2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED TWICE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE NUMBER 8 COIL AND SPARK PLUG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE SPUTTERED AND MISFIRED, AND A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,200.

RE:2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD AT 43,237 MILES THE ENGINE SUDDENLY BEGAN RUNNING ROUGH AND MISFIRING.THE PASSENGER AREA IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO FILL WITH EXHAUST FUMES. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED BUT DID NOT FLASH TO INDICATE A SERIOUS PROBLEM. UPON LETTING THE TOP DOWN THE VEHICLE WAS SLOWLY DRIVEN TO A NEARBY FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CYLINDER EIGHT COIL AND SPARK PLUG WERE REPLACED WHICH SEEMED TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. AT 45,280 MILES THE SAME SITUATION OCCURRED AND THE CYLINDER SIX COIL AND SPARK PLUG WERE REPLACED. AT 47,459 MILES THE SAME THING OCCURRED YET AGAIN AND CYLINDER COILS TWO AND THREE WERE REPLACED AS WELL AS FOUR SPARK PLUGS. DESPITE THE COST INVOLVED IN THE NECESSARY REPAIR WORK AND THE FACT THAT ALL OF THE ABOVE INCIDENTS OCCURRED WELL WITHIN THE MILEAGE OF AN EXTENDED WARRANTY I MAINTAINED THROUGH FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE COMPANY ADVISED THAT THE TIME LIMIT ON MY EXTENDED WARRANTY HAD EXPIRED AND THE COMPANY IS NOT WILLING TO REPLACE THE REMAINING CYLINDER COILS AND SPARK PLUGS. I DO NOT KNOW IF THERE HAVE BEEN CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING AS A RESULT OF THE PASSENGER AREA FILLING WITH EXHAUST FUMES WHEN THE ENGINE BEGINS RUNNING ROUGH. I DO KNOW HOWEVER THAT WHEN AN ENGINE BEGINS MISFIRING, RAW GASOLINE POURS INTO THE COMBUSTION SYSTEM AND COULD CAUSE A FIRE, I ALSO KNOW THAT CARBON MONOXIDE IF NOT DETECTED QUICKLY CAN BE FATAL TO HUMAN BEINGS. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE ABOVE INCIDENTS ARE NECESSARILY A WARRANTY ISSUE. THEY ARE HOWEVER A HEALTH AND SAFETY ISSUE. THIS PROBLEM APPEARS TO BE SYSTEMIC IN NATURE AND RELATED TO DESIGN PROBLEMS OF THE 3.9L V8 ENGINE UTILIZED IN THE 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. I RECOMMEND THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECALL THE 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD AND REPLACE ALL COILS AND SPARK PLUGS WITH RELIABLE PARTS AS I HAVE BEEN ADVISED BY A FORD SERVICE EMPLOYEE THAT THE REPLACEMENT COILS SOMETIMES FAIL AND MUST BE REPLACED A SECOND TIME. *TR

DRIVING 45 TO 50 MPH, ENGINE STARTS CUTTING OUT, RUNNING ROUGH. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING WHICH REQUIRED THE COIL PACK TO BE REPLACED BY FORD. THIS IS A CONSTANT ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL AND YEAR FORD THUNDERBIRD. IT IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR AND YET FORD HAS NOT REDESIGNED THE COIL PACK FOR THIS CAR AND THE COIL PACK CONTINUES TO FAIL TIME AND TIME AGAIN. I'M JUST GRATEFUL THAT I WAS NOT ON SOME REMOTE HIGHWAY STRANDED ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WHEN THIS HAPPENED OR TRYING TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE. I CONSIDER THIS A SAFETY ISSUE. WHY THE 2002 THUNDERBIRD COIL, SPARK PLUGS AND CONNECTORS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER THE RECALL OF THE 2003-5 IS BEYOND ME. FORD DID AN INJUSTICE TO 2002 OWNERS OF THE THUNDERBIRD BY NOT ACCEPTING THAT THEY HAD AN ISSUE WITH THE CAR AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS ISSUE REMEDIATED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE WAITING AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN ENGINE RPMS AS THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED INDEPENDENTLY. THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT THE BRAKES WERE ENGAGED AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURE BUT FAILED TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 32,533.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDER BIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING THE VEHICLE SERVICE, THE MECHANIC ADVISED HIM THAT THE ENGINE COILS AND SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 12,000.

AIR BAG LIGHT WILL NOT GO OFF. WAS TOLD BY DEALER CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CLOCKSPRING. MORE THAN LIKELY THIS CAUSE AIR BAG NOT TO BE DEPLOYED IF NEEDED. . I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND FORD SHOULD ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM. FROM OTHER SOURCES ON LINE THIS APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE AND MODEL. FORD REFUSES TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY AND LEAVES IT UP TO THE OWNER TO HAVE REPAIRED $700.00. *TR

IGNITION COILS MALFUNCTION REPLACEMENT NEEDED. ENGINE MISFIRE AT LOWER SPEEDS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MISFIRE. THE FAILURE BECAME PROGRESSIVELY WORSE. AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VALVE COVER GASKETS FAILED DUE TO HEAT AND CAUSED OIL TO FLOW INTO THE SPARK PLUGS AND COILS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR REPAIR. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 38,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD THUNDERBIRD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IMMEDIATELY AFTER STARTING THE IGNITION, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LAMP ILLUMINATED AND THE ENGINE MISFIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE IGNITION COILS AND THE SPARK PLUGS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED ON ANY RECALLS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 45,000.