Bulletins
| Bulletin | Bulletin date | Replacement Bulletin | Item no. | Summary | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||||
| 18615 | 05/01/2005 | 10017917 | Unusual engine noise or engine knock concerns due to regular fuel. *tt | 12/07/2005 | |
| 15265 | 09/01/2001 | 625831 | Some vehicles may exhibit an engine overheat condition due to concerns with inoperative hydraulic cooling fan. *tt | 12/04/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - COOLING SYSTEM | |||||
| 15588 | 01/01/2002 | 630144 | Some vehicles equipped with 3.9l v8 engine only, may exhibit a rattling noise from the hydraulic cooling fan pump. *tt | 04/15/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||||
| 031404 | 08/23/2004 | 04161 | 10011162 | Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. to include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04. | 01/06/2005 |
| 16581 | 01/01/2004 | 10005092 | Intermittent engine quit on decel/stops/turns. oasis. *tt | 01/29/2004 | |
| 03144 | 07/21/2003 | 10003744 | Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included. *tt | 10/29/2003 | |
| 17061 | 08/01/2003 | 10003169 | Intermittent drivability symptoms - reduced power on deceleration. *tt | 10/09/2003 | |
| 0373 | 04/14/2003 | 10002682 | Engine flood during cold start, extended cranking time, or hard to start engine when cold. *tt | 09/10/2003 | |
| 0335 | 02/17/2003 | 10002482 | Idle air control (iac) valve diagnostic service tips. *tt | 09/03/2003 | |
| 15741 | 03/01/2002 | 636378 | Vehicles equipped with the 3.9l 4v may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil filter. *tt | 11/07/2002 | |
| 15203 | 09/01/2001 | 625730 | Some vehicles equipped with the 3.9l 4v may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil filter. *tt | 11/30/2001 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||||
| 15772 | 04/01/2002 | 637466 | Some vehicles may exhibit a engine missing or rough running condition. *tt | 11/26/2002 | |
| 02161 | 08/19/2002 | 635972 | Engine flooding, extended engine cranking time required to start, or hard start condition. *tt | 11/04/2002 | |
| 01246 | 12/10/2001 | 630515 | Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure. *tt | 04/18/2002 | |
| 01205 | 10/15/2001 | 627927 | Some vehicles may exhibit vacuum or air leaks in the intake manifold and / or engine system causing diagnostic trouble codes p0171 and or p0174. *tt | 02/26/2002 | |
| 012111 | 10/29/2001 | 627770 | Some vehicles may exhibit an engine overheating condition and / or the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) may also be illuminated with codes p1285 and p1299 stored in memory. *tt | 02/22/2002 | |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - EMISSION CONTROL | |||||
| 02E21 | 06/01/2002 | 633571 | Subject regarding catalyst monitor sensor connector inspection. *jg | 09/23/2002 | |
Consumer Complaints
| Fail date | miles | occurences | Purchase date |
|---|---|---|---|
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | |||
| 08/01/2011 | 71092 | ||
| Had number 8 ignition coil replaced august 1st 2011,other parts and labor ($1007.02). seven days later,august 8th 2011 had number 2 ignition coil replaced ($210.91). because this is a 2002 thunderbird these repairs were not under warranty, but they are for 2003 up. why? this makes me think about buying another brand of car, don't think it could be any worse. | |||
| 02/20/2012 | 4500 | ||
| This is a copy of a thunderbirdnest.com forum members complaint, which there are several others reporting the same condition. i could not say it better so im using it. this could be real scary in heavy traffic, especially on the highways. 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. i personally own a 2002 ford thunderbird myself and only have approx. 4,500 miles on it. this week i started my vehicle and experiened this same issue with the vehicle miss-firing. i also have a check engine light coming on. i immediately had it checked and the test detected the #5 cylinder is misfiring. my vehicle has never seen rain or snow. why can't we get ford to do something? | |||
| 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. | |||
| 08/11/2009 | 24000 | ||
| Coil and plug failure in traffic - my car experienced intermittent stalling in traffic and misfiring on the highway.luckily, i was able to start the ford car and move me and the ford car out of harms way.ford recognizes the issue with the 2003 and in may of 2008 ford covered the 2004 and 2005 thunderbirds but is ignoring the 2002. i had two of the eight coil on plug assembles replaced and i am concerned that any one of the next six will again fail on the road. | |||
| 08/25/2011 | 60000 | ||
| I have a 2002 ford t-bird with approx 60k milies, original owner. i've had three coils replaced at my expense. on 25 aug 2011, while diving in the fast lane (three lanes) at approx 60 mph, the engine suddenly quit, causing a loss of brakes and steering. i was fortunate to be able to muscle the car into the break down lane and stop. the car started without issue after putting it in park. | |||
| 05/10/2002 | 20000 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. the contact stated the ignition coil was failing. this failure caused the vehicle to mis-fire and sporadically, the vehicle would abnormally accelerate. the dealer confirmed the failure, but stated that the part needed for repairs was not covered. the failure and current mileage were 20,000. | |||
| 01/04/2011 | 57400 | ||
| Tl-the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. while driving approximately 35 mph the contact noticed smoking coming from the engine of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they replaced both valve cover caskets. the failure mileage was 57,400 and the current mileage was 57,400 and the current mileage was 57,405. vwb | |||
| 04/20/2010 | 35000 | ||
| No particular events leading to failure, just mileage (about 35k). problem is ignition misfires - not consistent at all but causes nearly complete loss of power, stumbling, particularly on acceleration (on ramps, passing, etc.). the problem is intermittent - at times causes loss of power, engine stalls and shuts down completely, at other times causes inability to accelerate or even hold constant speed. nothing has been done to correct problem except having misfire codes cleared from time to time (when car runs long enough to get to a service station). ford has acknowledged identical problem for indentical engine in 2003-2005 thunderbird and lincoln ls, and covers cost of full repair(customer satisfaction program 07m07). ford extended the warranty on 2003-2005 vehicles to cover repair (replace cam cover gaskets, spark plugs and coils on plugs), but for some reason did not include the 2002 models. complaint has been registered with ford customer relationship center, but they claim they can't extend warranty to 2002 models and they can't communicate complaint to engineering or management staff. | |||
| 12/12/2009 | 39436 | ||
| Tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. the contact stated the oil and gas are mixing in the valve. the rings were replaced but the problem persisted. the contact called the ford manufacturer and was told there is no recall or warranty on this problem and that they would have to repair the problem themselves. the failure mileage was 39,436. | |||
| 10/31/2001 | 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 | |||
| 09/03/2008 | 1 | ||
| This is a copy of a forum members complaint. i could not say it better so i'm using it. i have not had the problem yet. but this could be real scary in heavy traffic, especially on the highways. 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 | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE | |||
| 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 | 26000 | 1 | |
| The most recent problem started in june 2009 when the airbag indicator light came on for no reason and wouldn't go off (is it working or not? safety issue?) then within a matter of weeks everything on the steering column controls quit working or went berserk. the cruise controls suddenly went haywire accelerating when any button was pushed now they don't work at all (safety issue). a car pulled out in front of me, i slammed on the brakes and laid on the horn and nothing!!! a terrible crash was missed by literally inches( safety issue)...30 minutes later the horn worked. the next day i tried about 30 times and i got it to beep twice. the radio/cd controls sometimes work and sometimes don't. change from radio to cd and suddenly the volume is blasting (shocked enough for it to be a safety issue). i was told over the phone it is a clock spring issue and the estimate was $450!!!!! in addition my 2002 thunderbird was purchased jan 2,2003. it was one of the last cars off of the line before the 2002 model switch to 2003. i have had the same coil on plug issues that were recalled on 2003's, yet dealer would do nothing for me.it started only 2,000 mls out of initial warranty. i have replaced 3 of the coils/gasket cover and now the 4th coil is bad with gasket leaking. the design is unchanged from 2002 to 2003, why not fix mine? twice i have lost power when accelerating and the car hesitated or stalled in middle of driving. if you don't consider that a safety issue then try pulling out in atlanta traffic and see what you think. in addition now the passenger side auto door latch won't work. this is by far the worst car i have ever had in my life. i had purchased three prior ford vehicles at the same dealership and they would do nothing for me. i never had the first complaint on any other ford vehicles.... now the dealer has gone out of business...... please i am begging you see if you can get these issues fixed i have poured enough money into this car and it isn't fair! *tr | |||
| 06/01/2009 | 62000 | 1 | |
| 2002 ford thunderbird coils have problems, they short out, causing power to be lost and shutting down vehicle to only 4 cylinders, if you are on highway, major problem, can't go over 40-45 miles an hour.i have had three coils go out so far, only five months to go, each time it goes out puts person behind wheel in jeopardy, due to lack of power. *tr | |||
| 09/26/2008 | 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, 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 | |||
| 09/07/2008 | 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 | |||
| 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 | |||
| 10/29/2004 | 12450 | 2 | |
| My wife experienced a complete shut down of our 2002 thunderbird while making a left turn from a complete stop in front of oncoming traffic. the car rolled across the oncoming lane and she put the vehicle in neutral and was able to start the vehicle again. this failure is identical to the circumstances desribed in odi id number: 10014291 dated march 3, 2003. *ak | |||
| 10/27/2003 | 21000 | ||
| While driving at 70 mph vehicle intermittently stalled. consumer towed vehicle to the dealer, technician could not duplicate or correct the problem.*ak | |||
| 08/28/2003 | 4800 | 1 | 07/03/2003 |
| Engine failure. while driving approx 40 mph. slowed to stop for an animal in the road and engine failed. i shifted to neutral and restarted w/o problem. had this occured in a busy intersection, it could have resulted in serious injury and/or death. please investigate and notify ford. this is not the first complaing you hav recieved regarding this problem. *ak | |||
| 03/03/2003 | 10 | 2 | 10/15/2002 |
| Twice my 2002 thunderbird's engine has stopped while i am driving it. both times, it occurred as i was making a left turn in front of oncoming traffic in a 55 mph zone. when it quit, i was unable to steer or control the vehicle in any way. i had to put it in park and restart it before i could leave the oncoming lane. ford has an unpublished oasis special service message 16581 which states: 2000-2002 lincoln ls & 2002 thunderbird - intermittent engine quit on decel/stops/turns. some 2000-2002 lincoln ls & 2002 thunderbird vehicles may exhibit an intermittent engine quit condition. the engine quit may occur on deceleration, low speed/parking lot maneuvers or aggressive braking. the condition may not be easily duplicated, typically no dtcs will be present and the engine will start normally after the event. this is under investigation following the quick service fix process. until root cause is determined, please follow normal pc/ed manual diagnostics and submit edsr's. my vehicle is in the shop and has been for well over a month. i am currently trying to replace it under oregon's lemon law. i have just started this process and i don't know what the out come will be. but i am worried the consumer is not aware of this defect. had there been oncoming traffic when i was making this turn in a 55 mph zone, i very well might be been extremely injured or dead, and it would have been chalked up to someone turning left unsafely. obviously, ford is aware of the defect, but owners have not been notified of the possibility that their engine may shut down unexpectedly. this has potential for extremely serious consequences. *jb | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - ENGINE - GASOLINE | |||
| 01/10/2008 | 64000 | 1 | 03/25/2005 |
| This is a design/engineering flaw addressed on 2003 model, but left out 2002. the problem stated by--vehicle not starting at the first attempt and got worse on 1/11/2008. the engine valve covers warps allowing oil to seep into coil/spark plug cavities shorting-out the coils, fouling spark plugs. right now i have a $2000.00 repair bill and ford failed to recognized that there is a problem. this problem could have easily been avoided by inspecting the coil/spark plug cavities for evidence of oil. if oil present, to reseal/replace valve cover gaskets. *tr | |||
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING - EXHAUST SYSTEM - MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | |||
| 03/11/2008 | 76000 | 1 | 01/06/2003 |
| Tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. while driving 5 mph, the service engine light illuminated after the vehicle had been serviced for its 30,000 mile routine maintenance. the dealer stated that the manifold gasket leaked oil onto the coils and spark plugs. all of the failures needed to be repaired. the failure mileage was 76,000 and current mileage was 76,050. | |||