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450 platform

2002 Ford E-450

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2002 E-450.

The 2002 Ford E-450 rides on the 450 platform and specifies a 6.0-quart oil fill of 5W-20 API viscosity for routine maintenance. Owner reports cite only 13 total complaints for this year, with tires identified as the top concern, alongside three manufacturer recalls. Within the model’s 1992–2027 production run—a range that swings from a single complaint in 1996 to eighty in 1999—this volume places the 2002 variant well below the historical peak complaint threshold, marking it as a relatively stable entry in the series’ reliability history.

Model year201120102009200820072006200520042002

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.0 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-20 APIOEM · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI 65 - AUXILIARY BATTERY · 750 - AUXILIARY BATTERY CCA battery. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI 65 - AUXILIARY BATTERY · 750 - AUXILIARY BATTERY CCAOEM · verified

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.0 qt of 5W-20 API engine oil, 75W-140 · SYNTHETIC · GL-5 · 80W-90 in the differential. The firing order is 1-6-5-10-2-7-3-8-4-9. Note the cylinder-head bolts finish on a torque angle (torque-to-yield) — they stretch permanently and should be replaced, not reused, during any head service.

Lubricants & capacities

Differential Gear Oil75W-140 · SYNTHETIC · GL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity8.3 Pints
Differential Gear Oil75W-140 · SYNTHETIC · GL-5 · 80W-90
Differential Gear Oil Capacity6.6 Pints
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt
Engine Oil5W-20 · API
Engine Oil Capacity6.0 qt

Engine torques

Camshaft Bearing/Carrier Cap Bolts or Studs6-9 ft-lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts212 DI Diesel ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts55-64 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts59 ft-lbs
Engine Flywheel Bolts89 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts45 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts18 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Leaf Spring to Axle (U-bolts)110.0-150.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring to Chassis Bracket240.0-289.0 ft-lbs
Leaf Spring Rear Shackle to Chassis Bracket57.0-76.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-3-7-2-6-5-4-8
Cylinder Firing Order1-6-5-10-2-7-3-8-4-9
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)750 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)150 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft
Spark Plug Gap0.052-0.056 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0 ft-lbs
Spark Plug ManufacturerMotorcraft

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR134a
Refrigerant CapacityFront A/C only, 2.75; front and rear A/C, 4.00 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type68
Oil CapacityFront A/C only, 9.00; front and rear A/C, 13.00 oz
Standard BCI Group Number65 - AUXILIARY BATTERY
Standard BCI Cranking Performance750 - AUXILIARY BATTERY cca
Optional BCI Group Number65 - PRIMARY BATTERY

Service checks

Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)30-45
Key ON Engine OFF (KOEO)40-120 CNG
Engine Oil Pressure20-45 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM1500 rpm
Engine Oil Pressure40-75 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM2000 rpm
Engine Oil Pressure40-70 psi
Engine Oil Pressure RPM3300 rpm

Brakes

Torque Caliper to Bracket16-30 ft-lbs
Torque to Knuckle141-191 ft-lbs
Minimum Pad ThicknessFront: 0.030; Rear: 0.030 in
Rotor Max Parallel Variation0.0005 in
Rotor Runout Limit0.003 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness From1.185 in
Rotor Nominal Thickness To1.185 in
Rotor Discard at or Under1.102 in

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
133 ft. lbs., Step 2: 90 degrees, Step 3: 12033 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
132 ft. lbs., Step 2: 10532 ft. lbs
Connecting Rod (Large End) Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
152-53 ft. lbs., Step 2: 8052–53 ft. lbs
Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
166 ft. lbs., step 2: Loosen one turn., step 3: 37 ft. lbs., step 4: 9066 ft. lbs
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
390
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
390
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages

Prep First Sequence

165 ft. lbs.65 ft. lbs
285 ft. lbs.; Second Sequence85 ft. lbs
395
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
390
Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 3 stages
130 ft. lbs.30 ft. lbs
290 degrees90 degrees
390
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
13 ft. lbs., step 2: 183 ft. lbs
Main Bearings — tightening sequence 1 stages
176 ft. lbs., Step 2: 9676 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the engine oil and filter every 5,000 mi; spark plugs every 100,000 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 5,000 miAir Filter Restriction Gauge (inspect) · Engine Oil (drain & refill) · Engine Oil Filter (replace) · Tire & Wheel Assembly (rotate)
Every 15,000 miBrake System (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace) · Engine Coolant System Hoses (inspect) · Steering Linkage (inspect) · Suspension Ball Joint (inspect) · Suspension System (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace) · Engine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Exhaust System Heat Shield (inspect) · Fuel Filter (replace) · Transmission Assembly (drain & refill)
At 45,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)
Every 60,000 miWheel Bearing (inspect)
Every 100,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Spark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miPCV Valve (replace)
At 150,000 miDrive Axle Assembly (drain & refill) · Transmission Filter (replace)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2002 Ford E-450 sits in a relative trough within the generation's complaint arc, which peaked at 80 complaints in 1999 and was declining through the early 2000s before a separate recall surge began in 2003. With 13 complaints, 3 recalls, 2 investigations, and 9 TSBs, the 2002 model improved on 2001's 18 complaints and 13 TSBs, and it carried one fewer open investigation than the 2001–2000 period. However, recalls ticked up from 2 to 3, and the following year (2003) saw recalls jump to 5 and then surge to 12 by 2006, suggesting that some systemic issues were building in adjacent model years. The 2002's top complaint area is Tires (5 of 13 complaints), with one fire complaint recorded and zero crash complaints; the data does not specify a root cause for the tire-related reports. Given that 2002 represents a low point in complaint volume before the recall escalation of 2003–2007, it appears to be a comparatively stable year within this generation — making it a reasonable buy, provided the three recalls have been addressed and the tires are thoroughly inspected.

3
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
9
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
13
Owner complaints
0 involved a crash · 1 a fire
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent
’92’93’94’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’21’22’23’24’25’26’27

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 13 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Tires5
Engine1
Structure1
Electrical System,Exterior Lighting1
Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System1
Engine & Engine Cooling,Electrical System1
Power Train1
Electrical System1

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 3 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

06V286000Vehicle Speed ControlReported 01/08/2006

ON CERTAIN TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, GASOLINE OR NATURAL GAS ENGINES, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT. Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS INTO THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 7, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332. (NOTE…

06E056000Fuel System, GasolineReported 13/06/2006

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… 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.

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 9 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
05112005-11-14StructureCRACKS IN THE LEFT OR RIGHT SPRING TOWER FLANGE. *TT SPRING TOWER WELD REPAIR AND…
183822005-01-01Power TrainFLUID LEAKING FROM THE VENT ON THE TRANSMISSION MOUNTED PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY. *TT
052482005-01-01SuspensionVIBRATION/HARSHNESS ABOVE 45 MPH (72 KM/H) AFTER TIRE BALANCE. *TT
182502004-10-01Power TrainINTERMITTENT CLUNK ON 3-2 DOWNSHIFT DURING COASTDOWN/TIP-IN. OASIS. TO INCLUDE 2005…
177992004-05-01Engine And Engine CoolingENGINE ROUGHNESS AND DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOMS. *TT

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific E-450. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Group 65 batteryVehicles taking 6.0 qt450-platform vehicles

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Vehicle recalls & TSBsOBD-II trouble codesTorque specificationsMaintenance schedulesFluid capacities & specs

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2002 E-450 take?

6.0 qt of 5W-20 API MEETING FORD SPECIFICATION WSS-M2C945-A, per the factory manual.

Does the 2002 E-450 have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.