2002 Ford Thunderbird Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Thunderbird years
- Far more complaints than other years 4th of 9 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 93 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. That ranks 4th out of 9 Thunderbird model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (24 complaints, 26%), typically at around 41,568 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 4 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 93owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 Ford Thunderbird 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 | 24 | 26% | 41,568 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 21 | 23% | 44,350 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 13 | 14% | 55,931 | — | — |
| Engine | 12 | 13% | 34,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 12% | 27,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 4 | 4% | 13,506 | — | — |
| Steering | 4 | 4% | 70,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 4 | 4% | 1,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 3 | 3% | 29,255 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 2% | 21,250 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% | 25,066 | — | — |
| Power Train | 2 | 2% | 41,850 | — | — |
| Seats | 2 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 98,300 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 1 | 1% | 32,533 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 | 1% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 3,500 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 1% | 4,900 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | 119,500 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 Ford Thunderbird recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Seat belts:front:webbing
Problem: On certain passenger vehicles, the driver's side seat belt contacted the seat recliner during a 35 mph ncap full-frontal barrier impact test.
Risk: The edge of the recliner mechanism caused a partial cut in the lap portion of the webbing. If the webbing is cut, it increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will install an insert behind the driver side seat lower trim panel. Owner notification began june 21, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to turn the steering wheel while using excessive force and veered to the side of the roadway. The…
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, before the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the…
The cluster lights have gone out on my 2002 ford thunderbird. When this actually happened i really don't know since the car is mainly a show car and while driving the car at dusk coming back from a car show the cluster lights did not come on. We parked the car and only drove it during daylight…
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird equipped with a firestone tempa spare tire, size: t185-60-r17 (na). While cleaning the vehicle, the contact found that the spare tire that was stored in the trunk was blown out and the tire wires, rubber, and cords were exposed. The manufacturer was…
My daughter was in a rollover accident on 09 -06 -2016 in a 2002 ford thunderbird convertible. The air bag did not sufficiently deploy & she was severely injured as a result. She was on interstate 95n near manning, sc when a semi truck did not see her & came into her lane grazing the car. She had…
Other Ford Thunderbird years
← 1999 Thunderbird · 2003 Thunderbird →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 Thunderbird | 27 | 1 |
| 2004 Thunderbird | 34 | 1 |
| 2003 Thunderbird | 33 | 0 |
| 2002 | 93 | 1 |
| 1999 Thunderbird | 2 | 0 |
| 1998 Thunderbird | 3 | 0 |
| 1997 Thunderbird | 169 | 0 |
| 1996 Thunderbird | 233 | 2 |
| 1995 Thunderbird | 261 | 0 |
See all Ford Thunderbird problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford Thunderbird?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 24 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 Ford Thunderbird?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 Ford Thunderbird a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Thunderbird model years, the 2002 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.