Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||||
| 17172 | 11/01/2002 | 16394 | 10004065 | Vibration/moan condition while driving at highway speeds (75-80 mph) on 4x4 vehicles equipped with a 4.10 axle ratio. 2004 sport trac included. *tt *mj | 11/17/2003 |
| 0282 | 04/29/2002 | 637922 | Some vehicles built prior to 9/15/2001 may exhibit low line pressure readings while in drive, no 2nd gear, no 3rd gear, no engine braking in manual 1st and slipping shifts and / or delayed engagements. *tt | 12/09/2002 | |
| 0283 | 04/29/2002 | 637924 | Some vehicles equipped with a 2.3l, 3.0l or 4.0l engine and 5r44e or 5r55e automatic transmission may exhibit a fluid leak at the transmission servo covers in cold climates. *tt | 12/09/2002 | |
| 15861 | 05/01/2002 | 637715 | Subject regarding rear transmission extension housing oil seal leaks. *tt | 12/04/2002 | |
| 15887 | 05/01/2002 | 637755 | Some vehicles may exhibit a no 1-2 upshift, no 2-3 upshift, a no engine braking condition in manual 1 or diagnostic trouble code p0732 (gear 2 incorrect ratio) or p0733 (gear 3 incorrect ratio). *tt | 12/04/2002 | |
| 0258 | 11/25/2002 | 02234 | 636052 | Inoperative or inacurrate speedometer, 4x4 lamp illuminatd, and / or diagnostic trouble code p1635 or p1639. *tt | 11/04/2002 |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 02222 | 11/11/2002 | 10008305 | Noise-gear whine noise in 1st and 2nd gear only-vehicles equipped with 5r55e transmission and 4.0l engine only. *mj | 07/27/2004 | |
| 15785 | 04/01/2002 | 637478 | Some vehicles equipped with 5r55e/5r44e transmission may exhibit a whine noise in 1st gear that goes away after the 1-2 or 1-3 shift is completed. *tt | 11/26/2002 | |
| 16038 | 07/01/2002 | 636233 | Some vehicles equipped with a 5r55e automatic transmission may exhibit a gear whine type noise in 1st and / or 2nd gears only. *tt | 11/06/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - CONTROL MODULE (TCM, PCM) | |||||
| 042107 | 12/13/2004 | 042414 | 10014086 | General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt | 04/28/2005 |
| 04217 | 11/01/2004 | 10013369 | General power train control module (pcm) programming procedures. *tt | 04/15/2005 | |
| 16396 | 11/01/2002 | 10008329 | No start/no communication-contact request. *mj | 07/27/2004 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - COOLING UNIT AND LINES | |||||
| 03148 | 07/21/2003 | 10003748 | New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included. *tt | 10/29/2003 | |
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 030508 | 04/01/2005 | 05620 | 10017891 | Front axle leaks fluid from vent tube - vehicles equipped with 4x4 or awd. *tt | 12/06/2005 |
| 0358 | 03/17/2003 | 10001922 | Fluid may leak out of the front axle vent tube. *tt *jb | 07/25/2003 | |
| 0242 | 03/04/2002 | 636056 | Certain vehicles with 4x4 or all-wheel drive may have a fluid leak from the front axle vent tube. *tt | 11/04/2002 | |
| 0186 | 04/30/2001 | 619276 | On some vehicles, including sport and sport trac, the front axle leaks fluid from the vent tube. *tt | 05/22/2001 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||||
| 16113 | 08/01/2002 | 636135 | Some vehicles built after 03/04/2002 and equiped with a manual transmission may exhibit a hard to shift condition. *tt | 11/05/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY - PEDAL/LINKAGE | |||||
| 15869 | 05/01/2002 | 637726 | Some vehicles may exhibit an intermittent soft clutch pedal which may cause difficulty in shifting gears (a notchy feel). *tt | 12/04/2002 | |
| 15689 | 03/01/2002 | 636324 | Some vehicles may exhibit either a very hard or very soft clutch pedal feel. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||||
| 02138 | 11/10/2003 | 032210 | 635998 | Low line pressure reading at wide open throttle (wot), slipping shifts and / or delayed engagements with possible diagnostic trouble codes p0732, p0733, p1762 set on vehicles built before 12/1/2001. *tt | 11/04/2002 |
| 15382 | 11/01/2001 | 630393 | Some vehicles may exhibit either a very hard or very soft clutch pedal feel, and/or a difficulty in shifting gears. *tt | 04/16/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | |||
| 12/23/2011 | 52120 | ||
| The body mounts have deteriorated to a point that they are crumbling and are not supporting the frame to the body and need to be replaced for safety reasons. the transmission failed without any warning and had to be rebuilt. neither of these problems should exist on a vehicle that is well maintained and has only 52,000 miles. these problems appear to be common with this vehicle and need to be addressed by ford. | |||
| 07/28/2009 | 1 | ||
| Malfunction with 4x4 high and low settings. it initiates itself from auto setting causing difficulty making turns and may ultimately cause significant transfer case/transmission damage (as i am told). *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | |||
| 04/30/2007 | 78000 | ||
| I never have any warning before my transmission slips while driving my 2002 ford explorer sport trac. my transmission slips when it shifts from 2nd gear into 3rd gear, after the transmission slips my od dash light begins flashing; this problem has been happening since the first month i that i have owned (april 2007, with 77,000 miles). i have attempted to get the dealership to diagnose the problem, but they will not touch it unless i paid $195. i cannot afford to have that done unless the cost goes towards a repair. i have researched this problem on the internet and i found numerous complaints about this transmission issue happening. | |||
| 01/24/2010 | |||
| O/d light flashing. now i have to fix the transmission. read all the comp. and looks like everyone is having this problem. i totally agree that ford should recall the explorers. it has cause a lot of trouble and money to a lot of people. please help. if transm. locks it could cause a major accident. | |||
| 02/07/2010 | 103000 | 1 | |
| Multiple defects with the transmission and the drive train cause the vehicle to stop operating causing a huge safety risk to the driver and passengers. i have read online that this is a huge issue with this make and model and ford refuses to issue a recall. *tr | |||
| 12/02/2009 | 113000 | 1 | |
| O/d light flashing on my 2002 ford explorer sport trac. *tr | |||
| 11/23/2009 | 65000 | 1 | |
| Vehicle hangs up in park almost every time it is used; very difficult to get it into a drive or reverse gear; generally must be turned off and restarted in n to get moving again. *tr | |||
| 01/26/2009 | 37426 | 1 | |
| The last few months the vehicle has been sluggish in power and shifting at the wrong times. we brought it into the ford dealership. we had them do a transmission flush since it was time, the vehicle had 37,000 miles. the dealership didn't know what was wrong with the transmission. they could hear and feel the problem but could not give us any answers. i picked up the vehicle after having the flush done. on the way home the overdrive light started flashing. this was new. i turned it around and brought it right back. after 2 weeks of going around with them, they finally find metal shavings inside the transmission and tell us we need a new transmission! this is a weekend car with only 37,000 miles on it. this is unacceptable! i contacted ford directly they said they would look into if there was any program out there for us. now again 2 week later i spoke to the ford service manager and he said that he is unaware of any program that can help us. he said there was a program where ford was repairing the transmissions as a good faith repair but that ended last year. now i am stuck having to pay $4000 to replace my transmission on a practically new vehicle. *tr | |||
| 01/14/2009 | 116972 | 1 | |
| While pulling onto a busy hwy. in eastern utah my transmission without warning just started slipping and i had to quickly manually down shift the automatic and hope that it would go to avoid getting broad sided by a semi that was bearing down on me. when i got to a place that was safe i stopped and found that 1st and reverse gears were gone. *tr | |||
| 12/01/2008 | 69000 | 1 | |
| I am having problems with my 2002 ford explorer sport trac transmission and am being told that it needs to be replace at a cost of 3200.00 of which i can not afford right now as i live on a fixed income, there is a known problem with this transmission that ford motor company will not address.... please make ford fix this problem i need my car to get to work. *tr | |||
| 08/15/2007 | 148000 | ||
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford explorer sport trac. while driving 45 mph, the contact noticed that the transmission switched to a lower gear. in addition, the overdrive light illuminated. the contact noticed that the vehicle would lose control slightly when the failure occurred. the failure occurs everytime the vehicle is driven. the vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. the vin was unknown. the current mileage was 150,000 and failure mileage was 148,000. | |||
| 06/03/2008 | 1 | ||
| Bought my 02 sport trac in 04. it had transmission fluid leak repaired by original owner at (20,000 miles) in 03. in 05, at 55,000 miles, transmission fluid leaking in original location plus another. repaired by ford and i was allowed a po5 payment program. after 15,000 miles from this repair, transmission fluid again leaking. torque converter replaced, along with repair to seals. ford district manager refused telephone contact to discuss. ford refused accepting responsibility, including financial assistance. transmission on this trac now has been pulled three times after four fluid leaks. i am still making payments on last repair. local ford dealer, upset with my agitation, informed me that at now 70,000 miles, i should expect the need for repairs! ha! *tr | |||
| 06/04/2006 | 72000 | 10 | 02/10/2002 |
| Transmission fails to act on acceleration into traffic, there is a delay in speed pick up which can cause a near rear end collision with other vehicles. not sure if it is the on board computer or a failure of the low pressure seals as discussed with car dealership. *jb | |||
| 08/13/2004 | 50555 | 1 | 01/12/2002 |
| 2002 ford explorer sport trac with just 51,000 miles had continuous problems with breaks, rear-end seals and finally needed a new transmission. since it was out of warranty by mileage, we had to replace it ourselves. in talking with several mechanics, both at dealerships and independent, they made comments in reference to the fact that they were seeing this frequently. we emailed the ford corporation and they still have not responded. *nm | |||
| 01/07/2004 | 39000 | 3 | 03/08/2003 |
| I purchased my 2002 explorer sport trac in march last year(2003). i had to wait and extra week to pick up my vehicle due to electrical problem that they swore to me was taken care of. in january 2004 my check engine light came on so i called my closest ford dealership and they told me it would take 2 weeks for me to get an appointment to have my truck checked. three days later my transmission blew. i called ford customer relations and they said that it was not a problem and that i would have to pay to have my truck fixed. three weeks and $2600.00 later i got my truck back. now the check engine light is still on and my 4 wheel drive does not work. i called aamco(the place ford referred me too), and they told me that it was not the transmission but now an electrical problem that i would need to take to the dealership to have fixed but i would have to pay to have that fixed as well. my truck had 39,000 miles and was less than 2 years old and ford is stating that they are refusing to fix anything for free. i have seen all kinds of reports of electrical and engine problems with this year and model truck and i do not agree with this. | |||
| 09/06/2003 | 28665 | 1 | 03/05/2002 |
| I am very concerned about my 2002 ford explorer sporttrac. i bought it with 1600 miles on it already in march 2002. on 9/6/03, i had it towed in for a continuous reving between 1&2 and black smoke coming out of the tail pipe. the truck had already been stalling during the previous months whenever i wanted to speed up. ford had my truck for about 2 1/2 weeks, replaced my transmission from the factory. the service man told me they had to send for yet another transmission - that even ford was stumped with the problem so just sent them another transmission. i got my truck back and it worked fine. then, the stalling started happening periodically again and again. i took it in again - they said they could not find a problem. i complain about it every time i take it in for servicing. i also complain about the constant front passenger wind noise; they initially said there were leaks and even though i still complain, they now say there isn't a problem. i asked about the lemon law and the salesman who sold me the truck (i bought it in another city) told me the same exact problem has to happen 5 times. i am not happy with this situation. what can i do? i have now read other instances in this web site that other people have experienced the same thing. my truck now has almost 32,856 miles on it. i responded '0' to 'number of failures' - i don't know what is meant by this question. yes, my transmission failed.*ak | |||
| 08/20/2003 | 19000 | 3 | |
| Bought from dealer, used with 15000 miles. after 300 miles had to have transmission rebuilt (tranny warning light and vibration under acceleration, upshift 1st to 2nd or 2nd to 3rd). only happened occasionally. three weeks after rebuild noticed vibration at slow speeds, but could not replicate on demand. dealer could not repeat vibration and returned it with no action. one week later transmission warning light illuminated on 2 different days. taken to dealer for evaluation today. i'm concerned that there may be an inherent problem with the transmission | |||
| 02/15/2003 | 18 | 11/21/2000 | |
| I own a 2002 sport trac, at about 46000 miles mi transmission started to miss shifts from 2nd to 3rd gear, it took about 3 to 4 seconds for the transmission to get into the next gear, so i took it to the dealer where i usually have the truck serviced thinking that it just needed a fluid check due to the fact they performed a transmission fluid change at about 30000. when i went back to the dealer i was advised that the transmission had a problem on the fluid lines and the transmission had to be taken out to be rebuilt, so i asked why was this happening and they stated that there was a problem with the gaskets been worn out inside the transmission. but they couldn't specify if this was a factory problem or a owner abuse problem, so when i asked if there was a transmission recall by the manufacturer (ford) on this type of trucks the answer was no. then i was advised that my truck was out of factory warranty which is 3 years or 36000 miles and if i wanted to have the job done it had to be self financed, so i asked for an estimate which was about 18 hours labor @ $100 p/h and $500 in parts totaling $2300 and finally after calling ford and complaining about this $30000 truck having a faulty transmission and getting a your truck is out of warranty, and we don't have any other trucks with the same problem i finally paid the repairs out of my pocket which i personally think should not be happening on a almost brand new truck. *jb | |||
| 10/10/2001 | 20 | ||
| Vehicle stalls mostly when shifting from 3rd to 2nd gear. vehicle has stalled at least 20 times, taken to dealer 8 times. dealer could not remedy, ford was buying vehicle back.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - TORQUE CONVERTER | |||
| 01/07/2004 | 39000 | 3 | 03/08/2003 |
| I purchased my 2002 explorer sport trac in march last year(2003). i had to wait and extra week to pick up my vehicle due to electrical problem that they swore to me was taken care of. in january 2004 my check engine light came on so i called my closest ford dealership and they told me it would take 2 weeks for me to get an appointment to have my truck checked. three days later my transmission blew. i called ford customer relations and they said that it was not a problem and that i would have to pay to have my truck fixed. three weeks and $2600.00 later i got my truck back. now the check engine light is still on and my 4 wheel drive does not work. i called aamco(the place ford referred me too), and they told me that it was not the transmission but now an electrical problem that i would need to take to the dealership to have fixed but i would have to pay to have that fixed as well. my truck had 39,000 miles and was less than 2 years old and ford is stating that they are refusing to fix anything for free. i have seen all kinds of reports of electrical and engine problems with this year and model truck and i do not agree with this. | |||
| POWER TRAIN - AXLE ASSEMBLY | |||
| 01/06/2003 | 500 | 15 | 12/23/2002 |
| I purchased a ford explorer sport trac in dec. 2002. i have been in and out of the service department a number of times. the following is a list of items that i've had repaired under warranty: 1.) front brakes: a loud rubbing/griding sound became increasingly louder. the first time the service dept. folks said that it was normal. the next time i brought the car in, they could deny the noise and they subsequently replace one rotor and resurfaced the other. 2.) rear axle: a broken seal allowed hydroulic fluid to cover inside of the rear wheel causing difficulty in braking. the service dept. repaired under warranty 3.) the transfer case for the 4-wheel drive was leaking fluid. the service dept. repaired under warranty. 4.) the vehicle stalls a numerous amounts of times (10-15 times) since i've owned it. it stalls while i'm driving at 35 miles per hour, in reverse, day or night. when i go for an errand and park, the vehicle will not start. an hour later, when the tow truck is there, the vehicle start. it drives me crazy!! the service dept. says they cannot do anything because nothing registers on the computer and they cannot simulate the problem. the last time it happened (08-04-04) merging on to the freeway it stalled. upon start-up, black smoke poured out of the exhaust and idling was extremely rough. i had it towed to a ford dealership. the service dept replaced a mass airflow meter under warrenty. the vehicle runs...i'll cross my fingers!! my current problem is that the front tires are severly cupping and the front end viberates at 60 mph and over. the vehicle has 25k miles and the tires have been rotated 5 times about every 5k miles. i had the wheels checked for alignment and balance and it is to specifications. the service dept says its normal and to continue with the rotations. the tires are wearing unevenly and prematurely. the tire shop recommends that the shocks and struts be replaced. the service dept does not.*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | |||
| 12/25/2004 | 24500 | 3 | 11/10/2001 |
| Clutch pressure plate blew out the entire clutch, transmission and deployed the airbags. the truck has less then 25,000 miles and at the time was less then 2 years old. i was informed that this normally happens in race cars and that i was lucky it did not blow up thru the floor board causing injury. i was informed by the ford service center in anchorage that due to the bluing of the metal (which indicates overheating) that is normal wear and tear. i am still in the process of trying to get them to honor the warranty. i have been given a rough estimate of $4000.00 to 5000.00 for parts and labor. i was informed by ford that i needed to contact my insurance carrier after they originally said that since it was the clutch pressure plate that it would be covered by my esp warranty plan. *jb | |||
| POWER TRAIN - DRIVELINE - DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | |||
| 12/17/2004 | 50000 | 1 | 03/01/2002 |
| My ford explorer sports tac had approximately 50,000 miles on it when i starting hearing some winding noise in the rear end. so i decided to remove the differential cover to pull the axles to see if the axle bearings were bad and come to find out that both carrier bearings and pinion bearing were shot! i can't believe that after 57,000 miles on a truck that i had to spend $600.00 dollars in parts and labor to replace these parts on a ford truck built ford tough! the mechanic could not believe he was replacing theses parts at 57,000 miles when it should be more like 200,000 miles!*ak | |||
| POWER TRAIN - MANUAL TRANSMISSION | |||
| 12/24/2007 | 39800 | 1 | |
| Manual transmission and parking brake 2002 ford explorer sport trac 39800 slave and master cylinders replaced at 700.00 in january 2008. first incidence occurred december 24, 2007. i was actually pulling into grandma's drive on christmas eve and tried to back up into a space when the vehicle was stuck in place blocking everyone in. it did finally work. then at a shopping center it would not move forward when stopping for pedestrians to cross and then going through an intersection when shifting it just stopped between 2nd and 3rd wouldn't move into any gear. it was stuck between gears and would not move. i was blocking an intersection when i now had a red light. eventually, i did get it moving to my home, but had it towed to the mechanic since it just would not move at all once restarted. i wonder if the abs failure in august 2007 caused this problem. the malfunction of the abs would cause stress on the transmission with the abs coming on randomly at any speed. please see my brake failure complaint and also defective caliper complaint(caliper occurred at only a few thousand miles). the parking brake release is still a problem. you must put your foot under the foot pedal of the parking brake to get it to release completely. the light may go off but the emergency brake is still engaged. *tr | |||
| POWER TRAIN - TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE) | |||
| 04/24/2008 | 87000 | 4 | 02/02/2007 |
| I bought the car in 02/02/2007 in a used condition the 4x4 was not working i replaced the cm 4x4 and the 4x4 switch in less then 4 months it went out i replaced the 4x4 control module again and this month it went out for the third time only this time it is stuck in the 4x4 lo changed the module with a ford part #2c54-7h473-bf so i can get away from the one defected ones 1l24-7h473-ah but i think the damage is all done in the 4x4 driving case my car is a 2002 ford explorer please check the web site http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=101 and you will see most of complaints are about the 4x4 more then 3900 all having the same defect please check it out and do something about this alot of people told ford about their defect but ford will not do nothing about it that is whey i am doing this complaint i am sick of ford not taking this issue seriously. *tr | |||
| 01/06/2003 | 500 | 15 | 12/23/2002 |
| I purchased a ford explorer sport trac in dec. 2002. i have been in and out of the service department a number of times. the following is a list of items that i've had repaired under warranty: 1.) front brakes: a loud rubbing/griding sound became increasingly louder. the first time the service dept. folks said that it was normal. the next time i brought the car in, they could deny the noise and they subsequently replace one rotor and resurfaced the other. 2.) rear axle: a broken seal allowed hydroulic fluid to cover inside of the rear wheel causing difficulty in braking. the service dept. repaired under warranty 3.) the transfer case for the 4-wheel drive was leaking fluid. the service dept. repaired under warranty. 4.) the vehicle stalls a numerous amounts of times (10-15 times) since i've owned it. it stalls while i'm driving at 35 miles per hour, in reverse, day or night. when i go for an errand and park, the vehicle will not start. an hour later, when the tow truck is there, the vehicle start. it drives me crazy!! the service dept. says they cannot do anything because nothing registers on the computer and they cannot simulate the problem. the last time it happened (08-04-04) merging on to the freeway it stalled. upon start-up, black smoke poured out of the exhaust and idling was extremely rough. i had it towed to a ford dealership. the service dept replaced a mass airflow meter under warrenty. the vehicle runs...i'll cross my fingers!! my current problem is that the front tires are severly cupping and the front end viberates at 60 mph and over. the vehicle has 25k miles and the tires have been rotated 5 times about every 5k miles. i had the wheels checked for alignment and balance and it is to specifications. the service dept says its normal and to continue with the rotations. the tires are wearing unevenly and prematurely. the tire shop recommends that the shocks and struts be replaced. the service dept does not.*ak | |||