Used 2002 Ford Thunderbird Consumer Reviews
Used Thunderbird for sale
See Edmunds pricing data
Has Your Car's Value Changed?
Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.
Bought Used, still own
Otis, 10/26/2022
updated 11/21/2023
2002 Ford Thunderbird Deluxe 2dr Convertible (3.9L 8cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
I bought a Used, Red, 2002, Deluxe (soft top only), 2-tone interior, with 32,000 miles in 2014 for a price of $12,300. I have owned her for 8yrs now and have 77,000 miles. Been a great car, fun, reliable, and popular with the onlookers. LUV the top-down driving experience and the ease of UP/DOWN top operations. Because Thunderbirds ('02-'05) are based on the 4door Lincoln LS sedan, the shortened wheelbase still allows for the top to stow behind the 2 seats and the retracted top does NOT take up any trunk space. However, the trunk though wide, is shallow, so it can fit lots of flat items but not always suitcases which may be too tall. The drivetrain (engine, transmission, rear end) is a strong point in my car (others warn of COP problems) and I enjoy the smooth 252hp as I run her hard sometimes on mountain roads. 19mpg in mixed and not much better hiway-only...and you will have to pump premium (costs more $$). Plan to replace the cloth top IF it gets parked outside after maybe 15 years...garaged cars stay looking better in the top and interior. VERY fun to cruise about town or even light-spirited driving especially on sunny days. The 2002s have a GREAT "hard boot" that is difficult to source as a used part nowadays and the '03-'05s have a wrap-up soft-boot to cover the lowered top that does not look nearly as nice in place, but stores MUCH better in the trunk! The sought-after hard boot either stores in your garage or takes up ALL of the trunk. I had to replace ONE of my Coil-On-Plugs (COP) but did all 8 at the same time ($800 with labor) at 60,000 miles...you WILL have to deal with this at some point in your ownership. And I had a problem with the high/low temp cooling thermostat - needed to be replaced and HARD to find ($400 with labor). Still awaiting work with the squeeky suspension and the driver's seat needs to be re-upholstered....but those are 2 minor issues that wait until I feel like spending the $$. Overall...a very fun car thats pretty reliable over 8 years....amassing a normal amount of repair costs similar to other American cars. I have $15K into my Thunderbird and can still sell for $9-10K here in 2022. IF you are looking and can find one <$10,000 in '22 or '23 with less that 100,000 miles it will be a fun ownership experience for you. Update Nov 2023: I sadly said goodbye to my much loved T-Bird in May 2023. An impulse-buy of a '23 Mach 1 and no ability to long-term-store the Thunderbird, ouch! I actually traded-in my 2002, 21yr old T-Bird to the dealer. At the time she needed an estimated $4,000 of work to be perfect and she had 79,500 miles.IF I had done the suspension, Upolstery, Airbag light, check engine light (O-2 sensor) AND light rear-quarter damage work I would say she woud've sold for $12,000, or roughly what I paid for the car 9 years ago unadjusted for inflation. The Ford dealer, not knowing any of this, offered me $8,000 for the trade-in and I said yes as this was (in my head) the same 12.000 minus 4,000 (required repairs) figure! Also, it lowered my tax-burden on the new Mach 1 by $900.It was a GREAT ownership experience and a wonderful drive at very little financial cost in the end, thank you Ford ...that was a fun car! Could still be a good used car purchase for anyone interested in finding a well-kept example in the 10-15,000 dollar range.
175 of 200
JIM Hansen, 09/14/2018
updated 09/18/2019
2002 Ford Thunderbird Neiman Marcus Edition 2dr Convertible (3.9L 8cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
Neat looking and unique good value for the price!!!
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2002 Ford Thunderbird for sale near you
Showing 3 of 235 listings
- Premium Convertible w/Removable Hard TopMSRP: $17,99934 mi away
- Premium ConvertibleMSRP: $22,99537 mi away
- Deluxe Convertible w/Removable Hard TopMSRP: $15,99557 mi away
See all 235 listings
Ford did it!!!
joeozvann, 05/11/2003
2002 Ford Thunderbird Deluxe 2dr Convertible (3.9L 8cyl 5A)
2 of 2 people found this review helpful
This car continues to amaze me with its fit and finish and head turnind ability...will be a classic in 10 years!!!
OH MY GOD!!
lilbitaluc, 09/03/2003
2002 Ford Thunderbird Deluxe 2dr Convertible (3.9L 8cyl 5A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
My husband just picked up a 2002 T- bird. All I can say is "OH MY GOD!!" What a car! Its fast, sexy, fun to drive and just wonderful! I think my husband is going through a mid-life crisis and I'm SOOOO GLAD!! The car is Awesome. I read only 1 review that was really negative about the T- bird....Whats up with that? you are definitely the minority here! YAY!!! GO T_BIRD!!!!
Great Car
dflan, 07/08/2004
2002 Ford Thunderbird Deluxe 2dr Convertible (3.9L 8cyl 5A)
3 of 4 people found this review helpful
A fun car to drive; powerful engine; no problems at all so far