2002 Ford Thunderbird
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Ford › Thunderbird › 2002
These records cover every 2002 Ford Thunderbird. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2002 Ford Thunderbird. Newest first.
Certain aftermarket fuel filters sold under the purolator brand name, p/n f65277, shipped from january 16 through june 2, 2006, for use on the above listed passenger vehicles. due to incorrect design, the quick connectors may not fully seat with the tube interface, even though the person making the connection may believe that the quick connector IS fully…
Risk and remedy
Risk
Failure of this connection could lead to fuel spillage and, in the presence of an ignition source, a fire could occur.
Remedy
Ufi will notify owners and replace the filters free of charge. the recall began on august 4, 2006. owners may contact ufi filters USA at 800-230-5876.
On certain passenger vehicles, the driver's side seat belt contacted the seat recliner during a 35 mph ncap full-frontal barrier impact test.
Risk and remedy
Risk
The edge of the recliner mechanism caused a partial cut in the lap portion of the webbing. if the webbing IS cut, it increases the risk of injury in a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install an insert behind the driver side seat lower trim panel. Owner notification began june 21, 2002. owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Owner complaints
93 complaints4 involved a crash4 injuries1 deaths
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine · Steering
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, before the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the…
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH and making a left turn, the power steering suddenly failed and the steering wheel would not turn in either direction, before the vehicle suddenly stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 70,000.
- Steering
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to turn the steering wheel while using excessive force and veered to the side of the roadway. The…
The contact owns a 2002 Ford Thunderbird. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and attempting to make a turn, the steering wheel seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to turn the steering wheel while using excessive force and veered to the side of the roadway. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle stalled after driving approximately 3-feet. The contact stated that he restarted the vehicle; however, the vehicle stalled while driving. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle was undrivable. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
The cluster lights have gone out on my 2002 ford thunderbird. When this actually happened I really don't know since the car IS mainly a show car and while driving the car at dusk coming back from a car show the cluster lights did not come on. We parked the car and only drove it during daylight…
The cluster lights have gone out on my 2002 ford thunderbird. When this actually happened I really don't know since the car IS mainly a show car and while driving the car at dusk coming back from a car show the cluster lights did not come on. We parked the car and only drove it during daylight hours. Then the fuel system quit working so we had to have the car towed to a dealer. After doing some research I found that this issue could cause headlight failure, taillight failure, turn signal failure, tilt steering wheel failure, parking lights failure, and driving lights failure. When driving the car at night you cannot tell how fast you are going and you also have the risk of your turn signals, headlights and tail lights going out. You can google ford thunderbird and find information where other owners of this car have had similar experiences. I believe this car needs to have a recall since they cannot be driven at night or really anytime. Which IS a risk not only to me but any other vehicle around me. I took the car to a dealer to get the car look at and for them to run a diagnostic test on the car and they told me it was a network problem and IS very expensive to diagnose. He said it could take hours to days to figure it out considering the computer and network system on the car. The service man also told me they did not like to work on this car because of this issue. He also stated that was the reason ford quit making this vehicle. I hope you can see the safety issues this vehicle creates. From speaking with other dealers ford knows about this issue. There IS a website about the cluster problems it IS : www.thunderbirdspecialties.com/2002-2005thunderbird-instrument-cluster-problems/. There are several others on the internet about this issue and other issues with the car.
- Tires
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird equipped with a firestone tempa spare tire, size: t185-60-r17 (na). While cleaning the vehicle, the contact found that the spare tire that was stored in the trunk was blown out and the tire wires, rubber, and cords were exposed. The manufacturer was…
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird equipped with a firestone tempa spare tire, size: t185-60-r17 (na). While cleaning the vehicle, the contact found that the spare tire that was stored in the trunk was blown out and the tire wires, rubber, and cords were exposed. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to visit firestone to have the tire replaced. The contact was informed that the tire was no longer manufactured. The contact was concerned that there was no tire available to replace the spare tire. The vehicle failure mileage was 3,500 and the tire failure mileage was 2. *Dt*jb
- Air bags · Structure › Body
My daughter was in a rollover accident on 09 -06 -2016 in a 2002 ford thunderbird convertible. the air bag did not sufficiently deploy & she was severely injured as a result. She was on interstate 95N near manning, sc when a semi truck did not see her & came into her lane grazing the car. she had to go off the road or the truck would have crushed her. The thunderbird rolled over & she was severely injured.
- Air bags
My airbag light IS on and I want to know if I have a takata airbag. If so how to I get it fixed?
- Air bags
Air bag needs to be replaced and ford has no repair parts available to provide occupant protection in the event of a crash. *Js
- Air bags
Air bag warning light appeared on instrument panel and owner's manual instructed to return to dealer. Dealer diagnosed the problem as a faulty air bag that should be replaced. Ford motor co. Said service parts are not available and dealer did not repair the air bag. I was allowed to leave the…
Air bag warning light appeared on instrument panel and owner's manual instructed to return to dealer. Dealer diagnosed the problem as a faulty air bag that should be replaced. Ford motor co. Said service parts are not available and dealer did not repair the air bag. I was allowed to leave the service department with no idea if the air bag would function in a crash. IS the vehicle safe to drive and should ford motor co. Have done more to assure the vehicle IS safe to drive?
- Air bags
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While the vehicle was stationary and while driving various speeds, the air bag indicator illuminated without warning. Lou fusz ford in chesterfield, missouri was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 800.
- Engine · Fuel/propulsion system
1ST had to have 8 coils replaced ,2002 not covered on recall, but 2003 and after were. Yesterday had to have it towed to a ford dealer, car would not start. after a diagnosis, found the fuel pump needed replaced and fuel filter. the cost was $1500.00. there were 4 other t-birds there plus mine with the same problem. what next? do I need a tow truck to follow me all the time.
- Electrical system
Stereo cuts on and off all the time and sometimes the car alarm goes off.
- Unknown or other
My car was running and I exited the vehicle to put garage door down. I put vehicle in parked with it running and door shut and when I came back to the vehicle all the doors were locked and car was running. very dangerous I was unable to get into vehicle all doors locked with car running. I never locked the door when I exited.
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving 60 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle began idling roughly. The vehicle was taken to an auto parts store where the employee found that cylinders 3, 4, and 7 were misfiring, as well as a random misfire. The…
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving 60 mph, the check engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle began idling roughly. The vehicle was taken to an auto parts store where the employee found that cylinders 3, 4, and 7 were misfiring, as well as a random misfire. The contact opened the spark plug well and opened the coil pack. The contact discovered that the spark plug and coil pack were covered in oil. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact later spoke to a dealer who stated that they would come pick up the vehicle if the contact decided to have it serviced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and stated that they could not assist since there was no recall. The approximate failure mileage was 31,000.
- Wheels
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While the vehicle was stationary the aluminum on the wheels corroded and leaked air. The dealer sanded down the inner wheels and coated them with a solution to prevent rust/corrosion. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 119,500. Updated 05/10/17*lj *cn
- Steering · Suspension · Unknown or other
Took the car in for a oil change the dealer wrote up a list of problems need to repair on this car .this car was in the garage and driven weekly it only has 30,600 miles on it. I think it will cost me 2500 dollars to repair this car. I never had anything like this before with a car.
- Electrical system · Exterior lighting
The dashboard lights for speedometer, tachometer, temp and fuel gauges fail to turn on with headlights. the dimmer switch IS functional since other lights for odometer, radio, a/c function correctly. fuses check out. cannot view speed while driving at night. This makes driving at night…
The dashboard lights for speedometer, tachometer, temp and fuel gauges fail to turn on with headlights. the dimmer switch IS functional since other lights for odometer, radio, a/c function correctly. fuses check out. cannot view speed while driving at night. This makes driving at night dangerous. ford dealer claims that the cluster for the dash might need to be changed. however, none are available anymore. The car only has 8237 miles on it.
- Engine · Vehicle speed control
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving on the highway, the vehicle lunged forward and stopped accelerating. The vehicle independently began to operate normally afterwards; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle would not operate past approximately 35…
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving on the highway, the vehicle lunged forward and stopped accelerating. The vehicle independently began to operate normally afterwards; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle would not operate past approximately 35 mph. After the failure recurred, the check engine warning indicator illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the coil on plug was defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The technician diagnosed that all eight vehicle coil on plugs needed to be replaced eventually. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 30,000.
- Electrical system
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that the instrument panel failed to illuminate. The failure occurred without warning. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the entire cluster needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.
- Fuel/propulsion system
While driving at 35 mph on state route 179 my vehicle started running rough than stalled completely making it difficult to steer and stop the vehicle. I had it towed to a repair shop where they replaced the fuel pump. When the engine stalled, it was in a curve and I barely was able to keep from going off the roadway. I shudder to think of what would have happened at higher speed.
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving at 60 mph, the vehicle began to drive abnormally while the misfired warning light illuminated. The contact could not describe the failure in great detail. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket…
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving at 60 mph, the vehicle began to drive abnormally while the misfired warning light illuminated. The contact could not describe the failure in great detail. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the valve cover gasket and coil pack failed and need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired twice, but the failure was persistent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
- Vehicle speed control
I went to park the car and the car went racing into the spot and it was difficult to make it stop. I through the car into park and even then I was sure it was going to stop. if I didn't have an empty parking lot I don't think it would have been possible there would have been an accident. then I…
I went to park the car and the car went racing into the spot and it was difficult to make it stop. I through the car into park and even then I was sure it was going to stop. if I didn't have an empty parking lot I don't think it would have been possible there would have been an accident. then I had to drive the car home which I didn't want to do, because this was very frightening. then driving home at the stop light I just put the car in park because it was still racing and I didn't think putting my foot on the brake would have kept it in a stopped position. then when I tried to take off it acted like it wanted to stall. not a cood feeling at all.
- Electrical system · Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. The contact stated that while driving at 40 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. The failure recurred twice. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the number 8 coil and spark plug needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 45,000.
- Engine
TL* the contact owns a 2002 ford thunderbird. While driving 30 mph, the vehicle sputtered and misfired, and a warning light illuminated. The vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in any recalls. The failure mileage was 10,200.
- Engine
Re:2002 ford thunderbird at 43,237 miles the engine suddenly began running rough and misfiring.the passenger area immediately began to fill with exhaust fumes. The check engine light illuminated but did not flash to indicate a serious problem. Upon letting the top down the vehicle was slowly…
Re:2002 ford thunderbird at 43,237 miles the engine suddenly began running rough and misfiring.the passenger area immediately began to fill with exhaust fumes. The check engine light illuminated but did not flash to indicate a serious problem. Upon letting the top down the vehicle was slowly driven to a nearby ford dealership. The cylinder eight coil and spark plug were replaced which seemed to solve the problem. At 45,280 miles the same situation occurred and the cylinder six coil and spark plug were replaced. At 47,459 miles the same thing occurred yet again and cylinder coils two and three were replaced as well as four spark plugs. Despite the cost involved in the necessary repair work and the fact that all of the above incidents occurred well within the mileage of an extended warranty I maintained through ford motor company, the company advised that the time limit on my extended warranty had expired and the company IS not willing to replace the remaining cylinder coils and spark plugs. I do not know if there have been carbon monoxide poisoning as a result of the passenger area filling with exhaust fumes when the engine begins running rough. I do know however that when an engine begins misfiring, raw gasoline pours into the combustion system and could cause a fire, I also know that carbon monoxide if not detected quickly can be fatal to human beings. I do not believe the above incidents are necessarily a warranty issue. They are however a health and safety issue. This problem appears to be systemic in nature and related to design problems of the 3.9L V8 engine utilized in the 2002 ford thunderbird. I recommend that ford motor company recall the 2002 ford thunderbird and replace all coils and spark plugs with reliable parts as I have been advised by a ford service employee that the replacement coils sometimes fail and must be replaced a second time. *tr
- Engine
Driving 45 to 50 mph, engine starts cutting out, running rough. Check engine light starts flashing which required the coil pack to be replaced by ford. This IS a constant issue with this model and year ford thunderbird. It IS an expensive repair and yet ford has not redesigned the coil pack for…
Driving 45 to 50 mph, engine starts cutting out, running rough. Check engine light starts flashing which required the coil pack to be replaced by ford. This IS a constant issue with this model and year ford thunderbird. It IS an expensive repair and yet ford has not redesigned the coil pack for this car and the coil pack continues to fail time and time again. I'm just grateful that I was not on some remote highway stranded on the side of the road when this happened or trying to pass another vehicle. I consider this a safety issue. why the 2002 thunderbird coil, spark plugs and connectors were not covered under the recall of the 2003-5 IS beyond me. Ford did an injustice to 2002 owners of the thunderbird by not accepting that they had an issue with the car and I would like to see this issue remediated. *tr
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10022290Automatic transmission solenoid emissions warranty extension. Sample consumer letter attached.
- 10017925Water/moisture in cop wells - dtc p0301-p0308 - 3.9L engine - vehicles built through 5/1/2004.
- 10017917Unusual engine noise or engine knock concerns due to regular fuel.
- 10014703Moisture in storage compartment.
- 10014594Vibration felt for a few miles of driving after parking.
- 10014086General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures.
- 10013116Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illuminated - system lean diagnostic trouble codes (dtc's) - service tips. Various models including 2004 f-series.
- 10013089Water leak diagnosis - removable roof and convertible top - service tip.
- 10013065Removble roof and convertible top.
- 10013060Climate control a/c service tech tips.
- 10011162Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
- 10011159Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair.
- 10009321Inoperative electric rear window defroster (heated backlite) grid lines, integral antenna concerns.
- 10008580Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock.
- 10008188Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on and hard start/long crank.
- 10005092Intermittent engine quit on decel/stops/turns. Oasis.
- 10004912Squeaking noise when switching climate control between panel, floor and panel/floor modes.
- 10004063Malfunction indicator lamp on with diagnostic trouble code p0133 and/or p0153.
- 10004027Remote keyless entry (rke) - service tips.
- 10003748New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included.
- 10003744Engine misfire or rough running condition with coil on plug (cop) ignition systems may be more accurately diagnosed using the optional worldwide diagnostic system (wds) coil on plug (cop) kit. 2003 super duty f series included.
- 10003169Intermittent drivability symptoms - reduced power on deceleration.
- 10002780Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) illumination with diagnostic trouble codes p0442, p0455, p0456, p0457, p1442 or check fuel cap lamp illuminated with diagnostic trouble code p0457.
- 10002682Engine flood during cold start, extended cranking time, or hard to start engine when cold.
- 10002482Idle air control (iac) valve diagnostic service tips.
- 10002481Lack of cooling from driver and/or passenger side vents on vehicles equipped with dual automatic temperature control (datc) only.
- 10001941Power seat function - contact request / detroit region.
- 637842Subject regarding supplemental parking lamps installation for vehicles not originally equipped.
- 637828Concerns regarding paint protection from removable top.
- 637785Some vehicles may exhibit a whistling or buzzing noise originating from the climate control system when the blower motor IS running at 2 or 3 bar speed.
- 637739Subject regarding diagnostic trouble code p1129 during key on engine running (koer) - no malfunction indicator lamp.
- 637567Some vehicles, built between 10/1/01 and 1/31/02, with a 5r55n transmission may exhibit a transmission fluid leak at the converter housing.
- 637532Some vehicles may exhibit small amounts of moisture entering the convertible top stowage compartment even though the removable hard top roof IS installed.
- 637466Some vehicles may exhibit a engine missing or rough running condition.
- 636378Vehicles equipped with the 3.9L 4V may exhibit an oil leak from the engine oil filter.
- 636283Information on passenger seat belts not equipped with a plastic button.
- 636243Some 3.9L V8 engines may exhibit a malfunction indicator lamp with diagnostic trouble code p0340 (camshaft position sensor) stored.
- 636176Some vehicles may exhibit a squeak or rubbing noise while turning the steering wheel.
- 636096Excessive electrical system current draw which could result in a discharged battery and a no crank condition. Service tips.
- 636051Some vehicles may exhibit calibration loss of erratic operation of the power window short drop glass function.
Every Ford Thunderbird model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.