Problems with 2002 Ford F-150 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Tl* the contact owned a 2002 ford f-150. after the contact turned off and exited the vehicle, he was alerted by a passerby that there were flames under the hood. the flames were near the driver's side of the engine compartment near the brake system. a fire inspector extinguished the flames. the vehicle was destroyed by the fire. a dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the contact was uncertain if the failure was related to nhtsa action numbers: ea05005 (electrical system, vehicle speed control) and dp05005 (engine and engine cooling) and nhtsa campaign numbers: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 05v388000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle remained at the scene. the cause of the failure was not determined. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

Woke up at 1am one 4-1-2018 to my ford f 150 on fire drivers side front under the hood. unknow to us our local sheriff had spotted the fire and already called the fire department. total loss. bought the truck a few months back without any knowledge of a recall on the speed control switch. the vehicle was sitting in our drive next to our other cars for 3 hour with keys out of the ignition.

The recall ie an inline fuse on speed control deactivation switch did not work it just caught on fire and ruined my master cylinder and brake system.it wont hold brake fluid now because the switch melted into it.ford says oh well recalls been done

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. the contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while parked. the contact extinguished the fire. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 05v017000 (vehicle speed control). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure the approximate failure mileage was 200,000. updated 03/03/17*lj *cn

Vehicle caught fire after being parked for 5 hours. almost burnt my building down.

Loud noise spark plug blow out and caused sparks when opened the hood. afraid it was going to catch fire so had it towed. according to mechanic is a ford issue ongoing but no recall nor will ford pay for it. 91120 miles on truck well maintained.

Turns signals didn't while driving in cold vehicle in cold weather. once the temperature warmed up the inside of the vehicle the turn signals worked normally. i had no problems in the warm months of the year. turn signal lever works properly on and off. thought it was the flasher unit, replace it and had the same problem. when the vehicle is cold ( somewhere below 40 degrees fahrenheit ) the turn signals do not work when steering wheel is in a lower tilt position. this is especially true if the temperature is close to freezing. when the cab of the pickup warms up signals will work. when the outside temperature is above 50 degrees f signals will work. the signal wires are stretched in the column by tilting the steering wheel down. the cold makes the wires stiff. when the wires warm up they flex to complete the circuit on the turn signal lever connection and active the signals properly. there may have been a recall on ranger trucks for this issue. would like to see one issued for this truck.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. while the vehicle was parked, it caught fire. a fire report was not filed. the contact's daughter extinguished the fire. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the failure mileage was unknown. updated 01/27/16*lj *tr

The problem started with the vehicle not starting and the battery appearing to be dead. battery was replaced and now the electrical issues are widespread and out of control. the radio, wipers, dome lights and dash lights go off and on and the starter tries to start the truck after it is running. i have been locked out of the truck due to the locks engaging on their own and i had to pull over in a severe rainstorm due to the wipers that all of a sudden stopped working. it has been root caused to be water intrusion into the vehicle from the windshield getting into the fuse box and the gem module is now bad. i have researched this and it very frustrating to know that this particular vehicle year is well known for this issue. i have read literally a thousand comments of people having the exact same issue with no resolution from ford. no recall was issued and we have to spend a large sum of money to fix a known issue with this and similar vehicles. now the ford dealer is telling me the gem module has been on back order for months as they are resourcing the product, so i can't even get the parts to fix it. i am fortunate this did not result in a severe accident or fire.

While driving at 15 mph cylinder #5 spark plug liberated it self from the engine. *tr

This is the second occurrence of this nature. the previous happened approximately in july of 2014. at that time the dealership said that the key was the problem and i paid for a new key and everything has been good until ~ 1/4/15. this time, the pats (anti-theft) system triggered and rendered the vehicle useless. after ~ 45 minutes it eventually started and i drove it to the dealership. it was there for 2 days and they couldn't get the system to trigger. therefore, they had me come pick up the vehicle. two days later, the vehicle rendered itself useless again through the pats system. the vehicle wouldn't start for 2 days as i tried to start it periodically as i was instructed by the dealership. finally it started on the 3rd morning. when i originally took the truck in the two guys at the dealership said that this is a common problem in this year model. in fact when i told him of the issue i was having, the service manager asked if i had a 2002 f150. we had a good laugh when i said "yes, and that isn't a good sign that you know that- without seeing my vehicle." he explained that the tilt mechanism in the steering column damages the wire that runs from the key transponder area to the sending unit that tells the engine that this is the correct key. this was the night that they kept the truck for 2 days. this is a situation where a perfect operational vehicle is not functioning because of a chaffed wire or the wire has been pulled from its soldering point. i am the owner, yet i have the same chance of starting that truck as a car thief. it makes no sense. this didn't seem like a safety issue to me until i was stranded for 45 minutes in a parking lot and it was extremely cold. i envisioned someone turning their car/truck off for some reason in a place where the temp was well below freezing and freezing to death because this system has been triggered. *tr

Have noticed that the turn signals and tailbed brake lights do not work when moving the tilt wheel. will work when steering wheel is placed in highest position. have seen recall on ranger trucks for this issue. *tr

Odometer worked intermittently, sometimes would go out and then come back on. now not working at all. airbag light stays on. updated 4/24/2015 *js

The truck was parked in the driveway and caught fire and was totaled. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. the contact stated that after parking the vehicle for approximately 30 to 40 minutes, a loud noise was heard from the vehicle. the contact discovered that the vehicle had caught on fire from under the hood. the police and the fire department were contacted and a report was filed. the fire department advised him that the failure was caused by an electrical issue. the vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure and current mileages were unknown. the vin was unavailable.

My 2002 ford f150 xlt sup cab 4wd v8 has been acting up for a month or so it started by acting like it had a dead battery but that wasn't it we used 2 new battery's in it so the local mechanic shop showed us how to remove the hot post have the truck turned on but not cranked and when you replace the hot post watch for the rpm to race to the highest then back down to 0 then crank it this is a two man job by the way and it worked then it just stopped needing to be done and has been running fine i drove it on tuesday no problems and today friday someone came inside and told me the truck was cranking on its own i had the only set of keys in my pocket so i thought impossible well i went to check and sure enough it was trying to start on its own i got into the truck and tried to crank it but it wouldn't start on my 3rd try it turned over but sounded like the starter was banging into something and now that i have read multiple cases where peoples truck has caught on fire while no one was in it and it had not been driven in a few days i wonder if there truck had tried to start on its own and they just didn't know it im going to call ford motor company tomorrow but the people whose trucks caught on fire got no help from them im hoping they will help me before my truck catches on fire its undriveable at this point but a fire would not only destroy any chance of fixing it but the damage the truck could cause to other things or people around it would be irreversible has anyone else had there truck to crank without a person or key near it ? here's hoping ford motor company cares about there customers. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f150. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked in a residential driveway overnight when a fire erupted from under the hood of the driver's side. the vehicle was completely destroyed. the fire department was contacted who and arrived on the scene. the fire department concluded that the fire was caused by an electrical issue. a police and fire report was filed. there were no injuries reported. the manufacturer was not notified of the incident. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 195,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f150. the contact was driving 35 mph when the ignition caught on fire and melted the area where the ignition key was located. the contact merged onto the shoulder as the fire independently diminished. the contact received burns to the fingers. he then attempted to reinsert the key into the ignition however, to no avail. the vehicle was pushed to the contact's residence and later towed to the dealer. the dealer informed the contact that the ignition would need replacing. the contact also received notification of nhtsa campaign id number: 11v385000 (fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting) for corrosion of one or both of the fuel straps. the contact stated that the dealer would not repair the vehicle under the recall but was not advised as to why. the manufacturer was notified who offered no assistance and could not provide a reason why the dealer would not repair the vehicle under the recall. the vehicle was not repaired.the failure mileage was 101,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f150. the contact was driving approximately 70 mph with the cruise control activated and suddenly without intent the cruise control failed to operate. in addition, the horn would not sound upon engaging. the authorized dealer was notified and they informed the vehicle was previously repaired under nhtsa campaign id number 05v388000 (vehicle speed control). a few years later, the identical failure recurred. the vehicle had not been repaired for the most recent failure. the manufacturer was not notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 170,000. ...update 01/20/12 *bf updated 01/25/12

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. the contact stated that various warning lights illuminated on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the gem module failed due to a water leak. the contact was also informed that the module needed to be replaced and the windshield needed to be resealed. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered no assistance. the vehicle was not repaired because the necessary parts were on back order. the failure mileage was 103,000. the vin was not available.

2002 ford f-150. consumer writes in regards to recall and repairs *tgw the consumer stated he made an appointment as suggested by the recall letter two weeks ago and as of october 7, 2011 the dealer informed him the parts were still not available. the consumer also stated the instrument cluster did not work, which made it difficult to see the mileage on the vehicle. the consumer was informed the only way to fix the problem was to replace the entire module as the dash must be taken apart. *jb the consumer stated he took the vehicle to the dealer after waiting several months for the parts and was informed they could not replace the gas tank, because it was leaking and it was not covered under the recall. the leak was due to the faulty straps where the metal was rubbing on metal. updated 12/20/11

I am reporting this incident as the person who's car was affected by the fire. i parked my car next to a 2002 ford f150, and after being home for about an hour and a half, a police officer came to my door and told me that my car (vw jetta) was involved in a car fire. apparently the f150 caught fire and burned my car, a bush, and another car. the fire marshal on scene explained to me that ford had a recall on multiple vehicles that had this problem. the f150 in question is totaled and has to be towed off the property. i have since come inside and found the switchfires.com website, and clicked on the link provided below, which in turn has led to giving in my info, and discussing my dilemma. *tr

My truck was parked outside my house and all of a sudden got on fire under the hood for no reason. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. while parked and unoccupied, the vehicle ignited in flames. the fire started under the hood from the driver side. the fire department extinguished the flames. the manufacturer was contacted and advised that there was an unknown recall that could have been associated with the failure. the contact stated that the cause of the fire was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 175,000.

Coil pack causing engine to misfire. *tt

2002 ford f-150, 4.6 triton engine keeps blowing the spark plugs out of the heads. *tr

Electrical fire starting under the dash and ended up totaling my truck. 2002 ford f150. suspected to be cruise control switch that was never fixed by dealer before purchase, and we were not notified about this recall. it was suggested to us after getting the information to the insurance co. and servicing the fire report to do some research and file a complaint/claim. fire started while driving down the road with smoke coming from under the dash, then pulled over and got out and flames were coming from all underthe dash and continued to spread to the entire vehicle while waiting for the fire department and sheriff to arrive. *tr

My husband purchased a used 2002 f150 ford truck back in 2004. in the past 3 years, the truck has major electrical issues every time it rains for more than 2 days straight. it starts with the radio shutting off while driving. next the wipers will not work then the power windows wont open. each time he gets in and out of his car, another electrical feature will not work. finally, when he gets in to start his car and it won't turn over. in april 2009, he has the electrical sensor in the gem model replaced. on april 28th 2010, he had to have the multifunctional fuse box replaced. in march 2011, he had a new battery installed. today he is waiting for aaa to jump his car as it won't start. i called the dealer who informed me that their are no known recalls for this issue. we were told by another dealer that it sounds like water is getting into the fuse box module due to the front window not being properly sealed . *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford f150. the vehicle was sitting overnight and the horn started to honk as the vehicle was on fire. the fire started inside the cab of the vehicle and it was totally destroyed. the fire department was called and a report was filed. the fire department does not know the origin of the fire. there were no injuries. the dealer was not contacted. the manufacturer was called and stated that they needed to check the fire departments report. they offered no other assistance. the failure mileage was 80,000.

Vehicle cab rocker panels rusting off rear window leaking cruise control not working vehicle rusting and been in area with no salt on roads

Spark plug blowing out head. damaging head, coil pack and injector line. *tr

I have a 2002 ford f150 with the 4.6l v8. the truck has 109,000 miles. number 4 plug ejected on november 11th without any serious damage. i replaced the plug and coil. i was driving home on december 23rd this time the plug ejected and hit the under side of the hood and sounded like a bomb went off. i did some research on the internet and found this is a wide spread serious problem with the ford triton engines. i also discovered that ford will not cover the cost of the repair. if i have the dealer repair the problem they will only repair the one plug. so i will purchase a repair kit and repair all the plugs myself. this seems to be a design problem that should be covered by ford. *tr

I got into my 2002 ford f150 one morning, cranked it and went to put it in drive and it would not.also my interior lights would not work. after doing research i found out it could possibly be a fuse. i changed the fuse and it worked., about a month later it did it again so i changed the fuse again, that also worked again. in the mean time i also had problems with my brakes, which i had just changed. after about a month with no problems with my fuses, i took my truck out of town for four days. when i got back i had to go straight to work, approximately 3:00 pm. at the fire station i work at. at 11:45pm dispatch woke me up out of the bunkroom to inform me my truck was on fire. *tr

2002 ford f-150. consumer states a major wire harness burned on the r.h. exhaust manifold and the protective plastic sleeve was gone as well as the insulation. *tgw the consumer stated the check engine light illuminated and the overdrive light started flashing and it wouldn't shift past 2nd gear. *jb updated 06/07/11

Our 02 ford f150 caught fire in our driveway while we were not home and was destroyed. this was 3 days after being operated. the fire was located above the front driver side tire at the brake fluid reservoir. our neighbor saw fire and was able to save our boat and home by combating the flames while waiting for 911 to respond. our insurance company called it a total loss. we called ford to see if our vin number had recalls, and they said yes, for the cruise control module. we never received notice from ford regarding a recall!!! we have not had any problems with this vehicle up to this point. the fire chief said that if my neighbor would not have seen the fire we would have lost everything. *tr

I was following the ford rules for when to replace spark plugs at 100,000 miles. i have 99,860 miles on my 2002 ford f150 xlt 4.6l triton v8 motor. i was driving home from getting the new plugs from the auto store to replace when i heard what sounded like a gun going off. one of the spark plugs fired out of its location ripping off the coil pack hitting my fan blade on the truck. this is very dangerous because as i have been reading. the fuel could have been ignited by the coil pack causing a fire or worse. what is being done about this defect and why has their not been a recall on the ford motors? *tr

Ford motor companymain topic: vehicle service issues your inquiry: i have a 02 ford f150 supercrew with a major problem the windshield leaks on the driverside when it rans into the gem module cause the truck to be hard to start and the gauges and services lights to stay on the seatbelt bell to ring all the time > i contacted dick masheter ford and told them what was going on with the truck andthey told me it is common with that year truck forf the windshield to leak onto the gem module owner: yesvehicle identification number: [xxx] mileage: 94000vehicle location: inpossessionif contacted dealer: yesdealer name: dick masheter ford owner first name: [xxx] owner last name: [xxx] owner email address: [xxx] owner address1: 2761 gosling way city: columbusstate: ohzippostal: [xxx]: united statesday phone: [xxx] client > this has been going on since i bought the truck 03/19/10 i have been ont he ford forum and have seen alot of other customers having the same problem with the gem module getting wet when it rains > > i feel that ford should do a recall on this issue to take care of the problem i have also talked to dick masheter ford on hamilton rd in columbus, oh and they have told me that it is the gem module causing the problems when it rains and it has been happening with ford f150 trucks from the year '97 on up. it seems that ford is doing recalls for everything else why not the problem with the windshield leaking http://www.topix.com/forum/autos/ford-f-150/taa9dvmdg7ro706ei/p3#lastpost this is the website that i found that other ford truck owners are having the same problem and it is costing them alot of money to get the problem repaired at their expense. > > from: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2002 ford f150. 4x4. 5.4 l v8. drivers side leaky windshield. leak causes corrosion of electrical components under dash. the gem module; which controls most all electronics on the dash; radion, 4x4, wipers, headlights controls, heating and air conditioning controls. due to the corrosion or the gem module and fuse box on drivers side of vehicle the starter will randomly engage itself as well. many of the relays under the dash are under abnormal conditions. during the malfunction of the above two items the relays will "chatter" constantly. all of the above conditions will happen with the keys out of the ignition. with no keys in the ignition the fan blower will still run, headlights stay on ( in auto position). numerous other electrical problems. there are numerous postings or identical troubles on the internet. countless ford mechanics will tell of same troubles. *tw

Intermittent starting problem caused by the anti theft unit in that it won't allow the truck to start. if allowed to sit for an hour or so it usually starts. ford dealerships say that they have to have it when the problem is occurring. well, now the problem seems permanent, as it won't start at all. when asked if system can be turned off they say "no, it is a safety issue" their safety issue has put me in peril on more than one occasion. one being on a boat ramp with rising water and a vehicle that won't start. how safe is that? the vehicle is at the dealer now, and they tell me they must duplicate the not starting so they can see what's wrong, in fact it is not starting. *tr

My vehicle has a water leak that is getting the gem module wet and this has resulted in the wipers failing, the power windows to fail, the heater fan stays on after the key is removed from the ignition, and the engine runs very rough and stalls resulting in me losing the power steering and putting the vehicle in a ditch, the wipers stopped working during a recent heavy rain and i had to pull onto the side of the interstate for over 30 minutes. ford customer service claims they never heard of the problem but i found out they issued a technical service bulletin 98-9-13 to the dealers about this and also ford special message #15773 for this problem. the dealer wants over $1,100.00 to fix .this problem is in 1997-2002 ford f150 and expeditions. i feel that the loss of wipers and sudden loss of power steering and power brakes is a bigger safety hazard than the current recall on the cruise control. *tr

I have had the 02' f150 just over one year and have had problems with the windshield leaking into the cab. i have found that this is a common problem in the 97' to 03' f150 model via ford forums and other internet groups. this leak shorts out the fuse panel causing the loss in power in various equipment including the windshield wipers. this short has also caused the instrument panel to fail causing the computer to not read what gear the truck is in which has caused the truck not to start or stop running while the truck is in operation. the only way the fix the problem is to have the windshield removed and resealed as well as replacing the fuse panel replaced. others as well as i have had to have other repairs made due to the leak including the instrument panel, starter, relay, alternator, and the ignition sensor. i have had to make these repairs out of pocket as no manufacture recall has been issued, only a special service bulletin. ford has been contacted about this issue but has stated that it is not a safety issue. *tr

I have had the 02' f150 since december 07' and have had major problems with the windshield leaking. i have found that this is a common problem with in the 97' to 03' f150 models via ford forums and other internet sites as well as the local ford dealer repair shop who worked on my truck. this leak shorts out the fuse panel in the cab that causes the loss of power to equipment including the windshield wipers which is a safety issue when driving in inclement weather. the leak also tends to short out the instrument panel causing the computer to be unable to read what gear the truck is in. this causes the truck to not start and even shut down while driving which again is a safety issue while driving in any condition. this leak cost me $1500 dollars in repairs due to damage to the starter, relay, alternator, computer, fuse panel, and having to replacing the windshield. i was told by ford that this leak was not a safety issue and have only issued a special service bulletin! i can not understand how the windshield leak is not a safety issue yet a recall can be issued for fading paint? *tr

2002 f150 supercrew leaky windshield causing electrical parts to go on and off. i wish ford would fix this problem im afraid to take the family in it in fear of an electrical fire. *tr

1. driving approximately 35-40 mph in town in vehicle. vehicle has approximately 75,000 miles. heard a loud explosion and truck immediately began to sputter. had to pull over. barely made it to auto shop a couple of miles down the road. 2. diagnosed as a blown spark plug which damaged the block, head and engine. the auto repair company told me that only ford dealer could repair this damage. estimated at $3500 to $4000 to repair. 3. have yet to decide what to do, as we still owe a substantial amount of money on this vehicle. *tr

Vehicle dash lights would stay on when vehicle off. door locks would lock and unlock by themselves while driving. and while the truck was off. vehicle would be completely dead when go to start. after replacing with a new battery, truck would not start. had a tow truck come and when he tried to start it, it started right up. after he shut off, it was completely dead would not start. took truck to garage. it took mechanics 5 hours to find the problem. after checking all the relays and fuse boxes, etc. it ended up to be the fusebox under the dash. the fusebox was corroded and deteriorating due to water damage, which was causing the electrical problems. the mechanic said there was some type of leak from the windshield causing water to enter the fusebox. thus causing the fusebox damage. the mechanics replaced the fusebox and a relay. i do have the old one that was damaged. he said the windshield needs to be taken out to be resealed on reinstalling. which needs to be done yet. he said i was lucky not to have any major problems while driving or shorting which could lead to a fire problem. *tr

I have a 2002 ford f-150 supercrew, about 6 months ago my electrical panel started having a mind of its own everytime it rains. my radio, windshield wipers, blinkers, tail lights and interior lights go off and on. i have almost been in several accidents due to this problem not being able to see because of windshield wipers not working and also because of blinkers not working. the problem is getting worse and i believe ford should fix this since it is definitely several large safety issues. *tr

2002 ford f-150 windshield leaks causing damage to electrical system (fuse box and electrical module). many issue happening including windshield wipers not working and shorting out the airbag deactivation switch. windshield repair facility states this was a known issue with the priming of the windshields at installation in manufacturing. also states it might cause a potential for the windshield to eject itself during a rollover reducing structural integrity of the cab. dealer who identified the problem stated it was not a known issue but research states otherwise as well as a letter from ford to the dealerships explaining the issue - #15773. *tr

Ford motor company does not install the fuse necessary to operate the towing harness lamps on the 2002 f150. local ford dealer installed a fuse and then discovered that the pin beneath the fuse box was bent. the fuse box had to be removed in order to straighten out the pin and then re-installed. ford refused to cover the cost ($200.00) saying the vehicle was out of warranty. contention is that this either came from the factory this way or the dealer bent the pin when they installed the fuse. neither ford motor company or the local ford dealer will accept responsibility. the bent pin made the parking lamps inoperable which would be hazardous for towing anything at night. *tr

Possible windshield leakage causing extreme random electrical failure. truck won't start if raining. truck shuts off during operation. particularly hazardous during highway operation. electrical operations occur without warning, with or without keys in ignition. *jb

My f-150 pickup just started smoking then with in seconds was fully engulfed in flames resulting in me jumping out to save own life. thankfully no one else was with me. *jb