2002 Ford E-150 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel System, Gasoline (3) · Tires (2) · Steering (2)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford E-150 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
23 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (0)
No recalls on record for this model year (campaigns announced since 2010).
Service bulletins (13)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Service Brakes, Air 2007-09-19 · 071110 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes. *nj
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2006-12-01 · 19527 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
headlight adjustment needed. *kb
Engine And Engine Cooling 2005-11-14 · 05173 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p1131 and/or p1151 - 4.2l engine. *tt
Exterior Lighting:headlights 2005-07-01 · 18735 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
headlight adjustment - chassis cab incomplete vehicles. *tt
Suspension 2005-01-01 · 05248 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance. *tt
Power Train 2004-10-01 · 18250 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
intermittent clunk on 3-2 downshift during coastdown/tip-in. oasis. to include 2005 f-150, e-series and expedition. *tt
Showing the 6 most recent of 13 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2024-06-23 · Steering“my power steering and brakes went out as i was driving. i was making a turn in town, and i almost collided with another car at the intersection. i pushed the brakes as hard as i could, but it didn't slow down, the car just eventually rolled to a stop on its own. the exact cause is unknown, but it seems like it was a failure in the power steering …”
2024-03-07 · Wheels · 228,000 mi · 🔥 fire“the contact owns a 2002 ford e-150. the contact stated while driving at approximately 75 mph, he smelled a burning odor in the passenger cabin. the contact stated that he turned the a/c on to help clear the cabin. the contact stated that he noticed smoke was being emitted from the driver's side rear tire and wheel well. the contact stated that the …”
2020-12-28 · Steering · 180,000 mi“in a parking lot, i went to turn left, heard a loud clunk and the van just went straight. lost all steering control. luckily this happened in a parking lot and not on the road at higher speed. if this had occurred at speed, i would have hit oncoming traffic , or gone off the road into who knows what. two separate mechanics have diagnosed a comp…”
2018-08-01 · Structure:frame And Members · 86,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford e-150. the contact stated that the frame experienced severe corrosion. as a result, the vehicle lost steering ability because the bolts connected to the gear box, which were all connected to the frame, detached from the vehicle. the contact was able to safely maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road. the manufac…”
2016-10-25 · Engine · 365,489 mi“spark plug blew out of engine block. i was going in reverse when this happened.…”
2012-12-31 · Suspension · 125,000 mi · 🔥 fire“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford regency. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50-55 mph, the driver's side rear tire detached from the vehicle. the contact was riding on the rotor, which started a small fire, but he was able to stop the vehicle safely. the vehicle was later towed to an independent mechanic where they advised him tha…”
2012-03-12 · Fuel System, Gasoline“the gas pedal on our e150 ford traveler van is sticky. this has been going on some time now. my wife has complained about it for several years. a co-worker and i borrowed a friends ford pickup truck and he mentioned the same problem, i told him about our van(this was a month ago). *tr…”
2011-08-08 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 40,000 mi“tl* the contact owns a 2002 ford e-150. the contact stated that after having the vehicle serviced for routine maintenance, he was advised that the two straps which held the fuel tank in place were corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was repaired. the manufacturer was notified and a complaint was filed. the failure mileage was approximat…”
2011-01-27 · Suspension:front · 132,000 mi“tl*the contact owns a 2002 ford e150. while driving approximately 35 mph, the contact heard a loud noise such as a spring popping, when he noticed that the flat plate that the front driver side coil spring mount was mounted on had rusted, causing him to lose control of the vehicle. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified and the v…”
2010-09-25 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 205,000 mi“fuel tank filler neck rust and leak spills gasoline on every fuel fillup--extreme danger of fire. *tr…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.