Differential Unit problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer - part 1

Tl - the contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that there was a whinnying noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the rear differential was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 133,000. Pm.

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, a burning odor was noticed as the rear differential seized within moments. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who confirmed that the rear differential had seized. The vehicle was not repaired. Th e manufacturer was made aware of the problem. The approximate failure mileage was 200,000.

Our 2002 Ford Explorer XLT with 109,000 miles has serious transmission slippage between 2nd and 3rd gears. The local dealer and an independent repair shop state that the transmission needs replaced at a cost between $2,500 and $3,500. It is dangerous to drive in its current condition because there are times when it will not accelerate. The rear differential and ball bearings also need replaced according to 2 seperate mechanics. There is a random thumping coming from the back of the vehicle daily. The cost to repair is between $2,000 and $5,000. They cannot tell us exactly until they actually get in there to do the repair.

Defective rear differential on 2002 Ford Explorer .

The contact owns a 2002 Ford Explorer. The contact heard a loud grinding noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. He took the vehicle to a local mechanic and was informed that the bearings and gear of the universal rear differential unit failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle has not been repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 75,000 and current mileage was 77,000.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer limited that has had continuous rear axle leaking and operating issues. I have had the bearings replaced three times, the shaft axle seal replaced, the knuckle assembly replaced and the spindle replaced. I had this work done at cortese auto group in henrietta NY (585-475-1211) in June of 2007 and April of 2008. I just noticed differential fluid leaking from the rear axle assembly area on March 16, 2009 and called the cortese group to see if they would honor their previous repair. They advised me that I was beyond the "original problem" 2007 repair date and the cost was on my own. To repair this leaky axle seal will cost me in the neighborhood of $400 and considering this has been an ongoing issue with this vehicle, I feel Ford motor company or cortese should fix this problem with no cost to me. I have done some research online and it appears this problem is very common among Ford Explorers (had I known that at the time of my purchase, I would have reconsidered buying from Ford). If this problem is very common among Ford Explorers and is a safety issue, why is it not considered a recall and repaired by the manufacturer of the vehicle? please advise me what my rights are and if anything can be done on behalf of other affected consumers. After all, in this tough economy, who has $400 to throw at a problem that was a known deficiency to Ford and one that should have been addressed by the company. . .

Wheel hubs especially the rear - constantly going bad usually 12 months or less- rear differential vented with hose over rear tire. Causes water to get into gears - major problem. I keep catching the problem but only because I now look for them but it has been close - recently I had to have it taken to the repair site as it was too dangerous to drive.

Ford Explorer rear end differential constantly needs replacing. Ford dealer charger me $1800 and used salvage parts eventhough I told them not too.

Rear differential does not allow speed differences between wheels. Car turns like it has a locked or fixed axle. Causes a shudder when turning. Could results in control problems with the vehicle during sudden maneuvers. Issue is due to faulty clutch pack in the Ford factory differential or incorrect differential fluid specification from factory. Not really sure which. Solution was to replace the clutch pack. Ford has also specified a different differential fluid from the factory installed fluid in one of their technical service bulletins.

I have a 2002 Ford Explorer with 103,000 miles on it. The rear end of the SUV has started making a humming noise. I took it to my mechanic and they said the entire rear differential and wheel bearings will need to be replaced. After some research I have discovered many many 2002 Ford Explorer owners have the same problem. This problem will cost over $1000 to fix. If it is not fixed it is an issue that will seriously put my family in danger when riding in this car. This problem needs to be made a recall. Please advise me what to do.

2002 Ford Explorer limited, 4wd, 4. 6l - 84,000 miles: rear differential unit whining/roaring for a few months and getting progressively worse. I have mechanical background and looked at the vehicle on rack with mechanic. Rear differential is obviously very bad and I am lucky I did not take my family on vacation with this problem as if the wheels would have locked at highway speed it could cause serious accident/injury. I have not heard of problems such as these with regular/easy use at such low miles and with proper maintenance (as I have done). I have also replaced left front wheel bearing and am suspicious of right rear wheel bearing, which will be evaluated after repair of rear differential.

At 75,000 miles, the vehicle started to make an extreme grinding noise in the rear. Took to a car repair shop and they indicated the rear differential was shot. All the bearings in all four wheels were shot. The car repairman indicated that he has seen many of Explorers come in with this exact same problem. To make matters even worse, the parts are not engineered to repair economically. You must buy all new assemblies just to repair bearings. The total cost of the repair is $2,500.

Rear differential and also the transmission. Please do a recall on this before someone dies. You make tons of money off your loyal costumers, now do something for them and fix an obvious problem that mechanics, dealerships and owners of 2002 Ford Explorers know about. Thank you.

Bought my 2002 eddie bauer 4x4 with tow package and v-6 new from the dealer in August 2001. At 45k had to have the rear differential replaced as the vehicle was making the usual "whining" sounds at both low and high speeds. Was told by the dealer that their mechanic would install the part with "tighter specs" and that it should last longer than the original. Yeah right!! at around 75k, the rear diff started leaking. Had the leak fixed and as you may suspect at around 80k the "whining" sound typical of rear diff failure came back. Had it replaced again along with the rear wheel bearings this time which were also worn to the point of needing replacement. I do use this vehicle off and on the road and have used 4wd probably more than the normal Explorer owner. Also do some occasional towing but am always careful to stay within the weight limits and take it easy on the speed while towing. I've taken excellent care of this vehicle following the maintenance schedule exactly. It is just terrible that Ford keeps installing these parts even though they know they are defective and won't last more than 40 - 80k. Some compensation would be nice, maybe through a class action lawsuit. One thing for sure. No more Fords for me!.

Rear end noise on a 2002 Ford Explorer. Possible rear differential.

Rear end differential problem on 2002 Ford Explorer.

Transmission failure as well as differential failure on vehicle with less than 90k,car has been dealer serviced, this is one of many complaints on this vehicle. At what point will you initiate an investigation? Ford designed this transmission as a sealed unit. Consumer is unable to check the fluid. Flashing o?d light violent shifting, loss of power in 3rd gear.

Whine from rear differential, was fixed once by plantation Ford of florida when car was bought used in 2005. Problem is back and was told my mechanic that if not rebuilt it may cause rear end to lockup possibly causing a crash and even death.

Had bought 2002 Explorer used, noticed noise from rear end. Told rear differential needed to be replaced, cost for used $1500. But possibility that used could have same issues as this is a very common problem with 02-04 Explorers. My mechanic does several a month. After visiting numerous web sites and forums on the subject, I have seen that it is a very common problem and there is a very real safety concern as the rear end could seize while driving. I believe the dept of highway safety is wrong in not considering this problem to be a safety issue and I think a recall should be issued based on the very large numbers of vehicles that have the exact same problems. And Ford knows about this problem as they have released service bulletins on the subject they know the problem exists, but they do not issue a recall because they want the owners to pay the extravagant costs of the repairs.

Rear differential drivetrain failure. Vehicle mileage 25,000 miles on odometer. 4 wheel drive vehicle, rear differential whine/hum at highway speed. Ford has a TSB 05-23-3 on rear axle noise repair. Took to haldelman Ford, hamilton n. J. For service/repair. Cost of repair was $3,600. 00.

Whining noise coming from rear differential on 2002 Ford Explorer. It is apparent that the rear differentials on these vehicles are failing and Ford is aware of this but refuses to repair the problem at their expense.

Rear differential gears had whining noise replaced gears three times. . . Still whining. Front hub bearings making grinding noise at 80,000 miles, told they are 1500 to replace, cant afford repair. Told if the bearings fail when driving at highway speeds could be a serious safty issue. Bearing should not need to be replaced at 80k. Have researched on the web and found this to be a pattern on the 2002 Ford Explorers. Something needs to be done on this issue.

I , along with many other owners have logged complaints referring to a noisy differential on the 2002 Ford Explorer that ultimately results in differential lockup, possibly at highway speed. If you search the complaints associated with the 2002 Ford Explorer rear differential logged on this website you will notice over 50 complaints regarding the premature failure of this unit on these vehicles. In addition Ford has identified the problem and sells updated kits to repair this issue, however owners must pay for this kit and have it installed to repair Ford's defective material and workmanship.

There has not been any accidents, yet. But the rear differential in the 2002 Ford Explorer will eventually fail causing the rear end to lock up and the vehicle be uncontrollable. Many consumers have had to fix and replace the parts at low mileage and Ford is aware of the problem, but refuses to voluntarily recall the parts. The rear differential seals go bad and cause it to leak. There is then what sounds like road noise consistent with vehicle speed. When the fluid is finally gone, the part will eventually lock up. Ford had been advised by numerous consumers of this problem and knows of the possible problems that could arise, but refuses to take the steps necessary to prevent a major accident from occurring. Please look into this and maybe someone can talk some sense into Ford. Thank you. S.

Complete rear differential failure, complete lockup of wheels, started with whining from rear end on 2002 Ford Explorer 4wd with only 84,000 miles.

Noise and fluid leakage in rear diagnosed by local mechanic as failing wheel bearing and differential seal. Replaced differential seal and one rear wheel bearing at 57,000 miles. At 69,000 replaced one front wheel bearing because of noise. At 80,000 mechanic reported that both rear springs had corroded at their upper ends and cracked through. Both these issues are common on 2002 models based on the number of complaints in the data base.

Purchased used 2002 Ford Explorer from original owner. After inspecting vehicle good, I found that the rear differential was leaking and fluid very dirty; appears to have metal filings. Can hear loud rumble and whine while driving. I unerstand that cost is about $1,600 to repair. I also understand now that this is a serious problem with 2002 and 2003 Ford Explorers, and that Ford is well aware of this. I am concerned for my safety with this type of failure.

2002 Ford Explorer XLT, about 62000 miles. Differential noise started about 2 months ago along with a right axle seal leak. Noise is speed relational, starts at about 30 mph and increases in frequency linearly with speed. Noise level also increases with increasing speed. Differential, although leaking slightly, still makes same noise when topped off with synthetic differential fluid. Through research I have discovered this to be an endemic problem with 2002 and 2003 Explorers with hundreds of occurrences noted in various places on the web. Many mechanics report that if the pinion retaining bolt fails, the differential will lock up both rear wheels simultaneously causing loss of control. I have not read where this has actually happened but the noise is very loud and people riding in my car always notice it. I believe that Ford should step up the plate on this one. I have owned nothing but Fords for many years and I drive an excursion. . Read more...

Rear differential seal bad.

At 95,000 miles there was a rear end howl at speeds between 50-75 mph. I e-mailed a complaint to Ford motor corp. And asked if they could fix it. They replied that there wasn't anything they could do.

My vehicle has a loud humming noise when accelerating at any speed. The mechanics at the Ford garage say the rear differential needs repairs. I had other work done that day due to the loud road noise. I had a wheel bearing replaced, but still have a lot of noise. They said the repair could wait awhile(their suggestion due to the already large expense) I had this same repair done in 2006 and 2005.

I first purchased my 2002 Ford Explorer in July of 2004. At that time I had the Ford dealership in swainsboro repair the rear end due to a grinding noise that is emitted when the accelerator is applied. The vehicle had approximately 60,000 miles on it. Now, the vehicle has 105,000 miles and the noise has returned and is worse than ever.

Vibration and grinding at low speed turns. Told by Ford a differential clutch package is needed at a cost of $1,100. Called around to severl different repair shops. Found a Ford dealer to repair for $790 plus tax. Getting the usual 12 month 12,000 mile warranty. Called Ford relations for some relief and they offered none because I am out of warranty. This is clearly a problem experienced by a large number of Explorer owners. Everyone please speak up and post a complaint.

2002 Ford Explorer with 75000 miles. During normal driving began to hear a howling/grinding sound from the rear axle. Seemed to be a rear differential problem that was a very common among 2002-2004 Ford Explorers. No recall has been issued.

2002 Ford Explorer 75000 miles ,has rear end noise when between 55-70 mph.