2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 14 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 144 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. That ranks 2nd out of 14 Explorer Sport Trac model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (32 complaints, 22%), typically at around 72,000 miles. Complaints mention 7 crashes, 3 fires, 9 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
- 144owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 7complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 32 | 22% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 23 | 16% | 16,573 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 15% | 53,104 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 19 | 13% | 99,522 | — | — |
| Structure | 16 | 11% | 52,120 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 15 | 10% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 7% | 11,254 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 9 | 6% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 5% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 5 | 3% | 14,583 | — | — |
| Seats | 5 | 3% | 152,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 3% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 23,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 1% | 122,089 | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 1% | 56,860 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 99,849 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Air Bags | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 1% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 39,800 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 5,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 1 | 1% | 96,793 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: This could result in an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness. Owners of the passenger cars included in this campaign will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected as an interim repair. As soon as repair parts are available (expected october 2007), owners will be instructed to return to the dealers for installation of a fused wiring harness. The recall began on august 13, 2007, and mailing completed by september 19, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with high back seats, the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, could fracture. If the bolt fractures and does not jam in the seat back frame, the seat back may recline until it makes contact with an object behind the seat, such as the second row seat cushion.
Risk: The driver could potentially lose contact with the steering wheel or foot pedals during such an event, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver seat upper bolt with a metal spacer and bolt. In addition, seats with tubular back frames will have the fully threaded lower recliner bolt replaced with a partially threaded bolt. Owner notification began on august 29, 2003. Owners should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Vehicle rollaway allegations (PE09020) — opened Apr 21, 2009, closed Aug 19, 2009.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Front seat back recliner attachment (PE03020) — opened May 21, 2003, closed Sep 5, 2003, led to recall 03V281000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the following day it was discovered that the cruise control switch located on the steering wheel had overheated and melted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was…
I was driving on i-65 south bound on i-65 in goodlettesville, tennessee when my left rear tire blew out. The tire had plenty of tread left and apparently the steel belts came apart and blue outward.
In the morning or whenever damp my front brakes lock up when driving, then stopping..
RE: 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. IT APPEARS THAT THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, HAS FRACTURED AND THE SEAT BACK IS PERMANENTLY IN THE RECLINED POSITION. THIS MAKES DRIVING VERY CUMBERSOME SINCE I HAVE NO BACK…
Od light flashing, rebuilds transmision and nothing change, i see a lot of complains about this problems on explorers, rangers and mustangs
Other Ford Explorer Sport Trac years
← 2001 Explorer Sport Trac · 2003 Explorer Sport Trac →
See all Ford Explorer Sport Trac problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Owners most often report power train, engine and engine cooling, electrical system problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 32 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Explorer Sport Trac model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.