2002 FORD EXPLORER Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE LIFTGATE GLASS SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 04V442000 (STRUCTURE: BODY: HATCHBACK/LIFTGATE: HINGE AND ATTACHMENTS) AND THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR REPAIRS. ONE YEAR LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED A FRACTURE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE LIFTGATE AND THE LIFTGATE WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. THE DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY ADVISED HIM THAT WERE ONLY MANDATED TO REPAIR THE FAILURE UNDER THE RECALL ONCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 135,000. THE VIN WAS UNAVAILABLE.

AFTER STARTING THE CAR (LEAVING MY SON'S BASEBALL GAME WITH MY 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN CAR!), I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE AND THE GEAR SHIFT BROKE OFF IN MY HANDS. THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND COULD NOT BE REMOVED. IT REQUIRED A SPECIAL TOW TRUCK TO GET THIS TO THE DEALERSHIP. THEY QUOTED ME $1600 TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN. IF YOU SEARCH ONLINE THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS LIKE THIS. WHY HAS A RECALL NOT BEEN ISSUED? THIS IS RIDICULOUS, AND EXTREMELY UNSAFE. WHAT IF YOU WERE GOING IN REVERSE AND TRIED TO SHIFT TO DRIVE AND THE GEAR SHIFT BROKE OFF? YOU COULD CASE MAJOR ACCIDENTS. NOT TO MENTION GETTING STRANDED WITH SMALL CHILDREN IN THE CAR AND NO WAY TO REMOVE THE KEY FROM THE IGNITION! FORD SHOULD BE ASHAMED - THIS PART THAT BROKE IS MADE OF CHEAP POT METAL, AND FORD DOES NOT MANUFACTURE OR SELL A REPLACEMENT PART FOR THE SMALL PIECE THAT BROKE, INSTEAD THEY MAKE YOU BUY A $1200 STEERING COLUMN! SHAME ON FORD! *TR

WHEN PUTTING CAR INTO PARK OR REVERSE, CAR WOULD SOMETIME STILL BE IN DRIVE FOR SECONDS AFTER PUTTING CAR IN GEAR. SEVERAL TIMES NOW, OCCASIONALLY CAR WILL SIMPLY SHUT OFF. RECENTLY, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO INTO PARK AND SHIFTER SEPARATED FROM STEERING COLUMN. *TR

REAR SPRINGS ARE CRACKED AND MY MECHANIC AND FRIENDS SAID ITS A COMMON PROBLEM AMONG 2002 EXPLORERS. ALSO SAW MANY COMPLAINTS AND PHOTO'S OF THE SAME PROBLEM ONLINE. *TR

VERTICAL CRACK REAR LIFE WINDOW ASSEMBLY NEAR 2002 FORD EXPLORER LOGO. VERTICAL CRACK GOES BETWEEN WINDOW GLASS AND BOTTOM OF LIFT WINDOW. I FEEL THE WHOLE REAR WINDOW GLASS WILL FAIL ON THE HIGHWAY AND SERIOUSLY EFFECT OTHER DRIVERS WITH THE HAIL OF GLASS. RECALL OF HINGES HAD BEEN COMPLETED RIGHT AFTER ORIGINAL NEW PURCHASE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER THAT I PURCHASED 8 MONTHS AGO. I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE SWITCH THAT CONTROLS THE WINDOWS 8 TIMES NOW. THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW GOES DOWN WHILE NOONE IS TOUCHING IT AND WILL NOT GO BACK UP. I HAVE JUMPED THE WINDOW UP AND DISCONNECTED THE PLUG UNTIL I COULD AFFORD IT EVERY TIME THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED. THE COST IS ABOUT $200 TO REPAIR. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE BECAUSE IT IS SO FREQUENT AND UNTIL A PERSON CAN AFFORD TO FIX THE PROBLEM YOU HAVE TO JUMP YOUR WINDOW AND DISCONNECT THE PLUG, ALLOWING NONE OF THE WINDOWS TO GO DOWN. WHAT IF THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT AND PUTTING A WINDOW DOWN WAS THE ONLY WAY FOR AN ADULT OR A CHILD TO GET OUT OF THIS VEHICLE? TO ME THAT IS DANGEROUS! AND TERRIFYING! IN 8 MONTHS OF OWNING A VEHICLE THAT I PAID $6,500 FOR I HAVE NOW PUT $1,600 INTO ON TOP OF IT! AND I WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TO DO SO IF THIS PROBLEM IS NOT RECALLED. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO 4 DIFFERENT GARAGES AND THE ONLY "FIX" OPTION I AM GETTING IS TO REPLACE THE SWITCH! THERE HAS TO BE SOMETHING MORE THAN THIS IF THE SWITCH IS GOING BAD EVERY MONTH OR MORE! THIS LAST TIME IT TOOK A WHOLE 3 DAYS FOR THE SWITCH TO GO BAD AGAIN! I UNDERSTAND THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY FEEL AS THOUGH THIS IS NOT DANGEROUS OR IS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE, BUT LETS BE REAL HERE.....IF THE PLUG IS NOT CONNECTED THE WINDOWS CANNOT GOT DOWN. SO IF THERE IS A FIRE OR AN ACCIDENT AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY OUT PEOPLE MAY DIE!! SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY TO JUST KEEP PAYING TO HAVE THE PROBLEM FIXED, HOWEVER IT IS GETTING EXPENSIVE AND IT IS NOT TRULY FIXING WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS! FORD MADE THIS VEHICLE AND SHOULD HAVE TO FIX THIS ISSUE!! *TR

WHILE BACKING UP, THE GEAR SHIFT BROKE ON MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER. IT WAS GOOD THAT I WAS NOT IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE I COULD NOT GET THE CAR BACK IN GEAR AND COULD HAVE GOTTEN HIT AND OR CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED AND THE PARTS WERE IN MY OPINION OVER PRICED. MY FEAR IS THAT IT MAY HAPPEN AGAIN BECAUSE IT MAY HAVE BEEN REPLACED WITH THE SAME DEFECTIVE PART. *TR

2002 FORD EXPLORER SPARK PLUG EJECTION ISSUE ON V8 4.6L ENGINE. THIS IS NOW THE SECOND TIME THAT I HAVE HAD SPARK PLUGS EJECT FOR THE ENGINE. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND FORD REDUCED THE NUMBER OF THREADS FOR THE SPARK PLUGS TO SAVE MACHINING TIME AND COSTS IN THE MANUFACTURING OF THE ENGINE. THIS IS CLEARLY A SAFETY ISSUE. THE FIRST TIME I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THE SPARK PLUG THREADED BACK IN AND WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT SOMEWHERE FOR PROPER REPAIR. I AM NOT SO LUCKY THE SECOND TIME AS THE THREADS IN THE HEAD ARE DESTROYED. NOW I HAVE THE EXTRA COST OF TOWING THE TRUCK FOR REPAIR. I HAVE READ MANY FORUMS ON THIS ISSUE YET FORD CONTINUES TO IGNORE THE SAFETY OF IT'S CUSTOMERS. IT IS TIME FOR THEM TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DESIGN DEFECTS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILED AND WAS REPLACED AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. TWO YEARS LATER, THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC SHOP WHO ADVISED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED OR REBUILT A SECOND TIME. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED WHO OFFERED NO ASSISTANCE AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 60K MILES. HARD SHIFTING, JERKING, SUDDEN SHIFTS INTO 4X4 HIGH. REPLACEMENT COST OF 2800 DOLLARS. THREE VISITS LATER AND IT STILL ISN'T RIGHT. *TR