AI Damage2002 Ford F Super Duty: common problems
Owners of the 2002 Ford F Super Duty filed 34 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 34
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine and cooling 29% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 15% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
- 5 Tires 12% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 9% of all complaints
- Engine and cooling: 10 complaints (29% of all).
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (18% of all).
- Powertrain: 5 complaints (15% of all).
- Service brakes: 5 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Tires: 4 complaints (12% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 34 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and cooling | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 3 | 1 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
When applying brakes, left wheel wobbles and shakes severly. When taken to dealer and front end repair shop, they say rotors are warped and need to be replaced ($700.00). Why after several complaints hasn't someone done something about this. I had a 1988 ford 350 diesel with the same problem.
Purchased 6 toyo ht open country tires. 4 of the 6 have seperated
Inspection of all tires revealed driver-side rear tire tread had a pronounced bulge a foot long in the center of tread. Spare tire was installed, and vehicle was driven to wal-mart in boise. (manager verified tread/belt separation, tire still at 70psi.) replaced with goodyear wrangler same size.
Traveling on a busy highway at 65 mph; the spark plug on my 5.4l v8 triton blew out of its socket. (any mechanic will tell you everything you want to know about this) this caused an immediate bang and very rough running condition.
Vehicle can shift out of park when key is in "accessories" mode without putting pressure on brake pedal.
I quickly shut the motor off before a fire resulted from the hot motor. Later, after searching for the source of the leak it was found that a metal clip that was secured around a steel fuel line and had rubbed through the line causing fuel to leak out on top of the motor.
My f-250 ford diesel truck caught fire while it was parked. Electronic brake control abs module burned and cruised control stopped working. Wiring harness was burned away from the abs module.
Vehicle security module- this module controls door locks ( fob & vehicle in motion auto door locks), auto headlamps, safety door ajar indicators, all interior electrical auto lamp & radio features. All these items on vehicle are inoperative due to faulty module (vsm). False safety indications are being displayed.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 6,426 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).
On average one model year of the F Super Duty has 20 complaints (21 years in the data). This year has 34, above average.
What to check before buying
- 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.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- F Super Duty 19928 sources
- F Super Duty 19933 sources
- F Super Duty 199420 sources
- F Super Duty 199512 sources
- F Super Duty 19968 sources
- F Super Duty 199724 sources
- F Super Duty 199814 sources
- F Super Duty 199993 sources
- F Super Duty 200063 sources
- F Super Duty 200132 sources
- F Super Duty 200327 sources
- F Super Duty 200414 sources
- F Super Duty 200527 sources
- F Super Duty 200831 sources
- F Super Duty 99994 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford F Super Duty?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 34. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (18%), smoke, burning smell, fire (12%), loss of power / limp mode (9%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Ford F Super Duty?
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 F Super Duty 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.