Front wheel bearing on my 2002 ford explorer had to be replaced at 65,000 miles. Shop said if it had been driven much further the wheel would have come off. My extended warranty expired last year and ford will not help. This is evidently a very common problem with this model year and could lead to death or serious injury please issue a recall before anyone gets hurt.
2002 Ford Explorer suspension complaints
Page 8 of 15: complaints 191 to 220 of 422, newest first, as owners wrote them.
2002 ford explorer xlt 4x4 rear coil spring broken.
Wheel bearing problems with most 2002 model ford explorers all trim levels.
2002 ford explorer 4.0 has excessive wheel bearing noise. I have read of many wheel bearing issues with this model which signifies a manufacturers defect. A recall should be instituted.
Left rear spring broken approximately 3" from top of spring. Spring protective coating only 20% remaining and essentially non functional. Extremely heavy rust in this region of spring.
Noise and fluid leakage in rear diagnosed by local mechanic as failing wheel bearing and differential seal. Replaced differential seal and one rear wheel bearing at 57,000 miles. At 69,000 replaced one front wheel bearing because of noise. At 80,000 mechanic reported that both rear springs had corroded at their upper ends and cracked through. Both these issues are common on 2002 models based on the number of complaints in the data base.
March '07: rear gate split under window december '07 through jan '08: rear differential rebuilt twice, rear axel hubs and bearings replaced; differential noise still loud june '08: torque converter replaced.
Rear hub bearings shot and very costly to repair. This is happening on 2002 ford explorers in great numbers and should be resolved by a recall. Please refer to http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/wheels_hubs/wheel_bearing_failure.shtml where among others complaints regarding this issue are posted.
I was driving home and turned the corner and this clanking noise began coming from the rear wheel of my truck. I took the tire off to check the brake calipers and and were spinning the hub and got resistance and clanking sounds. I went to the repair shop and was told the left rear bearings had gone out.
Rear wheel bearings worn out on ford explorer. Looks to be a huge problem with them. It should be a recall item to be fixed. Luckily no accident/or injuries!!!
Severe wheel bearing issues since day one. Hub assembly made loud noise and the wheels may have fell off because of poor design of bearing assembly. Mathews ford assured us it was normal for 4x4 explorers to make such noise, and have not revisited the problem from 2002 until now. Bearings were checked on routine maintenance on june 17 2008 and were found to be failing according to mathews ford mechanic. At 52,000 miles the front wheel bearings and spindle were replaced due to this defect.
We own a 2002 ford explorer that we purchased used with 40,000 miles on it. Since purchase we have had 3 power window motors go bad, both rear bearings replaced, the back door panel is cracked, the A/C doesn't work, and now it looks as if the transmission is going bad. If so many people with this vehicle have all the same problems how can there be no recall?
2002 ford explorer- a nightmare of problems that keep getting worse. It has 56k miles on it and I am about to replace the transmission. Fuel pump , 2 rear springs, 2 wheel bearings and the drivers side window motor have already been replaced. Neither of the 2 rear windows roll down and the back hatch lift replace on recall is broken yet again. This is the biggest hunk of junk on 4 wheels. Ford needs to do something. Thank god I didn't buy it new because that really would have been a rip off.
All four wheel bearings needed replaced on my 02' ford explorer prematurely in my opinion and this seems to be a common complaint on internet chat rooms and web sites. The rear wheel bearings can be dangerous when they fail due to the tire wobbling on the axle without warning. These repairs are extremely expensive also and hard to do for the average person if they want to save money.
Well, the wife bought this pre owned 2002 ford explorer. 10 months ago. We started getting road noise after an oil change and tire rotation. I thought the noise was coming from the rear tires being cupped, and placed on the front. We let that go, I then told the wife to go get new tires. They tell here afterwards, that both rear coil springs are broken, and would be $660.00 dollars to fix. So I told her, to just bring the explorer to me, ill fix it. So after a day of web searches I find this is a common problem for this make and model, just like the man at tireman said. And these coil springs are of course made in china. This could be very dangerous, I always felt the rear end sway when going over speed bumps at 10 MPH. And never knew the springs were broken for almost a year. And nobody else I read about online knew, until a mechanic told them after other repairs were being done. I just hope this doesn't cost someone their life changing lanes one the expressway, going 65 MPH from the rear end getting sloppy and rolling over. All because ford put cheap rear coil spring on their explorers. If u search ford coil springs, it looks like all their makes and models have this major problem. This could be firestone tires all over again for ford.
My vehicle has 79k miles on it and I have all four of the wheel bearings replaced once and the left rear bearing replaced twice. I have never towed a trailer, driven through standing water or overloaded the vehicle at any time. The comments on the internet would indicate that this is a common problem on the 2002 explorer. This problem could cause loss of control of the vehicle. I have not had to replace wheel bearings on other vehicles and I suspect that ford motor company is well aware of this issue. My experience with the dealer was very good. I do not hold joe cotton ford responsible for any deficiencies with my vehicle.
There is a loud whining sound from back end and get louder the more you accelerate. The rear end or bearings need to be replaced.
Needed lower tierod ends replaced and it was discovered that both rear coil springs were rusted and broken.
Rear coil springs (left & right) have both rusted through and are only held in place by the weight of the vehicle.
Rear bearings in 2002 ford explorer. Major grinding and loud scratching noises coming from drivers side rear end. I see that this is a known problem with the 2002 ford explorer, and that possible fatalities could occur by the tire falling off. I have 3 children, all under 10 years old, and this is my primary vehicle.
Purchased vehicle used in april 2007 - vehicle was certified by the dealer prior to the purchase, I inspected the vehicle and test drove it. There were no issues at this time. Over the last 3 months, both rear coil springs are broken. The right side is broken in multiple pieces and damaged the strut. I have done zero towing / hauling anything other than people. The vehicle is difficult to handle when you hit a bump in the road - feels like you are going to lose control. I have no idea when they originally cracked/broke. I noticed a loud noise in the rear and finally did some online research and then took it to a shop. A very expensive repair.
Transmission started to slip with no warning and completely went out on my wife's way to work. This happened at 98,000 miles. Now there is a issue with the wheel bearings and also had to replace the four wheel drive module two years earlier.
Both rear spring crumbled.
Bought the car used in sept. 2007. A month and a half later, had to replace rear passenger wheel bearing. A month after that, we had to replace the driver side rear wheel bearing. Driver door window motor went a week after the wheel bearings. Abs light is on. Also had to replace two coils in the electrical unit. Put approximately 3,000.00 into car since purchase in less than eight months.
Huge problems with rear differential on 02 ford explorers. Ford should take accountabilities for there lack quality in terms of engineering and manufacturing. Thought it would be a good family vehicle. Unfortunately it is unsafe and a drain on the finances.
I purchased a pre-owned 2002 ford explorer at the end of 2007. At the time of purchase, the vehicle had just under 60,000 miles. Around 65,000 I began to hear a high pitched howling sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. I had the noise investigated and had both rear wheel bearings replaced as a result. This did not, however, solve the problem. The noise continued and intensified. Recently, the sound began to be accompanied by a low grinding sound and a definitely perceptible 'dragging' affect. This happened just shy of 80,000 miles. After extensive research, my problem has been re-diagnosed as a rear drive train/axle problem. I have also recently discovered that this is a persistent problem with this make/model, but ford is refusing to acknowledge/accept responsibility for the problem and the potential safety concerns associated with the rear axle seizing up during normal operation. This link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/drivetrain/rear_differential_problems.shtml represents a list of ongoing complaints relative to this particular issue.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving at any speed over a bump in the road, the contact could hear a rubbing sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. While the wheel bearings were being serviced, it was discovered that both the driver and passenger side rear coil springs failed. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 81,979. Updated 06/17/08.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While the vehicle was undergoing an oil change, the mechanic found a crack in the rear coil springs. The contact did not notice any prior failures. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 106,000. Updated 6/9/08
Transmission shifted hard into 2nd gear from day one, took it to dealer and they said it was normal, whining in rear end also said normal. Had to replace 2 wheel bearings, 2 more bad now, replaced wheel hub, now transmission will not shift.
Failure of wheel bearings, causing lack of control and possible wheel loss.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 Ford Explorer?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history