RoadVitals

2002 Ford E550

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
1
Latest Dec 7, 2008
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
2
Latest Oct 13, 2009
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 1 NHTSA owner-reported complaint for the 2002 Ford E550, most frequently naming the engine category. 2 safety recalls have been issued covering this model year.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Engine1100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

2 campaigns cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
09V399000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Oct 13, 2009
4,500,000 units potentially affected
The defect: FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND 1994 F53 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH (SCDS). THE SCDS MAY LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.
The risk: A VEHICLE FIRE COULD OCCUR WITH OR WITHOUT THE ENGINE RUNNING.
The remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE CONNECTOR AND REPAIR AS NECESSARY. REPAIRS WILL BE COMPLETED FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 27, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-888-222-2751.
FORD MOTOR COMPANYManufacturer number 09S09View on NHTSA.gov
07V078000

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Mar 6, 2007
155,584 units potentially affected
The defect: ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, GASOLINE OR NATURAL GAS ENGINES, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT.
The risk: OVERHEATING COULD RESULT IN SMOKE, BURN, OR AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.
The remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 12, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017, 05V388, AND 06V286)
FORD MOTOR COMPANYManufacturer number 05S28View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Engine
Filed Dec 7, 2008

PURCHASED A USED FORD 550 DIESEL BUCKET TRUCK, IN NOV. 2007 TWO WEEKS AFTER TRUCK STARTED TO NOT START AT TIMES AND WOULD STALL WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. WE DROVE IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND HAD IT TOWED IN SEVERAL TIMES, DEALERSHIP WOULD SEND TRUCK BACK TO US AND IT WOULD AGAIN STALL ON THE ROAD, AFTER THIS HAPPENED TWO TIMES IN A ROW AND IT WAS BACK AT DEALERSHIP WHEN THEY TOLD US AGAIN NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. WE TOLD THEM TO TAKE IT HOME FOR THE NIGHT. THEY DID AND OF COURSE IT STALLED ON THE ROAD. THEY THEN STARTED TO BREAK DOWN THE ENGINE TO FIND WHAT WAS WRONG. THEY THOUGHT THAT THE INJECTORS AFTER BEING TAKEN OUT AND TESTED WERE NOT IN THAT GOOD OF CONDITION AND THAT THEY WERE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM AND SHOULD BE CHANGED. WE HAD THEM CHANGE 7 OF 8 INJECTORS ALSO CALLED GLOW PLUGS. THIS CAME TO ABOUT $4000 SAME PROBLEM DIFFERENT STATE TRUCK WENT TO NEW DEALER SHIP WAS TOLD NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. PICKED IT UP AND DROVE IT AND OF COURSE IT STALLED ON THE ROAD AGAIN IT WAS TOWED IN AND THEY SAID IT HAD TO BE WIRING AND SINCE IT WOULD TAKE TO LONG TO LOOK OVER ALL THE WIRING AND WITH THE SYMPTOMS THE WIRES WERE BAD SO WE NEEDED A NEW WIRING HARNESS. WE HAD THEM PUT IT IN. THIS WAS ABOUT $ 2700 WE PICKED UP THE TRUCK AND TRUCK STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY AND WAS NOT OFF THE ROAD THIS TIME, WE HAD IT TOWED BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY AGAIN SAID THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE TRUCK BUT IT MUST BE WIRING SO THE WIRING COMING OUT OF THE FUSE BOX, WAS CHANGED NOT SURE WHAT THE NAME IS NOW. ABOUT $900 TRUCK WAS SERVICED AGAIN IN ANOTHER STATE AT ANOTHER DEALERSHIP ABOUT 4000 ANOTHER STATE AND TRUCK WAS IN DEALERSHIP AGAIN. THEY FOUND PROBLEMS WITH THE GLOW PLUGS, AND WE WERE TOLD FIRST DEALERSHIP WAS AT FAULT. $1900 BACK HOME AGAIN AND TRUCK IS STILL STALLING SO I LOOKED UP ON WEB TRUCK NOT STARTING AND STALLING AND THIS CAME UP. I CANNOT NOT TELL YOU UPSET WE ARE AT THIS WE ARE OUT 13,500 AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN A BAD CPS WE ARE BANKRUPT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10251002
Incident
Nov 8, 2007
Mileage
187,000 mi

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Ford E550 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2021000—
2017000—
2009000—
2008000—
2007000—
2006310—
2005410—
2004130—
2003665054.3
2002Viewing120—
2001010—
2000010—
1999010—
1998010—
1997010—
1996010—
1995010—
1994010—
1993010—
1992010—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.