2002 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

YOU NEED TO SERIOUSLY LOOK INTO RECALLING ALL 2002 FORD EXPLORERS FOR POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS WHEEL AND HUB ASSEMBLIES. THIS HAPPENED ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS. THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED IN AUGUST 2008. I JUST MOVED INTO MY DORM, AND I HAD TO GO HOME FOR A LITTLE WHILE. I WAS ON THE PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE, AND MY TRUCK BEGAN SWERVING TO THE POINT THAT I HAD NO CONTROL OVER IT, AND I HAD TO PULL OVER. WHEN I GOT OUT, I PULLED THE LUG COVER OFF THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL TO FIND THAT FOUR OF THE FIVE LUGS WERE SNAPPED. I HAD TO PAY $400 TO HAVE IT TOWED, AND WHEN IT GOT TO THE GARAGE, THEY FOUND THAT THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND HUB WERE DAMAGED. THE NEXT TIME IT HAPPENED, IT HAPPENED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE REAR WHEEL, AND, AGAIN, THE LUGS SNAPPED AND THEY FOUND THE HUB AND WHEEL BEARINGS TO BE THE CAUSE OF IT. THIS WAS ABOUT A MONTH AFTER THE FIRST INCIDENT. THE THIRD INCIDENT INVOLVED BOTH FRONT WHEELS, BUT LUCKILY ONLY THE WHEEL BEARINGS AND HUBS WERE DAMAGED AND MY WHEELS STAYED IN PLACE. THIS HAPPENED ABOUT NOVEMBER OF 2010. IN JANUARY OF 2011, THE REAR WENT AGAIN. THIS TIME IT WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A SNOW STORM, SO I HAD TO WAIT IN THE FREEZING COLD FOR TWO HOURS UNTIL THE TOW TRUCK COULD COME. CURRENTLY, MY VEHICLE IS SITTING IN A GARAGE TO HAVE YET ANOTHER WHEEL BEARING REPLACED BECAUSE IT HAS FAILED. IN TOTAL, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE REAR WHEEL BEARINGS HAVE BEEN REPLACED THREE TIMES EACH AND THE FRONT WHEELS HAVE NOW BEEN REPLACED TWO TIMES EACH. EVERY TIME IT HAPPENS, IT FEELS AS THOUGH YOU ARE DRIVING ON ICE, AND THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY GETS TO THE POINT WHERE IT CANNOT BE CONTROLLED ANY LONGER. I'VE HAD NUMEROUS INCIDENTS WHERE I'VE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL. EVERY TIME IT GOES TO THE GARAGE, THEY PUT IT ON THE LIFT AND THE WHEELS JUST DANGLE THERE. THE MECHANIC, ONE TIME, KICKED IT AND IT FELL OFF. HE DID THIS TO SHOW HOW CLOSE I WAS TO A MAJOR ACCIDENT. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE RECALLED AND EQUIPPED WITH SUPERIOR PARTS. FORD WILL EVENTUALLY KILL SOMEONE. *TR

UPON TAKING MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER FOR A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE. I WAS INFORMED BY THE FORD DEALER THAT MY LEFT REAR SPRING WAS BROKEN. MY EXPLORER ONLY HAS 26,116 MILES, HOW COULD THE SPRINGS BREAK? I NEVER CARRY ANYTHING HEAVY, USUALLY ONLY ONE PERSON IS IN THE VEHICLE. IV'E BEEN READING ON THE INTERNET AND THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. WHY HASN'T NHTSA LOOKED IN THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM? FORD MOTOR CO. KNOWS THIS IS A DEFECT SINCE THEY CHANGED THEIR DESIGN AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED. CAN NHTSA RE-EXAMINE THIS ISSUE AND ORDER A RECALL BEFORE SOMEONE JETS INJURED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ODOMETER BEGAN TO FLASH AND THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO JERK ABNORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN HOME AND PARKED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE, BUT OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 84,000.

TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT BROKE OFF STEERING COLUMN AS THE VEHICLE WAS PUT IN PARK. COULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE HAD I BEEN ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MY HOME AND SHIFTING INTO ANY OTHER GEAR THAN PARK. THOUGHT THIS WAS AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ONLY TO FIND INFORMATION ONLINE THAT THIS IS A COMMON OCCURRENCE WITH THE 2002 EXPLORERS (OVER 100 REPORTED ON ONE WEBSITE ALONE). OTHER ISSUES I'VE EXPERIENCED SINCE DAY 1 OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE NEW ARE TRANSMISSION LUNGING, VEHICLE ROCKING WHEN PUT IN PARK, AND DIFFICULTY SHIFTING INTO PARK.

SPARKPLUG WAS EJECTED FROM HEAD WHILE DRIVING. THE PLUG WAS MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATION AND PROPERLY INSTALLED TO THE CORRECT TORQUE. SPARKPLUG HOLE WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED TO BE MACHINED FOR A NEW PLUG. CREATES A SAFETY HAZARD WHILE DRIVING AS WELL AS A FIRE HAZARD AS THE EMPTY CYLINDER FORCES AIR/FUEL MIXTURE INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT WHERE EJECTED SPARK PLUG COULD IGNITE IT. *TR

TODAY I DROVE MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER OUT AND UPON RETURNING HOME I COULD NOT SHIFT IT INTO PARK. I SWITCHED IT OFF THINKING THAT IF I CRANK IT UP AND TURN THE WHEELS IT WOULD GO INTO PARK BUT I COULDN'T EVEN CRANK IT UP BECAUSE I WAS NOT IN THE PARK GEAR. I PLAYED WITH IT FOR 20 MINUTES AND IT FINALLY WENT INTO PARK. I LET IT SIT FOR A COUPLE HOURS AND WENT BACK OUT AND CRANKED IT, IT WENT INTO GEAR. I DROVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK CAME BACK AND PARKED. CRANKED IT UP ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER TO GO OUT AND IT WOULD NOT COME OUT OF PARK GEAR. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THE PROBLEM BUT IF IT'S SOMETHING SERIOUS THE DEALER CAN HAVE IT BACK. SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE TO MAKE FORD REPAIR THEIR MALFUNCTIONS, WE ARE TALKING SOME SERIOUS MONEY ON THESE REPAIRS AND A LOT OF PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF IS LOOKING FOR WORK NOW. PEOPLE WE NEED TO START PROTESTING OUT SIDE THESE DEALERSHIPS. THEY ARE GETTING RICH AND WE ARE SUFFERING AT THEIR MISHAPS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS THE CONTACT HEARD A BUZZING NOISE IN THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 5 MPH WHEN THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE AND WOBBLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIANS STATED THE HUB AND THE WHEEL BEARING NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THE GEAR SELECTOR LEVER FRACTURED WHEN SHIFTING FROM PARK INTO DRIVE. THERE WAS NO PRIOR WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 108,000.

THIS REQUESTED RECALL INVOLVES A 2002 FORD EXPLORER HAVING AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. DURING NORMAL USE, THE SHIFT LEVER BREAKS OFF AT A CAST ROTATING CYLINDER THAT TRANSMITS THE TORQUE FROM THE GEAR SHIFTER TO PUSH AND PULL THE CABLE THAT PUTS THE VEHICLE IN PARK, DRIVE, NEUTRAL, AND REVERSE. THE VEHICLE ALSO HAD A TENDENCY TO JUMP OUT OF PARK EVEN BEFORE THE PART BROKE WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ROLL BACK AND ALMOST PINNED ME BETWEEN ANOTHER VEHICLE WHEN THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACK AND CRASHED INTO A VEHICLE PARKED DOWNHILL. THIS WAS A NEAR MISS ACCIDENT. FORD WANTS TO CHARGE $1500 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. WE ELECTED TO JUNK THE VEHICLE AT THIS TIME UNTIL ANOTHER SOLUTION CAN BE FOUND. VEHICLE STILL DRIVES IF YOU REACH YOUR HAND AND PUSH/PULL THE TRANSMISSION CABLE TO SHIFT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION INTO GEAR. WE CAN SEND THE BROKE OFF SECTION OF THE PART IF YOU WILL RETURN IT. ON THE INTERNET, THERE ARE MANY REPORTS OF THE SAME FAILURE FOR YEARS 2002 THROUGH 2005 FORD EXPLORERS. *TR

FUELING SYSTEM/FUEL PUMP FAILURE. THIS IS MY SECOND 2002 FORD EXPLORER AND I'M HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. THE FIRST EXPLORER I HAD I REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AND CONTINUED TO HAVE THE SAME. NOW THE CURRENT 2002 EXPLORER I HAVE NOW IS EXPERIENCE THE SAME EXACT ISSUE. I'M JUST AMAZED AT HOW MANY COMPLAINTS THERE ARE ABOUT THIS PROBLEM FROM OTHER BUYERS AND IT STILL ISN'T CONSIDERED A RECALL. VERY FRUSTRATED! *TR