2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 144 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 144
involving a crash: 7

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 22% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 16% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 13% of all complaints
5 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
6 Structure 11% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
8 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Powertrain: 32 complaints (22% of all).
Engine and cooling: 23 complaints (16% of all).
Electrical system: 21 complaints (15% of all).
Vehicle speed control: 19 complaints (13% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 18 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 144 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving19 · 13%
smoke, burning smell, fire14 · 10%
door locks, latches, handles10 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise9 · 6%
warning lights, check engine9 · 6%
transmission slipping8 · 6%
jerking, harsh shifts4 · 3%
windows, sunroof4 · 3%
brake failure3 · 2%
fuel system, fuel smell3 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	32	0
Engine and cooling	23	0
Electrical system	21	0
Vehicle speed control	19	3
Service brakes	18	1
Structure	16	1
Fuel system	14	0
Latches, locks, linkages	9	0
Exterior lighting	7	0
Seats	5	1
Suspension	5	0
Seat belts	2	0
Steering	2	1
Tires	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, there sudden acceleration and a jerking movement when the gear was shifted. The steering wheel began to move erratically from side to side. The contact crashed into another vehicle from the passenger side before crashing into a retainer wall.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2012-03-13 · NHTSA complaint #10451506
The contact recently received a recall notice regarding the vehicle speed control failure and the possibility that a fire could occur. A police report was filed. The nhtsa campaign id number was unavailable. The failure mileage was 99,522. Updated 03/09/09.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2009-02-02 · NHTSA complaint #10257203
1 at approximately 45 mph vehicle went into a slide right rear axel broke off causing a rollover this occurred on wet pavement ! 2 drivers seat went into the reclining position, ejecting the driver into the rear seat causing his head to go through the passenger side rear door glass , braking bones in his left hand…
Seats · crash · 2005-12-23 · NHTSA complaint #10146007
Both frontal air bags failed to deploy. This caused the driver and passenger to sustained minor injuries and were transported to the hospital. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. Please provide further details.
Air bags · crash · 2004-10-14 · NHTSA complaint #10096877
The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the following day it was discovered that the cruise control switch located on the steering wheel had overheated and melted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined.
Vehicle speed control · 2023-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #11535514
I was driving on I-65 south bound on I-65 in goodlettesville, tennessee when my left rear tire blew out. The tire had plenty of tread left and apparently the steel belts came apart and blue outward.
Tires · 2020-07-07 · NHTSA complaint #11337884
Re: 2002 ford explorer sport trac. It appears that the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, has fractured and the seat back is permanently in the reclined position.
Seats · 2019-08-31 · NHTSA complaint #11252562
On feb.12 2016 still no dash warning lights my ford trac..I left my home in drive moved onto highway 66, the truck would not shift as I tried to increase my speed up onto the 66 highway the rpm ran up only, I had to shift into second gear to get off road drove back home.
Powertrain · 2016-02-29 · NHTSA complaint #10838947

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20012
20021
200324
200420
200512
20065
20076
200822
200912
20108
20117
20128
20134
20143
20152
20163
20171
20192
20201
20231

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,673 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 8% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 144, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine and cooling, electrical system. Total complaints: 144. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%), door locks, latches, handles (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2002 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.