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.
8.5
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$2,320
Average Mileage:
109,100 miles
Total Complaints:
386 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
ford needs to recall their faulty transmission (123 reports)
not sure (120 reports)
complete rebuild (78 reports)
new tranmission (46 reports)
new solenoid, pistol in tranny broken (11 reports)
Fix Your Transmission Problem For $200 - Andy Wanie, founder and owner of AJ1E Superior Solutions has a patent pending for fixing Explorer and Mountaineer transmissions. You do not need a complete rebuild on a trany with less than 100K miles. This guy has used true AMERICAN ingenuity to solve the problem that FORD will not fix. I suggest you support him and not your local Ford Dealer or Transmission shop.
Well, my Ford is back in the shop for the second time this year!!!!! Aamco just put in a new transmission (well found out it was rebuilt) in June/July of this year. O/D light starting blinking on and off, took it back to Aamco where they ran the diagnostic. Said it needed to go to Ford because it was something electrical. Ford ran the tests on it, and said that my 2nd and 5th gears are slipping plus I needed a new solenoid. Now with parts and labor, that's another $700 and then the $300 to rent a car for a few days. So, all and all this year I'm out around $5500k on this transmission. I might add, that this car was bought brand new off the lot and I only have 71k miles on it. I am beyond upset over this. Ford really needs to stand up and back their products. I will never buy another Ford again.
I guess this getting old by now, my O/D light began flashing and so did everything else, after several attempts to get help, I resorted to do it myself, I took it to auto zone and codes kept coming up like a christmas tree, Im going to take the advice of so many of you and on Monday it will be traded for a GMC Envoy which is what I wanted in the first place. F***K Ford, you screwed us twice, 1999 Ford Escort, no more.
there should really be a recall on the 2002 ford explorer xlt transmissions because they're a f*cking piece of sh*t. We just bought one and drove it for 2 hours and the transmission went.
This is the same problem that everyone else has talked about. We bought the POS from a local dealer used with 31000 miles. The thing has always shifted strangely at times the dealers mechanics said they could never find anything wrong and we had the transmission serviced. I suspect now that they knew all along that the transmission was a piece of crap and were just hoping to get us past the warranty before it went totally. At this time we had an outside mechanic hook it and it showed that the pressure solenoid needed replace $210, man I hope that works out. Symptoms were same as everyone else O/D light flashes, then check engine light, doesn't want to shift to third gear. I also have the symptom someone described as "pebbles in a pipe when accelerating from second to third goes away when hit fourth gear. Sure sounds like Ford is well aware of this problem and hopes to get people past the warranty before the tranny goes completely.
ME AND MY SISTER HAVE THE 2002 FORD EXPLORER HERS IS XLT AND MINE IS THE XLS.MY SISTERS EXPLORER STARTED ACTING UP 2 WEEKS AFTER SHE PURCHASED HERS AT BILLY HOWELL FORD IN CUMMING,GA.
SHE IS A FIRST TIME BUYER THEY NEVER MENTIONED ANYTHING ABOUT AN EXTENDED WARR.HER O/D LIGHT FLASHES AND THE SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON HER EXPLORER HAS ONLY 92000 MILES ON IT.GEARS ARE SHIFTING BAD.MY EXPLORER IS THE SAME YEAR SAME ENGINE SIZE JUST DIFFERENT TRIM.I HAVE 124000 MILES ON IT NOW I BOUGHT IT FROM GREENE FORD IN GAINESVILLE,GA IN MAY 2006.MY O/D LIGHT STARTING FLASHING ON NOVEMBER 28,2007.MY HUSBAND HAS A 2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO IT HAS 158000 MILES ON IT V8.IT HAS BEEN TO MEXICO THREE TIMES HUALING A HEAVY LOAD TRAILER.AND PLUS HE WORKS IN LANDSCAPING AND HAULS HEAVY EQUIPMENT.AND NOT ONCE HAD ANY PROBLEMS WITH IT.STILL DRIVES LIKE IT IS NEW.WE MAINTANE OUR VEHICLES VERY GOOD.THIS IS BULLSHIT FORD YOU SUCK YOU NEED TO FIX YOUR MISTAKES.I AM STICKING WITH CHEVROLET.THEY KICKASS.
TAHOE IS NEXT ON MY LIST FOR A NEW VECHICLE SCREW FORD YOU SORRY RICH BASTARDS.GO TO HELL......
- Beth B.,
Gainesville, GA, US
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I got this SUV like 2 months ago. yesterday when I was driving in the highway the O/D light turn on. I did not know what to do so I stopped the car and turn it off. When I turn it back on the light was gone, but after a while, the same light went on again and also a light that said "service engine soon" so I went to a mechanic to see what was wrong. They told me about something called SOLENOID B. the same to all. I think it's a clear FORD defect and they need fixed that. So I guess we all learned a lesson, EVERYONE BUY JAPANESE CARS, NOT AMERICAN CARS.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Well, my Ford is back in the shop for the second time this year!!!!! Aamco just put in a new transmission (well found out it was rebuilt) in June/July of this year. O/D light starting blinking on and off, took it back to Aamco where they ran the diagnostic. Said it needed to go to Ford because it was something electrical. Ford ran the tests on it, and said that my 2nd and 5th gears are slipping plus I needed a new solenoid. Now with parts and labor, that's another $700 and then the $300 to rent a car for a few days. So, all and all this year I'm out around $5500k on this transmission. I might add, that this car was bought brand new off the lot and I only have 71k miles on it. I am beyond upset over this. Ford really needs to stand up and back their products. I will never buy another Ford again.
- Tara J., Greenwood, AR, US