2002/2003 Explorer howl from rear end

Your best bet, if you bought it new, would be to take it to your selling dealer and have the service dept contact ford to see how much of the cost, if any, ford would pickup on the repair bill. wth

I got the Explorer with 17,000 miles and had to go to another dealer to get the transmission fixed under warranty. I know Ford has to see a great demand for ring and pinion gears and entire assemblies. They may do something. I don't think the dealer will.

I am sure that someone out there would have an idea if rear ends are going to become available for 2002 and later like we see for Explorers manufactured in the 90s. There are a lot of them on the road.

>

I also have a 2002 Explorer with the 55-60 MPH rear end whine. Started at about 15000 miles and took in for service under warranty at 31000. Dealer basically rebuilt rear end with new gears, bearings and seals. Fix lasted

500 miles and whine returned. Returned to dealer and found that a SSM ( Special Service Message) #17054 had been issued basically saying that Ford decided there was a problem but that they had no recommended fix yet - no more replacing the entire rear end. Dealer suggested I call Ford customer complaint line (800-392-3673) and register a complaint to help increase the priority at Ford. Did that and got an assurance that the data would be transferred to Engineering. Looks like the problem will ultimately be solved if the wheel squeaks enough.

I would think this would be cause for concern for owners of 2002 and

2003 Ford Explorers. It appears that a $1100+ repair is going necessary on many if not the majority of Explorers on the road. My dealer who diagnosed that problem told me that I should call the customer service number. I was by Ford Customer Service that my complaint would send sent to the people that keep track of such things. I checked other Ford groups and found several owners complaining about the same problem that has been reported on this group. I will post those links once I get back to work on Monday.

It is interesting that you found out about the SSM (Special Service Message) #17054, which actually says that Ford has found a problem. Customer Service did not give me that information.

I just hope that a fix comes in time for me before I have to spend the $1100 to $1600 to fix the rear end. I used my Explorer for business and have almost 70,000 miles. From the amount of noise out of the rear end, I am either going to have to trade the Explorer or get is fixed soon.

I almost never trade cards until that have over 100,000 miles and my

1990 E-150 Van has 242.000. I am a very loyal Ford owner and would expect that Ford would give their customers a good car or take care of them when there is a serious design or assembly problem.

Don Hazle

>

Concerning the whine from the rear end of my 2002 Ford Explorer, I sent an email to Ford Customer Service. On November 19, 2003 I received a call from customer service telling me to check with my Dealer in about a month because Ford engineers were working on a fix. He also told me not to have a repair done because the part the dealers are using now might just cause the same problem. Following that call, I contacted my service manager at Ford who had previously diagnosed that problem with my Explorer. He told me that they now have a special service message concerning noise from the rear ends on 2002

2003 Explorers. But at present there is no fix or recall. It was also his impression that the problem was mostly with 2002 Explorers built early in the production cycle. He said that the problem appears to stem from a variation in the backlash of over 5/1000s as the gears are rotated. In any case he is sure that there is a problem but he has no way of knowing if Ford is going to have a fix within 30 days. He has replaced a few rear ends for noise but has never seen one fail. However, the noise can get so bad that it can be heard clearly over a loudly playing radio.

The Ford Service Manager at Dunlop Ford in Bellefonte Pennsylvania has been a gem. I didn't get the Explorer at his dealership, but he says that he is willing to work with me if Ford does not extend the warranty or issue a recall for this problem. But judging from the problems that he has seen, he is hopeful that Ford is going to provide something for out or warranty service for rear end problems. We decided to talk in about 2 weeks and see if Ford has released more information.

I have found links to other reports of the problem at:

(I think the Doctor is wrong on his reply)

Don Hazle

> >

I just purchased a new 2004 Explorer XLS Sport 4X4 V6 and it has the rear end noise above about 55 mph. Took it to the dealer and they indicated that Ford is working on the problem. They are supposed to call me in a month to let me know where the "Fix" stands.

Beware that the TSB my Lincoln dealer showed me is for 2002-2004 explorers, mountaineers and aviators. How the dealer can promise an answer in a month when this known problem has been a problem for how long?

That TSB is for 2WD vehicles only and involves replacing the drive shaft.