Power Train Driveline problems of the 2002 Ford Explorer

2002 Ford Explorer , had rear end repaired at 75000. 0 miles by Ford dealer and again it's making a grinding noise at 101000. 0. . . Like all others, they state out of warranty and want customer to pay.

2002 Ford Explorer rear end growl/whine.

2002 Ford Explorer differential subject to increased whining @ 85000 miles and rapidly failed over the course of one week @ 99,000 miles. R side wheel bearings have failed at same time. Differential has locked up and drive gear jumps gear teeth during any turn. Dealer claims they've never seen such a failure but located a Ford 'fix kit' very quickly so am very suspicious of their statement. I pulled the Explorer from the dealer for second opinion and rep told me to 'park it' and never to drive it until repaired due to potential of highway lockup with extreme consequences. Ford is hiding this defect from the public. Have just filed complaint with Ford online who are replying with form letter email refusals to help . Drive gear failure on any vehicle is unheard of, and should never fail. Vehicle sits on a truck chassis and should be sturdier than it is.

Noise from rear wheel hub bearings. Ford TSB 05-25-8. I have only 35,000 on this vehicle and am concerned that if there is a bearing failure on a rear wheel hub you could lose control of the vehicle. I feel that Ford should be responsible to correct this defect.

I had to go into town. Some roads were snow and ice covered. On a small hill my vehicle started spinning and fish tailing trying to get up. I had not experienced this type of traction and handling problem before and it was unexpected. I managed to turn around in traffic and took another route. Same thing happened again on a slight incline. I realized that the 4 wheel drive was not working. I tried to manually engage it without success. I eventually made it to a Ford dealer. After checking they informed me that the 4x4 module was bad. After doing some internet checking, I have found that many others have had the same problem. Many claim that the failure happens after the battery is disconnected for some reason. My vehicle had a recall to remedy a speed control defect about a month earlier. The problem also seems to affect 2002 Explorers more than other models. The loss of the automatic 4 wheel drive can result in loss of control affecting not only the Explorer but other vehicles also. This type of failure is unexpected and no panel light indicates that the vehicle is in automatic 4 wheeled drive. The only indication is the light in the selection pushbutton which can not be seen in daytime driving with the head lights on which dims the panel lights. No failure indication and the loss of the 4 wheel drive when you expect it to be there causes a dangerous situation.

2002 Ford Explorer, replaced front left and left rear wheel bearings. Now the right rear bearing is going out. Mechanics at Ford dealership said its a common problem. Ford needs to recall these.

Ford Explorer 2002 just would not accelerate when pulled out into traffic. Now o/d flashing and told that it is a transmission problem. Many thousands with same problem but Ford won't do anything.

2002 Ford Explorer eddie bauer 4. 6 has a loud whining/howling noise coming from rear differential. This is a known and documented problem/defect with these vehicles. Ford has many TSB's about the problem, but will only replace the differential gear assembly at a cost of $1100. 00.

My 2002 Ford Explorer XLT currently has 79,000 miles. Loud grinding noises could be heard and a grabbing sensation could be felt from the back of the vehicle. I thought the tires were cupped so I purchased new tires and had the vehicle aligned. The noise was still evident. A certified mechanic stated to me that both rear wheel bearings failed and they need to be repaired. Along with that, he stated my differential needs to be repaired. Lastly, both rear coil shocks were broke into pieces. I had them replaced at 78,500.

Transmission light blinking. Transmission slipping.

Wheel bearing on my 2002 Ford Explorer is completely shot and causes vehicle to loose control and shake uncontrollably. Well simple wear and tear and extremely poorly manufactured parts on a 2002 Ford Explorer is responsible for the failure. On most vehicles these problems don't occur until well after 160+ thousand miles I have personal experience with this problem right now and from what I have read this is a recurring problem on all Ford Explorer between 2002 and 2004. I have read that on several occasions that the wheel on the vehicle would come to the point of falling off. As for replacement and correction you could replace all four bearing and between 8 and 24 thousand miles they would have the same problem. Typical repair cost range from $500- $2500 which really isn't too affordable when it occurs more than twice in a 12 month period. I also read that numerous people have reported the problem to Ford and all Ford says some one may call you or that its not under recall so we can't do nothing for you.

Wheel bearings and rear differential bearings where identified as being worn out (dangerously) to the point where the wheels could have come off the vehicle during normal operation. This was on a 2002 Ford Explorer with just under 55,000. This included all wheel bearings and bearings located in the rear end (differential) causing a loud whining noise.

Stuck in 4x4 mode and cannot turn. Almost caused an accident.

My 2002 for Explorer has a growling sound coming from the rear end. Took it to the dealer ship they took 30 minutes to tell me that the rear differential needed rebuilding. I thought this was a bit quick until I found out that this is a common problem with this Explorer model. The cost is 1600 and I was told that the rear end could lock up. This sounds like a safety issue that should warrant a recall. I did a internet search for the same problem and found that many have experienced the same problem and even after the repair it does not fix the problem for long.

I'm reading many, many, many and multiple complaints about the same things for the 2002 Ford Explorer. Mainly the wheel bearings going which can cause the wheels to fall off with the potential for severe injury or death and the rear differential going out. Ford needs to recall these vehicles and fix this matter!.

Rear bearings on 02 Ford Explorer xls defective.

The vehicle is a 2002 Ford Explorer . The rear transfer case bearings wear out prematurely and can seize up while driving on the highway and cause an accident and is due to manufacturer defect.

Wheel bearings and rear differential.

Ford Explorer rear differential - replaced 3 x's over 6 years.

I purchased a pre-owned 2002 Ford Explorer at the end of 2007. At the time of purchase, the vehicle had just under 60,000 miles. Around 65,000 I began to hear a high pitched howling sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. I had the noise investigated and had both rear wheel bearings replaced as a result. This did not, however, solve the problem. The noise continued and intensified. Recently, the sound began to be accompanied by a low grinding sound and a definitely perceptible 'dragging' affect. This happened just shy of 80,000 miles. After extensive research, my problem has been re-diagnosed as a rear drive train/axle problem. I have also recently discovered that this is a persistent problem with this make/model, but Ford is refusing to acknowledge/accept responsibility for the problem and the potential safety concerns associated with the rear axle seizing up during normal operation. . Read more...

Rear differential.

Rear end started whining while on road trip from nashville to home. Left rear wheel started to wobble and then seized. Vehicle is not drivable.

2002 Ford Explorer xls original owner 72,000 miles. Have noticed a whining humming ,noise coming from rear of vehicle while driving 50-70 miles per hour. Been doing it since 30,000 miles. Dealer says possible right wheel bearing?.