Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer VISIBILITY

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.

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. 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. 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

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

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

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.

When closing the rear hatch glass, the glass exploded. car was parked inside our garage attached to our house. we were unloading packages and when we were done we reached up and pulled the window to close. the glass shattered all over. *tr

none of the windows will work, they were operating properly and just quit. this vehicle is unsafe to drive, in an emergency, (such as a crash). the occupants of the vehicle could become trapped in the vehicle because the windows would not operate. if a fire occurred the results could be tragic. ford is aware of this problem along with several other problems on this vehicle. yet they choose not to repair or replace any of the known defective components. my vehicle has a lot of miles on it, but this problem along with other problems on this vehicle happens on lower mileage vehicles also. *tr

The rear hinges gave way, and the back half glass exploded. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer that i purchased 8 months ago. i have had to replace the switch that controls the windows 8 times now. the driver side window goes down while noone is touching it and will not go back up. i have jumped the window up and disconnected the plug until i could afford it every time that this has happened. the cost is about $200 to repair. i feel that this is a safety issue because it is so frequent and until a person can afford to fix the problem you have to jump your window and disconnect the plug, allowing none of the windows to go down. what if there was an accident and putting a window down was the only way for an adult or a child to get out of this vehicle? to me that is dangerous! and terrifying! in 8 months of owning a vehicle that i paid $6,500 for i have now put $1,600 into on top of it! and i will continue to have to do so if this problem is not recalled. i have taken the vehicle to 4 different garages and the only "fix" option i am getting is to replace the switch! there has to be something more than this if the switch is going bad every month or more! this last time it took a whole 3 days for the switch to go bad again! i understand that some people may feel as though this is not dangerous or is not a safety issue, but lets be real here.....if the plug is not connected the windows cannot got down. so if there is a fire or an accident and this is the only way out people may die!! some people may say to just keep paying to have the problem fixed, however it is getting expensive and it is not truly fixing whatever the problem is! ford made this vehicle and should have to fix this issue!! *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while parked, the contact was standing under the rear lift gate when it closed on its own and the glass shattered. the contact did not have severe injuries but sustained a headache and cuts on her head. the contact stated there was a recall nhtsa campaign id number: 07e104000 (component: visibility: glass, side/rear) on the vehicle. the recall repairs were performed on the vehicle prior to the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and stated the vehicle could be taken to the dealer for inspection and if the technicians determined the repairs were not performed correctly, they would cover the costs of the glass but if they were done correctly, the contact would have to cover the repair costs. the failure mileage was 58,263.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked, the rear hatch window exploded without warning. the dealer repaired the window according to recall 01i010000 (visibility: glass, side/rear) but the failure occurred again. the vehicle had not been repaired. the vin was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were unknown.

Heater failed causing windows to "fog" over and decreased ability to see out windshield. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer and for the past 5 years that i have owned it, the windshield wipers have been erratic! the front ones will come on whenever they want and alot when the turn signal is used. as of late they come on very often and is very distracting while driving. today they were so unpredictable that they almost caused an accident with me and my 2 small children in the car. *tr

Long list of repairs made this summer including computer, airbag sensors, a/c whole system, main window controls and now my transmission. *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

Re nhtsa # 04v-442. 2002 ford explorer. liftgate glass hinge sheared and glass fell on me. i was told by service dept that ford recall 04s20 (performed in 2004) was only warranteed for 1 year, so i purchased new hinge kit (2l2z-78420a68-aa) and installed myself. after examining old parts, i noticed significant redesign. after discussion with a ford service manager it appears that initial recall repairs were insufficient and by his estimate the hinges last about 3 years. there were several modifications to the recalled parts and procedures since 12/04. my vehicle was repaired 12/20/04 so the most recent procedure was not followed at the time and most recent parts were not installed. ford will not compensate for additional expenses once any recall repair was completed. i was not injured because i was opening the hatch slowly and had not let go before the hinge broke and the glass fell. i believed that the safety defect had been repaired. this is not the case. the danger still exists. i suggest a warning notice be sent to all owners that had recall performed before the final procedures (rcrit-04v442-7848) were developed. it would also encourage ford to cover the cost of repairs for the defective recall repair - including glass breakage - as they did for the original recall. *tr

After starting the ignition on my 2002 ford explorer, my husband and i noticed an obnoxious smell in the car. my husband pulled over and looked under the car and did not see anything. i looked at the driver's door and saw smoke coming from the power window buttons. my husband turned off the ignition. he felt the buttons and they were very hot. eventually the smoke subsided. he later on removed the fuse that correlated with the power windows. he drove the car home without incident. *tr

I have had many problems with my 2002 ford explorer. i started getting the crack in my hatch by the rear window in 2005. it has spread and gotten worse and i still have not fixed it. last year in 2009 our abs light has been coming on and off and when i go to brake at times it feels like they kick on at irregular times, but i also feel i do not have the braking power i should. in june 2010 i was driving the explorer and the o/d light starting blinking and the explorer was shifting out of control. we had to have the transmission replace and the u-joints and the rear axle fixed for around $2900. we also had to replace the battery in july 2010. i called ford motor company and told them all of my issues and they told me that since they did not have enough complaints they could not do anything about it. to this point i was aggravated and couldn't believe the way they had treated me and let alone others who i am sure made the same call. i feel this is a safety issue because even now when it is in gear in park the car seems to move back and forth. *tr

All 4 windows on my 2002 ford explorer no longer work properly. you either can hear they are going to soon fail or have already failed (the driver's side window has already failed and i had to spend over $500 for the repair and now my passenger-rear window has failed and will no longer go back up). *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. when the contact attempted to close the rear lift gate door, the glass fell out of the door frame, and shattered. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer. the rear glass assembly required replacement. the vehicle had a prior recall repair performed under the nhtsa campaign id number 01i010000 (visibility: glass, side/rear). the failure recurred due to the insufficient remedy repair. the current and failure mileages were 103,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the blend door which regulates the heat and the defrost systems has failed. the dealer replaced the actuator motor that controls the blend door. the contact was responsible for paying $650 to repair the vehicle. there were no recalls or warranties related to the failure. the failure mileage was $64,000.

2002 ford explorer rear window - the hinges or the slides on the side did not hold the window up for the window section of the rear door. while parked, the glass door came down onto the head of a person, the glass in the window exploded hitting the person in the head, causing the person to fall backwards into the bottom frame of the rear window assembly. the person suffered a large knot on their head and glass cuts. the ford dealer service department advised this is a "common problem" they have with this vehicle and that ford is aware of it but has not done anything about a recall or to repair the problem. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer. there was no accident or any reason leading up to the failure. both of my rear door windows can not be moved down (or up). the switch mechanism does not work and needs to be replaced. this is an on-going problem that ford is aware of, that is costly to the consumer to repair and which could prove fatal should an accident occur and the occupants could not escape through the windows. i feel that a recall needs to be done about this problem as it seems to be a manufacturing/component defect of ford's. *tr

Went to place items in rear. opened rear glass, glass shattered. myself and my wife were both standing under the hatch when it shattered. no excessive force on the hatch was given. wife received wounds to the head and hands. i myself received wounds to hands and arms. *tr

We lifted up the rear glass on our 01 ford explorer and it completely shattered. the whole back glass is now gone. ford did a recall but only included 02 - 04 vehicles. they've had almost one million recalls for this particular problem however they said that it doesn't matter because the recall is only for cars made from 02 to 04. this seems somewhat frivolous. *tr

Driving on highway, no debris, and our sunroof exploded. as the screen was closed no injuries, but potential for cut and eye injuries by razor sharp glass. no one behind us affected. huge noise very startling. *tr

Rear window supports failed and were in a ford recall. ford replaced them several years ago, but now the rear window will not stay up and is dangerous. *tr

On monday june 1st we were loading items into my explorer for a garage sale and my husband went to close the door and when he went to close it just exploded everywhere. luckily by the grace of god my grandson was not around the vehicle at that time. i just feel that ford should be responsible for this repair because even though i was not the original owner whenever the recall was posted, they should still honor it. *tr

Rolling down passenger side window when i heard a loud pop and the window slid down and will no longer go up or down. *tr

I popped open the rear lift gate window of my 2002 ford explorer, and as it did not open fully, i pushed it upward slightly out the way. the gate window assembly collapsed, shattered, and fell on my head. fortunately, i was not injured, but it was unnerving to say the least. investigating further, i see that this is actually not an uncommon occurrence: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/windows_windshield/rear_lift_gate_window_exploded.shtml something needs to be done, and soon, our somebody is going to get blinded or worse. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the windshield wipers would independently engage intermittently. the contact stated the failure would occur during any type of weather condition. the wipers also fractured from the vehicle due to friction caused by the dry windshield. the dealer has not been contacted and the vehicle was neither diagnosed nor repaired. the failure mileage was 100,000 and the current mileage was 111,000.

My suv was parked in the driveway. i pushed the rear window release button to open the rear window and it exploded. glass fragments were found up to 12 feet in all directions. the noise it made was loud, like a shot gun had gone off. a professional auto mechanic told me that my rear window regulator must have malfunctioned. clearly this is a design flaw that ford should rectify and fear for the safety of anyone owning/using this vehicle. i'm currently searching for replacement parts. *tr

Back glass breaking upon shutting door , drviers door

i open up my back hatch to get my bags out and as i was getting my bags out of the back the window exploded all over me.. class got in my neck and on my back thank god i had a hat on or my face would of got all cut up.. something needs to be done this has happen to many people. there is not reason for this, someone is going to get hurt very bad.. what has to happen someone lose a eye before something is done.. i am not waiting i am getting a lawyer. *tr

Placed an item into the rear storage area of my 2002 ford explorer. window didn't stay up, so i gave it another push with my hand. i didn't push hard. the window exploded in my hand. glass flew everywhere. ford had a recall on this which i had fixed early on in my ownership of the vehicle. i ended up with glass slivers in my hand and now i have a vehicle with no rear window. *tr

1.) my heating does not work. the air conditioner works, however, when you turn the knob for heat, it makes a ticking sound and no heat. we took the vehicle to several garages, 3 in all, who have states they see this problem often with my model ford explorer xlt. *tr

Purchased a 2002 ford exp eddie bauer ed used with 35,000 miles. transmission had to be repaired within 3 weeks due to 4wd malfunction covered by warranty. passenger side window motor assembly has been replaced once, and window regulator has been replaced once, and is in need of a second replacement. took to local dealership and was told window was not meant to be lowered halfway. the rear hatch has also cracked completely down from window to lower panel. dealership will not acknowledge issues with this occurring, but upon further research have found this to be a common problem with this vehicle make and model. overdrive light blinks continuously and dealership reports it to be a malfunctioning electrical switch repair cost at around $400. have continued to drive vehicle, but will no longer drive vehicle after discovering that this is a precursor to transmission failure. may possibly trade-in this vehicle and lose monetary value for private sale. will not be responsible for selling this vehicle to a private party and risk injury to next owner. shame on ford for not taking care of their customers. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while the vehicle was parked and the rear tailgate hatch window was a quarter of the way down, the contact's son retrieved items from the trunk and the middle piece of the rear end was literally hanging off. the window glass shattered everywhere. his son was uninjured, but the contact believes that this should not have occurred if no pressure was applied to the window itself. the contact drove to the dealer and was informed that the failure was not covered under warranty, nor a recall. the current and failure mileages were 136,739.

2002 ford explorer- a nightmare of problems that keep getting worse. it has 56k miles on it and i am about to replace the transmission. fuel pump , 2 rear springs, 2 wheel bearings and the drivers side window motor have already been replaced. neither of the 2 rear windows roll down and the back hatch lift replace on recall is broken yet again. this is the biggest hunk of junk on 4 wheels. ford needs to do something. thank god i didn't buy it new because that really would have been a rip off. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that after several attempts to open the lift gate she was able to open it, as a result, the hinge broke and the bar that held the glass broke then the glass shattered. as of may 27, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 101,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. she noticed that the frame for the glass on the rear window was cracked. the dealer stated that the manufacturer would no longer provide a free remedy for the visibility: glass, side/rear (nhtsa campaign id #01i010000). as of may 23, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the failure and current mileages were 73,000.

Rear panel was cracked which then lead to the rear window hinge failing and the window shattered in an unprovoked manner. *tr

Right below the rear window cracked from window down to the bottom of door. (top half) i thought at first that someone must have tried to break in using a pry bar. went through the car wash and when i came out i noticed the crack. pissed me right off..i hate driving damaged cars.. this was not called for..why did it crack? *tr

Problems with this explorer over my ownership include: -rear glass replaced -front brakes replaced -rear wheel bearings have required replacement, -parking brake issues, -new tires, etc. *tr

Where to start... broken cruise control, headlight switch has a short, driver side passenger window doesn't roll down, trouble going into gear, car suddenly dies at interstate speeds, loud grinding sound from the engine bay (like an electric knife sharpener) that is getting increasingly more frequent, service engine soon light will not go off, brakes squeal and don't stop the vehicle properly, support for the hatch (which is cracked 8 inches or so in two places) doesn't lift hatch completely, and the fuel economy is down to 4-6 mpg in the city. i hate it! i don't feel like my girlfriend is safe driving it, and i think ford should be forced to make their wrongs into rights! *tr

Power window opener on drivers side quit. *tr

The rear windows was recalled and the repair was performed. now the back window failed as i am told by the ford dealer has cracked. after some searching i see this is pretty common after the repair. http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/windows_windshield/rear_lift_gate_window_exploded.shtml *tr

We own a 2002 ford explorer that we purchased used with 40,000 miles on it. since purchase we have had 3 power window motors go bad, both rear bearings replaced, the back door panel is cracked, the a/c doesn't work, and now it looks as if the transmission is going bad. if so many people with this vehicle have all the same problems how can there be no recall? *tr