Problems · NHTSA complaints

2002 Ford Expedition problems

Owners filed 383 complaints about the 2002 Ford Expedition with NHTSA between Jul 2001 and Jul 2024. The most-cited component is engine and engine cooling (97).

Complaints
383
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
21
Reported by owners
Fires
73
Reported by owners
Injuries
30
People reported injured
Deaths
2
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine and engine cooling97
  2. Vehicle speed control61
  3. Electrical system47
  4. Tires30
  5. Power train28
  6. Engine27
  7. Suspension23
  8. Seat belts20
  9. Air bags20
  10. Service brakes, hydraulic19
  11. Structure17
  12. Fuel system, gasoline16
  13. Exterior lighting7
  14. Service brakes6

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20011
200223
200328
200421
200548
200630
200747
200836
200926
201030
201121
201224
20136
20149
20159
20169
20176
20180
20192
20200
20211
20224
20230
20242

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine and engine cooling

97 reports11 fires
“I HAVE HAD SIX OCCURRENCES OF A SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. EACH TIME, IT BLEW THE COIL OFF ALSO. THE DANGEROUS POPPING AND VAPORS THAT BLOW FROM THE NOW OPEN HEAD ARE A SERIOUS IGNITION HAZARD IN THE ENGINE BAY. IT IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME PLUG THAT HAS BLOWN OUT. THREE TIMES THIS HAS HAPPENED, THE THREADS THAT THE PLUG GOES INTO ARE STRIPPED. THROUGH RESEARCH, IT APPEARS THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM AND ALTHOUGH I DID NOT ENCOUNTER A FIRE DUE TO THE VAPORS UNDER THE HOOD, IT HAS HAPPENED TO OTHERS BEFORE. THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT THE MANUFACTURER KNOWS ABOUT AND IS UNWILLING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT. EACH TIME THE REPAIR IS EXPENSIVE AND THE UNCERTAINTY OF IF/WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN IS UNACCEPTABLE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 24, 2012Engine and engine coolingODI 10456322

Vehicle speed control

61 reports2 crashes26 fires1 related recall
“Cruise control deactivation switch. I was getting in my truck on my way to work in the early morning. as I walked by the hood I could smell what seemed like burning wire, so I opened the hood & right as I got it all the way up flames started shooting up. I put the fire out and had to wait to call my mechanic he came and told me it was definitely the deactivation switch that had caught fire.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 20, 2024Vehicle speed controlFire reportedODI 11603537

Electrical system

47 reports22 fires
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE STARTING THE VEHICLE, AN ABNORMAL NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE STUTTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE PLUG AND IGNITION COIL WERE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE PERSISTED EIGHT MONTHS LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED WITH THE SAME FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 16, 2016Electrical system, EngineODI 10865245

Tires

30 reports2 crashes
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 5 MPH WHEN HE HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE.THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE SPARE TIRE HAD FALLEN AND PARTIALLY DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE, HANGING BY A CABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND THEY STATED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS FOR THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 75,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 9, 2012TiresODI 10469993

Power train

28 reports1 crash2 fires
“CAR STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS IN THE MORNING BUT IT DID NOT SHIFT ANY GEAR, CAR WAS TOWED TO THE MECHANIC AND TAKEN TO THE MECHANIC. WHILE THE MECHANIC WAS CHECKING THE VEHICLE THE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE, THE ENGINE AND THE WHOLE FRONT OF VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 2, 2015Power train, Electrical system, EngineFire reportedODI 10691689

Engine

27 reports10 fires
“I HAVE REPLACE THE DRIVE BELT 2 TIMES THIS MONTH. THE BELT KEEP MESSING UP NOW I HAVE GET ANOTHER BELT BECAUSE IT IS TWISTED AROUND THE TENSIONER. I DON'T KNOW HIW IT HAPPEN I DRIVE ALL THAT DAY.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 19, 2021EngineODI 11388908
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.