2002 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

I WAS DRIVING MY 02 EXPLORER ON THE THRUWAY FOR 2 AN 1/2 HOURS AND WHEN I GOT TO MY DESTINATION THE TRANSMISSION BUCKED AND SHUDDERED AND REVVED UP WHILE I WAS TRYING TO STOP AT A STOP LIGHT I ALMOST HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME BECAUSE OF THE TRANSMISSION FAILING WHEN I LOOKED AT MY INSTRUMENT PANEL ON THE DASH THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT WAS FLASHING SO AFTER I GOT HOME I CHECKED THE INTERNET AND WOULD YOU KNOW THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME PROBLEM... FORD SHOULD HAVE A RECALL FOR THIS TRANSMISSION BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENED TO ME MIGHT HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE WITH DEADLY RESULTS... I TALKED TO MY TRANSMISSION SPECIALIST AND HE SAID IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION THE TRUCK DOESN'T EVEN HAVE 150,000 ON IT SO I CONTACTED FORD AND THEY CAN'T HELP ME BECAUSE THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS TRUCK... FORD NEEDS TO FIX THEIR MANUFACTURE ERROR HERE BECAUSE WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS FRAUD THEY CLAIM THAT THEIR TRANSMISSIONS ARE GOOD BUT LIKE WITH A LOT OF THE COMPLAINTS I HAVE READ THEIR TRANNYS DIED BEFORE 100,000 MILES SO FOR THEM TO SELL DEFECTED SUVS IS FRAUDULENT IN ITS SELF BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE THE CUSTOMERS HAVE TO PAY ALL THIS MONEY FOR THE VEHICLE BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO PUT A NEW TRANSMISSION IN THEM BEFORE 100,000 MILES AT THE COST OF 3500 TO 4000 DOLLARS... *TR

I PURCHASED THIS TO USE AS A SECOND VEHICLE FOR CAMPING TRIPS SO THE MILEAGE ON IT IS VERY LOW FOR ITS AGE. SUDDENLY ONE DAY OF NORMAL LOCAL DRIVING, THE O/D LIGHT STARTED FLASHING AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO RUN VERY ROUGH. IT COULDN'T SEEM TO ACCELERATE AND RPMS WERE HIGH. I HAD TO DRIVE HOME WITH EMERGENCY FLASHERS ON SINCE THE CAR FELT LIKE IT WAS GOING TO DIE ANY MOMENT. SINCE O/D FLASHING MEANS SOMETHING WITH TRANSMISSION, I TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOPS WHO BOTH DIAGNOSED A BAD TRANSMISSION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED AT ABOUT $3,500. I WAS SHOCKED THAT I WOULD NEED A NEW TRANSMISSION WITH ONLY 43000 MILES ON VEHICLE DESPITE ITS AGE. BOTH SHOPS INFORMED ME THAT THE 2002 FORD EXPLORERS ARE NOTORIOUS FOR BAD TRANSMISSIONS. I CALLED FORD MOTOR COMPANY TO REQUEST ASSISTANCE WITH THIS REPAIR. THEY WOULD NOT HELP ME IN ANY WAY. THE VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE AND I AM NOT IN A FINANCIAL POSITION TO TAKE ON SUCH AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR FOR A SECOND VEHICLE. RIGHT NOW IT IS SITTING UNUSED IN MY DRIVEWAY WHILE COSTING ME TO KEEP IT INSURED. CAN'T BELIEVE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME SINCE I THOUGHT I WAS BUYING A REPUTABLE PRODUCT. FORD ABANDONED ME WHEN THEIR PRODUCT FAILED. I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT AGAIN. THE LEAST FORD COULD HAVE DONE WAS ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR MISTAKES AND NOT CHEAT THE PUBLIC. OTHER ISSUES I AM HAVING IS FLAKING PEELING PAINT AND A CRACK THROUGH THE FORD EMBLEM ON THE REAR DOOR PANEL. *TR

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. O/D LIGHT BLINKING. TRANSMISSION INSTANTLY STARTED TO SLIP IN 3RD GEAR UNDER ACCELERATION. OVER 8,000 COMPLAINTS LISTED BUT FORD SAYS THAT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR RECALL. THIS TRANSMISSION HAS A HISTORY OF PROBLEMS, THAT CAN CAUSE MAJOR PROBLEMS WHILE DRIVING. BIGGEST ONE IS LOSE OF ACCELERATION IN TRAFFIC. THIS TRANSMISSION HAS A LENGTHY BAD HISTORY. IT IS THE 5R55 SERIES TRANSMISSION, STARTING WITH THE FAULTY SOLENOID PACK. IF YOU LOOK AT THIS TRANSMISSIONS HISTORY, YOU WILL FIND THE SAME COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN, SLIPPING WHILE IN GEAR FAILURE TO SHIFT, O/D LIGHT BLINKS THEN GOES OUT, TRANS FAILING AT 50,000M, 60,000M. I AM ON MY SECOND PAIR OF TIRES AND THE TRANSMISSION IS FAILING. I DRIVE LESS THAN 8700 MILES PER YEAR AND MAINTAIN MY VEHICLE VERY WELL. THIS TYPE OF FAILURE SHOULD NOT HAVE OCCURRED. I THINK FORD IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT TILL THEY WILL BE FORCED TO DO SOMETHING. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE TIRE RODE ROUGHLY. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THREE OF THE WHEEL STUDS WERE SHEARED OFF. THE FAILURE OCCURRED FOUR TIMES WITH THE REMAINING WHEEL STUDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000. UPDATED 10/02/14*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED WITHIN 7 MONTHS THE THE REAR WHEEL STUDS SUDDENLY SHEARED OFF WHILE DRIVING. THE LAST TIME THE DRIVER WAS ON THE FREEWAY WITH 5 CHILDREN IN THE CAR. UPDATED 3/30/2015 *JS

WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND FELT A SHARP JERK/PULL TO THE RIGHT. AT FIRST THOUGHT IT WAS A FLAT TIRE SO GOT OFF ON NEXT EXIT. WASN'T A FLAT TIRE BUT COULD SMELL SOMETHING AWFUL. MADE GRINDING SOUND AND STILL HAD BAD SMELL, KNEW WE HAD TO DRIVE IT BACK TO THE PLACE WE ARE STAYING AT. HAD HAZARD LIGHTS ON AND ONLY DROVE 10-15 MPH BECAUSE OF THE SOUND AND BECAUSE OF HOW SCARY IT WAS. KNEW SOMETHING BAD WAS HAPPENING TO OUR CAR. BRAKES AT THIS POINT PRACTICALLY WENT OUT. WOULD NOT HAVE TO PRESS BRAKES TO STOP VEHICLE AT A RED LIGHT, THE CAR WOULD JUST STOP. STEERING WHEEL WAS NOT EVEN, BUT MORE OR LESS 90 DEGREES TO THE RIGHT. PULLED INTO THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND INTO THE DRIVEWAY AND A CAR LEAVING THE STREET SAW THAT OUR VEHICLE AT THIS POINT WAS ON FIRE! EXTINGUISH FIRE (SINCE IT WAS A GAS FIRE) AND LOOKED AT THE DAMAGE. LOOKS LIKE THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE WASN'T EVEN CONNECTED TO ANYTHING. DO NOT KNOW HOW OR WHEN FIRE STARTED BUT THE FLAMES WHEN WE NOTICED WERE ABOUT 1 FOOT TALL AND WIDE BY THE INTERNAL DRIVER SIDE WHEEL. *TR

THE BODY MOUNT INSULATORS DETERIORATED AND THE BODY COULD COME LOOSE FROM THE CHASSIS. FORD WANTS OVER 3000 DOLLARS FOR THIS REPAIR WHICH IS AN OBVIOUS MATERIAL FLAW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE PARKING, THE SHIFT SELECTOR FRACTURED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT FROM DRIVE TO PARK. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 140,000.

REAR DOOR GLASS HATCH HINGES CAME OFF.THIS WAS MY WIFES VEHICLE DRIVEN VERY LITTLE UNTIL SHE PASSED AWAY 2009.THEN IT WAS DRIVEN EVEN LESS. BACK HATCH GLASS WAS NEVER USED AS FAR AS I KNOW. SHE ALWAYS USED THE METAL DOOR. I DROVE IT TO GROCERY STORE,PUT GROCERIES IN BACK USING LARGE DOOR. WHEN I GOT HOME I JUST GRABBED GLASS HATCH HANDLE BY MISTAKE,IT CAME OFF IN MY HAND.BOTH HINGES WERE BROKEN. I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG,THE LATCH WAS ALL THAT KEPT IT IN PLACE.WHEN THE LATCH OPENED IT EXPLODED OUTWARD ,RESULTING IN BADLY DAMAGED PAINT AND BOTH REAR DEFROSTER WIRES TO BE TORN OFF GLASS.LUCKILY IT WAS ME AND NOT MY WIFE,COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE.LIFT CYLINDERS WERE SO STRONG I COULD NOT PUT IT BACK IN PLACE,HAD TO YELL FOR NEIGHBORS FOR HELP!HAD IT REPAIRED LOCAL FORD DEALER.TOLD ME ABOUT RECALL FOR MODELS EXCEPT SPORT.NO RECALL FOR IT.$150.50(NOT INCLUDING PAINT) FOR REPAIRS & 10 DAYS @ DEALER.IT NOW HAS 71,800 MILES GLASS HATCH NEVER USED,IT HAS BROKEN DRIVERS SIDE HINGE AGAIN.07/28/2014.HAVE NOT CONTACTED DEALER AGAIN AS OF THIS TIME. BUT I PLAN TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR SUCH INADEQUATE REPLACEMENT PARTS. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, NEVER ABUSED AND WELL MAINTAINED. *JS

BACK TAILGATE PANEL WAS CRACKED (DEFECT) AND THE BACK WINDOW JUST EXPLODED WHEN THE TAILGATE WAS OPEN. *TR

WHILE OPENING MY REAR HATCH WINDOW TO LOAD GROCERIES I NOTICED THE TOP RIGHT HINGE HAD DETACHED FROM THE CAR, LEAVING THE GLASS HATCH HANGING BY A SINGLE HINGE. WHEN I GOT HOME I GOOGLED THE PROBLEM AND DISCOVERED RECALL #04S20 AND MENTIONED IT TO MY DEALER WHEN I TOOK MY CAR IN FOR SERVICING. THEY SAID MY CAR WAS NOT INCLUDED, SO I CALLED FORD AND THEY AGREED. EVEN THOUGH THE RECALL SPECIFIES "ALL FORD EXPLORER MODELS" THEY SAY MINE IS THE 2-DOOR "SPORT" EDITION AND SO ISN'T INCLUDED EVEN THOUGH THE HATCH IS IDENTICAL (I'VE OWNED BOTH). THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND THIS IS THE 2ND TIME I'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM (THE OTHER HINGE BROKE 2 YEARS AGO). I'D APPRECIATE IT IF YOU COULD DETERMINE IF THE 2-DOOR MODELS ARE SUFFICIENTLY DIFFERENT THAT THEY CAN BE EXEMPTED FROM THIS RECALL, AND IF THEY SHOULD BE INCLUDED TELL ME HOW TO PROCEED. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR