There are 7 owner-reported air bags & restraints complaints for the 2002 Ford Explorer Sportin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT, THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEATBELT HAS A DEFECT. THE BELT ITSELF BECOMES LOCKED AND CANNOT BE ADJUSTED AND EVEN BECOMES TIGHTER ON THE PASSENGER WHEN PULLED. I HAD TO HAVE THE PERSON SLIDE OUT FROM UNDER THE BELT TO BE RELEASED. THIS HAS HAPPENED APPROXIMATELY 10 TIMES BUT THIS LAST TIME WAS THE WORSE AS TO THE "TIGHTENING" ON THE PASSENGER. IT IS ONLY THE FRONT PASSENGER SEATBELT.
ICE ON ROAD, LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE. CRASHED HEAD ON INTO DITCH EMBANKMENT AND AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY (FAILURE 1) THEN VEHICLE ROLLED OVER ONTO THE PASSENGER SIDE. UNSTABLE VEHICLE MODEL. *JB
GOT STUCK IN SEAT BELT & HAD TO BE CUT OUT. ON PASSENGER SIDE, FELL ASLEEP WITH SEAT BELT AROUND ME AND WHEN WOKE COULDNT GET OUT. TRIED UNBUCKLING BUT THE SEAT BELT WOULDNT GIVE & KEPT GETTING TIGHTER AND TIGHTER AND HAD TO BE CUT OUT. SEATBELT IN BACK BEHIND PASSENGERSIDE ALSO BROKE, WONT PULL-DOWN ANYMORE EITHER.*AK
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE RIGHT PLACE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT BUT ITS WORTH A SHOT. MY MOTHER OWNED A 2002 FORD EXPLORER SPORT. MY BROTHER WAS DRIVING IT HOME TO KANSAS CITY FROM ST. LOUIS MISSOURI. THE WEATHER WAS PERFECT, THE ROADWAYS WERE PERFECT, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED, HE WASN'T SPEEDING. HOWEVER, HE DROVE OFF THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, OVER CORRECTED IT TO GAIN CONTROL AND FISH-TAILED. WITNESSES SAY THAT IT LOOKED LIKE HE HAD CONTROL AGAIN AND THEN IT ROLLED, KILLING HIM. HIM AND THE PASSENGER WERE BOTH WEARING SEAT BELTS; HOWEVER, THE TOP CRUSHING HIM IN IS WHAT KILLED HIM. THESE VEHICLES LIKE OTHER SUV'S HAVE A HIGH ROLL-OVER RATE YET PEOPLE KEEP BUYING THEM. SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE TO PREVENT ANY OTHER FAMILIES FROM EXPERIENCING THIS TRAGEDY. NOW OBVIOUSLY WHATEVER HAPPENS WON'T BRING ME BACK MY BROTHER BUT I'D HATE TO SEE THIS HAPPEN TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHY CAN'T THE TOPS BE MADE OUT OF A DIFFERENT MATERIAL? SOMETHING THAT MAKES THEM NOT TOP HEAVY AND SOMETHING THAT WON'T BUCKLE IF IT DOES ROLL? OR WHY NOT TAKE THEM OFF THE MARKET? I KNOW THAT IS A LITTLE DRASTIC SINCE WE KNOW THE DANGER BUT WE KEEP BUYING THEM, ITS KIND OF LIKE SMOKING A CIGARETTE. I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK MY VOICE IN HOPES WE CAN PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING TO SOMEONE ELSE. *LA
REAR SEAT BELTS FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. *AK BOTH REAR SEAT BELTS WERE REPLACED. *TT THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELTS. *JB
WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH CONSUMER HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THE PASSENGER TIRE BLEW UP. AT THE SAME TIME CONSUMER LOST THE CONTROL AND HIT THE GUARD RAIL. UPON IMPACT, NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. CONSUMER SUSTAINED ARM INJURY AND TWO FRACTURES, HAD 100 STITCHES. *AK
CONSUMER LOSS CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AND HIT SOME TREES, AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. ONE PERSON WAS INJURED. *JB
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026