2002 Ford F-150 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-150 years
- Fewer complaints than other years 19th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 821 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford F-150. That ranks 19th out of 33 F-150 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (196 complaints, 24%), typically at around 82,000 miles. Complaints mention 51 crashes, 95 fires, 60 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 821owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 51complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Ford F-150 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 196 | 24% | 82,000 | “spark plug” (71%) | $2,850 |
| Electrical System problems | 106 | 13% | 88,000 | “spark plug” (12%) | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 86 | 10% | 120,000 | “cruise control” (36%) | — |
| Engine problems | 66 | 8% | 138,000 | “spark plug” (64%) | $1,250 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 62 | 8% | 123,500 | “tank straps” (35%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 53 | 6% | 54,260 | “rear end” (9%) | $4,700 |
| Seat Belts problems | 50 | 6% | 94,500 | “seat belt” (66%) | — |
| Structure | 45 | 5% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 35 | 4% | 84,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 28 | 3% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 27 | 3% | 60,329 | — | — |
| Steering | 25 | 3% | 82,759 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 25 | 3% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 24 | 3% | 44,022 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 21 | 3% | 139,757 | — | — |
| Suspension | 20 | 2% | 64,125 | — | — |
| Wheels | 13 | 2% | 100,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 12 | 1% | 180,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 10 | 1% | 62,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 1% | 55,753 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 7 | 1% | 108,475 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 0% | 77,175 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 3 | 0% | 17,363 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 2 | 0% | 21,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 0% | 155,000 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 2 | 0% | 14,700 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 0% | 145,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 0% | 210 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Ford F-150 recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly:mounting
Problem: Ford is recalling certain 1997 through 2003 model year ford f-150, 2004 model year ford f-150 heritage, 1997 through 1999 model year f-250 less than 8,500 lbs. Gross vehicle weight rating (gvwr), and 2002 and 2003 lincoln blackwood vehicles manufactured from june 20, 1995, through august 4, 2004, originally sold, or currently registered in, connecticut, delaware, illinois, indiana, iowa, kentucky, maine, maryland, massachusetts, michigan, minnesota, missouri, new hampshire, new jersey, new york, ohio, pennsylvania, rhode island, vermont, west virginia, wisconsin, and the district of columbia. Prolonged exposure to road deicing chemicals may cause severe corrosion of the fuel tank straps which secure the tank to the vehicle.
Risk: As a result of the corrosion, one or both straps may fail allowing the fuel lines to separate from the tank, or in some cases, causing the tank to contact the ground. Either scenario may result in a fuel leak presenting a fire hazard.
Fix: Ford will notify owners and instruct them to take their vehicles to a ford or lincoln dealer to have the fuel tank straps replaced with straps that have increased corrosion protection. Early in this campaign, if replacement straps are not available, dealers may install a cable support under the strap as an interim repair or a steel reinforcement over the existing strap as a permanent repair. Any repairs will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 16, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall campaign number is 11s21
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A fire at the switch could occur.
Fix: By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 06v286)
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
- Fuel Tank Strap Failure Due to Corrosion (EA11006) — opened May 4, 2011, closed Aug 19, 2011, led to recall 11V385000.
- Spark plug ejection from cylinder head (DP05005) — opened Sep 22, 2005, closed Jan 4, 2006.
- Engine compartment fires (EA05005) — opened Mar 22, 2005, closed Aug 2, 2006, led to recall 05V388000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
I had the recall number 05s28 repaired at high desert ford on July sixth as a part of a California safety inspection to register my vehicle. Per ford they are done however they refuse to update the system which holds my vehicle unable to be registered even after the services were rendered and…
Cruise control kicked on and won't go off. Gas fumes come from the AC unit. When driving the truck started speeding up. Now the truck is parked.
Front seatbelts on 2002 Ford F-150 become unlatched unexpectedly while driving. This has been noticed over the last two or three years occasionally, but has been getting worse. Seat belt has become unlatched about 5-6 times during a 600 mile road trip. Seat belt was confirmed by two passengers that…
Just learned of recall.
DRIVING DOWN [XXX] THE STRAPS ON MY GAS TANK BROKE BECAUSE THEY RUSTED THRU CAUSING GAS TANK TO DROP AND SPILL FUEL ALL OVER [XXX] IN IOWA CAUSING SO MUCH FUEL SPILLED OUT THEY HAD TO CLOSE ONE LANE OF TRAFFIC....THE FIRE DEPT CHIEF OF WHITING, IOWA, STEVEN SNYDER, Can verify what happened....THERE…
Other Ford F-150 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 F-150 | 0 | 1 |
| 2026 F-150 | 12 | 5 |
| 2025 F-150 | 107 | 13 |
| 2024 F-150 | 193 | 11 |
| 2023 F-150 | 413 | 13 |
| 2022 F-150 | 597 | 23 |
| 2021 F-150 | 1,028 | 29 |
| 2020 F-150 | 736 | 11 |
| 2019 F-150 | 1,336 | 9 |
| 2018 F-150 | 2,318 | 18 |
| 2017 F-150 | 1,449 | 17 |
| 2016 F-150 | 2,074 | 13 |
| 2015 F-150 | 1,729 | 13 |
| 2014 F-150 | 1,537 | 8 |
| 2013 F-150 | 2,989 | 3 |
| 2012 F-150 | 1,783 | 4 |
| 2011 F-150 | 2,191 | 6 |
| 2010 F-150 | 843 | 1 |
| 2009 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 2008 F-150 | 369 | 1 |
| 2007 F-150 | 488 | 2 |
| 2006 F-150 | 585 | 4 |
| 2005 F-150 | 1,112 | 3 |
| 2004 F-150 | 2,029 | 5 |
| 2003 F-150 | 423 | 4 |
| 2002 | 821 | 2 |
| 2001 F-150 | 1,236 | 8 |
| 2000 F-150 | 1,075 | 6 |
| 1999 F-150 | 1,044 | 7 |
| 1998 F-150 | 1,381 | 8 |
| 1997 F-150 | 2,758 | 14 |
| 1996 F-150 | 324 | 2 |
| 1995 F-150 | 626 | 2 |
See all Ford F-150 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 F-150?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 196 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford F-150?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Ford F-150 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-150 model years, the 2002 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.