Used 2002 Ford Thunderbird Consumer Reviews
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Still loving it
I've owned this car for nearly nine years now, and I (and everyone else who sees it) still consider it a new car. It looks great and drives just as smoothly after 32,500 miles as it did when new. No problems with car whatsoever. I replaced the battery simply because I had a Firestone rebate that had to be used. This isn't a family car for daily use, but it is a great toy that still makes an old man feel like a kid again!
Best Value Car I Have Ever Owned
Bought this car because it is my wifes favorite color (yellow). She wanted a convertible and the color was right...that was 5 years ago. The car brings smiles to her, and when she is down-in-the-dumps, we put the top down and go for a ride. Best inverstment I've ever made. Happy wife...happy life! Now for me. Yellow is not my color but I would drive this car even if it were purple, orange and pink. What a nice driving car. A very good balance of power, handling, efficiency, driver fit, and looks. I have never been in any other car that evokes such a pleasant response from the general public. "Nice car!" I am now considering a second T-Bird for my commute to work. Maybe silver...
- Premium ConvertibleMSRP: $24,995254 mi away
- Deluxe ConvertibleMSRP: $8,995256 mi away
- Premium ConvertibleMSRP: $14,900260 mi away
Don't buy a 2002
Purchased this Thunderbird for my wife as a "fun car" and gave it to her for Christmas. Within the first week we experienced COP (Coil on Plug) failures. Dealership repaired it under the used car warranty. The following May, with less than 1200 miles added, we once again had a coil on plug failure. (4 bad coils so far). The dealership once again repaired it. It is now 15 months later and we have two more coils failing. That averages out to 1 per thousand miles. Ford initially placed a 10 year/100k mile warranty on the 2003 only model. They have since added the 2004 and 2005 models. The 2002 model owners are left to pay for their own repairs. The COP units are the same for all years
I can't wait for Spring
This car is what driving is all about, not a person in the world can deny that when you get behind this wheel...you become King or Queen of the road! No BMW,Mecedes, Lexus, or Corvette for that matter gets as many looks as I do when I pull in anywhere! I can't wait for this long cold winter to be over, because this is a car that is pampered and will never see daylight as long as one snowflake is in the air...I can't think of one thing I don't love about this car, and for all those who wrote in and made disparaging remarks..you have not right to own one!To those that love and own this car I will see you in the spring...
Best car ever!
My 2002 Thunderbird is now 15 years old; it is the best car I have ever owned. Great looks, great fun to drive, great power & handling...I love it. Only thing negative is that I used to get about 25+ mpg and now, with 50k miles, I only get about 20. Don't know what to do to improve it.
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Satisfied owner
The car has performed flawlessly with absolutely no service requirements other than oil changes in the 15,000 miles I have driven it. The only problem I have encountered is hitting my head on the hardtop as I enter the car when it is on. The car attracts much admiring attention from both young and old wherever we go. Trunk could be bigger, but it does haul two suitcases plus several small packages.
Black Knight
It a very nice looking car. Always feel awesome riding in this TBird. This car was my husband's toy. I could not drive it cause I'm too short and can't quite reach the pedals without using big pillows to sit on and put me forward. Of course I did not try to drive it. I consider this car to be in excellent condition. My husband had the convertible soft top repaired (by Sure-Fit $895); purchased an AM/FM 6 Disc Indash changer ($399.90) and paid for installation ($84); purchased floor mats ($73.90); TBird soft boot flaps ($247.18) Hard top wrench ($34.45) ; extra key cut and program ($87.04); TBird hard top cart with custom made cover for TBird hard top ($219.64); TBird electric winch hoist ($374.06); Cockpit trim package includes premium hardtop protection trim, and premium top door trim ($226.55). My husband took pride in this car and enjoyed it tremendously. Hope new owner will take care of this beauty.
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Hanzies T-Bird
We purchased this car on E Bay...it had 1401 miles on it..we flew to NY, saw the car, took it around the block and purchased it. I'm 5'8'' and my wife is 5'4''...we are about as tall as a new T-bird owner should be. We love the T-Bird, however, it has limited trunk space. We drove the car back to Panama City Beach Florida and had a great trip.
Not as good as it looks
After owning the car for almost 3 years, it is fun to drive for sure, a head turner, but it has it's hand in my back pocket constantly. In the shop almost every 3 k miles for something or other. Electrical problems, look at replacing the battery every year. And now, for a car that's never been raced, Adult owned, a major oil leak at the main seal that would require an engine pull out. This car has 11,000 miles on it. I will live with the leak I guess and just drive the car into the ground. Ultimately disappointed.
You gotta love it!
This car is wonderful. Lots of power, great road feel, comfortable on a trip and a great roadster feel. The only problem I've had is the multi-disc changer and I'm sure that'll be fixed shortly. Ford put a lot of thought in this retro. I think they could have done a little better on the front end design, but it is still a beautiful car and I love to drive it. and even just look at in the garage. It is a member of the family!
I waited for this
I actually waited for a two seat sports type car that had room in the front seat. The bird has as much room as I need. Also it is a head turner. Everwhere I go someone says something or points to it.
owner
My T-BIRD makes my sudden early retirement a happy time.It does every thing that I command it to do.The first thing you should do,is go buy a radar detector and your favorite CD,and take the long way home.There is nothing out there that can pry the smile off your face.Enjoy!!!!!!!
fun drive
This car is a "hoot" to own & drive! Get use to complete strangers coming up to you and asking all kinds of questions about the car. It's impractical to own but I'm 60 yrs old & it makes me feel 16 all over again.
Bought used; worth every penny!
If you are reading this review in 2017 or later than you are looking at buying a nice, used, 12-15 year old Thunderbird (just like I did in 2015). My 2002 Thunderbird is an absolute blast to own. I found a well cared for, low mileage car from a caring, private owner. I looked at several, including from dealers in the $9,000-$14,000 price range. I was never impressed with the Dealer cars as they had tough lives, many owners, and no maintenance records. A good, used, private-sale example today (2017) can be found in the 10,-15,000 price range ...and UP, of course for pristine examples. The biggest problem seems to be the COP (Coil On Plug) issues with many of the engines; However I have not had this problem and my car still has all the original Coils (go figure). Everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING, about owning this car is great. Fun to drive daily, fun to drive on curvy roads, fun to be seen in, fun to talk about among curious admirers. IF you can live with a 2 seat car this is a fun choice. I do not have a hard top nor do I miss it. I am top down 90% of the time. Paint stay new-looking all these years on too. Just great!
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Two birds in hand
My wife came from a poor family and her dream has always been to own a Tbird. She purchased at long last and after many years of working and saving a 1955 which she drove often but mostly in the Summer and of course being an old car. I mean Old "6 Volt Generator" She decided it was time to buy a car that was more modern. She purchased the 2002 and never looked back. Although the cars are completely different, they are both icons in her life representing old values and new ideas as she likes to say. Of course the new Tbird is wonderful, just check any of the ratings on here!
I must have the lemon
I love my T-bird. Felt like the queen of the road. But recently have been having problems one day out of no where it overheated, 3 engine fans gone bad, then transmission leaking it was rebuilt. just the other day driving down the road felt like I was going over rumble strips car bucking took it back for check up, seems when they had it on the road test could find anything. I guess it did not act up for them. Suggested could be torque converter and to bring it back when it happens all the time. I thought ford was built tough. I have 6 other Ford vehicles with over 200 thousand miles and no transmission or engine problems. What happened to the T-Bird?
2002 Ford Thunderbird w/hardtop
I've had several cars that I've bought "NEW", and this beats all of them hands down. It's not a race car, but it will keep up with anything on the road. The gas mileage is good, the car is fun to drive, and, everywhere I stop, everyday, someone comments about what a nice car I have, EVERYDAY, for eight years that I've owned the car. That makes me a very proud owner. I recently had a man with a brand new corvette offer to trade me straight across. He was serious, but, I would have been the loser had I traded with him. I love my car and you couldn't trade me ten corvettes for it.
NM BIRD 02
Happy car that provokes friendly conversation with friends and strangers who either have a TB story or just admire the looks, particularly the interior. Very enjoyable to drive. Terrific handling and response! Puts me in a good mood just to get in it and is even more fun than I thought it would be.
love birds
I have two birds. neitehr have had probelms, and are increabily fun to drive. A real attention getter.
Nostalgia plus fun
A lot of people complain about the price being too high and cite the car as costing $50K. I say to those people that I've got some swamp land for them to buy. I purchased this car for around $20K and the original sticker was $27K. For $25 K the car is an excellent sports car. It's not a Porsche but is quite nimble and has ample power with the small v8 equipped. For the money, it's a bargain. The fit and finish are quite excellent for a Ford. The reliability is not bad for a sports car of which cars in that category usually require a bit more than just changing the oil and filling it up.
What more could one want?
Lots of looks, fun to drive, great handling and ride. Watch for leaks around front sealing area of hardtop and/or convertible. Handles great in all weather. Minimal trunk space, but it will hold golf clubs & weekend fun bag for wife and me.
Dream Come True!
Always loved the early T-Birds but never was able to own one. Slip a Goldie Oldie in the CD player of my 2002 Bird and go cruising and I step back to my youth! Just a great car and I find something neat that I hadn't noticed before just about every time I drive it. I'm not the type of person who draws a lot of attention but this car sure does! The Thunderbird Blue with two tone interior & white hardtop is the perfect combination to take you back to the fifties. You would think that only older people would appreciate the retro look but you hardly ever pass a teenager who doesn't holler "Nice Car"! She's my baby!
My second T-Bird
The car is a blast to own and drive. It has eye popping good looks and is comfortable for short drives of not more than 150 miles. It handles extremely well as it is well balanced and I have driving it at speeds up to 115 mph on the Nashville Speedway on the high banks, it ran well anywhere on the track, high, low, middle with no difficulty. A great summer cruiser for trips to wine country or cruising the coast line. It is fun, fun, fun.
One great car,Love it
I just sold my 2006 MX5 Miata gran touring. Awesome sports car. I had a medical problem and couldn’t get in or out easerly So I bought a 2002 Thunderbird deluxe with 54,000 miles and honestly I’m having more fun with this great automobile. Car runs smooth and strong, clean as a whistle. What a ride , and ford put a great music system. 6 CD changer and great speakers. I can’t say enough about the Bird , just glad I found this one.
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Easily The Best Car I've Ever Driven
This car is unbelievable. It handles like a go-kart but the ride is smooth. The 3.9 litre V-8 sounds like a Formula 1 engine as it approaches the almost 7000 rpm redline. It is fast but very refined. The styling literally draws a crowd everywhere I go. I have driven or owned cars of every type and this is the best. I bought it to resell but I'm keeping it!
Ford let 2002 owners down
I have owned this car since 2002. I had to replace all 8 coils. It has a design flaw. Ford recongnized this and recalled the 2003,2004 and 2005. Same problem, but decided not to do the right thing for us. I also had to replace the cooling fan 2x @ $900 @ pop A/C the condenser @ $1400 and the catalytic converter for close to $1000. The trim is chrome plated plastic, which is peeling now. It is a sharp looking car, but for a maintained car with 70,000 miles, I have put too much into repair costs. I will never by another Ford (and acronym for Fix Or Repair Daily)
My Third Bird/More Fun Than The Rest
Great Road Car and fun to drive. Don't see yourself coming and going either. Been totally trouble free. It's a people magnet, too!
I Love My T-Bird
My 2002 Red Ford T-Bird (hard top and convertible) is the most wonderful car I have ever owned. It is fun to drive and I just love the fact that after 2 and1/2 years, people still stop and comment on what a gorgeous car it is and how wonderful it is that Ford brought the car back. I always wanted the 1955 T-bird, but could not afford it, and when I finally could, my husband objected to buying such an old car. As soon as he saw the 2002 T-Bird he bought it for me and gave it to me as a surprise. The car looks good, drives like a dream and is fun to be in and be seen in.Thank you for bringing it back.
Love My New T-bird
Drove past the dealer and saw my new T- bird. Knew it was mine before I bought it. I love the ride and the feeling I get when driving it. Draws lots of looks and filling up with gas is fun. Attendants just stand ans stare at the car. I usually find a crowd around it when I return to wherever I park it.
A Great Fun Car!
nothing beats this car if you are looking for a fun, cool, smooth ride! Besides the looks and sares and thumbs up you get whil;e driving - the car is really comfortable and smooth - Stereo is great with top up or down - Hard top removal needs two people . Conv top works great - HUGE trunk!!!! Seriously for a car like this - the tunk is functional - Try getting that many grocery bags in a boxter or z3 or miatia - If yo love the way it looks - You'll love the way it drives -
2002 T-Bird
After almost a year and a half, I still feel the rush when I drive it. It only comes out of the garage on sunny days and it is still in perfect condition. I intend to keep it that way for many years to come.
Rudy the Red Nosed T-Bird
This car is just too much fun. Purchased 'Rudy' after shopping for a previously owned, reasonably priced sporty two-seater. I nearly settled on a 2002 BMW Z3 which was priced under $8K, but decided to continue the search without a specific model in mind. A few 80s and 90s model Corvettes caught my eye, but again, I was in no hurry, so after a year or so, I happened to spy a little red T-Bird which had just been traded into a local Nissan dealer. I briefly looked it over and found that it had over 125,000 miles on it; however, the car looked immaculately well-kept. I test drove it and immediately thought that I had at least narrowed the search to the right vehicle. I looked at several others priced from $9K to $30K depending on condition, but decided to try to negotiate the price on the red one, and after much discussion, we agreed to $10K. In the last four months, I've replaced some leaking valve cover gaskets, but otherwise the car runs and looks great. The previous owner had put a high performance air induction kit and Borla exhaust system on it which increased the horsepower from 250 to 280 or so. It has a nice little growl that reminds me of an old Boss 302 Mustang I once owned. I traced Rudy to 2002 and found that the window sticker was well over 40K, so in my opinion, it was worth the 15 year wait to knock 75% off the asking price :) Must admit the wife was not initially pleased with my impulsive purchase, but she has since given in to Rudy's charm. We enjoy putting the top down for a weekend cruise through the hill country and find ourselves looking for an excuse to drive to the grocery store. This ole bird gives me something to putz around with in the garage and we both love it... Great little roadster at a very reasonable price.
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Love at First Sight
Saw ad in newspaper; thought about a T- Bird, but not affordable for me til this one came along. It was garage kept and pampered all the way with low mileage. Rides great and handles beautifully. Rear wheel suspension takes getting used to on wet roads. Turquoise feature color, with black interior. I get all kinds of compliments too whenever I drive it. Glad I made the decision;(my other is a 94 Cavalier RS and still running for more than 2001 miles). Hope I have the Bird for as long a time. This is a great ladies car!
Great car for fun driver
Bought this for my wife and we both enjoy driving it, and owning it. It's not a hot rod, but has plenty of power. Smooth ride and very fun to drop the top and cruise. If you want a Corvette, buy one (I probably will) but don't sell the Thunderbird short. It's a keeper, in my opinion.
Best Bird I Have Owned
This is my 6th T-Bird and my best so far. I've owned an '84, '87, '89, '90, 95, and 2002. This Bird is a dream to drive and to look at. I think others feel the same way. We get looks from other drivers every time we are on the road. For me, this car is going to be a keeper forever. It is a comfort to drive on long trips and not bad on gas either. The handling is good; it's not a sports car but a very nice driver. It looks it's best with the hard top on but it's the most fun to drive with the soft top down on a warm summers day. There are better performing cars on the road but none have the classy look of this Thunderbird. I always wanted a '57 but this one fits the bill for me. It's just One Great Car
A Classic
Having driven this car over 50,000 miles, I still smile. Car still gets looks and comments every place I go. And I live in SoCal. Could use a little more power, but it more than keeps ahead of traffic.
crackin '
drove to arizona,there for 6 months,drove home to toronto still love it,a keeper for sure
fine bird
This copy of the T-Bird is a true fun car to drive with good power and a lot better handling than I expected, though the ride is a bit soft. the brakes have a good solid feel to them. I'm very pleased with this car. I was very sorry to hear that Ford is going to stop producing the Bird.
So Smooth
My first impression was that the engine is so smooth. The car really turns heads, people just come up to you and talk about it. The quality and finish is excellent but the paint is not quite as good as my Jaguar X-Type. Mechanically its perfect.
CA Thunder
This is an outstanding automobile! I believe so many are brainwashed with the idea that only a car from Japan or Germany is worth anything, that they are blinded to what the US has to offer. Motor Trend tested some 26 different cars for their 2002 car of the year and only one was US, the T-bird. It won by the way! I don't really care if people are closed minded, but it is sad to see them waste all that money on cars that have become a dime a dozen and can not hold a candle to the style, performance and just plain fun that this American legend offers!
Love it, love it, love it.
A real looker. Haved owned for almost 4 years now and it still turns heads. Not one day's problems with it. Love the matching red leather. Kicks it by just tapping on the gas. Miles so low because I do not drive in snow or rain.
My Dream Car
My experience with this vehicle has been surperb! In fact, I always feel like "taking off" to unknown places while driving it. It feels extremely solid and safe. The interior compart- ment could be a smiggen larger, however. I purchased it two months ago and don't recall ever having a car as enjoyable as this 2002 T-Bird (in Teal). "My Dream Car" LORA
Birds of a feather...
Definitely a head-turner. Just plain fun to drive. This car's style makes gawkers smile! I didn't expect it to drive like a Jag or an SL, and don't care if it's only a Ford product. I'm a father of 4 going through a mid-life crisis!! The most impractical car I've ever bought, but I don't care!
real head turner
The 2002 Ford T Bird is A real head turner. Has a fairly good ride.Needs a little more horsepower.It has an excelent sound system. Needs a little more leg room.I see the T Bird as a very classy roadster.
Fun car
A thoroughly enjoyable automobile, the most fun that I have ever gotten from a new car!!!
Only the BEST !
Never a problem. Solidly built. Nothing done to car except changing oil for 12,000 miles.
Dream Car
I've wanted a T0-Bird since I was a child and the T-Bird was new -- finally got it! I'm not disappointed in the least -- talk about the looks! As another reviewer said, be prepared for total strangers to ask all sorts of questions. I've even been stopped by a couple of cops just so they could get a better look at it.
Instant Classic
A pleasure to drive and a head-turner! Had to wait 13 months from the time myh order was placed, but well worth the wait. Only car I ever bought that was worth more when I drove it off the dealer's lot. Only downside is lack of fuel economy, but I bought it for pleasure and not daily driving.
Finally got my dream car . . .
and it is more than I could have ever hoped for! From the moment I saw the concept version in 2000, I knew I would have to have one of these!! The look, the style, the fit and finish and that low rumble of the engine are all perfect. As many have stated, no high- priced Mercedes, BMW's or Volvo's get the type of admiring glances that this baby does. Having come off being a Mustang GT owner for years (all of which I liked), I am pleased that I have graduated from a fast pony car to a sophisticated boulevardier. Ford could not have done better is designing and producing this car.
T for 02
After waiting a year for delivery, the 2002 T-Bird exceeded my expectations. It is everything a two seater convertible should be, great looking, solid performance and, most importantly, fun to drive.