Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.
vehicle
2002 / ford / explorer-sport-trac
known issues
8 clusters (reviewed 2026-09-20)
complaints
3,622 on file (2001-04-05 → 2026-09-09)
recalls
0
investigations
0
fars
141 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
Automatic transmission hard shifting and failurePOWER TRAIN48 complaints2014-12 → 2022-06explorer-sport-trac-2002-transmission
10670705 I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS ISSUES WITH THE TRANSMISSION. WHEN TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE TRANSMISSION WILL INTERMITTENTLY DISENGAGE CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO HAVE TO BE PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, SHIFT INTO PARK, THEN BACK TO DRIVE
10763399 THE TRANSMISSION OF OUR 2002 EXPLORER STARTED SLIPPING, JUMPING, JERKING' SURGING, REFUSING TO SHIFT, SHIFTING SLOWLY AND OTHER ASSOCIATED THINGS APPROXIMATELY 4 YEARS AGO
10917336 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE GEAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHEN SHIFTED. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED
Steering column gear shift lever fractureSTEERING14 complaints2015-01 → 2018-07explorer-sport-trac-2002-gear-shift-lever
11046319 THE SHIFT LEVER LITERALLY SNAPPED OFF AT THE STEERING COLUMN WHILE PUTTING THE CAR INTO DRIVE. CAR COULDN'T BE SHIFTED INTO PARK, STILL RUNNING. KEYS COULDN'T EVEN BE REMOVED TO TURN THE CAR OFF. VERY DANGEROUS
10722747 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT INTO PARK, THE GEAR SHIFTER FRACTURED BEHIND THE CLUSTER
10810804 I WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND I NO MORE THAN PULLED THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BACK AND IT BROKE OFF. I COULD NOT SHIFT AT ALL. THE KEYS GOT STUCK IN THE IGNITION, TOO
10954043 THE REAR LIFTGATE MOUNT BROKE OFF AND WINDOW FELL ON MY DAUGHTERS HEAD AND BENT THE OTHER MOUNT AND BROKE LEFT STRUT OFF. CAN'T LINE IT UP TO GET IT TO CLOSE AND LATCH SHUT. CAN'T DRIVE THE CAR OR LIFTGATE WILL FALL OFF
10909661 AFTER LOADING MY LUGGAGE I CLOSED MY TRUNK AND THE WHOLE BACK WINDOW COMPLETELY SHATTERED THE STRUTS BROKE AND THE LITTLE BLACK THING THAT HOLDS THE WINDOW UP TOP BROKE TOO. I GOT A CUT ON MY HAND, GLASS WENT EVERYWHERE
10927073 I NOTICED THE REAR WINDOW LIFT GATE WAS SLIGHTLY AJAR, SO I CLOSED IT, AND SUDDENLY THE HINGE BRACKET ON THE RIGHT SIDE, CONNECTING THE WINDOW AT THE ROOF, POPPED LOOSE, EXTENDING THE WINDOW LIFT SUPPORT, MAKING IT NOW IMPOSSIBLE TO CLOSE THE BACK LIFT GATE GLASS
Front and rear wheel bearing and suspension failureSUSPENSION12 complaints2015-04 → 2026-09explorer-sport-trac-2002-wheel-bearing
10875201 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS AT A LOCAL DEALER FOR ROUTINE SERVICE, THE FRONT WHEEL BEARINGS AND HUB ASSEMBLIES WERE REPLACED. AFTER THE REPAIRS, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE
10736033 INSPECTION FOUND BOTH REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKE AND DRIVER FRONT COIL SPRING ALSO BROKE. 3 BROKEN SPRINGS. NEVER HEARD OF SPRING BREAKING, EVER
11763182 The rear toe arms came unhinged or disconnected from their placement and sank down to continuously rub a groove in the inner rim
Door ajar indicator and lock cycling malfunctionELECTRICAL SYSTEM7 complaints2015-04 → 2017-03explorer-sport-trac-2002-door-ajar-electrical
10967531 THE DOOR LOCKS LOCK AND UNLOCK ALL BY THEMSELVES DOZENS OF TIMES IN A ROW WHILE I AM DRIVING. WITH THIS THE DOME LIGHT FLASHES OFF AND ON AND THE DOOR AJAR LIGHT FLASHES AND THE INTERIOR CHIME GOES OFF CONSTANTLY
10926016 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE DOOR AJAR WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED, WHICH CAUSED THE DOOR LOCKS TO CONSISTENTLY LOCK AND UNLOCK. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE BATTERY TO DRAIN AND THE SECURITY ALARM TO SOUND
10750006 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WHILE THE DOORS WERE CLOSED. AS A RESULT, THE BATTERY BECAME INOPERABLE DUE TO THE FAILURE
Air bag deployment without impactAIR BAGS9 complaints2015-06 → 2026-07explorer-sport-trac-2002-airbag-inadvertent
11751609 I was driving down the road and my airbag instantly deployed in my face without cause or notice. I became completely disoriented as it hit my hand and face with severe force and was extremely loud and shocking
10881836 DRIVERS SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAG INADVERTENTLY DEPLOYED WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK AFTER THE DRIVER HAD EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND STUCK A CHILD WHICH WAS SEATED IN THE REAR SEAT BEHIND THE DRIVER
10863754 BOTH SIDE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT 55 MPH WITH NO APPARENT CAUSE. THE CAR WAS NOT INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT AND THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE.THE FRONT AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY
Air bag non-deployment in crashAIR BAGS10 complaints2015-02 → 2019-08explorer-sport-trac-2002-airbag-nondeploy
11221054 THE CONTACT COMPLAINED ABOUT A FATAL CRASH WHICH INVOLVED A 2002 FORD EXPLORER AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VICTIM'S VEHICLE WAS FOUND THREE HOURS AFTER THE CRASH AND THE VEHICLE HAD FLIPPED UPSIDE DOWN
11195257 ON JANUARY 21, 2019 I WAS HIT HEAD-ON BY A DRIVER WHO FELL ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL. TOTALLED MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER! MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY DURING THE ACCIDENT!
10692763 REAR ENDED SEMI THAT SUDDENLY STOPPED IN FRONT OF ME. DRIVER'S AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY BUT PASSENGER AIR BAG DID . NO PASSENGER IN CAR. BASICALLY DRIVER AIR BAG DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN IT SHOULD
Unintended acceleration and cruise control failureVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL14 complaints2015-01 → 2023-07explorer-sport-trac-2002-speed-control
10874221 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL ACTIVATED, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT DISENGAGE FROM THE CRUISE CONTROL WHILE DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL
10929469 THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE'S SPEED INCREASED UP TO 90 MPH AND CRASHED INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE
10701022 THIS VEHICLE HAS AN OPEN RECALL FOR A SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH FIRE HAZARD
FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.
Cite this
Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.
Wrench.Pro (2026). 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2002/ford/explorer-sport-trac
@misc{wrenchpro_2002_ford_explorer_sport_trac_2026,
author = {Wrench.Pro},
title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2002/ford/explorer-sport-trac}},
note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}
