Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer STEERING

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Shifter lever broke off. *tr

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

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

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. *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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As i was driving home from work my fuel gauge went from full to empty and the check gauge light came on then the vehicle died and i lost power steering and the power brakes. *js

Shifter broke off while shifting from park to drive,cannot shift vehicle. i read online there are numerous people that have had the same problem ,they were all wondering why there hasn't been a recall on this problem. has there? *tr

[xxx] got behind the wheel of her 2002 ford explorer, intending to pick up her son from school. when she tried to shift the car into reverse, she says the entire gear selector broke off and fell in her lap. it turns out she's not alone. team 4 investigator jim parsons reported that the national highway transportation safety administration has been investigating similar complaints around the country -- some of which involved vehicles slipping into gear and crashing -- for more than two years. nhtsa's office of defects investigation says it has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believed they had shifted the suvs into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries. earlier this year, nhtsa upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis for 2002-2005 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers. [xxx] says ford told her she would need to replace her entire steering column to fix the broken gear selector at a cost of more than $1,500. instead, she worked with her local mechanic to find an after-market replacement part that retails for $30. so far, ford motor company has not issued a recall on the gear selector. more information: nhtsa website details on explorer investigation (type in action number ea09013) read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/29353127/detail.html#ixzz1zyubpjeg information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

In the evening, i was about half an hour from home when i pulled up to a gas pump at a station and attempted to put the vehicle into park. i did not do anything different than normal. the steering gear shift broke off into my hand. it was attached by a wire. i could not tell what happened except that it was broken off the steering column. the service department of the dealership was closed but the receptionist said that the vehicle could be left at the service department lot overnight and they would take a look at it the next day. i drove to the dealership holding the piece in my right hand as i did not know what would happen if it became unattached from that wire. i felt scared that something was going to happen such as a fire, turn completely off in traffic, etc. i didn't know what was going to happen next. i got to the dealership, set the emergency brake and turned off the ignition. i couldn't get the key out of the ignition. i had no choice but to leave my vehicle there with key in the ignition. i emptied as much of my stuff from the car as i could as i was worried that there could be some type of criminal activity overnight. thankfully, it was there the next morning but unfortunately the cost of repair is over $1,500. the service advisor said the only way to fix this is to replace the entire steering column. this is all out of pocket costs. i am thankful that the dealership does provide free loaners and that this happened in a place where i could exit the location and make it to the dealership. the cost to repair, the stress that this caused, the fact that this is a known defective part, and the possibility of this happening again are all not good. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while moving the gear shifter from park to reverse, the gear shifter fractured and detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the steering column had to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that upon shifting the vehicle into reverse, the gear shifter separated from the steering column. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and the current mileages were 183,000.

My 2002 ford explorer (automatic transmission) was parked in my driveway. i attempted to shift out of park when the gear shift broke off in my hand. i now have to pay $1360 for a replacement (used) steering column. after doing research, i have discovered that this problem is very common with 2002 ford explorers. ford motor company should voluntarily do a recall, before a class action law suit is brought against them. *tr

While my wife was backing up in my son's driveway, the gear shift broke on my 2002 ford explorer. the charge to repair by a ford dealer was roughly $2,000.00 (including tow charges). after doing research on this issue, it apparently is way too common, however ford refuses to acknowledge responsibility or issue a recall. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving approximately 65 mph, the front and rear end of the vehicle began to shake violently. in addition, there was severe vibration in the steering wheel which caused difficulty in steering the vehicle normally. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 148,000. the vin was unavailable.

After starting the car (leaving my son's baseball game with my 2 year old daughter in car!), i attempted to put the car in reverse and the gear shift broke off in my hands. the key was stuck in the ignition and could not be removed. it required a special tow truck to get this to the dealership. they quoted me $1600 to replace the entire steering column. if you search online there are literally hundreds of complaints like this. why has a recall not been issued? this is ridiculous, and extremely unsafe. what if you were going in reverse and tried to shift to drive and the gear shift broke off? you could case major accidents. not to mention getting stranded with small children in the car and no way to remove the key from the ignition! ford should be ashamed - this part that broke is made of cheap pot metal, and ford does not manufacture or sell a replacement part for the small piece that broke, instead they make you buy a $1200 steering column! shame on ford! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while shifting into park, the gear shifter fractured. the contact was unable to maneuver the shifter so the contact towed the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer replaced the entire steering column. the failure mileage was 151,957. updated 11/03/11 *bf the consumer stated the shift lever broke off. the dealer stated the steering column where the shifter attached and ignition lock cylinder came apart. the steering column had to be replaced. updated 03/08/12

Please do something about this !!!! the explorer gear shifter is defective and unsafe. there is a common thread with gearshift selector breakage on ford explorers which indicates that recall is urgently needed. after parking, i tried to move the gear shifter from drive to park to exit the vehicle. to my absolute astonishment the gear shifter broke like a dangling broken arm in the reverse position. the vehicle was rendered useless and me optionless. i work at a secure gov't facility and it was no picnic trying to get a tow truck driver access. i finally got the truck towed to the nearest dealership at $85. the dealer then informed me that the entire steering column would have to be replaced at $1,690. they didn't have the part and needed a day to get the truck back to me. i had to rent a car which was another $102 bucks. make ford take care of this safety hazard. i asked for the part and can show you what broke inside which is literally a weak metal housing that the gear shift handle fits in.... *tr

When putting car into park or reverse, car would sometime still be in drive for seconds after putting car in gear. several times now, occasionally car will simply shut off. recently, the car would not go into park and shifter separated from steering column. *tr

My husband was driving our 2002 ford explorer when he went to back out of a parking spot and the entire gear shift fell off the steering column. the vehicle will not shift gears and the key can not be removed from the vehicle. luckily he was in a parking spot. had he backed out and this happened as he was trying to put the car in drive her could have in a major accident. it is very very very unsafe. the car is getting towed to the dealership. at this time it is unknown what will be done to correct the problem. *tr

While backing up, the gear shift broke on my 2002 ford explorer. it was good that i was not in traffic because i could not get the car back in gear and could have gotten hit and or caused an accident. the steering column was replaced and the parts were in my opinion over priced. my fear is that it may happen again because it may have been replaced with the same defective part. *tr

While picking up my pastor at the dulles airport, i shifted my 2002 ford explorer into park. before i could even reach park, the shift handle detached itself from the steering column and was limp in hand. the only thing left attached, was the wiring cable. i couldn't get the keys in or out of the ignition, most likely because it wasn't in park nor in reverse. of note, because of that, it was very hard to get a tow truck guy to accept the responsibility for dragging it onto the flat bed truck. the piece that broke was just a small aluminum cast pin. when the ford dealership called me the next day with a quote for repair, i was shocked at the price, $2145.00. i was told i needed a whole new steering column because the part that's broken couldn't be repaired with in the column itself. that's when i went on line and searched for similar problems. i was aghast to find hundreds with similar or exact same problems i had. my question is, why isn't there a re-call for this particular defect since so many people are having problems with this small pin? if no recall, why can't ford help financially or at least, partially to help offset this high expense for such a small fix? i am on a fixed income and a several thousand dollar repair sets us back significantly. does anybody have a solution? does anybody have any other options to get ford to help with this problem, i'm desperate. thank you all. *tr

The gear shift lever fell off the steering column while putting the car into park. it is held on only by the electrical connection. *tr

I was picking up a family friend, an while waiting for her to come to my 2002 ford explorer, i put my truck into park, when she got in, i then attempted to put it back into drive, an the gear shift handle broke off into my hand, it basically dangled there an i had no choice but to call a two truck driver. i got an estimate for over $600 for a used column, cause apparently ford doesn't make the little piece that broke off. i have been online for awhile to find another way of getting this fixed an i have seen hundreds an hundreds of complaints for the very same thing, why hasn't this been recalled yet? what do i or we have to do to get ford on the ball with this continuing problem? thank god it is stuck in park, an unfortunately so are my keys. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer. while driving in reverse 5 mph the gear shift came apart from the column and fell in his lap while the engine was running. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who stated that it would cost $1,500 to replace the steering column. there were no warranties related to the failure. the vin was unavailable. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 77,000. updated 02/07/11 *bf updated 04/20/11

Air bag warning light came on,pulled plug apart under drivers ,seat sprayed cleaner on it put it back together, took care of that problem. gear shift lever sheared off. ford says you need to replace steering column. went online found a man in sweden that made a replacement part,ordered it ,put it on ,works great. (why couldn't ford supply one?) the transmission is starting to act up, you shift in to drive it hesitates and leaps forward, quite hard, same in reverse. ford should recall this before someone gets hurt.

While putting my 2002 ford explorer into park at a drive up atm machine, my gear shift just feel into my hands. i was stuck blocking the drive way and had to be towed to a shop where they say the ford dealership wanted about 1500.00 to replace steering column. the shop told me that was too much for just a small part that was broken. the dealership said it could not replace just the small part that was broken. my shop told me that it could not find the small part and they see it they can get certified welder to weld the part and it would cost way less then 1500.00. as i researched this problem on line i came across many complaints about the same problems i am having; the same year model, make and same problem. i am still waiting to hear from the shop about how much it will be and how soon i can get my car repaired and back to me. *tr

Purchased 2002 explorer xlt v6 4.0l already transmission slipping solenoid or whatever out.. i have read reports and wonder why this transmission is not recalled? i have it in shop now having to have it rebuilt and everything changed. also right wheel bearings bad, upper and lower ball joints bad, suspension shot. and the records show the previous owners maintained everything well. but also had transmission replaced and had problems at 99,000miles. please doing something for all of us out here. also coolant leak, engine leak, power seat failure, and on. *tr

My wife and i and our 8 year old twin boys were on vacation this summer driving through the rocky mountains in a rain storm. it was august 13th, 2010. there was a huge single lane traffic jam because of an accident. we pulled over to the side of the road because my wife needed to get out and stretch. when i put the 2002 ford explorer back into drive, the shift lever broke off in my hand like it was made of butter. needless to say, we were in shock and scared because we were stuck at the top of the rocky mountains in a rainstorm. the ford was stuck in drive so i decided to drive it all the way to our hotel in rife, colorado. we were very scared the whole way. we made it to our hotel. the local ford dealer could not get a part until the following week. a local mechanic rigged it so we could get home to california in time for jobs and school. we felt very unsafe the whole way. when we got home to california, the local ford dealership replaced the entire steering column and shift lever for $1,300. i have a 2nd 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. when i got home from work today, i parked my ford explorer in the driveway, put the shift lever into drive and it broke off! again, like it was made of butter. this is exactly two months after the other one broke. today is october 13, 2010. i am very careful with my vehicles. my wife and i are both teachers in our mid 40's. now, i am left with the same make and model with the exact same defect and i will be calling ford and asking them to treat me fairly and repair this defect at their cost. can you help me? *tr