2002 Ford Explorer Power Train

2002 EXPLORER, 1ST INCIDENT, HAD OD LIGHT FLASHING W/VERY HARD SHIFT. HAD TRANSMISSION REBUILT. ABOUT 6 MONTHS LATER, SLIPPING AT 30 TO 40 MILES PER HOUR, HAD TRANSFER CASE REBUILT. 6 WEEKS LATER TRANSMISSION SLIPPING AGAIN AT 30 TO 40 MPH WITH LOUD WHINE WHEN STOPPING. *TR

I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER WITH SEVENTY THOUSAND MILES AND HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER EXPLORER OWNERS HAVE. THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT SHIFT FROM SECOND TO THIRD GEAR. HAVING DRIVEN ONLY A FEW BLOCKS WHEN THIS OCCURRED, I RETURNED HOME AND AT THAT TIME THE CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT CAME ON. FROM WHAT I HAVE READ ONLINE FROM OTHER OWNERS THE EXPLORER SEEMS TO BE A POORLY DESIGNED AND ENGINEERED VEHICLE. I HAVE NO EXPECTATIONS OF YOU OR ANYONE AT FORD DOING ANYTHING TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION THAT IS GOING BAD. ONE DAY THE CAR IS FINE AND THE NEXT DAY MY LIGHT WHEN ON - OUT OF THE BLUE. I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A PROBLEM UNTIL MY O/D OFF LIGHT IS BLINKING & THE SERVICE ENGINE SOON LIGHT IS ALWAYS ON. PLUS, CHECK TRANSMISSION LIGHT IS ALSO LIT UP. THIS ALL HAPPENED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING. I FEEL THE CAR IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE AND AM NOT SURE WHAT I AM GOING TO DO....EXCEPT I KNOW I CANNOT DRIVE IT ANYMORE. I HAVE THREE YOUNG CHILDREN THAT ARE IN THIS TRUCK ALL THE TIME. I'VE ONLY MADE A FEW PAYMENTS ON IT AND NOW I'M TOLD THAT IT'S GOING TO COST ME OVER $3000 TO REPAIR, WHICH IS ALMOST WHAT THE CAR IS WORTH AT THIS POINT. I WISH I KNEW THAT THIS MANY 2002 FORD EXPLORERS ARE HAVING THIS ISSUE BEFORE I BOUGHT IT. LET ME SAY, I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE HAS BEEN THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH THE FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSIONS!!! I THOUGHT I JUST HAD BAD LUCK UNTIL FINDING THE 'AUTO BEEF COMPLAINT' WEB SITE! I WILL SAY THAT THIS FORD WILL BE THE FIRST AND LAST I WILL EVER OWN IF I CAN'T GET HELP WITH THIS TRUCK. THERE WILL NOT BE A PROBLEM ABOUT LEAVING IT BEHIND. I SEE THAT THIS IS A COMMON ISSUE WITH FORD. SEEMS WE HAVE JOINED A LONG AND DISTINGUISHED LIST OF 2002 TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. WENT LOOKING AROUND GOOGLE TO FIND ANY INFORMATION ON THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND FOUND THIS 'AUTO BEEF' WEB SITE. I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE EXACT SAME ISSUES OF SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE, AND NO ONE KNOWS WHAT CAN BE DONE ABOUT IT. IF YOU DO AN INTERNET SEARCH THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WITH THIS SAME EXACT ISSUE. SOME VEHICLES REPORT AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FAILS. READ THE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS OUT THERE FROM THE HARD WORKING CONSUMER, AND I THINK YOU WILL AGREE. I DO REALIZE TO ADMIT THAT THE TRANSMISSIONS IN THE 2002 FORD EXPLORER ARE FAULTY WILL COST SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY. HENRY FORD DIDN'T RUN HIS COMPANY FOR AS LONG AS HE DID AND NOT STAND BEHIND HIS WORK. FOREIGN CARS ARE MAKING A KILLING... *TR

WE DROVE OUR 2002 FORD EXPLORER TO VISIT FAMILY 1 HOUR AWAY WITHOUT ANY PROBLEM. AFTER WE ARRIVED WE NEEDED TO MAKE A QUICK TRIP TO THE STORE AND THE CAR DIDN'T EVEN MAKE IT OFF THE BLOCK BEFORE THE OD LIGHT BLINKED AND THE CAR WOULDN'T SHIFT GEARS. IT WOULDN'T GET PASSED 20 OR 25 MPH. WE HAD TO LEAVE THE CAR THERE AND GET A RIDE ALL THE WAY HOME. THE NEAREST TRANSMISSION SHOP FIXED THE TRANSMISSION FOR ABOUT $1000 WITH A 6 MONTH WARRANTY. I HOPE IT LASTS AND THAT FORD WILL ACKNOWLEDGE THIS PROBLEM SOON. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER,WHICH I BOUGHT NEW,THE DEALER HAS PERFORMED ALL SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE, NOW HAVE 65,000 MILES AND IT NEEDS A NEW TRANSMISSION. I UNDERSTAND THIS TO BE A DEFECT WITH THEIR SEALED TRANSMISSION AND FORD WANTS $3800.00 TO REPLACE / REBUILD. I FEEL THIS IS NOT RIGHT AND NEED SOME HELP WITH THIS MATTER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH IN ADVANCE FOR ANY HELP. *TR

2002 FORD EXPLORER TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT 49,562 MILES. UNABLE TO ACCELERATE. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER AND MY TRANSMISSION BAND BROKE. I HAVE KEPT UP MAINTENANCE WITH THIS VEHICLE AND NOW I HAVE OVER $4,000 WORTH OF REPAIR. I CAN'T SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR AND MY O/D LIGHT IS BLINKING. I'VE SEEN HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS ON THIS ISSUE AND FORD NEED TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PRODUCT. *TR

2002 FORD EXPLORER. SHORTLY AFTER I BOUGHT MY EXPLORER AFTER ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER I BEGAN TO EXPERIENCE SLIPPING OF THE TRANSMISSION EVERY TIME I DRIVE IT. THE SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR HAPPENS AT ALL TIMES WHEN I ACCELERATE AT SPEEDS UNDER 50 MPH. WHAT IS DANGEROUS ABOUT THIS IS WHEN IT HAPPENS AT A TIME THAT I WANT TO GET INTO TRAFFIC WHILE CROSSING THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC LANE AND THE TRANSMISSION WON'T GO BACK INTO GEAR TO ALLOW ME TO COMPLETE THE ROAD CROSSING WHILE CARS HAVE TO APPLY THEIR BRAKES TO STOP FOR ME. WHEN THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY GOES INTO GEAR, IT DOES SO WITH A BIG CLANK. I HAVE PERSONALLY MET A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO OWN THIS SAME TYPE OF VEHICLE AND EVERY SINGLE ON COMPLAINS OF THE SAME SYMPTOMS AND HAVE HAD CLOSE CALLS IN TRAFFIC DUE TO THIS TRANSMISSION FAILURE. SOME OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE HAD THE TRANSMISSION WORKED ON AND HAVE PAID ANYWHERE FROM $1700.00 TO OVER $2500.00 FOR REPAIRS AND THE PROBLEMS RETURN. I HAVE DONE SEARCHES ON THE WEB REGARDING THIS PROBLEM AND IN EVERY SITE THAT HAS BLOGS DEDICATED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE VICTIMS OF THIS PROBLEM, THERE ARE LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF COMPLAINTS. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD THIS WAS AN EXPERIMENTAL TRANSMISSION THAT WAS BOUGHT BY FORD FROM AN OUTSIDE MANUFACTURER, IN ORDER FOR FORD TO SAVE MONEY AND NOW WE, THE CONSUMER HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS PROBLEM. I FEEL THAT IT IS NEGLIGENT AND IRRESPONSIBLE OF FORD TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO DRIVE THEIR VEHICLES WITH THIS TYPE OF DANGEROUS TRANSMISSIONS. PEOPLE CAN CAUSE ACCIDENTS AND INJURE PASSENGERS OR CAUSE PEDESTRIANS TO BE HURT OR KILLED DUE TO THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE, PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND CONSIDER DECLARING A RECALL OF THIS TRANSMISSION. PLEASE DON'T WAIT FOR PEOPLE TO GET HURT BEFORE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION. *TR

FORD EXPLORER REAR END DIFFERENTIAL CONSTANTLY NEEDS REPLACING. FORD DEALER CHARGER ME $1800 AND USED SALVAGE PARTS EVENTHOUGH I TOLD THEM NOT TOO. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT 4.0L V6 AND WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT AN INVESTIGATION LAUNCHED INTO THE VEHICLE'S TRANSMISSION. THE OTHER DAY, AS I WAS TRAVELING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE O/D OFF INDICATOR BEGAN BLINKING AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE CHECK ENGINE SOON INDICATOR LIGHT CAME ON. IN DOING MY RESEARCH, AFTER READING NUMEROUS ONLINE COMPLAINTS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE, I HAVE CHOSEN TO SEEK YOUR ASSISTANCE AS A MEANS TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS WIDE-SPREAD, VERY WELL KNOWN AND DOCUMENTED PROBLEM. BASICALLY, THE TRANSMISSION NEEDS TO BE REBUILT OR REPLACED, AT COSTS THAT RANGE FROM $2,000 TO $4,000. *TR THANK YOU!

O/D OFF LIGHT FLASHING, FIND OUT SOLENOID PACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. ALSO NEEDS ALL 4 BALL JOINTS REPLACED. FOUND OUT THESE ARE VERY COMMON PROBLEMS TO 02 EXPLORERS. NOT SURE IF WE WILL REPAIR BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE WE'LL END UP DOING IT AGAIN OR THE TRANSMISSION WILL GO OUT. WE'VE ALREADY REPLACED REAR END, WINDOW MOTOR AND HAVE FADED WINDOW PANELS AND A CRACKED BACK PANEL ON LIFT GATE. WHY IS THE GOV'T NOT ADDRESSING THESE PROBLEMS. THIS WAS NOT A CHEAP CAR - WHY IS IT ACCEPTABLE TO HAVE THIS MANY PROBLEMS WITH A VEHICLE? *TR

2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT PARKED NOSE DOWN ON AN INCLINED DRIVEWAY. NO KEYS IN IGNITION BUT VEHICLE SLIPPED AWAY AND HIT A LIGHTPOST 50 METERS DOWN THE STREET. *TR

MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER HAS A TRANSMISSION GOING BAD. AT THE END OF MY 36,000 MILE WARRANTY I TOOK IT IN TO A FORD DEALERSHIP WHO SAID SINCE THE VEHICLE JUST WENT OVER THE WARRANTY BY LESS THAN A 1,000 MILES THAT THEY WOULD SHARE IN THE COST OF DOING THE WORK. IT COST ME APPROX. $700. FOR WHAT I HAVE SINCE LEARNED WAS A SOLENOID. NOW, (70,000 MILES LATER) I'M BEING TOLD THE TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM FLORIDA IN MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE O/D LIGHT STARTED BLINKING. I WAS TOWING A TRAILER AND PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO SEE IF IT NEEDED COOLED OFF. THE O/D LIGHT CONTINUED TO FLASH, MEANWHILE WHILE I WAS TOWING THE VEHICLE STARTED JERKING LIKE A HUGE HAMMER WAS HITTING THE TRANSMISSION. *TR

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER BOUGHT USED MARCH 2008 82,XXX MILES NOW AT 95,XXX THE OVERDRIVE LIGHT FLASHES AFTER BEING DRIVEN ABOUT 3 MILES AND IRREGULAR HARD PASSING GEAR SHIFTS OCCUR.. I HAVE FOUND ON THE INTERNET SEVERAL OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM WITH FORD.... *TR

OD BLINKING. WE HAVE THREE 2002 FORD EXPLORER WHICH ALL HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND WE HAVE REPLACED EVERYTHING IN THE TRANSMISSION WITH NEW. THIS IS BOLOGNA. SAME AS EVERYONE ELSE'S SHIFTING PROBLEMS! *TR

THERE HAS NOT BEEN A TOTAL FAILURE YET, BUT FROM WHAT I HAVE READ FROM OTHERS IT IS NOT TOO FAR OFF. I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER AND THE TRANSMISSION IS STARTING TO FAIL. FROM WHAT THE REPAIR SHOP TELLS ME THERE IS A DEFECTIVE PRESSURE CONTROL VALVE. FROM WHAT THE FORUM TELLS ME THAT IS THE BEGINNING OF THE END. FORD MUST KNOW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BY NOW, BUT AS I FAR AS I CAN TELL THEY HAVE NO INTENTION OF FIXING THIS POTENTIALLY SERIOUS ISSUE. I USE THIS VEHICLE TO TRANSPORT MY FAMILY AND DO NOT WANT TO HAVE A TOTAL FAILURE WHILE DRIVING, OR LEAVING MY WIFE AND KIDS STRANDED. THE OVER DRIVE OFF LIGHT BEGINS TO FLASH AND THE FOURTH AND FIFTH GEARS WILL NO LONGER ENGAGE. *TR

MY OD LIGHT STARTING BLINKING. THEN I STARTED HEARING A CLICKING NOISE. CAR SHUTTERED NUMEROUS DAYS, THEN WOULD NOT GO ANY FASTER THEN 25 MPH. HAD TO GET THE TRANSMISSION COMPLETELY REBUILT. HAD 92,000 MILE ON IT. EVIDENTLY FORD IA AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM AND WILL DO NOTHING. *TR

THE GEAR SHIFT (PRNDL) FELL OFF THE STEERING COLUMN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. THE METAL THAT HOLD THE SHIFT GEAR FAILED. THIS IS HAPPENING TO MANY PEOPLE! VERY DANGEROUS! LUCKILY IT HAPPENED IN THE DRIVEWAY OR IT MAY HAVE LEAD TO INJURY/DEATH. IT IS A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE IN THE GEAR SHIFTER THAT LEADS TO THE ENTIRE STEERING COLUMN NEEDING TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE INVESTIGATE! HTTP://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/FORD/EXPLORER/2002/TRANSMISSION/GEAR_SHIFT_PRNDL_FELL_OFF.SHTML. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION WOULD SLIP BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD GEARS. WHILE SHIFTING GEARS, THE RPMS WOULD ACCELERATE VERY HIGH AND THE VEHICLE WOULD JERK AND PERFORM AS IF IT WERE IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. A DIAGNOSTIC WAS PERFORMED AND INDICATED THAT THE SOLENOIDS WERE FAULTY. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE LESS THAN 99,000.

I HAVE AN 02 EXPLORER WITH 70K MILES ON IT AND THE O/D LIGHT AND SERVICE ENGINE LIGHT ARE BOTH ON. I WAS TOLD THAT 2ND AND 5TH SHIFTS ARE GONE AND THAT I SHOULD REBUILD THE TRANSMISSION. I WAS READING DIFFERENT ARTICLES AND IT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS A BIG PROBLEM WITH THE EXPLORERS. FORD NEEDS TO RECALL THIS CAR! *TR

SAME PROBLEM EVERYONE ELSE HAS. I HAVE A 2002 EXPLORER TRANS WENT HAD TO GET IT REBUILT. ONLY HAD THIS EXPLORER 11 MONTHS. *TR

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. *TR

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. *TR

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 NHTSA ARE BOTH AWARE AND ABOUT WHICH NEITHER ARE ADDRESSING. THERE HAVE BEEN THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR THE NHTSA TO SUPPORT CONSUMERS ON THIS ESTABLISHED AND KNOWN ISSUE? *TR