Owner-reported complaints naming the interior system, filed with NHTSA
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Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 16 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.
Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR INTERIOR CHILD LOCKS FAILED IN THE LOCKED POSITION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE DEALER STATED THIS WAS A NORMAL OCCURRENCE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.
REAR DOOR GLASS HATCH HINGES CAME OFF.THIS WAS MY WIFES VEHICLE DRIVEN VERY LITTLE UNTIL SHE PASSED AWAY 2009.THEN IT WAS DRIVEN EVEN LESS. BACK HATCH GLASS WAS NEVER USED AS FAR AS I KNOW. SHE ALWAYS USED THE METAL DOOR. I DROVE IT TO GROCERY STORE,PUT GROCERIES IN BACK USING LARGE DOOR. WHEN I GOT HOME I JUST GRABBED GLASS HATCH HANDLE BY MISTAKE,IT CAME OFF IN MY HAND.BOTH HINGES WERE BROKEN. I DON'T KNOW FOR HOW LONG,THE LATCH WAS ALL THAT KEPT IT IN PLACE.WHEN THE LATCH OPENED IT EXPLODED OUTWARD ,RESULTING IN BADLY DAMAGED PAINT AND BOTH REAR DEFROSTER WIRES TO BE TORN OFF GLASS.LUCKILY IT WAS ME AND NOT MY WIFE,COULD HAVE BEEN A LOT WORSE.LIFT CYLINDERS WERE SO STRONG I COULD NOT PUT IT BACK IN PLACE,HAD TO YELL FOR NEIGHBORS FOR HELP!HAD IT REPAIRED LOCAL FORD DEALER.TOLD ME ABOUT RECALL FOR MODELS EXCEPT SPORT.NO RECALL FOR IT.$150.50(NOT INCLUDING PAINT) FOR REPAIRS & 10 DAYS @ DEALER.IT NOW HAS 71,800 MILES GLASS HATCH NEVER USED,IT HAS BROKEN DRIVERS SIDE HINGE AGAIN.07/28/2014.HAVE NOT CONTACTED DEALER AGAIN AS OF THIS TIME. BUT I PLAN TO EXPRESS MY CONCERNS FOR SUCH INADEQUATE REPLACEMENT PARTS. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED NEW, NEVER ABUSED AND WELL MAINTAINED. *JS
TOOK VEHICLE IN TO HAVE NHTSA ACTION NUMBER PE03020 - BOLT REPLACE DUE TO BACK OF SEAT FALLING BACKWARDS DURING DRIVING. BOLT BROKE ALLOWING THE SEAT BACK TO FALL BACKWARDS. WAS INFORMED BY AIRPORT FORD (DEALERSHIP) THAT DUE TO THE BROKEN BOLT THAT THE SEAT FRAME WAS DAMAGED AND I WOULD HAVE TO PAY $350 TO GET THE FRAME FIXED. FORD DEALER INDICATED THAT THEY COULD NOT REPLACE BOLT DUE TO DAMAGE TO SEAT FRAME - WHICH WAS CAUSED BY THE BOLT BREAKING. CALLED FORD MOTOR CO AND THEY SAID THAT AS FAR AS THEY KNEW THE DAMAGED SEAT FRAME CAUSED THE BOLT (WHICH WAS ON THE RECALL) TO BREAK. SO THE DEALER RETURNED THE VEHICLE WITHOUT REPLACING THE BOLT WITH THE SEAT IS STILL BROKEN. WORDING FROM DEALERSHIP "INSPECT- FOUND UNABLE TO REPLACE BOLT-SHEERED OFF INSPEC CONDITION OF MOUNTING AREA INTO SEAT BOTTOM FRAME SEAT BACK ARE BOTH DAMAGED. - FORD DECLINE REPLACED BOTH FRAME SECTIONS DUE TO TIME LENGTH OF OPEN RECALL OPEN SINCE 2003. CUST DECLINE REPAIRS - NO ACTION TAKEN - RETURN VEH TO CUSTOMER IN CONDITION VEHICLE CAME HERE WITH. FORD IS WANTING ME TO PAY $350.00 TO FIX SOMETHING THAT THEIR $2.00. DEFECTIVE BOLT DAMAGED. *TR
I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT AND REAR GLASS HINGE FRACTURED/BROKE AND CAUSED GLASS TO FALL ON ONE SIDE AND HURT DAUGHTERS WRIST. TOOK TO LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID NO RECALL AND IT WOULD COST $300-$400 TO FIX AND THEN HYDRAULICS PROBABLY WOULD NOT WORK AND GLASS COULD BREAK INCREASING THE COST TO $700 - $800 OR MORE. I SEARCHED AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON WEB. I CONTACTED FORD BY PHONE AND WAS TOLD NO RECALL SO TO HAVE FIXED AND KEEP RECEIPT IN CASE THERE WAS A RECALL. THEY SAID NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE NO RECALL. NO CONCERN FOR SAFETY WAS SHOWN. *TR
I OWN A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. AS I DROVE THE VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT I HEARD A CLANKING NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER I PARKED THE VEHICLE, I LOOKED AT THE LIFT GATE AND SAW NO DAMAGE. I OPENED THE BACK DECK OF THE VEHICLE. WHEN I CLOSED IT, THE REAR WINDOW FELL OUT. THE HINGES ON THE REAR GLASS SEPARATED FROM THE VEHICLE CAUSING THE REAR GAS TO FALL OUT. I HAD MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER, FEARING THAT DRIVING THE VEHICLE WOULD CAUSE THE REAR GLASS TO BREAK. THE DEALER TOLD ME THE COST OF REPAIR WOULD BE $407.00. ALSO INFORMED ME THAT AN EARLIER RECALL HAD BEEN DONE ON THE SAME YEAR REGULAR FORD EXPLORER (02-03) FOR EXACTLY THE SAME ISSUE BUT THEY DID NOT RECALL THE EXPLORER SPORT, EVEN THOUGHT THE SAME PARTS WERE USED ON BOTH VEHICLES. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V281000 (SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER) AND HAD THE BOLTS REPLACED. A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE SEAT RECLINED ALL THE WAY BACK AND NOT FORWARD. THE CONTACT REMOVED THE SEAT CUSHION AND NOTICED THAT THE BOLT IN THE MECHANISM WAS IN PLACE; HOWEVER, THE FRAME FAILED. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE FRAME FAILURE AND STATED THAT THEY WOULD REPAIR IT AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE CONTACT BELIEVES THAT WHEN THE DEALER REPAIRED THE BOLT, THEY MAY HAVE WEAKENED THE FRAME, WHICH MEANS THE REPAIR SHOULD BE PERFORMED FOR FREE. THE CONTACT WAS ADVISED TO PURCHASE A NEW SEAT. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 65,000.
I HAVE A FORD EXPLORER SPORT 2 DR. .. I HAVE NOTICED THAT IT LIKES TO SLIDE ALOT ESP. AROUND CORNERS. I ACTUALLY WENT AROUND A CORNER ABOUT NOT EVEN 10 MILES PER HOUR AND LOST CONTROL LUCKILY CARS ON OTHER SIDE STOPPED AHEAD WHEN THEY SAW THIS. I WAS NOT HURT BUT ALMOST HIT A TREE AND TELEPHONE POLE.. ALSO MY HINGES BROKE ON REAR WINDOW LEFT SIDE AND THEY SAID MINE WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL!!! OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE AROUND 140.00. *TR
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE LEFT SIDE OF THE DRIVER'S SEAT DETACHED FROM THE BASE, CAUSING THE CONTACT TO FALL BACK AGAINST THE REAR SEATS. PRIOR TO THE FAILURE, HE NOTICED THAT THE SEAT WOULD ONLY RECLINE IN ONE VERTICAL POSITION. THERE WAS NO CRASH INVOLVED AND THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN DIAGNOSED BY THE DEALER. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 85,000.
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. WHEN THE CONTACT ENTERED THE VEHICLE, THE BACK OF THE SEAT RECLINED AND WOULD NOT REMAIN UPRIGHT. THE DEALER STATED THAT HER VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 03V281000 (SEATS: FRONT ASSEMBLY: RECLINER). THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,477 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 55,000. UPDATED 10/31/07. *JB
FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT HAS BEEN BROKE WITH RECLINER PROBLEM SINCE THE RECALL ON IT IN 2003, THEY NEVER CORRECTED THE PROBLEM AND TRIED TO CHARGE ME WHEN THE MAILED ME THE RECALL. ADDITIONALLY, THERE WAS A NEW RECALL AS OF APRIL 2006 ON THE SAME EXACT THING THAT THEY WILL NOT HONOR. *JB
WHILE DRIVING OVER 70 MPH VEHICLE VIBRATED UNCONTROLLABLY. DRIVER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, AND DROVE IT TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. MECHANIC DETRERMINED THAT THE DRIVESHAFT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE TIRES WHERE CUPPING AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE HAD TO DRIVE THE UNSAFE VEHICLE FOR 2 AND A HALF YEARS LIMITED TO NO HIGH SPEED TRAVELING. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT HE WOULD LIKE A REFUND. THE TAILGATE KEEPS LOCKING AND THE REAR DOOR CAN NOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. THE RIGHT FRONT WINDOW RATTLES WHIEN IT IS ALL THE WAY UP. *TC
REAR ENDED , SUBSTAINED SURIOUS INJURIES, 2000 FORD EXPLORE DRIVER SEAT ROKE WHEN OTHER CAR REAR ENDED ME , IT WAS THE RECLINER BOLT. *AK
INTERMITTENTLY HATCH BACK LEVER WHEN PULLED UP TO OPEN THE HATCH FAILED TO RELEASE AND WENT BACK DOWN. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE HATCH BACK WOULD NOT CLOSE. *AK
THE REAR DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. ALSO, THE REAR WINDOWS WILL NOT GO UP OR DOWN. DEALER MADE REPAIRS THAT TEMPORARILY FIXED THE WINDOWS. THE PROBLEM RETURNED ABOUT TWO MONTHS AFTER THE REPAIRS WERE DONE. *AK
CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL# 03V281000 NOTICE CONCERNING HIGH BACK SEATS. CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO KEPT THE VEHICLE ALL DAY. UPON RETURNING TO DEALER TO PICK UP VEHICLE CONSUMER REALIZED THAT DEALER DID NO REPAIRS BECAUSE THE PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE.*AK
CONSUMER STATES THAT THE REAR SEAT IS NOT LOCKED ON TRACK CAUSING THE SEAT TO MOVE BACKS AND FORTH WHILE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. *MR
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.
Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own
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