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.
8.0
pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$300
Average Mileage:
101,100 miles
Total Complaints:
87 complaints
Most Common Solutions:
replace window motor (28 reports)
not sure (25 reports)
replaced faulty regulator and faulty switch (13 reports)
replace master switch (9 reports)
I won't buy Ford again (7 reports)
find break in red power wire at door hinge and add jumper (2 reports)
I could hear that window was getting ready to break like the other ones, so I didn't use the rear drivers side window. My son borrowed it and accidentally rolled it down, and it would not go back up. So this make 3 out of 4 door window motors I have replaced. I won't buy a ford again.
I just need to know if this particular vehicle has been recalled at all and for what. I just bought it in Feb. 2015 from the dealership in Yerington, Nevada. I wasn't told of any recall and I bought it as is. I understand that it might cost me about 300 dollars and I'm on a fixed income. I'm retired. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
It was the rear driver's side motor went out. Cost $45.00 for new motor. Thank goodness I have a husband who knows how to fix all this stuff gone wrong with this vehicle. I have only had this thing for 3 months and I can't believe the money I have put into it. Stay away from this vehicle and the company who manufactured this garbage. They won't repair any problems.
Door switch stopped working and I couldn't even roll the window back up. It went down but would not go back up. My husband rigged it up until I was able to purchase a new one and he replaced it. Another 62.00 dollars.
Gee, thanks Ford for manufacturing a POS vehicle and selling it to people who work their asses off every day.
Back in July 2013 my front passenger window stopped working, also my rear driver's side window stopped working. I paid $260 to get them fixed. In December they stopped working again, I did not have them fixed. The man who looked at them said there is a default in them somewhere that they won't keep working. I want them fixed right.
last friday the coldest day of the year here in ohio, I put my window down to adjust the mirror and it would not come back up. when you push the button it went deeper down and stopped working all together.I had to drive home with the window open with a wind chill of -8. I was really pissed off.
I have really loved this SUV - up until this past year. One of the back power windows a few months ago suddenly fell down a couple of inches and stayed there. Nothing happened when I pressed the switch. What a pain! We taped plastic up to keep the elements out, which is really attractive, until I got it fixed . . . $350.00 later. A couple of months later the same thing happened on the other side! I couldn't leave anything in the car as it could be easily entered, my kids were getting rained on and embarrassed to be seen riding with plastic & duct tape on a window again. So I had to spend money on a repair again! One time they told me it was the switch, the other window they told me it was the motor. Yesterday, one of the windows I already had fixed dropped down a couple of inches!! I can't keep doing these $300+ repairs every couple of months for the same thing! We pulled the window up & put a little wedge of wood on the inside to keep it from falling again. Now I've got kids complaining that they can't lower the windows cause I'm afraid they will get stuck down again. I was parked by a guy in a shopping center who had the same exact car as me. I asked him if he ever had any problem with the windows & he said YES he's had to have them fixed THREE TIMES! Why isn't this a recall?
I own two Ford trucks, one being an 2002 explorer. 3 out of the 8 power windows between the two have gone bad. That by itself is annoying and inexcusable to be honest.
But after hearing people spending anywhere from $300 to $600 per window to get them fixed i decided to do one myself. The replacement piece comes as one unit - regulator, motor, cable and all brackets. All assembled. In a four door explorer, there is a different part number for each door - front and rear, right and left sides.
I bought the two rear units (which had both failed) from en Ebay seller for $90 each which included shipping. They come with NO instructions so be prepared to search online for help. Especially look at YouTube where there is always something useless for damn near everything.
Each one took about 2 hours. and i saved conceivably $400-$1000.
BTW - the failure? It was a small plastic piece on the end of the cables that simply broke off. Amazing that Ford thought this would actually hold up more than a few years if that long.
While on vacation I rolled the window rear passenger window down, when I arrived at the hotel the window would not roll up. I had to pay a gas station attendant to take the door panel off and get the window up. I cannot to this day open the rear passenger door from the inside. October 2010 I rolled the rear driver window down and it would not roll back up. I paid someone to get the window up until I could get it repaired, but in the meantime I'm having to use cardboard to hold the window up.
Drivers side window automatically goes down - will not go back up. I have replaced master power window switch 4 times (approx $35 each time) I now plug one into to put windows up, and swap it to put the window back up. From reading other issues - I believe the wiring harness needs replaced. I am sure this will be a dealer item and cost a fortune. Any assistance on where to purchase the wiring harness or details on how to fix ourselves would be greatly appreciated! If I can get that fixed, the switch is still under warranty and will be replaced for free!!
I just bought this P.O.S on Saturday. Put it in the garage to change rear diff fluid, and rolled the window driver's window down. I changed the fluid (which didn't help), and started the car to back up. I hit the window switch, and nothing, I tried the other windows, nothing. W.T.F. I will be getting rid of this P.O.S.,as soon as I can. I'll probably take a loss on this thing ,but I don't care . It is unsafe to drive, with windows that don't operate. In an emergency you could be trapped in the vehicle. Now I know why people buy foreign vehicles! This is the last FORD that I will ever own.
Problem that is so annoying, have to pull window up, and it won't stay there. Now got duct tape on in for the winter, that looks cool! I never had this problem before with any other vehicles. Will get fixed sometime when I get the extra money.
OK SO I JUST GOT MY CAR BACK ON WEDNESDAY AND HERE IT IS SATURDAY AND THE DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW IS DOWN AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!! THIS WILL BE THE 7TH TIME THAT THE SWITCH HAS HAD TO BE REPLACED IN THIS VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT 8 MONTHS AGO!!!!!!!! THIS IS BEYOND RIDICULOUS AND IS DANGEROUS!!! FORD REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE THIS AS A DANGEROUS ISSUE BUT WHEN WE HAVE TO JUMP THE WINDOW BACK UP AND LEAVE THE SWITCH DISCONNECTED THAT IS DANGEROUS!!!!! YOUR WINDOWS NEED TO BE ABLE TO COME DOWN IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT!!! SO WHO ARE THESE IDIOTS THAT SAY THIS IS NOT DANGEROUS?! THEY ARE SOME OVERPAID JERKS WHO PROBABLY DRIVE LEXUS, MERCEDES, OR JAGUARS AND CONSIDER US THE LITTLE PEOPLE!! WELL GUESS WHAT!! WE LITTLE PEOPLE PAY YOUR BILLS AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS LOYAL FORD CUSTOMER IS NO LONGER LOYAL AND WILL BE BUYING ANOTHER MAKE AND MODEL OF VEHICLE!!!!!!!! ANYONE CONSIDERING BUYING A FORD EXPLORER, ESPECIALLY A 2002 DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND JUST DON'T!!!!!!!
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
I could hear that window was getting ready to break like the other ones, so I didn't use the rear drivers side window. My son borrowed it and accidentally rolled it down, and it would not go back up. So this make 3 out of 4 door window motors I have replaced. I won't buy a ford again.
- intamernet, West Valley City, UT, US