2002 Ford F-250 Problems and Recalls (145 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2002 Ford F-250 is Engine (20% of 145 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 145 complaints · 7 recalls

What problems show up on the 2002 Ford F-250?

29 of 145 filings named Engine (20% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (13 reports).

There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2001 has 194 reports on file; this year has 145. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2002 Ford F-250

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 7 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. 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: Engine 29 complaints · 20.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 12
  • Fires 9
  • Injuries 12
  • Deaths 1
All Ford F-250 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 Engine (ENGINE) appears in 29 of 145 owner complaints (20.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 29 complaints, 20.0% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 29 · 20.0% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 13 complaints, 9.0% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 · 9.0% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 11 complaints, 7.6% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 11 · 7.6% Tires (TIRES): 11 complaints, 7.6% of reports Tires (TIRES) 1 crash reports 11 · 7.6% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 11 complaints, 7.6% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 1 fire reports 11 · 7.6% Steering (STEERING): 10 complaints, 6.9% of reports Steering (STEERING) 2 crash reports 10 · 6.9% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 9 complaints, 6.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 fire reports 9 · 6.2% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 9 complaints, 6.2% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 2 fire reports 9 · 6.2% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 8 complaints, 5.5% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 8 · 5.5% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 81 complaints, 55.9% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 7 crash reports 7 fire reports 81 · 55.9% 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)
Engine (ENGINE) 29 20.0% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 13 9.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 11 7.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 11 7.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 11 7.6% 1 crashes · 1 fires
Steering (STEERING) 10 6.9% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 9 6.2% 0 crashes · 3 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 9 6.2% 1 crashes · 2 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 8 5.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 81 55.9% 7 crashes · 7 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 Oct 2001; the first recall shown was reported in May 2006. 2001-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2002-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2002-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2002-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2002-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2003-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2003-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2003-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2003-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2004-Q1: 6 owner reports 6 2004-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2004-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2005-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2005-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2006-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2006-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2006-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2007-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2007-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2010-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2012-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2013-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2014-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2014-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Oct 2001 Apr 2025 Recall campaign 06E049000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E049000 Recall campaign 06E052000 ◆ Recall campaign 06E052000 Recall campaign 06V286000 ◆ Recall campaign 06V286000 Recall campaign 07E066000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E066000 Recall campaign 09E012000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E012000 Recall campaign 09E025000 ◆ Recall campaign 09E025000 Recall campaign 11V352000 ◆ Recall campaign 11V352000 Investigation EA05005 ● Investigation EA05005 Investigation DP05005 ● Investigation DP05005
  • Campaign 07E066000 was reported 2,119 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 09E025000 was reported 483 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 11V352000 was reported 1,276 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2001-Q4 Owner reports 3
2002-Q1 Owner reports 1
2002-Q2 Owner reports 4
2002-Q3 Owner reports 11
2002-Q4 Owner reports 10
2003-Q1 Owner reports 2
2003-Q2 Owner reports 3
2003-Q3 Owner reports 1
2003-Q4 Owner reports 5
2004-Q1 Owner reports 6
2004-Q2 Owner reports 4
2004-Q3 Owner reports 4
2004-Q4 Owner reports 2
2005-Q1 Owner reports 3
2005-Q2 Owner reports 3
2005-Q3 Owner reports 2
2005-Q4 Owner reports 2
2006-Q1 Owner reports 1
2006-Q2 Owner reports 2
2006-Q3 Owner reports 3
2006-Q4 Owner reports 3
2007-Q1 Owner reports 2
2007-Q2 Owner reports 2
2007-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q1 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 1
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 1
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 2
2010-Q3 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 1
2011-Q3 Owner reports 5
2012-Q1 Owner reports 1
2012-Q4 Owner reports 2
2013-Q2 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 4
2014-Q2 Owner reports 2
2014-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q2 Owner reports 1
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 3
2016-Q3 Owner reports 2
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 3
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 1
2023-Q4 Owner reports 1
2024-Q4 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 06E049000
Recall campaign 1 06E052000
Recall campaign 1 06V286000
Recall campaign 1 07E066000
Recall campaign 1 09E012000
Recall campaign 1 09E025000
Recall campaign 1 11V352000
Defect investigation 1 EA05005
Defect investigation 1 DP05005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (7)

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

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights.

  1. 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 →

  2. Recall campaign 06E052000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
    Remedy:
    SABRY LEE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER FULL CREDIT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLAMP. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN ON JUNE 14, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABRY LEE ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE AT 1-866-467-2279.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 06V286000

    Safety recall 06V286000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 7, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 05V388)
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 07E066000

    Safety recall 07E066000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    IF THE TRAILER LIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING PROPERLY, A VEHICLE CRASH CAN OCCUR.
    Remedy:
    ALL OF THE DEFECTIVE TOW PACKAGES ARE STILL AT THE DISTRIBUTOR LEVEL AND HAVE NOT BEEN SOLD TO ANY CONSUMERS.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. 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 →

  6. 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 →

  7. Recall campaign 11V352000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
    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 7 of 145 complaints · page 1 of 6
2025-06-02Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11664276
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-150. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized. No warning light was illuminated. The contact attempted to start the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The contact stated that the vehicle started after several attempts. The contact stated the vehicle sat for a while before starting the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not officially diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was possibly caused by an unknown sensor. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact stated that the failure started in 2013; however, the vehicle had been parked and undriveable since 2017. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 109,000.
2025-04-22Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11656066
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-250. The contact initially discovered patches of fluid on the garage floor. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where a diagnostic test was performed. The dealer discovered a leak in the engine oil pan due to a faulty silicone gasket. The contact stated that the oil pan was replaced by the same dealer a year prior to the recent failure. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN related to the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 138,683.
2024-11-26Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11627461
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2002 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being lifted onto a tow truck, fuel began to leak from the middle plastic made fuel tank. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel tank hoses were faulty. The mechanic determined that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 108,000.
2023-11-20Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11556147
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The vehicle is equipped with adjustable brake and accelerator. The pedals should move up and down together. But the brake pedal is several inches higher causing a safety issue.
2023-09-27SEAT BELTS
NHTSA ODI 11546991
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Both front driver and passenger seat belts will pop out of buckle while driving. This happens at any speed.
2023-06-20Steering (STEERING)
NHTSA ODI 11527817
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving on a fairly rough highway I'm AZ, 180A, traveling about 50 mph over bumps and repaired cracks in the pavement, the steering wobbled and shook which did not seem far out of the ordinary on this particular stretch of highway. Suddenly, without warning, the steering failed causing loss of control of the vehicle, the driver was unable to steer the truck which veered off the road and sent us directly into the embankment of a dry wash. The truck hit the embankment head on 50-55 mph. I was riding as passenger of my vehicle since I was 8 months pregnant and experiencing severe heartburn all morning. My fiance drive and 3 of my children were in the back seat. After crashing head on into the dirt wall I was pinned in between the dashboard and seat. I suffered serious life changing injuries as a result. One of the firefighters who arrived in the scene inspected and confirmed the steering was broken. I was sent by helicopter to Flagstaff regional medical center where I spent 10 days. The truck was towed to an impound yard in St John's, az. I was able to retrieve my personal belongings but was not able to afford the tow truck drivers verbal quote of the charges due nor the cost to tow the totaled truck back home to snowflake. The truck had a lien and I assumed the lienholder would be notified to collect the vehicle. They were not notified and t ownership was transferred leaving me an abandoned vehicle fee and hold on my registration privileges in AZ. The truck is likely still at the tow yard which may allow an inspection if requested, however I no longer own it as a result of the circumstances. My 9 year old son was injured in the accident as well as my own informed which included a shattered patella and fractured acetabulum, after orthopedic surgery I was made to deliver my unborn son via C-section, thankfully the baby suffered no physical injuries.
2022-03-28Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11458738
CrashFireInjuryDeath
As soon as the truck started, it popped out one of its spark plug. The truck started shaking and made a hollow noise and began to smoke and quickly caught on fire. The fire burned the entire truck.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2002 Ford F-250?

Owners named Engine most often — 29 of 145 reports (20%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2002 Ford F-250?

NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about 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 F-250?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. 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