I have a 2002 ford explorer limited that has had continuous rear axle leaking and operating issues. I have had the bearings replaced three times, the shaft axle seal replaced, the knuckle assembly replaced and the spindle replaced. I had this work done at cortese auto group in henrietta ny (585‑475‑1211) in june of 2007 and april of 2008. I just noticed differential fluid leaking from the rear axle assembly area on march 16, 2009 and called the cortese group to see if they would honor their previous repair. They advised me that I was beyond the "original problem" 2007 repair date and the cost was on my own. To repair this leaky axle seal will cost me in the neighborhood of $400 and considering this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, I feel ford motor company or cortese should fix this problem with no cost to me. I have done some research online and it appears this problem is very common among ford explorers (had I known that at the time of my purchase, I would have reconsidered buying from ford). If this problem is very common among ford explorers and is a safety issue, why is it not considered a recall and repaired by the manufacturer of the vehicle? Please advise me what my rights are and if anything can be done on behalf of other affected consumers. After all, in this tough economy, who has $400 to throw at a problem that was a known deficiency to ford and one that should have been addressed by the company...
2002 Ford Explorer transmission complaints
Page 22 of 51: complaints 611 to 640 of 1,502, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I have a 2002 ford explorer and my o/d light is flashing along with my check engine light coming on. This seems to be complaint #1 with this vehicle in searching the internet. I seem to have a transmission rebuild coming my way. It's always been tough to switch from drive to reverse. Now my lights are flashing and it has a heck of a time switching from 1st to 2nd gear. I have 70,000 miles on the vehicle. I also have issue #2 from the internet complaints on this vehicle. My tailgate molded plastic beneath my rear window split in half and fell off.
Same problem everyone else has. I have a 2002 explorer trans went had to get it rebuilt. Only had this explorer 11 months.
I have an issue with my transmission in my 2002 ford explorer. The car has 76,000 miles and the o/d light flashes and 2nd gear is a mess. It started out of no where. I googled the problem and came across this website: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/transmission/o_d_light_is_blinking.shtml it is a shame that over 100 people have complained about this same issue and that's just the people who found that site. I am a hard working self employed man who try's to stand by american made, but I am absolutely furious that ford has let this issue go. I have owned the vehicle for 2 years and the tire rod and barring have already went bad. As well as the transfer case for the 4x4 has went out as well. Both of those issues where also reported by others on the above website. How in the world can ford ask the government to bail them out when the very people who purchased their product keep getting stuck with the bill coming and going. I will take this complaint to my state representative in an effort to hold ford accountable for their actions before getting one tax dollar from honest hard working americans.
36,006 miles rear axle seals started leaking, had new set put on. Not even 10,000 miles & that set started leaking. Had third set put on. 61,500 miles & leaking again! Mechanic says I have a broken rear coil spring. Could the springs have been faulty all long causing the rear axle seals to leak?
I am the owner of a 2002 ford explorer with approximately 91000 miles. I was driving on highway when o/d light began to blink. Researched problem on internet and seems to be a big problem with the transmission in 2002 ford explorers and I am one of many dealing with this. Typical solution is to have the transmission rebuilt which will cost alot of money. Ford refuses to acknowledge this problem as there own (clearly poor workmanship in building vehicle) and refuses to offer help. Presently, there is no recall for these transmission problems . How many people have to shell out there hard earned money before this problem is addressed. Please help.
I have a 2002 ford explorer limited v-8, four wheel drive with 47,100 miles. I started to notice a clattering sound coming from under the truck. I took it to the mechanic and he said it was the torque converter. It cost $1,200 to fix. He told me he sees a lot of problems with this automatic transmission. It seems to me that 47,000 miles is very premature for a problem like this. I see that many others on the internet have had similar problems with this vehicle.
2002 ford explorer 4.0l sohc v6 automatic transmission. It has a problem shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear. While driving in traffic, car will not accel up to speed and doesn't shift out of 2nd gear into 3rd. Have had a few near accidents because of car not able to speed up.
I have a 2002 ford explorer. It appears they are selling cars with a defect gear shift. Yesterday as I shifted from reverse to drive the gear shift broke off. It simple came off. I've never heard of such a problem. Apparently this is a systemic problem and ford has not issued a recall. Other explorer owners have experienced the same problem and reported it on internet auto complaint blogs. According to the tow truck driver he has picked up 6 or 7 explorers in the san antonio area with the same problem in recent months. Based on internet reports I have to spend a $1000 I really can spare at this time to fix ford's problem.
My 2002 ford explorer start shaking and vibrating while driving on a road. This was due to the transmission going out while traveling at about 30 MPH. The truck would not shift from 2nd to third 3rd gear which made the vehicle rpms run at about 5000 then the car started to smell and began to get really hot down toward the floor board. After this the o/d light began to blink on and off constantly. I then pulled to the side of the road to check the problem while pulled there I put my truck into reverse so that I could back up into a parking lot. I took my foot off the break and pushed the gas and my truck rolled into the road. The reverse would no longer engage. I had my whole family in the car, luckily there were no cars coming at that exact time. I have found a website where over 200 people have reported the same problem on google search, but still nothing has been done to recall this issue. Just because we found all of ourselves in a lucky situation when this happened and no one was injured, does not make this any less of a concern.
This is my wife"s 02' 4x4 v8 explorer,we brought it new and now have 78,000 miles in it,at first I heard some noise I thought it came from the tires that pretty worn out so I went to change out the new tires while I was in the shop and wait I ask the guy can I go in there to check out the brake pads I notice the rear springs broke???? The more searching I did the more thing I find out, wheel bearing??? No more ford.......
I like many others was just informed that my 2002 explorer needs a new transmission. It only has 52,000 miles on it. I am on a fixed income, and bought this car believing that it would last me a long time if I took care of it which I have. I cannot afford this expense and very unhappy to find that ford knows of this defect, and does nothing about it. I am truly beginning to believe that ford stands for found on road dead. This clearly indicates a "lemon" product to me, and I feel that the consumers are the one paying for the ceo's rich life at our expense. When is our government going to look out for the people who finance this country?
O/d light began flashing diving on a major highway - RPM's ran at 3rpm's no matter what speed I traveled. Transmission shifts very hard and I am experiencing a terrible clunking noise - piece of'!@#$% transmission - will have to replace the transmission according to the dealer and I have heard it is happening very frequently with the 2002 explorers.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving approximately 50 MPH on normal road conditions, the contact heard a loud noise outside of the vehicle. The vehicle vibrated excessively. The check engine warning indicator illuminated on the instrument panel and remained lit until the engine was turned off. The driver pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the rear driver's side wheel bearing was cracked. The vehicle was repaired. Recently, the front passenger side wheel bearing exhibited a crack. In addition, the overdrive warning indicator illuminated while traveling on the highway. Also, the automatic transmission was slipping out of gear. The mileages were unknown.
While driving o/d light started to flash and check transmission light came on. Original owner with 59k miles. Dealer states I need a new transmission. I have read numerous complaints about this transmission online. The federal safety agency needs to investigate this type of closed system transmission design. Loss of drive power during entry to highway or lane changes could result in a major accident.
My 2002 ford explorer xlt currently has 79,000 miles. Loud grinding noises could be heard and a grabbing sensation could be felt from the back of the vehicle. I thought the tires were cupped so I purchased new tires and had the vehicle aligned. The noise was still evident. A certified mechanic stated to me that both rear wheel bearings failed and they need to be repaired. Along with that, he stated my differential needs to be repaired. Lastly, both rear coil shocks were broke into pieces. I had them replaced at 78,500.
The o/d light is blinking fast and now it is beginning to shift gears very rough. All the websites I have seen makes this a common attribute with this year of car. Nothing really lead up to this, it just started blinking on my way to work.
Accelerating from 0, failure of transmission to shift from 1st to 2nd gear, engine revs to 4000 RPM and fails to accelerate or shift.
I bought a 2002 ford explorer in 2004 and the transmission is going bad. The od off light is blinking and the car has less than 95000 miles. I took it to the ford dealer to find out the problem, they told me the transmission needs to be rebuilt or replace. The cost is between $2400 - $3700. I had the car for 4 years and still owe on the car. I googled for od off light and found that many ford owners with the same model and year have the same problems, everyone can't be wrong. I would like to see this issue resolved. I just want my car fixed.
I have a 2002 ford explorer 4.0l v6. I had the transmission rebuilt 10 days ago. I have had to take my vehicle back to the transmission shop now for the third time in 10 days due to problems that the shop says are chronic with, and known by, ford. Ford needs to address the problems inherent with the transmission in this year model. Consumers are continuing to shoulder the financial burden of a problem of which ford and the federal safety agency are both aware and about which neither are addressing. There have been thousands of complaints about this problem. What needs to happen for the federal safety agency to support consumers on this established and known issue?
2002 ford explorer xls. I purchased this vehicle in june of 2004 and shortly after the o/d light was blinking setting off the "check engine" light. When I took it to ford, they claimed it was a solenoid that needed to be replaced at my cost because it was not covered in the warranty. After a high priced repair, the o/d light came on again within a month's time. I returned to have them repair it again on the repair warranty from the prior fix and the o/d light came on still again. This problem has been a major drain on my finances and now I have seen that the o/d light is the second-highest complaint on this model and make of vehicle. Ford continues to claim that it is an oddity and unrelated to the make and model. Can anything be done that will get ford to make good on either repairing or offering recompense in some way to customers who have been struggling with this nonsense? R. Francis
Gear shift lever broke off. While parking my 2002 ford explorer, the gear shift lever sheared off in the steering column, leaving the vehicle stuck in reverse gear. A quick search with google reveals a significant number of identical failures, indicating a common manufacturing defect. Ford have not issued any form of recall or other assistance for this problem. Had the failure happened while driving (perhaps while shifting up or down on a mountain road) it could have caused an accident. Given the age of the affected 2002 model vehicles, it is only a matter of time until this does occur. My vehicle has not yet been repaired; the broken part is currently available for inspection.
2002 ford explorer eddie bauer 4.6 has a loud whining/howling noise coming from rear differential. This is a known and documented problem/defect with these vehicles. Ford has many tsb's about the problem, but will only replace the differential gear assembly at a cost of $1100.00.
My explorer has the same problem as everyone else. 82,000 miles and the truck wont shift into what seem like 3rd gear I really wish ford would help us out. This is why the are failing. I would love to continue to purchase american made but how can I knowing this is the service you get.
I have a 2002 ford explorer and all of a sudden the o/d light started flashing I have read other peoples experiences and this has LED me to file a complaint about this and now that I realize that im not the only one well I hope you can help I was expecting for this vehicle to last longer than my 1994 dodge ram. And another thing the side of the windows started pealing off my back door is cracked because it would not close right and none of my three of my windows have stopped working at one time. This car is full of malfunctions and I thing that there should be something done about it I bought it brand new and paid 25,000 for this piece of junk.
On 1/18/09 I was driving my 2002 ford explorer on a 50 MPH road and noticed that it would not accelerate - like I had the emergency brake on. 10 minutes later my service engine light came on and my o/d light started to flash and I could not get over 25 MPH. I managed to get safely to a relatives house but had to have the car towed to a repair facility - to be looked at. I have been told the transmission is shot and after going on line have found that this has happened to a number of people with 2002 ford explorers. I was driving with my children in the car and one minute was doing 45 MPH and the next I was barely at 25 MPH on a very busy road.
I have a 2002 ford explorer that have at least 66,000 mileage on this car . I have a very weird accident on september 24,2008. I was on my way home from work when the accident happen. I was in the parking lot of the va medical center in east orange nj. At around 5:45 pm I came to my car and found my car have dead battery so va police gave a jump start and the car start. So after 2 minutes the car running I started to change the gear from park to reverse with my foot on the brake. As soon as I change the gear the car went off by itself with a very high speed hitting a park vehicle and ended up inside one story building. My foot was still on the brake when the car stop. I hurt myself resulting to a big surgery. I have a cervical fracture from that accident. My car was still parked in my driveway still untouched because I don't know who to send the car fro investigation. I filed a claim to ford motor but I did not hear from them yet. I contacted the lawyer and advised me to contact this facility and since my lawyer cannot represent me from this accident. I was advised that I don't need a lawyer to file a claim. I hope you can help me with this matter.
2002 ford explorer transmission flew into 4x4 low automatic while driving at 50 MPH. The 4x4 module part had been replaced once already,and is the culprit of throwing it into an unsafe position. The issue keeps coming up, and the dealer has had no responsibility for replacing the "known ford problem" in over 7 years. This issue is expensive to repair, but the problem is the safety of the vehicle and the passengers at higher speeds. It can cause the vehicle to first slow down by the physical limitations of the transfer case, and cause the vehicle to be out of control and flip. It's so present on the internet now, I wonder why no one has gotten ford to face the issue, even the dealers know, but get no response back from parent ford. The vehicle mentioned is well cared for, as well as only in the low 80,000 mile area presently. This happened around 38,000, 43,000, 58,000, 63,000, and now at 84,000. Even the dealer agrees that the 4 wheel auto feature, (which is the idle state of the transaxle) cannot be started when the vehicle is fired up. This causes numerous issues with other components reliable to the module. The module, is built by motorola and I've been advised that the any new owner of an explorer in the date range should have it replaced or inspected due to it not being able to handle typical surge spikes from the vehicles power systems. The replacements should have it. But that doesn't help with the advise if it already occurs. Which it has been. Now I've got a $45,000 paperweight in my driveway again. Corrections are made, but results are always the same. Ford needs to address the issue publicly before others are in accidents or fatalities occur.
Have had to replace both rear wheel bearings on 2002 ford explorer limited, also had to replace both rear springs. Lucky my wife has good hearing so she noticed the noise as soon as it started or else may have went far enough to loose wheel. Had rear springs and wheel bearings replaced at a cost of approximately $1100.00 . After reading complaints and talking with other explorer owner I feel it should have been a recall for factory to fix. Also have recurring problem with airbag warning light coming on. Have to jiggle wires under passenger seat to make light go out.
Had bought 2002 explorer used, noticed noise from rear end. Told rear differential needed to be replaced, cost for used $1500. But possibility that used could have same issues as this is a very common problem with 02-04 explorers. My mechanic does several a month. After visiting numerous web sites and forums on the subject, I have seen that it is a very common problem and there is a very real safety concern as the rear end could seize while driving. I believe the dept of highway safety is wrong in not considering this problem to be a safety issue and I think a recall should be issued based on the very large numbers of vehicles that have the exact same problems. And ford knows about this problem as they have released service bulletins on the subject they know the problem exists, but they do not issue a recall because they want the owners to pay the extravagant costs of the repairs.
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