FORD F SUPER DUTY · model year

2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY

50 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002FORDF SUPER DUTY carries 50 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2002 F SUPER DUTY is engine and engine cooling with 8 filings, followed by electrical system (6) and power train (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2002 F SUPER DUTY, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

50
Complaints
3
Crashes
3
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

50 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
POWER TRAIN4
UNKNOWN OR OTHER3
ENGINE3
TIRES:SIDEWALL2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE2
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL2
SERVICE BRAKES2
TIRES2
STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM1
STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR1
SUSPENSION1

Recent Complaints

20180122TIRES

PURCHASED 6 TOYO HT OPEN COUNTRY TIRES. 4 OF THE 6 HAVE SEPERATED

20160907TIRES

SET OF 5 UNIROYAL LIBERATOR TIRES PURCHASED NEW, LT265-75-16 LOAD RANGE E, 2002 F-250 4X4 (OEM SIZE) *THESE TIRES ARE NO LONGER AVAILABLE THRU WAL-MART WHERE THEY WERE PURCHASED AND INSTALLED. THE FOLLOWING OCCURRENCES WERE/ARE DUE TO DEFECTIVE TIRES, NOT ANY ACTIONS COMMITTED BY WAL-MART, THE INSTALLER/SELLER. OWNER OF VEHICLE IS CERTIFIED MECHANIC AND MAINTAINS VEHICLE & TIRES TO OEM SPECS. AT APPROX. 10,000 MILES ON TIRES, WE EMBARKED ON AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY TRIP FROM FLORIDA TO IDAHO AND BACK, TRAVELING THRU UTAH, NOTICED AN IMBALANCE AT 70MPH. ENTERING IDAHO THE IMBALANCE NOW OCCURRED AT ALL SPEEDS. INSPECTION OF ALL TIRES REVEALED DRIVER-SIDE REAR TIRE TREAD HAD A PRONOUNCED BULGE A FOOT LONG IN THE CENTER OF TREAD. SPARE TIRE WAS INSTALLED, AND VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO WAL-MART IN BOISE. (MANAGER VERIFIED TREAD/BELT SEPARATION, TIRE STILL AT 70PSI.) REPLACED WITH GOODYEAR WRANGLER SAME SIZE. RETURNING TO FLORIDA, ANOTHER IMBALANCE OCCURRED ON THE INTERSTATE IN SOUT

Mileage: 116,000

20150705STEERING

MY 2002 F250 SUPERDUTY WITH 7.3L DIESEL WILL NOT TURN AT PARKING SPEEDS AND HIGHER SPEEDS IF APPLYING THE BRAKE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND THEY ALL SAY IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 7.3L POWERED SUPERDUTY TRUCKS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND DO NOT WANT TO BE PUT INTO A POSITION WHERE I MAY HURT SOMEBODY DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGNED STEERING SYSTEM. INCREASING RPM DOES NOT HELP. MY TALKING TO EXPERTS HAS FOUND THE GENERAL CONSENSUS TO BE THAT THE HYDRO BOOST PUMP DOES NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH VOLUME AND WAS A POOR DESIGN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. MY RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE ALSO FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS COMPLAINED EARLY ON AND BECAUSE THERE WERE NO DEATHS IT WAS DISMISSED AS A NON ISSUE. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS I HAVE ONLY 40,000 MILES AND THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT HAS ONLY FORTUNATELY NOT CAUSED ANY DEATHS THAT I'M AWARE OF.

Mileage: 38,000

20150705SERVICE BRAKES

MY 2002 F250 SUPERDUTY WITH 7.3L DIESEL WILL NOT TURN AT PARKING SPEEDS AND HIGHER SPEEDS IF APPLYING THE BRAKE. I HAVE CONTACTED FORD AND OTHER OWNERS WITH THE SAME VEHICLE AND THEY ALL SAY IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE 7.3L POWERED SUPERDUTY TRUCKS. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS CONDITION AND DO NOT WANT TO BE PUT INTO A POSITION WHERE I MAY HURT SOMEBODY DUE TO A FAULTY DESIGNED STEERING SYSTEM. INCREASING RPM DOES NOT HELP. MY TALKING TO EXPERTS HAS FOUND THE GENERAL CONSENSUS TO BE THAT THE HYDRO BOOST PUMP DOES NOT PRODUCE ENOUGH VOLUME AND WAS A POOR DESIGN RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC. MY RESEARCH ON THE ISSUE ALSO FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF CUSTOMERS COMPLAINED EARLY ON AND BECAUSE THERE WERE NO DEATHS IT WAS DISMISSED AS A NON ISSUE. I THINK THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS I HAVE ONLY 40,000 MILES AND THIS IS A DANGEROUS CONDITION THAT HAS ONLY FORTUNATELY NOT CAUSED ANY DEATHS THAT I'M AWARE OF.

Mileage: 38,000

20150220ENGINE

TRAVELING ON A BUSY HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH; THE SPARK PLUG ON MY 5.4L V8 TRITON BLEW OUT OF ITS SOCKET. (ANY MECHANIC WILL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THIS) THIS CAUSED AN IMMEDIATE BANG AND VERY ROUGH RUNNING CONDITION. AS SOON AS IT HAPPENED; THERE WAS AN IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER WHICH IN TURN; CAUSED A RAPID REDUCTION IN VEHICLE SPEED. NOT TO MENTION, THE DISTRACTION THAT OCCURRED THAT CAUSED THE LACK OF FOCUS ON SURROUNDING VEHICLES AND OTHER POSSIBLE HAZARDS. THIS IS THE SECOND OCCURRENCE OF A SEPARATE SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT OF ITS SOCKET ON THE SAME MOTOR. THIS WILL COST SEVERAL THOUSAND IN REPAIRS AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE. ON TOP OF THE MONEY SPENT REPAIRING THE LAST INCIDENT. THERE IS A DOCUMENTED HISTORY OF THIS SITUATION WITH THE MORE EXTREME HAVING FIRE ISSUES. THE FIRE IS BECAUSE ATOMIZED FUEL IS SPRAYED INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT DUE TO THERE BEING A HOLE WHERE THE SPARK PLUG IS SUPPOSED TO BE. THERE WAS NO CRASH, FIRE OR INJURY IN THIS CASE. HO

Mileage: 88,000

20150107FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL

THIS ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED BY FORD IN A FACTORY RECALL ON APRIL 2011. AT THE TIME THE ORIGINAL PEDAL WORKED FINE BUT IT WAS CHANGED OUR ANYWAY. THE REPLACEMENT PEDAL FAILED ON 12/15/14. DURING FAILURE, THE VEHICLE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AND GOES BACK TO IDLE. DURING CERTAIN MANEUVERS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SUCH AS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ON THE FREEWAY OR PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE READ OF MANY INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER FORD OWNERS. FORD NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT THAT IS RELIABLE AS THIS IS A KEY COMPONENT TO SAFE VEHICULAR TRAVEL. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

20150107ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

THIS ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED BY FORD IN A FACTORY RECALL ON APRIL 2011. AT THE TIME THE ORIGINAL PEDAL WORKED FINE BUT IT WAS CHANGED OUR ANYWAY. THE REPLACEMENT PEDAL FAILED ON 12/15/14. DURING FAILURE, THE VEHICLE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AND GOES BACK TO IDLE. DURING CERTAIN MANEUVERS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SUCH AS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ON THE FREEWAY OR PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE READ OF MANY INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER FORD OWNERS. FORD NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT THAT IS RELIABLE AS THIS IS A KEY COMPONENT TO SAFE VEHICULAR TRAVEL. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

20150107POWER TRAIN

THIS ACCELERATOR PEDAL WAS REPLACED BY FORD IN A FACTORY RECALL ON APRIL 2011. AT THE TIME THE ORIGINAL PEDAL WORKED FINE BUT IT WAS CHANGED OUR ANYWAY. THE REPLACEMENT PEDAL FAILED ON 12/15/14. DURING FAILURE, THE VEHICLE ENGINE COMPLETELY LOSES POWER AND GOES BACK TO IDLE. DURING CERTAIN MANEUVERS THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION, SUCH AS ACCELERATING TO MERGE ON THE FREEWAY OR PULLING OUT FROM A STOP SIGN IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE READ OF MANY INSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED TO OTHER FORD OWNERS. FORD NEEDS TO COME UP WITH A REPLACEMENT THAT IS RELIABLE AS THIS IS A KEY COMPONENT TO SAFE VEHICULAR TRAVEL. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

20141001POWER TRAIN

VEHICLE CAN SHIFT OUT OF PARK WHEN KEY IS IN "ACCESSORIES" MODE WITHOUT PUTTING PRESSURE ON BRAKE PEDAL. *TR

Mileage: 151,000

20140902FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

AFTER BACKING MY CAMPING TRAILER INTO MY DRIVEWAY AFTER A 4 HOUR TRIP I NOTICED FUEL ON THE TRAILER TONGUE AND SMELLED A STRONG SMELL OF DIESEL. LOOKING UNDER THE TRUCK WHILE IT WAS STILL RUNNING I OBSERVED DIESEL FUEL POURING OUT ON THE GROUND FROM THE MOTOR. I QUICKLY SHUT THE MOTOR OFF BEFORE A FIRE RESULTED FROM THE HOT MOTOR. LATER, AFTER SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCE OF THE LEAK IT WAS FOUND THAT A METAL CLIP THAT WAS SECURED AROUND A STEEL FUEL LINE AND HAD RUBBED THROUGH THE LINE CAUSING FUEL TO LEAK OUT ON TOP OF THE MOTOR. *TR

Mileage: 197,511

20140818FireSERVICE BRAKES

MY F-250 FORD DIESEL TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL ABS MODULE BURNED AND CRUISED CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. WIRING HARNESS WAS BURNED AWAY FROM THE ABS MODULE. *TR

Mileage: 273,000

20140818FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

MY F-250 FORD DIESEL TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL ABS MODULE BURNED AND CRUISED CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. WIRING HARNESS WAS BURNED AWAY FROM THE ABS MODULE. *TR

Mileage: 273,000

20140818FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

MY F-250 FORD DIESEL TRUCK CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IT WAS PARKED. ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL ABS MODULE BURNED AND CRUISED CONTROL STOPPED WORKING. WIRING HARNESS WAS BURNED AWAY FROM THE ABS MODULE. *TR

Mileage: 273,000

20140104ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

VEHICLE SECURITY MODULE- THIS MODULE CONTROLS DOOR LOCKS ( FOB & VEHICLE IN MOTION AUTO DOOR LOCKS), AUTO HEADLAMPS, SAFETY DOOR AJAR INDICATORS, ALL INTERIOR ELECTRICAL AUTO LAMP & RADIO FEATURES. ALL THESE ITEMS ON VEHICLE ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO FAULTY MODULE (VSM). FALSE SAFETY INDICATIONS ARE BEING DISPLAYED. ORIGINAL PART # IS 2C7T-15K602-AJ, REPLACEMENT PART # IS 4C7Z-15604-AC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP ALMOST (2) MONTHS. INFORMED VEHICLE NON-REPAIRABLE DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PART FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM ! ACCORDING TO ON-LINE WEB-SITES, HIGH VOLUME OF OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SINCE THIS A SAFETY ISSUE ( DOOR AJAR INDICATOR & AUTO HEAD LIGHT TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING), PLEASE ADVISE REMEDY. FORD DEALERSHIP OR FORD MOTOR CO HAS NOT SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN REPAIR OR PART AVAILABILITY. *TR

Mileage: 181,000

20140104UNKNOWN OR OTHER

VEHICLE SECURITY MODULE- THIS MODULE CONTROLS DOOR LOCKS ( FOB & VEHICLE IN MOTION AUTO DOOR LOCKS), AUTO HEADLAMPS, SAFETY DOOR AJAR INDICATORS, ALL INTERIOR ELECTRICAL AUTO LAMP & RADIO FEATURES. ALL THESE ITEMS ON VEHICLE ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO FAULTY MODULE (VSM). FALSE SAFETY INDICATIONS ARE BEING DISPLAYED. ORIGINAL PART # IS 2C7T-15K602-AJ, REPLACEMENT PART # IS 4C7Z-15604-AC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP ALMOST (2) MONTHS. INFORMED VEHICLE NON-REPAIRABLE DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PART FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM ! ACCORDING TO ON-LINE WEB-SITES, HIGH VOLUME OF OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SINCE THIS A SAFETY ISSUE ( DOOR AJAR INDICATOR & AUTO HEAD LIGHT TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING), PLEASE ADVISE REMEDY. FORD DEALERSHIP OR FORD MOTOR CO HAS NOT SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN REPAIR OR PART AVAILABILITY. *TR

Mileage: 181,000

20140104EXTERIOR LIGHTING

VEHICLE SECURITY MODULE- THIS MODULE CONTROLS DOOR LOCKS ( FOB & VEHICLE IN MOTION AUTO DOOR LOCKS), AUTO HEADLAMPS, SAFETY DOOR AJAR INDICATORS, ALL INTERIOR ELECTRICAL AUTO LAMP & RADIO FEATURES. ALL THESE ITEMS ON VEHICLE ARE INOPERATIVE DUE TO FAULTY MODULE (VSM). FALSE SAFETY INDICATIONS ARE BEING DISPLAYED. ORIGINAL PART # IS 2C7T-15K602-AJ, REPLACEMENT PART # IS 4C7Z-15604-AC. VEHICLE HAS BEEN AT DEALERSHIP ALMOST (2) MONTHS. INFORMED VEHICLE NON-REPAIRABLE DUE TO UNAVAILABILITY OF PART FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THIS IS A SAFETY ITEM ! ACCORDING TO ON-LINE WEB-SITES, HIGH VOLUME OF OWNERS ARE EXPERIENCING SIMILAR PROBLEMS. SINCE THIS A SAFETY ISSUE ( DOOR AJAR INDICATOR & AUTO HEAD LIGHT TURNING OFF WHILE DRIVING), PLEASE ADVISE REMEDY. FORD DEALERSHIP OR FORD MOTOR CO HAS NOT SHOWN ANY INTEREST IN REPAIR OR PART AVAILABILITY. *TR

Mileage: 181,000

20131007ENGINE

SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM HEAD, CAME OUT WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO BREAK THE COIL ON THE FUEL RAIL, SHATTER THE SPARK PLUG AND DISINTEGRATED THE SPARK PLUG BOOT. HAD TO TAP LARGER HOLE AND INSTALL THREADED INSERT SO A NEW SPARK PLUG COULD BE THREADED INTO HEAD AND TORQUED TO SPECS. REPLACED THE COIL AND BOOT AND REINSTALL THE FUEL RAIL AND INJECTORS TO MAKE THE TRUCK SERVICEABLE AGAIN. *TR

Mileage: 171,000

20130407ENGINE

SPARK PLUG IN CYLINDER #2 BLEW OUT OF HEAD TAKING THE THREADS WITH IT. THIS AGAIN HAPPENED 6 DAYS LATER WITH CYLINDER #4. I CHECKED INTERNET AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE HAD BEEN MULTIPLE SITUATIONS WHERE THIS HAS OCCURRED WITH AT LEAST 3 OF FORDS ENGINES. MINE IS THE V10 ENGINE. CALLED THE DEALER I ORDERED THE TRUCK FROM AND THEY INFORMED ME THERE WASN'T A RECALL AND SINCE MY ENGINE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO FIX IT EXCEPT AT MY COST. THEY REFERRED ME TO FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE. THEY TOOK MY INFORMATION BUT SAID THEY WOULD NOT REPAIR IT. ACCORDING TO FORDS TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN TSB 07-21-2 THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM AND IF YOUR TRUCK IS UNDER WARRANTY THEY WOULD REPLACE THE HEADS. IF NOT UNDER WARRANTY THEY RECOMMEND HOW TO REPAIR IT AT CUSTOMER COST. THIS IS NOT RIGHT. THE SPARK PLUG BEING BLOWN OUT OF A DEFECTIVE HEAD IS A FIRE HAZARD AND MAJOR PROBLEM. YOU HAVE A HOT CYLINDER WITHOUT ANY FUEL BEING CAPTURED IN AN ENCLOSED AREA. THE PLUG COULD SPARK CAU

Mileage: 78,000

20120423EQUIPMENT ADAPTIVE/MOBILITY

WENT TO START MY TRUCK AND THAT'S WHEN THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

20120423ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

WENT TO START MY TRUCK AND THAT'S WHEN THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. *TR

Mileage: 112,000

Compare 2002FORDF SUPER DUTY to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY have?
The 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY has 50 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 3 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY?
The most-complained component for the 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY is ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and POWER TRAIN.
Is the 2002 FORD F SUPER DUTY safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.