Disclaimer: Not affiliated with or endorsed by Ford Motor Company. For informational purposes only. Full Disclaimer

Problems with 2002 Ford F-350 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On average, the 2002 Ford F-350 starts to “feel” problems with the ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and its various aspects after 108 929 miles.

Components Affected by ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Issues

We have classified the 9 complaints from 2002 Ford F-350 about ELECTRICAL SYSTEM into the following categories.

STARTER ASSEMBLY 3 ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR 1

Recently reported ELECTRICAL SYSTEM problems on 2002 Ford F-350

Headlights go off and on when i move the tilt steering wheel, when driving or sitting still

The digital compass and temperature display in the upper console breaks. i rely on the display to prevent from crashing on icy roads. i have looked and thousands of people have same issues, a wire coming loose. ford needs to recall this instead of charging up to 400.00 for the replacement part. it almost got me killed, im surprised no one has been injured.

On my way to work the turn signals failed and hazzzard lights no break lites or turn singnals the fuse panel was smoking and coused a wreck at 60 miles per hour

On may 13, 2014, a recall letter was received from ford. ref. no. 09s09-speed control deactivation fire. i called sonora ford to schedule an appointment to repair the risk. according to [xxx] in the service department parts were on back order. he took my contact information and advised he would contact me in about a week when parts arrived. after no returned call i contacted both sonora ford and ford motor company customer relations center at 1-866-436-7332 & 1-800-392-3673. they advised parts were still 7 to 10 days out. ford refused to have the switch removed or the circuit disconnected to prevent a fire until parts arrived when asked. with a known fire risk i am concerned more could be done by ford to address this issue while parts are not available. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-350. the contact stated the starter engaged without the key being inserted into the ignition. the vehicle started moving on its own and crashed into a boat that was attached to it and then crashed into a refrigerator. there were no injuries. the contact stated that the starter was still engaged and could smell it overheating. the manufacturer was notified. the approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

The vehicle is dependent upon a vehicle security module to open doors, show if doors are open or closed, automatically lock and unlock doors, turn on and off lights, etc. the unit installed in my vehicle has been replaced by another unit by ford. ford has not recalled this device. many owners have reported and have had to replace these devices because of the problems with locks not working (open and close), headlights not working or turning off while driving, false safety indications being displayed, etc. i am now experiencing this problem and have to replace this module to stop these same issues in my vehicle. it is a thermal problem and only occurs whenever the vehicle is warmed during the day in the heat. it begins to work properly after the air conditioner cools the cab down or at night when the temperatures are cooler. the original part # is 2c7t-15k602-aj, the replacement part # is 4c7z-15604-ac. every website blog that includes super duty trucks from 2002 have volumes of people with the same issue and ford replacing the vsm. the fact that the part number has changed to a new rev and a high volume of owners are experiencing the same issue is proof of a faulty part. *tr

Consumer states: 3 times now, the starter burned up while setting in the garage and the wiring burnt out in the starter. after consumer had driven the vehicle, when you come back out, you can smell burnt wiring. dealer can not pin point the problem. the starter is engaging when there are no keys in the ignition. *tt

1.on march 24, 2005 i started my 2002 ford 350 truck and drove about 15' when all of a sudden the truck died. upon trying to start it again several people came over to tell me flames were shooting down on the ground from the engine. i immediately got out of the vehicle and the flames had stopped shortly thereafter. 2.i had just recently had my vehicle serviced on 2.21.05 knowing i was driving to texas i had them check everything as well as whatever mileage maintenance that was due. mileage at service date was 51,304. everything checked out fine. 3.my truck is currently at the five star ford dealership in fort worth texas.they have not reported the cause of the fire or damage incurred to the truck as of yet. upon reading all the ford fire reports i am disgusted at the denial from ford. this is an extreme problem and needs to be corrected before too many people lose their lives.*ak

Consumer took vehicle to a dealership due to loss of power and unknown ticking noise from the engine. this had been a problem twice since the 3,000 mile checkup. dealership cleaned the engine, and returned the vehicle. dealership states noise was normal, and should not affect the engine's performance. took vehicle back to dealer, and was told that the engine blew out. another mechanic looked at the engine, and found the spark plugs were improperly installed. consumer was aware of other complaints on nhtsa's website. *ak the conumer stated that the exhaust sounded like it had a leak. *tc

While coming to a stop accelerated to a high rate. consumer managed to stop the vehicle. dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak dealer installed a flight recorder which was borrowed from another vehicle. with the flight recorder installed, consumer didn't experience any incident for 4 weeks. the dealer then called the consumer stating that the flight recorder had to be returned, and consumer's vehicle again malfunctioned 3 times. *la

I have a 2002 ford f-350. i have just had to replace my alternator for the second time. i called ford customer relations and they said there was nothing they would do to help with the costs at this time. it is a part that should last many years and for me to be on my third with a truck this new means to me that there is a problem. the dealer did tell me that they were replacing a lot of them. i have numerous problems with this truck. i kept having high pressure oil line problems until the block cracked and they replaced the motor. *la

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-350. while driving approximately 50 mph, the engine stalled. the vehicle was able to be restarted, but the failure recurred multiple times. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic. the technician stated that the camshaft sensor needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 3,000.

My husband was driving about 25 mph on his way to take the ford f350 which was purchased on 2-11-02 to the ford dealership to have it looked at because it wasn't running right. about 1.5 miles from home, flames shot out of the defroster vent inside of the vehicle, went over his head and then the smoke got really bad. he had enough time to open the door, keep one foot on the running board and one on the brake to try not to let the truck and trailer he was towing jackknife. the airbag the blew his hand off of the steering wheel and the truck burned. the truck was burning and smoking as he was trying to stop it. he couldn't see inside of the vehicle at all during this time. he was watching the line on the road so he knew where he was at. he was able to grab 3 things out of the bed of the truck and as a passerby called 911, they watched the entire truck burn. the front tires blew off and the rims melted to the ground. all that is left of the vehicle is metal and the rear tires and rear axle. we have pictures if you want to look at them. we lost everything inside of the vehicle. we've been told of 2 possible causes, but there isn't anything left to even try to help determine the cause. as stated earlier, this vehicle only had 1700 miles on it and it was only 11 days old. *ak

Other 2002 Ford F-350 Problem Categories