2002 Ford Ford Truck reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2002 Ford Ford Truck filed 37 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and structure. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 37
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Powertrain 38% of all complaints
2 Structure 19% of all complaints
3 Suspension 16% of all complaints
4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 8% of all complaints
6 Tires 8% of all complaints
7 Vehicle speed control 8% of all complaints
8 Engine 5% 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: 14 complaints (38% of all).
Structure: 7 complaints (19% of all).
Suspension: 6 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Air bags: 3 complaints (8% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Seat belts: 3 complaints (8% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 37 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

tires: bulges, blowouts3 · 8%
airbags did not deploy2 · 5%
knocking, grinding or other noise2 · 5%
seat belts2 · 5%
smoke, burning smell, fire2 · 5%
transmission slipping2 · 5%
windows, sunroof2 · 5%
airbag warning light1 · 3%
A/C or heater1 · 3%
won't start1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Powertrain	14	0
Structure	7	0
Suspension	6	1
Air bags	3	2
Seat belts	3	0
Tires	3	0
Vehicle speed control	3	0
Engine	2	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Equipment	1	0
Fuel/propulsion system	1	0
Latches, locks, linkages	1	0
Steering	1	0
Visibility	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.

While going around a hairpin turn the driver side front tire fell off rotor and all, this incident caused the 2002 ford lightning truck to slide into the curb causing the truck to roll completely over landing back on it's 3 tires that were left. From the look of it the axle bolt fell off causing the tire to fall off.
Suspension · crash · 2009-05-02 · NHTSA complaint #10267527
Auto accident and driver's airbag did not deploy. I suffered injuries to ankles, fracture to right leg, bruises to chest area and hip area. Vehicle was totaled. I reported this problem to ford for their records.
Air bags · crash · 2005-08-19 · NHTSA complaint #10133517
Was driving a 2002 ford ranger and hit a car broadside and then hit a utility pole and air bags didn't deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2005-05-24 · NHTSA complaint #10121998
The contact stated that after entering the vehicle and attempting to secure the front driverâs seat belt latch into the buckle, the seat belt latch failed to lock into place. The seat belt loosened and unlatched from the buckle while the contact was driving. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent.
Seat belts · 2022-02-01 · NHTSA complaint #11449800
2 spark plug and coil blew out of the engine head. Apparently this is a common problem with this model and others. Ford will charge 650.00 to fix.
Engine · 2014-11-22 · NHTSA complaint #10660236
Automatic transmission slipping and hard bang when it go into gear. Ford service dept.diaognose trans op, no codes,line pressure test.r110-n-75 od95 l-95. R&r transmission pan for inspection, pieces of brass bushings in pan. R&r trans to overhaul.
Powertrain · 2008-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #10215891
2002 ford explorer very cold night noticed a huge crack in the rear panel below rear window right out of nowhere the car was fine hours before and as I walked past it again saw a huge crack by the emblem and under.
Structure · 2008-01-03 · NHTSA complaint #10213545
The mirrors on both my 2002 ford sport trac and 2002 ford ranger do not work properly. The mirrors (x4) are electric and will not move to the right. They work in the axis of left, up, and down. I have talked with others who have the same type of mirror on their 2002 vehicles and all have the same problem.
Visibility · 2007-08-22 · NHTSA complaint #10200467

When owners complained

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

20024
20031
200514
200712
20082
20091
20142
20221

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 5,959 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 18% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Ford Truck has 13 complaints (24 years in the data). This year has 37, above average.

What to check before buying

Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford Ford Truck?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, structure, suspension. Total complaints: 37. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (8%), airbags did not deploy (5%), knocking, grinding or other noise (5%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2002 Ford Ford Truck?

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 Ford Truck 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.