2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT Complaints

THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS FELL OFF THE HINGES. THE FALLING GLASS DAMAGED THE REAR DEFROSTER WIRES (CAN NO LONGER BE USED) THE HINGE HOLDING THE GLASS BROKE OFF FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE GLASS TO FALL TO THE GROUND. IT COST $130 AT THE FORD DEALER. NHTSE RECALL 04V442 INVESTIGATED THIS EXACT COMPLAINT AND A RECALL WAS ISSUED BUT FORD INFORMED ME THAT MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT WAS NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL BECAUSE IT WAS BUILT IN A FACTORY NOT AFFECTED BY THE RECALL. THE NHTSE SHOULD CONSIDER RE-OPENING THIS CASE AS IT IS THE SAME EXACT PROBLEM AS THE RECALL ON THE SAME EXACT MAKE AND MODEL. ALL INCIDENTS OF THIS FAILURE OF THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS HINGES SHOULD BE COVERED BY FORD. THANK YOU *TR

2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT HAS A DEFECT. THE BELT ITSELF BECOMES LOCKED AND CANNOT BE ADJUSTED AND EVEN BECOMES TIGHTER ON THE PASSENGER WHEN PULLED. I HAD TO HAVE THE PERSON SLIDE OUT FROM UNDER THE BELT TO BE RELEASED. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES BUT THIS LAST TIME WAS THE WORSE AS TO THE "TIGHTENING" ON THE PASSENGER. IT IS ONLY THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THEY OPENED THE HATCH AND THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDOW DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. SHE ATTEMPTED TO PLACE THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE WINDOW BACK INTO THE HINGE. WHILE DRIVING TO THE DEALER THE LEFT WINDOW DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HINGES DETACHED FROM THE WINDOW SEAL WHICH HELD THE WINDOW IN PLACE. THE CONTACT WAS WAITING FOR A RESPONSE FROM THE DEALER. SHE FILED A COMPLAINT WITH THE MANUFACTURER, AND WILL SUBMIT THE CASE NUMBER WITH THE HARD COPY OF THE COMPLAINT. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 44,000 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 43,989. *AK

RATTLE OR THUMMING SOUND FROM REAR OF INSTRUMENT PANEL SOUNDS LIKE SPEDOMETER CABLE NOT LUBRICATED. SOUND CHANGES IN FREQUENCY AND VOLUME WITH SPEED OF VEHICLE. *AK

SLIDING PROBLEM EXISTS IN THE 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, 2 DOOR, EVEN THOUGH I DROVE 30-35 MILES SOMETIMES. WHEN SLIDING THE STEERING WAS OUT OF CONTROL. FORTUNATELY, NO CAR FOLLOWED ME CLOSELY WHEN SLIDING HAPPENED.*AK

I WAS DRIVING WHEN MY CAR START SMOKING, WHEN I STOPPED IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAR IS TOTALED. THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR THE SPARK PLUGS. *JB

AT 55,350 MILES MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT'S TRANSMISSION WOULD FLARE WHEN SHIFTING FROM 2ND TO 3RD GEAR. WHEN I TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP, I WAS TOLD THAT I HAD A SOLENOID MALFUNCTION IN MY TRANSMISSION; THEREFORE, AFFECTING OTHER COMPONENTS OF THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THAT MY TRANSMISSION WOULD NEED TO BE REBUILT. MILES WISE, I STILL HAD A LITTLE UNDER 5,000 MILES UNTIL THE WARRANTY EXPIRED, YEARS WISE, I WAS AT 5 YEARS 74 DAYS. NEEDLESS TO SAY, THIS PROBLEM COST ME $2168.38. I DON'T THINK VEHICLE AT 55K MILES SHOULD NEED A REBUILDING OF A TRANSMISSION. I THINK I SHOULD BE REIMBURSED IN SOME WAY FOR THE COST.....EVEN THOUGH I WENT OVER THE WARRANTY BY 74 DAYS. *NM

VEHICLE IS A 2002 FORD SPORT TRAC WITH APPROX 42K MILES. BEGAN WITH RAPID FLASHING OF LEFT TURN SIGNAL. REAR TURN AND BRAKE LAMP WERE INOPERABLE. REPLACING BULB HAD NO EFFECT. FOUND POSITIONING STEERING COLUMN TO A HIGHER TILT POSITION CORRECTED MALFUNCTION. REMOVED STEERING COLUMN COVER AND FOUND 4 WIRES PULLED OUT OF CONNECTOR ON MULTI-FUNCTION (TURN SIGNAL SWITCH). WIRES MOVE IN AND OUT AS COLUMN IS MOVED THROUGH TILT RANGE. WIRES OUT AT BOTTOM OF TILT AND IN AT TOP OF TILT RANGE. REMOVED CONNECTOR PART # E6DB-14489-DA. 3 CONNECTOR PIN RETAINERS FELL OUT AND WERE RECOVERED. A FOURTH WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE CONNECTOR BUT NOT RETAINING IT'S PIN. CONNECTOR MUST BE REPLACED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. ALSO THE WIRING HARNESS IS SECURED ABOVE THE TILT PIVOT POINT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. I BELIEVE THE HARNESS IS SECURED WITH INSUFFICIENT SLACK TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE CONNECTOR AT THE LOWER POSITIONS OF THE STEERING COLUMN TILT RANGE. I BASE THIS ON THE FACT THAT THE 3 PINS WITH BROKEN RETAINERS ARE ON THE TOP ROW OF THE CONNECTOR AND WOULD BE THE MOST STRESSED IN A LOWER POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO I HAVE OVER 20 YEARS OF AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS EXPERIENCE AS AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN AND FULLY UNDERSTAND PROPER WIRE ROUTING PROCEDURES. DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE CONNECTOR ARE AVAILABLE. *JB

BACK SEAT DOOR HANDLE WERE IN CHILD LOCK POSITIONS AND BROKE WHEN PULLED TO OPEN. FIRST THE PASSENGER SIDE AND THEN THE DRIVER SIDE. THE ONE ON THE DRIVER SIDE WAS BROKEN BY THE DEALER WHEN THEY WERE DOING THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE BOLT RECALL. OF COURSE THEY SAY THEY DIDN'T BREAK IT. THE SEAT BACK ADJUSTMENT WAS ALSO BROKEN DURING THE BOLT INSTALLATION. I ONLY HAD 37,000 MILES ON THE TRUCK BUT THE WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED. THEY WANT $300 PER DOOR HANDLE. THIS IS A "DEATH TRAP', AS YOU CANNOT EXIT THE BACK SEAT IF THE POWER IS NOT WORKING ,AS YOU CAN'T EVEN PUT DOWN A WINDOW TO OPEN THE DOOR FROM THE OUTSIDE IF THE ELECTRIC IS OFF. I AM SURE THAT I AM NOT THE FIRST PERSON TO HAVE THE PLASTIC HANDLE BREAK! I NEED TO KNOW IF ANY RECALLS ARE OUT REGARDING BOTH THESE PROBLEMS. FORD SAYS "NO" *JB

ICE ON ROAD, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CRASHED HEAD ON INTO DITCH EMBANKMENT AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY (FAILURE 1) THEN VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE. UNSTABLE VEHICLE MODEL. *JB