2002 Ford Ford Truck: problems, recalls and reliability
0 recalls and 37 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (32% of complaints).
Data updated weekly
0
recalls
37
owner complaints
0
fire reports
59,000
typical failure mileage, mi
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
No fire reportsNo recall campaignsOne of the most complained-about Ford Truck years (#1 of 5, age-adjusted)Weak spot: power train (32%)
Common problems
Computed from 37 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)32% · 12 complaints
Structure (body, frame, doors, rust)14% · 5 complaints
Suspension (shocks, springs, ride quality)11% · 4 complaints
Tires8% · 3 complaints
Seat Belts5% · 2 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control (unintended acceleration, cruise control)5% · 2 complaints
“The contact owns a 2002 Ford Think Neighbor. The contact stated that after entering the vehicle and attempting to secure the front driver's seat belt latch into the buckle, the seat belt latch failed to lock into place. The seat belt loosened and unlatched from the buckle while the contact was driving. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jul 2021
“Ford f 250 triton v10 no. 2 spark plug and coil blew out of the engine head. Apparently this is a common problem with this model and others. Ford will charge 650.00 to fix. *tr”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Nov 2014
“Ford f 250 triton v10 no. 2 spark plug and coil blew out of the engine head. Apparently this is a common problem with this model and others. Ford will charge 650.00 to fix. *tr”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2014
Show 7 more owner reports
“While going around a hairpin turn the driver side front tire fell off rotor and all, this incident caused the 2002 ford lightning truck to slide into the curb causing the truck to roll completely over landing back on it's 3 tires that were left. From the look of it the axle bolt fell off causing the tire to fall off. Driver was going under the speed limit & no other vehicles were involved. According to a friend this same incident happened to his lightning truck. Sounds like a defect on fords part. *tr”Owner report · Suspension · Mar 2009
“2002 ford explorer very cold night noticed a huge crack in the rear panel below rear window right out of nowhere the car was fine hours before and as I walked past it again saw a huge crack by the emblem and under.*cn”Owner report · Structure · Jan 2008
“Driving my vehicle with my 2 children 2 and 10 year. Dropping the 2 year old off to school. Stop the vehicle go to put the shift gear into park, breaks right off in hand, if the rubber wasn't around it, I could have walked out of the car with it. I was stuck there keeping my foot on the brakes because the gear was also stuck between reverse and park. *tr”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2007
“Tire tread pealed off my tire causing significant damages to my side step, the metal around my tire wheel got bent up into my door and tore off all my wheel well plastic. Almost caused my front bumper to come off it is now torn on that side and a plastic piece under the bumper is barely hanging in there. I still have the tire as it didn't deflate. My steering wheel clicks and makes my car skip when I make a left hand turn. As if the tires are not turning correctly. The air bag light is on! *tr”Owner report · Tires · Jul 2007
“This is a complaint about the flawed design of ford explorer liftgates. 2002 and 2003 vehicles were affected, but I was sure there were more. The back panel cracked completely down the panel separating the two sides. I didn't know what the end result could be but it certainly looked like a piece could fly off and interfere with following vehicles. There were hundreds, if not thousands of these vehicles on the road with the same exact crack, and ford received hundreds of complaints but refused to fix it so far. As usual, they will probably wait until someone was hurt or worse before taking action. Please look into this.*ak”Owner report · Structure · Jul 2007
“I took the kids to the babysitter and went to put the truck in park and the gear shifter broke off inside the steering column. It has always had a place where the shifter lever would kind of catch between reverse and park and you had to wiggle it when putting it into park . I was told it had to have a new steering column that is $500+ not including labor. I think this could be very dangerous. What if it happened going down the road or when my 15 year old [beginner driver] was driving. *tr”Owner report · Steering · May 2007
“The mirrors on both my 2002 ford sport trac and 2002 ford ranger do not work properly. The mirrors (x4) are electric and will not move to the right. They work in the axis of left, up, and down. I have talked with others who have the same type of mirror on their 2002 vehicles and all have the same problem. *tr”Owner report · Visibility · Apr 2007
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 4 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
How other years compare
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Is the 2002 Ford Ford Truck reliable?
NHTSA has 37 owner complaints and 0 recall campaigns on record for the 2002 Ford Ford Truck. The most complained-about area is power train (32% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Ford Truck problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 59,000 miles or less.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.