2001 FORD EXCURSION Complaints

1. I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXCURSION. I HAD FIRESTONE STEELTEX A/T LT 265-75 R16'S ALL THE WAY AROUND MY VEHICLE. WE WERE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND HAD A BLOW OUT; IT WAS THE RIGHT FRONT TIRE. WE GOT OUT LOOKED AT THE TIRE AND THE TREAD HAD SEPARATED. THE STEEL IN THE TIRE TORN UP THE UNDERCARRIAGE AND WHEEL WELL AND DID A LOT OF DAMAGE UNDERNEATH AND TO MY GRILL GUARD. WITHIN LESS THAN 50 MILES, MY OTHER FRONT TIRE WENT OUT. BUT WITH THIS ONE THE TREAD WAS PULLING AWAY AND FALLING OFF (AGAIN TEARING UP THE BODY AS IT WENT). THE TIRE NEVER BLEW BUT THE TREAD DID ENOUGH DAMAGE TO MY TRUCK THAT IT WILL HAVE TO BE FIXED ON THAT SIDE ALSO. THE BODY OF MY TRUCK WILL NEED WORK. WHEN I OPEN MY DOORS THEY POP BECAUSE IT IS RUBBING ON THE FRAME THAT HAS BEEN PUSHED BACK. WHEN WE GOT TO OUR DESTINATION IT WAS LATE SATURDAY SO WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL SUNDAY (WHICH WAS EASTER SUNDAY AND NOT MANY PLACES WERE OPEN). WE WENT TO SEARS AND HAD NEW TIRES PUT ALL THEY WAY AROUND THE VEHICLE. WE WERE NOT GOING TO TAKE THE CHANCE OF THE BACK ONES SEPARATING ON THE WAY HOME. *JB

2001 FORD EXCURSION WITH 7.3L POWER STROKE AND AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. ON 11/06/2005 THE ENGINE DIED WITHOUT WARNING WITH MY WIFE DRIVING ALONG A REMOTE COUNTRY ROAD ALONG A RIVER. THE IMMEDIATE LOSS OF POWER BRAKES AND POWER STEERING RESULTED IN A PARTIAL LOSS OF CONTROL THAT CAUSED THE TRUCK TO LEAVE THE PAVEMENT AND NEARLY PLUNGE INTO THE RIVER. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. THE TRUCK RESTARTED, BUT THERE WAS A PROFOUND LOSS OF POWER RENDERING IT UNDRIVEABLE. THE TRUCK WAS TOWED 45 MILES TO THE NEAREST FORD DEALER WHERE A SENSOR WAS REPLACED AND WE WERE CHARGED $1000 FOR A TUNE-UP. THE SERVICE MANAGER TOLD US THAT WE SHOULD USE UNLEADED GASOLINE TO AUGMENT THE OCTANE IN THE DIESEL FUEL TO PREVENT A FUTURE FAILURE. ON 3/9/2006, AFTER JUST 3000 MILES, THE TRUCK STALLED AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AGAIN, THIS TIME WHILE TOWING A LOADED HORSE TRAILER AND WITH MY 4 YEAR OLD TWINS IN THE VEHICLE. AGAIN, POWER STEERING AND POWER BRAKES WERE LOST AND THE TRUCK BECAME EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO CONTROL. I HALTED THE VEHICLE BEFORE IT WENT FULLY OVER THE EDGE OF THE ROAD AND INTO THE RIVER. HAD MY WIFE BEEN DRIVING IT IS UNLIKELY WE WOULD HAVE SURVIVED. *NM

MULTIPLE TIMES OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS MY 2001 FORD EXCURSION WITH A 7.3-LITER DIESEL ENGINE HAS CUT OUT INTERMITTENTLY. IF I AM TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IT WILL CUT OUT BRIEFLY AND THEN RESUME RUNNING. IF ON THE OTHER HAND I AM IDLING UP TO A TRAFFIC LIGHT AND IT CUTS OUT, IT MUST BE RESTARTED USING THE IGNITION SWITCH. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS SITUATION GIVEN THERE IS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES AVAILABLE IN THESE INSTANCES. I NOTICED A REPORT IN MY LOCAL NEWSPAPER TODAY (3/5/06) EXPLAINING THIS EXACT ISSUE WITH OTHER 2001 EXCURSIONS. *JB

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD HEARD BIG POP AND LOTS OF NOISE. SPARK PLUG ON #4 CYLINDER BLEW OUT ON V-10 ON 2001 FORD EXCURSION. HAD HELI COIL PUT IN SPARKPLUG HOLE. SPARK PLUG ON #7 CYLINDER BLEW OUT AND HAD HELI COIL PUT IN, BUT STARTED LEAKING AGAIN. WAS TOLD COULD NOT FIX WITH HELI COIL AND HAD TO REPLACE HEAD. *AK

DRIVING DOWN RURAL ROAD, 60 MPH IN OUR 2001 FORD EXCURSION DIESEL. ENGINE JUST DIED. NO BRAKES, LIMITED STEERING. TURNS OUT TO BE A PART CALLED A CPS (CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR). ACCORDING TO MY LOCAL DEALER THIS IS A COMMON FAILURE AND WHEN THEY FAIL IT IS SUDDEN AND COMPLETE. HAD THIS OCCURRED ANYWHERE THAT WOULD HAVE REQUIRED ME TO MANEUVER AND ALL, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BAD. *JB

DRIVING ON LEVEL INTERSTATE HIGHWAY WITH CRUISE CONTROL SET AT 70 MPH. HEARD SMALL EXPLOSION SIMILAR TO TIRE BLOWOUT. IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD AND CHECKED ENGINE. FOUND THAT THE #3 SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. HAD VEHICLE TOWED HOME. NO REPAIRS MADE AT THIS TIME DUE TO HOLIDAYS. *JB

I HAVE A 2001 FORD EXCURSION. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT THE STEERING STABILIZER IS LOCATED TOO LOW IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. MOST ALL OF FORD'S FOUR-WHEEL DRIVE VEHICLES, DURING THOSE MODEL YEARS, HAVE THE SAME SETUP. IF THE VEHICLE COMES INTO CONTACT WITH A SMALL( OR MEDIUM) SIZED ANIMAL OR ANYTHING LYING IN THE ROAD, THE STABILIZER CAN BECOME BENT AND THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE STEERED. *JB

WHILE DRIVING A POWERSTROKE DIESEL FORD TRUCK, THE "CAM POSITION SENSOR" CAN FAIL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS SHUTS THE ENGINE OFF AND YOUR POWER BRAKES AND STEERING. VERY HARD TO CONTROL. THE FORD DEALERS DON'T ALWAYS DIAGNOSE LIKE IN MY CASE I LEFT THE DEALERSHIP AND IT SHUT OFF IN TRAFFIC. I PAID $800.00 FOR A REPAIR I DIDN'T NEED. I HAVE BEEN RESEARCHING THIS SINCE MARCH AND HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THIS IS THE MOST COMMON PART FAILURE ON THE 7.3 FORD POWERSTROKE DIESEL ENGINE. THE SAME BASIC DESIGN IS USED FROM 1994 TO 2003. *NM

CONCERNING MY 2001 FORD EXCURSION - VIN NUMBER [XXX], (NOT PART OF RECENT RECALLS BY FORD!). AFTER SHORT TRIP, (25 MILES) DROVE TO LATE EVENING OF THE 16TH OF JULY. PARKED MY 2001 FORD EXCURSION DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF HOME IN CENTER OF THE CIRCULAR DRIVE APPROX 4 FT FROM FRONT DOOR. TURNED OFF VEHICLE & WENT INSIDE HOUSE TO BED. AFTER ABOUT 50 MINS, (12:15 AM JULY 17TH) STARTLED BY LOUD SOUND OUTSIDE. I OPENED THE FRONT DOOR OF HOME AND SAW EXCURSION ABLAZE ON DRIVEWAY WHERE I HAD PARKED IT. I WOKE UP FAMILY, (WIFE AND 3 YOUNG CHILDREN) SENT THEM NEXT DOOR, CALLED 911. QUICKLY RAN OUTSIDE DROVE MY CADILLAC AWAY FROM THE EXCURSION. FLAMES LEAPT 16 TO 20 FEET IN AIR. NEIGHBOR AND I GRABBED WATER HOSES AND ABLE TO CONTAIN TILL THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED 15 MINUTES LATER. MY FAMILY TRAUMATIZED! THANK GOODNESS WAS NOT PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE FIRE ALSO CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO MY DRIVEWAY. THERE IS NOW A LARGE BLACK AREA OF MELTED MATERIAL FUSED INTO THE CEMENT. OUTSIDE OF HOME LOOKS OKAY..NOT SURE IF ANY INTERNAL STRUCTURES DAMAGED FROM HEAT OF FIRE OR SMOKE. ALSO DAMAGED AND DESTROYED SURROUNDING PLANTS AND SHRUBS. THIS WAS A REAL STRUGGLE TO KEEP FIRE CONTAINED. SOME SMOKE INHALATION AND CONTINUED COUGH SINCE INCIDENT. NATIONWIDE INSURANCE SAID CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH!!. AN INDEPENDENT FORENSIC FIRE INVESTIGATOR FROM ADVANCED INVESTIGATIVE CONCEPTS, (AIC-FIRE ) INVESTIGATED CAUSE OF FIRE EXAMINING EVIDENCE ON JULY 19, 2005. DETERMINED ORIGIN AND CAUSE. FROM THEIR REPORT THEY STATED THAT, "THE FIRE ORIGINATED AT THE BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER LOCATED IN THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE PORTION OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY A DEFECTIVE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH." I AM VERY CONCERNED THIS COULD HAPPEN TO SOMEBODY ELSE ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT I HAVE NOT SEEN ANYTHING RELEASED BY FORD CONCERNING A RECALL FOR THE EXCURSION. PLEASE DILIGENTLY PURSUE FORD TO RECALL THE EXCURSIONS TO GET THIS RECTIFIED. *NM *NM INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5

A PASSERBY KNOCKED ON OUR FRONT DOOR LETTING US KNOW OUR 2001 FORD EXCURSION PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY WAS SMOKING. WE CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WHILE WAITING FOR THEM, DISCONNECTED THE BATTERY CABLES TO SHUT OFF ANY POWER TO THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATORS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE SAME CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH THAT HAS BEEN CAUSING PROBLEMS WITH OTHER MAKES OF FORD TRUCKS AND SUV'S. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE BEEN TOLD BY FIRE INVESTIGATORS AND FORD PARTS MANAGERS THAT THE MODULE IS THE SAME DESIGN/PART USED IN ALL OF THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT HAVE CAUGHT ON FIRE, FORD IS NOT ASSUMING ANY RESPONSIBILITY FOR REPAIRS AND HAS NOT INCLUDED OUR MODEL IN ITS RECALLS. *NM