2002 Ford Explorer Power Train

OVERDRIVE LIGHT BEGAN TO FLASH, THEN SHIFTING BECAME VERY DIFFICULT BECOMING INCREASINGLY WORSE TO THE POINT OF NOT SHIFTING AT ALL. NOTICEABLY JERKS WHEN SHIFTING INTO REVERSE. LOTS OF WHINING NOISE FROM UNDER THE VEHICLE. ALSO REAR DIFFERENTIAL MAKES LOUD WHINE/ROAR AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30 AND AT ACCELERATION. I UNDERSTAND THESE ARE VERY COMMON COMPLAINTS AMONG EXPLORER OWNERS AND CAN BE VERY COSTLY. MOST TRANSMISSION REPAIR PEOPLE TELL ME THAT IT IS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT FORD SHOULD FIX IT. *JB

REAR END WHINING NOISE. SUSPECT DIFFERENTIAL AND/OR PINION GEA/BEARING. *NM

2002 FORD EXPLORER XLS - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT HANDLE ON THE STEERING COLUMN BROKE OFF WHILE SHIFTING FROM PARK TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE PAD WAS DEPRESSED DURING THE ATTEMPTED SHIFT. MY MECHANIC AND I NEVER SAW THIS HAPPEN BEFORE. *NM

REAR DIFFERENTIAL MAKES A HOWLING NOISE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. NOISE GOES AWAY WHEN LETTING OFF ACCELERATOR. IT'S BEEN REPORTED TO DEALER MANY TIMES. THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO EXPLORERS OF THE SAME YEAR AS EVIDENCED BY NUMEROUS INTERNET FORUMS. TRANSMISSION ALSO SHUDDERS IN 3RD GEAR, ESPECIALLY WHEN COLD. *JB

REAR END STARTED WHINING WHILE ON ROAD TRIP FROM NASHVILLE TO HOME. LEFT REAR WHEEL STARTED TO WOBBLE AND THEN SEIZED. VEHICLE IS NOT DRIVABLE. *JB

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER THAT HAS A LOUD HUMMING/WHINING SOUND FROM THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AT SPEEDS 50-70 MPH AND NOW HAS STARTED LEAKING GEAR OIL FROM ONE OF THE DIFFERENTIAL AXLE BEARING/SEAL. I HAVE READ MANY MANY COMPLAINTS FROM OTHERS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM ON 2002 EXPLORERS AND BELIEVE THIS IS NOT NORMAL AND NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED/FIXED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY BEFORE ACCIDENTS OCCUR. *JB

2002 FORD EXPLORER HAS REQUIRED 5 SEPARATE TRANSMISSION REPAIRS IN LAST 2 YEARS. INCLUDING 1 TOTAL REBUILD AT 50,000 MILES. FORD DEALER AND FORD CORPORATE WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT. *JB

THE NOW FAMOUS WHINING IN THE REAR DIFFERENTIAL AND THE OTHER FAMOUS 4X4 MODULE FAILURE. THE REAR DIFF HAS BEEN WHINING FOR APPROX. 18 MOS. NOW. I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE FAILURE TO OCCUR. *JB

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER, AT 30,000 MILES I COMPLAINED ABOUT A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR END, THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID IT WAS THE TIRES CUPPING BECAUSE I DIDN'T ROTATE THEM. AT 43,000 MILES I REPLACE THE TIRES BEFORE THEY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED, THE NOISE WAS LOUDER. NOW AT 87,000 MILES THE NOISE IS EVEN LOUDER AND THE DEALER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SAID FOR A NEW DIFFERENTIAL WAS $1,500. FORD SHOULD BE MADE TO RECALL THE BAD DIFFERENTIALS THAT THEY PUT IN THE 2002 EXPLORERS. *NM

MY COMPLAINT IS IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSFER CASE SELECTION MODULE ON MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER. DEALERSHIP INDICATED THAT THE SELECTION MODULE IS A COMMON PROBLEM, BUT STILL WANT TO CHARGE FULL PRICE FOR A NEW SELECTION MODULE WHEN IT'S JUST A SMALL PLASTIC PIECE INSIDE THE MODULE THAT FAILS. *JB

WHINE IN THE REAR END. MECHANIC REBUILT THE REAR END AND THE BEARING ALL SHOW SIGNS OF FAILURE ACCORDING TO THE MECHANIC FORD HAD USED CHEAP BEARINGS IN THE REAR END. THE TRANSMISSION ALSO HAS PROBLEMS SHIFTING. EACH TIME THE VEHICLE SHIFTS, IT SHUTTERS AND JERKS. I AM AFRAID THAT FORD USED THE SAME TYPE BEARINGS IN THE TRANSMISSION AS THEY DID IN THE REAR END AND THEY ARE FAILING AS WELL. *NM

AT 60,000 MILES THE DIFFERENTIAL ON MY 2002 EDDIE BAUER EXPLORER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. IT WAS REPLACED AT DEALERSHIP. NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER SEARCHING THE INTERNET, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 2002 EXPLORER. *JB

O/D LIGHT FLASHING SO I TOOK CAR INTO DEALER. TRANSMISSION IS BAD AND NEEDS NEW SOLENOIDS AT 45,000 MILES. *NM

WHINING NOISE FROM REAR END OF MY 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT. SMALL DRIPS IN GARAGE FROM REAR END. DEALER SAID REAR DIFFERENTIAL WAS LEAKING BUT NO BIG DEAL. NOW MY OVERDRIVE LIGHT IS FLASHING WHICH PER THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS GET TO A REPAIR SHOP RIGHT AWAY AS MY TRANSMISSION IN TROUBLE. *NM

FORD EXPLORER 2002 MODEL XLT, 4 DR, 2 WHEEL DRIVE. AT ABOUT 30,000 MILES,AND AT SPEEDS ABOVE 30 MPH, THE REAR END (DIFFERENTIAL) STARTED TO ROAR. THINKING THAT THE TIRES WERE BAD, I HAVE REPLACED THE TIRES, BUT DID NOT MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE. NOW, WITH 70,000 MILES, I BELIEVE THERE IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN WITH THE DIFFERENTIAL AND IT APPEARS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM WITH CERTAIN FORD EXPLORERS. I AM AFRAID THAT IF THE REAR END FAILS WHILE TRAVELING, IT WOULD CAUSE THE VEHICLE TO WRECK. THANKS. *JB

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLS WHICH STARTED TO EXPERIENCE A WHINING NOISE FROM THE REAR END SHORTLY AFTER WARRANTY EXPIRED. IT CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. THE FLUID WAS CHECKED, ALL O.K. NOW AT 75,000 MILES THE REAR END HAS FAILED. COST TO REPAIR EST $1200 - $1500. THERE APPEARS TO BE A DESIGN OR DEFECTIVE PART ISSUE. DEALERS TELL ME THIS IS AN ISOLATED CASE, WHICH IS NOT TRUE AS I PERSONALLY KNOW 2 OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD SAME PROBLEM. *AK

HEARD WHINING NOISE WHEN DRIVING BETWEEN 55 AND 70 MPH IN THIS VEHICLE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS; THE WHINING GREW INTO A FAINT GRINDING AT LOWER SPEEDS AND THEN A MORE MAJOR GRINDING. THE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT HAD TO BE REPLACED. APPARENTLY THE LIGHT CONSTRUCTION OF THE EXPLORER DIFFERENTIALS CAUSES THIS PROBLEM FREQUENTLY. *JB

TRANSMISSION BAND BROKEN -- ONLY 50,000 MILES FORD HAS PERFORMED ALL SERVICE REPAIRS INCLUDING OIL CHANGES EVER DONE ON THIS VEHICLE. ONE DAY WHILE DRIVING, I HEARD A POP AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. THE SPEED WOULD ONLY GO UP TO 30 MPH AND WOULD JERK AGAIN. I HAVE NOW BEEN TOLD IT WOULD COST 2500 DOLLARS TO FIX. AFTER RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I FOUND OUT INFORMATION THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON TO A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO OWN THE SAME YEAR, MAKE, AND MODEL. THE PROBLEMS OCCURS AT THE SAME APPROXIMATE MILEAGE. *JB

OUR 2002 FORD EXPLORER HAD ISSUES ALMOST FROM THE BEGINNING, WHEN PUTTING IT INTO DRIVE IT SOMETIMES WOULD HESITATE AND THEN LURCH FORWARD, EVEN WITH THE BRAKE APPLIED. LATELY, AFTER 65,000 MILES, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO 3RD GEAR, THE ENGINE WOULD REV., BUT NOT SHIFT. IF YOU LEFT YOUR FOOT OFF THE GAS, IT MIGHT SHIFT. THEN THE O/D LIGHT WOULD BLINK. WE HAVE TAKEN IT TO A TRANSMISSION REPAIR SHOP. *NM

I HAVE A 2002 FORD EXPLORER XLT. HAVE HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS SINCE ABOUT 58000 MILES AND HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP 5 TIMES FOR THE SAME PROBLEM OF HARD SHIFTING TO TRANSMISSION HAVING PROBLEMS FINDING THE CORRECT GEARS TO FINALY, 3RD GEAR BAND FINALY BROKE AT 68000 MILES. JUST GOT FIXED BUT STILL HAVING ISSUES. NOW I HAVE A SHUTTER AND THIRD GEAR STILL SLIPS SLIGHTLY. THIS IS JUST FRUSTRATING!! *NM

REAR-END WHINES EXCESSIVELY WHEN DRIVING AT 45-65 MPH. VERY LOAD. I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE AS I RESEARCHED IT ON THE INTERNET IT IS APPARENT THAT I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE SUFFERING FROM THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM. *NM

2002 FORD EXPLORER WITH TOWING PACKAGE, TWO WHEEL DRIVE. REAR-END WHINE AT 55-60 MPH. MANY PEOPLE HAVE THIS PROBLEM AND FORD IS NOT HELPING FIX IT. *JB

2002 FORD EXPLORER REAR DIFFERENTIAL HAS ALREADY FAILED. I AM HAVING IT REPLACED BY MY MECHANIC. *JB

REAR NOISE WHEN TRYING TO ACCELERATE. ALSO FLUID LEAK. *JB

TRANSMISSION CASE WEARING TO THE POINT WHERE IT HAS TO BE REPLACED FOR APPROXIMATELY $3000. *JB