Truck exhibited a 'clunk' noise from left rear when traversing a bump in the road. I took it to the dealership where I bought it new and have had all maintenance and repair work done. Service manager said no repair was possible'frame rust was so bad a new leaf spring, etc. Could not be attached and it was unsafe to drive. See attached invoice. I had the truck towed to my home and it has not been driven since. (date of occurrence is approximate. It became worse as time went on and occurs at any speed.)
2002 Ford Ranger: harsh or hard shifting
8 of the 346 complaints about the 2002 Ford Ranger describe harsh or hard shifting.
- owner complaints
- 8
- of this car's complaints
- 2%
- typical mileage
- 65,000
- recalls
- 1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 34 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below
Harsh or hard shifting by model year
What owners say
Driveshaft thump clunk on light acceleration from stop or when braking and coming to a stop.
At approx. 26,500 miles vehicle made popping/clunk sound accompanied by a jerking movement when turning. Especially slow turns after making a stop. Sound came from rear end. 1 or both rear tires would bind in slow corners and skid. Ford dealer confirmed broken gears in differential. 2002 ranger ext. Cab with manual trans, 4 cyl, 2wd. $1,650 to repair. Ford will not assist in paying for any part of this. Evidently ford is satisfied with their bread and butter trucks failing so quickly. This is how they lose a customer for life, by not standing behind their vehicles. Too many reports of this failure for it not to be taken care of by ford. Very angry, ford, your huge losses are well deserved.
Transmission shift problems on 2002 ford ranger. Delayed shifts; rough shifts; overdrive light blinks indicating transmission fault; servo cover blown off allowing transmission fluid loss - inoperative vehicle.
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford ranger. While driving 2 MPH, the contact heard a loud grinding and clunking noise. He also noticed fluid leaking from the rear differential unit. The dealer stated that there was a fracture in the rear differential case. The dealer and manufacturer stated that his VIN was not included in the federal safety agency campaign id number 02v035000 (power train: driveline: differential unit). The contact felt that his vehicle should be included in the recall. The failure mileage was 35,000 and current mileage was 80,000.
2002 ford ranger fx4- automatic transmission. Vehicle had approx. 65k miles at the time of incident. Drove vehicle normally, started noticing "clunking" sound coming from the rear. Mechanic diagnosed as a cracked rear differential unit that was very close to causing axle to lock up. Parts replaced by my mechanic at the cost of approx. $1500. Sounds very similar to recall #02v035000 concerning manual transmission version.
Rough or delayed shift 2nd to 3rd, 3rd to 4th. Been to dealer and charged 800.00 for updated valve body. No better. Independent shop showed me a seal that fails on many rangers causing same problem. Vibration at 65-70 and grinding sound when accelerating hard from stop.
While shifting and decelerating the consumer heard a clunking noise. The dealer denied any problem with the vehicle.
Service bulletins that may apply
- Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4X4 or AWD
- General (PCM) power train control module programming procedures
- Driveshaft thump clunk on light acceleration from stop or when braking and coming to a stop
- General power train control module (PCM) programming procedures
- Low line pressure reading at wide open throttle (WOT), slipping shifts and / or delayed engagements with...
- Transmission whine in 5TH gear
- New transmission cooler flusher - service tips
- Buzz/howl in the transfer case shift lever while driving, and/or shift lever boot detachment due to...
Related recalls
Power train: driveline: differential unit
- What is wrong
- On some manual transmission trucks equipped with the fx4 package, the rear axle differential case could fracture under a high torque event such as when customers accelerate rapidly from a stop or when a spinning tire suddenly gains traction.
- Risk
- Differential fractures could potentially result in wheel lock-up.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the rear axle assembly. Owner notification began march 29, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 02V035000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2002 Ford Ranger harsh shifting
Is harsh or hard shifting a common problem on the 2002 Ford Ranger?
8 of 346 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Ranger (2%) mention harsh or hard shifting. The model year with the most reports is 2019.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2002 Ford Ranger?
There is 1 recall and 34 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2002 Ford Ranger
No deployment 15Adaptive cruise 12Stalling 12Grinding brakes 11Airbag light 10Fire or smoke 10Sudden acceleration 8ABS 7Jerking 7Ball joint 6Tire blowout 5
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2002 Ford Ranger?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history