2002 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability
449 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Ford Ranger, alongside 7 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 50/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 51,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2002 sits among all Ranger years
What owners report
“It shifts the first gear extremely hard, once this happens, the overdrive light blinks..after doing some research i understand this a common problem with this year ford ranger”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
“Recently my truck unintentionally accelerated as i was backing up in driveway causing an accident. When i picked up truck after collision repair, it suddenly accelerated on highway causing it to fish-tail our of control and nearly causing another accident.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
“Front frame spring pockets are cracked.main frame near transmission mount bracket cracking,back rear frame spare tire mount gone..matel missing no back bummer.both main frame under cab are rusted starting to crumble .”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
“Consumer states when vehicle is in neutral there a lot of shaking, when driving at highway speeds rpm's may be at 85 then vehicle suddenly looses power. Cause is unknown. Please provide any further information. Mr”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
“Consumer states was involved in a head-on collision at approx 25mph. Both driver and passenger air bags did not deploy. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
“Rear bumper and spare tire holder rotted off .. Rear shackles on both sides.. Gas tank straps and crossmember that holds it up... Now the frame has rotted in half right in middle of truck... Spare tire fell off while driving”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Ranger
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 286 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 59,413 miles. Half of those reports fall between 27,982 and 104,604 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (7)
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND…
Fix: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE…
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
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.
Fix: 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…
CERTAIN AJ MOTORSPORT COMBINATION LAMPS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. COMBINATION LAMPS NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO.…
Fix: AJ MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 31, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT AJ MOTORSPORT AT 626-618-2026.
CERTAIN CK MOTORSPORTS COMBINATION HEADLIGHTS, CLEAR CORNER, BUMPER, AND SIDE MARKER LIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON THE PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO…
Fix: CK MOTORSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE NONCOMPLIANT LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 1, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT CK MOTORSPORT AT 1-909-610-7211.
ON SOME MANUAL TRANSMISSION TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH THE FX4 PACKAGE, THE REAR AXLE DIFFERENTIAL CASE COULD FRACTURE UNDER A HIGH TORQUE EVENT SUCH AS WHEN CUSTOMERS ACCELERATE RAPIDLY FROM A STOP OR WHEN A SPINNING TIRE SUDDENLY GAINS TRACTION.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE REAR AXLE ASSEMBLY. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 29, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE…
Technical service bulletins
128 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2002 Ford Ranger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 Ranger TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2002 Ford Ranger reliable?
The 2002 Ford Ranger drew 449 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 50/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2002 Ford Ranger problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Ford Ranger are transmission & drivetrain (64 complaints), speed control (51), and body & structure (49).
At what mileage do 2002 Ford Ranger problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Ford Ranger problems around 59,413 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 27,982 and 104,604 miles.
Does the 2002 Ford Ranger have recalls?
7 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 Ford Ranger. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.