CarComplaints.com Notes: The 2002 Ford Explorer is hands-down our worst vehicle on record. "Avoid like the plague" is putting it lightly.
The 2002-2005 Explorer has a very well-established record of expensive transmission failure at under 100k miles. The Explorer has an enclosed transmission which is typically replaced with a rebuilt transmission at a cost of almost $3,000.
Another common problem for the 2002-2003 Explorer is wheel bearing failure at around 90k miles, with a typical repair bill of $500 to $1000 depending on how many wheel bearings failed.
Adding insult to injury, the 2002-2005 Explorer also has a massive problem with the rear panel cracking. While it's a minor annoyance compared to transmission failure, ironically the crack usually goes right through the Ford logo.
Decided to replace my clutch at a reasonable cost as this is my 2nd Explorer only to find out that Ford discontinued this particular clutch after making 1000 of them and you can only order parts from one place.
My mechanic has been working on cars for more than 45 years and has never run into something like this. As the company that I now have had the order made with to get my Explorer parts now says that 400 of us lucky owners have apparently run into the same thing on this particular make and model. How can Ford make a car and not even car stock on something like this and leave their consumers pretty much **UKED as once your car is torn apart you find this out. Not to mention having to go rent a car and now the repair bill is twice what it would have been and instead of a day now it is a week. I have to agree with the gentlemen who filed the first complaint I have bought American most of my life and Ford's mostly but this is the 2nd phopa with this particular model.
Experiment fine then keep parts handy Ford and print proper diagrams for the mechanics to work on as both
of these simple repairs have cost me twice as much money and this isn't my first rodeo with car problems from you. Maybe the next time I will think about a different Manufacturer.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
Manual transmission
134,000 miles
Decided to replace my clutch at a reasonable cost as this is my 2nd Explorer only to find out that Ford discontinued this particular clutch after making 1000 of them and you can only order parts from one place.
My mechanic has been working on cars for more than 45 years and has never run into something like this. As the company that I now have had the order made with to get my Explorer parts now says that 400 of us lucky owners have apparently run into the same thing on this particular make and model. How can Ford make a car and not even car stock on something like this and leave their consumers pretty much **UKED as once your car is torn apart you find this out. Not to mention having to go rent a car and now the repair bill is twice what it would have been and instead of a day now it is a week. I have to agree with the gentlemen who filed the first complaint I have bought American most of my life and Ford's mostly but this is the 2nd phopa with this particular model.
Experiment fine then keep parts handy Ford and print proper diagrams for the mechanics to work on as both
of these simple repairs have cost me twice as much money and this isn't my first rodeo with car problems from you. Maybe the next time I will think about a different Manufacturer.
- Stephanie J., Littleton, CO, US