2002 Ford Explorer Automatic Transmission Problems
- 886
- Owner complaint records in our dataset
Records are owner complaints, not a measured failure rate.
Owner complaint recordsComplaint records reflect reports in our dataset and do not measure how frequently the problem occurs across all vehicles.
Among these 886 stored complaint records:
- 16 indicate a crash
- 7 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- Torque Converter · 2 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 328 |
| 100–150k mi | 203 |
| 30–60k mi | 158 |
| 1–30k mi | 58 |
| 150–400k mi | 28 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Automatic Transmission
I have owned my 2002 ford explorer now for 3 years, within this 3 years i have had to make 2 major repairs and am now facing my 3rd. The transmission in my car needed to be fixed with 6 month of owning my car and now a year and half later i am facing more transmission issues. The car continuously kicked hard when shifting gears. Also if i were to put into park it would still roll or if i put it into reverse it would…
ODI 10329287
Automatic Transmission
The overdrive light on my 2002 ford explorer is flashing (blinking) and the transmission is acting erratic. Shortly after buying this car(in 2003) a similar issue happened. I took it to a ford shop. The mechanic requested the transmission be replaced. Ford denied the request & had the mechanic change only the solenoid(i believe for the 1st& 2nd gear?). Thankfully, this was under warranty. I've taken decent care of…
ODI 10331579
Automatic Transmission
TRANSMISSION FAILURE, OD LIGHT FLASHING. *TR
ODI 10328839
Automatic Transmission · Engine And Engine Cooling
2002 4 x 4 ford explorer, while driving in rush hour traffic the timing chains went on this truck. Of course the engine stopped working and i had the huge problem of pushing it off this 3 lane busy highway. Did get it off and now waiting to raise enough money for replacement engine. Yes the oil was changed every 3200 - 3400 miles, default with the ford engines, plastic sprocks. So i am without a truck until money is…
ODI 10382738
Automatic Transmission
Transmission is slipping and needs to be replaced. *tr
ODI 10336389
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer xlt. Transmission o/d light flashes after vehicle warms up. This an intermittent problem. This may lead to transmission failure. Research had found that this may cost several thousand dollars to repair and may not fix the problem. The vehicle has just over 100k miles on it and we are not the original owners. *tr
ODI 10328887
Automatic Transmission
1. Normal driving 2. Blinking o/d off light, check transmission light, check engine light, transmission begins to slip 3. Replaced transmission, still intermittent o/d off light blinking. *tr
ODI 10328898
Automatic Transmission
O/d light continues to blink. The blinking as occurred before and no one knows how to correct the problem. I already spend a couple thousands dollars to fixed the transmission b/c transmission was slipping. *tr
ODI 10327565
Automatic Transmission
While driving down the road the od light started flashing and the transmission started to grind , slip, then just stopped working without any warning. *tr
ODI 10327524
Automatic Transmission · Suspension · Wheels
Ford 2002 explorer xlt limited. I have had a myriad of issues, which upon research appear common to the extreme. Front & rear bearings have been replaced multiple times. Springs had to be replaced. Now the transmission is slipping -- o/d light blinks, ses light activates, and vehicles over-revs, slips, and will not operate in overdrive. The transmission design is completely sealed, so i cannot even check for fluid…
ODI 10326956
Automatic Transmission · Column Shift
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While driving at approximately 75 mph, the vehicle stopped moving forward. The vehicle was towed to an independent repair shop where the transmission was replaced. The failure had not occurred since the repair. The contact also stated that while attempting to shift the vehicle into park, the gear shifter broke off of the steering column. The vehicle was towed to an…
ODI 10334216
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer o/d off light blinking, hard shifting. Our 2002 explorer (91,000 miles) has the all too common problem with the automatic transmission. I'm very surprised to see how many people have reported this same problem. From all that i've read, this is a serious defect that ford has ignored. If you do a search on this problem, you will find thousands of similar complaints. I'm reporting this to you in the…
ODI 10326232
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer transmission failure due to faulty machining of piston pathways in the transmission casing. My explorer will not shift into third gear because of this issue and it is unsafe to drive. There are thousands of complaints about this same issue out on the internet and yet ford will not take responsibility for a recall. *tr
ODI 10326426
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer. Only owner 115,000 miles, mostly highway, well maintained. O/d light flashes, warning message to check transmission. Immediately taken into ford service shop. Charged $90 for diagnosis: slipping transmission. Dealership tells me that they will require approval of $720 to further diagnose problem. When asked further questions, i was told that it could range from the $720 - $3,000 + . I picked up…
ODI 10326284
Automatic Transmission
The transmission in my 2002 ford explorer has starting slipping and failing to get out of first gear. The check transmission light wasn't on then comes on and goes out - depending on which time the vehicle was started. It appears to need a brand new transmission now. In looking up information on this i noticed a rather large number of complaints about 2002 ford explorer transmissions and problems associated with…
ODI 10326419
Automatic Transmission · Rear
While in traffic today, my 2002 ford explorer suddenly lost drive power. Fortunately, the driver behind me was not tailgating and noticed my vehicle slow down rapidly. I now find this transmission failure is a very common problem with ford 2002 explorer. In fact on one web site alone, www.autobeef.com i see over 861 complaints on this issue alone all with 2002 explorers. Transmission failures in heavy traffic and at…
ODI 10325767
Automatic Transmission
FAULTY TRANSMISSION. *TR
ODI 10354149
Automatic Transmission
Driving down the hwy the o/d light began to flash on and off. Transmission then begins to randomly change gears. Nothing has been done yet to fix. *tr
ODI 10330032
Automatic Transmission
My 2002 ford explorer xlt o/d off light started blinking while i was driving a couple of days ago;then the transmission seemed to stick when accelerating. After i drive for a few minutes, the truck seems to jerk again before getting in gear. I will take to auto shop again this week. *tr
ODI 10325540
Automatic Transmission
Transmission failure on a 2002 ford explorer 4 door. Transmission failed at 78,000 miles and was rebuilt by condit ford in newton nj around july 2006. Transmission failure again at 128,000 miles on april 9, 2010 and was rebuilt by foxworth's auto service in greensboro, nc. *tr
ODI 10328808
Automatic Transmission
O/d light blinking and engine revving like the car was in park. Will not go into reverse. *tr
ODI 10323877
Automatic Transmission
While driving my vehicle when it shifted gears the car slowed down and the rpms went up to 4000 - 5000. After a minute the car shifted into the next gear and it seemed to drive fine. Then the o/d off light began to flash on the dash. This problem has occurred multiple times today. I have seen many instances of the problem listed on the internet for my make, model and year. *tr
ODI 10323712
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer xlt (4.0l 5r55w) transmission slippage causing near accident as unable to pass through intersection in a timely manner. When shifting between 1st and 2nd gear, transmission would wind before violently engaging. Remedy was to take foot of accelerator and allow rpms to decrease. Increased acceleration time in lower gears a danger when trying to cross lanes of traffic. *tr
ODI 10323784
Automatic Transmission
The transmission on my ford explorer went out after the od light has been blinking... Ford the to recall the transmission on this explorer it is really a problem. *tr
ODI 10323926
Automatic Transmission
2002 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. While shifting the car from park to reverse the shifting lever simply snapped off, leaving the car stuck between park and reverse. The piece of aluminum where this shearing occurred is unbelievably weak material. I have researched on the internet and found hundreds of people with this exact same issue for this exact year of explorer. The estimate that i received for repairs…
ODI 10322815