2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC Electrical System Problems

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

Mileage: 170,000

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..

Mileage: 123,023

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

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

Mileage: 158,000

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

Mileage: 147,000

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

Mileage: 130,000

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

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

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

Mileage: 60,000

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

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.

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

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

Mileage: 42,500

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

Mileage: 42,500

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

Mileage: 65,000

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

Mileage: 46,208

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

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.

Mileage: 39,000

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

Mileage: 12,023

WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS BLACK SMOKE WOULD CAME FROM THE TAIL PIPE. CONSUMER COULD SMELL GAS FUMES INSIDE THE VEHICLE. .*AK DRIVERS REAR DOOR WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. DRIVERS SIDE SEAT MOLDING IS FALLING OFF. CENTER DUCT LOOSE ON DASH. DRIVERS SEAT CUSHION LOST ITS FORM. *TS

Mileage: 16,573

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

Mileage: 700

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

Mileage: 4,122