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2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Electrical Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the electrical system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Electrical reportsComplaints 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.
20
Latest Aug 31, 2016
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
14%
of 144 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
1
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 20 reports on file name it.

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

Owner reports naming electrical

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Aug 31, 2016

DRIVING ONE DAY THE OD OFF LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING NOW IT SHIFTS HARD AND CLINKS AND CLACKS GOING DOWN ROAD

NHTSA ID
10899846
Incident
Aug 29, 2016
Mileage
170,000 mi
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Feb 29, 2016

THERE WAS NOT WARNING LIGHTS ON DASH, TRUCK SLOWED DOWN THEN ENGINE RACED UP ALL ON ITS OWN TURNED I TURNED OFF ROAD SHIFTED TO NUTRAL AND SAT UNTIL THE RACING STOPPED CONTINUED ON TO AUTO PART STORE WHERE THEY PLUGGED INTO ENGINE IT READ STRANGE CODES..

NHTSA ID
10838936
Incident
Jul 15, 2015
Mileage
123,023 mi
ElectricalEngineVisibility
Filed Feb 11, 2012

I BOUGHT A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC NEW. SHORTLY AFTER HAVE ELECTRIC WINDOW PROBLEMS DRIVERS DOOR BACK PASSENGER WINDOW AND NOW THE PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW, BAD BODY MOUNTS,AND IDLES BAD WHEN IN PARK OR STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT. RPM'S 500 TO 1000 BACK DOWN TO 500-400. 2002 HAD A BABY GIRL 1 1/2 YEARS AND ANOTHER ON THE WAY NEEDED A 4 DOOR AND ALSO FOR WORK. I KICK MY SELF EVERY DAY THAT I HAVE OWNED IT BUT HAD NO CHOICE MONEY WAS TIGHT AND STILL IS COULD NOT AFFORD EVERY TIME GETTING THINGS FIXED SO I LIVED WITH IT!!!! UNTIL I FOUND THIS WEB PAGE I AM FED UP I HAVE ALWAYS OWNED FORD BUT AFTER THIS IM NOT SO SURE ANYMORE! AND READING OTHER PEOPLES WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS THE SPORT TRAC IS ONE BIG LEMON!!!!!! *TR

NHTSA ID
10447535
Incident
Feb 3, 2004
ElectricalPowertrain (other)
Filed Nov 17, 2011

I COME TO REALIZE IN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY VEHICLES DO NOT A TRANSMISSION GAUGE. TRANSMISSION SENSORY LIGHT TO LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TRANSMISSION FLUID IS GETTING LOW. THIS IS A PROBLEM FOR ME AND MANY MORE AMERICANS. MY FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC DO NOT HAVE A TRANSMISSION SENSORY LIGHT OR A GAUGE. THE TRANSMISSION IS SLIPPING AND NOT SHIPPING OUT GEARS RIGHT. SOMEONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE ALL OTHER FLUID GAUGES EXCEPT A TRANSMISSION GAUGE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10436266
Incident
Nov 1, 2011
Mileage
158,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Nov 28, 2010

NO LEFT TURN SINGLE OR BRAKE LIGHTS, WHEN THE STEERING WHEEL IS TILITED DOWN WE FOUND THE TURN SINGLES DO NOT WORK OR BRAKE LIGHTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10368016
Incident
Nov 6, 2010
Mileage
147,000 mi
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Aug 31, 2010

PART # E6DB-14489-DA. THIS IS A WIRING HARNESS CONNECTOR LOCATED IN THE STEERING COLUMN THAT BECOMES UNPLUGGED WHEN YOU TILT STEERING DOWNWARD. RESULT IS BRAKES LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS NO LONGER FUNCTION. ** MY SISTER-IN-LAW WAS NEARLY REAR-ENDED WHILE WAITING TO MAKE A TURN. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUE. ALSO, HAVE SEEN SIMILAR COMPLAINTS FOR OTHER FORD VEHICLES (TAURUS). SERIOUS ACCIDENTS WILL HAPPEN IF PUBLIC IS NOT NOTIFIED. DEALERS CHARGING $200+ TO FIX. *TR

NHTSA ID
10352988
Incident
Aug 17, 2010
Mileage
130,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Nov 20, 2009

THE RADIO IN MY TRUCK BEGAN TO CHANGE STATIONS WITHOUT THE BUTTON BEING PRESSED. NEXT IT WOULD NOT RELEASE CD'S AND WOULD SWITCH FROM AM TO FM TO CD AND NOT ALLOW ME TO POWER IT OFF. NOW THE DISPLAY IS COMPLETELY GONE, TWO CD'S ARE STUCK INSIDE, AND THE RADIO DOESN'T WORK MORE THAN 5 MINUTES WITHOUT GOING CRAZY. MY PASSENGER SIDE LIGHTS IN THE REAR DON'T WORK MOST OF THE TIME BUT THE BULB HAS BEEN CHANGED. WHEN YOU MOVE THE WIRE A LITTLE IT WORKS BUT THEN STOPS AGAIN. I BELIEVE THE WIRING IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RADIO PROBLEMS. I CAN'T REMEMBER HOWEVER, IF THIS HAS STARTED BEFORE OR AFTER THE TRUCK WAS TAKEN IN FOR A RECALL FOR SOMETHING ELSE. *TR

NHTSA ID
10293017
Incident
Jan 1, 2008
ElectricalExterior lighting
Filed Mar 21, 2009

LEFT REAR BLINKER AND BRAKE LIGHT QUIT WORKING. BULBS AND FUSES WERE CHANGED BUT DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. PROBLEM WAS FOUND IN TILT STEERING COLUMN. A WIRE PULLED ITSELF FREE OF THE WIRE CONNECTION HARNESS DUE TO USAGE OF THE TILT STEERING FEATURE. THIS PROBLEM COULD HAVE LED TO A VERY SERIOUS TRAFFIC ACCIDENT SINCE DRIVERS BEHIND THE VEHICLE HAD NO IDEA THE VEHICLE WAS PREPARING TO MAKE AN LEFT HAND TURN AND IT COMPOUNDED THE PROBLEM BECAUSE ONLY ONE BRAKE LIGHT WORKED. MY HUSBAND TOOK THE STEERING COLUMN OFF AND REINSERTED THE WIRE INTO THE HARNESS AND APPLIED EPOXY TO SECURE IT. *TR

NHTSA ID
10262667
Incident
Feb 21, 2008
Electrical
Filed Mar 11, 2009

PART # E6DB-14489-DA. I'VE GOOGLED THE ISSUE AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER PEOPLE WITH SAME ISSUE. FAULTY CONNECTOR CAUSING THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS AND TURN SIGNALS NOT TO WORK. THE WIRING COMES OUT OF THE CONNECTOR (IT'S IN THE STEERING COLUMN). *TR

NHTSA ID
10261601
Incident
Feb 1, 2009
Mileage
60,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 4, 2008

FORD RECALL#05S28 (SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH). POSSIBLE UNDERHOOD FIRE IF NOT REPAIRED. NOTIFIED IN AUG. 2007 IT IS NOW JAN. 2008 AND THE CONDITION HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. *CN

NHTSA ID
10213680
Incident
Aug 24, 2007
Electrical
Filed Aug 22, 2007

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SPEEDOMETER DISPLAYS 10 MPH, EVEN IF THE VEHICLE IS TRAVELING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE COMPONENTS WERE OPERATING NORMALLY AND THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PLACE A SPEEDOMETER CLUSTER ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE PARTY. THE SPEED WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 99,679 AND THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID
10200442
Incident
Aug 1, 2006
Electrical
Filed Apr 15, 2007

RATTLE OR THUMMING SOUND FROM REAR OF INSTRUMENT PANEL SOUNDS LIKE SPEDOMETER CABLE NOT LUBRICATED. SOUND CHANGES IN FREQUENCY AND VOLUME WITH SPEED OF VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10187974
Incident
Mar 25, 2007
ElectricalInterior & seats
Filed Feb 4, 2007

VEHICLE IS A 2002 FORD SPORT TRAC WITH APPROX 42K MILES. BEGAN WITH RAPID FLASHING OF LEFT TURN SIGNAL. REAR TURN AND BRAKE LAMP WERE INOPERABLE. REPLACING BULB HAD NO EFFECT. FOUND POSITIONING STEERING COLUMN TO A HIGHER TILT POSITION CORRECTED MALFUNCTION. REMOVED STEERING COLUMN COVER AND FOUND 4 WIRES PULLED OUT OF CONNECTOR ON MULTI-FUNCTION (TURN SIGNAL SWITCH). WIRES MOVE IN AND OUT AS COLUMN IS MOVED THROUGH TILT RANGE. WIRES OUT AT BOTTOM OF TILT AND IN AT TOP OF TILT RANGE. REMOVED CONNECTOR PART # E6DB-14489-DA. 3 CONNECTOR PIN RETAINERS FELL OUT AND WERE RECOVERED. A FOURTH WAS FOUND TO BE IN THE CONNECTOR BUT NOT RETAINING IT'S PIN. CONNECTOR MUST BE REPLACED TO CORRECT PROBLEM. ALSO THE WIRING HARNESS IS SECURED ABOVE THE TILT PIVOT POINT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. I BELIEVE THE HARNESS IS SECURED WITH INSUFFICIENT SLACK TO PREVENT EXCESSIVE STRESS ON THE CONNECTOR AT THE LOWER POSITIONS OF THE STEERING COLUMN TILT RANGE. I BASE THIS ON THE FACT THAT THE 3 PINS WITH BROKEN RETAINERS ARE ON THE TOP ROW OF THE CONNECTOR AND WOULD BE THE MOST STRESSED IN A LOWER POSITION OF THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO I HAVE OVER 20 YEARS OF AIRCRAFT ELECTRONICS EXPERIENCE AS AN AVIONICS TECHNICIAN AND FULLY UNDERSTAND PROPER WIRE ROUTING PROCEDURES. DIGITAL PICTURES OF THE CONNECTOR ARE AVAILABLE. *JB

NHTSA ID
10181543
Incident
Jan 3, 2007
Mileage
42,500 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 7, 2006

THERE IS A PROBLEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN WIRING THAT AFTER A WHILE CAUSES NOT ONLY YOUR TURN SIGNAL AND BRAKE LIGHT TO STOP WORKING BUT IN SOME CASES CAUSES PROBLEM WITH AIR BAG AS WELL. A LOT OF CASES CAN BE SEEN BY GOING TO HTTP://WWW.MYSPORTTRAC.COM/MYSPORTTRAC/ AND DOING A SEARCH OF TURN SIGNALS. ON MY PARTICULAR VEHICLE. MY TURN SIGNAL OR BRAKE LIGHT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WILL NOT WORK WHEN THE TILT STEERING IS ENGAGED. IF I LEAVE THE STEERING WHEEL ALL THE WAY UP EVERYTHING WORKS. I ATTRIBUTE MY AIR BAG INDICATOR LIGHT COMING ON TO THIS SAME ISSUE. MOST PEOPLE ARE SAYING THE WIRES ARE TOO SHORT AND SOME COME UNPLUGGED AND OTHERS BREAK THEIR PINS OFF. *NM

NHTSA ID
10149633
Incident
Jan 4, 2006
Mileage
65,000 mi
Electrical
Filed Feb 3, 2006

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THERE IS A SHORT IN THE WIRING SYSTEM CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CONTINUALLY BLOW FUSES. THIS CAUSES THE VEHICLE TAILLIGHTS AND DASHBOARD LIGHTS TO BE INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM. UPDATED 03/03/06. *JB

NHTSA ID
10149397
Incident
Feb 3, 2006
Mileage
46,208 mi
Electrical
Filed Jan 31, 2005
Fire reported

WHILE BEING PARKED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CAUSE OF THIS WAS STILL UNDETERMINED.*AK

NHTSA ID
10109367
Incident
Jan 8, 2005
ElectricalTransmission
Filed Apr 13, 2004

I PURCHASED MY 2002 EXPLORER SPORT TRAC IN MARCH LAST YEAR(2003). I HAD TO WAIT AND EXTRA WEEK TO PICK UP MY VEHICLE DUE TO ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT THEY SWORE TO ME WAS TAKEN CARE OF. IN JANUARY 2004 MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON SO I CALLED MY CLOSEST FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME IT WOULD TAKE 2 WEEKS FOR ME TO GET AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE MY TRUCK CHECKED. THREE DAYS LATER MY TRANSMISSION BLEW. I CALLED FORD CUSTOMER RELATIONS AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS NOT A PROBLEM AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE MY TRUCK FIXED. THREE WEEKS AND $2600.00 LATER I GOT MY TRUCK BACK. NOW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS STILL ON AND MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE DOES NOT WORK. I CALLED AAMCO(THE PLACE FORD REFERRED ME TOO), AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOT THE TRANSMISSION BUT NOW AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM THAT I WOULD NEED TO TAKE TO THE DEALERSHIP TO HAVE FIXED BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY TO HAVE THAT FIXED AS WELL. MY TRUCK HAD 39,000 MILES AND WAS LESS THAN 2 YEARS OLD AND FORD IS STATING THAT THEY ARE REFUSING TO FIX ANYTHING FOR FREE. I HAVE SEEN ALL KINDS OF REPORTS OF ELECTRICAL AND ENGINE PROBLEMS WITH THIS YEAR AND MODEL TRUCK AND I DO NOT AGREE WITH THIS.

NHTSA ID
10066087
Incident
Jan 7, 2004
Mileage
39,000 mi
BrakesElectricalEngine+1 more
Filed Dec 2, 2003

ALL FOUR TIRES WERE SLIGHTLY CUPPING, AND THE BRAKES MADE A THUMPING NOISE WHEN THEY WERE DEPRESSED. DEALERSHIP REPLACED THE PADS, LUBED THE FRONT CALIPER SLIDE PIN, AND REPLACED ROTORS. *AK VEHICLE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS WITH TIRES CUPPING. THE FOLLOWING REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE: ENGINE REPLACED, BRAKES, REPLACED, ALIGNMENT, BATTERY WIRING ASSEMBLY REPAIRED, DPFE SENSOR REPLACED. CONSUMER ASKED DEALER FOR A FULL REFUND ON VEHICLE.*MR

NHTSA ID
10049913
Incident
Oct 15, 2003
Mileage
12,023 mi
Electrical
Filed Oct 2, 2003

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT STALLING PROBLEMS. VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN MORE THAN A DOZEN TIMES WHILE DRIVING AT MORE THAN 40 MPH. MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND STATED THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY HEARD OF THIS PROBLEM. DEALER WAS CONTACTED, AND VEHICLE HAD BEEN AT THE DEALER FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES, AND THEY STILL COULDN'T FIND WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. *AK

NHTSA ID
10042197
Mileage
700 mi
Electrical
Filed Sep 18, 2003

FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC, 2002. AT 4,122 MI BATTERY LIGHT FLASHED THREE TIMES, AND TRUCK NEARLY STALLED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10039112
Incident
Sep 23, 2002
Mileage
4,122 mi

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.

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Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .