no report yet
Exterior lighting: brake lights
Risk. NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2002 Ford F-250Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 156 owner complaints about the 2002 Ford F-250, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 2, 2025. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2002 Ford F-250 has problems
156 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
23Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
22Tires1 crash/fire/injury
14Service brakes, hydraulic1 crash/fire/injury
14Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
12Vehicle speed control2 crash/fire/injury
12Power train
12Engine2 crash/fire/injury
10Suspension
10Steering
4513 other systems10 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and engine cooling | 23 | 1 |
| Tires | 22 | 1 |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 14 | 1 |
| Electrical system | 14 | 4 |
| Vehicle speed control | 12 | 2 |
| Power train | 12 | 0 |
| Engine | 12 | 2 |
| Suspension | 10 | 2 |
| Steering | 10 | 2 |
| 13 other systems | 45 | 10 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
2 recalls
2002 Ford F-250 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.
no report yet
Vehicle speed control
Risk. OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE OR BURN AND AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
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.
Best & worst years
2002 vs. every other F-250 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 F-250 median. How we score
'67'68'69'70'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2002 Ford F-250, and the recalls they led to.
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADNo recall
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESLed to recall 05V-388
In owners' words
What F-250 owners report
Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
ON 03/16/2012 AT 10:30PM WHILE ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK, I CAME TO A STOP AT A STOP SIGN. TRUCK WAS RUNNING FINE. AS I PULLED AWAY FROM THE STOP SIGN AND ACCELERATING I HEARD A LOUD POP AND WHAT SOUNDED LIKE AN EXHAUST LEAK. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND LOOKED UNDER THE HOOD. I FOUND THAT THE COIL…
HELP! SPARK PLUGS #3 AND #5 HAVE BLOWN IN MY FORD 2002 F250 SINCE THE BEGINNING OF 2011. THESE FAILURES HAVE HAPPENED ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS CAUSING ME TO LOOSE POWER ON MAJOR HIGHWAYS AND NARROWLY AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT WHILE TRYING TO NAVIGATE MY WAY THROUGH TRAFFIC TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE. I…
RUST OUT OF OIL PAN, 2002 FORD F250 DIESEL CAUSING MAJOR OIL LEAKAGE ONTO EXHAUST. FORD INDICATED THIS IS A COSMETIC PROBLEM BUT ISSUED A SERVICE BULLETIN TO DEALERS. VEHICLE HAS BEEN SERVICED BY DEALER SINCE NEW. FORD INDICATES THERE IS NOT A PROBLEM AS IT IS COSMETIC. IT COST OVER $1400.00 TO FIX…
Own a 2002 F-250?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.