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.
A terrible design. What a piece of junk. Every wheel bearing was bad for inspection. I have read it's a constant problem. After I have the transmission repaired this thing is gone.
it started back in 2008 and is still going on in 2011. brought this car with 50,000 and has been a headache ever since, forget the wheel bearing its everything, transmission overhaul, transfercase, and this roaring noise coming from the engine that no mechanic can pinpoint, emission problems, electrical,, must I go on, when its fine this vehicle is great but it acts up. but enough is enough the complaints here are off the roof, the same problems from different folks all over the states. you telling ford is listening and reading about this and doing something when next generation ford vehicles of all models have a canny resemblence.. take the ford challenge is what the commercial says. lets see ford take the next challenge and compensate all the previous ford owners with incentives so thay can believe in them again, like new replacement cars at hal the sticker price on new and used models or extend the warranty past the 100,000 mile mark,, yes everyone says they will never buy ford and go with someone else. well ford make me a believer or are the 2,000 complaints here are useless to you. let me foward this website to facebook so every ford owner or potential buyers can change thier minds .Mike Rowe says take the challenge, or is this another segment of dirty jobs,,,,
Let me add my Explorer to the list...same problem, loud humming, especially in a curve. Sealed bearings/hubs went bad, two wheels at the same time. I am not waiting for the wheel to fall off, and I am certainly not going to invest any more money in a problem that should be a recall issue. This is my second Explorer but definitely my last. I have numerous issues that should have clearly been recall issues, yet Ford fails to issue a recall. I have since traded in this Explorer for a 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe. I have a feeling the Hyundai will be dramatically more trouble free. Sorry, but add me to the list, I am done with Ford. They need to recognize, especially in early model years, that they need to take responsibility for some problems and help the customer out. good riddance.
I have had my Explorer for 5 years, and in that 5 years, I have had to have the front bearings/hub assembly replaced 2 times, now needing it's 3rd and the rear bearing/hub assembly once. When my back hub assembly went bad, it happened quickly and also took out my back brakes.
This is absolutely ridiculous! I do not drive my Explorer in any out of the ordinary conditions. I am not towing or carrying anything heavy. I don't take it out "off-roading". I cannot understand WHY this SUV is so horrible on it's bearing/hub assembly. Someone please give me some advise...
I started hearing the hum of the hubs and bearings about two weeks before the harsh sound of metal on metal.Noticed an occassional wiggle in the wheels driving down the NY thruway,but it came and went.Went online and found this site,and everything other people said about the problem came true.My mechanic said he never heard of the rear bearings wearing out so quickly.I directed him to your site after he fixed the problem.
The bearings went from bad to worse in about a week.He had to send the hubs out to a machine shop to remove the bearings because his 2 ton press couldn't separate them.No idea how long these will last.I'm also on my third set of brakes.I'm praying I don't have transmission problems at 105,000 miles like some other people have.Really makes me think about buying another Ford product.
- rsubaruski,
West Orange, NJ, US
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The rear bearings went out while a friend was driving it on the highway. I did some research and figured out what happened. I looked on ebay and found some bearings that would fit the vehicle. $60 later and about 4 hours worth of work from my hubby the vehicle was back up and running just fine. =)
I'm now at 128k miles and so far so good. No issues with the bearings.. the rear differential on the other hand I need to get some fluid for and a replacement seal.. I don't expect that to cost very much though.
I can't believe how much $$ some people are paying to have this work done though.. ouch!
So had the truck at the repair shop on Wednesday for front wheel baring. Saturday morning the rear-end started to make awful noises. Dropped it of this morning (Monday) and the rear wheel bearings need to be replaced. The rear ones were replaced not even a year ago. What is going on with this truck?
So many other parts replaced: transmission, 2 transfer cases, module on outside of transfer case, wheel bearings, rear springs, control arms, quiet a few seals, rear axle. Too many problems for just a car. I've never had so many problems with a truck before.
Ford said "Well sometimes there is a bad one in the bunch and it looks like you got it".
Started hearing rear end noise about a year after I bought this vehicle. Will have to replace both rear wheel bearings for the second time. Also have cracked panel under rear window. Rear differential noise, I replaced both front spindles at over 400$ per wheel and have a broken spring on the LDS. This vehicle was a rip off.
i am the second owner of an 02 explorer, 65000 miles when i purchased it , today i will have the 6TH wheel bearing replaced. none covered under warranty,oh yea i also had the tranny repaired at 78000 miles at a cost of 2200. good job ford, YOU SUCK
FRONT BEARINGS WENT OUT AT 44,000 MILE -COST $1100.00. REAR DIFFERENTIAL (GEARS) WENT OUT NEXT. NOW REAR BEARINGS ARE STARTING TO MAKE THE HUMMING SOUND. CHRISTMAS WEEK 2010-- DRIVER WINDOW MOTOR REPLACED. DASH LIGHTS WORK SOMETIMES, REAR TAILGATE FIBERGLASS PANEL CRACKED IN THE COLD LAST YEAR. THIS FORDS BEEN A JOY TO OWN. STAY AWAY FROM 2002 EXPLORERS. THIS WILL BE MY LAST FORD.
My 2002 ford explorer which has only a hundred thousand miles and is driven with care has had both front hub bearing replaced at 50,000 miles. At the same time the front sway bar was broken and needed to be replaced along with the sway bar links and bushings.The pinion seal was also broken and needed to be replace.Since that time we have had to replace both rear hub bearings 2 times at about a cost of 800 each . I think hub bearings have cost us about 3,000 . several mechanics have told us that this problem will continue and that we should have never bought a ford product , which we will never ever ever ever do again. the scary part about it is i think i hear the humming noise starting again . so sad. One more thing . the ride in this explorer is so rough i think im driving with square wheels.
my car sounded like an air plane it was so loud. First the front passenger wheel hub had to be replaced then a month later a back one had to be replaced.
I had to replace all 4 on my truck. I've heard of many who have replaced 2 or even 3 times on the Explorer. The reason given is that the independent rear suspension (IRS) puts too much load onto the hubs and the the hubs fail prematurely.
Just took my explorer for inspection and again it failed due to ford's defective product. Last year at the same time I had to replace 2 cracked springs-this year the vehicle failed for front bearings and a rear leaky strut. I do not know why Ford has not recalled this vehicle for all of the serious complaints and defective parts. Of course I will be paying for it now because the car has been paid off. I will run this vehicle til it dies and will not purchase another Ford vehicle.....
OK, This ford explorer is in great shape with very few other problems, except the front and rear wheel hubs. I am rolling on # 10 hub. I've replaced 6 hubs in the last 1-1/2 years. Can anyone tell me whats up? This is crazy, bearings should last years and years. Is it Chinese steel/manufacturing? Some of these bearings have a 30 DAY warranty.Give me a break. I've tried expensive hubs,cheap hubs...all the same...JUNK! All are installed to fords specs. Some last 13 months, some 1 month, you never know.
Please if someone has an idea, other than getting rid of the car,let me know!
We have another hub problem in our 2002 Ford Explorer. This one lasted less than a year. This will be the sixth one. You may say well its time to get rid of the car, but thats easy for you to say. The car has been paid off since 2005. We bought the car in 2004. We are on a fixed income. This car was supposed to last us until 2012. I cannot afford car payments. I really wish Ford would acknowledge this as a recall problem. And change the axles or tie rod or what ever is causing so many hubs and bearings burn out. If anyone out there knows what is causing this problem please e-mail me at cgudowski@yahoo .com.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
A terrible design. What a piece of junk. Every wheel bearing was bad for inspection. I have read it's a constant problem. After I have the transmission repaired this thing is gone.
- Jerry B., Washington, PA, US