Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated without warning. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
2002 Ford Explorer: sudden unintended acceleration
26 of the 3,295 complaints about the 2002 Ford Explorer describe sudden unintended acceleration.
- owner complaints
- 26
- of this car's complaints
- 1%
- typical mileage
- 73,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 7 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Sudden unintended acceleration by model year
What owners say
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While pulling into a parking space at a very low rate of speed, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and surged forward before crashing into a building. The driver sustained injuries to the left arm, hip, head, and neck. Medical attention was not received. A police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified. The failure mileage was 47,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While pulling into a parking space at a very low rate of speed, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration, surged forward, and crashed into a building. During the crash, the front end of the vehicle sustained significant damage; however, the air bags did not deploy. The driver suffered injuries to the left arm and hip, head, and neck. Medical attention was received and a police report was filed. The cause of the failure was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 47,000.
Vehicle parked in stall when gear selecter was shifted from drive to park with foot on brake said vehicle experienced wide open throttle surged forward knocking down light pole only coming to stop ontop of fire hydrant or vehicle would of kept going as wheels were still spinning!
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while at a stop, the vehicle lunged forward forcefully and crashed into another vehicle. There were no personal injuries. A police report was filed of the incident. The vehicle was destroyed and towed to a collision facility. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.
August 27,2012. Huaband driving howm from work. Going down hill to traffic light. Car suddenly, with no warning, stalls out completely. Loss of power steering, power brakes.etc. A/s contuinued to work. Engine ligh came on. Wrestled car to verge of road. Turned car off and it restarted on forst try. Stated that the following day as he attempted to pull away from stop sign, car would not initally take gas but then suddenly accelerated ( " I peeled rubber!") recalled that thatsame incident had had happened approx. 2 weeks before at a diffeent stop. Car taken to repair shop, somputer shows no issues. Believe car unsafe to drive if affected with sudden, unexplained stalling with no apparent cause. Bought car as "certified, pre-owned" used car from ford dealership in dec. 2012. They have no answer, no suggestions as to problem cause. Internet search shows multiple complaints for this same problem with the ford explorer.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving approximately 35 MPH, the over-drive warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and the vehicle began to unexpectedly increase acceleration. The vehicle failed to slow down even though the brake pedal was engaged several times, as a result the contact loss control and crashed into a tree. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to a safe location. The vehicle had not been towed or repaired for the extensive front end damage. The manufacturer was notified of the unintended acceleration. The approximate failure mileage was 157,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving various speeds the vehicle would lunge forward at times, stall, and shifting would be difficult. The vehicle was not inspected by the dealer nor been was it repaired. The manufacturer advised her that the transmission might need to be replaced. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving 25 MPH the engine surged and the vehicle suddenly accelerated. When the brakes were depressed and the gear shifted into neutral the rpms would increase excessively. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who performed a diagnostic test but could not duplicate or determine the cause of failure. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls or warranties on the vehicle and they offered no additional assistance. The failure mileage was 76,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that when he depressed the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. The rpms would rise when the failure occurred. Because of the failure, the contact was involved in two accidents. There were no injuries as a result. No police reports were filed. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership so the dealer could inspect the brakes but the dealer could find nothing wrong. The manufacturer had not been notified. The current mileage was approximately 43,500. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving with the cruise control engaged at approximately 70 MPH pressure was applied to the brake pedal and the vehicle surged forward until repeated pressure was applied to that pedal. A pop noise was also heard coming from the passenger side firewall. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where he was informed there was a wire malfunction within the brake pedal switch. The authorized dealer was in the process of installing a new brake pedal switch. The failure and current mileages were 73,000. Updated 10/21/10. *lj updated 10/25/10
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle suddenly accelerated. She applied both feet to the brake pedal but the rear tires were smoking and the vehicle began spinning out of control until she turned off the ignition to regain control of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing but the failure could not be duplicated. The VIN was not available. The current and failure mileages were approximately 63,000.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Squeaking accelerator pedal while driving during cold, hot, dusty, and dry conditions
- Exhibiting rough idle, or rough idle upon initial start-up that clears up after a few minutes
- Vehicles with 4.0L engine may exhibit an intermittent hesitation on acceleration
- Some vehicles may exhibit a rough idle or rought idle after initial start-up that clears up after a few...
- Some vehicles may exhibit a rough idle or rough idle after initial start-up that clears up after a few minutes
- Some vehicles equipped with a 4.0L engine may exhibit an intermittent hesitation on acceleration
- Some vehicles equipped with 4.0L engine may exhibit a rough idle condition
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
- Risk
- A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1‑888‑222‑2751.
Recall number 09V399000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Ford Explorer sudden acceleration
Is sudden unintended acceleration a common problem on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
26 of 3,295 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Explorer (1%) mention sudden unintended acceleration. The model year with the most reports is 1997.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
There is 1 recall and 7 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Ford Explorer
Transmission failure 314Slipping 180Whining noise 142Coil spring 137Won't shift 107Jerking 95Harsh shifting 93Check engine light 89Grinding brakes 84Airbag light 74Stalling 68ABS 53Adaptive cruise 45No deployment 43Fire or smoke 38Hesitation 34Door locks 28Engine failure 27Knocking 26Power windows 26Brake failure 23Loss of power 22Ball joint 21Tire blowout 21Wipers 18Fuel gauge 15Seat belt 15Fuel pump 14Won't start 14Overheating 13Shudder 13Headlights 10Fuel smell 8Battery drain 6Water leak 6Fuel leak 5Power steering loss 5Premature wear 5
VIN decoder
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