2002 Ford Explorer Power Train Problems
Owners have filed 1,502 complaints with NHTSA about power train problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer, 46% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 80,173 miles. The words owners use most often: “rear differential” (8% of reports).
- 1,502power train complaints
- 80,173median miles at failure
- 25mention a crash
- 11mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $3,850typical repair cost reported by owners
- 35%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.
- Rear differential: mentioned in 117 of 1,502 complaints (8%)
- Gear shift: mentioned in 88 of 1,502 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical power train repair on the 2002 Ford Explorer at $3,850, and half of them between $2,150 and $4,950.
Based on 226 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2014), 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 power train problems happen?
Based on 1,280 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 1,502 complaints, 25 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 11 an injury.
Ford Explorer power train complaints by model year
| Model year | Power Train complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 3 | 7% | — |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 15% | 8,967 |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 12 | 11% | 10,600 |
| 2022 Explorer | 61 | 23% | 22,000 |
| 2021 Explorer | 126 | 29% | 46,000 |
| 2020 Explorer | 495 | 40% | 42,000 |
| 2019 Explorer | 35 | 12% | 82,500 |
| 2018 Explorer | 50 | 7% | 86,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% | 55,425 |
| 2016 Explorer | 215 | 9% | 47,075 |
| 2015 Explorer | 86 | 5% | 50,000 |
| 2014 Explorer | 79 | 5% | 75,207 |
| 2013 Explorer | 119 | 5% | 60,000 |
| 2012 Explorer | 55 | 7% | 46,740 |
| 2011 Explorer | 64 | 5% | 50,500 |
| 2010 Explorer | 28 | 24% | 80,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 78,000 |
| 2008 Explorer | 36 | 24% | 84,325 |
| 2007 Explorer | 57 | 27% | 69,000 |
| 2006 Explorer | 296 | 47% | 60,460 |
| 2005 Explorer | 99 | 20% | 75,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 460 | 35% | 50,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 335 | 30% | 77,000 |
| 2002 Explorer | 1,502 | 46% | 80,173 |
| 2001 Explorer | 42 | 11% | 108,700 |
| 2000 Explorer | 133 | 14% | 77,500 |
| 1999 Explorer | 115 | 9% | 91,000 |
| 1998 Explorer | 103 | 5% | 102,157 |
| 1997 Explorer | 104 | 6% | 95,594 |
| 1996 Explorer | 120 | 8% | 138,579 |
| 1995 Explorer | 119 | 14% | 103,310 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists power train 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.
Overdrive light flashes after driving a little bit hard shifting doesn't shift into overdrive 4x4 lights indicate that it's working when the buttons are pushed but doesn't go into 4x4
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the transmission experienced hard shifting with a clunking noise present coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission gear ratio was…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Explorers have power train problems?
No. NHTSA has 1,502 owner complaints about power train for the 2002 Ford Explorer (46% 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 power train?
No recall currently lists power train for this vehicle.
At what mileage do power train problems start?
The median reported mileage is 80,173 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix power train problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
Owners report a typical cost of $3,850 (half paid between $2,150 and $4,950), from 226 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about power train problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “rear differential”, in 117 of 1,502 complaints, followed by “gear shift” (88).
Other 2002 Ford Explorer problems
- Structure problems (486)
- Suspension problems (422)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (163)
- Air Bags problems (162)
- Steering problems (155)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (152)
- Electrical System problems (148)
- Visibility problems (129)
See all 2002 Ford Explorer problems or power train problems across all Explorer years.