10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
129,333 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2002 Ford Explorer:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #3

Dec 152009

Explorer

  • 228,000 miles
My cars cruise control failed to disengage when I applied the footbrake, pushed the off switch, the gear shift would not move and the key would not turn off. The car was checked by police and when it was tested they were unable to find a fault in the failsafes however they are still suspicious of the vehicle. I had to call police and was in a runaway car on the freeway for 30mins. When I hit a median strip I lost enough speed to be able to use the little braking power I had left, as each time I applied the brakes the engine would accelerate back to the set sped and the brake pedal became hard to push. When I stopped I also pulled the handbrake as ordered by the police over the phone to avoid a headon, the left shoe of the handbrake snapped and the car skidded to a stop. The police disconnected the battery when they did testing. So I've been told any fault codes or faults either with the cruise control or the ECU may now be lost. Ford are claiming this could never happen, but im starting to read on other sites the same things are happening to other people. I could be dead along with alot of other people that day. The police also had issues moving the gear shift that day on my car to get it onto a tow truck, so its not just the driver.

- Maribyrnong, 00, USA

problem #2

Feb 182007

Explorer

  • miles
Paint is blistering and chipping on the hood and fender of my 2002 Explorer. ABS light comes on and airbag light stays on.

- Cincinnati, OH, USA

problem #1

Jun 202008

Explorer

  • 160,000 miles
2002 Ford Explorer, O/D light is blinking, check engine soon light stays on continuously. Rear end makes noise, ABS light stays on. Truck shifts hard from reverse to forward. Shifts hard and makes cluncking sound from 2nd to 3rd gear and will not go in to over-drive at all.

- Vancleave, MS, USA