Both rear coil springs broke. Replaced front and rear wheel bearings replaced ball joints replaced transmission has now failed and is now undependable. May fail with out warning no accidents, any of the above could have resulted in an accident ford is aware of all of the mentioned problems and refuses to rectify the problems. This is a wide spread problem with all 2002 ford explorers.
Ford Explorer coil spring problems
161 of the 34,647 owner complaints about the Ford Explorer describe broken coil spring, most of them for the 2002 model year.
- owner complaints
- 161
- worst model year
- 2002
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,100
- typical mileage
- 80,500
Is there a fix? There are 10 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
Often reported together
Transmission failure 4Tire blowout 4Door locks 4Ball joint 4Seat belt 3Adaptive cruise 3Stalling 2Shudder 2
What owners say
Inspection found both rear coil springs broke and driver front coil spring also broke. 3 broken springs. Never heard of spring breaking, ever. Seems to be a problem with ford exployers
Rear spring broke on left side, not even rusted. Car only has 32000 miles on it. Have been seeing that this is a known issue with this model but no recall was ever instituted. A travesty.
Bearing keep have to be replaced, an the rear coil spring is cracked an the tire came off while driving my truck, have replaced the wheel bearing 3 times already. An I have replace the transmission 2 times.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for routine maintenance when the dealer stated that the rear coil springs needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Although this defect did not cause an accident or injury, the potential was there for serious damage to this or following vehicles. Specifically, the defect was the rear strut/spring assemblies I.e. Broken and shifted coil spring. As this part sits close to the fuel tank, the piece of spring that broke off could have easily punctured the fuel tank resulting in possible fire. It could also have wedged against a brake line, thus causing a brake failure and/or suspension failure/misalignment causing loss of control and an accident. In addition, if the piece of spring, weighing about three (3) pounds had fallen out, it could have caused severe damage to a following vehicle or it's operator had it bounced up and penetrated a windshield. The reason for the lapse in time in my reporting this condition is because I thought perhaps it was just a one time isolated failure to my vehicle. However, in talking to other ford explorer owners, as well as several auto repair shops, I have learned that this has been a common failure on similar vehicles. If this was a simple repair to a component that had little or no affect on the vehicles performance or did not present a safety condition, I would have probably just written it off to normal maintenance and repair. However, with my knowledge of automobiles, and a condition that could potentially cause damage as well as personal injury, as well as being a quite expensive repair, I felt compelled to report it to the proper people who perhaps have a larger data base than I do, and take action against ford motor company to mandate a recall or reimbursement to those ford explorer owners who have experienced the same failure as I have.
Both rear coil springs rusted through and broke.
Rear coil springs are rusted and cracking, piece fell off. It appears that inadequate or deficient metal was used. Mechanic says very rare for coil springs to rust like this, springs look as though they have been in a junk yard for 30 years.this vehicle is a family car, not used for off-roading and kept in a garage. According to my research many other owners have had the same issue, some have even had the pieces puncture tires causing a blowout while driving. I can only assume that ford is not concerned with consumer safety, but only with their own profits and are waiting for people to die before taking responsibility. This is just one of many issues with this model and ford needs to step up.
Brought vehicle in for routine maintenance ( brakes ) when it was discovered that both rear coil springs were broken. While having springs replaced it was discovered that the rear wheel bearings also needed to be replaced along with the rear shocks. This vehicle has been driven only less than 55,000 miles under normal driving conditions on paved city and highway roads. After inspecting the broken springs we realized that the damage wasn't a recent occurrence. They could have been defected at 40,000 miles or less.I believe ford motor company should be made aware of possible defected rear suspension parts it may be using in some of it's vehicle models and the potential safety risks this may pose on the general public.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford explorer. The contact stated that both rear coil springs fractured. The rear passenger side coil spring failed first and was repaired. The rear driver's side coil spring was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 10,585 and the current mileage was 129,000. Updated 02/27/12*lj updated 02/28/12
Related recalls
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture.
- Risk
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the toe links, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2026. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S08. This recall is an expansion of previous the federal safety agency recall number 21V537. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning February 25, 2026.
Recall number 26V101000 · Recall details
Suspension: front: macpherson strut
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Explorer vehicles. The right-front lower fastener connecting the steering knuckle and strut may be loose or missing.
- Risk
- A loose or missing connection between the knuckle and strut can cause improper tire alignment, resulting in a steering pull or require increased steering effort. Additionally, the brake hose may contact the tire and become damaged, resulting in a brake fluid leak and a loss of braking ability. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the fasteners, and tighten or install them as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 08, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S04.
Recall number 24V091000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles. Incorrect rear suspension module components may have been installed due to a labeling error.
- Risk
- A rear suspension module with incorrect components may affect vehicle handling, ride height, and braking characteristics, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear suspension module, and replace any incorrect parts, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S47.
Recall number 21V870000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2013 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These vehicles may be equipped with a cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) replacement part that could seize, and result in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
- Risk
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealer will inspect for the presence of a CABJ. If a CABJ of any design is found, the dealer will inspect the tightness of the CABJ, and replace the CABJ, knuckle, and/or toe link as necessary, free of charge. Interim notification letters were mailed November 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 17, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S43.
Recall number 21V746000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia. Exposure to road salt can cause the cross-axis ball joint to corrode and seize, resulting in a fracture of the outboard section of the rear suspension toe link.
- Risk
- A rear toe-link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace as necessary, the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle, and replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. This recall is an expansion of previous the federal safety agency recall numbers 16V‑245, 19V‑435, and 20V‑675. Certain vehicles previously repaired will need to return for the new remedy. An interim notification letter notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on September 10, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on March 16, 2022. Owners may contact Ford's customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S32.
Recall number 21V537000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2017 Explorer vehicles originally sold, or currently registered in Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin that were previously repaired under a prior recall numbers 16V‑245 or 19V‑435. The outboard section of a rear suspension toe link may fracture.
- Risk
- A rear toe link fracture can result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the cross-axis ball joint (CABJ) knuckle attached to the rear suspension toe link and replace it as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S62.
Recall number 20V675000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Lincoln Aviator and Ford Explorer vehicles. The rear lower control arm (RLCA) bolts that attach the rear lower control arms to the wheel knuckles may not have been heat-treated, which could cause them to break.
- Risk
- Broken RLCA bolts can cause a loss of steering control, and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace both RLCA bolts, free of charge. The recall began on April 2, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S11.
Recall number 21V154000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Explorer vehicles. The rear suspension toe links may fracture due to stress on the rear suspension.
- Risk
- A fractured rear toe link will cause a sudden change in vehicle handling and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, and inspect both rear toe link ball joints, replacing the rear wheel knuckle(s), if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 26, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S17.
Recall number 19V435000 · Recall details
Suspension: rear
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Ford Explorer vehicles manufactured January 17, 2014 to May 31, 2014. The affected vehicles may have improperly welded rear suspension toe links that may fracture.
- Risk
- A fracture of the rear suspension toe link may result in a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rear suspension toe links, free of charge. The recall began on November 18, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S18.
Recall number 16V245000 · Recall details
Suspension
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. Under certain conditions, a front sway bar link can fracture.
- Risk
- Vehicle handling could be affected, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace both the left and right front sway bar links.
Recall number 00V402000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford Explorer coil spring
Which Ford Explorer years have broken coil spring problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2002 (137 complaints), 2003 (9 complaints) and 1998 (3 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix broken coil spring on the Ford Explorer?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,100 (median of 14 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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