RecallRepo

2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 5,152,880 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 190 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the power train. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 07V336000 2007-08-03 3,600,000 affected
Defect

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, PASSENGER VEHICLES, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND MOTOR HOMES CHASSIS, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY, UNDER CERTAIN CONDITIONS, LEAK INTERNALLY AND THEN OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence

THIS COULD RESULT IN AN UNDERHOOD FIRE.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS. OWNERS OF THE PASSENGER CARS INCLUDED IN THIS CAMPAIGN WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED AS AN INTERIM REPAIR. AS SOON AS REPAIR PARTS ARE AVAILABLE (EXPECTED OCTOBER 2007), OWNERS WILL…

SEATS 03V281000 2003-08-05 1,552,880 affected
Defect

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH HIGH BACK SEATS, THE UPPER BOLT ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE HIGH BACK SEAT, THAT ATTACHES THE SEAT RECLINER MECHANISM TO THE SEAT BACK FRAME, COULD FRACTURE. IF THE BOLT FRACTURES AND DOES NOT JAM IN THE SEAT BACK FRAME, THE SEAT BACK MAY RECLINE UNTIL IT MAKES CONTACT WITH…

Consequence

THE DRIVER COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE CONTACT WITH THE STEERING WHEEL OR FOOT PEDALS DURING SUCH AN EVENT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE DRIVER SEAT UPPER BOLT WITH A METAL SPACER AND BOLT. IN ADDITION, SEATS WITH TUBULAR BACK FRAMES WILL HAVE THE FULLY THREADED LOWER RECLINER BOLT REPLACED WITH A PARTIALLY THREADED BOLT. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN ON AUGUST 29, 2003. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
17
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
11
3crashes1fires2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
10
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
10
POWER TRAIN
10
STRUCTURE:BODY
10
1crashes1fires2injuries
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
7
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
6
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
6
1injuries
Total complaints190

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“The contact owns a 2002 ford explorer sport trac. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the following day it was discovered that the cruise control switch located on the steering wheel had overheated and melted. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was…”

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL · reported 2023-06-01

“I was driving on I-65 south bound on I-65 in goodlettesville, tennessee when my left rear tire blew out. The tire had plenty of tread left and apparently the steel belts came apart and blue outward.”

TIRES · reported 2020-07-04

“In the morning or whenever damp my front brakes lock up when driving, then stopping..”

SERVICE BRAKES · reported 2019-10-30

“Driving one day the od off light began flashing now it shifts hard and clinks and clacks going down road”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2016-08-29

“Driving one day the od off light began flashing now it shifts hard and clinks and clacks going down road”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2016-08-29

“Re: 2002 ford explorer sport trac. It appears that the upper bolt on the driver's side high back seat, that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame, has fractured and the seat back is permanently in the reclined position. This makes driving very cumbersome since I have no back…”

SEATS · reported 2016-06-06

“On feb.12 2016 still no dash warning lights my ford trac..I left my home in drive moved onto highway 66, the truck would not shift as I tried to increase my speed up onto the 66 highway the rpm ran up only, I had to shift into second gear to get off road drove back home. Now the truck will not…”

POWER TRAIN · reported 2016-02-12

“There was not warning lights on dash, truck slowed down then engine raced up all on its own turned I turned off road shifted to nutral and sat until the racing stopped continued on to auto part store where they plugged into engine it read strange codes..”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2015-07-15

Defect investigations

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation DP05005 Opened 2005-09-22 · closed 2006-01-04

SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR…

Investigation PE03020 Opened 2003-05-21 · closed 2003-09-05

FRONT SEAT BACK RECLINER ATTACHMENT

BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 4, 2003, FORD NOTIFIED THE AGENCY THAT IT IS CONDUCTING A VOLUNTARY SAFETY RECALL (NHTSA RECALL NO. 03V281) INVOLVING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR (MY) 1998-2001 FORD EXPLORER / MERCURY MOUNTAINEER 4-DOOR, MY 1998-2000 FORD EXPLORER 2-DOOR AND MY 2001-2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT AND SPORT TRAC VEHICLES…

Investigation PE09020 Opened 2009-04-21 · closed 2009-08-19

VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS

IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED CONSUMER REPORTS OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED EFFORTS WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK COULD BE A RESULT OF A GROOVE BEING WORN INTO THE SWING ARM RAMP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWING ARM IS A COMPONENT…

Investigation PE09020 Opened 2009-04-21 · closed 2009-08-19

VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS

IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED CONSUMER REPORTS OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED EFFORTS WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK COULD BE A RESULT OF A GROOVE BEING WORN INTO THE SWING ARM RAMP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWING ARM IS A COMPONENT…

Investigation PE09020 Opened 2009-04-21 · closed 2009-08-19

VEHICLE ROLLAWAY ALLEGATIONS

IN RESPONSE TO AN INFORMATION REQUEST (IR) LETTER SENT BY THE OFFICE OF DEFECTS INVESTIGATION (ODI), FORD STATED CONSUMER REPORTS OF HIGHER THAN EXPECTED EFFORTS WHEN SHIFTING INTO AND OUT OF PARK COULD BE A RESULT OF A GROOVE BEING WORN INTO THE SWING ARM RAMP OF THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SWING ARM IS A COMPONENT…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sport Trac as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.