Problems with 2002 Ford Explorer EQUIPMENT

The consumer stated the home fire hazard created by faulty design of non ul approved personal snow plow use for suv manufactured by western products. snow plow electric motor was unfused and overheated not responding to the comman controller shorting out and causing a serious expensive fire. *js

I was at the school to pick up my kids,i turn on my ford explorer 2002 xlt v6 4.0 to drive and then the shift lever broke on neutral position, that was dangerous because, how will i park my car? if it happened on a downhill, how are we going to park it.is that possible to make a recall a ford company to fix the car. *tr

My name is[xxx] and i own a 2002 ford explorer xlt (v6). i have owned it for almost a year now (will be in jan 2012) and loved every minute of it until recently. about 4 months ago, i heard a strange loud whining noise. i immediately took it to my mechanic and found that rear wheel bearing was going. i was also told that if i would have took the interstate to work that evening i could have possibly died or caused serious injuries to others on road. very scary! mind you this bearing went with no warning. immediately after i heard the noise i took it in. well the bearing got fixed and i couldn't have been happier. however, about a month ago i was on the interstate with my two year old daughter doing about 70mph when my truck began to shake violently. i assumed i was in the process of having a tire blow-out and began slowly breaking and losing control of the vehicle. luckily i made it onto the shoulder of the interstate. my tire however was not as lucky. all 5 studs on my right rear tire snapped causing the tire to completely fly off and proceed down the road at a fast speed just passing the turn ramp and missing several other vehicles. in the process of losing the tire, it also caused damage to rear end of my suv. it looked as if the tire got caught and caused the rear to dent in.replaced studs and everything seemed fine. today (dec.15th) not even an entire month later, vehicle started shaking again. oh how i remembered that scary shake. examined tire and once again, studs snapped. 2 this time with a third one missing the cap. the tire was only held by 2 studs. thank the lord i noticed this problem before going onto the interstate and once again having my tire fly off! i have been doing research this evening to find that this is a common problem with the 02-04 explorers. please make a recall ford and others help me to get one made! this is a scary and dangerous situation! it can cause the loss of many lives as it has almost done mine and my daughters. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information a

I was traveling to mt. washington, ky. from lorain, ohio, ( approx. 330 miles). we stopped at the rest are at the halfway mark, between washington ch, oh. & jeffersonvlle, oh. when we came back out, started the car, & it wouldn't go into reverse. pushed it out of the parking spot & it wouldn't go in drive either. about 30 miles before, it made some clunking noises & it felt like we had a flat tire. i took it out of cruise control & it drove normally until the rest area. i had to have it towed to washington courthouse & then back home on monday, nov., 29th, (at my own expense). approximate cost of repair to date was $2969. i had my daughter & 6 yr. old great granddaughter with me & i feel this could have possibly ended with disastrous results. ford has known about these faulty transmissions probably from day 1. i'm not trying to just blast ford, happen to be an employee. i feel they need to man up & take care of this problem before it leads to serious consequences. *tr

Water and melting snow leak into the vehicle onto the dome lights, garage door opener, and sunroof switch and motor due to the sunroof drain hoses becoming clogged or developing holes in them. water coming in contact with these items can short them out or start a fire. *ln

I am so disgusted after reading all the same problems with the 2002 ford explorer. i too have the airbag problem, they told me it was the airbag pretentioner and it is $650.00, now my air bag will not deploy if i get into an accident. i have the extended deluxe warranty that wont cover it. i also have a problem with the rear temp and mode actuators that failed and binding again not covered under warranty that is $510.00 to repair. i truly think ford should recall these same problems. *tr

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

The transmission in our 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer started flashing the od light @94,000 miles took it to ford they said the valve body and torque converter was bad, ford replaced the items above for 2600 dollars problem went away for 10, 000 miles problem is back torque converter and valve body needsto be replaced again. *tr

My 2002 ford explorer limited 4x4 had a chiming noise followed by a o/d blinking light on wed. i put the car in park and hit the button for o/d a couple of times it then went out. i drove it straight home. i was only two minutes from my house. the next day i drove it and it acted like it wouldn't or couldn't shift right. i do not understand how a car that is pampered could go so wrong. i had to replace both four wheel drive motors this winter and i hardly use it. the four wheel would not engage. now i am told that i probably need a new tranny and that it is very expensive.i don't have alot of money. i have always owned ford but never again! i think ford should recall all these trannys and fix them just like toyota fixed their problems. maybe i should by toyota. *tr

Oh where do i begin. i have 90,000 miles on my suv. my radio goes off and on randomly. door ajar is on randomly. when shifting from park to drive, it sticks and i have to tap it to go into drive. rear wheel bearing had to be replaced. o/d light came on and flashing. one time i thought it was in park and when getting out of my car, it began to roll after taking my foot of the brake. i see these seem to be problems for several ford explorer owners. please please please get this across to ford that these need to be recalled, if not i will not be a ford owner ever again and tell everyone i know not to buy a ford! what is going to take, a death or injury?? take responsibility ford! hope this never happens to you but then again, you probably don't even drive a ford. *tr

Blend door in all ford explorers causes no heat, icy foggy windshields!!!!

Major transmission problems at 106k miles on my ford explorer xlt 4.0l. this was not due to poor maintenance or up keep! shifting into neutral going 75 miles an hr down the freeway, shifting out of place, rough, scary shifts, shimming from the transmission jumping allover the place is just the beginning. after 5 trips to the mechanic, first i did wires, then plugs, then updated computer, full tranny flush and finally had to rebuilt the transmission due to the solenoids in the transmission being defective and faulty per a ford service manager in owatonna, mn. the service manager informed me that ford was looking at making it a recall, but it wasn't the top of their priority list and maybe they would eventually get to it! he has seen many of these trucks in the shop with their "busy" transmissions, and the same issues! this was the issue all along..after all of the service appts, and money spent nothing was resolved, until the transmission was rebuilt! $4k later just for the tranny repair! for their faulty defective transmission solenoids! as if the truck didn't already cost enough! and the troubleshooting "bandaids" (which between the tranny, diagnostics, labor etc total well over $5500!!) i contacted ford after directed to due so my (their) technician and employee of 25 yrs. i read all the posts of duplicate complaints (i see there are several other consumers in my situation!), to inform them of the money i've lost, time incurred into this headache, and all the days i went without a vehicle for my family that i had nothing to do with it was their equipment! that it was their fault! curious about what their compensation was, if any, going to be. or what they planned on doing about it! and after several service appt, $5500 loss and numerous complaints that ford is aware of the rep stated basically said oh well! its ur problem not ours!!! lol! *tr

Event/situation: hesitates and chokes at 40-45 miles per hour when trying to accelerate, along with a slight rubbing sensation felt through the steering wheel and gas peddle. they advised replacing the upper ball joints. they also stated a weak battery which was replaced. this did seem to fix various faulty false electrical issues: interior lights staying on and false light/dashboard readings. faulty transmission, emissions or plugs/wiring have been possibilities. i've taken it to goodyear who recommended changing out the plugs and wires, along with a flush. i've been told that flushes can ruin parts on older vehicles and cause other expensive problems. i found a few websites were there are many other customers having these same issues with the 2002 ford explorer. ford has been notified and aware of these transmission issues and expensive problems, covering up with other little recalls like the wiring harness. i, like many, are being forced to pay for faulty transmissions. i believe this needs to be investigated and make ford pay for recalls and repairs. it has been taken to the ford dealership for its oil change and a wiring recall approximately two weeks ago, in january 2010. here is the website with many other ford explorer official complaints who demand a responsible/reliable recall fix from ford. http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/transmission/o_d_light_is_blinking.shtml. *tr

Transmission on my 2002 ford explorer failed for the 2nd time in 2009 of december. i was on the highway when this happen and could have caused an accident. *tr

I opened the liftgate glass to my ford explorer in order to load groceries into the back. the glass came down on my head and i pushed it back up off of me when it exploded all over the place. the molding came down onto my head and my back (i was still leaning into the car). because it was very cold out, i was wearing a heavy coat with a hat and the hood pulled up onto my head, so this cushioned the impact onto my back and head. glass was everywhere. there have been several recalls on this piece of equipment since we have had the truck, but the last one was about 5 years ago. the dealer told me it would be my responsibility to fix. i don't believe that liftgates should just be falling off of cars or exploding, even if the car is 8 years old. *tr

While driving with my family on a busy expressway in chicago,my transmission began to flash warning lights,"check transmission",o/d off light started to flash and check engine light turned on.transmission also started to surge and slow down.i reached a spot where i could pull over and checked the owners manual. the manual said to see the ford dealer,in which i did.they acted as if they didn't know what the problem was. the service manager said "he would have to hook it up to a computer to see what the problem was"($200.00)the told me i needed a"new transmission.($2,500.00).through research online"autobeef" website i found that ford motor co. has known about this transmission problem for years! i called other ford dealers to find out what they would say. they all wanted me to bring it in and put it on their computers. (around$200.00)i'm glad i was driving instead of my wife! i wonder how long it will take ford to admit that they have a defective transmission? they continue to act like you're the first person to have this problem and charge you a couple hundred dollars to check it out."real good scam". *tr

I purchased my 2002 ford explorer in august 2002. i have been having transmission slippage gear problems since 2003. while driving my 2002 ford explorer my transmission will slip without prior warning and just immediately stop accelerating and often completely shuts down. i have had this happen to me since 2003 and have brought it back into the dealer more than three times. two times they said nothing was found. in march 2004 they finally acknowledged that something was wrong, did a quick flush to the transmission replaced the torque and sent me back out with the problem still occurring. on 10/16/09 now the o/d off light began to blink and once again i brought it back in and now they say i need a new transmission. my vehicle only has 45,000 miles and they are trying to say that this problem is not a safety or manufactures defect!! are you kidding me? i have never driven off road, and with such low mileage, how could this not be a defect. i have luckily avoided several accidents when my vehicle suddenly slips gears, stops accelerating and i have to immediately throw on my hazards, and try to pull off the road immediately!! i researched online and found that nearly 800 others are having the same sort of transmission related problems and have posted them on auto beef. i really need someone to help me and look out for the honest, americans who have brought an amercian car and are being lied to and treated with no customer service or respect. this is exactly why americans are buying foreign made cars!! please help us and recall the transmission, and have the correct people held accountable...the maker, not the buyer. *tr

I would like to make a complaint regarding the ford window regulator. i know that the f150 i believe has had the same complaints. however, i currently own a 2002 ford explorer. both window regulators have broke on my vehicle a week apart. i believe that since so many people are having a problem with their ford vehicle window regulators that this should be a recall. i know that after a certain year ford had changed the way power windows worked. well, now the window cable on both back windows has snaped. i would like to contact ford to make a complaint and to suggest a recall for the window regulators on the 2002 ford explorers. thank you.

2002 ford explorer xlt - transmission failure - purchased new in 9-02 with extended warranty. original transmission failed and replaced at 65k miles by dealership under extended warranty. replacement transmission began slipping at 130k miles. at 136k miles, transmission shifts at random, will not engage from stop. *tr

My 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer v8 has required a transmission at 35k & 85k miles. this is a huge safety concern when the car fails without warning!!!! i'm not alone in dealing with this incredibly costly & dangerous predicament. please take action! i'm reading that the design of the transmission is apparently bad. quoting another's description: "after lots of research it appears the most likely cause is worn case bore, where the pin for the 2nd gear & overdrive band servo actuator passes through the case. if the people designing these machines spent even a bit of time in their lives working with their hands on real parts they would know better than to pass a hard steel pin in a wear point fashion through a softer aluminum casting. it is no wonder so many transmissions experience this problem." you would think when my transmission was replaced the 1st time that ford would have been required to solve this problem by putting brass casings on the pins to ensure the safety of the vehicle. now, i'm having to get a 2nd transmission, & since i didn't take it to ford, they are replacing the transmission with this fix implemented. i shouldn't have to bear the $3500 needed to replace the transmission. ford should stand by their products, but since they won't, i hope that you can require them to do so! thanks! i identified this as an equipment failure because the transmission that came with the car was obviously defective to require a new one at 35k miles. my car is dead at a shop so i can't look at the transmission to give you any product information. the date i provided for equipment is the date the 1st transmission was replaced. i am the original owner & purchased the car new. i am assuming that the 1st transmission failed due to the pins. there's no way to check the transmission fluid because it's a closed system, which has also been a problem. the site detailing these problems is: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/. *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer limited that has had continuous rear axle leaking and operating issues. i have had the bearings replaced three times, the shaft axle seal replaced, the knuckle assembly replaced and the spindle replaced. i had this work done at cortese auto group in henrietta ny (585-475-1211) in june of 2007 and april of 2008. i just noticed differential fluid leaking from the rear axle assembly area on march 16, 2009 and called the cortese group to see if they would honor their previous repair. they advised me that i was beyond the "original problem" 2007 repair date and the cost was on my own. to repair this leaky axle seal will cost me in the neighborhood of $400 and considering this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, i feel ford motor company or cortese should fix this problem with no cost to me. i have done some research online and it appears this problem is very common among ford explorers (had i known that at the time of my purchase, i would have reconsidered buying from ford). if this problem is very common among ford explorers and is a safety issue, why is it not considered a recall and repaired by the manufacturer of the vehicle? please advise me what my rights are and if anything can be done on behalf of other affected consumers. after all, in this tough economy, who has $400 to throw at a problem that was a known deficiency to ford and one that should have been addressed by the company... *tr

We have a ford explorer xlt 2002. the rear window lift gate would not stay up on its own, so my son pushed it up, and the rear window glass exploded. he and my husband received minor cuts and it came very close to my sons eyes. i did some research online and found that others had very similar experiences at www. carcomplaints.com in 2004 we took the vehicle to the dealer secondary to a recall regarding the shocks on the rear window. we took it in and they supposably fixed it. i don't know why it my window exploded, but what would have happened it the glass had gotten in my sons eyes we will be calling the dealership in the morning to see what they say. by the way it is going to cost 1400 dollars to get it repaired. *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

In december 2008 my 2002 ford explorer, eddie bauer was having problems shifting gears around 30-40 mph. the rpm's would rev up high then jump into the next gear. at times it sounded like something was about to break because the jump and noise it made was so loud. i took it into a car shop and they told me i needed a new transmission. so i paid for a remanufactured transmission and within 3 months my car is doing the same exact thing. i have had to take it back 2 more times since bringing it in march 18. i then started researching online 2002 explorer transmission problems and have found an overwhelming amount of complaints about the same exact thing. *tr

Have engine problem warranty will not cover because dealer put back odometer. *tr

Wheel bearings on 2002 ford explorer are wearing out without any notice. i never had a car that experienced this issue. this is a sever problem as i drive my small children around in. knowing that a wheel could eventually come off scares the life out of me. there is no recall from as this is a manufacture defect. *tr

My husband opened the liftgate to my 2002 eddie bauer ford explorer to bring our hurricane supply kit into the house. afterwards, he went to close the liftgate, just as normal, and the glass, without any warning, exploded into hundreds of pieces and the frame below the glass crashed to the ground. glass was found halfway down the driveway, under the car, inside the car, and on top of the car. the hinges were clearly both broken and wires were separated from the liftgate. my husband was standing to the side of the car when he closed the liftgate and luckily only had a minor cut on his toe. the liftgate did not touch anything and was not hit by anything or forced to close immediately prior to it exploding. i essentially have a three-sided car right now. ford issued a recall (04s20) on the liftgate glass hinge and ball stud bracket earlier and i had that repair completed on 09/25/07. the description of the explosion is verbatim of what was described in the recall, however ford customer care denies any responsibility stating that part is no longer under warranty as does the dealer who originally repaired the recalled part. this could have been extremely disastrous if my husband had not been standing off to the side or if anyone had been inside the car, especially children. ford should be required to pay for any incidents that happen involving the hinge and ball bracket even if the repair was made as they requested per the recall. doors do not just 'come off' for no reason. their method of 'repairing' the recall is not sufficient as there are blogs online with many other exact complaints. *tr

Rear bearings on 02 ford explorer xls defective. *tr

Wheel bearings and rear differential. *tr

Ford explorer rear differential - replaced 3 x's over 6 years. *tr

It started around 78,000 miles. my transmission started to slip as i was driving up a hill. the tranny was slipping between 1st and 2nd gear. i took the vehicle into the dealership - had to replace the whole transmission ($3400). transmission again at 137,000 miles slipping between 1st and 2nd gear again - warranty expired - ford could only give me a warrant for 36,000 miles or 3 years - i'm under my 3 yrs but not mileage. took to the dealership again, now its my transmission band ($2100) but with all the wear on the transmission and the cost. i will have to replace the transmission again. during this time that my transmission problems, i also had the right (i believe it was the right) rear axle went out twice my overdrive light came on. i think there is a correlation with the overdrive system and the tranny. *tr

transmission would rev before shifting into 3rd gear, had it replaced at a ford dealership with ford parts, 17 months later same thing and ford will not back it up, a transmission should last longer than 17 months, this has cost me a total of $4,000.00 dollars, and due to this defect the cars book value is $4,500.00 because it is a known fact that the factory parts and the replacement parts are no good. 12 month, 12,000 mile warranty, when the standard is 36 month, 36,000 miles. this truck sucks!!!!!!!!! ford needs to do something about this problem!! *tr

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

This is my second ford vehicle with only 80k miles and on both, all wheel bearings have had failure. and on more than one occasion for a single bearing. it is very costly to repair these defects at approximately $500 per wheel, and is an obvious mechanical and safety hazard. twice i have been stranded on the highway with a child in the car because the wheel has almost came off. consumers should not have to repair these defects at their expense to have them continually fail over again. i would like to see to the possibility of a class action lawsuit against ford if they cannot agree to a recall, since there are certainly well enough people with these problems. i have lost any and all interest in this manufacturer and will not consider an american made car in the future. *tr

2002 ford explorer xls, with 86,000 miles. o/d light began blinking. 4 days later complete transmission failure. car towed to tranny mechanic. entire transmission needs to be replaced. *tr

Transmission shifted hard into 2nd gear from day one, took it to dealer and they said it was normal, whining in rear end also said normal. had to replace 2 wheel bearings, 2 more bad now, replaced wheel hub, now transmission will not shift. *tr

I am very concerned at all of the transmissions complaints that the nhtsa has had on the ford 2002 explorer and nothing is being done about this. i have sent in 1 of many complaints because of course i am one of the unlucky citizens of the u.s. who believed that the ford explorer was a very dependable vehicle. hello is it going to take someone actually getting killed for this vehicle to be recalled for the transmission. i almost got rear ended and just in the past 4 months there has been complaints of people going in ditches, running off the side of the road, do you think that someone could really research this [xxx] issue and get this [xxx] vehicle recalled before someone does get hurt or at least make ford replace the transmissions and reimburse anyone who has had their transmission replaced. oh they might as well just give everyone a new vehicle because from what i am reading all 2002 ford explorers have had transmissions problems. why isn't anyone doing anything about this. *tr information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

I have a 2002 ford explorer v6 and in the past 2 years i have replaced both left and right rear wheel bearing and about to replace the one on the right side again. i called ford and they told me they could only recall a vehicle if you ladies and gentle call for a recall. i have spent over $1200 dollars on this problem and about to spend another $600. i checked on line and realized i was not the only one with this problem. hundreds of others have had this problem with the explorer but still no recall. i was just wondering what should i do about my problem. i'm tired of spending money on a truck that barely six years old and had less than 70,000 miles when this problem first occurred. *tr

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

2002 ford explorer lift gate clip on applicator is and has been splitting from top to bottom every time some one closed the lift gate i saw this on many other ford explorers and it cost {us -s 300 dollars to install a new one at the dealers shops to repair. some thing need to be done ford manufacture need to reimburse to fix this problems now and in the future i cannot afford to fix my explorer so i am waiting to see if ford can fix this problem for me and others like me who cannot afford to fix the problem i believe something should be done. please for a reply at my email thank you sincerely e j. *tr

Continuous problems with transmission, and e-brake. e brake replaced and bad again. had transmission repair at dealership a 400 miles before 75,000 mile warranty ended. taken back 100 miles later transmission problem again. past warranty now and still having problems. i will not buy ford again, it has been a nightmare. also air bag light keeps coming on. -please ignore equipment part of this complaint, i misunderstood. *tr

The key ignition switch keeps on getting ground and had to disconnect the battery to pull the key out of the ignition switch. this will be the third time i have to replace the switch. *ak

2002 ford explorer xlt rear window lift panel cracked (dealer replaced once due to small stress fractures was the explanation given me) replacement panel cracked within 6 months, same place as first crack, but extending all the way through panel. dealer and ford motor company contacted and refused to replace. this posses a danger if the panel flies off during vehicle operation. i have seen many other fords with the same defect and ford should offer a recall. please advise. *tr

Paint is blistering and chipping on the hood and fender of my 2002 explorer. abs light comes on and airbag light stays on. *tr

Ford replaced the liftgate glass hinge on this explorer per your recall notice on sept. 1, 2005. on january 13, as i closed the liftgate (gently, not slamming it) it exploded into shards of glass that went all over the garage and cut my face. glass flew in front of the car. i had only closed the liftgate approximately 2 inches from its full open position when this occurred. there was nothing to impede the closure, and the liftgate did not strike anything on its way down. *nm

On my 2002 ford explorer suv i have had to replace 3 of the 4 wheel bearings and hub assemblies(approx $250 each), with the 4th not far behind. i have also had to replace the 4-wheel drive module(approx $400-$500). i have had problems with the rear window motors going bad and having to replace these too. the air conditioning unit has stopped working. the passenger air bag dummy light has come on for no reason. the seat belt warning chime often comes on and will not go off, even though you have buckled your seat belt. you have to slam the buckle into place for it to go off and sometimes this does not work either. the transmission is now making a lovely clunking sound when shifting from park to drive and when you try to put it back into park, it does not want to. you have to put it up to park as far as it will go then go back to neutral and then into park from there. we have replaced the emergency brake shoes on both sides because they were completely worn off even though we do not use the e-brakes. these problems are just piling up one after another. i went to an internet site that has complaints about vehicles and found that there are hundreds of others with the same problems on their 2002 ford explorers of all kinds (xl, eddie bauer, special edition, etc.). why hasn't ford done any recalls for these problems? does it require multiple injuries or even death for them to take responsibility??? *tr

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 55 mph, a burning odor was smelled coming from the a/c vents in the rear of the vehicle. when the vehicle was stopped, the rear vent was hot to the touch and a burning odor was evident. the service dealer and manufacturer had not been notified.*ak updated 10/30/2006 -*nm

Bought 2002 explorer in 2003 with 12,000 miles. servicng dealer replaced transmission and torque converter under warranty @ 32,000 miles after o/d light started flashing. now needs another transmission @ 54,000 miles. car has always been serviced, driven lightly, never towed, never abused. dealer will not pay or help out one bit. ford knows 2002 explorers have defective transmissions and rear ends, is ignoring problem, leaving consumer to absorb cost! have also had to replace timing chain tensioner, rear windshield wiper assembly, air conditioning unit under warranty. front and rear wheel bearings needed replacing- out of warranty. rear end is making classic "humming" sound that ford is also ignoring-pinion gears. *nm

On or about november 3, 2005, i purchased a break model used ford explorer xlt 2002 from norm reeves honda car dealer in cerritos, ca. the car had 78,000 miles on it at the time of purchase. i signed the papers and took the possession of the car. it has not been more than 2 months that the car started giving me trouble on the pick up of the speed, transmission, gear adjustment, over use of the gas, difficult high altitude driving even after change of gears, air suction into the engine and transmission, accelerator and signs like service engine soon on the front panel, although i have been getting regular lube and tune on the car after every 3000 miles. while driving the, occasionally, the car gives a thundering noise on the tires as if it is dragging itself and running on the road. this makes me fear that my car is not safe for me to drive! the norm reeves honda super store car dealer knew that the car is defective and they simply wanted to get rid of a used 2002 ford explorer xlt vehicle from the fleet as they primarily sell honda cars and similar vehicles. despite repeated requests, the norm reeves honda super store and their sister company ford of cerritos refused to provide service on the car since i stopped payments on the car loan. other ford car dealers have test driven this car and observed the same defects as i have mentioned. my purpose of writing this complaint with the nhtsa is to request the intervention of nhtsa immediately as the questioned vehicle is likely to endanger my life on the local roads and/or on highway/freeways. due to major defects in the car, i can meet with a serious accident and can be crippled or suffer such pecuniary losses that are irreplaceable and/or i can die also with out any fault of mine. please recall firestone tires v. ford motor company case law. criminal charges against norm reeves honda, ford of cerritos and their ceos to follow. please contact me and the dealers asap. respectfully submitted, amardeep singh gill. *nm

Horrible whining noise coming from rear differential of my 2002 ford explorer limited edition. replaced twice already and now it's whining louder and louder everyday. i refuse to pay for the same repair a 3rd time. i have read many complaints on the web about this problem, along with many other similar complaints. other popular defects for the new ford explorer are cracked rear coil over springs, along with transmission and a/c problems, etc, etc. how many more complaints is it going to take before ford stands up to their design flaws...???? *nm