campaign which regards my SUV.I also filed a complaint with the Detriot BBB and the Washington State BBB. Detriot Ford Motor company tried to say that I did not purchase an extended warranty which is false. At the time of my purchase, I bought a 2 year 36K extended warranty which Ford will not honor because I was told it was an aftermarket warranty although they sold it to me.The vehicle has been at Sound Ford for almost a week now. Daily, I have to take time to call and ask for a status because no one there shows enough customer support to actually call me and say that it won?t be done on this day or expect it to be done here. I\’m fed up. Any help or possible coverage you could provide will be greatly appreciated. Below, is a copy of the NHTSA Recall Campaign.Sincerely,Robert KingNHTSA Recall Campaign Number: 01I010000 Component: VISUAL SYSTEMS:GLASS:WINDOW:TAILGATE AND BACK DOOR Details: This is not a safety recall in accordance with the Safety Act. However, it is deemed a safety improvement campaign by the agency. Vehicle Description: 2002 Ford Explorer and Mercury Montaineer sport utility vehicles. The brackets connecting the left cylinders to each side of the liftgate glass could rotate out of position if either the urethane bond or torque are not sufficient. Consequence: Rotation of the brackets could potentially cause the lift cylinders to detach from the glass or, in some cases, could potentially cause the liftgate glass to break. Either condition is most likely to occur when the glass is being closed. Corrective Action: Ford dealers will inspect the vehicles for the position of both the left and right liftgatge glass lift cylinder brackets. If the brackets are in the proper position, the bracket retainers will be tightened to a higher torque. In cases where the bracket is not properly position, the bracket must be re-aligned. Units Potentially Affected: 50,224Recall Initiated By: ODI Date added to NHTSA datbase: 07/23/2001MCS Check Date: 3/16/2002

on December 09, 2002, this auto rolled or slid backwards on two different occasions approximately one or one and one-half car lengths in my driveway. There was no explanation as to why this could have happened. It has not happened since then but have no sense of trust that it won\’t occur again. I reported this to my dealer and took the auto in but received no answer as to why or what happened. I will not keep this auto for I do not believe it to be safe. I would like more information concerning transmission problems. Thank you.

O/D light flashing, humming noise, RPMs revving too high when accelerating, skipping gears, battery issues, alarm system issues.

Noisy torque convertor followed by sluggish shifts. Ford explorers have been renamed Ford Exploders here in Australia because they have this common reputation of transmission failure. The resale value has dropped tremendously compared to other vehicles of same original value because of this problem. Vehicle worth $65,000AU in 2002 now offered $13,000AU and is still in really excellent condition. I would like Ford to even give us information as to what is going wrong, as after spending $4400AU on repairs still not right, feel as though we are spending good money after bad. We used the Ford recommended repairer for transmissions.

My Ford Explorer’s (Eddie Bouer) problem is as follows:(1) In May 2004, at 50,000 miles, the driver side

Most recent and serious problem was transmission problem which was “supposedly” repaired in September 2007. Transmission was in serious disrepair which caused the vehicle to stall and jerk. Initial attempt to repair vehicle failed as I only had it back in my possession a few hours when the transmission started seriously slipping (worse than before repair). The vehicle sharply jerked and hesitated while I was driving which could have resulted in serious injury. I am fortunate that I was not injured or killed while this transmission problem occurred. I immediately brought the vehicle back for repair a second time. I was without my vehicle for almost 2 weeks, however, I was provided a rental car free of charge. Fortunately for me, I had extended warranty protection and had to pay $100 deductible.Sometime in August 2005, my driver side front window would not work and the motor that controlled the window had to be replaced. Again, I paid $100 deductible per extended warranty.May 2006, I noticed profuse paint peeling on the four panels and other places on the vehicle. Contacted Ford, was given the run around only to be told that they would not repair and that I would have to pay to have it repaired.Additionally, I need to have the bushings repaired. Discovered when transmission problem occurred.Vehicle is money pit as I spend a lot of money maintaining my vehicle. These problems are not due to maintenance neglect on my part and I have the paperwork to prove all of the maintenance and repairs I have done since buying this vehicle (used) in January 2005.I sent Ford an e-mail informing them that this was my first and last Ford product. I would never buy another Ford product again.

Most problems were fixed under warranty, except the cracking paint. I was originally told by Kemp Ford auto body manager the cracking could only be caused when the vehicle was originally painted at the factory. It has what they called birds feet over 90% of the vehicle. Kemp Ford of Thousand Oaks finally had a company rep examine the car. She stated the paint did not fail until the 3 year warranty had expired therefor it could not be a factory defect. They will not authorize a repaint.

May 2004 – Called Koons Ford to report the overdrive light flashing and gears shifting (or slipping – did not take it in for service – told to monitor and that it was probably issue with service codesJuly 2004 – took car in (prior to our family vacation) for a full safety check to ensure that the car was safe for our trip back to the Midwest from Virginia – told that there was \"no problem\" with the overdrive ligt and that they could not find a problem – paid for the safety check and told of the gear slippage. Koons Ford (Falls Church) gave us clearance to travel in the car and said it would be safe. August 2004 – We went on our family trip (all five of us – 2 parents, an 9 year old, a 4 year-old and a 6 year old) only to have the car burn up on our return home on I-80 outside of Cleveland, Ohio. We had to evacuate the car and get all the kids up onto the hill alongside the interstate and wait for a flatbed truck to come and tow us to the nearest Ford dealership – Liberty Lincoln Mercury and Ford in Independence, Ohio. After spending over $3,000 on car repairs, plus several thousands more on hotels, rental cars, airfares, etc., we went back to Ohio to get the car after a total replacement of the transmission. I picked the car up and – the day I got it – drove two hours, only to have the overdrive light (the SAME problem) occur again. The dealership made me turn around and drive back to their dealership and I left the car with them to fix and took their loaner car back to Virginia.September 2004: Liberty delivered our car to us and – on our first trip after its return – it broke down again. We went to Williamsburg with all three kids (again) and the car started to overheat after 2 hours on the road, with the overdrive light flashing. We had to pull over numerous times to keep switching gears and to prevent the car from overheating completely. We immediately reported the problem to both Koons and Liberty Ford in Ohio. Liberty told us that any authorized Ford dealership would honor their warranty. See below…Continuation of Ford Explorer Engine Problems: After the

June 2003- 17882 miles- Took Explorer in for leaking fluid from rear end. Dealer replaced AX Assy 913743 and D/S Asy 800457. Same trip advised dealer of whine from rear end at speeds of 55-60 mph and above. Dealer replaced driveshaft and differential assembly. Both problems disappeared.March 2004- 35852 miles- Took Explorer in for whine in rear end at speeds of 40mph and above. Dealer replaced rear differential assembly. Problem disappeared. Same trip had dealer perform prescribed automatic transmission service.March 2004- 36364 miles- Took Explorer in for flashing airbag light. Dealer repaired at no cost. November 2005- 72898 miles- Took Explorer in for flashing o/d light and rough shifting into 3rd gear. Advised 3rd gear band broke and distroyed several other internal components. Total rebuild of transmission; repair cost of parts/labor was $1911.52.

In Sept of 2004 I started having problems with my Explorer, I took it in and they told me that Ford made a mistake when they built my transmission. So, at just 22k miles I had to have a new transmission. I took my kids to the toy store today (6-21-07) and started having problems again. Now at 63417 I have to have another transmission. A vehicle that has 63k miles on it should not be on it\’s second (or 3rd) transmission. This is our only family vehicle, so I had to get a rental car to take my 3 kids back and forth places (cost to that was over $500). I am very lucky that myself and my children were not injured when this happened. Because we were driving down the road when the over drive light started flashing off and on. It showed no signs that the transmission was acting up until after it had sat in a parking lot for an hour and we were on our drive home. At that time, I pulled over and contacted my local Ford Dealership who told me that it would cost me almost $100 to get a diagnostic. I called AAMCO and they offered a free diagnostic. By the time I had the car in their shop, I was told the \"transmission slipping in reverse and has no 1-2 shift\". I was very upset. I had my 3 children in this vehicle and anything could have happened at any time. This is a major safety concern and Ford Motor Company should own up to their problems, in which they didn\’t bother to do. I was in contact with Ford Motor Company at the time this problem was ongoing and they choose to do nothing about it. I still have all correspondence with Ford if it is needed.

In 01/06 at approx. 30,100 miles (of course, after the 3yr/36,000 warranty expired) our 2002 XLT Explorer started ocasionally having a several second delay going into reverse or sometimes there would be a harsh bump as it engaged. On Feb. 27, 2006, after a one hour highway drive and then running an in town errand, the overdrive off light started flashing. We noticed a burned fluid smell in the garage after parking it. Took it to an indepedent trans. specialist to have the 30K servicing and computer diagnostic test performed. The resulting code (P1783) indicated the transmission had overheated past 270 degrees F. The mechanic brought the pan to show me that the fluid was completely black and the magnet was covered with a 1/2″ layer of metal shavings. He asked did I possibly have an extended warranty. Of course, I don’t plus a major component should not fail at 30K! He thinks the shavings might be from the torque converter clutch. He hoped that since the mileage was so low that Ford might help me out (I seriously doubt that!). Anyway, he just put it all back together, so I could take it to the dealership stating that if they didn’t see the condition that Ford might say he was trying to sell a transmission rebuild. He estimated if his shop did the repair it would be about $3,000. He noted on my paperwork that the fluid color and amount of metal shavings were abnormal for such low mileage. As of late March we have not decided what to do. Unfortunately the transmission cannot be diagnosed without taking it completely apart which costs at least $400-500. This means whoever you take it to will be who fixes it. I want to make a careful choice getting the most for my money. Also, if you do any internet seach, you’ll see that people have had repeated failures with 5R55W rebuilds or completely new 5R55W trans installed. This is a very frustrating situation and it appears that Ford has no intention of a recall!We’ll never buy another Ford product because they don’t stand behind their workmanship. Our Explorer WAS NOT BUILT FORD TOUGH! We are so disappointed in the Explorer product because we keep our vehicles until the wheels fall off. This vehicle has been pampered—no off roading, no low gear and no towing! We were alarmed by the 3yr/36k bumper to bumper warranty, but soothed our concerns because of the luck friends and family had with Fords. We feel the warranty was lacking because Ford knew of a manufacturing defect with the 5R55W transmission, but consumers will never be able to prove it.With the extensive suspension, rear end and transmission failures on the 2002 Explorers, a class action law suit is the only way Ford will listen! Consumers need assistance, please.

I was coming from church going home and my 2002 Ford Explorer with approximatley 85,000 miles began reving very high, and did not want to shift into the next gear. Then after a “Clunk”, it would chuck and then go to a higher speed. Shortly after that the OD light came on and blinked on and off rapidly. Then the Service Engine light came on. I was told by AAMCO that my transmission had to be rebuilt.

I sent a letter to Ford Customer Service and am looking for relief from them. I just had the vehicle in the shop in July (complete wheel bearing replacement in the rear end- 1600.00), rented a vehicle for 750.00 to use while being fixed. Performed almost same repair two years ago (rear wheel bearing replacement that was 800.00).Now I get a “check gauge light”. Started the car next day and engine makes an evil noise and just dies. AAA towed to dealer. Dealer left message today that the vehicle needs a new engine that will cost roughly 5000 plus tax to replace. Remember, the vehicle was just in the repair shop last July…….? Oil/lube/filter changed by Jiffy lube in June/July as well. Awaiting response. May contact a local lawyer. $34,000 vehicle just purchased 4 years ago (and fully paid i might add)

I replaced the transmission in my Ford Explorer at a cost of $3400 and 122, 500 miles. I now have to replace the transmission again 38,000 miles later at a cost of $3600.

I put the truck in drive and drove out of my driveway, the transmission made a loud clunking noise and then went into 4W drive low. It would not come out. This was Oct 23, 2005. A few weeks prior to this the O/D light would come on and blink. The transmission would rev up for a short period then the light would start blinking. If I backed off the accelorator when the engine began to rev then the transmission would be OK and the O/D light would not come on blinking. When the O/D light was not blinking I could engage the O/D without issue. I have not abused this truck in anyway. Unlike what the advertisments lead you to believe you can do with these trucks I did not do any of them. I drove it normally based on the owners manual. The owners manual would also lead you to believe that you can be moving a speed less then 10 miles an hour to switch into 4W drive low. It also tells you not to go over 25 miles an hour will in this gear. I have never switch into 4w drive low going any faster then 5-10 miles an hour. I have gone into 4w drive high at speeds of between 20-30 which is supposed to be OK per the owners manual. I just had to repair a transmission that I DID NOT abuse with only 53K miles on the vehicle. It is so frustrating to customers who have to deal with business that put products together with known poor design and then the customers have to pay large sums of money to fix what the business should have done before. I want Ford to pay me back for the money paid to replace my transmission. AND by the way I DID NOT replace with the same transmission that came in it. That one was a Motorcraft product. I had a Jasper Transmission installed. It runs better now then it ever did. What a mistake to buy a truck with this type of issue. There should be a way for customers to be able to research easily and quickly those cars/trucks they would like to buy.The second issue deals with my inside rear view mirror. The mirror part is pealing off. Again there is been no abuse or extreme heat that would cause the mirror type film to begin pealing off. I have never had a mirror do this. I have owned vehicles that have been 10-20 years old without an issue of this type. I have had mirrors that fall off the windshield because the glue was not effective to hold any longer, but never a mirror that starts pealing off from the backing of the mirror.Please let me know what help you can give me on the transmission. I really feel this Ford\’s problem. My mechanic states this is a known design problem with Ford truck tranmsissions. He does not want to put anything in writting because of repercussions from Ford. He does a lot of business buying parts from Ford and if he goes on record as stating this is a problem, then he feels Ford will not provide him with the parts at the discount he now enjoys.Thank you!!An unhappy Ford Customer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I purchased my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac in October 2002. Since then, it has been in the Ford service department for dying out while driving. It is going in for service this coming Monday, July 14th for the fourth time. It is the same symptons everytime, but it is funny how it is diagnosed differently each time. The problem is while driving, for no apparent reason, the engine just dies out. All the dashboard lights light up and the engine dies out completely. I don\’t feel safe driving my Sport Trac especially when I know that it can die out at anytime. This is a serious safety issue. I wish this would fall under the Lemon law, because I am through with any and all Ford products.

I own a Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer 4×4 drive. In December this vehicle kept going into 4×4 low all by itself. First the transmission was repaired at the tune of 1603.35, then it was taken to the ford dealership because it was still staying in 4×4 low (undrivable)that is when something in the computer chip was replaced for the tune of 390.50

I own a 2002 ford explorer purchased from Eddins Ford. Yesterday as I opened the back hatch the glass shattered falling all over my one year old baby who was in a grocery cart behind the vehicle. The support frame with shards of attached glass then swung out from the vehicle hitting the cart and then the ground. Ford said that since the vehicle was no longer under warranty they were not responsible. Ford recalled this same model in 2002 for a similar problem, but told me that it was not the same problem. Ford reported that this was an extremely unusual incident and that it was not a safety concern. Upon further investigation via the internet, I have found numerous similar incidents in which glass shattered near or around infants and children. Ford has not taken responsibility for these incidents either.

I have had continuous problems with my Ford Explorer. I purchased it used and now the transmission has failed. Previously I had to have 3 wheel bearings replaced along with the control arm – two on the driver’s side rear and one on the passengers side rear ($1200 for the first one, the second one was still under warranty, and the third one $500). Ford really needs to step in a get these problems resolved. In July 2006 I had another transmission that failed in my 2002 Ford F150 and that cost me $3600. I also have a 2003 Ford Focus and that transmission is now giving me problems. This vehicle only has 77000 miles on it. Three vehicles – three transmissions.

I have been in for some kind of repairs 9 times on my Explorer Sport 2002 which I bought new with 414 miles on it. I got it in Baytown Texas at Baytown Ford. I have had it in for a rattle in the right back in They could not find out what it was. After the 3rd time they found the body cavity loose and also the weather striping was squeak on rt door was hard part replaced .key would not come out cylinder lubricated, right seat belt would not retract, placed it. Center storage coke holders broke off For the back seat they replaced it put installed upside down, seat panel on driver side coming loose, replaced trim it was warped, clips also missed, the whole right side coming loose, carpet coming up. carpet wet in cargo area, found a leak again in back right side they cleaned the carpet and replaced the jute, they had to reseal the area they did before. Engine died the day I picked the truck up from the leak the truck dies when I was leaving, the idle air control valve was sticking and had to be replaced. Cover of seat belt on back seat right side came off and they replaced it. Had to take truck back again for the cargo area was wet the previous repair flaked off, the area was siliconed and the carpet and jute was replaced. the engine light came on it was the dpfe sensor it was replaced..all this repair started on 12/30/03–09/19/03–1/19/04–

I have already sent it to the dealership 2 times (actually 3 but 1 not recorded) the motor shakes the whole truck at random times . They cannot find the problem . It gets worse everytime it does it.

I can’t get the car to go into park with out fighting it. This happens everytime and is a safety concern. What if my son that is learning to drive does not get it fully engaged in park many people could get hurt or there could be damage to property.

I bought 2002 Ford Explorer Sport from CARMAX/Leesburg VA 5/2006. I didn\’t buy an extended warranty – have always believed Ford would stand beside its product..Big mistake – Suddenly while driving in rush hour traffic on 10 lanes of Beltway traffic, my daughter experienced total loss of power. She was in the middle of traffic, cars were swerving, she nearly had an accident trying to control the car. At the time of power loss, the OD switch/lt came on. She called for help *(AAA). They instructed her to get off of the highway as safely and quickly as possible or she was going to be hit by vehicle(s) behind her. The car was then towed to Cowles Parkway Ford in Woodbridge VA. They diagnosed (after 10 days) transmission failure due to faulty torque convertor, possibly requiring valve replacement. Cost would be upwards of $2600.00. I don\’t have it. I paid the car off last year with savings and thought I would have it for another 10 years – it is a back up vehicle. When I logged on to the Internet, I was appalled at the number of complaints almost identical to mine – involving 2002 Ford Explorer transmission failure. What is up with Ford not taking responsibility for this failing part, and replacing it at no cost to the customers? None of the 300+ on the (one) website I was on had mileage over 70,000, some as low as 22,000. That is ridiculous. I read that 2002 was the year Ford changed the transmission on the Explorer. Is that true? If this was a $50.00 part that was failing in the car (example – lightbulb, switch, anything CHEAP) you would have had a campaign on it long ago. I will be willing to sell you back the car for the Kelley Blue Book value if you want it. As it stands, it is at Cowles Ford in Woodbridge VA – taking up space and I cant even sell the damn thing. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING – MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE (POSSIBLY 1000 OR MORE) CAN\’T BE WRONG – WE AREN\’T MAKING THIS UP. THE TRANSMISSION FAILED PREMATURELY. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU DON\’T UNDERSTAND ABOUT THIS? FYI, If I don\’t receive positive response, I will resort to filing the proper complaints within my state and contacting local agencies (tv, news, consumer agencies) to let the public know what is going on. I am sure that there are probably thousands of people who had the same thing happen, but because they knew someone who could fix it for them, did it themselves as they are mechanics, or had a credit card to just pay to get it fixed and leave it at that. Unfortunately, I don\’t. I look forward to your response. Thank you. PS: I have rented a car from Cowles since this happened – just returning it this week. Out of money. Thanks.

having electrical problems and computer problems to. where the doors will not lock and the radio willnt go off. the doors willnt lock. warning lights keep coming on. it has been in several times for computer problems. inside lights willnt go off.

Explorer EX, 56,000 milesThere is a Technical Service Bulletin out on this, THEY (FORD) say its not a safety issue…. so no recall was issued, but I beg to differ. With two kids in the car when your on the highway with no previous indications of any problem you suddenly have a car that stops dead.

Driving the vehicle at 65mph South on hwy 93 and vehicle just shut off. Vehicle would start but not engage into gear. Had to get one of my officers to come and get me at 70 miles from home with a trailer and loaded it up and pulled it home where it has been parked for over 30 days. Can’t afford to buy a new transmission at this point and Ford Customer Service declined the “goodwill repair” so am driving my state truck back and forth to work. Thank God I wasn’t killed!!

Complete transmission overhaul at 82k. Taking Ford to small claims court early 2005 after finding out they have major problems with this transmission.

Bought 2002 Explorer in October of 2004 with 26K miles.Months later noticed luggage racks were peeling and chipping. In the spring of 2005 noticed roof paint was peeling and bubbling. Contacted Ford online to inquire about any warranty regarinding paint. Condition continues to worsen. I was told to go to dealer in March 2006 after e-mailing CR at Ford. Went to dealer in July 2006 and was told out of warranty.Would cost $1200.00 to repaint according to Ford dealer\’s Auto Body written estimate. Contacted FORD customer realtionship people online and was told paint was not their problem despite mentioning October 2006 TSB about defective Ford paint. If their own TSB acknowledges the problem, why won\’t Ford

Automatic Transmission failed. I bought this vehicle brand new. I never towed anything. The vehicle is well taken care of. Vehicle had less than 70,000 miles when the transmission bands broke. The transmission had to rebuilt. Ford was contacted and said it was no longer under warranty and did not help at all. I phoned Ford and sent a hand written letter to Ford and their reply was, that they could do nothing. Once I recognized the problem with the transmission, I immediately had it examined. It was taken to two mechanics. Aamco transmission did the repair work for $2,500. Initial problem: The vehicle would not accelerate. Driving the vehicle on the roadway becomes a hazard. It is unsafe to control speed of vehicle on the roadway once the transmission begins to fail. This is common for all 2002 Explorers from what I understand. Unable to accelerate and or maintain driving, so motorist may be stranded or struck as they attempt to coast to the side of the roadway. I believe this faulty Transmission is a serious safety concern for other Explorers on the road, regardless of mileage. Thank you for your serious inquiry into my complaint. I look forward to hearing how you may protect others who drive 2002 Ford Explorers. Again, I look forward you speedy reply. Samuel Moon The Colony, TX

After about 7 day history of slipping/hesitation (during which I called to schedule an appt. and attempted to have fluid level checked), my Explorer suddenly would not shift into 3rd gear while driving my child to a friend’s house. Drove to repair shop in 2nd gear with hazard lights flashing. My repair person identified the problem within 2 minutes during our test drive. He was able to make this determination so quickly, because he had just repaired the same ’02 model a few weeks before with the same complaint. The transmission needs either replacement or rebuilding and is no longer able to be driven. Many TSBs and complaints are posted on this issue, as I found out after my transmission failed at 39000 miles (incidentally 3000 miles after the warranty expired). I feel like this is a huge safety issue that should not be occurring at such low mileage. I have been told by Ford that they cannot provide any assistance, that I am responsible for the repair costs and that perhaps I should have purchased an extended warranty, on top of the several thousands of dollars I financed for the vehicle.

2002 Ford Explorer with 75,400 miles and transmission shot. (400 miles after ESP expired. Car was in shop under ESP for transmission problem at 74,300 . ALL highway miles on this vehicle! From my research, this is a known problem with this transmission. ITS A BAD DESIGN . When I bought my Ford , I did not include in the cost an almost guaranteed transmission replacement. Ford dealership talked in circles to get around fact that transmission failed in warranty just 1100 miles ago. That failure was covered… This new failure is not covered. Called Ford Customer service. Very polite but of no help whatsoever… Just blowing smoke in your face… nicey nicey… but no solutions or help !

2002 Ford Explorer Sport TracBought Truck on February 20th, 2004.Took truck in on February 23rd, 2004 (Suppose to put on Tow Hitch but didn

2/9/06 At 54463 miles my explorer had to replace gear and pinion asy. and wheel hub bearing asy. on one wheel.total cost $1072.89 manufactor paid 0.

1. Paint issues on hood from corrosion under paint from falty paint, showed dealership within 60 month warranty, they said will only fix if it was rusthed all the way through. 2. Transmission failed, needed new transmission, torque converter, solenoid, and lsit goes on for parts. 3. Wheel/axle, have needed 3 of 4 wheel bearings changed due to failing. 4. Issues with differental working improperly, may be more repairs needed in future. 5. All these repairs and of course many more regular minor items from wear/tear that I have not added up nor have the tiem to list. But these are at least the several high dollar unexcusable issues it has had with relatively low miles.

Various problems.

transmission total fail while going down the road. Was told by dealership knowing problem the trans. are junk but ford would not help with payment or any thing I had to loan against the car and got hit with a 9% higher interest rate.

Transmission failure

Transmission failure

Transmission failed again December 2009. This will be the second transmission repair for this vehicle.

the transmission has a long delay from ether engaging or disengaging the transmission forward and reverse , this is a major safety hazzard to occupants or pederestians near the vehicle in regards to potental serious injury or death from the vehicle moving from the long delay and serge in transmission engagement & movment we visited the local dealer about the problem , they just stated" thats how the transmission operatesthe these vehicles" with no other recorse from ford to repair ,recall, replace the falty unit,

the paint is cracking all over the entire vehicle. I have been told my an insurance adjuster and two different mechanics that this is called "checking" and it happens when the paint is applied too thickly. It may also have occurred due to an incomplete clear coat. I have contacted ford and they say my vehicle is not under warranty anymore, therefore they cannot do anything to help me. This should have nothing to do with the warranty. The vehicle had an inadequate paint job originally!

The O/D light started blinking and the check transmission light came on after the transmission began slipping at around 50 miles per hour. Shortly after this, the transmission began to shift very hard into 3rd gear. Once in that hear the engine would rev but no power went to the wheels of the car. The problem would not go away and was very dangerous as I had to pull over on the highway after losing speed.

Rear springs are broken, transmission won’t shift into 2nd or overdrive

Real lemon

Manufacturer would not accept responsibility for what is clearly a fault. Transmission fails causing OD to switch off and gear change to be problematic.

Aluminum hood – corrorision. Dealer advises they are not aware of any problems with paint. I read your articles and found otherwise.

After coming to a complete stop, I accelerate across the boulevard and the transmission slipped out of gear. I continued to change gears in order to re-engage as cars were fast approaching. Auto repair indicates that it needs a new transmission AGAIN. When I called Ford, they said that it was out of warranty by 4 MONTHS and that no good faith warranty or discount will be given to me. I am currently having it repaired in independent auto service. Ford has an obligation to provide quality products and reasonable solutions. Transmissions should not be a disposable auto part. Before that in April 2007 at 88,000 miles, OD light came on and 3 miles later car was not driveable. No warning prior to this. I took it to Ford Dealership and a new transmission was put in at a cost of $5,675.88 to me.

Currently own a 2002 explorer xlt with only 65k miles on it. the transmission is in need of a rebuild because is slip from time to time. the rear differential seals are leaking. the entire rear of the vehicle makes a humming noise so i suspect that a rear bearing is going bad. not to mention the 4wheel drive system has not worked since i bought it a little over a year ago. i've had intermittent issues with the air bag control module and also the backup alarm system. there is nothing but poor write-ups about this truck all over the internet. all the same problems i'm experiencing are problems many other drivers have also had. *tr

Recall notice 09s09 on 2002 ford explorer. *nj

2002 ford explorer with tailgate problems customer states that the structural integrity of the tailgate assembly is in question**cc the consumer stated ford had a recall for the 2002 ford explorer and will not longer honor fixing the problem with thousands of vehicles. *tr

2002 ford explorer's rear springs cracked. *ts *nm

2002 explorer hatch cracked. *ts the consumer was told the reason why the hatch cracked was because the window and the panel were glued together and contracted at a different rate. *jb

2002 ford explorer rear coil spring was defective, consumer wants to be reimbursed. *ts *nm

Ltr fm consumer (ky) re the problems she's had w/the rear end of her 2002 ford explorer, want ford to buy back her vehicle. *ts in the summer of 2003 the consumer heard a whinning noise coming from the rear end. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who noticed oil was leaking from the rear end and replaced the seal. a few months later the noise returned the seal was replaced again. a few months later the noise returned again. the entire rear end had to be replaced. the consumer would like for ford to buy back the vehicle. *nm

Consumer requesting service bulletin on the 2002 ford explorer. *ts *jb

Part that holds the back window in the ford explorer has developed a crack. ***no answer required***.*mr

Consumer experiencing problems getting the dealership to perform recall liftgate repairs on vehicle.*mr the vehicle was taken to a local dealer but they refused to do the recall work because the vehicle was not purchased there. *nm

Problems with the material on the moon roof. *mr the vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the manufacturer would only cover the problem if the vehicle was within it's warranty 36000 miles/36 months, the vehicle had 45000 miles. the consumer came across a technical service bulletin which explained the type of problem the vehicle was having sb620978. *nm

Consumer's wife felt that vehicle was veering to her right. dealership found out that pinion bolt was missing.(nar) *la

Vehicle's hatchback glass shattered.*mr two incidents occurred where the consumers hatch back glass shattered.the dealership repaired them twice but the consumer feels that there is definitely something defective in the manufacture of the hatchback door/glass. and maybe measures need to be taken for a recall issued. *cb pe04045.pco

Consumer has had vehicle in the shop 4 times for the rear window. *jg when the vehicle was coming to a stop it would surge forward. the vehicle was taken to the dealer but they were unable to help the consumer with the problem. *nm

Currently own a 2002 explorer xlt with only 65k miles on it. the transmission is in need of a rebuild because is slip from time to time. the rear differential seals are leaking. the entire rear of the vehicle makes a humming noise so i suspect that a rear bearing is going bad. not to mention the 4wheel drive system has not worked since i bought it a little over a year ago. i've had intermittent issues with the air bag control module and also the backup alarm system. there is nothing but poor write-ups about this truck all over the internet. all the same problems i'm experiencing are problems many other drivers have also had. *tr

I own a 2002 ford explorer and have had a ongoing problem with check lights coming on. first it was a check engine light which read that vehicle needed new catalytic converter .then couple yrs later came on again this time for a sensor. now i have a airbag light on it seems like one sensor after another. after reading very simmiler complaints on your site and others i think this should be looked at further. no exact events lead to the problem. all problems have been fixed except airbag light which just happend this week. *ak

Tl*- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the airbag warning light remained illuminated. the dealership informed the contact the driver's front seat pretentioner upgrade harness needed to be replaced. the dealership made the repair. the airbag warning light no longer illuminated. the current mileage was 73,000. *ak update 4/23/07 *tr

Recently the air bag warning light came on indicating a problem with the air bag system. also, the driver's seat belt would not retract when the driver exited the vehicle. the onboard computer indicated a code of 33 in memory. this indicated that the mechanism under both front seats was faulty. this problem would have caused the air bags to deploy unnecessarily or not deploy at all. the faulty seat belt retractor would not have prevented the driver from being thrown forward in the event of a collision. the warning light was intermittent at first and eventually stayed on so there was 55,000 miles recorded when i finally took the vehicle to our dealership. the owner's manual revealed that the supplemental restraint system (srs) is warranted for 5years/50,000 miles, so i realize that it was beyond the warranty period. however, this is my concern and complaint. the srs is probably the most important safety system in a vehicle and should not require these types of repairs just 6 months and 5,000 miles after the warranty expires. this system should last for the life of a vehicle unless the vehicle is involved in a collision. no one should have to be concerned that their srs system will fail after the warranty expires. i am not a mechanical engineer, but these parts must not have been manufactured properly. if they were, they would not have failed. as was stated above, this explorer was totally redesigned and sent to the dealer showrooms prior to the start of the 2002 model year. were things overlooked or not done properly just to rush this totally redesigned explorer to the dealer showrooms? if this was the case, should there be a recall for this model year in order to check this problem and ensure there are no safety concerns? the cost of these repairs is the minor issue of my complaint. the major issue is the safety of the driver and passengers. safety problems with a vehicle will cause serious repercussions for the company.

Air bag disabled due to design defect in 2002 explorer. a cable harness running under the floor to the drivers seat is too short. moving the seat back causes the cable to disconnect and disables the drivers side air bag. *jb

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. *jb

Airbag light came on dashboard, thus disabling airbags in vehicle. the ford dealer supposedly repaired the sensor. less than one year later, the same issue recurred, with the same diagnostic code, and the dealer is refusing to honor the repair warranty. air bags are now disabled. *jb

I have had to have my vehicle serviced for the airbag light staying on two times in the past. both times i was told it was a problem with the sensor for the airbag. the light came on again about one month ago and i took it to be serviced again last week. this time i was told it was an "electrical wiring problem" with my ford 2002 explorer that was causing the light to stay on. repair was a whopping 487.00. first, i am wondering why they didn't discover this problem on the prior two occasions and secondly, i have since discovered that a co-worker has also had to have her ford escape serviced 4 to 6 times for the same problem. the last time, she was told it was the sensor. her airbag light has since came on again. is this a systemic problem with the ford family of suvs?*jb

Dt: the contact stated the instrument panel cluster was no longer working. the service dealer did not state why the panel was no longer working. the electrical components failed, such as the radio, blowers, windows, airbags, and all of the safety equipment. the dealer stated it was a common problem within this type of vehicle. the part to repair was no longer available. the consumer contacted the manufacturer; they referred him to the dealer to find an aftermarket product to repair the problem.*ak

April 04 purchased 2002 ford explorer; just over 60,000 miles. no longer under warranty;sold as is. day after purchase, noticed knocking sound. returned to dealer. stated sound coming from the rear ac. repaired, did not hear after repair. approximately one week after purchase, noticed delay in gears engaging when going from park to drive , park to reverse also gear shift seemed to be loose. returned to dealer; told it was normal for this model. advised to keep in overdrive. late july 2004, noticed delay seem to be getting longer and jerking suddenly when finally engaged. while driving ,od light flashed on and off erratically. problem with od light intermittent. spouse took the car to the dealer; told that it wasn't under warranty, but we could make a service appointment. spouse took the vehicle to a shop had done business in the past. thought that it could need transmission fluid. checked fluid levels not deficient. problems continued; had them look at it a couple of months later. could not determine problem, advised to take to a transmission specialist if continued. problem persisted. seemed to get worse as the weather turned colder. late december 04, delays in engaging gears worsened; now making a loud clunking noise and lunges when engages, od light flashed erratically on a frequent basis and engine service light on and gear shift seemed to be coming out. january 2005, spouse took the vehicle to a transmission shop for diagnostic. transmission shot. rebuilt at a cost of $2900. found out that the vehicle had been repaired twice before, while under warranty for the same problems described. its obvious from the number of complaints that this is a known design defect. when a company sells defective products they should be held liable, especially when they do so knowingly. i stopped making payments on this junk and will notify the lender so that they and ford can fight it out. any owner who wishes may contact me at 703-998-5510. *jb

April 04, the airbag light came on flashing 3 times (3 blinks each time) and then would remain on. i took the car to the dealership here at freeport jet wash while the car was still under warranty and the warranty was finishing in june. when i took the car in they hooked it up to the computer then simply said we have resetted the control system in the car and if the light comes back on to bring it back!~~~ well, didn't last too long and it came back on but this is a couple weeks later and now they tell me my warranty is up but i told them they were aware of this before the warranty expired - long story short they changed it at no cost to me and said ford approved it to be fixed under warranty. but, that didn't seem to fix the problem, the airbag came on again a couple weeks later when they hooked it up again they said it was the same code and reset the control system in the car and told me to bring it back if it turns on...we all know what happened...it came back on...so they said they will change it again but this time not only did it take 4 months to hear back from them (only because i finally got tired of waiting and called them back) about the part but now they tell me that the part was not covered under warranty and the guy who did it shouldn't of (he is no longer with the dealership) and that i have to pay for the 3rd pretensioner to be put in my car after i have been trying to get this problem fixed a year and a half!

Air bag light came on. consumer took the vehicle to the dealer. the air bag module had to be replaced.*ak

Consumer noticed that the srs light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that the srs sensor needed to be replaced, and replaced it four times. however, the problem recurred. *ak

While driving out of a garage air bags deployed inadvertently. in may 2004 the vehicle was serviced by the dealer due to air bag light illuminating. currently, six months later, while driving out of a garage at 5 mph the airbags deployed inadvertently.*ak

Consumer complained about an air bag problem. consumer took vehicle to the dealer. the sensors were changed. however, the problem still occurs. *ak

Consumer complained about an air bag lightproblem. it kept coming on. consumer took vehicle to the dealer. the sensors were changed. however, the problem still occurs. *ak

Vehicle is experiencing a problem with the airbags. the airbag light stays on. owner says that "if vehicle is in an accident, air bags will not deploy." vehicle was taken back to dealership where they want to charge owner $378.00 dollars to repair because vehicle is not under warranty. provide further details. *ph

Consumer states of having problems with the air bag light remaining on while driving. dealer was contacted. ts

I was on motion when the air bag light turn on but i went to check and they say i have to take to the dealer to repair

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear liftgate panel was ajar when the pistons failed, causing the liftgate to slam shut and shatter the rear window glass. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised that the pistons were not covered under warranty nor was there a recall for the failure therefore; the contact would be liable for the $700 in repairs. the manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 156,000.

I drive a 2002 ford explorer, eddie bauer model, 4 door. the arms (4) which hold both the back door up when open and the back glass up when open do not raise up fully. i find myself constantly bumping my head on either the door or the glass. last night after a baseball practice for my 10-year old son i popped open the back glass to put his baseball bag in the car. the glass went up part way and unthinkingly i hit my head on the glass. i pushed the glass up so i could place the bag in the vehicle and the glass pane exploded. it showered glass shrapnel over the two of us. we were both shocked that the glass window would just catastrophically explode. we are very lucky we were not injured. i feel that this accident is a public hazard. i will avoid a poor design like this when looking for a new car. when i reported it to payton wright ford in grapevine, texas, the service adviser shrugged it off and stated yes i've seen that happen, like it was an everyday occurrence. i was told to report it to my insurance company and that ford would do nothing about it. *tr

I lifted my rear upper tailgate on my 2002 ford explorer, and the windshield literally exploded on my head, including dropping the lower part of the tailgate on top of me. after searching on the internet it appears to be a very common problem, and my local ford dealer claims they've never heard of such a thing. my local bodyshop however was familiar with the problem. this tailgate had a previous recall related to the hinges i believe, which i did have done, back in 2005. my car has 75,000 miles and is used almost exclusively for highway driving. *tr

There is a panel below the rear window gate that has a vertical crack.. initially, the rear window was a recall, now the panel below the window has cracked. the rear window was replaced, at no cost, but ford will not replace the defect/crack on the back panel. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while parked, the rear hatch was lifted up, and the hydraulic support device failed. this caused the rear hatch to close forcefully on the arm of the contact. the left arm of the contact sustained a huge bruise, and was wearing 3 layers of clothing at the time of the incident. the following day, the manufacturer was contacted, who determined that the dealer should be contacted for repairs. the dealer was contacted, and the support device was replaced. the contact expressed concern that a child could have been seriously injured or killed if the rear hatch failed with a child present.

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the liftgate latch was not properly secured. while trying to close the liftgate, the contact noticed that the screw that holds the liftgate had loosened, and would not close. the vehicle was taken to a service dealer, where the hinges were replaced. the manufacturer was notified, who informed the contact there was a recall on the hinge, but that recall was closed. *ak

Two large cracks below liftgate window . i took truck in for recall 04s20 and dealership said cracks were not fords problem bull ----- shame on ford i have been looking on internet complaints and many other people have the same problem . i think they should fix it correctly the first time. *jb

Rear hatch window lift failed and caused rear glass to shatter (luckily no one was hurt). the window was lifted to remove items from the rear and the lift arm apparently was wedged under the glass and it exploded so loudly that neighbors 2 houses away ran over and people walking down the street came to make sure no one was injured. we had the glass replaced by a glass company--this took 4 days due to the unavailability of the glass. they also indicated they had just (the same day) replaced another with the exact same problem and they had seen several in the last few weeks. the struts were not replaced and we were advised not to use the hatch door until they are. our dealer was not responsive on this matter but i believe there needs to be an investigation. the glass co said that the window design was changed in or after 2002 so the struts are lower and support the glass correctly. *jb

Car was parked. when my wife was walking to the vehicle, she noticed a large crack down the back door (hatch area) of vehicle which is directly below the glass. take note that if this panel falls off (and could with the crack), it could fall onto another vehicle causing harm or tragedy. if the panel also falls off, the glass is no longer supported which also can result in it falling off onto another vehicle or onto the highway causing an accident.

Recall 04v442000 was issued for the liftgate in october 2004. dealer stated the part was not available. *ak

Nhtsa recall campaign 04v442000; ford issued a rear liftgate glass recall. this vehicle was included in the recall, but there were no available parts in order to repair.*ak

The vehicle was on its fourth repair for rear the glass lift gate, the bracket door failed to stay up. *jb *jb

I have a 2002 ford explorer and the transmission just went out on it. i will tell the story from the beginning. ok so i was about 30 mins away from my home and driving on the freeway back home when the od light started blinking very fast. then i get off the freeway and stop and the red light then when i started to go the transmission started doing all sorts of crazy [xxx] it was changing gears like crazy and finally settle out. then right before i turn in my drive the transmission just quits! it just stopped! i put it in park then drive and nothing...no sound.. no movement it would just roll backwards. so now it sitting on the side of the road where i pushed it to. all of this happened in 30 mins! nothing was wrong before this happened.!!!! please someone help and lets get this to be recalled! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Repeat failure of brake light switch, cruise control won't disengage when brake pedal depressed ,an unsafe situation. also intermittent inability to shift out of park and brake lights not operating. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission experienced hard shifting with a clunking noise present coming from the transmission. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission gear ratio was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the local dealer jacob george ford located at 125 spring st, houtzdale, pa 16651 and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 100,000.

"takata recall" i have had to have the transmission rebuilt in my 2002 ford explorer 3 times. the first time in 2008 with 107,262, second time june 2012 with 136671 miles and the 3rd time in september 2015 with 184,086 miles on it. i would say that anytime you have to replace your transmission that many times there is definitely a defect in the transmission of the explorer.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving various speeds, the door ajar warning indicator illuminated, which caused the door locks to consistently lock and unlock. the failure caused the battery to drain and the security alarm to sound. the dealer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Back tailgate window is crooked, air pressure thing fell off on right side causing a lack of support on that side and hinges are starting to bend to the left also. who knows when this window will fall off or how much longer it will be supported without the support on the right. it's just scary, we don't use this tailgate window at all so it may be fine? it is like this while stationary, in motion, on a city street or highway, turning etc.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while the driver was driving at 40 mph, both driver and passenger side air bags deployed without impact. as a result, the vehicle failed to start. the driver sustained left arm injuries and the passenger sustained neck injuries but did not require medical attention. a police report was not filed. the vehicle was pushed by another vehicle to the contacts resident. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Driving nd steering wheel fell apart brake switch stopped working 3 times had new transmission put in had to have 3 different sets of tire put on back window shattered while sitting at red light. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at any speed, the gear would not engage when shifted. there were no warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission band did not connect. the technician recommended that the transmission be replaced or rebuilt. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that there was no recall. the vehicle was not repaired. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 04v442000 (structure) and 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The gear shift just broke off while i was putting the car in reverse this is extremely dangerous the car had to be towed but we had to figure out how to shut off the car, since it would not shut off while in reverse. i got another whole steering column put in and within less than 2 months the gear shift broke off again this time the car was in park, but its scary. i have attached two pictures of the two different gear shifts. the piece that keeps breaking looks like its made out of aluminum not steel.

After loading my luggage i closed my trunk and the whole back window completely shattered the struts broke and the little black thing that holds the window up top broke too. i got a cut on my hand, glass went everywhere. so stressed..

The rear stabilizer links just broke out of nowhere not even to latest later the front stabilizer links just broke out of nowhere and i have no steering a whole lot of loose control

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle crashed into a median, spun around, and landed in a ravine. the air bags did not deploy. a police report was filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to garners towing in miami, ok. the manufacturer was not notified of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 215,000.

Transmission needs to be rebuilt with only 88000 miles on engine.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. on several occasions, while driving, the 4wd auto high or low failed to operate. while accelerating, the contact attempted to use the cruise control and, although the green cruise control indicator illuminated, the vehicle failed to engage. a dealer was not notified. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 108,742.

I do not know when the problem originated but i bought this vehicle in april 2016 and gas could not flow into the tank freely without stopping. it had to trickle in slowly. also, the check fuel cap came on during this issue but when tested, passed as if nothing was wrong. too many other owners report the same issue on explorer forums for this to be an isolated occurrence. it seems this is faulty design or workmanship and owners should be informed and the vehicles recalled.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while the vehicle was idling at a stop light, the overdrive warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle stalled several times. in addition, the vehicle was difficult to shift into second and third gear as well as drive, which was when the intermittent stall failure occurred. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures. the vehicle was parked and unable to be driven due to the intermittent failures. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Upon beginning to drive home from work the transmission failed when shifting from second to third gear. there is no longer a third gear in my automatic transmission. in order to get home i had to manually shift with gear shifter and attempt to skip over third gear. was driving on city streets. vehicle has 174000 miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

"takata recall" i only want to know whether a recall was issued.

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. while the vehicle was parked, the rear windshield shattered without warning. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Transmission, jerked, stalled and had difficulty shifting while driving on freeway/ highway. additionally, the o/d (overdrive) light came on and continually flashed prior to the transmission starting to noisily grind with a burning smell. i've had 5 professional diagnosis all stating it's a different transmission problem. a class action lawsuit and ford motor company recall is needed on the transmissions, this is a widespread problem and issue for nearly 20 years.

While parked in my driveway the back window (lift gate window) was raised to remove things from the back of the vehicle as soon as the window was being closed about halfway down it exploded and sent glass flying all around outside and inside the vehicle. the bottom piece of the window with the wiper was hanging from the electrical cord everything else was gone. there was no force on the window and nothing obstructing it the whole thing just exploded for no apparent reason. it was very scary and could have caused serious injuries. luckily no one in this situation was injured. my family have spent hours removing all of the shattered glass from the driveway and yard. it sent glass flying as far as to the front of the vehicle.

Driver"s side seat will go back and forth

At first when shifting the transmission wouldn't go into any gear. we had the transmission replaced. when got vehicle back still had same problem took it to transmission specialist put on computer fixed the initial problem. the transmission we had put in had much more problems. overdrive started blinking then lost 2nd and 5th gear

My 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer is on its 3rd transmission. it has 78k miles on it. help

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.

Liftgate glass hinge and ball bracket is broken/disengaged. it is no longer working properly. it can fall, brake and/or cause injury. this part has been replaced during a recall. it did not fix the problem.

Liftgate glass hinge and ball stud bracket is coming apart. the bracket has disengaged. glass is potentially going to fall, brake and/or cause injury. it is no longer working properly. this part has been replaced during a recall but did not fix the issue.

The fuel gage is not working properly even though i have full tank of gas

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.

The rear liftgate mount broke off and window fell on my daughters head and bent the other mount and broke left strut off. can't line it up to get it to close and latch shut. can't drive the car or liftgate will fall off. going to get some rope and try to tie it on. it was in front of house with the whole hatch open to get groceries out

Tl* the contact stated the when driving a 2002 ford explorer at approximately 20 mph, equipped with cooper tire, tire line solaris as, tire size 225-70-r16, dot information was not available. the front passenger tire wall blew and the tire separated from the rim. the vehicle was towed to a mechanic. the vehicle vin, mileage, information was not available. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted.

The issues that i'm having is the exhilaration (picking up speed) on a public street as well as in the expressway it hesitates to do so. when the vehicle is parked and i go to switch gears it does not want to switch. the gauge indicator comes on and the gas idle be stuck on empty when it has a full tank of gas. while the vehicle is in motion the radio volume goes up and down on its own. and the vehicle did not want to start for me one day the very next day it started right on up (like it want to start but didn't catch). all of this started happening at the beginning of october 2020

Well the electrical has to do with doors and window controls and locks and driver gauge panel sensors having never worked properly. the body issue has to do with failed paintand polymer coatings along with cracked body panel on rear liftgate. *tr

Door ajar light is always on and alarm goes off constantly from it. seat belt light is always on even when seat belts are in use. abs light is always on and off. always issues with heat and coolant.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving 50 mph, the accelerator pedal seized without warning. the vehicle's speed increased up to 90 mph and crashed into another vehicle. the air bags deployed. a police report was filed. the driver sustained injuries to the head and neck, which did not require medical attention. the vehicle was towed. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was approximately 139,514.

Transmission failure before 100000 miles while on freeway

"exploding rear window" - my truck was parked in front of my house and i went out to get something out of it. i simply opened the hatch and the rear window exploded in my face.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while opening the real lift gate, the rear lift gate glass window suddenly shattered. during the incident, the person sustained a facial laceration which required medical treatment. the cause of the failure was not determined. the local dealer (future ford located at 650 automall dr, roseville, ca 95661) was notified of the failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 184,000.

Summer,spring weather, all four, clear, glass windows do not slide up or down through its' power button, electronically.

Makes a rattling noise when a bump is hit driver side seat stop working

The car always feels like is about to jump off the road or the lane im in whenever i drive over any rough road or pot holes. %ģ

I had had this 2018 jeep renegade not even 2.5 months and it needed an oil change and the tires were completely worn out they were every one slick as could get and dangerous. i called the dealer because the tires went bad and i hadn’t had the first 50k miles on it yet and they did nothing. called the tire company they did nothing. so i replaced them and another almost 3 months go by and the tires are completely worn out and slick again. this has repeatedly happened every 2-3 months to where they are so dangerous you either drive 30 mph or get them changed. 3 times i’ve replaced the tires and and the oil goes so fast. and now i am stuck with this vehicle i don’t feel safe in. i shouldn’t have to pay these prices for a 30k vehicle that’s not worth 10k.

Was driving on hwy and my vehicle just shut down as i was turning off the main road, lost all control of steering. when i raised the hood i saw my radiator smoking and all of a sudden it popped. had to have it towed in to the shop and was told that the radiator had exploded and the engine seized up! how could this happen? i never even had it to over heat or the light never even alerted me. just blew up and left me stranded. i was told after the fact that there is a recall on the radiator! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds the transmission independently switched to 4 wheel drive and the vehicle stalled. the failure recurred several times. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transfer casing and ignition coils needed to be replaced. the ignition coil was replaced and the transfer casing was repaired however the failure recurred. an unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failures. no assistance was provided. the failure mileage was 80,000.

The radiator started going out on me. i had to fix it twice. the breakes i keep having the continued fixing them every 4 months. recently october 25, 2019 it started smelling like burnt rubber came thru the air vents. things with the electricity oe a shortage. with the tires they put wrong tire size. they told me to sign and go because they didn't have my actual tire size. its always on the smalls streets and on freeway or. highway it smells like burnt rubber. the owner didn't notify me or bother to tell me it was on recall already.

I was driving down the highway i went to make a left hand turn when smoke started coming out of the grill, so i pulled over to check under the hood, smoke started boiling out from under the hood

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at an unknown speed, the contact heard an abnormal rattling noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear driver's side upper hinge was fractured. the vehicle was not repaired. perry ford of santa barbara (440 hitchcock way, santa barbara, ca 93105, (805) 682-2411) was contacted by phone and informed of the failure. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure). the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 204,000.

I was driving on a city street and got into a accident. totaled my vehicle and my air bags did not deploy

The car gets stuck in park and will not into reverse, neutral or drive. it doesn't happen often but has been happening at infrequent periods since 2007. it's a nuisance when it does happen but after multiple attempts, depressing the brake and repeatedly attempting to shift; shutting down the engine and restarting and repeating the process; usually does shift into gear. the last incident was more than 4 years ago. now since saturday, 9/28/19; can't shift out of park. i never reported the problem because it was always resolved and i forgot to report it to the dealership because i was always in a rush to get to my destination. my car is in good running condition. original owner. 93964mi. always serviced at dealership.

The consumer stated the home fire hazard created by faulty design of non ul approved personal snow plow use for suv manufactured by western products. snow plow electric motor was unfused and overheated not responding to the comman controller shorting out and causing a serious expensive fire. *js

On january 21, 2019 i was hit head-on by a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. totalled my 2002 ford explorer! my airbags did not deploy during the accident! i was going approximately 35 mph and the other driver was driving approximately 40 mph on a city street.

Motor is over heating after driving for about 30 mins on highway

Tl* the contact complained about a fatal crash which involved a 2002 ford explorer and stated that the air bags failed to deploy. the contact stated that the victim's vehicle was found three hours after the crash and the vehicle had flipped upside down. the victim was found, wearing the seatbelt but no air bags had deployed. a police report was filed (case number: 19-11405). the contact stated that the city observed a curfew whereby the coroner's report stated that “death was caused by a multiple blunt force injury to the head". the street lights were turned off from 12 midnight to 5 am. the contact stated that the crash might have occurred at about 3am. the vehicle was totaled and was towed to the apd (anchorage police department) impound. the failure mileage was not provided.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving 24 mph, a vehicle on the opposite side of the road crashed into the driver's door of the contact's vehicle. the air bags did not deploy. the contact sustained lower and upper back injuries, which required medical attention. the fire department arrived and had to pry the driver's door off the vehicle after the crash. a police report was filed. the vehicle was towed, but it was not determined whether the vehicle was destroyed. the dealer and manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. the cause of the failure was not determined. the failure mileage was 176,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle rolled forward after it was parked. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 232,160.

Vehicle accelerated to maximum rpm's on a city street and would not stop, even after brake applied. tried downshifting, would not work. ran through a red light, fortunately no one was in front of us or going the other direction. had to put it into neutral and turn the key off to get it to stop. merged over and parked. when restarted, rpm's still at maximum until hood was opened and throttle cable was moved around. scary situation as won't drive it until it is fixed. appointment scheduled with mechanic. should have been a recall on this with as many complaints as i have read about with this very situation. we could have killed someone or been killed.

Rear hatch panel applique cracked for no apparent reason

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 35 mph and attempting to brake, the brake pedal traveled all the way down to the floorboard. as a result, the contact rear ended the preceding vehicle. a police report was filed and there were no injuries. the vehicle was towed to an unknown collision facility and deemed destroyed. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Blinkers and gauges won't work also bright lights do not work. everything else works fine including emergency flashers. i've changed relay and checked fuses.

Well i have a 2002 ford explorer xlt. it has the trailer brake which i never have used yet. i have a couple issues with it. the theft light blinks as long as the vehicle ain't running. some times it doesn't like to start and has a brand new battery. sometimes when put in gear while running it will shut it's self off. i also noticed when i bought it from another private sell that when i was driving the explorer that i kept smelling a burning smell like plastic and wires as well as smoke and heat admitting from the center console area. i dropped a piece of plastic in the center console area. i pulled up the center console area plastic and witnessed the factory wiring that runs to the center console lighter and else where sparking and smoking. i got it to stop and noticed that the fiberglass cloth thing the factory put around it was badly burned as well as almost halfway through all the center console are wires about an inch long as well as the plastic bottom area to the center console cup area. the burned plastic area is also started to melt. i have pictures on my cell phone. i showed the pictures to the reception guy at the jamestown ny 14701 ford dealer service desk. he gasped and looked genuinely scared that , that happened. i'm scared that this happened. i don't want it to catch fire going down the highway with my kids and newborn baby in it. this is a manufacture issue which i feel should be fixed at fords expense not ours.

"takata recall" i was driving about 10 miles took a right into the libiary parking lot and my front side drivers tire snapped the ball joint completely snapped and it broke the spring, upper control arm, sway bar and tyirod

Had a bad battery and now 4x4 won't work

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a failure on the rear door handle. the contact noticed a crack between the door handle and glass. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 120,000.

The rear window exploded. it was unoccupied parked in the carport.

Gear shift in steering column fell off as i was beginning to drive. the vehicle had approximately 95k miles on it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the door ajar and brake warning indicators illuminated even when the doors were closed. the contact also stated that the vehicle made an abnormal noise. an independent mechanic was notified and diagnosed that the wheel bearings were defective and needed to be replaced. the wheel bearing failure was repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failures and stated that nhtsa was responsible for all recalls. the contact was transferred to nhtsa. the failure mileage was not provided. *js

After jumping the vehicle due to dead battery gear shifter snapped when shifting car into drive. vehicle stuck in reverse also need a new transmission. form cars are worthless! don’t buy a ford!!

The shift lever literally snapped off at the steering column while putting the car into drive. car couldn't be shifted into park, still running. keys couldn't even be removed to turn the car off. very dangerous. seems like a fairly common problem among 2002 ford explorer owners. many complaints filed here: https://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/accessories-interior/gear_shift_lever_fell_off-2.shtml

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a loud abnormal noise and noticed that the sun roof was detached. the vehicle was taken to an unknown independent mechanic who stated that the manufacturer discontinued the part. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the sun roofs were discontinued. the approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

Transmission failed on a major highway

The timing belts broke and damage the engine. truck has less than 100,000 miles.

Transmissions going out it started all of a sudden with a vibration in transmission after driving it for a awhile in the higher gears the od light came on an flashed for awhile can u help me

On may 31st 2016,i was involve in an automobile accident and at which time my airbag did not deploy..after further evaluation it was determine that my clock spring was bad..my insurance estimator/or adjuster stated that the cause of the malfunction was not a result from the accident..then i was told to contact the nhtsa to see if my vehicle was under a recall for this incident ....my vehicle was in motion on a highway.

Lift gate window fell off the hinges as explained in recall #04v442000

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while parking the vehicle, the gear shift lever fractured and separated from the steering column. the vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 144,000.

I own a 2002 ford explorer, it's our daily driver everything works except the hubs, this truck has never been wrecked, and we find ourselves@ about every 15,000 to 20,000 miles having to replace the wheel bearings and hub assembly's , last night on the way home the driver side front hub started squealing and came apart and we had to have it towed again, i have owned this truck for 3 years, i have had to replace the bearings and hubs brakes 11 times and now i'm going to have to do it again, wow, these parts are really expensive to have no better quality than that, everytime we get it fixed it cost around $1400, it's a nice truck, and everything else works great, no issues, i transport my family members in this vehicle, and i'm getting tired of fearing for their lives and my own when the wheel hubs break and leave us stranded , it's obviously time for a different vehicle, and i just thought about how many other people drive one of those trucks, and how dangerous that could have been out on the interstate, it's a good thing we were driving 30 mph on a country rd, if we had been in town when it broke again we i thought that the last time this happened too, there definatly is a problem, when the guy at the dealership says that's a very common problem, but unfortunately, all he can do is fix it, or sell me something else,and that that's the issue that those trucks have and that everyday someone is dropping one of to get fixed for the exact same problem, anyway i think it's time to try something else, but this problem needs to be on a recall list because it's just bad business and a safety hazard, and it's problaby already gotten people and families killed, i'm going to fix this thing one more time and give the people that buy it this website info, ford motor company needs to fix this ever occurring problem.

Drivers side curtain air bag inadvertently deployed while vehicle was in park after the driver had exited the vehicle. the airbag deployed and stuck a child which was seated in the rear seat behind the driver.

Back glass shattered after closing the hatch

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while the vehicle was at a local dealer for routine service, the front wheel bearings and hub assemblies were replaced. after the repairs, the contact heard an abnormal noise coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. while driving 60 mph, the front driver side wheel detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front wheel bearings needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 85,000.

Transmission don't work, gear slip after 10 minutes drive then stop working won't go back or foward

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 50 mph with the cruise control activated, the vehicle would not disengage from the cruise control while depressing the brake pedal. the vehicle spontaneously accelerated to 70 mph, the emergency brake did not work, and the cruise control was still active. the vehicle was shifted into park and pulled into a parking lot. the vehicle was left there. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

On may 6, 2016 i was driving on interstate 5 between 55-60 mph in the middle lane of heavy traffic when suddenly there was an explosion inside my car. the right/left side airbags deployed without any warning. i was able to get to the shoulder and call aaa. i was towed to the landmark ford service center.

I just bought my vehicle on 5/17/20 at a lot called grant motors 2744 fowler st fort myers fl, 33901 during the daytime, they keep pushing , and pushing me to buy it took my id to copy we left without my id, had another vehicle i wanted to buy but had to go back to grant to get id, when pete started at us again and keep coming down on price, till my brother told me it was worth it to buy it, so i did, well during the day in bright sunshine you couldn't see the taillights, nor the dashboard lights, and as driving it home turned on radio to listen to it , all's it would do is flicker, wouldn't change stations, wouldn't do nothing at all, and they put a carfax folder on my dash for me to read at home , that is when i seen the info about the recalls and figured it had something to do with my lights outside and in the dash and the stereo not working at all. them my brother said he wondered why they continued to drop the price to way more then they first asked for as if they new ahead of time the issues and didn't tell us about any of it. so could someone please let me know what is going on , i now have nothing to drive and no money to buy another i'm old raising two grandbabies one with autism , the other with bipolar please help me out. sitting in walmart parking lot, and in motion to go home family had to stay behind me to get home safely,

Both side air bags deployed driving on interstate at 55 mph with no apparent cause. the car was not involved in an accident and there was no other damage to the vehicle.the front air bags did not deploy. i was able to get to the shoulder of the freeway and called roadside assistance to have the care towed. the explosion was quite traumatic and it took me several seconds to realize just what had happened.

My power steering stuck caused a wreck!!

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 120,000. the vin was unavailable.

My alarm system go off all time i don't know what to do.

02 explorer stop shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, after 2nd gear when it's time to shift it sounds like it goes in neutral, when i let off it finally shifts (hard) it's very dangerous when driving in front of traffic i'm afraid for myself and my children, this is an issue for alot of people, please help us with this issue, this really needs to be recalled thank you *tr

Wheel studs breaking off & causing danger for my family,therefore making it unsafe for the family.many reports have been made about these particular vehicles.when im able i will get rid of both my ford vehicles for my families safety & wellbeing.

Takata recall . my od light keeps blinking , takes forever to shift i have to take my feet of the gas until i hear it shift then i can press the gas again and the car jerks when the gears shift. the car will shut off if i put the car in reverse or if i change the gear to drive . there seems to be a lot of issues but the od light seems to be common. i took it to more than one dealership and they told me that its a transmission problem. why hasn't ford taken responsibility and recall this issue if its happened to so many of us . i am a mother of four that needs her car and this is unfair because its a very expensive fix i was quoted between $2,500-$3,000

Vehicle lunges at red lights or when i put it in park or take it out of park. rpms go up to 4000 rpms and wont shift. od light stays on and flashes while driving and shifts up and down while driving. almost ran through a store front one day as i pulled up because the rpms were so high. if rpms are up sitting at red light it cruises by itself when i let off brake at 30mph but wont go any faster when i give it gas until rpms come down. this has been happening for a year now. i don't have the money to keep replacing transmissions this is the second one now in 4 years.

My 2002 ford explorer 4.6l is having major transmission problems at only 110k miles. it hesitates shifting gears and slips while driving. the vehicle also stalls when stopping at a red light or stop sign. it has the infamous crack down the back hatch. both are problems thousands of customers have complained about yet ford does nothing. the transmission problem is a very expensive cost to repair and it shouldn't be the customers responsibility when ford knew there was a problem.

Transmission failure.

As i was out driving one day, i pulled off from a green light and out of nowhere the "service engine light" and the "o/d light" both turned on at the same time. at the same time i noticed that the truck began to shift very poorly coming out of 1st and 2nd gear. it is now to the point where there is a really loud "clunk" every time the truck shifts, especially in the lower gears and when putting the truck in reverse. i pulled over to ensure that it wasn't something i had done and it wasn't! i let the car sit for a few hours hoping that would clear the issue, but no luck! after much research on the problem this is a very well known problem by ford motor company and nothing has been done to resolve it for their customers. i purchased this vehicle just under a month ago and already i'm looking at $2,000 to put in a new transmission. well after purchasing the vehicle i can not afford to fix ford's mistake!!! this is a clear defect of a ford product and after spending my hard earned money on one of their products i expect much better from them! even after spending $2,000 on another transmission, it is a sure fact that it is only inevitable that this problem will happen again and again and again to anyone who purchases a 2003 ford explorer! if i and i'm sure anyone else would've known this fact, i'm positive; ford would have not sold as many models. can we say bamboozled and taken for my money by ford motor company! please help us customers out and demand a recall on these poorly built components they mass produced and stuck inside a widely marketed and sold vehicle. how would you feel if you and your infant child was driving and out of nowhere...boom...another $2,000 you do not have for another poorly built ford transmission smh... ## vin failed ## [xxx] ## information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

When i turn my windshield wipers on they stay on low and will not go off unless i turn the truck off with the wipers in off position. my o/d off light started blinking when i was driving down the road when i turn the truck off for a few minutes it goes off, but comes on a little bit later while driving.

Rear panel cracked without collision or incident rear glass of lift gate exploded upon closing in my driveway, while parked, on saturday 4/9/201 i knew nothing of a pending class action lawsuit or the defect being complained about by so many explorer owns from the years of 2002-2005 ford changed the problem piece after 2005 however they never recalled the lift gate or rear panel insurance will not cover it ford will not recall or replace it there is glass everywhere and i do not have 500+ dollars to replace it. this was a defect that should be replaced by ford!

Check engine light came on went to a auto repair shop and was given oem code p0442 (evaporative emission system). the scent of gas was present. i changed the fuel cap and issue still remains. gas fuel tank vapor vent check valve is defective and must be replaced.

Turned car on to drive it would not start after sever rainfalls until finally when i did the last time after a jump, battery new. it started to make this awful noise like a clanking sound like a chain sound. i took it to a mechanic and he did not know what the problem was, called a mobile mechanic and he said the same thing said it could be a valve or piston problem. from what i hear sounds like a chain. before this happening the rear window regulators for the rear passenger windows right and left sides broke. had left side fixed right side not fixed, glass still held with a board inside door.

I was driving my ford on the highway and the next thing i know my feet were really hot and black smoke started coming up. then the black smoke started coming from the engine and i nearly crashed trying to get to the edge of the highway before the fire took over the whole front of the car. luckily the fire department was right there for another accident. it was incredibly disturbing experience. luckily my 3 small children were not in the car.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shift fractured without warning. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the steering column failed and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not at the dealer being repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

Two weeks ago for no reason my air bags deployed while i was driving. i contacted ford and couldn't get any help from them at all. i was leaving work in virginia.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that one of the hinges on the liftgate window was rusted out and separated. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 135,000. ......updated 04/01/16 *bf *cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the shifting lever used to shift gears fractured. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 120,000.

Car stalled on busy street, then was restarted and lost power. then fire in engine compartment. cause is unknown. car was well maintained. total loss was not covered by insurance

Both rear coil springs broke. replaced front and rear wheel bearings replaced ball joints replaced transmission has now failed and is now undependable. may fail with out warning no accidents, any of the above could have resulted in an accident ford is aware of all of the mentioned problems and refuses to rectify the problems. this is a wide spread problem with all 2002 ford explorers.

Column gear shifter broke off when putting in gear. could not remove key or put in park

Air bag wiring harness to short : every time you move the seat the air bag light would come on $683.00 repair service technical service bulletin from ford no compensation for repairs miles 22,000. front wheel bearing failure left and right 60,000 miles. rear spring failure 75000 miles front spring failure 75000 miles. fuel tank registers 1/4 tank when tank is empty 45000 miles transmission cellinoid failure 28000 miles and 800000 miles heater control module 70000 miles. intake leak 80000 miles. rear wheel bearing and axle seals 100,000 miles. other than that great car. if ford cared about its customer it would have fixed the transmission problems they had six flaws from day one of production from 1990 ---- why ford if you had a real transmission it would make up for all the other failure built into this car. you make great real trucks like the f150 other than that your entire fleet is junk.

The o/d light has started flashing and my check engine light came on, it is not shifting when it should be, going up to 5000 rpms, i have to take my foot off the pedal to try and get it to shift into 3rd. sometimes it works, other times not so much. after doing a thorough search, i have found a ridiculous amount of complaints identical to mine, most with similar mileage (mine is at 162,000), with the problem being either the solenoid pack or the o/d servo. some are lucky and have this replaced first, but others end up having to rebuild/replace the tranny. that is an expensive fix for what seems to be a very common problem, too expensive for most people who drive a vehicle that is this old.i am a single mother of two small children, i do not have the money to fix this or buy another vehicle.

I was pulling out of a parking space and i no more than pulled the gear shift lever back and it broke off. i could not shift at all. the keys got stuck in the ignition, too. i had to leave my car there over night until the following morning when the tow company came. i also could not lock my doors, and it was loaded with working equipment. ( i cannot even imagine if it broke after i had put it in reverse or drive, and been stuck in the middle of the road, or if this had happened in a remote place. ) as you can see by my picture it was actually the metal, possibly aluminum but not 100% sure .. metals should not just break.. this is definitely a defect . i also noted on just one website over 151 complaints for this exact same thing on the exact same year and model vehicle.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while pulling into a parking space at a very low rate of speed, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and surged forward before crashing into a building. the driver sustained injuries to the left arm, hip, head, and neck. medical attention was not received. a police report was filed. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 47,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while pulling into a parking space at a very low rate of speed, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, surged forward, and crashed into a building. during the crash, the front end of the vehicle sustained significant damage; however, the air bags did not deploy. the driver suffered injuries to the left arm and hip, head, and neck. medical attention was received and a police report was filed. the cause of the failure was not diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 47,000.

Gear shifter broke off while putting the car in park.

Started with flashing of light went to check engine light code p0775 transmission control solenoid b.... from what i'm finding out this is just a symptom of the bigger problem the servo bore leaking and needing a brass sleeve insert fix... i think it's total crap i have to pay for a kit and find someone who will follow the proper refit procedures and pay them when ford is well aware of this issue and should be forced into a recall retro fit... i am a 50 yr old disabled woman who can't afford to fix a problem the manufacturer should be dealing with....the transmission is hazardous and can disengage from loss of pressure while driving...

Gas guage registres every now and then - 97% of the time it says check guage -and nothing on the fuel guage then all of a sudden it will work for about 10 min., then it go back to check guage

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked, the rear hatch window was closed and it shattered. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 91,000. the consumer stated after the window was replaced, she received a recall letter for the exact issue. updated 03/21/16.*jb

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.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. upon opening and closing the rear hatch, the rod on the driver side fractured which caused the glass to shatter. the vehicle was parked at the contact's residence. the vehicle was not diagnosed. the vin was not available. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 111,043. updated 1/15/16 *cn

1st transmission total failure at 87k miles 2nd transmission total failure at 156k miles vehicle is driven very light duty usage by a mature woman (now 86 years old at the time of the 2nd failure). from researching on the internet i have found that ford many issues with early mileage transmission failures and never a recall for this issue. i'm filing this on behalf of my mother

Needed a new tranny at 118,000 miles then needed another one

The air bag light came on blinking for no reason and want go off! help please

I financed this vehicle thru 123 auto in homosassa fl citrus county and it has a airbag that is no good and no horn and the transmission was bad the day i bought it and they will not fix so i am currently paying to get it fixed i was told to make a complaint with this office to see if you can help me get something done because it is not right

I was driving along and the over drive light off started flashing and i started experiencing the vehicle starting to shift harder in 1 & 2 gears!

The rear suspension is broken on either side of vehicle, the rear passenger side bearings were replaced, now the drivers rear wheel bearings are shot.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the door ajar warning light illuminated while the doors were closed. as a result, the battery became inoperable due to the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 155,000.

Vehicle leaks transmission fluid from what a appears tobe the trans bell housing and was told by experts after taking vehicle to investigate,main seal tranny damaged and trans needs tobe pulled,costing hundreds to fix.was in first accident in 30yrs because tranny would not engage,shift to proper torque for speed when needed.causing sluggish late shift to almost stop,and causing crash. can you help?.................anyone? thankyou!

Inspection found both rear coil springs broke and driver front coil spring also broke. 3 broken springs. never heard of spring breaking, ever. seems to be a problem with ford exployers

Around 1015am on saturday july 25, 2015, i was in the process of attaching my boat trailer to the hitch. after opening my drivers door several times, checking on the hitch position, i put my vehicle in park, got out, shut the door, and then heard a loud sound that sounded like a gunshot. i turned around and saw that my drivers side curtain airbags had deployed for no reason at all. the left rear seat airbag also deployed. the vehicle was not moving and did not suffer any side impact whatsoever. i believe this is a safety defect due to the hazardous condition that it could create if a driver is driving and it inflates for no reason at all. this could potentially cause the driver to hit another vehicle or go off the road and potentially kill someone. i know of two other cases files on carcomplaints.com of this same issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while traveling less than 5 mph, the vehicle's throttle became stuck without warning which caused the vehicle to accelerate to a speed above 40 mph. the vehicle crashed thru a fence and into the rear of a motor home causing the front driver’s side tire to fracture. the air bags did not deploy. the contact was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control). the contact sustained whiplash, neck and back pains from the failure. a police incident report was filed and the vehicle was to be towed to a yard until it would be able to get inspected and diagnosed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was destroyed. the approximate failure mileage was 194,000.

Was driving on private parking lot at 10 mph when gas pedal slammed to the floor locked and accelerated vehicle to approx. 35 mph and careened through 6ft chain link fence onto rv dealership lot and crashed into a motorhome. entire wheel and housing ripped from the car, personal injuries sustained

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while at a traffic light, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was unable to restart the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the contact was informed that there was an electrical fire in a wiring harness leading to the fuse panel. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified, however, the contact was not offered a remedy for the failure. the failure mileage was unavailable.

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. the approximate failure mileage was 144,000. the vin was not available.

While driving on paved highway(clear, dry day) a hissing sound was coming from the steering column. after making a left turn onto another paved highway, the hissing noise increased, then was followed immediately by the spontaneous deployment of the driver's side air bag, prior to any impact. the obstruction of the deployed airbag created a compromised or visionary impairment from my windshield's field of view, causing me to have impact with another vehicle. after impact of first vehicle, the passenger side airbag deployed., then there was a secondary impact with another vehicle. in addition to the airbag braking my nose, two pieces of shrapnel were ejected from the inside of the deployed airbag, one hitting me in the left side mid chest/abdomen, the other to the distal portion of my left forearm. the projected shrapnel tore through a down coat, sweater and two shirts causing injury and 2nd degree burns to my chest/abdomen and forearm. the injuries of the other vehicles inhabitants are unknown at this time.

Rear panel has crack 2 times. we paid 600.00$ for first repair. 3 months later the rear panel cracked again. no crash or accident.

Rear pads and rotors failed june 8, 2015. o/d light blinking with check engine light on, on june 12, 2015. transmission shop got the codes and stated i don't have 2nd and 5th gears. $2000.00 cost. please force recall! help! many other repairs including u-joints, tie rods, front axle, front rotors with pads etc. since i bought it in april 2013.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at various speeds, the transmission failed to shift into different gears. the contact mentioned that there was a loud whining sound coming from the transmission. while driving up a hill, the contact was unable to change gears and had to apply the brakes in order to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 156,000.

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at 35 mph in the rain, the rear passenger side tire blew out and caused the vehicle to flip over three times. the contact suffered injuries to the back and neck, but did require medical attention. a police report was filed. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 01v171000 (tires: sidewall). the failure mileage and tire information were unknown. ma 08/11/15

Vehicle parked in stall when gear selecter was shifted from drive to park with foot on brake said vehicle experienced wide open throttle surged forward knocking down light pole only coming to stop ontop of fire hydrant or vehicle would of kept going as wheels were still spinning!

Backing into parking space and gearshift handle on column fell off in my hand. i could not shift out of gear. had to shut off engine on a hill with car stuck in reverse. could not get key out and car started to roll downhill. i had to call a friend to block tires rather trust emergency brake on a hill.

The rear window shuttered into 100 pieces during the driving. the rear panel has cracked. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the air bag light, the check engine light, and battery light illuminated on the instrument panel. the contact inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the failure was due to an electrical issue within the wires in the door locks and anti theft system. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 205,000.

My ford explorer started making a sound like there was something rolling around in back gate. first mechanic couldn't find problem. i worked on this for three months. looks as if it is the bushings are worn and body is touching frame. i also understand that several others have had this problem. *tr

My truck began to shake when i stop at stop signs and lights. the service engine soon light came on and would not go out. i got a code reading, there were many fuel ejection issues. i got a diagnostic test today, and was told it could be the fuel pump. when i put gas in, the gas pump gets stuck inside sometimes. does not come out smoothly. what is going on? *tr

The transmission would not shift between gears in my 2002 ford explorer resulting in my being unable to accelerate on the massachusetts turnpike at rush hour. *tr

I got a knock on my door by the fire department telling me that my car set on fire i filed a claim with my insurance and they told me to file a claim with ford because they have reason to believe it was the cruise control button that set the car on fire . *tr

Transmission will not shift from 2nd to 3rd gear unless you let off gas. *tr

Parked on hill or flat ground it happen before,but the gear shift gets stuck. you can turn the steering wheel right,left to get it to unlock but it want, no locked brakes.but i kept on trying to get my truck in gear to point of doing dangers things as of sticking one foot out of the door and rocking it back and forth.to get the lock to brake but that did not work then i tried again and the gear shift broke a aluminum part on the inside broke and i have saw three more like this and some more reports of this and nothing has been said or done about this,that i am not the only one. *tr

In 2009 on the way to our family vacation our transmission failed. we had it towed and the transmission replaced with a ford rebuilt transmission with a warranty purchase. in 2012 this rebuilt transmission failed and we had it taken to a ford dealer and the transmission replaced with another transmission. this current transmission is exhibiting the same symptoms as the last two did prior to failure. *tr

While driving the vehicle made a loud "bump" and then i lost all acceleration. this problem needs to be addressed by ford, this is very dangerous to all of the sudden lose a transmission while driving. i have seen numerous complaints on the transmission of this year of vehicle, so there is obviously a problem. transmissions are not cheap by any means, i don't know how i'm going to get the money to fix mine. i currently have no vehicle and have had to resort to bumming rides from people just to get to work. this vehicle needs to be recalled!!! *tr

Rear ended semi that suddenly stopped in front of me. driver's air bag did not deploy but passenger air bag did . no passenger in car. basically driver air bag did not deploy when it should. ford should pay! is there any class action law suit for this? first accident with the vehicle. owned since 2003! *tr

Ever since i have owned the vehicle i have never been able to continuously pump a full tank of gas. it takes roughly 25 minutes to get a full tank. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at an unknown speed, another vehicle rear ended the contact's vehicle. the driver side air bag failed to deploy. a police report was filed. the contact sustained unknown minor injuries and the front passenger sustained chest and eyes injuries. neither set of injuries required medical attention. the vehicle was destroyed. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown. the vin was unavailable. updated 6/11/15*cn updated 9/26/2017*cn

Gear shifter broke off while attempting to shift the vehicle in reverse. i am thankful that i was at home in my own driveway and that it did not go into gear. it is stuck in park, but my keys are stuck in the ignition. this seems like it could be a safety hazard if the car were to go into gear, or get stuck in reverse. *tr

While pushing up on the rear panel the glass making up the rear window exploded - shattered. *tr

Driving on the interstate at 70 mph. transmission failed while driving in traffic. was nearly hit trying to get vehicle off the road. no warning, transmission just went. huge problem and safety issue with ford explorer. *tr

There was no malfunction. i have a ford explorer 2002. i want to know if the front drivers side and front passenger side airbags will work properly. i have searched this database but cannot find anything that is applicable. we (wife and myself) have only this vehicle and w we want to know if it is safe to drive. please help. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, the temperature gauge displayed signs that the vehicle was overheating. the contact shut the vehicle off, and restarted it but the failure persisted. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. the technician diagnosed that there was a crack on the intake manifold. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure was 191,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 40-45 mph, the transmission failed without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed but the vehicle failed to accelerate. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vin was unavailable. the approximate failure mileage was 75,000.

My 2002 ford explorer, since 2013 have blew out sparks plugs three times. the threats of the head are damage . *tr

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? the ford dealership in my area referred me to this website being that the service manage believes this should be a safety recall through ford. i would have to agree with the dealership. why has ford or the nhtsa not required the manufacture to correct this issue? do people have to die in car accidents before this is rectified? it is not safe to pass a vehicle since the transmission randomly cuts out without warning. *tr

After arriving back home from dinner i was putting the car into park. half way between reverse and park the gear shift arm broke! *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at approximately 5 mph, the gear shift fractured and only operated in reverse. the vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 250,000.

Overdrive light came on. check transmission light came on. the truck suddenly started screeching loudly, nearly caused an accident while going to the airport on an expressway. *tr

I got in it after 15 minutes of it warming up, pulled out of the drive and the rpm went to 3000rpm before it shifted in second gear. then the o/d light started flashing on and off, next the check transmission indicator light came on. went home and called a mechanic, took it to him and then bad news. it has worked perfectly up to this point. *tr

Bought an explorer we thought was a private owner on craiglist in chicago, and found out he was a dealer from indiana. he signed the title as first auto inc. 2620 165th in hammond in 46323. the name of seller is [xxx] . the dmv file a complaint on our behalf and stated what he did was illegal. we did not know he was a dealer til when we tried to transfer our plates the next day. we took the truck in for service and my mechanic stated that carfax has the miles almost 80,000 more than what is on the odometer. the odometer listed 110,000 and carfax was far past that amount. the dealer rolled back the miles of explorer. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

O/d light keeps flashing, will not switch into second gear until you let off the throttle. gets as high as 38,000- 40,000 rpm. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while in reverse, the vehicle accelerated independently. additionally, the brake pedal was depressed but failed to respond and the steering wheel seized. as a result, the vehicle crashed into trees then went forward independently crashing into shrubs, a fence, and a building. in addition, the air bags failed to deploy and smoke started to emit from the front of the vehicle. a police report was filed. the contact sustained bruise and neck and head injuries that did not require medical attention. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was unknown.

Drove car to tire dealer for wheel alignment. parked and left for them to work on. the next day,dec 10,2014, the service tech drove the car for a test ride to check the alignment before he adjusted. he then drove into the bay and applied foot pressure to the gas peddle to get onto the alignment ramp. the peddle stuck at high rpms , 4000+, . as such the car ran off of the ramp , he applied brakes, to no avail, shut car off at same time. which stopped the car, but not before it crashed into the alignment machine and tires. car was hung up on part of the ramp had to be jacked off of ramp. front bumper damaged, cross member under trans pan bent, left rare lower control arm bent..tire dealer has sent the car to ford dealer, on dec 11,2014 i spoke with ford dealer and the have never had a problem like this before. told him of your report pe 05037 and your letter to ford. . since your letter to ford the internet has at least 25 reports of this same problem most with accidents. there may only be 240,000 of this cars ,as your report notes, but this problem can cause a death .this car was made with in the time period stated in you report. the fix is to replace the cable. i told ford that i would not accept the car unless the cable was replaced. on the other hand i would expect you to follow up on this deadly problem. *tr

Huge crack on back panel below window!!!!!!!!!!!! *tr

Seat bracket broke when hitting the brakes when a deer jumped out in front of me. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer sport. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the engine light illuminated as the vehicle started to overheat and stalled. the failure recurred numerous times. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician diagnosed that the water pump and heating core needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 183,000. updated 1/16/15*cn updated 9/7/2017*cn

A part that should never fail, the shifter handle broke off. this appears to be a common and expensive failure. *tr

There was a recall for faulty hinges years back, ford replaced. i noticed faulty hinge when waxing vehicle, hinge is askew. called ford customer service, verified it would need replacing or glass window could fall off, informed i would have to pay for repair. since the faulty hinge is their product, i think they are responsible, and it is a safety hazard. i have had this car serviced every 3 months since i bought it. it is well maintained, i have spent a fortune replacing faulty ford parts. the glass hinge is a ford hazard that i believe ford is responsible for. *tr

Crack in rear lift gate panel that led to shattered rear window upon normal closing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) and the contact indicated that an authorized dealer replaced the wiring harness but did not inspect the abs control module connector to determine if the vehicle needed to be remedied for the recall. the contact reported the safety concern to the manufacturer and they would not comply. the vehicle was not fully repaired under the recall remedy. the manufacturer was notified of the safety concern and provided no remedy. the approximate failure mileage was not available.

Parked in parking lot on level surface. started engine went to put in reverse and shifting lever fell off. contacted ford instead of selling broken part wanted to sell complete steering column. *tr

The handle to shift the manual transmission from park to reverse broke off at the metal part inside the steering column. this is could have been very dangerous if i was driving! ford states they no longer produce the part. *tr

My daughter went to open my rear hatch and the window fell. the hinge completely detached from the car. i went to ford to have them look at it they stated that it was a recall item but that it had already been fixed in 2005. i asked if it had been fixed why would the same problem occur. they couldn't give me an answer. all they said was that they only pay for the first occurrence not and subsequent occurrences. my issue is that if an item continues to break that is no longer and issue with that item its and issue with the design of the item. this is a safety concern. what if the glass fell on my daughter or shattered on her. i don't see why i have to replace a faulty ford issue. *tr

Went to put vehicle in reserve and gear shift on the column fell in my hand, completely snapped. *tr

When braking vehicle accelerates. could not stop had to put in n and it stalled before hitting a store front and a second time on the way home at a red light. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was recently repaired according to nhtsa campaign number: 04v442000 (structure), but the failure was not remedied. the liftgate hinge fractured and caused the glass to shift. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000.

Paint job on engine hood is bubbling up. suv has been regularly washed and waxed; so one would not expect problems with the paint job. based upon internet research, ford has paint job issues with vehicles sold from 2000-2005. *tr

I was in a accident on august 21, 2014. two or more deer's ran out in front of my 2002 ford explorer and i ran off the road hitting a pole. it crushed the whole front end and my airbag never deployed. my truck is a total loss and i did have on my seat belt but the airbag should of deployed. *tr

When is the nhtsa going to address the chronic issues with the 2002-2005 ford explorer automatic transmissions? it is common knowledge ( including by ford) that these transmissions all fail anywhere from 50,000 miles up to less than 150,000 miles. towing with this vehicle has nothing to do with the issue.the market is flooded with these broken explorers and they are the regular customers at the repair shops if people don't junk them and can afford to have them fixed. they are a hazard on the road when the vehicle suddenly fails to move in traffic or from a stop at an intersection. i was nearly rear ended when my vehicle started into a busy intersection and the transmission failed leaving me coasting in traffic. i am sure that many other complaints have been lodged against these vehicles and that serious injury has occurred as a result of the transmission failures. the internet even sells questionable repair fixes for these transmissions. *tr

Brought vehicle in jan 2014. every since first day brought, had a problem with getting fuel into vehicle without fuel pump clicking as if vehicle is full. this happens at about every fuel station i go to. this is very frustrating. brought plenty of fords, but this is the first one that does this. before i get a few ounces of fuel into the vehicle it will click and continue doing this as long as im trying to put in fuel. love vehicle but hate it because of this. i read on others having same problem. can someone please help us all./ this is definite a recall. [xxx] (retired vet / retired u. s. postal svc. ). information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I was driving my 02 explorer on the thruway for 2 an 1/2 hours and when i got to my destination the transmission bucked and shuddered and revved up while i was trying to stop at a stop light i almost hit the person in front of me because of the transmission failing when i looked at my instrument panel on the dash the overdrive light was flashing so after i got home i checked the internet and would you know there are thousands of people that are experiencing the same problem... ford should have a recall for this transmission because what happened to me might happen to someone else with deadly results... i talked to my transmission specialist and he said it needs a new transmission the truck doesn't even have 150,000 on it so i contacted ford and they can't help me because there is no recall for this truck... ford needs to fix their manufacture error here because what they are doing is fraud they claim that their transmissions are good but like with a lot of the complaints i have read their trannys died before 100,000 miles so for them to sell defected suvs is fraudulent in its self because not only do we the customers have to pay all this money for the vehicle but we also have to put a new transmission in them before 100,000 miles at the cost of 3500 to 4000 dollars... *tr

Rear lift gate plastic panel cracked, allowing water to enter. i have noticed many ford explorers with the same issue. why has ford ignored this defect, i see many complants on-line with the same flaw by other explorer owners..

I purchased this to use as a second vehicle for camping trips so the mileage on it is very low for its age. suddenly one day of normal local driving, the o/d light started flashing and the vehicle started to run very rough. it couldn't seem to accelerate and rpms were high. i had to drive home with emergency flashers on since the car felt like it was going to die any moment. since o/d flashing means something with transmission, i took it to two different transmission repair shops who both diagnosed a bad transmission that would need to be replaced at about $3,500. i was shocked that i would need a new transmission with only 43000 miles on vehicle despite its age. both shops informed me that the 2002 ford explorers are notorious for bad transmissions. i called ford motor company to request assistance with this repair. they would not help me in any way. the vehicle is not drivable and i am not in a financial position to take on such an expensive repair for a second vehicle. right now it is sitting unused in my driveway while costing me to keep it insured. can't believe this has happened to me since i thought i was buying a reputable product. ford abandoned me when their product failed. i will never buy another ford product again. the least ford could have done was assume responsibility for their mistakes and not cheat the public. other issues i am having is flaking peeling paint and a crack through the ford emblem on the rear door panel. *tr

Was driving on the highway and felt a sharp jerk/pull to the right. at first thought it was a flat tire so got off on next exit. wasn't a flat tire but could smell something awful. made grinding sound and still had bad smell, knew we had to drive it back to the place we are staying at. had hazard lights on and only drove 10-15 mph because of the sound and because of how scary it was. knew something bad was happening to our car. brakes at this point practically went out. would not have to press brakes to stop vehicle at a red light, the car would just stop. steering wheel was not even, but more or less 90 degrees to the right. pulled into the neighborhood and into the driveway and a car leaving the street saw that our vehicle at this point was on fire! extinguish fire (since it was a gas fire) and looked at the damage. looks like the front driver side wasn't even connected to anything. do not know how or when fire started but the flames when we noticed were about 1 foot tall and wide by the internal driver side wheel. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 10 mph, the contact noticed that the rear passenger side tire rode roughly. the contact noticed that three of the wheel studs were sheared off. the failure occurred four times with the remaining wheel studs. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 140,000. updated 10/02/14*lj the consumer stated within 7 months the the rear wheel studs suddenly sheared off while driving. the last time the driver was on the freeway with 5 children in the car. updated 3/30/2015 *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parking, the shift selector fractured while attempting to shift from drive to park. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 140,000.

Back tailgate panel was cracked (defect) and the back window just exploded when the tailgate was open. *tr

Pulled into a parking space (flat surface) and attempted to put the car into park and the gearshift lever broke off into my hand. the same thing happen about a year ago, and our mechanic replaced the defective parts. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact was attempting to exit the driveway when the steering wheel fractured. the dealer replaced the steering wheel. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 130,000. updated 09/05/14*lj updated 09/11/2014 *js

My gear shift broke as i was putting into gear and it just fell into my hands it broke into two half a piece that should not broke and as i was going somewhere the truck just starting going crazy the lights was flashing on and off the alarms was going of the lights flashin,sometimes in the middle of the night the alarm just goes off on it on we see all this happen and no one is by the truck no cats dogs nothing. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would suddenly hesitate and the speed would decelerate. the contact indicated that the check transmission sensor light and over drive light had iluminated. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the transmission was faulty. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the defect but no solution was offered. the failure mileage was 150,000.

Shifter lever broke off. *tr

Driving in rush hour traffic, transmission would not shift into high. i was almost hit by a semi truck on i-94 near i-275. *tr

Timing chain problems; back chain 'plastic' tensor broke and affected critically entire engine. many people with the same problem. transmission solenoid problems; shift rough from 1st to 2nd. put new solenoid block, problem still there. ford does not know what the problem is. many people with the same problem. *tr

First of all the transmission is starting to slip. when accelerating the car transmission slips when shifting into third gear. took to dealer and they said they need to repair the transmission. the second problem is that the airbag light came on. i have not been in a accident or anything. it just came on. i read online that if the light is on and i am in an accident the airbags wont deploy. this seems really dangerous and should be cover under warranty. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer and it has not been wrecked and i had the light that come on in my dash and they said that my seat belt pretentioner was gone in my seat belt. *tr

I got my explorer not too long ago. it was running great then out of no where the o/d light keeps flashing and my transmission starts to slip. a lot of people are having this problem and i think ford needs to step up and take care of this because i have kids and this is my only car and i am on a fixed income. if ford does not want to fix these problems or recall them then never will i buy a ford again. *tr

The rear hatch is splitting down the middle near the windshield wipers. the metal is coming apart and may fly off during high rates of speed causing an accident. this email is to prevent an accident which may occur. i am aware of a pending lawsuit regarding cosmetic defects but would like you to know the possibility of an accident occurring once the metal separates at high rates of speed on the interstate. this is also a paper trail in case i am the truck the causes the accident. *tr

Alarm started going off and the back gate door became unlocked without anyone being in or near the suv saturday night june 14,2014. it continued off and on every twenty minutes, then ten minutes. this was at night about seven o'clock. it stopped. the next day on sunday after coming back from a religious meeting it started going off again with an error message stating that the rear back door was open. it was and i didn't open it. i opened and closed every door after using the panic button to stop the alarm. it starts with the lights coming on in the front of the suv, then the alarm will start beeping very loudly without stopping. this goes on for about a good hour every day since with you going out there to turn it off with the panic button. i did some research to find out what is making this happen and i was amazed and shocked at how many 2002 ford explorers and other ford cars, trucks, and suvs has this problem. it is a very dangerous problem because no one knows how to stop it and it ends up with you having to leave your doors unlocked to stop the alarm from going off and killing your battery. i have limited resources and i want to know why ford has not addressed this problem since it affects so many people. i don't wish to die before something is done about this dangerous problem. i don't want my family or me worrying about my safety because if anyone finds out my suv is unlocked, i could be accosted, or robbed or killed and nothing will be done about it because the auto insurance people say your car has to be locked. please address this dangerous problem with ford since no one else seems to care because i know for a fact the ford people don't. by the way it going on now! thank you. *tr

Shortly after purchasing my ford explorer from the dealership i noticed a small crack in the rear hatch around the ford emblem. this part of the hatch is also connected to the rear glass window that lifts open. i took my vehicle back to the dealership and they told me it was a manufacturers defect and will be recalled eventually so i should keep checking back. the recall never happened and after 10 plus years the crack got larger letting moisture in and rusting. meanwhile i was noticing the majority of ford explorers from that year had the same crack on the rear hatch in the same place! about 2 weeks ago i went to simply open the rear hatch and the glass window buckled and shattered with an exploding sound similar to a gunshot. glass was everywhere! the piece with the crack literally broke in half. thankfully no one got hurt, but if my kids were in the car or my face was any closer it could have been a disaster. i truly believe ford needs to take responsibility for their defective rear hatches in these models to prevent injuries. *tr

I was at the school to pick up my kids,i turn on my ford explorer 2002 xlt v6 4.0 to drive and then the shift lever broke on neutral position, that was dangerous because, how will i park my car? if it happened on a downhill, how are we going to park it.is that possible to make a recall a ford company to fix the car. *tr

" check engine soon" sign is on. " o/d" sign is on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the technician stated that the rear differential was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the recent vehicle failure was not repaired. the failure mileage was 130,000. the current mileage was 133,000.

Over the past year i have noticed that this particular vehicle is experiencing severe rust issues on various components including lower body work, specifically under the driver and passenger doors in addition to emergency brake components. when i first noticed the issue i took immediate action to repair the damaged body work areas by using anti-rust treatments and applying new paint as recommended by a certified mechanic. the issue though is still ongoing to the point where door seals are no longer water tight and small pieces of body work are flaking away from the vehicle as a result of wind resistance and bumps while the vehicle is in motion. i have also needed to replace rusted emergency brake components which i was advised were no longer functional or safe. upon further research it appears that a large number of ford/mercury/lincoln vehicles (primarily between 2002 and 2004) are experiencing the exact same issue and that supposedly ford is aware of a known paint defect that is the root cause, however no related recalls or further information has surfaced. (example testimonials here: http://www.lemonlaw.com/wordpress/more-problems-for-ford-paint-defects-in-2000-2005-models/ ) my vehicle has always been regularly serviced and well maintained and i would not expect to be seeing an issue as significant as this given the vehicle's age and mileage. this issue needs to be investigated as i am not confident in the overall safety of my vehicle. *tr

I purchased this vehicle in july 2013 and drove it approximately one month when i began to notice that the transmission was not shifting properly. while driving along there was a sudden decline in my speed while the rpms continued to increase. i slowed to a stop as i pulled to the side of the road. i checked the vehicle for any outward signs of damage having found none i once again attempted to continue my trip. this time the vehicle managed to accelerate to a blistering 5 miles an hour while having to maintain a 4-6 thousand rpm range. i proceeded along the grass of the road until i reached home. it sits now in my yard covered with my "tarp of shame". this piece of worthless crap surely fits it acronym (ford) found on the road dead....my spelling might not be the best, but it is better than this piece of ...at any rate, how much more does the public have to pay ford. we paid with the bail out millions to their executives to get millions in bonuses to rip us off by not paying for and/or fixing their pieces of junk...enough is too much already! if you at the nhtsa doesn't do something maybe we citizen ought to take out a class action lawsuit on you. how many complaints does it take to constitute a pattern? above 4,500,000....or will it be the deaths of one or more of our children at the hands of these fatcats who laugh at us, with such indifference and unbridled contempt. it does seem that it gives them joy to mock the public and the government this way. consider, gm recently was found hiding their known defects and now ford has been doing the same thing for well over a decade. what would ole henry ford say today? but, what hurts me the most is, i used to like fords but now give me a toyota, honda, nissan or a skateboard before one of these so called pieces of engineering wonders!! the real wonder is where and with who, will they break down on next!!!!!!! *tr

Explorer o/d light blinks and shifts rough from 1st to 2nd.

I was driving home from work thank god i was almost home at this time, my ford explore was driving fine all of a sudden i herd a pop and a bang and then the motor started stumbling and shaking. as it was running the motor kept on popping i got out and seen a spark plug next to driver side fender under the hood also the coil that was plugged on to the plug was there too.i tried to grab the coil but got shocked because the rubber on the coil was broke from the plug flying out like a bullet and hitting the coil braking it in four or five places thats y i got shocked so much.the hole point is that the plug striped out of the head and did all this damage. now i have no way to fix this issue one of the ways to fix it can be to replace the heads on the motor witch will cost lots of money.what can i do im desperate so it would be nice to have a helping hand by the dealer but they claim it's not there fault but this has happened to so many fords because of the heads they have used on this motor please make a recall for this issue it is a defect i do believe it is. i found over 50 people online having trouble with the same issues as me. please help us..... *tr

When driving to work three blocks away from my house i stopped at a stop light. i started to take off again once the light turned green and a sound from the engine scared me. the truck started to sound like a lawn mower. i then had the truck towed and taken to the garage where the mechanic showed me that the spark plug blow out the engine. he said that with fords it happens alot and if you search online there are so many people that it happens to. he then told me once he fixes it i should sell it right away unless i am willing to spend what the car is worth on replacing heads. if ford knows about the problem why isn't there a recall on this already. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle came to a complete stop and the engine continued to revved up. the contact stated that as a result of the failure another vehicle rear ended her vehicle. a police report was filed. the driver and passenger sustained whiplash. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. the technician diagnosed that the transmission solenoid was defective and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 179,000.

I had to replace transmission and solenoid, costing over $2500. *tr

Third transmission failure since 2010. bought a ford remanufactured trans as this is my second 2002 with a failed trans. the first one i bought failed seven months later. replaced under warranty at 17,000 miles later. fast forward to last saturday. same failure as the last two. no help from ford, probably surprised i made it through the warranty. *tr

Purchased 2002 ford explorer new in april 2002. had little problems here and there. the real smack in the face came in 2007 when the transmission went bad. was shocked that a 5 year old car would need a new transmission. had to pay over $3,000 (three thousand dollars). this should have definitely been a recall and no cost to the consumer. performed research on the topic and found that many owners of 'turn of the century' fords, especially explorers, were experiencing the same problem. when our car was ready for repairs, we had to wait two weeks because there were ten other explorer owners with the same transmission problem at the dealer who were ahead of us. there was only one transmission technician at the dealer - which is why there was such a long wait. called around to different dealers in the area. all were having the same problem - many explorer owners with bad transmissions and not enough knowledgeable technicians on staff to correct the problem. wow!!!! what a racket!!!! contacted ford corporate headquarters and did not get any resolution. although this was some time ago, some type of compensation is warranted. since the repair was done through a certified ford dealership, there is a record of this repair. so it should not be difficult to determine who had this repair and how to rectify the problem. again - this should have definitely been a national recall with no cost to the consumer. *tr

While driving in eve. i switch lanes and came onto an icy part of road do to broken leaking hydrant hit chuck hole in the road and lost control of my truck and hit pole and hydrant and the complete front end was crushed and no air bags deployed at all. i hurt my chest back and knee's and have headaches. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward forcefully and crashed into another vehicle. there were no personal injuries. a police report was filed of the incident. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a collision facility. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the passenger's side front seat became detached from the frame rail. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage and vin was not available.

After driving into a parking spot i tried to put the car into park and the gearshift fell. after it fell again i tried once more and it broke completely off. we had to take it to the dealership whom just turned it off and later informed us that they would have to replace the entire steering column which would cost $1700 just because one piece was poorly constructed and made of soft metal. it has been almost a month and now we're being told the part is on back-order so we still have no car. we've read where this has happened to others but yet nothing has been done about this problem by the ford company. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the transmission became inoperable. the contact stated that the vehicle was unable to shift out of third gear as the rpms increased excessively and beyond 7000. the vehicle was able to be driven to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the torque converter and the shift sensor cluster needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

Got home and noticed a crack all the way thru panel below window on liftgate. *tr

After having driven about 20 miles from home, i noticed several indicator lights flashing on my dash and the car was no longer shifting properly. i managed to return home with the car not wanting to properly up shift. when i took it to a repair shop, about 5 miles from home, i also lost reverse gear. transmission ended up needing to be replaced. *tr

Transmission not shifting into overdrive have to let gas to make it shift change screen tired to correct problem another problem fords good idea to put cheap timing chains in the 4.0 v6 engines thank you *tr

Rear lift gate fiberglass trim below window cracked for no apparent reason. vehicle was sitting still in driveway and when i went out to start it this is when i noticed the crack. *tr

This is the third time i have to replace brakes (full job) with abs concerns. *tr

This is the second time i had to replace brake pads and other brake parts on this car within the same year (2012-13). *tr

The engine overheated without any warning from the dashboard. i bought this car with 18,000 miles. the engine overheated when it had approximately 25,000 miles. *tr

Utah i-15 south bound, inside lane next to concrete barrier with tour bus in lane on my right. my vehicle began to drift to the right as i was passing the bus. i corrected by slowly turning the steering wheel to the left; not hard or fast but slowly and evenly. the explorer (4-door, 2002, xlt) began to whip back and fourth violently. it took me several hundred yards to get the car under control after coming within an inch or two of both the barrier and the bus. this is not the first time the whipping problem has happened. i bought the vehicle four months ago from a private seller. i put new "big-o" bigfoot tires on it and had the front end alignment checked; it was fine. if i hadn't done some fancy driving the vehicle would have rolled (at 80mph) and i probably would have been killed. i am getting rid of the explorer and never buying another ford product again. *tr

It is having trouble shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. engine revs up to and over 4,000rpms and slams into the gears. *tr

Transmission is junk, it slips really bad, whines and chatters. *tr

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. *tr

The rear back hatch cracked. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the gear shift lever fractured. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 107,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle became hesitant to acceleration. after shutting the engine off and restarting, the check engine and od warning lights illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated that the transmission would need to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph, the overdrive warning light illuminated as the vehicle began to loose power. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred three times. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 114,000. *tr

While merging onto the interstate the accelerator continued to accelerate even after i took my foot off the pedal. the rpm's were in the red and nothing i did would correct the problem. the vehicle continued to accelerate. i had to apply both feet to the brake pedal and press as hard as possible to slow the vehicle down. i was able to pull off to the shoulder and jammed the truck in park and the engine stopped. *tr

This 5r55w transmission had to be replaced at 108,890 miles for $3500 while my daughter lived at college. i purchased a 3-year 36,000 mile ford warranty as i was confounded that a truck transmission might fail at such an early age. 3-years 16-days 35,652 miles later this ford reman ford installed trans also failed and ford is unwilling to accept any responsibility for cost of repair replace, 16-days beyond a 100% free replacement. the local dealer quoted $4500 and the previous dealer (100 miles away) quoted the same $3500. i opted for aamco at $2500 and 3-year 36,000 mile warranty, since ford can't re-engineer their own transmission to last a reasonable amount of time, there are hundreds of complaints just on the 2002 explorer transmission, and there are thousands for 5r55w transmission. it is unconscionable that ford is unwilling to accept any liability. *tr

I have replaced 8 wheel bearings on this auto. 4-21-12 i was on the hwy to the nearest big city towing a borrowed utility trailer, which is 90 miles from my home, and i am so fortunate that i did not loose my wheel. at the time, i thought it was my new tires but when i went to the dealer of my tires he showed me the play that my back wheel had and told me i was a very lucky girl that my tire didn't snap off. fast forward and i have just replaced both back wheel bearing again with only 23,000 miles on the previous replaced bearing. 14,000 on the one before that! ford you have a problem!! *tr

Transmission seals fell off in the driveway, transmission completely failed. *tr

Yesterday evening, i got into my 2002 ford explorer and noticed the gear shift lever was stuck in park. i was unable to shift into reverse in order to back out of the driveway. this morning i figured i would give it another attempt as i needed to head out for work. as i tried again, i simply applied the break, grabbed the shift lever and as i pulled the towards me and began to pull down to shift into reverse the lever completely broke and is now hanging. i did not apply excessive force at any point. no more pressure then i normally do when shifting from park to drive to reverse, etc. i looked up this particular situation via internet and noticed many, many complaints of the same exact description. hopefully ford will recognize this issue and issue a part recall.

Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked he placed the gear in drive when the gear assembly detached. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. the technician stated the gear assembly would have to be replaced. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure.the vehicle was being repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 141,000. da

As i was driving in snow, i put the car into reverse to go around another car. when i put it back in drive the gear shift handle broke off in my hand. i was stuck in my car unable to shift, if i turned it off i would not have been able to restart the car. i had to sit on the side of the road and figure out how to get it back into gear with my foot on the brakes. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact smelled a burning odor while sitting at a traffic stop, and then noticed that there was smoke and flames coming from the engine without warning. the contact was able to exit the vehicle without injury. a fire report was filed. the vehicle was towed to a private mechanic but there was no diagnostic performed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control ). the vehicle was destroyed. the approximate failure and current mileage was 130,000. *tr

Was driving car along local road when the engine started to make noise and the car would not go over 5 miles and hour. many cars severed to avoid truck and was lucky there was no accident. truck was towed to local facility and had ford tech look at vehicle. the timing chain tension broke. tech and dealerships( called two for quotes ) said this was a common problem. after finding out the engine needed to be pulled for repair i had to junk the vehicle could not afford repair. this is certainly a safety issue any time a vehicle breaks without warning in the middle of traffic. it is also a know common problem. dealer says the design of the tension is poorly produced and they had extended the warranty for the repair. ford should fix/ replace the tensioner on these truck before someone is killed. *tr

Rear spring broke on left side, not even rusted. car only has 32000 miles on it. have been seeing that this is a known issue with this model but no recall was ever instituted. a travesty. *tr

I can not drive with all the alarms and locks and overhead light going off and on the whole time i'm driving. it is torture, loud and scary!!! *tr

I bought the 2002 explorer new from a ford dealer. at 86,000 miles the transmission proved to be defective and had to be replaced costing $3,000. just today 11/19/2013 at 134,000 miles the transmission needs to be replaced again $4,200.00. i have seen several websites with hundreds of posting telling about similar problems with ford transmissions. here is one such sites web address: http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-explorer/tdmgq44c3jtcjsr03/p26#lastpost ford knows about these problems but refuses to take action other then profiting from continued sales of more defective transmissions and parts. i bought the explorer in good faith for about $31,000.00 and will have paid $7,200.00 (approx 23%)in transmission replacements. the danger here is that these ford transmissions could and may actually have already seize while driving thus causing untold safety issues. please research this and create a recall. thank you. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated the overdrive light illuminated, the rear passenger window cannot be opened and the alarm system engaged on its owns. the contact replaced the drivers door electrical sensor; however, the electrical system failure was not corrected. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 150,000 and the approximate current mileage was 180,000.

The metal bars that hold the seat to the floor broke causing the seat to fall towards the driver's side door while i was driving. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a burning odor was noticed as the rear differential seized within moments. the failure occurred without warning. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who confirmed that the rear differential had seized. the vehicle was not repaired. th e manufacturer was made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

The 2002 ford explorer has a design flaw such that the rear panel cracks. when moisture gets in it causes electrical problems. the six problems experiences on this explorer are as follows: 1) false "door ajar" indicator 2) rear window wiper no longer worked 3) dead battery 4) back-up warning signals no longer work 5) rear window can no longer open 6) brake lights won't turn off even after the engine is turned off. we had to disconnect the battery and take it to the dealership the next day. *tr

While moving the shift lever from park to reverse, the lever broke away from the steering column and could not be returned to park position. the vehicle was stuck in reverse, engine running, and brake applied. with the brake applied, the engine was turned off, still in reverse. the key could not be removed until a small wire contact inside the steering column was shorted to the metal in the column. the vehicle had to be dragged onto a tow vehicle and taken to aikins ford in winder, georgia. i was told the entire steering column had to be replaced and the part plus labor would be approximately $1500. aikins ordered the part and is still waiting after discovering that there were 221 steering columns on back order with the after market manufacturer licensed to provide the part. the design of the shift lever included a "pot" metal disk housing that requires the spring behind it to be actuate by pulling the lever forward to change the gear status. the housing snapped in half, leaving the lever dangling by a small wire. only the fact that the vehicle was not moving averted clear and present danger of an accident. i have requested that the steering column part be returned to me and have very good photos of the vehicle and the actual separation at the break in the column. i will furnish either to your department if and when i get my explorer back. now 56 days and still waiting. i believe that it was design flaw to allow a part that requires uniform strength to be a molded piece of "pot" metal and someone may get hurt, if not already in the 221 incidents that ford is aware of. *tr

Driving forward at 20 mph in a trailer park when overdrive light started flashing and transmission started shifting hard. was told its a well known problem and thousands of 02 explorers had this issue. garage wants 3500.00 to repair the transmission. i called ford who had no answers for me and wont fix even though they know its a big issue with these. thousands of complaints to date. also clock spring just failed and horn stopped working and air airbag light is flashing. *tr

Heard a knocking noise went to mechanic. was told i blew a two holes through timing chain cover. went online found that it is a recurring problem for that year of ford. very upset there is no recall. was told it would cost at least 2000 to fix. ford needs to do something about this. i want to go to media to let everyone that has this problem know that ford knows about it and will not do anything. apparently everyone has to pay out the [xxx] to have this fixed. i'm not one of them. i want my car fixed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

The liftgate hinge fractured allowing the glass to fall nearly breaking my hand. this hinge was recalled by nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 / ford recall no. 04s20. in contacting customer service tonight on a ford transmission issue, i discovered the previous hinge recall and they indicated that hinge had been replace once in 2004 and it was my bad luck that it failed a second time. they would make no restitution for the failed part. it is unconscionable that they would have the same issue as a previous recall and not correct the issue again. it is clearly a serious safety hazard they should address, reimburse me for the part i purchased through ford and replace the other hinge before it also fails and hurts someone. *tr

The transmission slips between first and second gear, the check engine light comes on. the code reads bad servo when read by the nh inspection station. investigation on internet and through dealer inquiries states this is a very common problem with explorer automatic transmissions in this manufacturing time period , everything and everyone states there should be a recall. this is a very well known problem by ford for the 2002-2004 explorer transmissions. *tr

I bought a used 2002 ford explorer in april of this year at a used car lot. it was a beautiful blue suv in remarkable good condition. i had it four months, and it caught on fire while at a stop sight on my way home from a shopping strip twenty miles from my home. it started smoking and while i was fumbling for my purse to get my cell phone to call for help, it caught fire and bystanders on the thoroughfare pulled me forcefully from the car, and then called the fire department. it was a total loss when the entire hood caught fire and melted. my garage mechanic, who had just seen the car, told me that he could see no reason why it would have caught fire. can you help me? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 60 mph, another vehicle crashed into the passenger's side, causing the vehicle to spin and then crash into a wall. the air bags failed to deploy. the rear driver’s side passenger sustained whip lash and minor bruising. a police report was filed. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 200,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 45 mph, the vehicle burst into flames and the contact crashed into an embankment. the contact suffered injuries to the back. the vehicle was destroyed during the crash. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. the fire department stated that the fire had started from the engine. the contact did not call the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 180,000. the vin was not available.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 4 mph, the air bags inadvertently deployed without the vehicle being involved in a crash. a police report was filed of the incident. there were no injuries. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure and current mileage was 76,000.

Approximately 30% of the time, the coast button on the cruise control will actually function as the accelerate button. this can be disturbing if you hit coast to increase distance between you and another vehicle. when this does occur, i am able to hit the brake pedal and deactivate the cruise control. *js

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the engine intake manifold failed due to defective plastic that fractured and caused fluid to leak. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where the intake manifold was replaced with a steel manifold. in addition, the spark plugs rubber and gasket was replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure and current mileage was 180,000. updated 10/17/13*cn the consumer stated when he returned to the dealer, he learned when the five spark plugs were flooded they ruined two coils that sent electricity to the spark plugs. updated the consumer believed ford hid the plastic intake manifold problem, re-engineered the part to include 1/3 metal and then equipped all subsequent models with 1/3 metal as standard equipment in an effort to avoid responsibility for their defective design. updated 04/17/14

August 27,2012. huaband driving howm from work. going down hill to traffic light. car suddenly, with no warning, stalls out completely. loss of power steering, power brakes.etc. a/s contuinued to work. engine ligh came on. wrestled car to verge of road. turned car off and it restarted on forst try. stated that the following day as he attempted to pull away from stop sign, car would not initally take gas but then suddenly accelerated ( " i peeled rubber!") recalled that thatsame incident had had happened approx. 2 weeks before at a diffeent stop. car taken to repair shop, somputer shows no issues. believe car unsafe to drive if affected with sudden, unexplained stalling with no apparent cause. bought car as "certified, pre-owned" used car from ford dealership in dec. 2012. they have no answer, no suggestions as to problem cause. internet search shows multiple complaints for this same problem with the ford explorer.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 35 mph, the over-drive warning light illuminated as a message appeared stating to check the transmission. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. the dealer stated that the transmission had defective rings and bushings. the dealer also stated that the transmission solenoid block was leaking. the contact did not have any repairs performed on the vehicle. the failure mileage was 233,577.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 40 mph, the engine temperature gauge fluctuated intermittently. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis where it was stated that the thermostat needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired and the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the transmission failed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the transmission was rebuilt. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 146,000.

The hinges on the back hatch are breaking. i have contacted ford on several occasions and they state this was already fixed once under recall. therefore, i will have to pay to have it fixed again. if the safety recall was completed properly, i do not think it should be failing again; therefore, i believe they did not fix it properly the first time and since it was a recall, i feel they should have to fix it again. this will be a serious issue if the window completely breaks off. please advise. *tr

It has become increasing more difficult to fuel the vehicle. the pump clicks as if the tank is full as soon as the fueling begins and take a long time to fill the tank as you have to continually push the trigger on the gas pump because it keeps shutting as if the tank is full. *tr

Had a few slips prior but nothing major.. and now wont move in drive!!!! *tr

At approximately 12:30 pm, a brief rain shower began and the windshield wipers failed to operate. after replacement of the wiper motor, and significant troubleshooting, it is likely that the gem module is defective. there had been several days of light, moderate, and heavy rain preceding this issue, during which the automobile was not driven. after this incident, the door-ajar light stays on, the automatic door locks do not work, and there are other electrical issues. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 30 mph, the transmission refused to shift gears. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that they could not diagnose the cause of the failure but the transmission need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 131,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the panel under the hatch fractured and allowed water to penetrate the vehicle. the water then made contact with the electrical components. the vehicle was taken to a private dealer where it was found that the panel needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 50,000.

My vehicle was parked in a driveway. i started the vehicle, depressed the brake, and attempted to put the gearshift lever into reverse. the gearshift lever would not move. again, i depressed the brake and attempted to move the gearshift lever into reverse. the lever broke off at the joint where it comes out of the steering column. i had to hire a tow truck. the driver had to disengage the transmission to load it onto the bed of the tow truck. this has been a massive inconvenience both financially and strategically. i expected this issue to be in the recall mode as there are many incidents noted on this site. i feel the ford motor company should be held liable for all my costs as this is obviously a flawed metal joint that should not fail with normal use. we reside in a mountainous state and use the gearshift lever to down shift on the same roads. this occurrence would have been disaster on floyd hill outside of denver. i guess i was lucky! *tr

Letter from congressman shimkus on behalf of constituent re wiring harness fire on her recalled ford vehicle *tgw the consumer stated when she called the dealer to inquire about a recall, she was informed there was a recall. however, the vehicle had already been repaired in another state in december 2010. the consumer stated the vehicle has been no further than west than missouri. the consumer referenced recall # 09v399000.

I had just pulled in to my customers lot and went to put the car in park, as i did the gear shift lever broke off in the steering column and was just dangling. i put the parking brake on as the suv was rolling, i could not get the keys out. i had to have it towed to interstate ford in dayton. oh. *tr

The dreaded gearshift in hand so well known by ford and anyone with this model,and ford wants big money from the consumer,for a terribly engineered part. have you driven a ford lately? *tr

The interior lights occasionally flicker when all doors are shut securely. also the door ajar light will flicker at times as well. the alarm goes off for no reason and usually it is in the middle of the night and i am pretty sure it is related to the door ajar malfunction. there is no way to disable the factory alarm so i have had to leave my car unlocked at night just to keep it from going off and waking up the neighbors. also we have a crack on the lift gate just below the rear window. you can see this is a common issue by looking at other explorers around town. i have really enjoyed the explorer up until now but it does bother me that these two issues are very common yet ford won't issue a recall to fix these issues. *tr

Car reck

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the gear shifter fractured. the vehicle was not the taken to the dealer. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 167,000. *tr

While driving home from work, attempted to pass a slower moving car. as i did so the gas pedal stuck to the floor. causing me to brake to slow vehicle..finally able to free gas pedal by lifting it up with my foot...major safety issue..ford said no recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance when the dealer stated that the rear coil springs needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 118,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the lift gate window was shattered on the ground. the vehicle was taken to the dealer. after diagnosis they advised him that the hinges fractured and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was contacted and they offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 140,738. the current mileage was approximately 149,229. *tr

I have only owned my 2002 ford explorer for a little over a year and i have had to replace the rear wheel bearings 3 times. just today i have noticed that the left rear wheel bearing is going again and i just replaced both rear wheel bearings a month ago. this is very expensive and i'm am very disappointed in the quality. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that after shifting into reverse, there was an explosion under the hood. the air bags deployed and the engine caught fire. the fire department was present. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the contact also mentioned that the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times for the gears slipping where the transmission was rebuilt but the failure was not corrected. the contact and two passengers suffered injuries but they were unknown. the vehicle failure and current mileage was 291,000.

We were driving down the highway and we heard a clunk and so we pulled over right away and looked and thought it looked like the rear passenger side was sagging but wasn't sure, we drove home and then realized it was def sagging. i took it to the car lot i bought it at and their going to check it all out to see what's going on.. just be looking at it the car lot mechanic said looks like suspension issue as if something broke. also the check engine light came on and we had it checked out a few times and it appears to have o2 sensor issues located on the exhaust which seems to be a issues with alot of ford explorers which makes gas mileage terrible and vehicle stalls out and dies, not to mention the piece of plastic under the rear hatch window that always breaks. *tr

Bearing keep have to be replaced, an the rear coil spring is cracked an the tire came off while driving my truck, have replaced the wheel bearing 3 times already. an i have replace the transmission 2 times. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated while at an independent mechanic for unrelated repairs he was informed that both fuel tank straps were corroded and had to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 116,550.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was a rattling noise heard from the engine as soon as the vehicle was started. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who stated that the timing chain plastic tensioner was fractured. the vehicle was in the process of being repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 80,000. the vin was unavailable.

Like many other frustrated ford owners, i have had transmission problems with my explorer. its really frustrating when you take it to the repair shop and they don't even need to see it to know the transmission needs to be rebuilt, due to the track record of the faulty parts ford has used. its really sad when they know the transmission where not good and continued to install them for more years. i hope sooner or later they own up to their faults and do the right thing and recall the faulty transmissions. we spent good money for a quality american made car and did not expect to have to invest almost $3,000 in a new transmission the next year. ford will lose a lot of loyal customers over this and needs to address this problem. *tr

Rear panel below window cracked from cold while sitting in driveway. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that there was an extended crack on the liftgate exterior panel. the defect became progressively worse over a period of time. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was unavailable.

We opened the rear window to get something out of the trunk, lifted the window and the window exploded and crashed on my husband's head. it seems as if the hydrolics failed on each side of the rear window. glass just shattered and was everywhere. my husband's hands were cut and his head was banged up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while traveling 45 mph, the vehicle made a loud popping noise and the vehicle shook. the also contact stated that the check engine light, over drive, and message centers lights illuminated. the contact stated the vehicle had not been to the dealer or a mechanic. the failure and current mileages were 126,000.

Bought a used 2002 explorer with 116,000 miles on it, went through all the ware items and replaced with new. i drove this vehicle to work for a while, enough to get the mileage to 140,010 miles then suddenly started to slip into 3rd or miss all together 3rd gear. 1st to 2nd works fine, 2nd to 3rd is gone (engine raves like it went into neutral) when you let off the accelerator it goes into 4th gear on will pull again, o/d works also. dangerous for anyone in vehicle, this is a very serious safety concern, if someone was to have to get into traffic and this vehicle was to this they could very easily be run over by a vehicle they are trying to stay ahead of or had pulled out in front of. ford has known about this problem for years now and is doing nothing to make it go away are remedy the poorly designed transmission and it just ticks me off that the federal highway safety people don't make ford do a recall to fix the affected vehicles before someone gets killed. *tr

The back door is cracked between the windows the the latch. this morning the latch stopped working and i can't keep the rear latch closed. *tr

My ford explorer has had so many ridiculous problems. this one is extremely inconvenient. the car has trouble shifting gears, it spins from 1st to 2nd gear and then i have to let go of the accelerator for it to shift again, it skips 3rd gear altogether and jerks into fourth after pressing and depressing the accelerator a series of times. once it's in 4th gear, it doesn't go past 50 mph. my mechanic says his monitor detected a faulty solender and the entire pack has to be replaced, but that may not be the only problem. if that doesn't do the trick (even though it needs to be replaced regardless) he will have to open the transmission and possibly rebuild or replace some of the parts. i have encountered hundreds of other 2002 ford explorer owners with the same problem. aside from this, i have a list of other dangerous issues that this car has had and that has endangered my family's and my life numerous times: - gear shift breaking off the steering column as i shifted from reverse to drive in the middle of a busy intersection. - ignition cylinder/switch breaking - possible spontaneous explosion recall related to the cruise control - rear latch breaking and inability to use the rear latch. - electrical system failure - doors not closing properly & draining the battery - faulty alarm system - faulty temperature gauge and radiator - ford not allowing customers to buy just the parts needed for replacement and repair and forcing their customers to purchase entire packages only in order to get the necessary parts at extremely high prices. ford should be incriminated for selling these vehicles knowing full well that they are flooded with life threatening issues to their customers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the driver of the vehicle was forced off the road by another vehicle, causing the driver to lose control and the vehicle to roll over several times. the air bags failed to deploy. the contact was a passenger in the vehicle and sustained injuries to the head, ankle and ribs. in addition, the contact sustained several lacerations and bruises. the driver of the vehicle was killed and the vehicle was destroyed. the vehicle was not diagnosed by a mechanic or an authorized dealer for the air bag failure. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 38,089.

Pulled into park, went to shift vehicle into park (was fully stopped) and gear shifter broke off. i did not apply any force, just the normal typical action of shifting the gear. good thing it was in neutral when it snapped. took rubber seal off of the gear lever arm and the part which the lever arm was attached had totally broken off. the metal was not stripped or twisted but broken. part #905-104: column shift repair. *tr

Cruise control electrical disengage switch failed. cruise control could only be disengaged by stepping on the brake very hard or by manually turning off the cruise control on/off switch. *tr

I was driving my 2002 ford explorer about 25mph when i felt the rear end drop down. pulled over to the side of the road and all 5 studs had sheared off. the second time it happened i was only backing out of my driveway when i put it into drive & started to accelerate the opposite side studs sheared off. this time only 4 studs broke so i limped the truck back onto my driveway. the third time this happened i was driving about 15mph going around a turn & 4 studs broke off again. if i was going any faster the truck could have flipped over. *tr

Transmission took a crap, it seems to be a know problem with the 2002 & 2003 explorers. guess we should have looked into the explorer better. *tr

Multiple issues with the transmission. from park, when shifted into reverse there is a surge that overcomes the brakes and causes the vehicle to move roughly 4-5 feet. also, the transmissions shifts so hard that it shakes the entire vehicle. when shifting through the gears the transmissions stalls then shifts so hard it overcomes the steering wheel and sometimes causes a change of direction. when traveling at highway speeds 50mph + in overdrive the transmission will surge the vehicle violently as it attempts to stay in gear. after regularly scheduled service of the transmission and multiple discussions with the ford dealership they have not offered a solution other than spend thousands of dollars on another transmission that may cause the same result. this is an unsafe vehicle and needs to be remedied before an accident or death occurs. *tr

Pulling in driveway stopped the vehicle going to put it in park shift lever broke off inside of steering column went on internet found 146 complaints as the same thing happened to them on ford explorer carcomplaints.com. *tr

While pulling out from a stop sign the transmission was slipping causing the explorer to barely pull out into a busy intersection in the path of oncoming traffic which had to stop to avoid hitting me. this was not the only time this has happened, and it happens with no warning. *tr

The fuel gauge dropped to empty while on a trip left us all stranded in cold! *tr

Merging into heavy traffic on us23 n. in ohio, tried to accelerate just as i always do and the transmission decides it doesnt want to shift, then when it finally did (approx 5000 rpm) it slamed into gear. narrowly avoided being rear-ended. turned vehicle around, tried fluid/filter change with no success. did a search on the net and found thousands upon thousands of the same problem. checked for recall and to my surprise there was none. *tr

Three months ago the overdrive light began flashing on my dashboard. the automatic transmission made a loud noise when changing gears. sometimes the rpm's will rev but the car will not increase in speed.the light will not turn off and the transmission continues to shift harshly. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer with cooper discovery htp tires, size: 235 70 r16 (n/a). the contact was traveling 65 mph when the front and rear driver's side tires blew out, causing the steering wheel to shake and the contact to lose control of the vehicle. the contact crashed into a side rail and was transported to the hospital for treatment of severe whiplash injuries. the vehicle was destroyed and was not inspected for the cause of the failure. the failure mileage was not available.

Failure of rear wheel bearings on both sides. time between onset of noise and near catastrophic failure was approximately 300 miles. fearing a high probability that the front wheel bearings might fail without warning and possibly cause a serious accident and injuries, the only option was to incur the high cost to replace all four wheel bearings and related parts. this is a common problem with ford explorers across a wide range of model years and is clearly a manufacturing design defect. nhtsa has been made aware of this issue via a sufficient number of complaints from owners and must compel ford motor company to issue a recall of all ford explorers beginning with model year 2002 or earlier. the recall rightfully must include full reimbursement for reasonable and customary repair costs incurred by owners after warranty expiration. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driver's side and front passenger side doors would swing open sporadically and without warning. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was later contacted and advised her to schedule an appointment with the dealer for inspection and possible repairs. the failure mileage was approximately 105,000. the current mileage was approximately 105,500.

Drive train, bucks, grinds, is slipping. makes alot of noise. had the rear end replaced and it did not work, paid $1000.00 or so and did not take care of the problem. *tr

Alarm goes off when set and no one is around, cruise control does not always work, light inside do not turn off and sometimes do not turn on, radio does not turn off when opening the front doors, but will turn off when back doors are opened. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving approximately 15 mph, the accelerator pedal became jammed. the contact tried depressing the brakes but the vehicle continued to accelerate. the contact immediately shifted to park and shut the ignition off. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 210,000. the vin was not available.

While driving down the road my airbag light comes on. on occasion i am just thankful that my air bag has not gone off yet. also while driving my door ajar light & dome lights come on. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explored. the contact stated that while driving uphill, the vehicle suddenly emitted a burning odor. the vehicle then stalled without warning as the vehicle proceeded to roll-backward and crashed into a phone pole. the vehicle then crashed into a residential home. the contact sustained injuries to the shoulder and mouth. the front seat passenger sustained lacerations and a bruised tail bone. the person seated in the rear passenger side of the vehicle sustained injuries to the back and lacerations to the feet. the rear driver's side passenger sustained head injuries. a police report was filed of the incident. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that the vehicle was included in nhtsa campaign id number: 09v399000 (vehicle speed control) however, the contact never received notification of the recall. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and the current mileage was 147,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 20 mph, he inadvertently stepped on the accelerator pedal and crashed into a pole. the contact suffered a bruised chest, ribs armpit and wrists. he also sustained injuries to the knee and neck. the vehicle was destroyed. all of the air bags in the vehicle failed to deploy. the failure and current mileage was 250,100.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 2 mph and attempting to shift into park, the gear shift lever became detached, leaving the vehicle stuck in reverse. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was awaiting diagnosis of the failure. the dealer and manufacturer were not notified. the vin was unavailable. the failure and current mileage was 167,000.

I've been having an issue with my truck saying the door is ajar when it's not. while driving, the inside light will come on and lock/unlock the doors. i noticed it usually happens either while its raining or if it just finished raining. someone else i know who has the same vehicle (year/make/model) says the same thing happens to his vehicle. i'm wondering if you have heard of this before and if so, what steps do the manufactures take in deciding whether or not a vehicle needs to be recalled for a specific problem? any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated! *tr

The o/d light keeps flashing on and off. also the transmission does no longer want to shift gears; and when it does it shifts very hard. *tr

The fuel system has a problem with it. when you go to put gas in it the pumps almost immediately shut off. something in the fuel system is telling the pump that the tank is full when it is not. it can take 30 minutes to put 10 gallons in the tank. *tr

I just purchased the vehicle in a private sale on 11/09/12 and on 11/10/12 went to shift from park into reverse on a flat surface and my shift lever broke off and i am not able to shift my vehicle. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the front passenger, rear passenger and driver side windows malfunctioned. the contacted mentioned that the windows could not be closed or opened. the dealer was contacted and the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included in any recalls. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 149,983 and the current mileage is 206,000. updated 11/07/12*lj the consumer stated all of the windows malfunctioned. updated 11/07/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that he attempted to engage the heater however, the vehicle exhibited an abnormal noise and the heater would not engage. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised the contact that the heater box needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was unknown.

Transmission failed for the second time. failed originally at 65,000 miles and had to be replaced. failed again 3 years later at 130,000 miles and had a rebuilt transmission installed. 10 months later at 140,000 miles the transmission is leaking and starting to slip. i don't anticipate paying for a 4th transmission on this vehicle. obviously there is something wrong with the design. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked, it became difficult to shift gears. the vehicle was also slipping gears while driving at any speed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing three different times. the technicians were unable to diagnose the failure. there was an investigation under nhtsa action number: ea09013 (power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift steering: column steering: column locking: anti-theft device power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)) that may be related to the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 146,000. updated 11/28/12 *cn

On the afternoon of october 22nd 2012 my pregnant wife was leaving the speech therapist with my son went to put the car in reverse and the shifter snapped off in her hand. the car every since we had it when u put it in park as a delay and rolls for ward a bit i feel that this is a recall that ford should issue for this car. its just not fair to have to pay over 1200 dollars to fix something that is not my fault.what if this would have happened in the street luckily my wife knew to shut the car off and apply the emergency brake. this problem really could end up in serious injury or even fatality to an individual. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving at approximate 10mph the contact heard a grinding noise. the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the body mounts were deteriorating between the frame. the vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle was not repaired. the appoximate failure mileage was 141,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the timing chain belt tensioner failed and caused the vehicle to sound like a diesel truck while driving. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer and was told the engine needed to be replaced. the contact stated the noise had been a problem for over four years, but the dealer could not find anything wrong with the vehicle. the failure mileage was 62,000 and the current mileage was 101,000.

I was driving in town when i accelerated from a stop light and the transmission would not engage into 3rd gear. the engine revved highly and then suddenly the transmission kicked into gear with a sudden jolt forward. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving 68 mph, the vehicle exhibited a squealing noise and began pulling to the left. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis and was told that the wheel bearings were frozen and that he should continue to drive on them until they fractured, in which the vehicle would be fine to drive. the vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the bearings were frozen to the axle, and that the rear driver's side axle would need to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 73,000 and the current mileage was 161,000.

2002 ford explorer. consumer writes in regards to a bolt under the front seat that can break causing the seat to move back and forth *tgw the consumer would like his vehicle repaired at no charge, even though it is 2002, and not included in recall# 03v281000, which he did reference.*jb

While coming off a freeway my car suddenly jerked and the transmission failed. causing my vehicle to stop. when trying to move forward the car began to try to roll backwards into the car behind me. i was lucky i was coming to a stop rather then going full speed on the freeway. after much research i have found that this is an all too common problem with this make model and year. the transmission now needs to be completely rebuilt according to 2 mechanics. *tr

Heard a clunk noise in the rear of truck...come to find out both rear strut coils were rotted out and broken..trucks has never pulled a trailer or been off road! *tr

Went to put car in drive from the park position and the shifter completely broke and was hanging. also, i was not able to get my key out of the ignition. we were planning to make an out of town trip the following day, however, had to change plans due to this situation. after searching online, i have discovered there has been numerous complaints for this exact defect for the exact type of vehicle. it seems that since there has already been so many same situations, that a recall would have taken place by now. not has it only been inconvenient, but could also be potentially dangerous! *tr

The service engine light came on and i was told there might be a transmission problem. after the service the light was off and i was going again. at 107,000 miles the light came back on and back to the service departmant and they said the #5 ring was having problems i could drive it and it would get worse. it was also mentioned this year explorer had many transmission issues. now they want a minimum of $3,500 to fix the suv and the trade-in is only worth $3,500 dollars. i now have 117,500 miles on it and it shifts hard and goes in reveserves slowly. i have talked to ford to no avail at all. the say sorry but we can't help with fixing it at all. there is no discounted rate for an issue that is well known on the blogs. this seems to be against the fact that ford says they have the bext trucks on the road if they think 117,000 miles is enough to replace the transmission. i do not understand the fact they think it is okay to charge that amount for a known issue on the 2002 - 2004 model explorers. i need help as i can't afford to fix it to trade it in and i don't see putting $3,500 plus into some thing that may only last one day to maybe a year. *tr

Transmission failed on the highway at 70mph pulled off exit and continued on city roads to our jobs parking lot and is no longer drive able. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while traveling 70 mph the vehicle speed suddenly increased up to 90 mph. the contact stated that the brake pedal was very stiff and failed to stop the vehicle. as a result, the contact had to shift into park in order to get the vehicle to stop. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 175,550.

While trying to fill the gas tank at the fuel pumps, it takes sometimes up to 20 minutes to completely fill the tank. i can only squeeze the handle on the gas pump hose line slightly yet it keeps shutting off as if the tank is full. i know that it takes nearly 20 gallons to fill my tank yet the nozzle keeps shutting off every 10 - 12 seconds. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while attempting to shift from park to drive, the gear shifter lever fractured. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileage was 64,549.

Rear coil springs are rusted and cracking, piece fell off. it appears that inadequate or deficient metal was used. mechanic says very rare for coil springs to rust like this, springs look as though they have been in a junk yard for 30 years.this vehicle is a family car, not used for off-roading and kept in a garage. according to my research many other owners have had the same issue, some have even had the pieces puncture tires causing a blowout while driving. i can only assume that ford is not concerned with consumer safety, but only with their own profits and are waiting for people to die before taking responsibility. this is just one of many issues with this model and ford needs to step up. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while driving in reverse, the gear shift lever failed. the contact tried to shift the vehicle in park but the gear shift remained stuck. the contact stated the vehicle continued to move and the emergency brake was used to stop the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to a mechanic for inspection where they stated that the aluminum house that connected the shift lever to the steering column failed and would need to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified and have not responded. the failure mileage was 135,000.

When accelerating on a start, car doesn't shift into 2nd and 3rd gear....unless there is a push or jump into it. *tr

Ford dealership and local mechanic have witnessed dozen of cases with ford in which the vehicle is vibrating at higher speeds. we have tried replacing tires, balancing, and wheel alignments. i have read hundreds, if not thousands of people complaining about this issue online, but ford has done nothing to educate their staff or public about this issue. most common identified issue has been the rear differentials, but those who have had them replaced has had the vibration come back after time. *tr

Tl* the contact owns 2002 ford explorer. the contact was attempting to park and haphazardly depressed the accelerator pedal as opposed to the brake pedal. the vehicle accelerated rapidly, causing the contact to crash into a building. the air bags did not deploy and the contact sustained injuries as a result. a police report was not available. the vehicle was towed to the contact’s residence and was not inspected for the air bag failure. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileage was 56,705.

I was backing up in a costco parking lot and the steering column where you shift gears broke in half. there was no way to drive or shift the car. the car was in neutral and there were pedestrians in front of me and cars behind me. i yelled for everyone to stay clear, had a few men help push me back to a parking bin and pulled the emergency break. the engine would not shut off, i had to have car towed to my house. i checked on line and this has happened to over 1,000 ford 2002 owners. it is due to a faulty manufacturer part in the column shift, a metal piece that broke off. *tt

I bought my 2002 ford explorer xlt and within 1 week the transmission had gone out....have had it repaired and still no good. *jb

I have a 2002 ford explorer and the over drive light started flashing and the check engine light is on and the transmission started slipping from 2-3 gear and i found out with my 2yr and 3yr kids in the car if i need to pull out on to a highway with cars coming the suv don't want to do so and will rev up and might slam into gear when you let off the gas. i love my explorer great family car but with this problem i will not have my kids in it at all. and not knowing if it will make it or not. ford do something about this. im not the only one. *tr

While driving car would not shift passed 3rd gear. i had to pull over on a busy highway because i was afraid the engine would explode. i later found out, after researching, that the risk of it shifting into reverse is a common problem with the po745 error code in 2002 explorers. *tr

I just had my car serviced for a recall at cherokee ford in woodstock ga. just 3 days later, my vehicle stopped working in the middle of a very busy street and i was unable to restart it. i was very lucky not to be hit. it would have been tragic. *js