U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Ford EXCURSION problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

129 owner complaints analyzed

4 distinct recall campaigns

63,050 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 89 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Tires is the most frequently named component, appearing in 16 of 129 complaints (12.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	27	20.9%
Steering behavior	13	10.1%
Engine operation	11	8.5%
Transmission and shifting	7	5.4%
Electrical and battery issues	6	4.7%
Fuel system concerns	2	1.6%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Tires

Engine And Engine Cooling

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electrical System

Tires:Tread/Belt

Engine

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Tires	16
Engine And Engine Cooling	15
Vehicle Speed Control	14
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	8
Electrical System	7
Tires:Tread/Belt	7
Engine	6
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor	6

Tires: 16; Engine And Engine Cooling: 15; Vehicle Speed Control: 14; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 8; Electrical System: 7; Tires:Tread/Belt: 7; Engine: 6; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Foundation Components:Disc:Rotor: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 6; 25,000 to 49,999: 27; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 13; 100,000 to 149,999: 15; 150,000 and above: 10

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 40 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2016

2017

2018

2019

2021

2023

2002: 11; 2003: 17; 2004: 26; 2005: 13; 2006: 7; 2007: 8; 2008: 11; 2009: 4; 2010: 6; 2011: 6; 2012: 5; 2013: 5; 2016: 2; 2017: 1; 2018: 3; 2019: 2; 2021: 1; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Tires leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 13 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 11 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10008933 · 2003-02-20 (February 20, 2003)

WHEN THE BRAKE WAS APPLIED, THE ENGINE REVVED AND VEHICLE SURGED FOWARD INTO ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE, AND THE VEHICLE FINALLY STOPPED. *JB THE IDLE AIR CONTROL AND HEADLINER WAS REPLACED. *SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 25,275 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008933 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018824 · 2003-05-16 (May 16, 2003)

2002 FORD EXCURSION. TWO INSTANCE OF THE VEHICLE NOT RESPONDING TO PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE BRAKE PEDAL AT LOW SPEED. VEHICLE CONTINUES TO ROLL WITH VERY LITTLE STOPPING ACTION. TAKEN TO DEALERSHIP WHERE NOTHING WAS FOUND. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 31,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10018824 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10067568 · 2004-04-21 (April 21, 2004)

AT 50,000 MILES, ABOUT ONE YEAR AGOTHERE WAS A LOAD SCREECHING SOUND COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF MY VEHICLE AND THE STEERING BEGAN TO FAIL AND THE CAR BEGAN TO WEAVE. I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH ON HIGHWAY 93 30 MILES NORTH OF WICKENBURG, AZ. BY THE TIME I GOT MY CAR STOPPED THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS SMOKING AND EXTREMELY HOT. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO SANDERSON FORD AND HAD TO REPLACE THE AXLE SPINDLE, WHEEL BEARING, HUB AND WHEEL. FORD TOLD ME THIS WAS NOT UNDER ANY WARRANTY OR RECALL. I HAVE MY VEHICLE AGAIN AT SANDERSON FORD IN GL…

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10067568 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10078547 · 2004-06-21 (June 21, 2004)

I STARTED EXPERIENCING VIBRATING IN MY STEERING WHEEL DURING BRAKING SEVERAL MONTHS AGO. THE VIBRATION CONTINUED TO GET WORSE. I HAD THE BRAKES CHECKED AND I FOUND OUT THAT ALL FOUR ROTORS WERE WARPED ON THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE ONLY HAS 27000 MILES ON IT AND THE BRAKE PADS ARE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION. THROUGH RESEARCH I FOUND THAT MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE HAD ROTOR PROBLEMS AT A VERY EARLY STAGE ON THEIR FORD EXCURSIONS. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE A PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS OR REPAIR THE PROBLEM AT THEIR COST.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 26,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10078547 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003110 · 2003-01-21 (January 21, 2003)

2002 FORD EXCURSION, LIMITED. ENGINE STALLS WHEN COMING TO STOP AT TRAFFIC SIGNS, SIGNALS. WILL RESTART IN PARK BUT DIE IMMEDIATELY UPON BEING PUT BACK IN GEAR. HAS BEEN TO AUTHORIZED FORD SERVICE DEALERSHIP, NOW 5 TIMES, MULTIPLE TESTING WITH FLIGHT RECORDERS, MULTIPLE PART REPLACEMENTS, STILL NO APPROPRIATE RESOLVE. CURRENTLY BACK AT DEALERSHIP FOR ANOTHER PROBABLE EXCUSE, WITHOUT DEFINITIVE CORRECTION.

Owner-reported narrative. 3,017 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003110 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10132548 · 2005-08-11 (August 11, 2005)

THE ELECTRONIC CONTROLLER FOR THE OVER DRIVE LOCK SWITCH IS SHORTING OUT IN MY 2002 FORD EXCURSION. I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE GAUGES TURNING OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING AROUND ATLANTA, GA WITH MY FAMILY. THE BATTERY WENT DEAD BECAUSE THE FUSE THAT CONTROLS THE DASH GAUGES BLEW. THE ALTERNATOR QUIT CHARGING THE BATTERY, AND THE GAUGES QUIT WORKING. I DID NOT NOTICE THIS PROBLEM UNTIL I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AND THE ENGINE DIED. I RESTARTED THE CAR, PUT IT IN DRIVE AND WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN THE ENGINE BEGAN TO STALL AND THE TRA…

Owner-reported narrative. 63,050 miles reported. Look up ODI 10132548 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10101368 · 2004-12-17 (December 17, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A CLANKING NOISE AND FELT VIBRATION. CONSUMER PULLED THE VEHICLE OFF THE FREEWAY, AND TOWED IT TO THE DEALER, WHO INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT TRANSFER CASE WAS SEPARATING FROM THE TRANSMISSION. *AK *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10101368 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10055846 · 2004-01-26 (January 26, 2004)

THE VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ELECTRICAL AND SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THE SUSPENSION PROBLEM CAUSED THE TIRES TO WEAR PREMATURELY. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 6,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10055846 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10308892 · 2010-02-12 (February 12, 2010)

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXCURSION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER OPENING THE HOOD THERE WAS GASOLINE FUMES COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND FUEL WAS SPRAYING ALL OVER THE ENGINE. THE FUEL CONTINUED TO SPRAY THROUGHOUT THE ENGINE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS ON; HOWEVER, WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF THERE WAS A PUDDLE OF FUEL UNDER IT. THE DEALER OBSERVED THE FUEL LEAK WHILE PERFORMING AN ADDITIONAL RECALL REPAIR AND REFUSED TO ADDRESS OR REPAIR THE FUEL LEAK UNLESS THE CONTACT PAID $200 FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE FUEL LEAK W…

Owner-reported narrative. 40,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10308892 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10453823 · 2012-04-02 (April 2, 2012)

ENGINE PERFORMANCE SUDDENLY BECAME ERRATIC AND VERY ROUGH RUNNING. IMMEDIATELY TURNED AROUND AND WENT HOME/ HAD TOWED TO FORD DEALER. DEALERSHIP RAN $250 DIAGNOSTIC TEST BUT CAME BACK CLEAN. I WAS DIRECTED TO CHANGE ENGINE OIL AS AIR MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE FUEL INJECTION LUBING SYSTEM ALONG WITH CHANGING THE FUEL FILTER. ON PERFORMANCE OF FUEL FILTER REPLACEMENT, TECHNICIAN DIRECTED MY ATTENTION TO WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMALL PIECES OF METAL TRAPPED IN AND ON TOP OF FILTER ELEMENT. MECHANIC SAID THIS IS VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH METAL THE RESU…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10453823 at NHTSA ↗