Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||||
| 04174 | 09/06/2004 | 10013116 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. various models including 2004 f-series. *tt | 04/08/2005 | |
| 17375 | 11/01/2003 | 10008188 | Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on and hard start/long crank. *tt | 07/22/2004 | |
| 17170 | 09/01/2003 | 10004063 | Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0133 and/or p0153. *tt | 11/17/2003 | |
| 03181 | 09/15/2003 | 10004027 | Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips. *tt | 11/14/2003 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - BATTERY | |||||
| 0295 | 11/14/2005 | 05229 | 636096 | Excessive electrical system current draw which could result in a discharged battery and a no crank condition. *tt service tips. *tt | 11/05/2002 |
| 15272 | 09/01/2001 | 625724 | Information on battery access. *tt | 11/30/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - ANTI-THEFT CONTROLLER | |||||
| 0162 | 04/02/2001 | 619266 | Vehicles equipped with passive anti-theft system (pats) may not start or crank. *tt | 05/22/2001 | |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION - MODULE | |||||
| 15876 | 05/01/2002 | 637739 | Subject regarding diagnostic trouble code p1129 during key on engine running (koer) - no malfunction indicator lamp. *tt | 12/04/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | |||
| 08/02/2012 | 45000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. the contact stated that immediately after starting the ignition, the check engine warning lamp illuminated and the engine misfired. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed that the coil springs and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance since the vehicle was not included on any recalls. the failure and current mileage was 45,000.kmj | |||
| 08/02/2012 | 45000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford tbird. the contact stated when started the vehicle she notice the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. she than notice the vehicle was miss firing. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnosis. the dealer stated they needed to replace the coil and the spark plugs. the vehicle was repaired but the failure continued. the manufacturer was contacted and they stated the vin was not under recall. the failure and the current mileage was 45,000.jp | |||
| 05/01/2012 | 0 | ||
| Clock spring ,on both of my 02 tbirds,vin# 1fahp60a42y118797 1fahp60a02y118327 i think this is a very poor part installed in my birds,since i paid top dollar for these cars,$4000.00 over list price each at the dealer autoway for in bradenton florida. best regards mr.l.j kausek | |||
| 04/25/2011 | 43700 | ||
| I've seen numerous complaints for this same issue and i've done a lot of research on it. my 2002 ford thunderbird began having this problem at 43,700 miles. i did not know what the issue was and it was intermittent. within the past month (september, 2011), i have personally replaced all eight plugs, boots and coils. while doing this i found three plugs that were oil fouled. after completing this repair the car continues to drive rough. the tach will race, the car will not accelerate smoothly or at all while trying to enter a highway and behaves poorly on both neighborhood roads and the highway. i could not afford to have the dealer make the repairs. as a matter of fact, just a week before i replaced the plugs, boots and coils, i had the oil changed at the dealer. they changed the oil, rotated the tires, replaced the oil filter and air filter and windshield wipers. they charged me $151 for this. i think that is robbery!! when i checked out, the mechanic said that it appears i have a coil problem. hmmm. i researched this issue and know that ford will not admit nor include the 2002 in their extended warranty program. this is shameful! this coil on boot problem is a major safety issue and many folks can be hurt or killed because of how the car behaves when this problem arises. i called customer service at ford corporate to attempt to register a complaint, the customer service person said we don't have any problems that we can talk about with this model. well, that sounds like an admission of guilt to me. i am hoping that perhaps you can assist all of us who own 2002 t-birds get justice from ford and have them admit they have a problem and fix it! extend our warranties before another owner has an accident or dies as a result of this problem. there are 1000s of us! i've owned seven fords and never have i had an issue or treatment like this before. | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 92578 | ||
| Had the vehicle tuned-up. after a few driven miles the airbag light came on and stays lite. the problem driver side air bag high resistance causes a poor connection where the clockspring connect into the main wiring harness. cost to replace/repair $681. this is a defect safety product. ford refused to pay stating, there is no extended coverage or recalls for this issue. there are not sufficient consumer complaints regarding this problem. this is a defective product dealing with a safety issue with ford refusing to acknowledge as their responsibility. | |||
| 05/10/2002 | 20000 | ||
| Tl- the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. the contact stated the ignition coil is failing on the vehicle. this failure causes the vehicle to mis-fire and sometime have a sudden acceleration. the dealer confirmed the failure, but stated the part is not covered. the failure mileage and current mileages were 20,000. rl | |||
| 06/15/2006 | 48351 | ||
| Multiple engine ignition coil failures in my 2002 ford thunderbird. in spite of a dealer acknowledged common problem with frequent coil failures by 50,000 to 60,000 miles, ford refuses to warranty these vehicles. they do warrantly the same problem in the 2003, 2004, 2005 thunderbirds. what's going on? | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| I am writing to hopefully prevent a dangerous and serious situation. i own a 2002 ford thunderbird. this particular car and others like it have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. the coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. this is dangerous at best at low speeds, and deadly at highway speeds. the ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. however, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. the result of this is that 2002 owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). this places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. since ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), i implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. many potential deaths could be avoided if ford would simply include the 2002 model thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. *tr -------------------- | |||
| 08/14/2008 | 3200 | 1 | |
| I am writing today to express grave concerns for my 2002 ford thunderbird. it is my understanding that ford motor company has extended the warranty for model years 2003-2005 for the coil over plug (cop) ignition system, but has chosen to omit the 2002 model year even though a majority of 2002-2005 thunderbirds were produced in model year 2002. my concern is that many owners of the 2002 model year have experienced cop failures which have rendered their cars virtually inoperable without notice of the impending failure. to take this a step further, imagine driving on a high speed interstate and have the system fail. the car is designed to go into limp mode whereby the car cannot go any faster than 25 mph. this is a disastrous accident waiting to happen! not only is this a safety issue, it the repairs are costing owners of my 2002 cars in excess of $1,500 where owners of newer models are covered for 10 years/100,000 miles free of charge for the exact same failure. this inequity must seriously be investigated and corrected by the nhtsa! *tr | |||
| 02/25/2009 | 1 | ||
| I am writing regarding a potentially serious and dangerous situation. i own a 2002 ford thunderbird -- an otherwise great car that i have learned has a significant design flaw. i have learned that this particular car and others like it (for example, model years 2003 through 2005) have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. the coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. this is dangerous at best at low speeds, and deadly at highway speeds! the ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. however, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. yet the 2002 model uses the same equipment as the 2003 through 2005 model years, and more 2002 models were sold than those of the subsequent years. the result of this? 2002 model owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). this places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. since ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), i implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. many potential deaths could be avoided if ford would simply include the 2002 model thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. thanks in advance! *tr | |||
| 10/03/2008 | 1 | ||
| I just purchased a 2002 ford thunderbird and have become aware of a design problem that potentially could be fatal to the driver and other motorists. i have learned that ford motor company has extended the warranty for model years 2003-2005 for the coil over plug (cop) ignition system, but not for the 2002 model year. a majority of 2002-2005 thunderbirds were produced in model year 2002. i further learned that many owners of the 2002 model year have experienced cop failures which have rendered their cars virtually inoperable and without notice of the impending failure. clearly this creates a hazardous situation on the highway at best, and mortal at worst. in addition to being a safety issue there is an equity issue as well. repairs cost owners of 2002 thunderbirds in excess of $1,500 but owners of newer models are covered for 10 years/100,000 miles free of charge for the exact same failure. i hope that nhtsa will correct both of these problems with the ford and its 2002 thunderbird: highway safety and equity. thank you. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2008 | |||
| I am writing to hopefully prevent a dangerous and serious situation. i own a 2002 ford thunderbird. this particular car and others like it have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. the coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. this is dangerous at best at low speeds, and deadly at highway speeds. the ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. however, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. the result of this is that 2002 owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). this places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. since ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), i implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. many potential deaths could be avoided if ford would simply include the 2002 model thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. | |||
| 05/04/2002 | |||
| I am writing to hopefully prevent a dangerous and serious situation. i own a 2002 ford thunderbird. this particular car and others like it have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. the coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. this is dangerous at best at low speeds, and deadly at highway speeds. the ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. however, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. the result of this is that 2002 owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). this places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. since ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), i implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. many potential deaths could be avoided if ford would simply include the 2002 model thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. *tr | |||
| 09/02/2008 | 18000 | 1 | |
| I am writing to proactively prevent what i perceive to be a dangerous and serious situation. i own a 2002 ford thunderbird and other 2002's like it have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. the coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. this could be deadly at highway speeds. the ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. however, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. the result of this is that 2002 owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). this places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. since ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), i implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. potential serious injury or even deaths could be avoided if ford would simply include the 2002 model thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. *tr | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - IGNITION | |||
| 06/15/2007 | 51000 | 1 | 07/21/2002 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. while driving 10 mph, the vehicle jerked forward and the contact heard a popping noise coming from the engine. the dealer stated that a coil and a spark plug were defective and they made the replacement. approximately three weeks later, while driving 70 mph, the failure recurred. the dealer stated that a coil and a spark plug were defective and they made the repair once again. the current mileage was 52,705 and failure mileage was 51,000. the consumer stated the vehicle has 8 coils, one for each cylinder/spark plug two of the coils have failed. updated 09/05/07. *jb | |||
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM - STARTER ASSEMBLY | |||
| 04/08/2003 | 1 | ||
| The starter dragged every time the vehicle was started. *jb | |||