2002 Ford E-350 Problems
- Complaints
- 53filed with NHTSA
- Median mileage
- 80,000miles, 41 complaints with mileage
- Recalls
- 5campaigns on record
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Ford E-350 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error
What owners report
Owners of this model year most often describe spark plugs blowing out of the cylinder heads, sometimes with a loud pop, a fuel smell, or a stall. Tire tread separations, blowouts, and sidewall cracking, along with engine stalls and fuel delivery problems in diesel vans, are also reported repeatedly. Where mileage is given, spark plug reports mostly fall between about 60,000 and 120,000 miles, and many describe the problem returning after a repair.
- Engine
Spark plugs blow out of the cylinder head threads
- 18 complaints (34%)
- median 93,000 mi at 7.0 yrs old (16 state mileage)
- filed 2005–2018
Owners describe a spark plug blowing out of the cylinder head, often with a loud pop, engine stalling, or raw fuel smell and smoke from the engine area. Some owners had the threads repaired with inserts or sleeves, and then another plug blew out, and a complaint says the dealer offered to replace the entire head at a cost above $5,000. According to complaints, Ford's guidance was not to change the plugs before 100,000 miles, and some owners say the cylinder heads do not have enough thread to hold them. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 23,500 to 151,000 miles, with most between 60,000 and 120,000.
What to check: Ask when the spark plugs and cylinder head threads were last serviced, and whether any thread repair or head work is on record.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“My 2002 Ford E-350 has been found to have a spark plug blow out. This hapened without notice. I have been told that I need a tune-up. I have researched online and found many complaints about Ford truck engines ejecting spark plugs. I'm concerned that if all the plugs are replaced, that the problem may not fuller be solved without some very expensive work.”
NHTSA complaint #10278188, filed 2009-07, 151,000 miles“Started my 2001 Ford E-350. After 10-15 seconds, large pop and engine died. Opened hood and found right rear spark plug had blown out of engine. I'm an engineer and I've been working on engines of all descriptions for 35 years. This is an obvious engineering defect. Ford should replace the parts. We have a fleet of fords. I now wish it was a fleet of chevy's.”
NHTSA complaint #10405384, filed 2011-06, 137,152 miles - Tires
Tire tread separation, blowouts, and sidewall cracking
- 9 complaints (17%)
- median 42,800 mi at 5.2 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
- 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
- filed 2002–2015
Owners describe tires that separated, blew out, or developed dry, cracked sidewalls with bulges, sometimes at highway speed. A complaint describes a tread separation that led to a rollover, with minor injuries reported, and another describes a left rear blowout that sent the vehicle into a guardrail. Some owners say the tires were rotated and inflated properly, and that a dealer called the sidewall cracking cosmetic. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 9,300 to 108,000 miles.
What to check: Check the tire date codes and sidewalls for cracking or bulges, and ask when the tires were last replaced.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“(1) normal tire rotated every 3000 miles run with 55 lbs. Front 85 lbs. Rear checked weekly (2) side wall on both inside and outside dry rotted to point of air pockets are forming on outside of tires. (3) tires replaced with bridgestone v-steel r265 I went to two different goodyear dealers 1st in ormond beach fl the service manager said that is not a problem it is cosmetic! …”
NHTSA complaint #10105848, filed 2005-01, 62,000 miles“While driving on the highway the left rear tire tread separated causing the van to roll over. The ten passengers that were in the van at the time were transported to a local hospital for minor injuries.”
NHTSA complaint #10059325, filed 2004-02, 9,316 miles - Engine
Engine stalls or stops running while driving
- 10 complaints (19%)
- median 84,940 mi at 7.6 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
- filed 2003–2015
Owners describe the engine stalling or stopping while driving, sometimes at about 60 to 65 mph, with no warning and sometimes with the check engine light on. Some say the vehicle could not be restarted, and some describe repeated stalls over several years. Another complaint says a dealer found a large volume of water in the intake system and denied warranty coverage, and a field engineer later agreed with the finding. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 12,400 to 110,000 miles.
What to check: Ask for stored trouble codes from the check engine light, and test drive at highway speed to see whether the engine stays running.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“Engine failure on 2002 e350 Ford van. Van was being operated normally on a rainy day in california. Van stopped running. Driver restarted van and returned to yard. Van engine was making knocking noise. Van was sent to dealer. Dealer determined that vehicle had large volume of water in intake system and said it would not be covered under warranty. Consumer appealed to Ford motor co. …”
NHTSA complaint #10013741, filed 2003-03, 12,400 miles“The truck shuts off. It sometimes is intermittent (runs fine at cruise, but wont idle) or it could be absolute. (truck just up and died! No reason!) there is no timeline, no precursor, no warning. I can drive for 200 miles, then it happens, or 1 to 7 miles. The failure is a stall. Engine light comes on, if a stall comes and doesn't shut down the truck, (usually because the RPM's are being revved up.) and is restarted, the engine light will no longer be on. The engine will restart, or not restart, but eventually it will restart. …”
NHTSA complaint #10188440, filed 2007-04, 96,446 miles - Fuel system
Fuel starvation from clogged filter or fuel pump
- 6 complaints (11%)
- median 80,000 mi at 7.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
- filed 2008–2015
Owners describe fuel starvation, loss of power, and vans that stall or will not move. Several complaints say the fuel tank lining was delaminating, with the material clogging the fuel filter and damaging the pump and lines. Repair costs in these complaints are reported at over a thousand dollars, and some owners replaced the tank more than once. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 65,000 to 240,000 miles.
What to check: Check for a clogged fuel filter or fuel tank damage during an inspection, and ask whether the fuel tank has been replaced or the filter found to contain debris.
2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records
“2002 Ford e350 diesel van. We bought the van with 32k miles on it. We replaced the first gas tank with 65k miles in pa after it broke down on I-81. We replaced the second gas tank at 80k miles at otis Ford in quogue, ny. We are now going to replace the tank again, tank #3, because the same issue is happening again. The inside of the fuel tank has been delaminating and causing the fuel filter to become clogged. The van will lose power and chug along spewing out black smoke. …”
NHTSA complaint #10268717, filed 2009-05, 65,000 miles“While traveling on an interstate highway, the van started showing symptoms of fuel starvation and with the family and a semi on my bumper things got quite hairy and started and argument with my wife! I exited the highway and put clean diesel fuel and fuel additive to get me back home; this did not work as the van acted up again several miles down the road. After stopping and starting numerous times on a side street, I got to a place where I could change the fuel filter; I noticed that it was full of rust and aluminum flakes. …”
NHTSA complaint #10760571, filed 2015-08, 240,000 miles
Buying note. Buyers considering this model year may want to ask when the spark plugs and cylinder head threads were last serviced, and whether any thread repairs were made. A pre-purchase inspection that includes stored codes, the fuel filter, and the tires can help clarify these concerns for a specific vehicle.
Summary written with AI from a sample of 41 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.
NHTSA recorded 53 consumer complaints for the 2002 Ford E-350. 41 of the complaints include a mileage, and 24% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 80,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 10 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns and 7 technical service bulletins for this model year.
Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.
Which parts are reported most
Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.
- Engine cooling16 30%
- Tires8 15%
- Electrical system6 11%
- Fuel system6 11%
- Brakes5 9.4%
- Engine4 7.5%
- Seat belts3 5.7%
- Suspension3 5.7%
- Other or unknown2 3.8%
- Steering2 3.8%
Also reported: Body and structure (2), Vehicle speed control (2), Exterior lighting (1).
Example complaints
Engine cooling: “After traveling 10 miles during my morning commute, while at 40 MPH, a spark plug ejected from my Ford triton v8 engine causing raw fuel fumes to enter the engine compartment and passenger cabin. This has resulted in an estimated $1900 repair bill from my local Ford dealer to remove and repair the plug threads for the ejected plug.”
NHTSA complaint #10256974, filed 2009-01, 23,500 milesTires: “The contact owns a 2002 Ford E-350 equipped with michelin lt24575r16 tires, size: 245/756/16 (na). While driving approximately 55 MPH, the contact felt vibrations from the front tires. The contact noticed that the tread from the front passenger side tire was separated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that the tire was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 13t012000 (tires). The VIN was unknown. The approximate vehicle failure mileage was 108,362 and the approximate tire failure mileage was 20,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10734284, filed 2015-07, 108,362 milesElectrical system: “I was driving my van when a very loud explosion occured. Pull over to side of road and shut off van. Exited van and smelled a strong gasoline odor. Open hood and found a spark plug & coil laying on top of engine! The spark plug just exploded out. This van was taken to dealer and the heavy tech said that this has happen before, because of lack of threads on engine head four to be exact. Ford recomends that the plug be change at 100,000 miles. This e350 van has 77,000 miles on it with the original plugs still in it. Ford has no current recall on this problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10129774, filed 2005-07, 77,000 milesFuel system: “Delaminating fuel tanks on Ford E-350 ambulances. Causes damage to the fuel pump then stalling where it needs to be towed. This situation is with patients on board. This problem needs to be checked out and recalls done. The cost to repair is $1,370.46 per truck. We own 8 of them all with the same problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10235746, filed 2008-07, 84,940 milesMileage when problems were reported
24% of the 41 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 50,600 and 114,000 miles.
Complaints by year filed
Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
Recalls and investigations
- 09V399000Oct 13, 2009Vehicle speed controlCovers: Ford E-350 1992–2003, E-150 1992–2003, E-250 1992–2003 +12 more
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and…
- 08V051000Feb 4, 2008Vehicle speed control › Cruise controlCovers: Ford E-350 1992–2003, E-150 1992–2003, Econoline 1992–2003 +10 more
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 lincoln town car…
- 07V336000Aug 3, 2007Vehicle speed controlCovers: Ford E-350 1992–1993, 1997–2003, E-150 1992–1993, 1997–2003, E-250 1992–1993, 1997–2003 +18 more
On certain pickup trucks, passenger vehicles, sport utility vehicles, and motor homes chassis, the speed control deactivation switch may, under certain conditions, leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
- 04V589000Dec 15, 2004Equipment adaptive/mobilityCovers: Ford E-350 2002–2004, E-250 2002–2004
On certain vans built on ford e250/e350 chassis and equipped with sure-lok wheelchair securement systems, the sprocket teeth of the retractor assembly is out of alignment.
- 04V232000May 13, 2004Equipment › Other › LabelsCovers: Ford E-350 2002, E-250 2002–2003
Certain vans and wagons fail to conform to the requirements of part 567, "certification." for certain 2003 e250 vans built with lt225/75r16e tires, the rear axle rating is incorrectly listed on the label. In addition, the tire pressure is incorrectly listed…
Recall details for the 2002 Ford E-350 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls
NHTSA investigations
- PE09055HVAC Switch FailuresClosed · Dec 7, 2009
Technical service bulletins
TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 7 on record; the latest 7 are shown.
- 10148820Apr 6, 2018Steering. This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly…
- 10022675Sep 19, 2007Brakes. Brake booster system may exhibit a brake pedal kickback and/or grabbing condition when applying the brakes.
- 10022232Dec 1, 2006Exterior lighting. Headlight adjustment needed.
- 10013298Nov 14, 2005Body and structure. Cracks in the left or right spring tower flange. *tt spring tower weld repair and replacement procedure.
- 10017865Jul 1, 2005Exterior lighting. Headlight adjustment - chassis cab incomplete vehicles.
- 10012941Feb 7, 2005Electrical system. Diagnostic trouble code b1876, b1880, b1915 and/or b1920 in the ecs module - vehicles equipped with aftermarket high current devices.
- 10018941Jan 1, 2005Suspension. Vibration/harshness above 45 mph (72 km/h) after tire balance.
Other model years of the Ford E-350
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | Crash ★ | MPG | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 14 | 11,000 | 3 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2021 | 22 | 12,234 | 6 | — | — | — | Rising |
| 2017 | 13 | 20,556 | 4 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 5 | 4,000 | 3 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2015 | 7 | 20,978 | 2 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2014 | 17 | 16,500 | 11 | — | 13 | — | Rising |
| 2013 | 13 | 6,000 | 9 | — | 13 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 16 | 69,750 | 12 | — | 13 | — | Stable |
| 2011 | 19 | 76,000 | 18 | — | 13 | — | Falling |
| 2010 | 17 | 69,900 | 16 | — | — | — | Falling |
| 2009 | 10 | 20,000 | 25 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 39 | 51,000 | 30 | — | — | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Rising |
| 2007 | 18 | 51,051 | 35 | — | — | — | Falling |
| 2006 | 53 | 73,000 | 38 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2005 | 55 | 67,294 | 16 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2004 | 46 | 50,000 | 10 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 46 | 85,509 | 7 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2002 | 53 | 80,000 | 5 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2001 | 52 | 89,000 | 4 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 59 | 99,783 | 8 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1999 | 72 | 87,000 | 9 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 63 | 113,614 | 8 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1997 | 79 | 70,000 | 5 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1996 | 50 | 38,934 | 3 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 69 | 80,000 | 3 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 51 | 137,000 | 5 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1993 | 43 | 85,000 | 3 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 41 | 45,000 | 3 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 19 | — | 1 | — | — | — | Stable |
| 1990 | 23 | 89,000 | 2 | — | — | — | Stable |
| 1989 | 26 | 64,000 | 3 | — | — | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 11 | 72,000 | 1 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 14 | — | 8 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1986 | 11 | 60,000 | 11 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
| 1983 | 5 | 73,000 | 8 | — | — | — | Not enough data |
All Ford E-350 model years · Best and worst years by complaints
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 Ford E-350?
Owners of this model year most often describe spark plugs blowing out of the cylinder heads, sometimes with a loud pop, a fuel smell, or a stall. The issues reported most often: Spark plugs blow out of the cylinder head threads; Tire tread separation, blowouts, and sidewall cracking; Engine stalls or stops running while driving.
How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Ford E-350 have?
NHTSA recorded 53 consumer complaints for the 2002 Ford E-350 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
What part of the 2002 Ford E-350 is reported most often?
Engine cooling is named most often, in 16 complaints (30% of the total), followed by tires with 8.
Has the 2002 Ford E-350 been recalled?
NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Ford E-350 reported?
Among the 41 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 80,000 miles and the middle half falls between 50,600 and 114,000 miles; 24% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.