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.
The car leaks coolant like crazy. Thermostat housing was bad and replaced it thinking that was it. It wasn't and it was still leaking. Probably burning it, but I cant say for sure yet.
I had a leak for about a month that seemed to get progressively worse. I finally determined that it was coolant leak and took it to the dealership for further inspection. After charging me $95.00 to diagnose the problem, they came back and told me that the coolant was leaking from a freeze plug, but it was behind the intake and they'd have to tear down the engine to get to it ($395 for labor) after which they would replace the freeze plug (a $7 part) for an additional $107. I also agreed to let them do a coolant flush for $120 since everything was opened up. The problem was fixed, but those *@%&suckers pulled another $700 out of me. More shi#@y Ford engineering. This just adds to the long list of problems I've had with this vehicle.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
The car leaks coolant like crazy. Thermostat housing was bad and replaced it thinking that was it. It wasn't and it was still leaking. Probably burning it, but I cant say for sure yet.
- crimson, Findlay, OH, US