CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 Ford Explorer is hands-down our worst vehicle on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2003 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
6.5
fairly significant
Typical Repair Cost:
$450
Average Mileage:
79,300 miles
Total Complaints:
622 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
Ford should pay for it (396 reports)
not sure (86 reports)
paid to have rear panel replaced (48 reports)
file complaint with NHTSA to get a recall issued (26 reports)
start a class action suit and get damages reimbursed (17 reports)
Cracked Ford Explores - Visit and join this Facebook Group for an additional site where you can tell Ford about this annoying problem.
Class Action Lawsuit For This Issue - Looks like there is a class action lawsuit for this problem. I would sign up to show how many of us are having this issue.
Replacement Trim Panel At Lower Cost - Save money on a replacement part at Rock Auto. Use their parts search and drill down to Ford => Your Year => Explorer => Body => Rear. You will see several options listed there.
Yep, same problem as everyone else. We went on a cruise, came home and in our driveway sat the explorer with a cracked panel. No-one had driven it, it just appeared. We just bought out our lease 6 months ago. Naturally the warranty expired 4 months before this happened. I called ford and got the same old well, we know about the problem but guess what, to damn bad. I called the ford customer service line and got nothing more than a sorry about your luck line. The sad part is I've only ever bought fords. My wifey and I have bought 5 new fords. I at least had a chance to tell them if they did not fix this problem my business would go elsewhere.
I see this problem on all kinds of explorers. This is happening to a lot of explorers, not just a few. I agree with some type of a lawsuit... tell me where to sign up.
While we're at it, lots of people with 2002 explorers are having problems with the auto 4 X 4 switching into 4 wheel drive for no reason. Sometimes it's just that or sometimes their 4 wheel drive won't work at all. All kinds of problems relating to this. Lots of people having problems with this issue also. Yes, there is a 4X4 modulator or something behind the glovebox that is the culprit.
Another thing to look forward to is the door ajar gremlin. Yep, no doors are open but it says there is. The interior light stays on while this is happening and lots of little sounds letting you know about the problem. I understand a lot of the time just a little wd 40 squirted in the door latches will fix it, I just tried that today, maybe I'll get lucky and this problem won't cost me.
I bought the vehicle used. It is in great condition and runs well. This crack appeared for no explainable reason. it is 6 inches to the left of The Ford blue oval. Shaped like upside down "Y". It really detracts from the vehicle's appearance and if it is as common a complaint as it appears to be in this forum, Ford would be wise to FIX THIS PROBLEM. I have owned GM vehicles, Toyotas, and have driven a Dodge vehicle on work leases. I've never encountered anything like this. Really good customer service would recognize a recurrent problem and TAKE CARE OF THE CUSTOMER. So that they return to buy products over and over. If we live to be 70 and buy a car every 5 years each of us will buy 10 cars in a lifetime. Conservatively at $20,000 a vehicle times the number of complaints listed here it's about $12,800,000.00. Any car companies interested in that kind of customer loyalty for their business??????
Had this car new since November 2001 and take it to Central Oregon each week. Winter temperature can fall below 0F at some times. This week we had low temperatures never above 35F, nights of -4F or more. Today I noticed three cracks on the back gate panel. Guess I'm not the only one... I will update this once I talked to the Ford dealer. This is my third Ford from the same dealer, so we will see what they have to say.
Ford does not care. when i called they sent me to ford's warranty people, in india. I was told that i bought the best extended warranty but it is still not covered. Ford stinks
Noticed the crack a few months ago. I have a family memeber who works for Ford in the Auto body department and she told me that "Ford would not cover the crack under warranty or defect" She said that it would cost $366.00 to fix it. She also said she has seen a large number of customers bring there Explorers in with the same problem. I believe that Ford should fix this at no cost as its caused from a defect from poor craftsmanship. I would be interested in seeing a class action lawsuit brought against Ford, if they are not willing to fix the crack for free. Everyone should call their local new channels and see if they can get a news crew interested in the reporting the story. We all need to find away to bring as much attention to this issue as possible so that it forces Ford to fix the problem.
- Carrie A.,
St. Peters, MO, US
Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...
I recently bought my 2002 Ford Explorer. I noticed one month after I bought my car that a crack appeared in my rear panel. I took it too the local Ford dealership and the manager in the parts department told me that it was a common thing to happen. WHAT..... if it is so common why is that part not recalled and replaced with a proper one? Yesterday while unloading some groceries I noticed that the panel had cracked AGAIN on the opposite side. Im very frustrated and I would like Ford to replace this at no cost.
Same as everyone here. Noticed the crack two weeks ago. Out of warranty and no recall available. I called customer service and reported it. called the dealership and they said I would have to pay. Service person even admitted he has had a lot of complaints! Please call and report your case. I am not sure if someone needs to get injured or if they need a certain number of complaints before they issue a recall, but just in case i reported my case. 800-392-3673
This is the second time mine has cracked, the first time I had my car for 3 months, Ford admitted they had a problem, (the only problem with the fix was they had my car for an entire month)! As you should know Ford only covers parts for 12 months or 12,000 miles, and my car is out of warranty any way that you look at it. The reason that I am annoyed is that I have owned 3 Explorers, (5 Fords total), they admitted they had a problem the first time and fixed it, now it has cracked again from top to bottom and it is all mine! I will never buy another Ford again, so in my opinion I hope that a $350 repair was worth losing a $30K customer!
I just wanted to say THANK YOU to another member of AutoBeef for providing me with this website: safercar. gov. I have lodged my complaint on several issues with this SUV, including the large crack in the back panel. This vehicle has been nothing but problems. The exterior looks terrible since its paint is fading and now this crack. I will NEVER buy another Ford product since they have continued to ignore this problem- not to mention we had an 85' Escort and at 50000 the tranny went out in that one too! FORD JUST MAKES BAD PRODUCTS AND THEY DON'T TAKE PRIDE IN THEIR WORK!!!
Same as the rest, one day out of the blue I noticed this crack on the rear hatch just to the right of the ford logo all the way through the panel. Ford won't step up to fix this and many other problems we have and thats why Toyota will surpass Ford and Gm this year. This is the firswt and the last Ford for me.
My explorer has the rear cracked panel. The weather got cold and the next day it was there. The cracks about 3 1/2 inches long towards the middle of the panel . I live directly across the street from Auffenberg Ford in Belleville Illinois they said they havent heard of this before. I told them check the internet after talking with them awhile a mechanic did admit that they knew of the problem LYING SACKS OF SHI_. The manager wasnt there that day so I had to come back another. When I came back he didnt have the Balls to talk to me he sent another mechanic. I believe I will put up a sign in the front yard that says oh I dont know, maybe FORD SUCKS.
It all started one day when we were out visiting a friend. We drove home that night and when I had got up the next day and seen the split in the middle of the plastic in the back hatch just below the window, I assumed that someone tried to break into the Truck. And for months I could not determine any other solution. It was not until I came across this site that told me this was one of the biggest complaints about this year of the Explorer. I was floored, all this time wandering how a person trying to break into the truck, would make such a even crack or break in the plastic." Well now I know," and I think it is wrong that Ford has not made a recall on this part of the 2002 Ford Explorer.
This problem is rampant, however there are no complaints with the NHTSA. Everyone needs to go to this link and file a complaints so Ford will deal with this issue.
This is definitely a structure defect. This happened at 68,000 and I had it repaired. The dealer partially covered it under the recall for the window hinge. Now at 100,000 it has happened again. There are 3 vertical cracks. The dealer said that Ford has not deemed this a defect and will not fix.
Ok. I have had the same problem as mentioned below. I went to open the tail gate and when i walked back i noticed a vertical crack in the plastic. Well i thought about it and that crack wasn't there the day before when i closed it last. So i knew it had to have happened that day. The only problem is that there was no reason for this crack. So i called around and no one seems to know how it happened. But from the looks of it, it is a stress crack from the weather maybe, there isn't anyother way it could've happened. If anyone else has info on this please let me know... i'm still in the steps of gettin it fixed.
have a 2002 Explorer with the same problem. The crack is on the right of the Ford logo. I first noticed a little line, then 2 weeks later it was a crack about 3 inches and growing. I have yet to find how to have this problem fixed. The body shop where I get work done said it is a known problem with no resolution. If you get it fixed it is probable that it will happen again. I really like my Explorer but this crack is really a problem for me. I only hope that it doesn't lead to other issues with rear hatch. If anyone has any info on how to get this fixed, please let me know.
I just bought the Explorer three months ago, which was in excellent condition for a used car. A week ago I noticed a seven inch vertical crack on the lift gate about two-three inches from the center and another two inch crack forming next to it. I've contacted Ford's customer service and they said I had to take it to a dealer first for a "diagnosis" before they would make any determination. I told them that they needed to cover the repair. I'm taking it to a Ford dealer tomorrow for the "diagnosis". I've hardly used the lift gate and we've had an exceptionally warm winter so the hot-cold explanation seems lame. It appears to be a design flaw. No resolution yet.
I just spotted the problem and will contact my Dealer on Monday. While driving home this afternoon, I saw 3 more 2002 Explorers with the same problem! I hope that Ford will pony up and address this, and fix the problem! i know that this has to be a design flaw that needs to be fixed.
UPDATE: The Dealership that I took my Explorer to is a Lincoln Mercury Dealer and they took excellent care of me. They even gave me a loaner car to use while my car was being fixed. Great job.
I have a 2002 Explorer with the same problem. The crack is on the right of the Ford logo. I actually thought that my wife or son had hit the truck and refused to tell me. I later started seeing Explorers with the same issue. One owner mentioned that this was caused by the rear wiper motor. I have yet to find how to have this problem fixed. I really like my explorer but this crack is really a problem for me. I only hope that it doesn't lead to other issues with rear hatch. If anyone has any info on how to get this fixed, please let me know.
Same problem as others. Plastic panel beneath rear window cracked all the way from top to bottom about 2 inches to the right of the ford emblem. Happened on Saturday, December 9, 2005. Had liftgate recall fixed earlier this summer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Yep, same problem as everyone else. We went on a cruise, came home and in our driveway sat the explorer with a cracked panel. No-one had driven it, it just appeared. We just bought out our lease 6 months ago. Naturally the warranty expired 4 months before this happened. I called ford and got the same old well, we know about the problem but guess what, to damn bad. I called the ford customer service line and got nothing more than a sorry about your luck line. The sad part is I've only ever bought fords. My wifey and I have bought 5 new fords. I at least had a chance to tell them if they did not fix this problem my business would go elsewhere.
I see this problem on all kinds of explorers. This is happening to a lot of explorers, not just a few. I agree with some type of a lawsuit... tell me where to sign up.
While we're at it, lots of people with 2002 explorers are having problems with the auto 4 X 4 switching into 4 wheel drive for no reason. Sometimes it's just that or sometimes their 4 wheel drive won't work at all. All kinds of problems relating to this. Lots of people having problems with this issue also. Yes, there is a 4X4 modulator or something behind the glovebox that is the culprit.
Another thing to look forward to is the door ajar gremlin. Yep, no doors are open but it says there is. The interior light stays on while this is happening and lots of little sounds letting you know about the problem. I understand a lot of the time just a little wd 40 squirted in the door latches will fix it, I just tried that today, maybe I'll get lucky and this problem won't cost me.
- Les S., Lima, OH, US