7.7% of complaints about the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport 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 6.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is power train (32 complaints), typically at 7.5 yr or about 88,397 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.
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, 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.
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.
NHTSA RECALL 04V442000 CONCERNING REAR LIFTGATE GLASS. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE.*AK
NHTSA RECALL 04V442000 ON THE REAR LIFTGATE GLASS. NO PARTS AVAILABLE SINCE NOVEMBER OF 2004. WHILE SHIFTING GEARS THE SHIFTER BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE DRIVER THAT THE SHIFTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT LIFTED THE REAR HATCH AND OPENED THE GLASS DOOR. THE HINGE ON THE GLASS DOOR LOOSENED AND CAUSED IT TO FALL AND INJURE THE CONTACT'S THUMB. THE HINGE SHOULD BE SECURED IN PLACE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE AFTER HE WAS INJURED. THE RECALL APPLIED TO THE FORD EXPLORER AND FORD EXPLORER SPORTS. THE RECALL NUMBER WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 93,000.
IN AUGUST 2003, REPORTED TO DEALER THAT THE TRUCK WAS GROANING WHEN TURNING. SERVICE ADVISED THAT I WAS TURNING THE WHEEL TOO FAR AND RUBBING THE TIRES ON THE WHEEL WELLS. THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE SINCE THE TIRES WERE THE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLS. BY NOVEMBER, THE TRUCK WOULD HARDLY TURN WITHOUT DRAGGING THE BACK TIRES AND THE DEALER FOUND THERE WAS NO FLUID IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL REQUIRING A COMPLETE OVERHAUL. THEN, IN JUNE 2004, THE "NEW" SEALS FAILED ALLOWING THE FLUID TO, AGAIN, DRAIN OUT. DEALER IS CURRENTLY REPAIRING. *AK