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2002 Ford ExpeditionProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 340 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford Expedition, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

2002 Ford Expedition
41
CarFlaw IndexUse caution1.4× the Expedition median · #9 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints340109 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage96kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through July 20, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2002 Ford Expedition has problems

340 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling9511
Vehicle speed control5827
Electrical system4622
Engine2710
Tires262
Seat belts201
Power train183
Air bags1614
Service brakes, hydraulic164
15 other systems8117

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

2002 Ford Expedition recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

96kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 86 engine and engine cooling complaints. 55% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
5under 30k miles47under 100k miles39100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

17 owners mentioned a cost

$3,000median

Middle half: $1,116 – $3,500

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2002 vs. every other Expedition year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Expedition median. How we score

'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2002 Ford Expedition safety ratings

2002 Ford Expedition 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2002 Ford Expedition frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Rollover: 2 stars (0.0% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
2 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2002 Ford Expedition, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    Led to recall 05V-388
In owners' words

What Expedition owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I HAVE HAD SIX OCCURRENCES OF A SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. EACH TIME, IT BLEW THE COIL OFF ALSO. THE DANGEROUS POPPING AND VAPORS THAT BLOW FROM THE NOW OPEN HEAD ARE A SERIOUS IGNITION HAZARD IN THE ENGINE BAY. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME PLUG THAT HAS BLOWN OUT. THREE TIMES THIS…
Complaint 10456322 · Apr 24, 2012 · 156,000 miles
ENGINE BLEW OUT #3 SPARK PLUG. FORD DEALER SAID THAT THIS IS NORMAL! COULD CAUSE ENGINE FIRE BY IGNITING FUEL VAPORS FROM CYLINDER. *JS
Complaint 10455329 · Apr 16, 2012 · 80,000 miles
I'M NOT SURE THIS IS GOING TO DO ANY GOOD, BECAUSE I AM NOT THE FIRST TO LODGE THIS COMPLAINT. NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR. THIS IS THE 5TH TIME THAT THIS PARTICULAR INCIDENT HAS HAPPENED TO ME. THE MOST RECENT WAS YESTERDAY 2/29/2012. I AM VERY GRATEFUL THAT I WAS DRIVING EACH TIME AND NOT MY…
Complaint 10449931 · Mar 1, 2012 · 110,000 miles

Own a 2002 Expedition?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.