7.6% of complaints about the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 4.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (34 complaints), typically at 6.8 yr or about 69,000 miles.
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES AND DOES NOT JAM IN THE SEAT BACK FRAME, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION.
THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.
THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. FORD REPORTS TREAD SEPARATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE TIRE DESIGN TO STRESS, AGING, AND MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS. FORD IS REPLACING THESE TIRES TO PREVENT POSSIBLE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE VEHICLES LISTED BELOW MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH FIRE
SHOULD THE TREAD SEPARATE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, A VEHICLE CRASH COULD OCCUR, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH.
VEHICLE STALLS MOSTLY WHEN SHIFTING FROM 3RD TO 2ND GEAR. VEHICLE HAS STALLED AT LEAST 20 TIMES, TAKEN TO DEALER 8 TIMES. DEALER COULD NOT REMEDY, FORD WAS BUYING VEHICLE BACK.*AK
BOUGHT FROM DEALER, USED WITH 15000 MILES. AFTER 300 MILES HAD TO HAVE TRANSMISSION REBUILT (TRANNY WARNING LIGHT AND VIBRATION UNDER ACCELERATION, UPSHIFT 1ST TO 2ND OR 2ND TO 3RD). ONLY HAPPENED OCCASIONALLY. THREE WEEKS AFTER REBUILD NOTICED VIBRATION AT SLOW SPEEDS, BUT COULD NOT REPLICATE ON DEMAND. DEALER COULD NOT REPEAT VIBRATION AND RETURNED IT WITH NO ACTION. ONE WEEK LATER TRANSMISSION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON 2 DIFFERENT DAYS. TAKEN TO DEALER FOR EVALUATION TODAY. I'M CONCERNED THAT THERE MAY BE AN INHERENT PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION
2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC WITH JUST 51,000 MILES HAD CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH BREAKS, REAR-END SEALS AND FINALLY NEEDED A NEW TRANSMISSION. SINCE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY BY MILEAGE, WE HAD TO REPLACE IT OURSELVES. IN TALKING WITH SEVERAL MECHANICS, BOTH AT DEALERSHIPS AND INDEPENDENT, THEY MADE COMMENTS IN REFERENCE TO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE SEEING THIS FREQUENTLY. WE EMAILED THE FORD CORPORATION AND THEY STILL HAVE NOT RESPONDED. *NM
BODY MOUNTS ON LEFT FRONT OF VEHICLE KEEP COMING LOOSE. VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES, DEALER WILL TIGHTEN THE BODY MOUNTS. FORD IS BUYING VEHICLE BACK.*AK