2002 Ford Explorer Body Problems
- 108
- 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 108 stored complaint records:
- 3 indicate a crash
- 3 indicate injury
- 2 indicate fire
What owners report
- rear window · 20 records
- panel below · 13 records
- rear hatch · 11 records
- failure mileage · 11 records
- rear panel · 11 records
- below rear · 11 records
Mileage in stored records
| Band | Records |
|---|---|
| 60–100k mi | 32 |
| 100–150k mi | 28 |
| 30–60k mi | 16 |
| 150–400k mi | 11 |
| 1–30k mi | 4 |
Complaint records
Owner-submitted complaint content, presented as stored.
Body · Structure
The liftgate hinge fractured allowing the glass to fall nearly breaking my hand. This hinge was recalled by nhtsa campaign id number 04v442000 / ford recall no. 04s20. In contacting customer service tonight on a ford transmission issue, i discovered the previous hinge recall and they indicated that hinge had been replace once in 2004 and it was my bad luck that it failed a second time. They would make no restitution…
ODI 10546673
Body
Rear panel below window cracked from cold while sitting in driveway. *tr
ODI 10499521
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the driver's side and front passenger side doors would swing open sporadically and without warning. The vehicle was not inspected by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was later contacted and advised her to schedule an appointment with the dealer for inspection and possible repairs. The failure…
ODI 10491455
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while driving at approximate 10mph the contact heard a grinding noise. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the body mounts were deteriorating between the frame. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The appoximate failure mileage was 141,000.
ODI 10480833
Body · Electrical System
The interior lights occasionally flicker when all doors are shut securely. Also the door ajar light will flicker at times as well. The alarm goes off for no reason and usually it is in the middle of the night and i am pretty sure it is related to the door ajar malfunction. There is no way to disable the factory alarm so i have had to leave my car unlocked at night just to keep it from going off and waking up the…
ODI 10508801
Body
The rear hatch is splitting down the middle near the windshield wipers. The metal is coming apart and may fly off during high rates of speed causing an accident. This email is to prevent an accident which may occur. I am aware of a pending lawsuit regarding cosmetic defects but would like you to know the possibility of an accident occurring once the metal separates at high rates of speed on the interstate. This is…
ODI 10597239
Body · Electrical System · Power Window Devices And Controls
None of the windows will work, they were operating properly and just quit. This vehicle is unsafe to drive, in an emergency, (such as a crash). The occupants of the vehicle could become trapped in the vehicle because the windows would not operate. If a fire occurred the results could be tragic. Ford is aware of this problem along with several other problems on this vehicle. Yet they choose not to repair or replace…
ODI 10448800
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact noticed that two cracks developed under the hatch. The contact stated that the failure was caused by extremely cold weather. The dealer was contacted and they stated to the contact that the failure was not a safety issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that they did not feel safe driving the vehicle. The failure mileage was 130,000 and the…
ODI 10446009
Body · Visibility
The rear hinges gave way, and the back half glass exploded. *tr
ODI 10439364
Body
Rear panel has crack 2 times. We paid 600.00$ for first repair. 3 months later the rear panel cracked again. No crash or accident.
ODI 10726697
Body
FORD EXPLORER CRACKED REAR PANEL. *TR
ODI 10381717
Body
Rear panel cracked in half, vehicle was not hit it just happened. *tr
ODI 10378174
Body
Vertical crack rear life window assembly near 2002 ford explorer logo. Vertical crack goes between window glass and bottom of lift window. I feel the whole rear window glass will fail on the highway and seriously effect other drivers with the hail of glass. Recall of hinges had been completed right after original new purchase. *tr
ODI 10401352
Body
The plastic panel below the rear window cracked. Found out it is a very common problem. Ford motor company and local dealership will do nothing to help out. My repair cost will be about $500. It is obviously a design defect. Ford should repair at no cost to me.
ODI 10378896
Body
On the afternoon of dec. 10, 2010 at approximately 2:45 pm i noticed a large crack on the rear panel of my '02 ford explorer - eddie bauer ed. I had assumed that this was vandalism and reported it to the police department. On monday i googled the description of the damage to my vehicle and come to find out that it was actually a defect in ford explorers - '02 - '04. I contacted the ford company who took my complaint…
ODI 10370419
Body
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that while parked, she noticed a large crack from the rear liftgate panel going down. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The current and failure mileages were 65,916.
ODI 10370351
Body
Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that when using the rear liftgate, it would not stay open and it would close unexpectedly. The vehicle had previously been repaired according to recall 04v442000 structure body hatchback/liftgate, hinge and attachments. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the manufacturer who stated that the repairs had been done according to the recall and he…
ODI 10367240
Body
Vertical crack in hatch of 2002 ford explorer. I look at other explorers in the same time pereiod and they all have the exact same crack!! *tr
ODI 10384619
Body
Crack in rear window surround, near center at a bottom. *tr
ODI 10360815
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that the panel under the hatch fractured and allowed water to penetrate the vehicle. The water then made contact with the electrical components. The vehicle was taken to a private dealer where it was found that the panel needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted about the failure. The failure…
ODI 10525797
Body
I have purchased a 2002 ford explorer that was in mint condition on the outside and fair on the inside, well after having the truck a few months one day i noticed a huge crack by the ford emblem on the back of the truck. There was no evidence of tampering, and i had not been in any accidents, so this troubled me knowing that this crack had just all of a sudden appeared on my truck. Well i went to the store later…
ODI 10353315
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. While the vehicle was parked the contact noticed the rear lift gate and window would not engage properly and it would also wobble. The electronic power door locks would not work because they would detect the lift gate was not closed engaging and a warning sound activated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic test. There was a recall under nhtsa campaign…
ODI 10420133
Body
2002 explorer's panel on the back gate between the window and the bottom half of the gate is cracked in two different spots. I am afraid that this will come off and cause a traffic crash or worse. *tr
ODI 10349369
Body
About a year after i purchased my explorer ltd, the rear logo panel started coming loose. I used special adhesive to attach it, but it just wouldn't stick. I tried pulling it off, but it wouldn't budge on the other side, so i tried a different adhesive. It stuck for a while, but as i was going down a busy street, it flew off almost hitting the car behind me. This very easily could have caused an accident and serious…
ODI 10455588
Body
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact stated that there was an extended crack on the liftgate exterior panel. The defect became progressively worse over a period of time. The manufacturer was notified of the problem. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was unavailable.
ODI 10496046