Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

Truck well maintained at 59,000 miles truck broke an engine rod need new engine, cost $4800.00, replacing engine. i think ford should pay for this.*ak

While driving 65 mph the vehicle completely lost power without warning. as a result the vehicle failed to accelerate. the dealer stated they were unable to duplicate the problem. please provide additional information. *jb this has accured 5 times. ford can not find the problem. *eh

Today, 9-2-04, while driving approximately 25-30 mph the engine abruptly stopped and lost power. the radio remained on. the engine started again, but one minute later, stalled again. it became difficult to turn over, started, and stalled yet again. this occurred one more time, and i drove it home to drop off my wife and children, and to take the car to the dealer, ford galpin in north hills, california. this is the 3rd seperate occassion this has happened, and its 2nd trip to the dealer. it is currently being inspected at the dealership.*ak

While driving about 30-35 mph, the car completely lost all engine power. i was able to pull over to the side of the road. there, i restarted the engine and drove home. this same incident had occured to my wife the day before, so i dropped off my two sons and took the car to the dealer. the car also lost all engine power on the way to the dealer. after having the car at the dealer for 5 days during which they put 50 miles on my car, they could not duplicate the problem, and therefore did not fix anything.*ak

My wife was driving the car at approximately 30 mph. she tried to accelerate, the rpm reading dropped to zero, and the engine lost all power. she pulled to the side of the road, was about to call me, and tried to turn the engine back on. it restarted and she drove home. my three young children were in the car with her.*ak

While driving at 30 mph the consumer began to hear a pinging sound in the engine. after the vehicle picked up speed the pinging sound went away. the dealer examined the vehicle and found that the timing chain had too much play in it. the dealer informed the consumer that there is an improved part but, it cost nine hundred dollars. *la

The abs activated while on a dry pavement andthe vehicle lost braking power. the consumer took the vehicle back to the dealer, who kept insisting there was nothing wrong. however, the consumer felt differently about the dealers evaluation. *ak the consumers brother verified that something was wrong, but could not take it apart to check it out because of warranty issues and the engine experienced a miss. the master cylinder was found bad. *sc *jb

Bought car in january 2003, was a dealer vehicle. we had 54,000 miles on it when i was driving it home from work and the check engine light came on the same time the explorer started almost bucking. the front end of the vehicle was shaking so bad that i immediately pulled over as best as i could. i called aaa and as they had me turn the vehicle around so it could be put on the truck the engine stopped all together, and the vehicle would not turn over. after bringing it to my mechanic i was told that the engine had seized up. i called my local ford dealer where i had purchased the vehicle and was told that it would not be covered because my warranty was for 36,000. i have had the oil changed always on time and also had the vehicle in for its full maitence check just months before. come to find out, the valve spring in the motor broke and caused the engine to seize. i had to order a new engine from ford and between the engine and labor it cost me close to $3,900. when i called the ford company, because i got nowheres with my local ford dealer i was told that they could not do anything for me. if a recall was to ever come about then i should save my receipts. i have pictures of the engine to prove what had happened if i ever need them. the way i look at it, i have more miles, because of my job, than others do on a 2002. it's just a matter of time until others have this happen. my local ford company says its a fluke. nice reason hah? to me a $3,900. fluke is nothing to laugh about!*ak

The automatic gear shift broke. could not change gears. electric windows stopped working both driver and passenger. air conditioner broke - air conditioner clutch make rubbing noise when engaged.

Check engine light illuminated at approximately 39000 miles. diagnostic code p0174. no leaks present. codes cleared. check engine light recurred at 42000 miles. diagnosed as failure of both exhaust gas oxygen sensor 063028 and sensor assy 021675. ford motor refused reimbursement for defective parts.*ak

Driving on the expressway, when we got off & we tried to stop my husband heard a revving noise the car did not want to come to a complete stop. he shut the car off and the problem continued. the car was accelerating on its own. we had to shut the car off & coast to a stop because the brakes were not working either. we were lucky not to rear-end someone & that no one in the car including my 2 small children were hurt. the same thing happened 4 days earlier. i was also thankful my husband was driving. the car had to be towed. i have taken this car in 5 other times for related problems. they can never seem to find a problem. this is a lease car & i have had it for 1yr 9mths. it was first serviced 1 month after i got it for a related problem. i do not feel safe driving my family or self anymore in this car, it is so unpredictable. *la

Vehicle stalls after driving 20 miles or above on freeway. when on exit ramp,engine light turns on and the engine shuts off. i have to put it in park and start engine again. the vehicle also accelerates when stopped at light, while foot is on brake. the engine stalls to change into faster speed. *ak

Transmission failure in a 2002 ford explorer, timing chain guide failure (4.0l previous ford recall) ford replaced trans. now that trans is failing. replaced timing chain and gear set. *nm

When stopping or slowing down, intermittently the vehicle stalled when turning left, there was a knocking sound coming from the front left wheel. the heat vents that blew directly on the consumer did not work. these problems have occurred at least three times in one month. the manufacturer and the dealer were not aware of the problem. *jb

Vehicle was taken to dealer on four previous occasions to address an overheating problem that occurred suddenly while driving. temperature gauge would spike and then return to almost normal levels. on the fifth trip to the dealer 10/24/03, was then told the problem is a cracked cylinder head., this was later diagnosed as a piston problem. vehicle is still with dealer with compression problems. *ak

While changing the oil in the vehicle consumer noticed that several driver side motor mount bolts were loose. manufacturer was informed of the problem, and informed the consumer that maybe the problem occurred at the factory. *ak *nlm

The vehicle stalled while idling at a light. *ph the vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the valve. unfortunately within three day the vehicle stalled again. the vehicle was returned to the dealer but they were unable to duplicate or repair the problem. the vehicle began to surge while surging idling. the dealer was unable to permanently resolve that problem. the consumer noticed a whine in the rear end of the vehicle. the dealer replaced the rear differential but when the vehicle was returned to the consumer the noise was still present. the vehicle was still under warranty when all these problems started. *nm

Consumer states that while driving at any speed and without warning vehicle will stall, and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. *ak

Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle has intermittently stalled possibly due to outdoor heat. the vehicle stalled or would not start on nine different occasions. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer after each incident where the inertia switch, the fuel pump and the pcm module were changed. this problem occurred eight times while the vehicle stopped, while it was started, at an intersection, and once with the vehicle in motion at 35 mph. the contact also stated the gas storage tank had developed a hole and was leaking gas.

1. engine stalls erratically when under acceleration ie: when entering freeway, etc. ford acknowledges the problem, states does not know how to fix it. 2. brake failure in stop and go traffic. vehicles currently has less than 10,000 miles on them. both have same problems. *nlm

Abs light came on at 19,518 miles, 22,071 miles, and 27,078 miles. more importantly, however, are my issues with the 2002 explorer rear end. 10/1/03: 27,078 miles abs light came on, the dealer replaced the assembly. rear differential was leaking, dealer replaced the seals. 7/28/04: 40,541 miles rear end leaking again. half shafts were worn. rear locking diff was slipping. the dealer had to replace both halfshafts, seals, and clutch packs. 9/22/04: 43,203 miles rear axle chattering. replaced whole rear axle assembly. 2/25/05: 54,960 miles rear diff making more noise. left rear axle bearing was noisy. replaced left rear axle hub and assembly. on test drive, the dealer found that the bearing they just installed was bad, so they had to replace it again. 8/11/05: 68,000 miles leaking fluid from rear end. the dealer performed the following maintenance: replaced diff seals, replaced timing chain, replaced right front hub assembly, replaced ring and pinion, replaced front end tie rods, replaced both lower ball joints, performed front end alignment. all told, i have had my explorer in the shop at least 10 times. my warranty is about to expire (7,000 more miles) and i'm going to try to get ford to buy the vehicle back. from what i've heard, this is not an easy process and apparently doesn't happen often with such 'high mileage' vehicles. if they don't buy it back i will be forced to take a huge loss on the vehicle. i will then purchase anything but a ford. *jb

While driving for extened point of time vehicle would overheat without warning, causing consumer to pull off the road. consumer had contacted the dealer on four separate occasions, and the problem still occurs. *ak

Two problems. there is a strong rotten egg smell in my explorer. i had the vehicle checked while under warranty, but was told there was no problem. since the warranty expired the smell has become stronger. i had it checked, and the ford service department said it would cost $600 to repair. the other is a shimmy at 40 miles per hour. the service department just rotated and balanced my tires. i had this done a month earlier and it did not solve the problem. the vehicle still shimmies badly at 40 mph. *nlm

The engine stalled without warning. *jb

I have had my vehicle into the ford dealer for the same problem at least 4 times with no success it is still under manufacturer warranty and is a 2002 ford explorer. *nlm

The engine stalled twice in 3 days, last friday i was driving at 70 mph, suddenly the engine stalled and i had to move over 3 lanes to stop at the shoulder, called the police, policeman checked the battery, no problem, the car just wouldn't start, he called the tow truck. i got curious, tried starting the car, it started back up. i then drove to the dealership, the technician said no error code and therefore no problem with the car. today (sunday), my car stalled again, this time i was driving 20 mph, the car started back up. what is causing this? i have small children riding with me! please give me some information about this! *nlm

On one occasion the vehicle experienced sudden acceleration, and the second occasion, while driving at highway speed the vehicle all of a sudden shut down. *mr *ts *jb

I bought a 2002 explorer on may 23,2002. in the past 8 months, the vehicle has been towed in because it woudn't start--acomputer chip was replaced. my a/c made a high pitch squeal and after at least five times of trying to repair the existing a/c clutch, a new one was finally put on. my front end suspension has been fixed. my midlift gate cracked in november and a new one was put on. i have had daily problems with the driver's side seat not fully going into position when i start my truck and this problem has not been fixed as the service dept. that i deal with nevers seems to be able to see the problem. funny how it does it every day for me, though. my blinkers will sometimes stick and stay on without blinking--this also has not been fixed. at the beginning of january,2003, on the way home from a trip, my husband and i noticed that every time we slowed the truck down, there was a blast of air from the upper vents in the vehicle. this happened no matter what setting we had it in (ie. defrost or floor vents). this past thursday, jan.16, the suspension was repaired and supposedly the heating system was as well. now the air doesn't seem to leak out the top vents, but continuosly comes out of the floor vent, no matter what setting the heat is on. i have a rental vehicle once again, while they keep the vehicle overnight tonight to see if they can hopefully fix this problem. needless to say, we are currently checking into the lemon law for our state!!!

I have a 2002 ford explorer and have had numerous problems that the dealer has not been able to fix. at any speed the engine is constantly making a ticking noise. sometimes when making a complete stop the truck will stall and then jerk forward when i am trying to push on the gas to go. this happens so much and i have sent it in numerous times for this and no solution. this also happened twice on the freeway when i had to press on the brakes to stop quickly the truck locked up for about 5-10 seconds and then jerked forward. i still have to deal with this situation since i am in a lease and the dealership says they can't find anything wrong. i tell them it is dangerous for me to be driving this vehicle. twice at a stop sign i took my foot off the brake to go but the truck starting moving backwards. i pressed the brake again then released and it still moved backwards. i then put it in park and then back in drive and then it move forwarded. i took the truck in again the next day and told him the situation and still nothing was done.

I am currently involve in a dispute with ford motor compny regarding repairs to my 2002 ford explorer. in brief, the truck was diagosed by ford with internal engine failure, ford claims that sent the truck to them with (5) five quarts of oil missing, i have doucumentation showing that ford did the last oil change within the timeline of maintanence as per ford maintantience manual. ford is claiming that i am responsible for thefull amount verbally estamated at $5000.00.

Consumer states while driving at any speed and no warning the vehicle will shut off. causing consumer to pull off the road. dealer has been notified. please provide further information. ts

2002 ford explorer 4.6 v8, approx. 78000 miles. while driving my spark plug (unknown number - second in on drivers side), blew out. was able to replace it. no more then 30 minutes of driving same plug was spit out again. this time unable to replace it. *tr

Consumer states that while driving and no warning the vehicle jerks and will lose power and it will be hard for the consumer to control the vehicle. dealer notified. mr

Consumer states while driving the steering wheel locked and vehicle stalled. consumer is not able to unlock steering wheel and vehicle will not start.*jb

Frequency and intensity of stalling increasing.*ak

My 2002 ford explorer sometimes stalls when starting my vehicle. it has also hesitated and acts like it is stalling when driving. this has happened on more than one occasion, i have almost been hit from the side with 4 small children in my car when it has decided to hesitate. *nlm

Vehicle would stalls out at multiple speed. vehicle been to the dealer on three occasions, and was unable to duplicate the problem. feel free to provide any further information. *ak

There is a strong sulphur smell coming from exhaust. it is very noticeable inside vehicle. dealer has inspected vehicle, and said there was nothing they could do.*ak

This vehicle has not been involved in an accident yet but i have told the ford co. that it is dangerous and they ignore me. when you come to a stop at a stop sign and start to pull out the vehicle will roll into moving traffic and hesitate 4-5 seconds before the gas finally catches and the vehicle goes on. mean while you have traffic bearing down on you. we have come close to getting hit several times because of this problem. i think this needs to be investigated as a potential problem for other consumers besides myself.

Consumer states that while coming to a stop vehicle suddenly died. there were no warning signs. nlm consumer adds that the vehicle stalled twice before while driving, but was able to restart it. dealer cannot locate problem. *tt

Consumer states while traveling at 35 mph, coming up to a stop the vehicle suddenly died without warning. nlm

The consumer noticed that oil was leaking from the vehicle. the dealer replaced the oil pan gasket but the leaking persisted. the dealer then replaced the oil pan but oil continued to leak. the dealer eventually had to glue the screws to the oil pan to sop the leaking. the consumer was not satisfied with this repair. *ak *ph *nlm

This same incident occurred four times. the speed in each incident varied from 15 mph on the first occurrence to 65 mph on the fourth. basically, while driving the car, the engine died, the lights flashed on the dash, i lost all power steering. on each occaision. i pulled the car to the side of the road, put the truck in park, and re-started the engine. on each time, the engine re-started without hesitation. i reported the problem to the dealer. the dealer could find nothing wrong with the truck; thus, they made no repairs. they claimed to have never heard of this problem before. *ak

While driving 30-40 mph, engine stalled, lights on dash flashed on and lost all power, dealer contacted. *ak. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and consumer was informed that there was a loose fuse with 3 codes showing on the computer, however on march 1, 2002 the vehicle stalled again without warning and a fuse was showing a bad pressure sensor which was replaced, consumer stated the vehicle stalled again for the third time.*jb

vehicle will stall without prior warning. this incident can happen on quarter or less of gas in gasoline tank. dealership is aware of problem.*ak

Consumer is concerned about toxic gasses inside of vehicle. there is a odor coming inside of vent area.*ak

There is a sulfur smell emitting from the exhaust. this is apparent while driving with the windows open or closed with the heat/ac on. after waiting six weeks for the backordered converter to arrive, it was installed and the pcm was reprogrammed with the latest calibration update. it is my understanding that there are no additional repairs that would apply to my concern. i, along with my family, have been tolerating this odor concern since taking delivery of the vehicle. we are worried about possible toxic fumes that are being inhaled in the passenger compartment. i am very uncomfortable transporting my family in this vehicle.*ak

I own a 2002 ford explorer xls and it has been into the ford service-repair shop a total 0f 37 work hours -10 documented service days for an annoying ticking noise coming from the front dash-console-engine area that can not seem to be repaired. it doesn't matter whether or not that the engine is cold or warm, the weather condtions hot-dry or humid and wet, it still ticks intermitently for sometimes around 8 minutes or can go on for 20 at that moment. when it starts it sounds like a toggle switch going on and off and then makes a rubbing ,squeaking , ticking noise that starts off low and then gets so loud that you can hear it with the radio on set at a slightly high volume. it does not matter whether the air is on or off, the radio-cd is on or off or the heat is on or off. all conditions have been tested . the front dash has been removed numerous times and reinsulated, a new radio has been put in, the winshield replaced, vents and glove box removed and wiring checked. once the sound starts, bumpiness in the road seems to produce the sound louder and more often. also while turning the steering wheel on a winding road that is somewhat bumpy also produces the sound. it is not a pleasure to drive this vehicle and it has been serviced as i stated for this problem ever since 2002. it was purchased in july of 2001. the dealership and many diffferent techs. ca not find or repair the problem. i would get rid of it if it wasn't for the fact that i could not honestly sell a lemon in good faith. this vehicle body wise is is excellent condition and only has 27,000 miles on it. as i see it, i have only had a perfect vehicle for 1 year out of the 3 years i have owned it. i have been faithful to ford and that is only what i have owned the last 28 years and currently own 3 other ford vehicles. my father worked and retired from ford motor co. his whole life and none of us have ever experienced such disappointment in one of their products. *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

The catalytic converter is not functioning properly and is producing a strong "rotten egg" smell. i am worried about the toxicity and general safety of the fumes being produced, not to mention the nauseating effect the fumes have. the local dealership says that the ford field service engineer does not have a fix and that this is a major problem with the ford explorer. the local dealer also states that they are beginning to receive complaints from crown victoria owners. i plan to return the vehicle to the manufacturer using mississippi's "lemon law."*ak