Three problems related to check engine light on have been reported for the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2002 Ford Thunderbird based on all problems reported for the 2002 Thunderbird.
Driving 45 to 50 mph, engine starts cutting out, running rough. Check engine light starts flashing which required the coil pack to be replaced by Ford. This is a constant issue with this model and year Ford Thunderbird. It is an expensive repair and yet Ford has not redesigned the coil pack for this car and the coil pack continues to fail time and time again. I'm just grateful that I was not on some remote highway stranded on the side of the road when this happened or trying to pass another vehicle. I consider this a safety issue. Why the 2002 Thunderbird coil, spark plugs and connectors were not covered under the recall of the 2003-5 is beyond me. Ford did an injustice to 2002 owners of the Thunderbird by not accepting that they had an issue with the car and I would like to see this issue remediated.
Re:2002 Ford Thunderbird at 43,237 miles the engine suddenly began running rough and misfiring. The passenger area immediately began to fill with exhaust fumes. The check engine light illuminated but did not flash to indicate a serious problem. Upon letting the top down the vehicle was slowly driven to a nearby Ford dealership. The cylinder eight coil and spark plug were replaced which seemed to solve the problem. At 45,280 miles the same situation occurred and the cylinder six coil and spark plug were replaced. At 47,459 miles the same thing occurred yet again and cylinder coils two and three were replaced as well as four spark plugs. Despite the cost involved in the necessary repair work and the fact that all of the above incidents occurred well within the mileage of an extended warranty I maintained through Ford motor company, the company advised that the time limit on my extended warranty had expired and the company is not willing to replace the remaining cylinder coils and spark plugs. I do not know if there have been carbon monoxide poisonings as a result of the passenger area filling with exhaust fumes when the engine begins running rough. I do know however that when an engine begins misfiring, raw gasoline pours into the combustion system and could cause a fire, I also know that carbon monoxide if not detected quickly can be fatal to human beings. I do not believe the above incidents are necessarily a warranty issue. They are however a health and safety issue. This problem appears to be systemic in nature and related to design problems of the 3. 9l v8 engine utilized in the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. I recommend that Ford motor company recall the 2002 Ford Thunderbird and replace all coils and spark plugs with reliable parts as I have been advised by a Ford service employee that the replacement coils sometimes fail and must be replaced a second time.
This is a copy of a Thunderbirdnest. Com forum members complaint, which there are several others reporting the same condition. I could not say it better so im using it. This could be real scary in heavy traffic, especially on the highways. I am writing to hopefully prevent a dangerous and serious situation. I own a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. This particular car and others like it have defective ignition coils which could cause the car(s) to become involved in accidents. The coils are prone to cease functioning at any moment, thus causing the engine to suddenly and rapidly lose power. This is dangerous at best at low speeds, and deadly at highway speeds. The Ford motor company has issued a letter stating that 2003-2005 Thunderbirds can have their coils replaced at no cost to the owner. However, they have failed to include the owners of 2002 models in this action. The result of this is that 2002 owners cannot afford to have their coils replaced due to the expense (between $1500 and $2500). This places thousands of cars on the road that endanger not only their own occupants, but those of other vehicles as well. Since Ford has acknowledged that there is a problem with the coils (the 2002 uses the same as those being replaced for free), I implore you to use whatever influence you might have to rectify this situation. Many potential deaths could be avoided if Ford would simply include the 2002 model Thunderbird in the list of approved vehicles for coil replacement at no cost. I personally own a 2002 Ford Thunderbird myself and only have approx. 4,500 miles on it. This week I started my vehicle and experienced this same issue with the vehicle miss-firing. I also have a check engine light coming on. I immediately had it checked and the test detected the #5 cylinder is misfiring. My vehicle has never seen rain or snow. Why can't we get Ford to do something?.