2002 Ford Expedition Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 95 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford Expedition, 28% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 95,800 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plug” (71% of reports).
- 95engine and engine cooling complaints
- 95,800median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Spark plug: mentioned in 67 of 95 complaints (71%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 11 of 95 complaints (12%)
- Heard loud: mentioned in 7 of 95 complaints (7%)
- Ejected engine: mentioned in 6 of 95 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2002 Ford Expedition at $5,050, and half of them between $2,000 and $5,350.
Based on 17 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2005–2010), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 86 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 95 complaints, 11 a fire.
Ford Expedition engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Expedition | 1 | 2% | — |
| 2021 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 14,500 |
| 2020 Expedition | 4 | 1% | 87,017 |
| 2019 Expedition | 31 | 6% | 79,714 |
| 2018 Expedition | 25 | 7% | 85,354 |
| 2017 Expedition | 5 | 1% | 107,500 |
| 2016 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 122,500 |
| 2015 Expedition | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2013 Expedition | 1 | 1% | 95,833 |
| 2011 Expedition | 2 | 3% | 33,500 |
| 2010 Expedition | 3 | 5% | 41,000 |
| 2008 Expedition | 3 | 2% | 31,000 |
| 2007 Expedition | 9 | 4% | 45,000 |
| 2006 Expedition | 75 | 25% | 70,100 |
| 2005 Expedition | 47 | 15% | 72,000 |
| 2004 Expedition | 26 | 9% | 75,000 |
| 2003 Expedition | 127 | 21% | 90,000 |
| 2002 Expedition | 95 | 28% | 95,800 |
| 2001 Expedition | 122 | 21% | 100,000 |
| 2000 Expedition | 116 | 13% | 102,000 |
| 1999 Expedition | 248 | 26% | 98,539 |
| 1998 Expedition | 127 | 15% | 110,000 |
| 1997 Expedition | 89 | 10% | 131,629 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Ford Expedition. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
I have had six occurrences of a spark plug blowing out of the cylinder head. Each time, it blew the coil off also. The dangerous popping and vapors that blow from the now open head are a serious ignition hazard in the engine bay. It is not always the same plug that has blown out. Three times this…
Engine blew out #3 spark plug. Ford dealer said that this is normal! Could cause engine fire by igniting fuel vapors from cylinder. *js
I'm not sure this is going to do any good, because i am not the first to lodge this complaint. Nothing has been done so far. This is the 5th time that this particular incident has happened to me. The most recent was yesterday 2/29/2012. I am very grateful that i was driving each time and not my…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Expeditions have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 95 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Ford Expedition (28% of the 340 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Expedition engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 95,800 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford Expedition?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,050 (half paid between $2,000 and $5,350), from 17 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford Expedition?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plug”, in 67 of 95 complaints, followed by “cylinder head” (11).
Other 2002 Ford Expedition problems
See all 2002 Ford Expedition problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Expedition years.