Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

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

I was driving on the freeway when i looked back in my rear view mirror and noticed smoke billowing out the back of my car. i pulled over. my husband got out of the car and looked under the front. i smelled fire and he said it's on fire. my husband saw a liquid dripping from the car that was clearly on fire. i turned the car off. we immediately got ourselves and our 2 young children, ages 7 and 5, out of the car. the fire stopped once the car was off. fortunately, no one was injured. i was told by the tow truck operator and the mechanic that fixed the car that a transmission hose was sitting on the exhaust pipe, causing a leak in the hose and the resulting fire. i am also concerned that my car may be subjected to a recall regarding a faulty cruise control after reading on the internet. *tr

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

Due to a defect, we had to have the transmission replaced (thank god it was still under warranty)...then had to have the door ajar sensor fixed because alarm kept going off for no reason. about two years ago we were abut to go out of town for thanksgiving. i stop at a red light, and then we try to pull off when the light changes and hear the loudest popping noises...we're wondering how in the world did the spark plug pop out with so much force that it also rips the ignition coil...(fast forward to 1yr later, same thing happens while leaving home to go to work). once again, on march 12, while on my way to work, sitting at a traffic light. light turns green...i start to pull off and begin hearing a popping noise...wth...not again!!! (this is the third time this has happened in 2 years). come on ford...fix the lemons!!!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while attempting to shift from park to the reverse, the contact noticed that the column shifter had separated from the steering column. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the current and the failure mileage was 228,000. updated 04/11/12*lj the hear shifter broke and the key would not come out of the ignition. the serpentine belt was cracked and had to be replaced. updated 04/20/12

The problem is a sudden cracking of the intake manifold causing slow coolant loss. when the intake fails the engine coolant pours out and the engine quickly overheats. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer that is in the shop right now with a torn down engine. i went out to start it one morning and it had a hard start then it started ticking. come to find out it the timing chain. from what i have read online it is a very common complaint and i am really surprised that this truck has not been recalled again for this problem. i am having to pay for something that ford made a mistake on. the pulley on the truck is plastic, and it is failing. i also have problems with my electrical parts on it. the lights inside will stay on after i turn it off and get out and if i turn on my rear defrost my truck dings and says door ajar..... this truck is awful. *tr

Timing belt tensioner......my car is making noises and every mechanic i take my truck to either tell me to get a new motor or sell it and no mechanic wants to work on it because its so complicated... :/ as a single mother either option is not an option....both my driver and rear passenger window motors broke, i already put in a new transmission 3 months ago...and now this.....i took it to the dealership on 11/10/11 and its funny how they kind of laugh about this model of vehicle and give me the same look that other mechanics give me about how the tensioner is on the back of the vehicle and they'd need to take the entire engine out to repair it, and if you don't repair it there is a chance that the tensioner will break and cause the entire back part of the motor to break......this needs to be looked into and recalled since there are so many drivers with the same problem on the same model. please help..please refer to the thousands of complaints at the following site... http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/. *tr

#3 cyclinder plub 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 advise would be appreciated as apparently the plug blowing problem is common! this is a serious safety hazard - there could have been a fire. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where they advised him that the timing chain was fractured and the engine would need replacing. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were approximately 177,000. the vin was unavailable.

2002 ford explorer spark plug ejection issue on v8 4.6l engine. this is now the second time that i have had spark plugs eject for the engine. from what i understand ford reduced the number of threads for the spark plugs to save machining time and costs in the manufacturing of the engine. this is clearly a safety issue. the first time i was lucky enough to get the spark plug threaded back in and was able to drive it somewhere for proper repair. i am not so lucky the second time as the threads in the head are destroyed. now i have the extra cost of towing the truck for repair. i have read many forums on this issue yet ford continues to ignore the safety of it's customers. it is time for them to step up to the plate and take responsibility for their design defects. *tr

i own a 2002 ford explorer with the towing package and 4.6l v-8 motor. i have 181,457 miles on it and have maintained it well. the motor does not burn any oil and has not given me any trouble until this morning, when i started my car. this morning when i started my car, i heard a loud bang and my car engine was loud and running very rough. upon inspection, i noticed that one of the spark plugs had been blown out of the right side cylinder head, breaking the mounting harness off of the coil for this cylinder. i tried to screw the spark plug back into the cylinder, but the threads were stripped out. after looking this up on-line, i learned that this is a common problem with ford v-8 motors used in f-150's, expeditions, explorers, etc. i have heard mechanics call explorers "exploders" before, and now i know why. i have never had a spark plug blown out of a cylinder head before and after reading all of the information on-line, speaking to the auto repair manager where i have my cars serviced, this is a common problem that they have seen frequently with ford v-8 motors. when i mentioned this to the tow truck driver today, he said that he has towed alot of fords that had the same issue. i feel that this is a manufacturing defect and the ford motor company should stand behind their product and do what is right. issue a recall and/or offer assistance with vehicle repairs of this nature. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer xlt(na). the contact stated that while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. the vehicle was towed to a local shop where the contact was informed that the catalytic converters failed. the manufacturer was contacted who stated that they were not able to help because the vehicle was out of warranty. the vehicle was repaired. the failure and current mileages were 107,000.

O/d light flashes for a few days then at around 25 mph the gear switches into neutral and runs very rough then the car is thrown forward. had a rebuilt transmission (we were told we were getting a brand new transmission and paid extra for it!) at 83k miles on oct 15, 2010 then feb 5, 2011 the same exact thing happens. the dealer cannot take the truck for another 5 days and refused to give me a loner car because it is not under the warranty. please note: below i put in the first incident date, feb 2011 is the second incident date. in may of 2009 i was told my engine failed at about 76,000 miles. we did buy the extended warranty and we were covered. the ford dealership told us we were not covered. they had our truck for 3 weeks until the warranty people called the dealership and let them know it should be fixed. we also had a rental car or a loner car under the warranty. they refused to pay for a rental car and said they did not have a loaner car available. it took 4 more weeks (in total 7 weeks) to get the truck back and never paid for the rental. *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

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

Spark plug blown out of 2002 ford explorer. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at approximate speeds of 30 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. she pulled the vehicle over to the side of the road and the vehicle began smoking and caught on fire from under the hood. the vehicle was destroyed. the police and fire department arrived on scene however; the contact was unable to confirm if a fire or police report was filed. the failure and current mileages were 145,000. updated 8/2/10 *cn updated 08/09/10*jb

2002 ford explorer limited 4.6l v8. spark plug ejected from head upon start-up. third time this has happened. *tr

2002 4 x 4 ford explorer, while driving in rush hour traffic the timing chains went on this truck. of course the engine stopped working and i had the huge problem of pushing it off this 3 lane busy highway. did get it off and now waiting to raise enough money for replacement engine. yes the oil was changed every 3200 - 3400 miles, default with the ford engines, plastic sprocks. so i am without a truck until money is raised or ford does a recall. i know! there was no sign other than a slight noise starting and called the garage and never got there. my truck is in great shape, no rust, no accidents and i love to drive it! the gas is not bad at all if you don't horse it! *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer that ejected a spark plug. the spark plug was original (it came with the vehicle and had never been changed). my wife was driving to church when the spark plug was completely ejected and broke the coil mount. this allows fuel vapor to escape from the cylinder head and could result in an engine fire. luckily, my wife didn't experience an engine fire since she was pulling into her destination when it happened and shut off the motor. the spark plug ejection stripped the threads from the cylinder head. *tr

My wife was driving her 2002 ford explorer to church sunday morning 4-18-10 when the engine blew without warning !! bits of a piston and rod came right thru the block, leaving a hole big enough to put your fist in ! this explorer only has 63,000 miles on it, and has always been serviced regularly since i bought it with only 25,000 miles on it from a ford dealer. with all the problems this year and model have had, why has ford not had a recall??? it is absolutely a lemon - and i feel like suing them !! can you help me?? *tr

Timing belt plastic gears was slung off and cracked a rear valve. had to replace valve and having to replace the plastic gears. cost approximately $2000-3500, mostly in part because engine removal is necessary to access the timing chain. many dealerships suggest buying a new engine. if not fixed, could potentially harm shafts, and/or other components of the timing belt/chain compartment and further replacement parts will need to be purchased. *tr

My 2002 ford explorer has blown the timing chains in the engine. plastic parts that wear out easy and caused the chains to fail. now i am looking for a replacement engine. the engine is v6 and it only had 95,000 miles on it. this truck has been well cared for and this should never have happened. ford is using faulty parts and causing this damage to their product and now the consumer will have to pay big bucks for repairs due to their cheap and shoty parts used by ford. the truck started making noise and thought that it was the converter and a very short time after that first noise the engine froze and stopped running. their really was not alot of time from noise to failure of engine. the oil was changed every 3,000 miles, so it was not from failing to change the oil, it was changed regularly. i love this truck, it drives great, comfortable and for me not bad on gas at all. i will replace the engine somehow. the cost of any new truck is out of my range, so i have no choice but to try and fix it. does anyone have anything to offer me on this subject? thanks *tr

Spark plug blew out on ford explorer xlt 2002 model year with 4.6l engine. has 145,000 and original plugs (platinum). car started to make a ticking sound and then the plug popped off. *tr

Spark plug blown out of cylinder head under normal driving conditions. threads and spark plug both blown out of top of cylinder head. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the vehicle was leaking coolant due to a failure within the intake manifold gasket which was cracked and corroded. the exhaust system was also faulty due to the gasket problem. the dealer informed the contact that there was a class action suit for the intake manifold. the vin was unavailable at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were 74,225.

Number 8 cylinder spark plug blew out of engine today on 2002 ford explorer 4.6l. *tr

I was driving down the road and then out of no where the engine started to sound extremely loud and spitting smoke i pulled over and after inspection of the motor i found a spark plug laying ontop of the engine block and the coil laying next to it. the spark plug blew out of the threading. this has happened twice to me in the last 1.5 years the first time it was under my warranty from used car dealer and they replaced the complete motor with a new one. and the current incident happened today and per my mechanic he is going to put in a helicoil to try and resolve the issue. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving his vehicle caught on fire without warning. the fire department extinguished the fire. a fire report was available. the vehicle was completely destroyed. the ford manufacturer has not been notified. the failure mileage was 160,000.

In may 2005, the car would not go into reverse. the o/d light had been going on and off for a number of days. transmission has to be replaced at a cost of $4500. car had approximately 60000 miles. in january of 2008, the engine had to be replaced due to because the timing belt went at a cost of $3000. car had 75000 miles. in august 2009, both rear spring were discovered to be broken when the car was taken in for a whining in the rear, which was the rear axle bearing. the car had 94000 miles, cost of repair was $1200. *tr

August 10,2009 while driving notice smoke wasn't sure if it was me then pull over to notice when hood was lift up their was fire. i then call fire department along with police. my insurance nationwide then had it place in to auto body shop which it couldn't be fixed. *tr

Maintaining a steady freeway speed. a loud pop emitted from the engine followed by a succession of small pops in relation to the engine speed. it was observed that the number 4 spark plug (passenger sided) had ejected from the engine. the car was towed to a service garage. a new threaded insert was installed in the spark plug hole along with a new spark plug and coil. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving 10 mph, the contact noticed smoke entering into the vehicle from the front windshield. when the contact stopped the vehicle, the smoke became darker. the fire appeared from underneath the hood of the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the fire, but they could not determine the cause. the vehicle was destroyed, but there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the failure mileage was 110,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the service engine soon and check gas cap indicators illuminated and caused the vehicle to shut off. in addition, the gas tank was very difficult to fill up while placing fuel in the tank. the contact called the manufacturer regarding these issues. he feels that it is a safety hazard for the vehicle to shut off without warning. the vin was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 171,000.

My 2002 ford explorer - 4.6 v8 has the popular blown spark plug issue which has caused me a lot of problems on pretty much the worst weekend of my life that this could have happened in. this is apparently a very popular complaint about fords w/ this engine and i can't believe that there has been no recall for this issue. it is an obvious design flaw w/ the aluminum and metal heating issues causing the spark plugs to break off or just shoot out of the engine. i believe that there was a small fire under my hood for a short time as well. this is a very dangerous problem that should be addressed by ford. in my case, i did hear the infamous "clicking" noise that happens just before the plug blows and then right after, it blew, sounding like somebody was starting a harley under my truck. i was under my hood looking and hearing for the noise that i thought was a belt issue when this blew. this thing sounded like it was going to blow my head off while i was under the hood and luckily i was not hurt, or ford would have a law suit on their hands. we were able to remove the broken plug and get a new one to thread maybe one thread deep to get me home safely. there is only one thread grabbing and i will more than likely have to have the $1500 - $2000 job done or trade this pile in before it happens to the other plugs, which i hear is inevitable, due to ford never addressing or remedying this issue. this being my second explorer w/ severe issues that ford should have taken care of, this will be my last. thanks. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer with a 4.6 liter v8 was driving to work this morning and the engine ejected a factory installed spark plug i have read on the internet that this is a common problem and was informed by the dealers there was no recall on it. *tr

My 2002 ford explorer burst into flames while we were moving, in it were some belongings. *tr

2002 ford explorer 74,000 miles. heard a banging noise coming form motor. took to repair shop - stated to me that this is a timing chain issue. timing chain needs to be replaced and will cost $1500.00 - $2000.00. dealer said that ford is aware of this issue and has had several complaints. (see car complaints.com). they said to call ford and see if they will rectify. to no avail ford said no. the dealer stated that ford used cheap parts for the timing chain and will not back up their work. what a crock. please investigate this issue as it should be considered a recall. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the spark plugs were blowing out of the engine while driving various speeds. as a result, the engine shuts off and the vehicle loses complete power. on two occasions, the dealer repaired the vehicle at the cost of $2,000. the dealer has not explained what caused the failure. the failure mileage was 160,000.

Spark plug blew out of 2002 ford explorer limited. i've had two ford vehicles blow a spark plug this year. *tr

I was driving home from a friends came to a stop sign. began to accelerate, i was going 25 mph and all of a sudden my 2002 ford explorer sounded like my 4 wheeler. my spark plug had shot out of its threads and blew the coil to pieces. this is the second time this has happened in the last 6 months. *tr

Timing chain rattle on a 2002 ford explorer. had the fronts replaced once under warranty at about 25,000 miles and again at 80,000 miles at my expense. now the rear chain is making noise, this is after having the rear tensioner replaced last month at 94,000 miles. the rear cassette seems as if it is ready to go. i don't know how ford can get away with producing such a poor product. there a thousands of complaints about this problem and ford won't do a thing about it. *tr

3/4/08 motor sized no steering no brakes at 62000 mi. bht rebuilt motor from ford 3yr/75000mi warranty 2/8/09 motor sized no steering no brakes at 71000mi -11mos /9000mi later 2/16/09 towed to malouf ford s.b.nj need other motor no rebuilt motors available from ford i have no car-ford will not give loaner or rental. *tr

I own a 2002 ford explorer and for the second time 5 months the same spark plug that was repaired by the ford dealership has blown out of the engine. there was a loud pop and very loud repetitive engine noise. there was a very strong smell of gasoline, and loss of power. ford says that this is a common problem and refuses to fix the problem. this is an outrage!!!!!! *tr

There is a knocking noise in the back of my explorer which is a 2002 and my friend has a 2003 expedition and hers is doing the same thing it has something to do with the heat in the back but it knocks all the time and when you turn the rear heat on it gets really loud. it knocks all the time and it is annoying and loud i know of 3 vehicles that are ford and they are doing the same thing why has it not been recalled could it not catch fire or something. *tr

Was hearing a banging noise in the hood, my husband found out that the spark plug blew out and stripped the head. *tr

Intake manifold is made of burned two holes in itself due to plastic construction not able two withstand heat witch caused a cascading affect and catalytic converters also had to be replaced. this is the first time it happened. i had to replace the converters and the manifold to correct problem. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while approaching a stop at approximately 35 mph on normal road conditions, the brake pedal extended to the floor when it was depressed. the engine idled roughly and the check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. the indicator remained lit until the engine was turned off. when the ignition was started, the engine would automatically idle without acceleration. the failures occurred on a separate occasion. the vehicle has not been repaired and cannot be driven. the contact was concerned of the safety risk involved. the vin was unknown. the failure mileage was 111,000 and current mileage was 114,000.

My wife's 2002 ford explorer had a whine in the rear end since it was new and it continued to get worse with time. at about 55k miles it was so bad that we had to have the entire differential rebuilt at a cost of over $1,000. at 65k miles the engine had begun to make noise and it became much louder rapidly. the entire cam drive (timing chain, sprockets, tensioners) had been ground up. the tensioner pads had 3/8" deep grooves worn into them and there were metal shavings everywhere. the bill this time was almost $1,300. it is interesting that all the parts that were replaced were a different design than the originals. if there was nothing wrong with the original design, why spend the money to change them? of course ford would not admit that they had a problem with the timing chain for the cams. after the timing chain was fixed there was still a noise so we took it back to the shop that did the work. with a stethoscope the noise was isolated to the bellhousing/torque converter area. we took it to a transmission shop we trust and he thought it was a cracked flex plate because that happens frequently on these vehicles and it causes that kind of noise. the flex plate was fine as was the front pump on the transmission and the starter drive. the only thing left in that area was the torque converter so we replaced that. the noise was still there. he said that the noise had to be coming from the transmission and that would be a $2,000 repair. i've had it with ford and their "quality is job one" or whatever their current advertising lie is. this car is a lemon and they won't admit to a single thing being wrong with it. every driveline component has had to be fixed and it only has 67k miles on it. ford should be ashamed of the way they hang their customers out to dry. even though i had to identify a particular date below, this car has had major problems since it was new in 2002. *tr