Your vehicle report
2002 Ford Expedition
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 340
- Received Jan 2002 to Jul 2024
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head85 complaints · 25% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Vehicle catches fire from wiring56 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Tires blow out or tread separates25 complaints · 7.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #05V388000On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
- Recall #03V094000Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 19 crashes, 69 fires, 27 people injured, 2 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
- Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion
7 more problems
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2002 | 21 |
| 2003 | 27 |
| 2004 | 21 |
| 2005 | 36 |
| 2006 | 28 |
| 2007 | 28 |
| 2008 | 32 |
| 2009 | 25 |
| 2010 | 29 |
| 2011 | 21 |
| 2012 | 24 |
| 2013 | 6 |
| 2014 | 9 |
| 2015 | 9 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 340 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spark plugs blow out of cylinder head | 85 | 25% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 56 | 16% | – | NHTSA recall #05V388000 |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 25 | 7.3% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 16 | 4.7% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 3.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 11 | 3.2% | – | |
| Water leaks into cabin during rain | 9 | 2.6% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 7 | 2.1% | – | |
| Ford Escape engine overheats from coolant intrusion | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 5 | 1.5% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Steering wheel shakes violently at highway speed | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 4 | 1.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Serpentine belt breaks or slips off | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Fuel gauge reads erratically or incorrectly | 3 | 0.9% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 3 | 0.9% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #05V388000September 7, 20054,500,000 vehicles affected
vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
A fire at the switch could occur.
Remedy
By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 06V286)
NHTSA recall #03V094000March 7, 20033,674 vehicles affected
structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
This overheating condition Can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2002 Ford Expedition.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN