2002 Ford Explorer Sport problems & reliability
133 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
13 complaints report injuries (14 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 32 | 24% |
| Structure | 28 | 21% |
| Visibility | 16 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 8 | 6% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 8 | 6% |
| Seats | 8 | 6% |
| Suspension | 8 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 7 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 5% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 72,500 miles (middle 50% between 40,000 and 94,250 miles), based on 100 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Rear window hinges failed on one side of the vehicle requiring both hinges that holds the rear window glass in place to be replaced. Dealer was able to repair hinges but the rear window is now unable to be opened due to latch being damaged by hinges and dealer informed me that they could not fix the latch that was…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Nov 13, 2017
“I went to open my back window and it broke I have had many other problems with my suv I was parked in a parking lot”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 12, 2017
“Rear window exploded overnight while parked in driveway. We live in southern ca and it was a rare cold night with lows in the 30's. Security camera's verified no one or no object damaged the window. It just exploded while parked the glass was strewn across a 3 car driveway.”
Structure · filed Mar 31, 2017
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS
Preliminary Evaluation PE09020 · opened Apr 21, 2009 · closed Aug 19, 2009
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- STUCK ENGINE THROTTLE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05037 · opened Jul 7, 2005 · closed Nov 2, 2005
- REAR LIFTGATE GLASS ASSEMBLY
Preliminary Evaluation PE04045 · opened Jun 2, 2004 · closed Sep 28, 2004 · led to recall 04V442000
- FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT
Preliminary Evaluation PE03020 · opened May 21, 2003 · closed Sep 5, 2003 · led to recall 03V281000
Technical service bulletins
102 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport. The 10 most recent:
Steering shudder during low speed maneuvers - 4.0l engine. *tt
0427 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp coming on with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0171, p0172, p0174 and/or p0175 (fuel system too rich or lean). *tt
18719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2005
Safety belt retraction speed. *tt
042421 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 7, 2005
Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd. *tt
030508 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Safety belt web stop button service. *eh
05310 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 21, 2005
Revised procedure for adjusting alignment on all suspensions - new right hand upper control arm design for torsion bar front suspensions. *tt
042419 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt
04189 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt
04217 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 1, 2004
Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt
041514 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 9, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2002 Ford Explorer Sport has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2002 Ford Explorer Sport?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 72,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.