Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||||
| 16427 | 11/01/2002 | 10008352 | Low speed or stationary noise/vibration at lower steering shaft area when turning. *mj | 07/28/2004 | |
| 15408 | 11/01/2001 | 630423 | Some vehicles equipped with dual automatic temperature control (datc) may exhibit inoperative redundant steering wheel controls (rswc). *tt | 04/17/2002 | |
| 15580 | 01/01/2002 | 630128 | Some 4 door vehicles may exhibit a steering column rattle at speeds of 10-20 mph on uneven surfaces. *tt | 04/15/2002 | |
| 15017 | 06/01/2001 | 622833 | Stiff steering or poor steering wheel returnability. *tt | 10/23/2001 | |
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||||
| 15899 | 05/01/2002 | 637783 | Subject regarding theft light relocation. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||||
| 15906 | 05/01/2002 | 637796 | Information on power steering leak condition. *tt | 12/06/2002 | |
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||||
| 15647 | 02/01/2002 | 630700 | Some vehicles equipped with a v6 engine may exhibit a steering rattle noise which may be heard and felt in the steering wheel and column. *tt | 04/19/2002 | |
| 15091 | 07/01/2001 | 621099 | Some vehicles may exhibit a scrunch noise from the upper steering column when making near full lock turns. *tt | 09/07/2001 | |
| 14947 | 05/01/2001 | 620238 | Some vehicles may exhibit a steering wheel shudder during low speed turning maneuvers. *tt | 07/23/2001 | |
Investigations
| NHTSA ID | Manufacturer | Date open | Date close | Subject | Recall campaign | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| PE09020 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/21/2009 | 08/19/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | ||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumer shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004, ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-013) to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| PE09020 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/21/2009 | 08/19/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | ||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumer shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004, ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-013) to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | ||||||
| EA09013 | Ford Motor Company | 08/18/2009 | 02/12/2013 | Vehicle Rollaway Allegations | ||
| This investigation is being closed based on several considerations.by the most inclusive counting of all alleged rollaway incidents (i.e., counting all alleged rollaway incidents and assuming a singular failure mechanism), the incident rate is low, however during ea09-013, odi identified a number of different failure mechanisms in 180 incidents related to the alleged defect.the highest rate for any particular failure mechanism, the failure of the automatic transmission parking system, was 4.4/100k.the next-highest failure rate was for the bsi system, at 3.4/100k.for all identified failure mechanisms there has been a drastically declining trend including very few incidents occurring in recent years.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.for additional information regarding this investigation, see the complete closing resume in the document file for ea09-013. the odi reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/complaints under the following identification (odi) numbers:10168454, 10279630, 10280078. | ||||||
| EA09013 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 08/18/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | |||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumers shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004 ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.preliminary evaluationpe09-020 has been upgraded to an engineering analysis to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
| PE09020 | FORD MOTOR COMPANY | 04/21/2009 | 08/19/2009 | VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS | ||
| In response to an information request (ir) letter sent by the office of defects investigation (odi), ford stated consumer reports of higher than expected efforts when shifting into and out of park could be a result of a groove being worn into the swing arm ramp of the steering column. the swing arm is a component bolted to the steering column that assists in shifting through the transmission gears.an engineering evaluation conducted by ford of returned steering columns found the groove could be created over time if consumer shift more quickly from the drive or reverse to park than the brake shift interlock (bsi) solenoid pin retracts after the brake pedal is applied. in november of 2004, ford released a redesigned bsi solenoid with a shorter pin retracting time as a serviceable component. ford has noted the shorter retraction time significantly lessens the likelihood of bsi solenoid pin to swing arm contact even with rapid consumer shifts.ford also issued a technical service bulletin, tsb 04-22-12, to instruct service technicians on the proper diagnosis and vehicle repair. reviewing complaints to odi and data submitted by ford, odi has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believe they have shifted the vehicle into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries.in addition to the reports of alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement, odi has also identified 883 reports of consumers alleging difficulty or the inability to shift the vehicle into park.this preliminary evaluation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis (ea09-013) to further assess the scope, frequency and risk to motor vehicle safety of the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. | ||||||
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| STEERING | |||
| 12/03/2012 | |||
| Pulled into park, went to shift vehicle into park (was fully stopped) and gear shifter broke off. i did not apply any force, just the normal typical action of shifting the gear. good thing it was in neutral when it snapped. took rubber seal off of the gear lever arm and the part which the lever arm was attached had totally broken off. the metal was not stripped or twisted but broken. part #905-104: column shift repair | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 201000 | 1 | |
| Pulling in driveway stopped the vehicle going to put it in park shift lever broke off inside of steering column went on internet found 146 complaints as the same thing happened to them on ford explorer carcomplaints.com. *tr | |||
| 01/16/2013 | 201000 | ||
| Pulling in driveway stoped the vehicle going to put it in park shift lever broke off inside of steering column went on internet found 146 complaints as the same thing happened to them on ford explorer carcomplaints.com | |||
| 11/10/2012 | 127875 | 1 | |
| I just purchased the vehicle in a private sale on 11/09/12 and on 11/10/12 went to shift from park into reverse on a flat surface and my shift lever broke off and i am not able to shift my vehicle. *tr | |||
| 11/10/2012 | 127875 | ||
| I just purchased the vehicle in a private sale on 11/09/12 and on 11/10/12 went to shift from park into reverse on a flat surface and my shift lever broke off and i am not able to shift my vehicle. | |||
| 10/22/2012 | 1 | ||
| On the afternoon of october 22nd 2012 my pregnant wife was leaving the speech therapist with my son went to put the car in reverse and the shifter snapped off in her hand. the car every since we had it when u put it in park as a delay and rolls for ward a bit i feel that this is a recall that ford should issue for this car. its just not fair to have to pay over 1200 dollars to fix something that is not my fault.what if this would have happened in the street luckily my wife knew to shut the car off and apply the emergency brake. this problem really could end up in serious injury or even fatality to an individual. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2012 | |||
| On the afternoon of october 22nd 2012 my pregnant wife was leaving the speech therapist with my son went to put the car in reverse and the shifter snapped off in her hand. the car every since we had it when u put it in park as a delay and rolls for ward a bit i feel that this is a recall that ford should issue for this car. its just not fair to have to pay over 1200 dollars to fix something that is not my fault.what if this would have happened in the street luckily my wife knew to shut the car off and apply the emergency brake. this problem really could end up in serious injury or even fatality to an individual. | |||
| 09/12/2012 | 195000 | 1 | |
| Went to put car in drive from the park position and the shifter completely broke and was hanging. also, i was not able to get my key out of the ignition. we were planning to make an out of town trip the following day, however, had to change plans due to this situation. after searching online, i have discovered there has been numerous complaints for this exact defect for the exact type of vehicle. it seems that since there has already been so many same situations, that a recall would have taken place by now. not has it only been inconvenient, but could also be potentially dangerous! *tr | |||
| 09/12/2012 | 195000 | ||
| Went to put car in drive from the park position and the shifter completely broke and was hanging. also, i was not able to get my key out of the ignition. we were planning to make an out of town trip the following day, however, had to change plans due to this situation. after searching online, i have discovered there has been numerous complaints for this exact defect for the exact type of vehicle. it seems that since there has already been so many same situations, that a recall would have taken place by now. not has it only been inconvenient, but could also be potentially dangerous! | |||
| 07/19/2012 | 203000 | 1 | |
| When accelerating on a start, car doesn't shift into 2nd and 3rd gear....unless there is a push or jump into it. *tr | |||
| 07/19/2012 | 203000 | ||
| When accelerating on a start, car doesn shift into 2nd and 3rd gear....unless there is a push or jump into it | |||
| 06/17/2012 | 100000 | ||
| I was backing up in a costco parking lot and the steering column where you shift gears broke in half. there was no way to drive or shift the car. the car was in neutral and there were pedestrians in front of me and cars behind me. i yelled for everyone to stay clear, had a few men help push me back to a parking bin and pulled the emergency break. the engine would not shut off, i had to have car towed to my house. i checked on line and this has happened to over 1,000 ford 2002 owners. it is due to a faulty manufacturer part in the column shift, a metal piece that broke off. | |||
| 05/15/2012 | 135000 | ||
| As i was driving home from work my fuel gauge went from full to empty and the check gauge light came on then the vehicle died and i lost power steering and the power brakes | |||
| 12/05/2011 | 110000 | ||
| Shifter broke off while shifting from park to drive,cannot shift vehicle.i read online there are numerous people that have had the same problem ,they were all wondering why there hasnt been a recall on this problem . has there? | |||
| 06/10/2010 | 85032 | ||
| I was driving in town at approximately 30 mph when i drove over a crack and it felt like a large pothole. i heard a grinding noise and pulled over. my rear springs were both broken. the driver side one at the top and the passenger side one at the top in 3 places. when i turn now it feels like my vehicle is going to roll over. this is a common problem as stated by many others on many internet sites. this is going to cause a serious if not deadly accident. ford needs to do a recall on this part and replace them for free, since they were the ones who used bad parts in their vehicles. this is a manufacturing defect and should be treated as such. | |||
| 10/11/2011 | 112300 | ||
| While shifting from drive into park, the gear shift broke off in my hand and was stuck in reverse. i had to have my car towed as we couldn't get the car to go into park. | |||
| 09/27/2011 | |||
| Tamara golletti got behind the wheel of her 2002 ford explorer, intending to pick up her son from school. when she tried to shift the car into reverse, she says the entire gear selector broke off and fell in her lap. it turns out she's not alone. team 4 investigator jim parsons reported that the national highway transportation safety administration has been investigating similar complaints around the country -- some of which involved vehicles slipping into gear and crashing -- for more than two years. nhtsa's office of defects investigation says it has identified 200 alleged incidents of unintended vehicle movement after consumers believed they had shifted the suvs into park, resulting in 85 alleged crashes and 32 alleged injuries. earlier this year, nhtsa upgraded its investigation to an engineering analysis for 2002-2005 ford explorers and mercury mountaineers. golletti says ford told her she would need to replace her entire steering column to fix the broken gear selector at a cost of more than $1,500. instead, she worked with her local mechanic to find an after-market replacement part that retails for $30. so far, ford motor company has not issued a recall on the gear selector. more information: nhtsa website details on explorer investigation (type in action number ea09013) read more: http://www.wtae.com/news/29353127/detail.html#ixzz1zyubpjeg | |||
| 09/01/2011 | 151000 | ||
| In the evening, i was about half an hour from home when i pulled up to a gas pump at a station and attempted to put the vehicle into park. i did not do anything different than normal. the steering gear shift broke off into my hand. it was attached by a wire. i could not tell what happened except that it was broken off off the steering column. the service department of the dealership was closed but the receptionist said that the vehicle could be left at the service department lot overnight and they would take a look at it the next day. i drove to the dealership holding the piece in my right hand as i did not know what would happen if it became unattached from that wire. i felt scared that something was going to happen such as a fire, turn completely off in traffic, etc. i didn't know what was going to happen next. i got to the dealership, set the emergency brake and turned off the ignition. i couldn't get the key out of the ignition. i had no choice but to leave my vehicle there with key in the ignition. i emptied as much of my stuff from the car as i could as i was worried that there could be some type of criminal activity overnight. thankfully, it was there the next morning but unfortunately the cost of repair is over $1,500. the service advisor said the only way to fix this is to replace the entire steering column. this is all out of pocket costs. i am thankful that the dealership does provide free loaners and that this happened in a place where i could exit the location and make it to the dealership. the cost to repair, the stress that this caused, the fact that this is a known defective part, and the possibility of this happening again are all not good. | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 86000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while moving the gear shifter from park to reverse, the gear shifter fractured and detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the steering column had to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000. kmj | |||
| 08/15/2011 | 86000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while moving the gear shifter from park to reverse the gear shifter fractured and detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the dealer. the technicians stated the steering column had to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the approximate failure mileage was 86,000. ds | |||
| 07/16/2011 | 183000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated while the gear was placed into reverse the gear shifter failed. the gear shifter separated from the steering column. the vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. the manufacturer denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure and the current miles was 183,000. li | |||
| 06/18/2011 | 130000 | ||
| My 2002 ford explorer (automatic transmission) was parked in my driveway. i attempted to shift out of park when the gear shift broke off in my hand. i now have to pay $1360 for a replacement (used) steering column. after doing research, i have discovered that this problem is very common with 2002 ford explorers. ford motor company should voluntarily do a recall, before a class action law suit is brought against them. | |||
| 06/12/2011 | 100000 | ||
| While my wife was backing up in my son's driveway, the gear shift broke on my 2002 ford explorer. the charge to repair by a ford dealer was roughly $2,000.00 (including tow charges). after doing research on this issue, it apparently is way too common, however ford refuses to acknowledge responsibility or issue a recall. | |||
| 05/22/2011 | |||
| After starting the car (leaving my son's baseball game with my 2 year old daughter in car!), i attempted to put the car in reverse and the gear shift broke off in my hands. the key was stuck in the ignition and could not be removed. it required a special tow truck to get this to the dealership. they quoted me $1600 to replace the entire steering column. if you search online there are literally hundreds of complaints like this. why has a recall not been issued? this is ridiculous, and extremely unsafe. what if you were going in reverse and tried to shift to drive and the gear shift broke off? you could case major accidents. not to mention getting stranded with small children in the car and no way to remove the key from the ignition! ford should be ashamed - this part that broke is made of cheap pot metal, and ford does not manufacture or sell a replacement part for the small piece that broke, instead they make you buy a $1200 steering column! shame on ford! | |||
| 02/16/2011 | 97000 | ||
| While backing up, the gear shift broke on my 2002 ford explorer. it was good that i was not in traffic because i could not get the car back in gear and could have gotten hit and or caused an accident. the steering column was replaced and the parts were in my opinion over priced. my fear is that it may happen again because it may have been replaced with the same defective part. | |||
| 04/13/2011 | 140000 | ||
| Please do something about this !!!! the explorer gear shifter is defective and unsafe. there is a common thread with gearshift selector breakage on ford explorers which indicates that recall is urgently needed. after parking, i tried to move the gear shifter from drive to park to exit the vehicle. to my absolute astonishment the gear shifter broke like a dangling broken arm in the reverse position. the vehicle was rendered useless and me optionless. i work at a secure gov't facility and it was no picnic trying to get a tow truck driver access. i finally got the truck towed to the nearest dealership at $85. the dealer then informed me that the entire steering columun would have to be replaced at $1,690. they didn't have the part and needed a day to get the truck back to me. i had to rent a car which was another $102 bucks. make ford take care of this safety hazard. i asked for the part and can show you what broke inside which is literally a weak metal housing that the gear shift handle fits in.... | |||
| 03/01/2011 | 68000 | ||
| My husband was driving our 2002 ford explorer when he went to back out of a parking spot and the entire gear shift fell off the steering column. the vehicle will not shift gears and the key can not be removed from the vehicle. luckily he was in a parking spot. had he backed out and this happened as he was trying to put the car in drive her could have in a major accident. it is very very very unsafe. the car is getting towed to the dealership. at this time it is unknown what will be done to correct the problem. | |||
| 09/01/2010 | 70000 | ||
| Air bag warning light came on,pulled plug apart under drivers ,seat sprayed cleaner on it put it back together, took care of that problem. gear shift lever sheared off. ford says you need to replace steering column. went online found a man in sweden that made a replacement part,ordered it ,put it on ,works great. (why couldn't ford supply one?) the transmission is starting to act up, you shift in to drive it hesitates and leaps forward, quite hard, same in reverse. ford should recall this before someone gets hurt. | |||
| 12/05/2010 | 78000 | ||
| While picking up my pastor at the dulles airport, i shifted my 2002 ford explorer into park. before i could even reach park, the shift handle detached itself from the steering column and was limp in hand. the only thing left attached, was the wiring cable. i could't get the keys in or out of the ignition, most likely because it wasn't in park nor in reverse. of note, because of that, it was very hard to get a tow truck guy to accept the responsibility for dragging it onto the flat bed truck. the piece that broke was just a small aluminum cast pin. when the ford dealership called me the next day with a quote for repair, i was shocked at the price, $2145.00. i was told i needed a whole new steering column because the part thats broken couldn't be repaired with in the column itself. thats when i went on line and searched for similar problems. i was aghast to find hundreds with similar or exact same problems i had. my question is, why isn't there a re-call for this particular defect since so many people are having problems with this small pin? if no recall, why can't ford hep financially or at least, partially to help offset this high expense for such a small fix? i am on a fixed income and a several thousand dollar repair sets us back significantly. does anybody have a solution? does anybody have any other options to get ford to help with this problem, i'm desparate. thank you all | |||
| 08/20/2005 | 80000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that she had issues shifting gears and when she would turn corners, the vehicle would shift out of gear. other times, she had issues shifting into drive and moving forward. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed that there were no related recalls. the transmission was replaced in 2008 at a repair shop. however, the failure continued. when the contact placed the vehicle in park (with the engine on) and went into a store, the vehicle shifted into drive and hit a building and then moved back and hit another vehicle. there were no injuries. a police report was filed. the vehicle was taken back to a repair shop where the contact was informed that a component of the steering column would not allow the vehicle to lock into gear. the steering column was repaired. however, after the repair, the transmission slipped. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the manufacturer had not been notified. the current mileage was approximately 140,000. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000-bk | |||
| 10/18/2010 | 189000 | ||
| I was picking up a family friend, an while waiting for her to come to my 2002 ford explorer, i put my truck into park, when she got in, i then attempted to put it back into drive, an the gear shift handle broke off into my hand, it basically dangled there an i had no choice but to call a two truck driver. i got an estimate for over $600 for a used column, cause appartently ford doesnt make the little piece that broke off. i have been online for awhile to find another way of getting this fixed an i have seen hundreds an hundreds of complaints for the very same thing, why hasnt this been recalled yet? what do i or we have to do to get ford on the ball with this continuing problem? thank god it is stuck in park, an unfortunailty so are my keys. | |||
| 08/13/2010 | 108334 | ||
| My wife and i and our 8 year old twin boys were on vacation this summer driving through the rocky mountains in a rain storm. it was august 13th, 2010. there was a huge single lane traffic jam because of an accident. we pulled over to the side of the road because my wife needed to get out and stretch. when i put the 2002 ford explorer back into drive, the shift lever broke off in my hand like it was made of butter. needless to say, we were in shock and scared because we were stuck at the top of the rocky mountains in a rainstorm. the ford was stuck in drive so i decided to drive it all the way to our hotel in rife, colorado. we were very scared the whole way. we made it to our hotel. the local ford dealer could not get a part until the following week. a local mechanic rigged it so we could get home to california in time for jobs and school. we felt very unsafe the whole way. when we got home to california, the local ford dealership replaced the entire steering column and shift lever for $1,300. i have a 2nd 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. when i got home from work today, i parked my ford explorer in the driveway, put the shift lever into drive and it broke off! again, like it was made of butter. this is exactly two months after the other one broke. today is october 13, 2010. i am very careful with my vehicles. my wife and i are both teachers in our mid 40's. now, i am left with the same make and model with the exact same defect and i will be calling ford and asking them to treat me fairly and repair this defect at their cost. can you help me? | |||
| 10/18/2010 | 189000 | ||
| I was picking up a family friend, an while waiting for her to come to my 2002 ford explorer, i put my truck into park, when she got in, i then attempted to put it back into drive, an the gear shift handle broke off into my hand, it basically dangled there an i had no choice but to call a two truck driver. i got an estimate for over $600 for a used column, cause appartently ford doesnt make the little piece that broke off. i have been online for awhile to find another way of getting this fixed an i have seen hundreds an hundreds of complaints for the very same thing, why hasnt this been recalled yet? what do i or we have to do to get ford on the ball with this continuing problem? thank god it is stuck in park, an unfortunailty so are my keys. | |||
| 08/13/2010 | 108334 | ||
| My wife and i and our 8 year old twin boys were on vacation this summer driving through the rocky mountains in a rain storm. it was august 13th, 2010. there was a huge single lane traffic jam because of an accident. we pulled over to the side of the road because my wife needed to get out and stretch. when i put the 2002 ford explorer back into drive, the shift lever broke off in my hand like it was made of butter. needless to say, we were in shock and scared because we were stuck at the top of the rocky mountains in a rainstorm. the ford was stuck in drive so i decided to drive it all the way to our hotel in rife, colorado. we were very scared the whole way. we made it to our hotel. the local ford dealer could not get a part until the following week. a local mechanic rigged it so we could get home to california in time for jobs and school. we felt very unsafe the whole way. when we got home to california, the local ford dealership replaced the entire steering column and shift lever for $1,300. i have a 2nd 2002 ford explorer eddie bauer edition. when i got home from work today, i parked my ford explorer in the driveway, put the shift lever into drive and it broke off! again, like it was made of butter. this is exactly two months after the other one broke. today is october 13, 2010. i am very careful with my vehicles. my wife and i are both teachers in our mid 40's. now, i am left with the same make and model with the exact same defect and i will be calling ford and asking them to treat me fairly and repair this defect at their cost. can you help me? | |||
| 08/27/2010 | 75000 | ||
| While putting my 2002 ford explorer into park at a drive up atm machine, my gear shift just feel into my hands. i was stuck blocking the drive way and had to be towed to a shop where they say the ford dealership wanted about 1500.00 to replace steering column. the shop told me that was too much for just a small part that was broken. the dealership said it could not replace just the small part that was broken. my shop told me that it could not find the small part and they see it they can get certified welder to weld the part and it would cost way less then 1500.00. as i researched this problem on line i came across many complaints about the same problems i am having; the same year model, make and same problem. i am still waiting to hear from the shop about how much it will be and how soon i can get my car reparied and back to me. | |||
| 08/04/2010 | 80525 | ||
| Very loud noise in tires while driving and in steering column when driving my 2002 ford explorer . it is most likely a wheel bearing issue. this issue in this truck should be a recall item | |||
| 08/27/2010 | 75000 | ||
| While putting my 2002 ford explorer into park at a drive up atm machine, my gear shift just feel into my hands. i was stuck blocking the drive way and had to be towed to a shop where they say the ford dealership wanted about 1500.00 to replace steering column. the shop told me that was too much for just a small part that was broken. the dealership said it could not replace just the small part that was broken. my shop told me that it could not find the small part and they see it they can get certified welder to weld the part and it would cost way less then 1500.00. as i researched this problem on line i came across many complaints about the same problems i am having; the same year model, make and same problem. i am still waiting to hear from the shop about how much it will be and how soon i can get my car reparied and back to me. | |||
| 08/04/2010 | 80525 | ||
| Very loud noise in tires while driving and in steering column when driving my 2002 ford explorer . it is most likely a wheel bearing issue. this issue in this truck should be a recall item | |||
| 08/27/2010 | 75000 | ||
| While putting my 2002 ford explorer into park at a drive up atm machine, my gear shift just feel into my hands. i was stuck blocking the drive way and had to be towed to a shop where they say the ford dealership wanted about 1500.00 to replace steering column. the shop told me that was too much for just a small part that was broken. the dealership said it could not replace just the small part that was broken. my shop told me that it could not find the small part and they see it they can get certified welder to weld the part and it would cost way less then 1500.00. as i researched this problem on line i came across many complaints about the same problems i am having; the same year model, make and same problem. i am still waiting to hear from the shop about how much it will be and how soon i can get my car reparied and back to me. | |||
| 08/04/2010 | 80525 | ||
| Very loud noise in tires while driving and in steering column when driving my 2002 ford explorer . it is most likely a wheel bearing issue. this issue in this truck should be a recall item | |||
| 08/17/2010 | 179000 | ||
| Purchased 2002 explorer xlt v6 4.0l already transmission slipping selinoid or whatever out.. i have read reports and wonder why this transmission is not recalled? i have it in shop now having to have it rebuilt and everything changed. also right wheel bearings bad, upper and lower ball joints bad, suspenison shot. and the records show the previous owners maintained everything well. but also had transmission replaced and had problems at 99,000miles. please doing something for all of us out here. also coolant leak, engine leak, power seat failure, and on. | |||
| 08/16/2010 | 117000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the ignition was started and the gear selector would not shift out of the park position. the contact stated the gear shift lever broke inside of the steering column. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they informed that the steering column assembly would need to be replaced. the part was unavailable and the dealer was in the process of locating the part for repair. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 117,000. js | |||
| 08/17/2010 | 179000 | ||
| Purchased 2002 explorer xlt v6 4.0l already transmission slipping selinoid or whatever out.. i have read reports and wonder why this transmission is not recalled? i have it in shop now having to have it rebuilt and everything changed. also right wheel bearings bad, upper and lower ball joints bad, suspenison shot. and the records show the previous owners maintained everything well. but also had transmission replaced and had problems at 99,000miles. please doing something for all of us out here. also coolant leak, engine leak, power seat failure, and on. | |||
| 08/16/2010 | 117000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the ignition was started and the gear selector would not shift out of the park position. the contact stated the gear shift lever broke inside of the steering column. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where they informed that the steering column assembly would need to be replaced. the part was unavailable and the dealer was in the process of locating the part for repair. the vehicle had not been repaired at the time of the complaint. the failure mileage was approximately 117,000. js | |||
| 06/16/2010 | 95000 | ||
| Went to leave a baseball game and attempted to put my car in reverse only to have the gear shift come loose from the steering column and was just dangling there. of course customer service at ford could not help. | |||
| 04/19/2010 | 113997 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. while driving at approximately 75 mph the vehicle stopped accelerating. the vehicle was pulled over and towed to an independent repair shop where the transmission was replaced. the failure has not recurred. 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 independent repair shop where the contact was informed this was a known problem with ford explorers. the vehicle was in the process of having the steering column replaced. the failure mileage was 113,997 and the current mileage was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 05/29/2010 | |||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that when shifting the vehicle into reverse the shifter broke off of the steering column. the vehicle was not taken in to be examined. the failure and current mileages were unavailable. sm. | |||
| 03/13/2010 | 112568 | ||
| I was reversing out of a parking spot and then shifted into drive when the lever went limp. it was stuck in reverse and i had my two young kids in the backseat! i was scared out of my mind!!! i sat in the car with my foot on the brake for 45 minutes waiting for my cousin to tow the car to my dad's house. according to all the cases i've read about, and the ford dealer parts guy, i now have to replace the whole steering column. there's only two junk yards here on guam and neither one has the part so i have no choice but to buy from the dealer and the part alone is $1500!!! i'm going to have to take out a loan just to fix the car that i'm still paying off. it's unbelievable that there has been no recall or that ford has made it so that we have to get the whole column instead of the one little part that broke. | |||
| 02/26/2010 | 1 | ||
| Vehicle was westbound on ohio turnpike when the driver lost control and the vehicle left the roadway, struck a sign and came to a rest in the gore*cw letter updated 03/18/10 *bf ohio traffic crash report # 10-0076-89. *jb | |||
| 01/08/2006 | 130000 | ||
| I am asking you consider an investigation for the 2002 ford explorer xlt steering column. mine broke and rather easily and it cost me $1,400.00 to fix. ford told me there was no recall on this to my surprise. after doing my own online research, i see 45+ other folks had similar or same issues as i did. see the link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/steering/gear_shift_broke_off.shtml please give this the attention it so desires. i called ford yesterday 2/19/10 and they basically said, we are doing nothing unless you folks who work with them consider this a recall situation. please let me hear from you. len pace the failure mileage was 130,000....mw | |||
| 02/25/2010 | 93000 | 1 | |
| I have a 2002 ford explorer and while trying to put my truck in park the gear shift arm broke off in my hand. i had to leave my car in reverse and i was unable to remove my keys from the ignition. my car is completely un-drivable. i have had it towed to a repair shop, but they are charging me $550 to replace the whole steering column with a used steering column. *tr | |||
| 02/25/2010 | 130000 | 1 | |
| Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) 2002 ford explorer [xxx] - gear shift lever broke off of steering column while shifting from park into reverse. *tr | |||
| 02/15/2010 | 143350 | 1 | |
| I was leaving a friend's house... put the key in the ignition and attempted to shift into reverse and the shifter broke off into my hand; only connected by the rubber and the wire inside. the metal connection actually just snapped in half! i was glad i wasn't stuck in drive or anything i had my 20 month old niece in the car! this could have ended really really bad! if ford knows that this is a common problem with this model why has nothing been done!?! i got one estimate from the local ford dealership where i had to have the car towed to; $1795+7% sales tax! i called around and found a place to get a used steering column put in for $1000+tax but i have to have it towed another 40 miles to get it to that shop... something needs to be done before someone dies from this parts failure! it's seems senseless for ford to sit by and do nothing if they can act now and save lives! *tr | |||
| 01/09/2010 | 64500 | 1 | |
| 2002 ford explorer gear shift broke off when putting car in park. steering column replaced by dealer with used parts. dealer retained possession of old parts. *tr | |||
| 12/04/2009 | 1 | ||
| I pulled up to the gas station while on my way to work and as soon as i was about to shift into park the gear shift broke right off in my hand. it was causing some nor difficulties in the past where it would show signs of resistance when shifting gears but never something so serious as this current incident. i called a tow truck which appeared about 40 minutes later and then took me home. i have tried to find a new part but no dealer or parts manufacturer has it in stock. *tr | |||
| 11/04/2009 | 123699 | 1 | |
| Recently purchased 2002 ford explorer. shortly after, within one to two days i attempted to exit the vehicle by shifting into park and opening the drivers side door. although vehicle was at a complete stop when i exited it began to roll backwards causing me to fall beside alongside the driver side with lower right extremities still inside the vehicle. immediate assistant was available so minimal damage was done. currently requires caution when shifting into park do to additional maneuvering to shift into park. *tr | |||
| 10/22/2009 | 92300 | 1 | |
| There is a common thread with gearshift selector breakage on ford explorers which indicates that recall is urgently needed. in the driveway of my house, with car in park, i tried to shift into reverse to back out. the gearshift selector on the steering column broke off and just dangled. i removed the rubber cover on the steering column to have a look, and i could see rough metal where end of gearshift selector rod meets with joint inside the steering column, indicating that the metal simply broke there. called service at ford dealer in henderson nv, was told that entire steering column needs to be replaced at parts + labor cost of $1920. had i been parked on a hilly street in san francisco, e.g., a serious accident might have occurred with the car out of control. recall is urgently needed before people are injured due to this obvious defect!!! *tr | |||
| 09/11/2009 | 107912 | 1 | |
| Have a 2002 ford explorer have had several problems, but while i was out driving today my car began to pop as i turned the wheel. i have gotten my tie rods replaced and there seems to continue to be a problem with my vehicle. my husband drove the car home for me slowly but will not drive for fear that the wheel may pop off. contacted ford and am waiting on a response, this problem has been noted on the internet by several owners of this model and year. this is a suspension problem and i would like this further investigated so that noone is riding down the highway with their children in vehicle and the wheel pop off. i was very lucky that my child was not in the truck with me at the time this incident happened. *tr | |||
| 08/10/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| The gear shift is hard to get into park. sometimes after in park the suv stills moves. no damage or crash yet. but i make sure to put on emergency brake. *tr | |||
| 08/17/2009 | 173711 | 1 | |
| I am sorry i am not a good speller i was pulling out of the gas station pulled up a little so i could see then a little more and seen a car so i went to put it in reverse but the gear shift stick broke right in my hand i almost got hit but thank god there was someone with me that put his life on the line got under the car and changed it manually the used part i have to get is 250.00 dollars and labor is like 300.00 i have to have a hole new steering column put in the clip that makes it change broke i just don't think it is right to have something as week as that part on there we could have been killed and when i looked it up on the internet there are hundreds of people this same thing has happened. *tr | |||
| 06/10/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| I was having trouble placing my car in park. the gear shift would not work unless i forced it. many of times i would place in park and it would roll. i thought it was my fault. on june 10, 2009 i placed my car in park and the gear shift broke. i was told that it happenswith this truck and that there had not been a recall even though there was thousands of complaints. i am a single mother and i cannot afford to pay $700-1200 dollars to get this replaced. it is a disgrace that ford does not stand behind their trucks. i will never buy a ford again. *tr | |||
| 08/02/2009 | 113000 | 1 | |
| Started car and when i put car in drive, shift gear on 2002 explorer just fell off this is happening all over the usa i could have been driving and this could have happen. my wife and child could have been driving. do people have to die to make this a recall why isn't this a recall. *tr | |||
| 07/04/2009 | 77000 | 1 | |
| 2002 ford explorer approx.77,000 miles shifting from park to drive gear shifter broke of at the base causing the vehicle to be stuck in reverse. after contacting ford headquarters was informed there was nothing they could do even though there are several complaints on the internet. the dealership charges several hundred dollars to repair because the whole steering column has to be replaced. part is currently on order. *tr | |||
| 06/14/2009 | 135000 | 1 | |
| Our 2002 ford explorers gear shift lever broke off in my hand while trying to shift from park to reverse. we had some trouble with the lockout in the past, but this left us stranded and required a tow. *tr | |||
| 10/01/2008 | 86000 | 1 | |
| About a year ago, the gear shifter in my 2002 ford explorer started getting harder to shift out of park especially on inclines. after a short period of time, i took it to our local ford dealer for them to look at it. they said they could find nothing wrong but that it did stick a little. gradually over several months it got worse. eventually, it got stuck in park and i actually broke off the gear shifter trying to go from park to reverse. we had to pay almost $1,200 to replace the steering column and shifter. we were then told that we might put on the emergency break before shifting into park on hills. i told them that it didn't matter if you were on a hill or not, it still would get stuck. after first replacing the column, it was easier to shift out of park. then, over a few months it became increasingly harder to shift out of park again, unless i put on the emergency brake. i did use the brake on hills and inclines mostly but then sometimes it would get hard to shift on just flat surfaces. i contacted the ford dealer and asked them to look at it again. they said that i would always just have to use the emergency brake before shifting into park. i asked them why - it doesn't seem right. they said, that is just normal operating procedure. i, of course, argued that was not normal and they said there was nothing they could do about it. i asked the ford company website and they said they consulted with our dealer and that they concur with them. *tr | |||
| 05/30/2009 | 86000 | 1 | |
| I turned into my driveway and put my explorer into park the shifter broke off and the car was not in park. thankfully i was home and it is now sitting with the key still in the ignition and emergency brakes on. tried to buy the gear shift plunger on steering column and the ford dealer said i can only buy the entire steering column. $1200.00 they showed me the column it has a different plunger that reinforced this suggest that they are aware of the problem. *tr | |||
| 05/29/2009 | 90081 | 1 | |
| When i tried to put my 2002 ford explorer into reverse the gear shifter snapped off in my hands. i have never seen this happen before but have been researching this on the internet and it seems to be a real issue with the ford explorer design of the shifter mechanism. my vehicle has 90,000 miles on it. this also seems to be consistent as to when most break. *tr | |||
| 05/23/2009 | 144342 | 1 | |
| Saturday i tried to put my 2002 ford explorer xlt in park and the gear shift snapped off. i wasn't trying to jam it in park, just simply tried to put it in park. it is right now stuck in reverse with the key stuck in the ignition. i had my children with me and no clue that there was anything wrong with the car. please note that while i was trying to figure out what was going on, the car rolled backwards a bit. after, doing some research on the internet to see if ford had any recalls for this i found that many more people just like me had experienced the same thing. the pictures that the others have uploaded of the metal/aluminum piece is the same exact piece that is broken on mine. please believe me i am not an extra strong person as to where i could have done this myself (broke the piece of metal). please look into this for it is a very costly repair that should be looked into and taken care of by ford. *tr | |||
| 05/01/2009 | 91247 | 1 | |
| I went to put vehicle in park and shift lever broke off inside steering column. had to replace entire steering column for 1 little piece of cast white metal which i found out is a common problem with this particular vehicle. after repair was complete ,od off light started blinking and service engine soon light came on. code po755 on engine scanner which according to carcomplaint web site and my mechanic is also a very common problem with this vehicle. *tr | |||
| 04/14/2002 | 1 | ||
| Went to shift vehicle to drive from park position, shift lever went down without shifting vehicle into gear., upon inspection the bottom of the case where the shift lever is held by a pin had broken off, the only way to repair this situation is to change the entire steering column according to two (2) ford dealers i visited. upon searching this problem on the internet, i find it amazing of how many other people have the same problem. it cost $1265.00 to replace the unit not including labor cost. i believe that this is fatigue on that piece of metal. ford should be made aware of this as a defective product and a recall should take place. *tr | |||
| 12/29/2007 | 107123 | 1 | |
| Complainant has had difficulty shifting into park since the vehicle was purchased used in december 2007. december 2008 just after christmas vehicle rolled backwards down a slight inclined driveway. the complainant parked the vehicle and was in the home for approximately 35-45 minutes when the complainants wife asked where was the vehicle why wasn't it in the driveway. the consumer went outside and found the vehicle rolled backwards down the driveway and came to rest in the yard (grass). the complainant also noted and additional incident where the vehicle stalled and the complainant could not get the vehicle in park. *tr | |||
| 02/28/2009 | 90000 | 1 | |
| Gear shift broke off the steering column of my 2002 ford explorer. truck was rendered inoperable, but could have the potential of being stuck in gear if the shift breaks off at anything other than park or neutral. *tr | |||
| 02/12/2009 | 165000 | 1 | |
| As i was putting my 2002 ford explorer in reverse the shift handle broke off the steering column and is now just hanging by the cruise control wiring. unlike other explorer owners i was lucky enough to get stuck on park and not drive or reverse where there's a potential of someone getting hurt. as many others have stated before me, this is obviously a manufacturer's defect which if not taken seriously will eventually lead to injuries and/or deaths. please don't wait until reports start coming in with numbers other than zeros on the number of deaths & number of persons injured fields for you to hold ford accountable for their actions. thank you. *tr | |||
| 01/18/2009 | 88000 | 1 | |
| As i was putting my 2002 ford explorer in park the column shift handle came off in my hand. i could not move the vehicle. i had to have the entire steering column replaced. i have done research and this is not an unusual problem. in fact in some case it has happened more than once tot he same vehicle so there is no guaranteed permanent solution. this is a potentially dangerous situation and i think something should be done before some gets seriously injured or killed. some people's cars have been stuck in drive or reverse. i was lucky. my repair place told me this was the second ford lincoln mercury within a month they saw this happen in. the other vehicle was a mercury mountaineer. this is an unacceptable situation and you have many complaints on your site about this specific issue. i would some action taken now. it is not only inconvenient and expensive, it is dangerous. *tr | |||
| 12/07/2008 | 54000 | 1 | |
| After pulling into a parking lot, the gear shift lever fell off into my hands while trying to put the car into park. i was unable to drive the car; therefore, it needed to be towed to a ford dealer. the service technician said he had never seen this problem before and proceeded to tell me that i would need to have the entire steering column replaced. the estimate for this job was $1200. the technician located a used part and was able to replace the column for a few dollars cheaper. i was without a car for nine days. there were no previous indications that this problem would occur. the car (which is 6 years old) only has 50,000 miles on it. *tr | |||
| 06/18/2008 | 80000 | 1 | |
| As my wife was shifting from park to reverse in our 2002 eddie bauer ford explorer the gear shift prndl just fell off in her hand. ford dealership in asheville nc tells me there is a six(6) month back order for this part. after having to replace the transmission at 80,000 miles and replacing both rear clutch packs at 72,000 i was livid. six months to get a part????? are you kidding me. ford is lucky this thing didn't fall off while my wife was driving down the road. ford says we're sorry and we understand your frustration hogwash. where this goes from here i don't really know. they beat me down with their inaction and stalling and turned me against them all together. i finally found a part in texas from a junked explorer (no help from the dealership or manufacturer) and had it fixed for around $1500. the transmission bill came in at $2000 and the clutch packs came in at $800. all on a vehicle with less than 100,000 miles. *tr | |||
| 01/02/2005 | 68000 | 1 | |
| It started very early after buying the 2002 ford explorer...electrical prob..couldn't get veh started...100 miles away from home dealership....towed to closest ford dealership...fixed; or so we thought. same thing happened a week later. home dealership advised us that the other dealership installed the wrong part and it could have caused life-threatening problems....we contacted the other dealership and advised them what our home dealership said...of course the dealership denied this...anyway...home dealership installed new part...veh ok....then wheel bearings had to be replaced in front 1st left side-then right. (this was after the rear end was replaced) boy, was that a major fight with the home dealership! now! the transmission is gone!!!!! isn't there something we can do? ford has been using defective parts!!!!and now asking for government money???!!!!ford should be paying for this! *tr | |||
| 12/20/2008 | 132150 | 1 | |
| Gear shifter broke off steering column in 2002 ford explorer. when putting vehicle in park the gear shifter broke off, leaving the vehicle inoperable. it was towed to the dealer and then driven to our home. learned form internet search of at least 26 similar complaints regarding 2002 ford explorer automatic. *tr | |||
| 11/18/2008 | 85000 | 1 | |
| The gear shifter broke away from the steering column on my 2002 ford explorer. the shifter itself did not break, but rather a piece of metal attached to the column, requiring the entire steering column be replaced at $1100. the required cost to get your vehicle fixed is extreme and caused by a design flaw. i googled broken gear shift on '02 explorer and found an unlimited number of people who have experienced this same issue. ford clearly should recall this part and cover expenses incurred to repair their problem. this happened in my driveway, but the owners manual suggests switching gears while driving which could clearly be dangerous and possibly cause injury or death to the driver. *tr | |||
| 10/06/2008 | 78000 | 1 | |
| 2002 ford explorer shifter broke off in hand while at gas pump. the part that broke is what the shift handle connects to and is not replaceable. ford says i must purchase the entire steering column in the amount of $871.70. i have read all over the internet that thousands of other explorer owners have experience that same problem. ford list the part number. 3c529. *tr | |||
| 09/18/2008 | 57361 | 1 | |
| Shifter broke off. *tr | |||
| 09/30/2008 | 86000 | 1 | |
| Went to put my 2002 ford explorer in reverse and the shift level broke off from the steering column, leaving the vehicle unable to be driven. this apparently has happened to many others and the only repair is to replace the entire steering column which costs over $1,000. *tr | |||
| 09/15/2008 | 112000 | 1 | |
| Was putting vehicle into drive when gear shift broke off of steering column, later found that cheap aluminum connecting piece broke not the shift handle. *tr | |||
| 07/28/2008 | 100000 | 1 | |
| The steering wheel lever broke off my ford explorer 2002. this occurs often on ford explorers because it is made of aluminum. the repair is to change the whole steering column and that costs between $800-1300 dollars. *tr | |||
| 06/21/2008 | 113000 | 1 | |
| When attempting to shift from drive to park, the gear shift lever broke from the steering column, making it impossible to change gears. the engine remained running with it in drive. i turned the ignition off & it could not be restarted (ie, ignition/interlock system). the steering wheel wouldn't turn either. the entire steering column (not just small broken piece) had to be replaced (cost=$1372, $897 for parts). as of 7/2/08, 61 exactly the same incidents have been reported via complaints filed with nhtsa website. some vehicles complained about have experienced this part failure twice. these complaints have been filed under the components - steering: column, power train: automatic transmission, power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl), power train: automatic transmission: lever and linkage: column shift, steering: gear box (other than rack and pinion), steering: gear box: shaft sector, steering: wheel and handle bar, other or unknown this is an obvious design and/or mfg/material defect & it correlates (in many other complaints) with another defect - very difficult shifting of gear lever to or from ?park? & ?reverse?. 61 reported incidents of the parts failure are significant, but there are obviously far more than have been reported via nhtsa complaints. the defective gear shift part poses serious safety concerns. if the gear shift lever breaks while the vehicle is on a street or expressway (but stopped momentarily by necessity), the driver would be unable to change gears or push and/or steer it to safety, thereby creating a dangerous traffic situation with a high potential for bodily injury. nhtsa has more than adequate data to initiate a defect investigation & should immediately require ford to provide a full disclosure of the number of steering columns that it has sold as a result of this defect. i have the old steering column (and the broken piece) as well as several pictures of them. *tr | |||
| 06/20/2008 | 94000 | 1 | |
| The gear shift on my 2002 ford explorer broke off the steering column. there were no warning signs before this occurred. i was in the car with my 3 year old son & my wife who is 8 months pregnant. i pulled out of a driveway at a friend's house in reverse, when i proceeded to put the car in drive, the gear shift broke off the steering column. my car was stuck in the middle of the road on reverse. i had to turn of the engine to be able to push it out of harms way and could no longer turn it on because it was stuck on the reverse gear. i had to get the car towed to my house, find a mechanic that could help me because my car is no longer under warranty and then have it towed to the mechanic. the mechanic had to change the steering column because ford does not sell the single part to fix the gear shift, they only sell the entire column. the mechanic got me a good deal on the column and the total cost of the repair was $360 as opposed to the $850 that ford wanted to charge for the part. there is a database online of numerous ford explorer 2002 owners who have experienced the same problem. here is the link: http://www.carcomplaints.com/ford/explorer/2002/steering/gear_shift_broke_off.shtml this is a defect that threatens the safety of drivers and their families and should be addressed, recalled and the victims of this dilemma should be reimbursed by ford for their expenses. *tr | |||
| 05/13/2008 | 48752 | 1 | |
| Gear stick broke off in my hand when shifting to reverse in my 2002 ford explorer, it has not been repaired as it happened today, but will probably require a new steering column. *tr | |||
| 05/12/2008 | 86000 | 1 | |
| The gear shift lever broke away from the steering column when i tried to put it in park from drive. it just snapped very easy. the broke component is the piece that connects the lever to the rod and the whole steering column component had to be replace because the lever and rod is a single piece. *tr | |||
| 04/29/2008 | 61109 | 1 | |
| We are in the process of replacing the left rear outer tie rod and which the mechanic says displays excessive wear and movement. also replacing rear gas charged struts (displays excessive wear and movement), rear coil springs (bent, cracked, and loose), and rear strut mounts. $1100.00 on a car with 61109 miles on it. this vehicle is never used to haul or tow anything. we have trucks for that. i'm sick to see all of these complaints on the same problem - it can't be a coincidence. *tr | |||
| 12/15/2007 | 69000 | 1 | 02/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the shift gear detached from the steering column when being shifted out of park. in addition, the key would not turn. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. as of january 2, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the vin and engine size were unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 69,000. updated 01-29-08. *kb the consumer stated contacted ford customer relations several times and informed to bring to a ford dealership in turn ford informed the consumer there was nothing they could do due to the fact the vehicle's warranty had expired. updated 01/29/08 *tr | |||
| 05/31/2005 | 43000 | 5 | 03/14/2005 |
| At a complete stop vehicle surges (accelerates). have to place in neutral at standing stops to prevent an accident. driver's side power window switch failed, had replaced, also the window whines when rolling up. passenger's side power window regulator(cable) snapped?? when rear windows are down at a speed of 20 mph+ it sounds like a helicopter is in the back seat(actually physically hurts your ears!!!) <<< | |||
| 09/06/2005 | 58000 | 1 | 03/23/2002 |
| Dt: the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the rear bearing went out on 9-6-05. the consumer is unsure if it was on the right or the left. she did not hear a noise prior to this but reported that the vehicle felt sluggish. the contact said that the vehicle was not steering properly and it was pulling all over the road. she reported that steering was very sloppy and she could not control the vehicle. she called ford motor company and they took a complaint from her and said they would evaluate it within 3-5 days.*ak *mr | |||
| 11/01/2004 | 38456 | 1 | 10/17/2001 |
| Upon parking the vehicle and returning back to start it up lever which changed the gears broke inside the steering column. took vehicle to the dealer, and was told there was nothing they could do about it. *ak the key became stuck in the ignition and the shifter broke at the column because the steering shaft broke. *nm | |||
| 03/30/2004 | 60000 | 1 | |
| While driving 70 mph consumer lost control of the vehicle, dealer notified. *ak | |||
| 04/12/2003 | 19000 | 1 | 10/29/2002 |
| While pulling into parking space (right) in parking garage my explorer experienced a sudden accleration-at full throttle (snapping the steering wheel to the right) (extremely loud revving, whining and another sound like a bad belt screech all at the same time) before the crash. no brakes (pedal went to the floor). crashed into steel i-beam bending it and cracking concrete pillars. no airbag on impact. | |||
| 02/12/2002 | 10/29/2002 | ||
| While pulling into parking space (right) in parking garage my explorer experienced a sudden accleration-at full throttle (snapping the steering wheel to the right) (extremely loud revving, whining and another sound like a bad belt screech all at the same time) before the crash. no brakes (pedal went to the floor). crashed into steel i-beam bending it and cracking concrete pillars. no airbag on impact. | |||
| The owner states the truck veers side to side not keeping a straight direction. truck has been in the shop (8) times for problems with the front end or steering. the parts were replaced from the steering to a complete rack and pinion with defect not corrected. an engineer from ford has also inspected the truck and has determined that there is no problem. the dealership is insisting that the owner come pick the truck up in the same condition. please describe details. mr | |||
| 06/01/2002 | 05/01/2002 | ||
| Im complained that the steering was too sensitive. i swerved to avoid a tire in the road and lost control of the vehicel. took car to dealed who found no problem. days later i received a call from the dealer that they had a factory rep coming to test my car. (why if there is nothing wrong) the factory man said he road tested the car and put it on a lift. he found no problem that is the way a short wheel base should drive. fords big excuse was there is a sticker on the sun visor that reads avoid abrupt manouvers the rep even wrote on my service ticket that the lable was in place. the car can flip over but we told you so. i dont think this is safe and it is not right for ford to know they have another problem and wash it away with a lable. drive down a highway and tell me if you can avoid abrupt moves. how come airlines dont put stickers on the seats that this plane might fall from the sky. ford has a problem and the public will pay with their lives.*ak | |||
| 05/07/2002 | |||
| While traveling at 25 mph steering became impossible to turn in any direction. took to dealer, and they stated this was a known problem with a defective seal. consumer feels consumers lifes were put into danger because of a known problem. please provide any further information.*ak | |||
| 02/17/2002 | 1 | 01/01/2002 | |
| Ice and slush enter the door panels from under the vehicle causing, doors to freeze shut. *ak | |||
| 01/15/2002 | |||
| When driving steering will lock up for about 5 to 7 seconds. this happens intermittently. dealer contacted. please add vin. *ak | |||
| 09/21/2001 | 3 | 06/19/2001 | |
| While driving, consumer would hear popping noises coming from left front end. dealer checked and repaired steering column shaft. problem not resolved. took back to dealer and steering column assembly was replaced. however, problem was not resolved. took vehicle back again and left front wheel hub assembly was replaced. nothing solved the problem. mechanic could not resolve it. manufacturer is working on solution.*ak *jb | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN | |||
| 02/10/2010 | 89930 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while shifting into reverse, the gear shift broke off. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealership where the dealer repaired the steering column. the current and failure mileages were 89,930. | |||
| 04/15/2010 | 92000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the vehicle was parked when the gear shift suddenly broke off in the contacts hand and the vehicle became stuck between park and reverse. the vehicle was towed to his residence. the dealer informed the contact that the gear shift lever replacement kit would repair the failure or the steering column would have to be replaced. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who confirmed that the steering column needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was notified and did not offer any assistance. the vehicle had not been repaired when the complaint was filed. the vin was not available. the current and failure mileages were approximately 92,000. | |||
| 11/04/2009 | 1 | 06/01/2001 | |
| 2002 ford explorer ball crank broke*cw the consumer stated the ball crank broke when he attempted to shift from park to reverse. the consumer's mechanic made numerous calls in search of the part needed, only to discover the entire steering column had to be purchased at a cost of $1,395.00. *jb | |||
| 10/06/2009 | 80000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. when he attempted to turn the ignition switch, the steering column fractured. secondly, the rear lift-gates panel split in half. thirdly, the transmission intermittently slipped out of gear. none of the failures have been remedied. he previously filed a complaint. the failure and current mileages were 80,000. | |||
| 05/06/2009 | 1 | ||
| 2002 ford explorer gear shift lever broke when attempting to place truck in gear. i have heard through blogs that this is now becoming a common problem. my truck was placed in park with emergency brake on prior to shifting the lever into park, when i attempted to put the truck in reverse the lever snapped and i was unable to move the truck nor remove the key from the ignition. the tow truck driver showed me how to place the truck in drive manually underneath the truck in order to move the vehicle. this is not safe considering the fact that one is underneath a running vehicle and the probablity of being ran over is high. i would like to know if ford is being pressured in recalling this part considering the fact that the piece that breaks is not sold individual, the customer is obligated to buy a complete steering column just to obtain the piece that breaks. *tr | |||
| 06/07/2008 | 93000 | 1 | |
| My steering column shifter broke while trying to put the vehicle in park. it was stuck in reverse so i had to take the column apart and figure how to change gears and get my keys out. found out this has happened to numerous people with this steering column/gear shift. why make two things that have nothing to do with each other be together on the same hardware is beyond me. this part should've been bolted on so it can be replaced easily. *tr | |||
| 04/10/2008 | 75182 | 1 | 08/08/2003 |
| I went to put my 2002 ford explorer into park and the gear shift broke off. i had to call a wrecker and had the vehicle towed to my mechanic. the total cost was $1100 because the entire steering column had to be replaced. this appears to be a defect in the metal based on the broken part and also poor design that you have to replace the entire steering column for. *tr | |||
| 08/22/2007 | 150000 | 2 | 08/07/2006 |
| Shifter broke from the steering column when my truck was in park and i went to put it in reverse and it snapped. after only six months and one week it happened again on 03-04-2008. *tr | |||
| 12/04/2007 | 75000 | 1 | 08/15/2002 |
| I was leaving work..cranked my car and went to shift from park into reverse and the gear shift leaver broke loose from the steering column. it was just flopping around. i called my dealership and they sent a tow truck since i couldn't shift into gear and drive it. i also could not get the key from the ignition since the car couldn't tell it was in park. the tow truck driver said in 20 years he had never seen anything like it. this morning the service department at my dealership said you sure exerted a lot of force on the shift handle because you broke the steering column. i exerted no force...it was very easy. and my comment to the service coordinator was i'm a 60 year old woman...i couldn't possible exert enough force to break the steering column!. they are now telling me it will cost in excess of $1700.00 to fix it and they can't tell me how long it will take because we don't stock steering columns, and since you used enough force to break it, we have to have one shipped in. when we know how long it will take to get the part, we'll tell you when you can get your car back. *tr | |||
| 09/24/2007 | 61296 | 1 | 10/30/2001 |
| My wife was starting the vehicle and attempted to shift into drive when the gear shifter broke off. had vehicle towed to repair shop where mechanic stated that he had never seen this before. he attempted to find parts but ford had no parts nationwide to repair due to change in manufacturers. must have been a defect with the original manufacturer which forced them to find a new manufacturer for this part. had to replace entire steering column assembly. took over 1 month to get part and cost over $900 to repair. *tr | |||
| 10/02/2007 | 1 | 09/11/2001 | |
| Gear shift mechanisms broke apart and seperated from the steering column leaving the vehicle in park position. towed to dealer. part not available for 1 month. previously had vehicle to dealer stating there was a noise emanating form the steering column. could not find anything. am told the part is $700 + and $200+ to install. my contention is this was a faulty part. if this happened while driving, it could have deployed the air bag causing a serious accident. even the dealer has never heard of the mechanisms breaking apart as this one did. *tr | |||
| 06/25/2007 | 99310 | 1 | 09/21/2002 |
| Gear shift broke while engine was running and vehicle was in park. key could not be removed. could this occur while vehicle is moving? replacement of entire gear shift was required. old gear shift assembly has been kept for future reference.*ak | |||
| 06/11/2007 | 76527 | 1 | 02/06/2005 |
| My wife was going to work on 6/12/07 when she arrived in the parking lot. she went to put the vehicle into park when the column shifter broke off in her hands. she was not able to take the key out of the ignition. i dismantled the steering column and found that a metal piece had sheered off that attaches the shift lever to the upper steering column. this piece of metal is made out of pot metal and is of a poor quality design. the truck is sitting in my driveway as we do not have $500 to buy another steering column. this poses a safety risk in the fact that a parent could get stranded with kids and could put them in danger by not allowing the key to be removed. | |||
| 01/20/2007 | 75000 | 3 | |
| The middle panel under the glass in the back of the car has cracked. i suspect it was due to cold weather. i have since seen other explorers with this problem and notice that there are a lot of complaints online about this. in addition, this past summer my shifter snapped off the barrel. i had 4 kids in the car at the time. ford responded by telling me that i had 75k miles and no warranty and i didn't typically get my car serviced there so they weren't going to be willing to work with me to get it resolved. when i told him i had my 'regular' mechanic look at it he said that the labor rate was probably cheaper with him than at ford. well - now tell me why i would service my car at a ford dealership? oh yeah...in case i get cracks or shifters fall off and maybe they'll 'work with me' on the price. big incentive. oh yeah, my fuel gauge doesn't work - another common problem. my previous explorer (about 10 years back) had the same problem . the guy up the street has an explorer (2003) and it doesn't work either. *jb | |||
| 07/30/2006 | 1 | 09/01/2003 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated the steering column handle fractured and detached. before it fractured, the steering handle seemed to have a clicking sound in it. this incident occurred when the vehicle was nearly parked therefore the contact was able to avoid any accidents. the steering handle was replaced. updated 09/13/06. *jb | |||
| 02/14/2006 | 2 | 06/09/2002 | |
| Steering column jammed twice. first time under the warranty, then 1 year later not covered by warranty. father has same vehicle make and model year, he had two put in his also. rear end went. had to replace two axles already. *jb | |||
| 06/11/2005 | 41187 | 1 | 05/18/2001 |
| Dt*: the contact stated the gear shift detached from the column while trying to put the vehicle in drive. there were no warning indicators prior to the problem. the vehicle was towed to the dealer who replaced the entire steering column. the manufacturer was also alerted of the problem. after the steering column was replaced the key would not fit in the ignition properly and the vehicle has been returned to the dealer for inspection today. | |||
| 05/18/2006 | 72010 | 1 | 02/28/2004 |
| Tried to put the vehicle into reverse from park and the column shifter broke off. vehicle could not be driven and was towed to a transmission business. cost to repair is $1300. i bought this vehicle in 2004 used. i've had the rear transmission seals, shocks, tires, front window and the entire steering column replaced. *jb | |||
| 03/04/2006 | 1 | 03/10/2002 | |
| Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked the contact attempted to put the vehicle shifter into the drive position however, the steering column completely fell apart. the vehicle was driven home and then to an independent repair shop and repairs have been made. | |||
| 02/14/2006 | 1 | ||
| Backed my 2002 ford explorer out of the garage and put it in park for a moment and went to put the car in drive and the gear shifter broke off. the steering column had to be dismantled to allow for towing and mechanic having trouble getting the parts to fix it. *nm | |||
| 04/11/2005 | 78666 | 1 | 11/11/2003 |
| Began backing out of garage but noticed door ajar light on; a frequent occurrence in this car, and light doesn't indicate which door is the problem. so, finished backing car out of garage and parked it in driveway, placing car in park and applying emergency brake. left car running. exited car, left driver door open, and had some time to stand, turn around and look at back door behind driver's side first. determined it was closed by visual check. began to move toward rear of car to check hatch next (hatch problematic; had it fixed after bought the car then it was just recently recalled again. but much to my shock the car slipped out of park and ran over me. tried to dive out of way; car ran over me at both knees. suffered crush injury. had car examined; forensic specialist thought it was a design flaw with lots of gap in steering column between reverse and park and some play in where it would groove in. *jb *nm | |||
| 01/10/2005 | 1 | ||
| Steering column broke while driving. consumer applied the brakes, and the pedal went to the floor. consumer lost control of the vehicle, and it crashed into a guard rail. upon impact, both air bags failed to deploy. driver sustained minor injuries, and went to the doctor on her own. vehicle was towed, and totaled out by the insurance company.*ak | |||
| 12/23/2004 | 73000 | 1 | 12/12/2002 |
| When shifting from drive to park column shift lever would get stuck. upon a stalling ,, when shifting from drive into park to restart the car, column shift lever broke off resulting in being unable use the vehicle while in a parking lot at night with small children in the car. vehicle towed to dealer, where we were told the whole steering column needed to be replaced at an estimate of $747.00 for a three year old vehicle.*ak | |||
| STEERING - COLUMN LOCKING - ANTI-THEFT DEVICE | |||
| 08/24/2002 | 16000 | 3 | 05/10/2001 |
| When towing vehicle in recommended towing mode, steering wheel locking mechanism will randomly engage, locking the wheels of the towed vehicle. if this occurs right after a turn, locked wheels will pull towed vehicle to the direction that wheels locked in.*ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION) | |||
| 12/15/2007 | 69000 | 1 | 02/01/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the shift gear detached from the steering column when being shifted out of park. in addition, the key would not turn. the vehicle was towed to the dealer and they stated that the steering column needed to be replaced. as of january 2, 2008, the dealer had not repaired the vehicle. the vin and engine size were unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 69,000. updated 01-29-08. *kb the consumer stated contacted ford customer relations several times and informed to bring to a ford dealership in turn ford informed the consumer there was nothing they could do due to the fact the vehicle's warranty had expired. updated 01/29/08 *tr | |||
| 10/02/2007 | 90600 | 1 | |
| Pulling out of a neighbor's driveway, my shift rod cracked off and dangled, leaving the truck immobile. nothing had preceded this. due to towing fees, i contacted a local mechanic who was able to bring it to his shop, a mile away, vs. to ford, which would have required a $200 flatbed tow. this provider tried for 3 weeks to get a part, # 5l2c36529a, told that ford had 1300 vehicles with this issue. if this had happened on the street, there would have been an accident. several calls to ford and local dealerships have been not only unproductive but fruitless and demeaning. we are concerned for others that have this same issue, which ford (which i have always been loyal to prior to now) has gone out of its way to deny, are going to be endangered and would like a recall investigation, please! *tr | |||
| 08/28/2001 | 08/01/2001 | ||
| The vehicle has been in the service dept 3 times since purchase on 8/01. upper & lower steering shaft has been replaced on 9/14/01. the front end rattles when i am operating the vehicle over normal terrain. steering wheel has a popping feel when i go over a bump or turn right, feels like th e car is going out of control (at slow speed). the vehicle will be back at ford on 12/6/01 for further testing to detect/correct these problems. after looking at your website, i have discovered similar complaints exist. i will take copies with me to the dealership supervisor today.*ak | |||
| STEERING - GEAR BOX - SHAFT SECTOR | |||
| 10/02/2007 | 90600 | 1 | |
| Pulling out of a neighbor's driveway, my shift rod cracked off and dangled, leaving the truck immobile. nothing had preceded this. due to towing fees, i contacted a local mechanic who was able to bring it to his shop, a mile away, vs. to ford, which would have required a $200 flatbed tow. this provider tried for 3 weeks to get a part, # 5l2c36529a, told that ford had 1300 vehicles with this issue. if this had happened on the street, there would have been an accident. several calls to ford and local dealerships have been not only unproductive but fruitless and demeaning. we are concerned for others that have this same issue, which ford (which i have always been loyal to prior to now) has gone out of its way to deny, are going to be endangered and would like a recall investigation, please! *tr | |||
| 08/11/2004 | 64000 | ||
| The gear is defective, it comes out of park on its own and it is hard to get it into park. | |||
| STEERING - HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | |||
| 07/21/2006 | 40000 | 1 | |
| Persistent quality problems: engine, transmission, power steering, air compressor, and related safety hazards such as defective rear hinge. *nm | |||
| 12/26/2004 | 1 | ||
| 2002 ford explorer rollover incident on 12/26/2004 resulted in the death of my stepson.*ak | |||
| 08/22/2003 | 2 | 08/27/2002 | |
| Consumer stated that while making a left turn he heard a loud humming noise and had difficulty turning vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and the technician indicated that the power steering rod failed. this problem occurred in july. in august the consumer made a turn and the vehicle shut off in the middle of an intersection which caused the steering wheel to lock up. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. the glass in the rear hatch rattled. the vehicle was purchased new and the consumer believes it should not be experiencing these types of problems. *ak *nlm | |||
| 05/01/2002 | |||
| Driving on highway 70 mph swerved to avoid a tire in road car over steers, you must turn back the opposite way then you are out of control in that direction. any sudden manuver you are out of control. i took the truck to ford service they said you have a short wheel base, that will get your attention*ak | |||
| STEERING - LINKAGES - TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | |||
| 05/01/2008 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Needed lower tierod ends replaced and it was discovered that both rear coil springs were rusted and broken. *tr | |||
| 03/28/2007 | 79000 | 1 | 02/10/2004 |
| My ford explorer lost control while on the highway. while changing lanes the vehicle would not straighten. the truck fishtailed several time before spinning out. vehicles crashed into retaining wall. tie rod was broken on the driver's side.*ak | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION | |||
| 02/06/2008 | 178000 | 2 | 08/24/2002 |
| Ford explorer 2002 clutch pack in rear diff went out causing rack and pinion to go out. ford dealer states this is a common problem with this year. had rear diff rebuilt by dealership with ford parts and 24,000 miles later the dealership says it needs replaced again. at $1300 to over $1500 each time this is crazy and neither ford nor the dealership will assist in the cost. after calling ford customer service my aggravation increased because they refused to acknowledge that this is a problem. now same problem on our 03 expedition. if the diff locks up i can only imagine what will happen. *tr | |||
| 06/13/2004 | 500 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that the differential failed on his vehicle. the component was replaced in july of 2004. the gears in the differential were wearing out quickly and the differential began to leak fluids out of the pinion seal. the contact heard a howling and groaning sound while driving the vehicle 55 mph. he stated that the gear shift lever locked up on many occasions. the four-wheel drive also locked up in april of 2007 while making a u-turn. the purchase date and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage was 67,200. the consumer provided repair invoices pertaining to the defect. updated 09/05/07 *tr | |||
| 03/09/2007 | 960000 | 100 | 03/01/2002 |
| Car started making humming noise when going 30-45 mph, took to a mechanic who ref me to the dealership to check the transmission and then for transmission flush, still the same issue, i was advised that the tires needed to be replaced, i have 4x4 which requires the same 4 tires or the car will jerk. the brake pedal vibrates, and the 4x4 gauge doesn't work, replaced the component and still the same issue. any who to make a long story short, now i am hearing a clinking and rubbery sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. i am now forced to take the car in... and of course be charged a ridiculous fee, for them to run diagnostics on the truck to diagnose the issue, and then of course pay for parts and labor.... my next car will be a foreign car.. they break down less, and the cost of maintenance and equivalent or less then the cost of maintaining a good ole' american made ford vehicle. (lexus, kia, and i believe either mazda or toyota are owned by ford.. so steer clear of those brands). timeline reflects the latest issue, and the amount of previous problems.. amount to many. *jb | |||
| 12/21/2006 | 60000 | 3 | 12/01/2001 |
| I have a 2002 ford explorer with 102,000 mile on it. for the past 3 years, once a year, i've had to have the rear end worked on. this last week it started making a whining noise again. i took it in to the dealership this morning and they stated that the ring and pinion needed to be replaced along with the bearings. i just had all that done 11 months ago. they say the warranty is out on it by 4k miles. again, this is the third time i've had this problem. every year it seems i have to spend $1500+ on the same issues. after much research, i see that this is a recurring problem in the 2002 ford explorers. *nm | |||
| 05/15/2003 | 27078 | 5 | 08/12/2002 |
| Abs light came on at 19,518 miles, 22,071 miles, and 27,078 miles. more importantly, however, are my issues with the 2002 explorer rear end. 10/1/03: 27,078 miles abs light came on, the dealer replaced the assembly. rear differential was leaking, dealer replaced the seals. 7/28/04: 40,541 miles rear end leaking again. half shafts were worn. rear locking diff was slipping. the dealer had to replace both halfshafts, seals, and clutch packs. 9/22/04: 43,203 miles rear axle chattering. replaced whole rear axle assembly. 2/25/05: 54,960 miles rear diff making more noise. left rear axle bearing was noisy. replaced left rear axle hub and assembly. on test drive, the dealer found that the bearing they just installed was bad, so they had to replace it again. 8/11/05: 68,000 miles leaking fluid from rear end. the dealer performed the following maintenance: replaced diff seals, replaced timing chain, replaced right front hub assembly, replaced ring and pinion, replaced front end tie rods, replaced both lower ball joints, performed front end alignment. all told, i have had my explorer in the shop at least 10 times. my warranty is about to expire (7,000 more miles) and i'm going to try to get ford to buy the vehicle back. from what i've heard, this is not an easy process and apparently doesn't happen often with such 'high mileage' vehicles. if they don't buy it back i will be forced to take a huge loss on the vehicle. i will then purchase anything but a ford. *jb | |||
| 01/01/1901 | 1 | ||
| Consumer's wife felt that vehicle was veering to her right. dealership found out that pinion bolt was missing.(nar) *la | |||
| The owner states the truck veers side to side not keeping a straight direction. truck has been in the shop (8) times for problems with the front end or steering. the parts were replaced from the steering to a complete rack and pinion with defect not corrected. an engineer from ford has also inspected the truck and has determined that there is no problem. the dealership is insisting that the owner come pick the truck up in the same condition. please describe details. mr | |||
| STEERING - RACK AND PINION - PINION SHAFT | |||
| 03/01/2007 | 1 | 03/01/2006 | |
| Defective rack and pinion box on 2002 ford explorer limited with 43k miles - has anyone had any problems with their same year explorer with the rack and pinion and/or any success with ford fixing the problem? *jb | |||
| STEERING - WHEEL AND HANDLE BAR | |||
| 09/07/2007 | 75000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated he noticed that the front tires were wearing excessively. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the front passenger coil spring was fractured, causing the excessive tread wear. the vehicle was not repaired. both rear coil springs also fractured since the failure occurred. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 96,000. the vin was unavailable. rvk | |||
| 09/07/2007 | 75000 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. the contact stated that while parked, he noticed that the front tires were wearing excessively. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer and the contact was informed that the front passenger coil spring was fractured, causing the excessive tread wear. the vehicle was not repaired. both rear coil springs fractured since the failure. the vehicle was never repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but offered no assistance. the failure mileage was 75,000 and the current mileage was 96,000. the vin was unavailable. sm. | |||
| 02/15/2007 | 51000 | ||
| Read strut springs fail and crack. this issue has been reported in the past and many owners have experienced the same issue. this has happened on both the rear driver and passenger side of the vehicle. ford has been notified many times with no response. i have been doing a lot of research into this issue, and realized that hundreds of owners ar claiming the same problem. | |||
| 01/30/2011 | 121000 | ||
| I took my car to a local repair shop to have the front & rear struts replaced. they found that all of the springs were broken. about 1/2 to 3/4 of the top coil had separated from the rest of the spring. | |||
| 01/17/2011 | 63500 | ||
| While inspecting the left, rear wheel bearing a broken spring was found. it was determined that the wheel bearing was also in a stage of failure. a load noise like the vehicle had truck tires was coming from the rear. the spring was fractured at the top in multiple places and partially collapsed | |||
| 07/22/2002 | 1 | ||
| Consumer states while driving the steering wheel locked and vehicle stalled. consumer is not able to unlock steering wheel and vehicle will not start.*jb | |||
| 09/01/2001 | |||
| This vehicle has been in the service department 3 times since september 2001. the steering column has been replaced, the wheel bearings have been replaced(this was suppose to eliminate steering column rattle) and the lower control arm has been replaced. i still hear and feel a metallic rattle coming from the steering column. in my review of your website other 2002 explorer owners are experincing the same problem. i have talked to at least three other owners that have the same problem. my dealer has done everything recommended by ford, but nothing has solved the problem. ford is working on it. they have been working on it since september 2001. my safety concern is this. if something is loose that is causing this noise it has to be progressing. what will happen after more mileage builds on this vehicle? will i be driving down the highway one day and lose control due to steering failure? there is to much smoke here for that not to be fire sooner of later by my explorer or some other owner. how long does it take for a company the size of ford to solve a problem?*ak | |||
| 05/29/2001 | 0 | ||
| There is a noise that sounds like something is loose in steering column. made an appointment with dealer , and dealer refused to fix vehicle because it was not purchased there. *ak | |||