Seven problems related to other fuel system fuel gauge have been reported for the 2002 Ford Explorer. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Ford Explorer based on all problems reported for the 2002 Explorer.
The fuel gauge dropped to empty while on a trip left us all stranded in cold!.
As I was driving home from work my fuel gauge went from full to empty and the check gauge light came on then the vehicle died and I lost power steering and the power brakes.
The middle panel under the glass in the back of the car has cracked. I suspect it was due to cold weather. I have since seen other Explorers with this problem and notice that there are a lot of complaints online about this. In addition, this past summer my shifter snapped off the barrel. I had 4 kids in the car at the time. Ford responded by telling me that I had 75k miles and no warranty and I didn't typically get my car serviced there so they weren't going to be willing to "work with me" to get it resolved. When I told him I had my 'regular' mechanic look at it he said that the labor rate was probably cheaper with him than at Ford. Well - now tell me why I would service my car at a Ford dealership? OH yeah. . . In case I get cracks or shifters fall off and maybe they'll 'work with me' on the price. Big incentive. Oh yeah, my fuel gauge doesn't work - another common problem. My previous Explorer (about 10 years back) had the same problem . The guy up the street has an Explorer (2003) and it doesn't work either.
Even with a full tank of gas the gas gauge will go to "0" and the "check gauge" light comes on because the sender assembly unit of the gas gauge does not work. When we took our Explorer to dub miller Ford in rosenberg on Nov. 19th, there had been another 2002 Explorer brought in for the same problem that morning. The part is not available and is on back order. The part cost $76. 79 but the labor will be $270! this is a lot of money for us to pay due to an Ford's egineering problem. Are many other 2002 Explorers experiencing the same problems? thanks! shelley and gale towns.
When the fuel tank was filled up it registered empty twelve hours later. However, fuel tank read full. Vehicle has ran out of gas on more than one occasion. Consumer drove the vehicle to dealer for inspection, and mechanic determined that fuel sending unit needed to be replaced.
While filling up at the gas station the fuel gauge malfunctioned. The fuel tank registered a full tank, but 12 hours later, a false reading occurred. Consumer took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic replaced the fuel sending unit due to worn out parts.
While driving, the gas gauge would read wrong. This would cause the consumer to not know how much fuel was in the vehicle.