2002 Ford F-150 Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 196 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford F-150, 24% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 82,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “spark plug” (71% of reports).
- 196engine and engine cooling complaints
- 82,000median miles at failure
- 2mention a crash
- 1mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $2,850typical repair cost reported by owners
- 39%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.
- Spark plug: mentioned in 139 of 196 complaints (71%)
- Heard loud: mentioned in 29 of 196 complaints (15%)
- Cylinder head: mentioned in 22 of 196 complaints (11%)
- Triton engine: mentioned in 12 of 196 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2002 Ford F-150 at $2,850, and half of them between $970 and $5,350.
Based on 40 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2004–2011), 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 engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 176 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 196 complaints, 2 mention a crash, 7 a fire, 1 an injury.
Ford F-150 engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 F-150 | 1 | 1% | 1,000 |
| 2024 F-150 | 4 | 2% | 15,135 |
| 2023 F-150 | 1 | 0% | 9,000 |
| 2022 F-150 | 3 | 1% | 30,000 |
| 2021 F-150 | 19 | 2% | 44,000 |
| 2020 F-150 | 11 | 1% | 81,557 |
| 2019 F-150 | 62 | 5% | 75,567 |
| 2018 F-150 | 88 | 4% | 71,662 |
| 2017 F-150 | 70 | 5% | 80,000 |
| 2016 F-150 | 30 | 1% | 80,000 |
| 2015 F-150 | 24 | 1% | 107,000 |
| 2014 F-150 | 10 | 1% | 131,300 |
| 2013 F-150 | 20 | 1% | 92,500 |
| 2012 F-150 | 17 | 1% | 13,000 |
| 2011 F-150 | 33 | 2% | 8,250 |
| 2010 F-150 | 31 | 4% | 17,000 |
| 2009 F-150 | 10 | 3% | 58,000 |
| 2008 F-150 | 22 | 6% | 26,670 |
| 2007 F-150 | 41 | 8% | 56,000 |
| 2006 F-150 | 77 | 13% | 58,507 |
| 2005 F-150 | 111 | 10% | 64,000 |
| 2004 F-150 | 167 | 8% | 76,000 |
| 2003 F-150 | 69 | 16% | 93,000 |
| 2002 F-150 | 196 | 24% | 82,000 |
| 2001 F-150 | 234 | 19% | 92,000 |
| 2000 F-150 | 135 | 13% | 87,000 |
| 1999 F-150 | 219 | 21% | 85,250 |
| 1998 F-150 | 174 | 13% | 94,000 |
| 1997 F-150 | 529 | 19% | 99,250 |
| 1996 F-150 | 23 | 7% | 119,967 |
| 1995 F-150 | 71 | 11% | 138,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Ford F-150. 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford f-150. The contact stated that while at a stop, there was an abnormal noise coming from the engine without warning. The contact mentioned that the failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to a private mechanic where it was diagnosed that the radiator…
While driving the truck one of the spark plugs blew out of the aluminum head on top of the motor. This vehicle malfunction destroyed a coil pack, spark plug and wiring.
On three separate occasions my truck has blown 3 separate spark plugs from 3 different ports in the head. I have read numerous complaints about these motors doing this, and ford should be held responsible. *tr
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2002 Ford F-150s have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 196 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2002 Ford F-150 (24% of the 821 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 F-150 engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 82,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford F-150?
Owners report a typical cost of $2,850 (half paid between $970 and $5,350), from 40 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2002 Ford F-150?
The most frequent phrase is “spark plug”, in 139 of 196 complaints, followed by “heard loud” (29).
Other 2002 Ford F-150 problems
See all 2002 Ford F-150 problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all F-150 years.