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2002 Ford F-550 SD problems

The most common problem on the 2002 Ford F-550 SD is fuel and propulsion system, typically around 65,000 miles. It has 2.4 times the complaints of a typical F-550 SD model year.

Typical year2.4x the typical complaints
Owner complaints
22
Recalls
4
Service bulletins
48
Worst area
Fuel system

The worst 2002 Ford F-550 SD problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

  • Fuel system
    10
  • Engine
    5
  • Brakes
    3
  • Electrical
    3
  • Steering
    2
  • Suspension
    2
  • Tires
    2
  • Body
    1
  • Lights
    1
  • Transmission
    1
  • Wheels
    1

Specific symptoms reported on the 2002 Ford F-550 SD

Loss of power 6

Recalls 4

Exterior lighting: brake lightsReported July 13, 2011 · 26,715 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
Risk
Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 11V352000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported October 13, 2009 · 4,500,000 vehicles affected
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

Engine and engine cooling: engine: dieselReported December 5, 2007 · 1,176,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Risk
In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332.

Recall number 07V553000 · Recall details

Vehicle speed controlReported August 1, 2006 · 1,200,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk
Overheating could result in smoke or burn and an underhood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)

Recall number 06V286000 · Recall details

See all 4 recalls for the 2002 Ford F-550 SD

Defect investigations

Engine stallingOpened June 22, 2006, closed December 7, 2007

In a december 3, 2007 letter, ford advised the federal safety agency that it will conduct a safety recall to replace the cam position sensor (cps) in approximately 1.2 million subject vehicles to address reports of engine stalling.a new design cps with improved performance and durability will be installed as a remedy.owner notifications will begin in december 2007. The subject vehicles are durable, full-sized, medium duty trucks commonly used for commercial purposes, rescue/emergency response, and commercial or recreational towing.cps failure is comparable to unexpectedly turning the key off since the signal it produces is vital to the electronic engine control system.cps signal loss terminates fuel injection resulting in an engine stall.once stalled, the engine may restart right away, or may restart after a delay (typically 5 to 10 minutes), or may not restart at all.in addition to exposing the driver and other motorists to crash risk due to loss of motive power or vehicle disablement, engine stalling also effects the power assisted steering and braking. Through consumer interviews, odi determined that cps failures occurred without any form of warning, at any vehicle speed (50% at highway speeds), and under any driving condition, such as accelerating.consumers reported that about a third of the vehicles failed to restart, with another third reporting delayed restarting.half the vehicles that did restart experienced another stall on the same or a subsequent drive cycle (before cps replacement) re-exposing those consumers to the risks associated with a stalling event.in their voq reports, half of the odi complainants described difficulty controlling the vehicle due to lose of power assist systems, especially those who were towing at the time of the incident. The one alleged injury incident occurred in an intersection when a subject vehicle stalled while turning across oncoming lanes of traffic.although unsubstantiated, the complainant alleged an injury to a child occupant during odi's interview.the other crash allegations mostly involved low speed, loss of control incidents often caused by lack of power assist; no injuries are reported in these incidents, and property damage, if any, was minimal.consumers also reported other incidents with significant safety risks, such as disablement in a lane or on a shoulder of a high-speed roadway or interstate, or extended disablement in remote areas during severe weather conditions. The population above is ford's estimate of the 1.4 million subject vehicles produced that are currently registered.the ford complaint and warranty counts noted above are current as of ford's last submission dated june 21, 2007; they do not include f-450, f-550, or econoline counts as these products were not formally within scope of the investigation when failure information was requested.warranty data analysis indicates that about half the claims involved a stall while driving event ( ford's assessment) and that poor cps durability was a longstanding concern.ford reported that the new cps design should meet or exceed their 10 year, 150k mile life expectancy design requirement.

EA06012

Engine compartment firesOpened March 22, 2005, closed August 2, 2006

Ea05-005 is closed with ford?s actions in recalls 05v‑017, 05v‑388, and 06v‑286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.ford is also including the entire population of 1998 explorers.ford has informed odi that testing to determine the cause of failures in the 1998 explorers will continue after this investigation is closed.odi believes that the vehicles exhibiting the factors causing scds failure described in this report correlate well with the observed failure rates on these vehicles by model and model year.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist in the non-recalled vehicles manufactured with scds that are not included in ford?s recalls.odi will continue to monitor the non-recalled population for incidence of engine compartment fires.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for details.

EA05005

Accelerator pedal sensor (etc)Opened February 23, 2004, closed February 10, 2005

Failure counts from odi?s analysis are stated above; see the additional problem experience discussion in the summary report.ford data contained duplicative reports for 4 odi complaints and 1 crash.three crashes were allegedly due to intermittent operation of the electronic throttle control (etc) pedal, one crash occurred when an etc disabled vehicle was struck by another motorist, one report contained no detail.the injuries were minor.an issue involving fixed etc pedals was investigated also, however failure reports and populations are not shown above; see summary report for detail.although ford has used etc based throttle control systems for many years, the pap feature was new for my 2002.the subject etc sensor produces two output signals which the engine management system (ems) utilizes to:1) determine fueling requirements; and 2) perform sensor diagnostics.one signal is linearly proportional to throttle pedal position; the second is a digital signal.by design, the detection of a sensor fault results in the engine returning to (or remaining at) the idle state.ford identified a defect in the pap etc sensor which prematurely affected an output signal; the migration of internal sensor lubricant caused a loss of proportional signal.the failure mechanism is progressive and as the sensor deteriorates, the ems will detect a fault, store a fault code, illuminate a warning lamp, and the engine may remain at/return to idle.in the early stages, normal operation can be regained by pedal re-application.the failure progresses until the engine remains at idle.the engine does not stall, power assisted steering and braking systems are unaffected. Ford corrected the etc sensor defect and conducted field service action (fsa) 03b03 to replace etc pedals, addressing 50% of vehicles.at agency request to improve completion rate, ford extended fsa 03b03 for 6 months.based on odi's analysis of available data, ford's action has appropriately resolved the etc sensor proplem in the subject vehicles.the closing of the investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist, and should not be considered as having any precedential value or effect binding the agency in future defect investigations. See the attached summary report for additional information.

EA04006

Technical service bulletins for the 2002 Ford F-550 SD 48

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 48 bulletins for the 2002 Ford F-550 SD

What 2002 Ford F-550 SD owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Jan 22, 2020 · Electrical · 25,000 miles · MI · fire

Connector #270b melted at central junction connector. Vehicle was both in motion and parked

Filed May 14, 2014 · Engine · 212,000 miles · FL · fire · 1 injury

Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-550 sd. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 MPH, thick white smoke was seen from underneath the vehicle. After inspecting the vehicle, the contact discovered flames coming from under the hood and front of the vehicle. The vehicle was destroyed. The fire department extinguished the flames. During the incident the contact sustained injuries to the back and shoulder while attempting to extinguish the fire. The manufacturer was not notified of the defect. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 212,000.

Filed May 17, 2012 · Brakes, Fuel system · WI

2002 ford f550 flatbed truck. Consumer states vehicle is unsafe to drive *tgw the consumer stated all of the tires were dry rotted, to the point they could not be re-treaded. The rear brakes and wheel seals needed to be replaced. The fuel sending assembly failed, and had to be replaced at a cost of $ 1251.46. The upper shocks were rusted, the headlight assembly and marker assembly were broken. The consumer stated the vehicle should not have passed dot inspection.

Filed Dec 2, 2011 · Fuel system · MD

Driving vehicle, vehicle lost power. Driver just made it off the road. Had the vehicle towed to a service station. Being told that the fuel tank is de-laminating. They have to replace the whole fuel system. Total cost $3,500.00. Called ford, they are saying there is no known problem. When I do a google search several complaints are posted on different sites about the same problem. It seems as though several years are affected.

Filed Jun 15, 2010 · Fuel system · 142,000 miles · KS

Ford f550 truck has fuel tank problem. Fuel lines, pump, filter & injectors getting clogged due to flaking on the inside of the tank. Issue blamed on poor diesel fuel, but have researched several other cases all reporting the exact same issues. Ford is taking no responsibility. Truck will lose power and stall while driving.

Filed Nov 20, 2009 · Fuel system · 60,507 miles · VA

Vehicle had loss of power and ran rough. Finally vehicle stopped working. The culprit was the ford fuel tank that had delaminated. The tank had to be replaced. The cost: $1600.00. Additionally, there was a loss of revenue as this vehicle is used for production purposes. Ford denied responsibility for any defects of their fuel tanks. With no other choice, we had to pay for the repairs out of pocket. This is a safety issue, as these vehicles are used for commercial usage daily. This is also a financial burden that has been forced onto us unfairly. They need to take responsibility and recall these fuel tanks.

Filed Apr 23, 2009 · Fuel system · 108,280 miles · CA

Servicing dealer just advised that the diesel fuel tank is delaminating from the inside and causing fuel line, fuel filter, and fuel injector clogging. Although we always used clean diesel only, dealership would not say what caused problem but well aware of it. Quoted $3,500.00 to replace fuel tank and sending unit. Outrageous. Especially when causing stalling and loss of power during driving and possibly causing accident. Found lots of people with the same problem through internet search.

Filed Jan 14, 2009 · Fuel system · 36,000 miles · NY

My 2002 for f 550 was driving and lost power in traffic eventually losing power and stalling in traffic on a very busy road. The truck was towed to a local dealer and I was informed that the inside of the gas tank was delaminating which caused a failure in the gas tank, failure in the sending unit,the failure in the fuel pump,and the failure of the filters. Ford has also advised me of possible destroyed fuel injectors. Ford takes no responsibility for the defect in the fuel tank.

Filed Nov 24, 2008 · Suspension · 125,000 miles · MT

Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford f550 super duty. The contact stated that the rear suspension system failed, which was a result of a defect repair by the fontaine modification company. The company sent notifications to the vehicles that had a defect with the rear suspension system. The rear suspension was previously repaired on the contact's vehicle and he called the fontaine modification company in regards to reimbursement. They stated that the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact has called and written letters to the company since that time, but has not received a response. The failure mileage was 125,000.

Filed Sep 16, 2008 · Fuel system · 44,000 miles · MD

2002 ford f550 super duty diesel with 44,000 miles has a rusting fuel tank causing the fuel filter, pump, and injectors to get clogged. Only diesel fuel has been used. When under any strain or load the engine with begin to lose power and sputter. Once the engine runs for a few minutes at idle it seems to clear up again until load is put on the truck. The truck is only possible to move around at a crawl. The fuel filter was replaced and it was completely covered with rust. There where fines and larger particles which were obviously rust. I have been searching for replacement tanks without success.

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Questions about the 2002 Ford F-550 SD

Is the 2002 Ford F-550 SD reliable?

Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 2002 Ford F-550 SD, 2.4 times a typical F-550 SD model year.

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford F-550 SD?

Fuel and propulsion system, with 10 complaints, typically around 65,000 miles. Next is engine (5).

How many recalls does the 2002 Ford F-550 SD have?

4 recalls, covering exterior lighting, vehicle speed control and engine and engine cooling.

What year does the Ford F-550 SD have the most fuel system problems?

The Ford F-550 SD model years with the most fuel system complaints are 2006 (36 complaints), 2004 (26 complaints) and 2005 (20 complaints).

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