2002 Ford F-250 SD Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-250 SD years
- More complaints than other years 12th of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 245 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford F-250 SD. That ranks 12th out of 32 F-250 SD model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (101 complaints, 41%), typically at around 82,116 miles. Complaints mention 12 crashes, 18 fires, 11 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 245owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 12complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Ford F-250 SD 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 | 101 | 41% | 82,116 | “spark plug” (46%) | $2,300 |
| Electrical System | 29 | 12% | 92,994 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 25 | 10% | 35,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 25 | 10% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 14 | 6% | 54,300 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 5% | 43,600 | — | — |
| Steering | 12 | 5% | 66,126 | — | — |
| Suspension | 7 | 3% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 5 | 2% | 75,750 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 5 | 2% | 128,622 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 2% | 74,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 2% | 111,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 2% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 4 | 2% | 30,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 1% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 102,746 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 3 | 1% | 49,436 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 1% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 1% | 51,139 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 1% | 81,500 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 0% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 0% | 50,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Ford F-250 SD recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights; exterior lighting:tail lights
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
Risk: Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel
Problem: On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Risk: In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
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
- Engine stalling (EA06012) — opened Jun 22, 2006, closed Dec 7, 2007, led to recall 07V553000.
- 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.
- Accelerator pedal sensor (etc) (EA04006) — opened Feb 23, 2004, closed Feb 10, 2005.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
My speed control stopped working in 2012. It is a ford f-250 super duty. Vin [xxx]. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr
The seat belts come unbuckled when driving. This happens to the drive's side more often than passenger side. The belt come undone on highway, in town, just starting out or after an hour there isn't a warning before it happens.the speed of the truck also doesn't make a difference. But it is…
Truck dies while driving without any warning, can-not find the problem and ford will not acknowledge that there is an issue. *tr
After driving about 30 miles and returning home, the truck caught fire while sitting in the driveway - about 20 minutes after engine was turned off. By the time smoke was seen, flames were coming from under the hood and the right front tire was burning. The fire department put out the fire but the…
At 102000 miles engine ejected #8 spark plug while driving, taking threads with it. Local mechanic repaired using insert. At 125000 miles engine ejected #3 spark plug in same manner. Same mechanic inspected #8 while repairing #3 and found insert not holding, plus two other plugs backing out.
Other Ford F-250 SD years
← 2001 F-250 SD · 2003 F-250 SD →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-250 SD | 9 | 6 |
| 2025 F-250 SD | 17 | 7 |
| 2024 F-250 SD | 40 | 4 |
| 2023 F-250 SD | 43 | 16 |
| 2022 F-250 SD | 126 | 17 |
| 2021 F-250 SD | 166 | 12 |
| 2020 F-250 SD | 266 | 14 |
| 2019 F-250 SD | 1,165 | 11 |
| 2018 F-250 SD | 398 | 9 |
| 2017 F-250 SD | 1,155 | 14 |
| 2016 F-250 SD | 290 | 3 |
| 2015 F-250 SD | 296 | 2 |
| 2014 F-250 SD | 26 | 0 |
| 2013 F-250 SD | 21 | 0 |
| 2012 F-250 SD | 57 | 0 |
| 2011 F-250 SD | 122 | 0 |
| 2010 F-250 SD | 32 | 0 |
| 2009 F-250 SD | 23 | 0 |
| 2008 F-250 SD | 141 | 0 |
| 2007 F-250 SD | 54 | 1 |
| 2006 F-250 SD | 274 | 1 |
| 2005 F-250 SD | 295 | 3 |
| 2004 F-250 SD | 254 | 2 |
| 2003 F-250 SD | 178 | 4 |
| 2002 | 245 | 3 |
| 2001 F-250 SD | 288 | 2 |
| 2000 F-250 SD | 233 | 2 |
| 1999 F-250 SD | 249 | 2 |
| 1998 F-250 SD | 1 | 1 |
| 1997 F-250 SD | 39 | 2 |
| 1996 F-250 SD | 11 | 1 |
| 1995 F-250 SD | 9 | 1 |
See all Ford F-250 SD 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-250 SD?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 101 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford F-250 SD?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Ford F-250 SD a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-250 SD model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.