2002 Ford Explorer Power Train:automatic Transmission Problems
NHTSA component category: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · data through 07/14/2026
Source: U.S. NHTSA complaint data. Complaints are unverified reports from vehicle owners — a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
How power train:automatic transmission ranks on this vehicle
Share of the 3,293 complaints citing each category; one complaint can cite several. Full breakdown on the 2002 Ford Explorer overview page.
What owners report
“BECAUSE IT PERFORMED AS IF IT WERE IN NEUTRAL WHILE IN DRIVE COMING FROM A STOP, I NEARLY ROLLED INTO VEHICLES BEHIND ME THEN WHEN…”NHTSA complaint 765001 — filed 07/31/2002
“WHEN AT STOP SIGN OR SWITCHING FROM BRAKE TO GAS PEDAL TRUCK WOULD ROLL EITHER FORWARD OR BACKWARDS BECAUSE OF TRANSMISSION HESITATION. TRANSMISSION HAS BEEN…”NHTSA complaint 8014619 — filed 07/24/2002
“VEHICLE EXPERIENCES PERIODS OF STALLING AT LOW SPEEDS. APPLYING BRAKES THERE IS A LOSS OF BRAKES AND STEERING. NO PRIOR WARNING BEFORE STALLING. EXISTING PROBLEM…”NHTSA complaint 8014371 — filed 07/19/2002
Excerpts are shortened and scrubbed of personal details; they are individual, unverified reports.
Power Train:automatic Transmission complaints by year filed
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2002 Ford Explorer have power train:automatic transmission problems?
Power Train:automatic Transmission is the most-reported problem area on the 2002 Ford Explorer: 887 of 3,293 complaints on file (26.9%). Complaints are unverified owner reports, not confirmed defects.
How many complaints does the 2002 Ford Explorer have in total?
3,293 complaints were on file with NHTSA as of 07/14/2026. Across all categories, 144 involved a crash, 57 involved a fire, 186 reported injuries, and 5 reported deaths.
What does NHTSA's power train:automatic transmission category include?
NHTSA assigns each complaint to standard component categories; this page reports the POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION category exactly as NHTSA defines and records it.
