U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Ford F-250 problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

156 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

89,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 97 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 12 of 156 complaints (7.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	27	17.3%
Steering behavior	19	12.2%
Engine operation	10	6.4%
Transmission and shifting	9	5.8%
Electrical and battery issues	5	3.2%
Fuel system concerns	5	3.2%

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.

Engine

Tires

Tires:Tread/Belt

Engine And Engine Cooling

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine: 12; Tires: 9; Tires:Tread/Belt: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling: 8; Unknown Or Other: 8; Electrical System: 7; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 7; Vehicle Speed Control: 7

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: 10; 25,000 to 49,999: 10; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 20; 100,000 to 149,999: 14; 150,000 and above: 25

150,000 and above miles has the most reports with usable mileage (25). 59 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.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

2001: 3; 2002: 29; 2003: 11; 2004: 18; 2005: 10; 2006: 9; 2007: 5; 2008: 7; 2009: 2; 2010: 4; 2011: 8; 2012: 3; 2013: 3; 2014: 7; 2015: 6; 2016: 9; 2017: 8; 2019: 4; 2020: 1; 2021: 2; 2022: 1; 2023: 3; 2024: 1; 2025: 2

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 27 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 19 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 10 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 10001061 · 2002-12-17 (December 17, 2002)

THE VEHICLE STALLED ON 5 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, NUMEROUS PARTS WAS REPLACED, HOWEVER THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO STALL, ALSO A FAULTY BRAKE RELAY SWITCH WAS REPLACED.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. 7,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001061 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002517 · 2003-01-10 (January 10, 2003)

WHEN THE BRAKES WERE BEING APPLIED VEHICLE WOULD PULL TO LEFT OR RIGHT.*JB. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002517 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10042911 · 2003-10-14 (October 14, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH ON THE HIGHWAY WITHOUT WARNING DRIVER TILTED STEERING WHEEL TO AVOID A DOG ON THE ROAD. DRIVE R LOST CONTROL, VEHICLE FLIPPED OVER THREE TIMES , AND LANDED UPSIDE DOWN IN A DITCH. UPON IMPACT, AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. DRIVER SUFFERED INJURIES AND WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO THE HOSPITAL. THERE WERE NO FATALITIES AT THIS TIME. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 64,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10042911 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10055155 · 2004-01-29 (January 29, 2004)

AUTO-FORD F-250 POWER STROKE. WHEN THE CRANKCASE SENSORS GOES BAD THIS VEHICLE STOPS RUNNINGAND YOU NO LONGER HAVE STEERING BRAKES.IT HAS HAPPEND TO ME 6 TIMES BREFORE IT WAS FIXED. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 87,896 miles reported. Look up ODI 10055155 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10166676 · 2006-08-27 (August 27, 2006)

(1) FAILED DURING DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED ON NARROW ROAD WITHOUT SHOULDER. CAUSED COMPLETE AND IMMEDIATE ENGINE SHUTDOWN, LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND SUBSTANTIAL CHALLENGE IN STEERING OUT OF CORNER. (2) FAILURE OF PART: "CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR" ON FORD 2002 7.3L POWER STROKE DIESEL ENGINE IN F-250 SD PICKUP. (3) DEALER REPLACED SENSOR AND ALSO "SYNCHRONIZER ASSEMBLY" UNDER WARRANTY. COST WAS $100 DEDUCTIBLE AND $96.87 TOW BILL. OLD PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 51,390 miles reported. Look up ODI 10166676 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10083748 · 2004-07-23 (July 23, 2004)

DEFECT IN THE PARKING BRAKE MECHANISM ON 2002 FORD F250. *MR THE PARKING BRAKE NEVER WORKED AS INTENDED AND WAS NOT ADJUSTABLE. THE CONSUMER WAS FORCED TO DEPEND ON THE TRANSMISSION PARK POSITION TO HOLD THE TRUCK WHEN PARKED. THE PARKING BRAKE WOULD NOT HOLD THE TRUCK ON A MODERATE GRADE. *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10083748 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10183746 · 2007-02-22 (February 22, 2007)

FORD F250 WITH TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. CONSUMER STATED THAT HE IS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED AND DISPLEASED WITH THE BUSINESS PRACTICES OF DEALER**CC THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED USED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT OPERATE IN REVERSE. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM THEREFORE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ANOTHER DEALER. THAT DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY THE CONSUMER TOOK IT BACK TO THE SALES DEALER. THEY CLAIMED THAT THEY WOULD …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10183746 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10156521 · 2006-05-01 (May 1, 2006)

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE REAR BRAKE LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED WHEN THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF SMOKE. THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS AND THE FUSE BOX CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. THERE IS A NHTSA RECALL, # 05V388000, REGARDING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10156521 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10191080 · 2007-05-17 (May 17, 2007)

1ST CRUISE CONTROL QUIT WORKING. 3 WEEKS LATER A NEW PROBLEM BEGAN. TO START VEHICLE I HAD TO TURN KEY TO ACCESSORY, MOVE GEAR SHIFT FROM PARK TO NEUTRAL, THEN TURNED KEY THE REST OF THE WAY TO START. AFTER ARRIVING ANYWHERE COULD NOT LEAVE VEHICLE IN PARK AND COULD NOT MOVE GEAR SHIFT BACK TO DRIVE. I HAD TO TURN VEHICLE OFF AND RESTART IT WITH THE ABOVE PROCEDURE. WITHIN A WEEK AFTER THE SHIFTING PROBLEM BEGAN I COULD NOT SHUT OVERDRIVE OFF. THEN, 2 DAYS LATER WHILE LEAVING HOME , THE SMELL OF AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND BELLOWING WHIT…

Owner-reported narrative. 149,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10191080 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10569031 · 2014-03-13 (March 13, 2014)

MY FAMILY IS FORD MOTOR DEDICATED AND AS WE BUY NEW TRUCKS THE OLD ONES ARE PASSED ON TO OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS. WE PURCHASED THREE NEW TRUCKS AND HAVING PROBLEMS WITH TWO. THEY ARE FORD 2002 F250 SUPER DUTY WITH THE 7.3 L DIESEL. BOTH TRUCKS HAVE HAD THERE DEFECTIVE INJECTOR WIRE HARNESSES REPLACED, SHORTED OUT ON THE INTERSTATE CAUSING THE ENGINES TO SHUT COMPLETELY DOWN. NO STEERING, BRAKES, NOTHING. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECH THAT THE WIRING IS DEFECTIVE AND THE OIL AND HEAT IS WHAT WAS CAUSED THE FAILURE, HE HAS SEEN THIS REPAIR QUIT OFTEN. THE …

Owner-reported narrative. 160,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10569031 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10615970 · 2014-07-24 (July 24, 2014)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F250 DIESEL, 2004 F250 DIESEL. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL TANK STRAPS UNDER THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WERE RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND DID NOT PROVIDE A REMEDY. THERE WAS NO DIAGNOSIS OR REPAIRS COMPLETED ON THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 143,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 143,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10615970 at NHTSA ↗