Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer POWER TRAIN

Vehicle was purchased in april 2002. vehicle broke down in july while consumer was driving, almost causing an accident. dealer advised consumer that transmission needed to be replaced.*ak

Transmission failure on ford explorer. self enclosed transmission, no dipstick for checking fluid levels, poorly designed concept. here is website with 428 complaints against this particular model/year. all the same issue. *tr

When coming to a stop on an incline transmission shifts to neutral, causing vehicle to roll backwards. dealer stated there is a tsb on this issue, to refill transmission fluid. ford has no remedy for it at this time. transmission fluid leaks from converter housing into transfer case.*ak

Overdrive light was flashing, then stayed on. dealer determined transmission had to be replaced.*ak

Last summer (july 2002) during a military move from ga to az i noticed that my windshield had a large piece of glass missing on the outter right edge that you could not see until you actually got right up on the windshield. part of it was visible to and part of it was hidden behind the rubber seal that is around the windshield. this windshield was actually installed with this piece missing from it when the vehicle was built and sent to the dealership. also, the rear glass hatch, gas shock twisted from its original position and caused the window to be off center by about an inch or more. after fixing it three times it had to be replaced. both of these problems (the windshield and the gas shock) have been fixed by my local dealership and thus far have held up. there are numerous other complaints that i have on my vehicle that include the elecrical system not functioning properly. when you turn the truck on sometimes all the dashboard lights stay on as well as the interior lights and you have to shut the truck down and back on several times in order for them to go out. the truck will sometimes stall at take off or will lurch while shifiting into a higher gear and has totally shut down while driving down the road on a few occasions. the trim paint on the doors, both front and passenger has faded there are rusted spots in the paint on the top of the vehicle, and the hood has a very bad orange peel effect on it with grit in the paint. the left rear speaker has busted and the panel on the rear hatch below has broken loose as well as one of the plastic bracket covers on the back of the passenger seats. pe04045.pco

We have 2002 ford explorer suv with only 68k miles and we had to have an entirely new transmission put in it,just a year and a half earlier with less than 59k miles we had a new shift solenoid replaced. a year and a half later the transmission started doing the same thing again which prompted the new transmission .at the transmission shop we were informed that they have done numerous complete transmission overhauls on these explorers and jags, with very low miles, just in the last six months. this explorer has been well maintained and not driven that much that it would have needed such a major undertaking with such low miles. we have been checking around and transmission shops have told us they have seen alot of the explorers like ours with low mileage needing complete replacements don't know what it takes to get a recall into effect but i am hoping this might be a step that needs to be taken by individuals. we have spent over $3500 in the last year and a half on our eddie bauer and regret the day we purchased it. our 1986 chevy wagon with 133k never has given us any problem this big. *nm

Shifter hangs-up when trying to put car in park. when car was new the dealer said they would have to pull the trans. apart to fix it but in a few months the burr would wear and it would work fine.(another dealer lie). i think it is getting worse. the car now has only 28,000 miles on it. *tr

While traveling 55 - 65 mph a high pitched whinning noise would develop in the rear portion of the vehicle. the noise would subside as the pedal was released. however the noise would increase as the gas pedal was slightly pressed to advance speed. took to dealer on 6/11/02. mechanic claims to know what is causing noise. truck is sitting up on rack apart and the tool to remove axles is on national backorder. needless to say the loaner vehicle i am currently using has the same sound, but is not as severe at the moment. i feel this may be a design problem that may not be fixed as easilly as hoped.*ak

Flashing o/d instrument light

Flashing o/d instrument light

Consumer hears clicking noise in transmission. also, vehicle jerks. *ak

Had to have torque converter replaced and now or still have a whine that i fear is coming from the rear end. *tr

Excessive problems with transmission jerking, and shifting problems, purchased vehicle as brand new after 4 months contacted dealer where care was purchased regarding problem. brought vehicle in at least twice before problem was found.the transmission was replaced has since had the same problem along with other problems, vehicle stalling while driving, cd player power shuts off. rattling when hitting brakes. filed a complaint dealer refuses to buy car back ask me to trade car in with more money down. the dealer repair persons confirmed that they have had replaced at least 10 transmissions on the same style vehicle prior to my visit and recognized a pattern. but nothing has been done!!

When shifting to drive, indicator shows it's in drive, yet it's still in park. also, when shifting to reverse it shows reverse, but it's in drive. please add further information.*ak

Transmission is whining and needs to be replaced. *tr

2002 ford explorer eddie bauer 4l v6 auto trans i had my explorer into the dealer for an oil change last january and they mentioned that my right rear wheel seal was leaking and needed to be changed but not right away. i waited for the next oil change in april and scheduled it in for a wheel seal replacement -- $190. no mention of any problems with the rear end. not 90 miles later i hear a loud crunching sound and managed to limp back to the dealer to find out that the same right rear hub they just replaced the seal on has a bad bearing/hub. they replaced the hub and bearing at a cost of $899 ($533 parts). given the explorers history of problems with the right rear wheel (firestone blowouts) causing rollover accidents i think ford would take this problem seriously. if having a tire fail can lead to rollover accidents imagine what happens when you lose the entire wheel! *tr

i have a 2002 ford explorer with an automatic transmission that is going bad. one day the car is fine and the next day my light when on - out of the blue. i didn't know there was a problem until my o/d off light is blinking & the service engine soon light is always on. plus, check transmission light is also lit up. this all happened with absolutely no warning. i feel the car is dangerous to drive and am not sure what i am going to do....except i know i cannot drive it anymore. i have three young children that are in this truck all the time. i've only made a few payments on it and now i'm told that it's going to cost me over $3000 to repair, which is almost what the car is worth at this point. i wish i knew that this many 2002 ford explorers are having this issue before i bought it. let me say, i can't believe there has been this many problems with the ford explorer transmissions!!! i thought i just had bad luck until finding the 'auto beef complaint' web site! i will say that this ford will be the first and last i will ever own if i can't get help with this truck. there will not be a problem about leaving it behind. i see that this is a common issue with ford. seems we have joined a long and distinguished list of 2002 transmission problems. went looking around google to find any information on the same symptoms and found this 'auto beef' web site. i have experienced the exact same issues of so many other people, and no one knows what can be done about it. if you do an internet search there are thousands of people with this same exact issue. some vehicles report as low as 20,000 miles when the transmission fails. read the thousands of complaints out there from the hard working consumer, and i think you will agree. i do realize to admit that the transmissions in the 2002 ford explorer are faulty will cost some amount of money. henry ford didn't run his company for as long as he did and not stand behind his work. foreign cars are making a killing... *tr

Module that controls the "control trac" 4-wheel drive system, failed at 3000 miles causing system to assume rear wheels were slipping. this caused the system to intermittently cycle the front wheel drive to assist even though rear tires were not losing traction. owner complained to dealership 4 previous times of control trac problems, but dealership did not admit problem (told owner everything was fine with drive train) until 7000 miles when owner demanded a fix. dealer then told owner that ford knows about bad part, but that they have no idea when part will be available for repair. currently, explorer's 4x4 system is unpluged by dealer and is 2wd only. dealer said they "don't know how much damage has already been done with 4000 miles of driving with bad system." ford says module for fix, is on backorder, and don't know when fix will be available. *ak

2002 ford explorer with transmission problem, appears to be a common complaint, this transmission is faulty and should be recalled. driving normal and transmission started acting up. took it too dealer and says has to be replace at $4000. transmission has always been maintained at the recommended individuals. transmission in the 2002 explorer is defected. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer that is now having transmission problems which will cost in the neighborhood of $3000 to fix. after doing some research on the internet i can't believe the number of owners who have the same problem. ford apparently knows of this problem and has declined to accept responsibility. i know its not a safety issue but we are having to pay for repairs of a faulty product in bad times when some of us don't have jobs. i am asking the nhtsa to help address this problem to ford. thank you! *tr

Only 58,000 miles and the transmission was slipping when going from 2nd to 3rd gear. i babied this car so it has to be a defect.*ak

Today is 2/21/2011 and just had the crap scared out of me, three children (ages 4, 2, and a 10 month old) and 4 other vehicles when guess what---my transmission blew the servo plug!!!! gee imagine that another piece of junk that china/japan or whatever you call them people, assembled!!! thanks again ford for selling out!!! ford ceo's whom i'm sure are filthy rich arent true american people otherwise they wouldnt have sold us out to another country!!!!! driving today at a legal 45 mph my servo plug blew out causing me to lose control of my vehicle and causing not only myself but 4 other vehicles to end up of the road causing a near pile up!!!!! what are you (ford) going to do for us people that were conned into buying a piece of crap from a pushy salesmen that ford trained!!!! did these salesmen know that these were junk and thats why the price was right!!! well anyways ford hasnt seen/heard the last from me about this issue!!!! i will be that guy that ford is gonna hate, i must admit to you guys as you will find out i am without any doubt the "biggest [xxx] on the face of this planet" and i intend on being just that until ford takes care of my transmission!!!!!! if needed i will spend every day of my life (until i'm 6 feet under) pursuing this issue!!!! look out ford here i come!!!!!! parts of this document have been redacted to protect personally identifiable information pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Severe vibration. *ak

Tl* - the contact stated she has been having problems with a 2002 ford explorer since she purchased it in february 2002. the contact stated that the vehicle would not start. the vehicle vibrated and the check engine light turned on. the contact stated that the vehicle is at a ford dealer for diagnostic testing. the vehicle may need a new transmission. the contact stated that the repair shop told her the problems with the vehicle was internal. *ak

Because it performed as if it were in neutral while in drive coming from a stop, i nearly rolled into vehicles behind me then when it sped out of control when it grabbed drive, i nearly collided into vehicles in front of me even while braking.*ak

The transmission on my 2002 ford explorer has failed. it will not shift from second to third gear, and the top speed i can go it 20 to 30 mph. though transmission problems happen frequently, i know that this is not an isolated incident. i have made this complaint not so much for myself but on behalf of all owners of ford explorers. while i was researching 2002 ford explorer transmission problems, i came across the website www.carcomplaints.com. on this website there are 247 complaints about the 2002 explorer's transmission http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/index.shtml more specifically, there were many transmission failures that involved the third gear or the entire transmission. http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/transmission/ this all seems like it makes sense, but when we look to the 2001 explorer's complaints there are far fewer http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2001/index.shtml and the 2003 has fewer transmission complaints as well. http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2003/index.shtml additionally the 2003 has no complaints about the switch from second to third gear like the 2002 does. http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2003/transmission/index.shtml additionally, the home page of www.carcomplaints.com has the top 5 complaints of the past 90 days, and the ford explorer's trasmission ranks 2nd. there is a problem. a huge problem. http://www.carcomplaints.com/index.shtml my explorer is currently being fixed, and i researched this once the mechanic gave me the quote. all of this being said, with all of these links as proof, i think it's time that ford recalls the 2002 explorer due to severe and costly transmission problems. please help in this worthy cause. *cn

Dealership lost keys. on board computer/security system would not allow remake of key. ford issues a tsb (ignoring issue hoping warranty would expire before a new key was requested.) 4-wd inoperable. no 4-wd related indicator lamps on dashboard at engine start. vehicle has been at dealership for over a week "waiting for a back ordered solenoid". "93 other 2002 owners are waiting for parts" to fix same problem.

With in the first year of having my vehicle i had to have 2 transmission repairs. within the next year it was done again and then i started to complain about noises and a thumping coming from the rear during acceleration. i now know that the thumping is due to the rear differential and axle needing repairs. now the vehicle is out of warranty and this is going to cost me about $1,000.00 not to mention that i have had to have the transmission done also at a cost of $400.00 there are many other people with this same complaint that i have noticed on the internet and i think that something should be done. *tr

Almost hit someone due to the transmission not down shift coming to a stop and then shifting back into drive after being stopped for a good 10 15 seconds then when it does, it lurches . *ak

While driving, vehicle will automatically shut off. vehicle will only shut off when it is idling. when going up hills vehicle will stall.*ak. consumer states the transmission gives a ticking noise when the engine is running.8jb

Bought explorer xls 2002 in july 2001. since owning vehicle have noticed an increase in gear slipping between 2nd and 3rd. slamming into gear. dealer unable to reproduce. charged me $90 to check computer. in 2004 noticed a whining coming from engine, transmission pump failure, replaced. 2 days later, returned to the dealership, the replacement pump also failed. transmission still shifting hard, increasingly getting worse. i have an extended warranty, worth the money so far. i've read over 160 complaints, all with the same problem. what is ford thinking? do they think the problem will go away? *jb

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will stall and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified ts

On 3 separate occasions transmission slipped and jumped out of gear. dealership changed several parts in the transmission. the consumer was not sure what parts were replaced.*ak *nm

Vehicle experiences periods of stalling at low speeds. applying brakes there is a loss of brakes and steering. no prior warning before stalling. existing problem 5 times, taken into the delaer. *ak dealer replaced fuel pump, main control valve body, transmission oil pan, idle air control valve and programmed pcm. vibration like anti-lock brake system is kicking in. dealer could not duplicate. overdrive comes in and out at odd speeds. no problem found.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. when attempting to shift into reverse, the gear shift broke inside the steering column. the contact stated that the gear shift has always been difficult to move from the park position. the dealer stated that the gear shifter was sheered off the steering column. the steering column was replaced. the contact stated that she also has trouble inserting the key into the ignition. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle for the ignition failure. the current and failure mileages were 66,000.

Consumer states there is a squeaking noise originating possibly from the suspension when driving over speed bumps or uneven road surfaces at highway speeds especially during windy conditions. also there is vibration occurring in the front end of the vehicle at 55 - 60 mph. the vibration can also be felt from under the seat with the windows rolled up. *tt

Two problems, one with transmission and one with instrument lights. 1) transmission would delay engaging into drive or reverse when being taken out of park (local dealer said this was "normal") but transmission would also "clunk" and "lurch" when climbing hills. local dealer (vista ford) adjusted with computer on three occasions, and improved the problem, but now there is still the occasional delay before transmission engages and an occasional "bang" (worse than "clunk") along with a violent "jerk" (worse than a "lurch") and this now happens during normal driving on level ground. 2) for the entire 300 days i have owned the vehicle the illumination of the "message center" display is so dim during the day that it is amost impossible to read (dealer says this is a known problem with no factory fix). the display is not controlled by the rheostat that adjusts the brightness of the general instrument array so the problem must be with the intensity of the led display itself.

Main computer module malfunctions, causing other major components, such as transmission/ power window, and doors not to work. *ak

Vehicle doesn't have a transmission fluid indicator slot. even in the owners manual it doesn't have a check to show where it would be located. consumer went to the dealer for assistance, and they were unable to locate it. consumer is unable to check transmission fluid if needed. consumer can't get a response from ford.*ak