2002 Ford Explorer Wheels Problems
Owners have filed 78 complaints with NHTSA about wheels problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer, 2% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 84,550 miles. The words owners use most often: “wheel bearing” (29% of reports).
- 78wheels complaints
- 84,550median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 46%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.
- Wheel bearing: mentioned in 23 of 78 complaints (29%)
- Lug nuts: mentioned in 9 of 78 complaints (12%)
- Rear passenger: mentioned in 7 of 78 complaints (9%)
- Sheared off: mentioned in 6 of 78 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do wheels problems happen?
Based on 66 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 78 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 1 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford Explorer wheels complaints by model year
| Model year | Wheels complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2023 Explorer | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2022 Explorer | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2021 Explorer | 5 | 1% | 20 |
| 2020 Explorer | 16 | 1% | 45,739 |
| 2019 Explorer | 4 | 1% | 7,100 |
| 2018 Explorer | 8 | 1% | 20,000 |
| 2017 Explorer | 60 | 4% | 20,000 |
| 2016 Explorer | 50 | 2% | 22,000 |
| 2015 Explorer | 15 | 1% | 48,426 |
| 2014 Explorer | 26 | 2% | 72,405 |
| 2013 Explorer | 20 | 1% | 83,500 |
| 2012 Explorer | 5 | 1% | 132,500 |
| 2011 Explorer | 9 | 1% | 62,565 |
| 2010 Explorer | 5 | 4% | 44,500 |
| 2009 Explorer | 3 | 9% | 72,260 |
| 2008 Explorer | 9 | 6% | 73,000 |
| 2007 Explorer | 10 | 5% | 54,400 |
| 2006 Explorer | 6 | 1% | 96,500 |
| 2005 Explorer | 15 | 3% | 95,000 |
| 2004 Explorer | 41 | 3% | 85,000 |
| 2003 Explorer | 56 | 5% | 91,500 |
| 2002 Explorer | 78 | 2% | 84,550 |
| 2001 Explorer | 10 | 3% | 136,109 |
| 2000 Explorer | 12 | 1% | 108,000 |
| 1999 Explorer | 6 | 0% | — |
| 1998 Explorer | 18 | 1% | 150,000 |
| 1997 Explorer | 12 | 1% | 130,000 |
| 1996 Explorer | 15 | 1% | 114,855 |
| 1995 Explorer | 4 | 0% | 220,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists wheels 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 rear toe arms came unhinged or disconnected from their placement and sank down to continuously rub a groove in the inner rim. The suspension was affected, the steering was effecting especially when turning, it made the brakes stick, and made loud crunching and rolling noises. It is quite…
I had had this 2018 jeep renegade not even 2.5 months and it needed an oil change and the tires were completely worn out they were every one slick as could get and dangerous. I called the dealer because the tires went bad and i hadn't had the first 50k miles on it yet and they did nothing. Called…
The rear stabilizer links just broke out of nowhere not even to latest later the front stabilizer links just broke out of nowhere and i have no steering a whole lot of loose control
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford Explorers have wheels problems?
No. NHTSA has 78 owner complaints about wheels for the 2002 Ford Explorer (2% 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 wheels?
No recall currently lists wheels for this vehicle.
At what mileage do wheels problems start?
The median reported mileage is 84,550 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about wheels problems on the 2002 Ford Explorer?
The most frequent phrase is “wheel bearing”, in 23 of 78 complaints, followed by “lug nuts” (9).
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)
- Electrical System problems (148)
See all 2002 Ford Explorer problems or wheels problems across all Explorer years.