Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
1FMZU73E62U••••••2002 Ford EXPLORER SPORT
This build draws 12.4× more complaints than the average 2002 Ford EXPLORER SPORT build (23 vs 2).
23on this build
108on the model
58builds in total
2involved a fire
Most reportedPower Train 11Structure 3Suspension 3Steering 2
What owners of this build wrote
Electrical SystemfireFeb 2018
Well I have a 2002 ford explorer xlt. It has the trailer brake which I never have used yet. I have a couple issues with it. The theft light blinks as long as the vehicle ain't running. Some times it doesn't like to start and has a brand new battery. Sometimes when put in gear…
Engine And Engine CoolingfireAug 2009
August 10,2009 while driving notice smoke wasn't sure if it was me then pull over to notice when hood was lift up their was fire. I then call fire department along with police. My insurance nationwide then had it place in to auto body shop which it couldn't be fixed
SteeringDec 2012
When trying to shift car from drive into park, the gear shift lever broke off inside the steering column and fell of in my hand. The car was still in drive and I turned off the ignition. The key could not be removed and the car was towed to the dealership. To repair this linkage…
Power TrainNov 2012
While pulling out from a stop sign the transmission was slipping causing the explorer to barely pull out into a busy intersection in the path of oncoming traffic which had to stop to avoid hitting me. This was not the only time this has happened, and it happens with no warning
StructureJan 2012
The contact owns a 2002 ford explorer. The contact noticed that two cracks developed under the hatch. The contact stated that the failure was caused by extremely cold weather. The dealer was contacted and they stated to the contact that the failure was not a safety issue. The…
Read all 23 complaints on this exact buildFull text, search by keyword, and the systems that fail most on cars built like yours.Unlock with Pro →
Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 58 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN 1FMZU73E62UB14698 · decoded Oct 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.