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#BS-2002-FOREXP-3245

2002 Ford Explorer Sport

Based on reports from 160 owners and 5 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
160
Crashes
12
Fires
7
Recalls
5
TSBs
102
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 160 complaints, 12 crashes, 7 fires, and 5 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the Power Train:automatic TransmissionHIGH

18 owners reported power train:automatic transmission issues — failures commonly reported around 71K miles.

!Inspect the Structure:bodyMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

24
0–30K
27
30–60K
32
60–90K
24
90–120K
11
120–150K
4
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (32 reports) • Median: 71K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Power Train:automatic Transmission (18 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Power Train:automatic Transmission18 (11%)
Structure:body10 (6%)
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge And Attachments9 (6%)
Drivetrain8 (5%)
Visibility:glass, Side/rear7 (4%)
Electrical6 (4%)
Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate5 (3%)
Speed Control5 (3%)

2002 Ford Explorer Sport: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Power Train:automatic Transmission Issues

Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, with 18 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 71,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 71K-mile mark.

Structure:body Issues

Structure:body complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, with 10 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge And Attachments Issues

Structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge And Attachments complaints account for 6% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, with 9 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to structure:body:hatchback/liftgate:hinge and attachments-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 5% of all reports filed for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport, with 8 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

5
02
14
03
14
04
20
05
3
06
18
07
11
08
11
09
19
10
9
11
4
12
8
13
7
14
7
15
2
16
5
17
3
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (5 recalls)

01X001000Jun 2001

TIRES:TREAD/BELT

THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SAFETY ACT. HOWEVER, IT IS DEEMED A SAFETY IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN BY THE AGENCY. EQUIPMENT DESCRIPTION: FORD IS REPLACING ALL FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT 15, 16, AND 17 INCH TIRES MOUNTED ON FORD TRUCKS AND SUVS. FORD REPORTS TREAD SEPARATION CAN OCCUR DUE TO A COMBINATION OF THE SENSITIVITY OF THE TIRE DESIGN TO STRESS, AGING, AND MANUFACTURING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN PLANTS. FORD IS REPLACING THESE TIRES TO PREVENT POSSIBLE PREMATURE TIRE FAILURE. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: THE VEHICLES LISTED BELOW MAY HAVE BEEN ORIGINALLY EQUIPPED WITH FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT TIRES OR MAY HAVE HAD WILDERNESS AT TIRES INSTALLED DURING THE FIRESTONE RECALL LAUNCHED IN AUGUST 2000. CERTAIN 1991 THROUGHT 2002 FORD EXPLORER CERTAIN 2001 THROUGHT 2002 EXPLORER SPORT, AND SPORT TRAC CERTAIN 1997 THROUGH 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 2001 RANGER CERTAIN 1999 THROUGH 2001 EXPEDITION CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994, AND 1997 MODEL YEAR F-SERIES CERTAIN 1991 THROUGH 1994 BRONCO NOTE: BOTH ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT AND REPLACEMENT TIRES ARE AFFECTED.

03V281000Aug 2003

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES AND DOES NOT JAM IN THE SEAT BACK FRAME, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION.

06E026000Apr 2006

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.

06V114000Apr 2006

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH AN OBJECT BEHIND THE SEAT, SUCH AS THE SECOND ROW SEAT CUSHION.

07V336000Aug 2007

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 160 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 5 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Explorer Sport Model Years

2008200720062005200420032002200120001999199819971996199519941993
View all Ford Explorer Sport years →

2002 Ford Explorer Sport: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport is related to the power train:automatic transmission, with 18 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport reliable?
The 2002 Ford Explorer Sport has 160 complaints, 12 crash reports, and 7 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2002 Ford Explorer Sport problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport have any recalls?
Yes, the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport has 5 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Explorer Sport problems start?
Based on 122 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 71,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 160 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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