2002 Ford Explorer Problems: Transmission / driveline (3,234 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2002 Ford Explorer is Transmission / driveline (41% of 3,234 owner reports). There are 10 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 3,234 complaints · 10 recalls

What problems show up on the 2002 Ford Explorer?

1,331 of 3,234 filings named Transmission / driveline (41% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (439 reports).

There are 10 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Tires, Body / frame, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2001 has 339 reports on file; this year has 3,234. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2002 Ford Explorer

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 10 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Suspension. Listen for clunks over bumps and look at tire wear for alignment issues.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 1,331 complaints · 41.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 141
  • Fires 57
  • Injuries 184
  • Deaths 5
All Ford Explorer years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 1,331 of 3,234 owner complaints (41.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 1,331 complaints, 41.2% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 22 crash reports 3 fire reports 1,331 · 41.2% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 439 complaints, 13.6% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 2 crash reports 439 · 13.6% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 339 complaints, 10.5% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 3 crash reports 1 fire reports 339 · 10.5% Engine (ENGINE): 162 complaints, 5.0% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 2 crash reports 14 fire reports 162 · 5.0% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 135 complaints, 4.2% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 28 crash reports 7 fire reports 135 · 4.2% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 130 complaints, 4.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 54 crash reports 5 fire reports 130 · 4.0% Wheels (WHEELS): 122 complaints, 3.8% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 4 crash reports 122 · 3.8% Steering (STEERING): 112 complaints, 3.5% of reports Steering (STEERING) 8 crash reports 1 fire reports 112 · 3.5% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 100 complaints, 3.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 crash reports 16 fire reports 100 · 3.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 2,291 complaints, 70.8% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 73 crash reports 20 fire reports 2,291 · 70.8% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1,331 41.2% 22 crashes · 3 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 439 13.6% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 339 10.5% 3 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 162 5.0% 2 crashes · 14 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 135 4.2% 28 crashes · 7 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 130 4.0% 54 crashes · 5 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 122 3.8% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 112 3.5% 8 crashes · 1 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 100 3.1% 3 crashes · 16 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2,291 70.8% 73 crashes · 20 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Apr 2001; the first recall shown was reported in Apr 2001. 2001-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2001-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2001-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2002-Q1: 31 owner reports 31 2002-Q2: 38 owner reports 38 2002-Q3: 40 owner reports 40 2002-Q4: 22 owner reports 22 2003-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2003-Q2: 38 owner reports 38 2003-Q3: 44 owner reports 44 2003-Q4: 51 owner reports 51 2004-Q1: 53 owner reports 53 2004-Q2: 50 owner reports 50 2004-Q3: 65 owner reports 65 2004-Q4: 67 owner reports 67 2005-Q1: 110 owner reports 110 2005-Q2: 62 owner reports 62 2005-Q3: 96 owner reports 96 2005-Q4: 67 owner reports 67 2006-Q1: 71 owner reports 71 2006-Q2: 79 owner reports 79 2006-Q3: 66 owner reports 66 2006-Q4: 59 owner reports 59 2007-Q1: 118 owner reports 118 2007-Q2: 67 owner reports 67 2007-Q3: 57 owner reports 57 2007-Q4: 61 owner reports 61 2008-Q1: 164 owner reports 164 2008-Q2: 134 owner reports 134 2008-Q3: 84 owner reports 84 2008-Q4: 94 owner reports 94 2009-Q1: 103 owner reports 103 2009-Q2: 73 owner reports 73 2009-Q3: 48 owner reports 48 2009-Q4: 88 owner reports 88 2010-Q1: 134 owner reports 134 2010-Q2: 96 owner reports 96 2010-Q3: 79 owner reports 79 2010-Q4: 63 owner reports 63 2011-Q1: 58 owner reports 58 2011-Q2: 43 owner reports 43 2011-Q3: 40 owner reports 40 2011-Q4: 39 owner reports 39 2012-Q1: 38 owner reports 38 2012-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2012-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2012-Q4: 25 owner reports 25 2013-Q1: 24 owner reports 24 2013-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2013-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2013-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2014-Q1: 28 owner reports 28 2014-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2014-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2014-Q4: 19 owner reports 19 2015-Q1: 16 owner reports 16 2015-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2015-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2015-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2016-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2016-Q3: 12 owner reports 12 2016-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2017-Q1: 8 owner reports 8 2017-Q2: 7 owner reports 7 2017-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2020-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Apr 2001 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 01I010000 ◆ Recall campaign 01I010000 Recall campaign 01V171000 ◆ Recall campaign 01V171000 Recall campaign 03V094000 ◆ Recall campaign 03V094000 Recall campaign 04V442000 ◆ Recall campaign 04V442000 Recall campaign 06E026000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E026000 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 07E104000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E104000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Recall campaign 09V399000 ◆ Recall campaign 09V399000 Investigation SQ01015 ● Investigation SQ01015 Investigation EA02010 ● Investigation EA02010 Investigation PE04045 ● Investigation PE04045 Investigation PE05037 ● Investigation PE05037 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005 Investigation PE09020 ● Investigation PE09020 Investigation EA09013 ● Investigation EA09013
  • Campaign 04V442000 was reported 1,257 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 07E104000 was reported 2,247 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 2,650 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2001-Q2 Owner reports 11
2001-Q3 Owner reports 16
2001-Q4 Owner reports 7
2002-Q1 Owner reports 31
2002-Q2 Owner reports 38
2002-Q3 Owner reports 40
2002-Q4 Owner reports 22
2003-Q1 Owner reports 30
2003-Q2 Owner reports 38
2003-Q3 Owner reports 44
2003-Q4 Owner reports 51
2004-Q1 Owner reports 53
2004-Q2 Owner reports 50
2004-Q3 Owner reports 65
2004-Q4 Owner reports 67
2005-Q1 Owner reports 110
2005-Q2 Owner reports 62
2005-Q3 Owner reports 96
2005-Q4 Owner reports 67
2006-Q1 Owner reports 71
2006-Q2 Owner reports 79
2006-Q3 Owner reports 66
2006-Q4 Owner reports 59
2007-Q1 Owner reports 118
2007-Q2 Owner reports 67
2007-Q3 Owner reports 57
2007-Q4 Owner reports 61
2008-Q1 Owner reports 164
2008-Q2 Owner reports 134
2008-Q3 Owner reports 84
2008-Q4 Owner reports 94
2009-Q1 Owner reports 103
2009-Q2 Owner reports 73
2009-Q3 Owner reports 48
2009-Q4 Owner reports 88
2010-Q1 Owner reports 134
2010-Q2 Owner reports 96
2010-Q3 Owner reports 79
2010-Q4 Owner reports 63
2011-Q1 Owner reports 58
2011-Q2 Owner reports 43
2011-Q3 Owner reports 40
2011-Q4 Owner reports 39
2012-Q1 Owner reports 38
2012-Q2 Owner reports 21
2012-Q3 Owner reports 15
2012-Q4 Owner reports 25
2013-Q1 Owner reports 24
2013-Q2 Owner reports 8
2013-Q3 Owner reports 15
2013-Q4 Owner reports 19
2014-Q1 Owner reports 28
2014-Q2 Owner reports 18
2014-Q3 Owner reports 15
2014-Q4 Owner reports 19
2015-Q1 Owner reports 16
2015-Q2 Owner reports 14
2015-Q3 Owner reports 10
2015-Q4 Owner reports 17
2016-Q1 Owner reports 8
2016-Q2 Owner reports 21
2016-Q3 Owner reports 12
2016-Q4 Owner reports 10
2017-Q1 Owner reports 8
2017-Q2 Owner reports 7
2017-Q3 Owner reports 6
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 5
2018-Q2 Owner reports 5
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 4
2019-Q4 Owner reports 3
2020-Q1 Owner reports 4
2020-Q2 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 01I010000
Recall campaign 1 01V171000
Recall campaign 1 03V094000
Recall campaign 1 04V442000
Recall campaign 1 06E026000
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 07E104000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Recall campaign 1 09V399000
Defect investigation 1 SQ01015
Defect investigation 1 EA02010
Defect investigation 1 PE04045
Defect investigation 1 PE05037
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
Defect investigation 1 PE09020
Defect investigation 1 EA09013
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (10)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Tires, Body / frame, and Lights.

  1. Recall campaign 01I010000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    ROTATION OF THE BRACKETS COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE LIFT CYLINDERS TO DETACH FROM THE GLASS OR, IN SOME CASES, COULD POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE LIFTGATE GLASS TO BREAK. EITHER CONDITION IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN THE GLASS IS BEING CLOSED.
    Remedy:
    FORD DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE VEHICLES FOR THE POSITION OF BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT LIFTGATGE GLASS LIFT CYLINDER BRACKETS. IF THE BRACKETS ARE IN THE PROPER POSITION, THE BRACKET RETAINERS WILL BE TIGHTENED TO A HIGHER TORQUE. IN CASES WHERE THE BRACKET IS NOT PROPERLY POSITION, THE BRACKET MUST BE RE-ALIGNED.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 01V171000

    Tires

    Report date
    Component:
    Tires (TIRES)
    Consequence:
    OVER TIME, THE TIRE COULD FAIL, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE TIRES AND, IF ANY SLICES ARE FOUND, THE CUT TIRES WILL BE REPLACED. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN JUNE 7, 2001. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 03V094000

    Safety recall 03V094000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE RUNNING BOARDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 7, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SOUTHERN COMFORT AT 1-800-745-6096.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 04V442000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    IF THE HINGE SHOULD FRACTURE, THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR THE GLASS TO FALL AND ULTIMATELY BREAK AND PERSONAL INJURIES COULD OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL HAVE THE LIFTGATE GLASS STRUT BRACKETS AND GLASS HINGES REPLACED. FOR THE VEHICLES BUILT FROM AUGUST 1, 2000 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2002, THE DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HINGES AND LIFTGATE STRUT BRACKET. ON VEHICLES BUILT FROM MARCH 3, 2002 THROUGH JUNE 23, 2003, THE DEALERS WILL ONLY REPLACE THE HINGES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 30, 2004. A POSTCARD WAS SENT TO OWNERS ON DECEMBER 27, 2004, ADVISING THEM THAT PARTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 06E026000

    Safety recall 06E026000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 06E049000

    Safety recall 06E049000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
    Remedy:
    CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Recall campaign 07E104000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.
    Remedy:
    SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE FOR REPLACING THEIR CUSTOMER'S GLASS. WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE'S WHOLESALE DIVISION, SERVICE AUTOGLASS TOLL FREE AT 1-888-246-6298. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2008.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  8. Recall campaign 09E012000

    Safety recall 09E012000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  9. Recall campaign 09E025000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  10. Recall campaign 09V399000

    Safety recall 09V399000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
    Remedy:
    FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 3,234 complaints · page 1 of 130
2026-07-20Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11751609
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving down the road and my airbag instantly deployed in my face without cause or notice. I became completely disoriented as it hit my hand and face with severe force and was extremely loud and shocking. I thank God that I had just let off the gas and didn't hurt anyone else. If I had panicked or was going through an intersection, experiencing a turn, coming to a stop, or someone in front of me stopped I could have struck another vehicle or object and caused death or injuries. I have not brought the vehicle anywhere to be checked out yet. My insurance refuses to cover it. There were no warning signs of this airbag deployment.
2025-07-09Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11672158
CrashFireInjuryDeath
September 2, 2023 at about 6 pm I pulled over to grab a couple water bottles from the rear of my 2002 Ford Explorer Sport cause my engine was overheating. I got out walked to the rear of my vehicle pushed my unlatch button on the tailgate and I lifted the glass part of the rear hatch. Both air hinges were not working correctly to keep it up so I gently rested the glass on my hair that was put up in a bun and just a little bit of the glass was resting on the very top of my head where my hair was slicked back for my bun so my hands were free to grab the bottles of water. (My hair was the softest of resting place's). As I reached in the back to grab the water bottles I heard the loudest bang and hundreds of little pieces of glass fell everywhere around me. I was in so much distrot that I actually thought someone had shot at me with a fire arm but missed me and hit the rear glass instead. The top of my head was stinging and it felt like I had just been smacked with a tree branch and the glass had went all over me causing a few minor cuts and scrapes as I fell to my knees in shock my heart racing faster than I had even imagined a heart could beat while histaraclly crying from the trauma that just occurred I fell to the ground and for a full 15 minutes i sat there surrounded by glass and tears in so much shock, dazed and confused before I stood up and looked around at everything that then I only realized I WASN'T shot at because there was no bullet or bullet hole nor did a vehicle drive by nor was there any people closer than a mile to me when I realized that the glass had shattered for some UNKNOWN reason ON ITS OWN that it scared me so bad it traumatized me. After that day I was pulled over multiple times by numerous police agency's (sheriff, Medford PD, Central Point PD and State Police) because I didn't have the money to fix it let alone have the knowledge that it had a recall so I could get it replaced. I have pictures but it will not allow me to upload them.
2024-06-14Airbags (AIR BAGS)
NHTSA ODI 11594472
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while her fiancé was driving 45 MPH, the driver’s side and passenger’s side air bags inadvertently deployed without an impact or a crash, causing the contact’s fiancé to swerve and drive down into a ditch. No warning lights were illuminated. The front bumper, windshield, and passenger’s side taillight were cracked. No injuries were sustained. A Police report was not filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 118,583.
2023-11-30Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11557714
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle shut off. The contact was able to coast off the freeway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic, but the mechanic declined to service the vehicle. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified about the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.
2022-09-09Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11483635
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that the steering wheel intermittently seized while driving at various speeds without warning. After finding a replacement part at a salvage yard, the contact had the steering wheel replaced by an independent mechanic; however, the failure persisted. The contact also stated that an abnormal ticking noise was coming from the engine with the ABS warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same independent mechanic and the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.
2022-07-08Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11472938
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the hood latch independently released, causing the hood to strike the windshield. The contact was able to get to the side of the roadway and closed the hood. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 137,000.

Ford Explorer Complaints by Year

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 1,331 of 3,234 reports (41%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2002 Ford Explorer?

NHTSA lists 10 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras, Tires, Body / frame, and Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2002 Ford Explorer?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources