2002 Ford Explorer Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 148 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer, 4% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 94,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “door ajar” (18% of reports).
- 148electrical system complaints
- 94,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 31%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.
- Door ajar: mentioned in 27 of 148 complaints (18%)
- Goes off: mentioned in 12 of 148 complaints (8%)
- Lock unlock: mentioned in 8 of 148 complaints (5%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 106 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 148 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 19 a fire.
Ford Explorer electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 9 | 21% | 1,000 |
| 2025 Explorer | 23 | 22% | 3,500 |
| 2024 Explorer | 2 | 10% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 13 | 12% | 33,000 |
| 2022 Explorer | 39 | 14% | 24,850 |
| 2021 Explorer | 47 | 11% | 23,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 186 | 15% | 9,900 |
| 2019 Explorer | 20 | 7% | 45,600 |
| 2018 Explorer | 58 | 8% | 35,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 46,500 |
| 2016 Explorer | 128 | 5% | 41,785 |
| 2015 Explorer | 93 | 5% | 54,620 |
| 2014 Explorer | 100 | 6% | 60,000 |
| 2013 Explorer | 163 | 7% | 57,060 |
| 2012 Explorer | 63 | 8% | 39,000 |
| 2011 Explorer | 95 | 8% | 56,300 |
| 2010 Explorer | 12 | 10% | 60,000 |
| 2009 Explorer | 2 | 6% | 250 |
| 2008 Explorer | 38 | 26% | 72,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 25 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 39 | 6% | 57,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 36 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 55 | 4% | 52,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 54 | 5% | 51,475 |
| 2002 Explorer | 148 | 4% | 94,000 |
| 2001 Explorer | 29 | 8% | 71,500 |
| 2000 Explorer | 78 | 8% | 91,700 |
| 1999 Explorer | 92 | 7% | 75,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 114 | 6% | 105,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 80 | 5% | 98,197 |
| 1996 Explorer | 47 | 3% | 143,000 |
| 1995 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 156,914 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2002 Ford Explorer. 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.
The issues that i'm having is the exhilaration (picking up speed) on a public street as well as in the expressway it hesitates to do so. When the vehicle is parked and i go to switch gears it does not want to switch. The gauge indicator comes on and the gas idle be stuck on empty when it has a full…
Summer,spring weather, all four, clear, glass windows do not slide up or down through its' power button, electronically.
Was driving on hwy and my vehicle just shut down as i was turning off the main road, lost all control of steering. When i raised the hood i saw my radiator smoking and all of a sudden it popped. Had to have it towed in to the shop and was told that the radiator had exploded and the engine seized…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Explorers have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 148 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2002 Ford Explorer (4% of the 3,295 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 Explorer electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 94,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “door ajar”, in 27 of 148 complaints, followed by “goes off” (12).
Other 2002 Ford Explorer problems
- Power Train problems (1,502)
- Structure problems (486)
- Suspension problems (422)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (163)
- Air Bags problems (162)
- Steering problems (155)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (152)
- Visibility problems (129)
See all 2002 Ford Explorer problems or electrical system problems across all Explorer years.