2002 Ford F Series problems & reliability
34 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford F Series, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 10 | 29% |
| Engine | 6 | 18% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 12% |
| Power Train | 4 | 12% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 9% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 9% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 6% |
| Steering | 2 | 6% |
| Unknown OR Other | 2 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 15 reported components →Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 31 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 98,000 miles (middle 50% between 47,173 and 151,000 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving my truck and it began vibrating; shortly thereafter it was running as if half the engine was working , with a loss of power. I pulled the fuel filter and there was trash all in the filter. I bought another filter and replaced it and ran the truck again and it was working fine. Shortly thereafter the same…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Apr 26, 2022
“Driving on the freeway a spark plug came out of the engine causing the vehicle to shake and loose power. The dealer and a shop I took the vehicle to stated that this is a frequent problem with this engine. *tr”
Engine · filed Jan 14, 2015
“While backing into my truck started making a load noise, it was obvious it was in the front end. Trying to turn the steering wheel, it was stuck. Stopped the truck, looked under the front of truck at steering, I noticed that there was a hole in the frame, it was then that I saw the steering link, against the right cv…”
Steering · filed Sep 25, 2014
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
Technical service bulletins
19 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 Ford F Series. The 10 most recent:
Jerr-dan: anti stall feature for ford f series light duty chassis with v10 gas engine and an engine drive clutch pump. Model years unknown. *pe
TB-08-258 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 29, 2008
Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series. *tt
04174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 6, 2004
Customer satisfaction program 02m01 supplement #4. Certain ford 2000 through 2003 vehicles equipped with a tube-mounted egr pressure sensor - additional egr pressure sensor warranty coverage. *tt supplement #3. *mj…
02M01 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2004
Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt
03181 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 15, 2003
Clear gel-like substance in the hydraulic brake master cylinder reservoir. This substance is a silicone base lubricant used during assembly of the master cylinder. *tt
16891 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2003
False failure of the vapor management valve (vmv). *tt *jb
16683 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2003
New service part - number 5 needle bearing and race kit - 4r70w transmission - service tip. *tt
03261 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 5, 2003
Some vehicles may exhibit fuel diagnostic trouble codes p0171, p0172, p0174, p0175 or mass air flow diagnostic trouble codes p0102, p0103, p0112, p0113. *tt
16094 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2002
Some dedicated cng vehicles may exhibit driveability conditions of hard start / no start / rough running. *tt
15761 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2002
Subject regarding vehicles exhibiting cold start rolling idle. *tt
15757 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2002
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 F Series has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 F Series?
- · 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 98,000 miles — worth a pre-purchase inspection if the car is near that mileage.