2003 FORD EXCURSION Complaints

THE FRONT BRAKE ROTORS GO OUT ABOUT EVERY 1500 MILES. I COST OVER 350 A SHOT TO HAVE THEM FIXED. THE ENTIRE VEHILE SHIMMERS AND PULLS. *NM

DRIVING ON COUNTRY ROAD APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH A THUDDING NOISE WAS HEARD AND FELT IN THE TRUCK. AFTER PULLING OVER FOUND THE DIRVERS SIDE REAR TIRE TO BE BLOWN - EITHER SIDEWALL FAILURE OR PARTIAL TREAD SEPARATION. THIS WAS ON A FIRESTONE STEELTEX R4S RUNNING A 55 PSI ON A 2003 FORD EXCURSION EDDIE BAUER. TIRES HAD APPROXIMATELY 50,000 MILES ON THEM. I REPLACED WITH THE SPARE AND CONTINUED ON SAFELY. A SEARCH OF THE INTERNET REVEALED THIS SITE AND LAWYER SITES DETAILING SIMILAR FAILURES. WILL BE CONTACTING FIRESTONE. *NM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH ON NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE ILLUMINATED LIGHT INDICATED THE CAM SHAFT WAS OFF CENTER WHICH CREATED UNDESIRABLE EMISSIONS. THE EPA WAS CONTACTED WHO DECLARED IT SHOULD BE UNDER WARRANTY FOR 5 YEARS OR 50,000 MILES HOWEVER THE MANUFACTURER REFUSED REPAIR THE DEFECT WITHOUT A COST.*AK

I PURCHASED A NEW FORD EXCURSION IN LATE DECEMBER OF 03. IT LEAKED OIL FROM THE ENGINE BLOCK DUE TO DEFECTS IN ITS MANUFACTURE. THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED AFTER MUCH CONFLICT BY THE DEALER WITH A USED REMANUFACTURED ENGINE UNDER WARRANTY AFTER ONLY 11,700 MILES. THE USED ENGINE LEAKED FROM THE REAR OF THE BLOCK IN THE SAME WAY AS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE. FORD REFUSED TO REPLACE THE ENGINE WITH A NEW MOTOR. THE USED ENGINE SUFFERED FROM ERRATIC IDLE, LEAKAGE ETC. IT SEEMED DESTINED TO FAIL AS THE ORIGINAL ENGINE DID. I LOST OVER $20,000 AFTER ACCEPTING AN ARBITRATION DECISION. THE VEHICLE DID NOT MAKE IT TO 13,000 MILES. UNBELIEVABLY POOR QUALITY AND NO SUPPORT. SIMPLY A RIP OFF TO CONSUMERS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER ONCE, AND WAS DRIVEN THERE 4 TIMES, TOTALING OVER 100 MILES AND 72 DAYS OUT OF SERVICE. *NM

I HAVE A 2003 FORD EXCURSION WITH THE TRITON V10 GAS ENGINE. I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HEARD AN EXHAUST SOUND. I DROVE DIRECTLY TO PASADENA FORD AND AS I DROVE IN A SALESMAN TOLD ME THAT IT WAS THE #3 CYLINDER AND THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD. HE STATED THAT IT WAS COMMON AND HE SAW IT ALL THE TIME. I PROCEEDED TO DROP OFF THE TRUCK AND MY SERVICE TECH CALLED ME BACK AND INDEED THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT AND STRIPPED THE HEAD. HE TOLD ME THE REPAIRS WOULD COST $4,000.00. I CHECKED WITH THE COMPANY THAT TOWS MY TRUCKS ALL THE TIME AND SAID THAT IT WAS VERY COMMON AND HE HAD TOWED 5 OR 6 IN THE LAST MONTH WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. HE RECOMMENDED A SERVICE COMPANY TO ME THAT HAS DONE ALMOST ALL OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES AND OTHER STUDIO TRUCKS, HE SAYS ABOUT 30 OF THEM. HE TOLD ME THAT THE THREADS FOR THE SPARK PLUGS WERE ONE TURN TO SHORT AND CAUSED THE FAILURE. I CONTACTED ANOTHER SERVICE COMPANY AND THEY CONFIRMED HIS EXPLANATION. WHEN I CONTACTED PASADENA FORD THEY TOLD ME I WAS WRONG AND WHEN I PICKED UP MY TRUCK MY SERVICE TECH WAS ACTUALLY CONFRONTATIONAL. I EXPLAINED THAT I WOULD NOT HAVE THE TRUCK REPAIRED THERE AND I WOULD NOT PAY $4,000. HE TOLD ME THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY TO FIX THE PROBLEM. I TOOK IT TO THE OTHER MECHANIC AND HE FIXED THE ONE CYLINDER FOR $300.00 AND I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS AND NEITHER HAS ANY OF HIS STUDIO TRUCKS. I CALLED MAGIC FORD IN VALENCIA, CA AND THEY CONFIRMED THE DEFECT OF THE HEAD BEING SHORT ONE THREAD AND WHEN I CALLED PASADENA FORD AGAIN AND SPOKE WITH SOMEONE ELSE THEY CONFIRMED THE SAME THING. I WAS TOLD THAT FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND HAS RECOMMENDED THE REPAIR BUT FORD SERVICE DEPARTMENTS DO NOT OFFER OR RECOMMEND THE REPAIR. TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS CONFIRMED THE "DEFECT" WITH THE THREADS BUT THEY DO NOT AGREE THAT IT IS A ITEM THAT SHOULD BE RECALLED. *NM

ON ROUTE 228 I WAS GOING ABOUT 45 MPH. MY TRUCK JUST STOPPED, EVERYTHING TURNED OFF STEERING WAS LOCKED I PUT IT IN PARK ANK HAD TO MAKE TWO ATTEMPTS TO START MY TRUCK UP AGAIN THE BATTERRY LIGHT BLINKED AND WENT OFF. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATES WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED THE VEHICLE WANDERED INTO ANOTHER LANE. THERE WAS POOR STEERING RETURN. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. HE TOOK THE SERVICE MANAGER ON A DRIVE, WHO AGREED THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THIS WAS A DEATH TRAP, AND BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER DISCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN (TSB) ON EARLIER MODELS THAT SUGGESTED REPLACING THE BALL JOINTS. THE DEALER REPLACED THE UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS. SINCE THE REPAIRS THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER PROBLEMS. *AK

ABOUT ONE YEAR AGO, MY SON THROUGH A SMALL PEBBLE AT THE REAR SIDE WINDOW OF MY FORD EXCURSION. THE WINDOW SHATTERED. THE AUTO GLASS MECHANIC SAID HE THOUGH THE GLASS WAS FAULTY. FORD WOULD NOT PAY. A WEEK AGO, I SHUT THE REAR WINDOW OF MY TRUCK AND THE GLASS SHATTERED. AGAIN, FORD REFUSED TO REPAIR IT. THIS TIME, THERE WAS NO ROCK INVOLVED. THE GLASS IS DEFECTIVE. I'VE READ ON THE INTERNET THAT SINCE THE TRUCK WAS HURTING FORD'S "GREEN" RATING, THEY DECIDED TO USE THE BLACK PLASTIC FROM 2-LITER SODA BOTTLES TO MANUFACTURE THE EXCURSION'S GLASS TO MAKE IT MORE FRIENDLY TO THE ENVIRONMENT. *NM

MOTOR FAILURE IN HAZARDOUS SITUATIONS CAUSED BY WIRING HARNESS CHAFFING . I HAD TO BE TOWED 5 TIMES IN A 4 DAY PERIOD. ENGINE QUIT ON INTERSTATE HWY WITHOUT WARNING. *NM

2003 EXCURSION LIMITED ONE ONE OCCASION BRAKE PEDAL WAS STUCK TO FLOOR WHILE DRIVING IN A PARKING LOT, BUT THE BRAKES WERE DISENGAGED SO THE VEHICLE WAS ROLLING. WE HAD TO PRESS THE PEDAL HEIGHT ADJUSTMENT SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE PEDAL RELEASED FROM THE FLOOR. VEHICLE HAS A THUMPING SOUND IN THE DRIVE TRAIN WHEN STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND DURING ACCELERATION. TOOK THE VEHICLE IN 3-4 TIMES FOR SECOND PROBLEM AND ONCE FOR THE FIRST LISTED PROBLEM AND DEALER COMPLAINS THAT THEY CAN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH EITHER PROBLEMS. CONTACTED FORD CUSTOMER CARE AND AFTER A HALF HOUR ON THE PHONE THEY SAID ALL THEY CAN OFFER IS FOR ME TO TAKE THE VEHICLE BACK IN TO THE DEALER. EACH TIME WE TAKE IT IN WE HAVE TO RENT A VEHICLE UNTIL THEY ARE DONE WORKING ON IT. I HAVE OWNED A FORD FOR 13 YEARS AND AM NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE WAY THEY'VE HANDLED THIS SITUATION. FOR THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY WE ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW VEHICLE AND BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF HELP FROM FORD AND THE DEALERSHIP, WE HAVE DECIDED TO NOT PURCHASE ANOTHER FORD PRODUCT