2002 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

THE # 5 SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM THE HEAD OF A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION 4.6 LITRE WHILE EXITING THE FREEWAY. THE REPAIR INVOLVED TEAR DOWN OF THE TOP OF THE MOTOR TO PROPERLY FIX AT A COST OF ABOUT $600.00 IN PARTS AND A WEEKEND OF MY TIME. REPAIRS INCLUDED REPAIRING THE PLUG HOLE BY REMOVING THE HEAD. THIS MEANS THAT THE RADIATOR, FAN, THROTTLE BODY, INTAKE, VALVE COVERS, EXHAUST MANIFOLD AND HEAD ALL BE REMOVED, RESULTING IN GASKET REPLACEMENT AS WELL. *TR

SPARK PLUG WAS BLOWN OUT OF ENGINE HEAD OF 2002 FORD EXPEDITION WITH 4.6L V8 ENGINE WITH 89,100 MILES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT OBSERVED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY FLAMES AND SMOKE EXPELLED FROM THE VEHICLE. IMMEDIATELY, THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED WITH THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED TO THE SCENE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND STATED THERE WOULD BE FORMS MAILED CONCERNING THE FAILURE WHICH HAD NOT BEEN RECEIVED AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE VEHICLE WAS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING INVESTIGATED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 148,592. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 148,592.

MY VEHICLE WAS FUNCTIONING FINE. I RAN AN ERRAND, CAME HOME , PARKED MY 2002 FORD EXPEDITION UNDER THE PARKING SHED AND WENT INTO THE HOUSE. NOT OVER 45 MINUTES LATER MY YOUNGER SISTER CAME AND TOLD ME THAT MY CAR WAS SPARKING AND SMOKING. WHEN I WENT TO CHECK ON MY TRUCK I COULD SEE SMOKE AND FLAMES. I RAN INTO THE HOUSE TO GET THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER AND USED IT TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. I AM FEARFUL OF DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AGAIN BUT MY INSURANCE COMPANY FEELS THAT IT CAN BE REPAIRED BUT CAN THEY ASSURE ME THAT THIS CAR WON'T EXPERIENCE THE SAME SORT OF MALFUNCTION? WHAT SHOULD I DO? I WANT TO DRIVE A FORD EXPEDITION BUT I DON'T WANT TO DRIVE THIS ONE ANYMORE. I HAD TO UNDO THE BATTERY LATER BECAUSE SOUNDS OF SPARKS AND THE SMELL OF BURNT WIRE WAS STILL COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. WHAT IF THIS ISSUE CREATES A CHAIN REACTION TO MY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM? I NEED A RELIABLE CAR NOT A SCARY ONE. I CHECKED THE RECALL LIST FOR MY CAR BUT AM NOT SURE IF THE RECALL IS THE CAUSE FOR THE FIRE BUT WHEN I ENTERED MY VIN NUMBER RECALL #05S28 CAME BACK. IT INDICATED THERE WAS A RECALL REGARDING THE SPEED CONTROL SYSTEM. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS AND REALLY DON'T CARE TO BUT I WANT MY TRUCK. I DON'T WANT THAT TRUCK FIXED OR REPAIRED AND IF IT IS, GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY ELSE THAT CAN DRIVE AROUND IN IT NOT HAVE EXPERIENCING WHAT I DID IN IT. PLEASE, THANKYOU *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 3 MPH DURING SLIPPERY WEATHER CONDITIONS, HE WAS PULLING OUT OF A INTERSECTION AND WAS HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE DRIVING 55 MPH. THE CONTACT SUFFERED PERMANENT BACK INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALLED AS A RESULT OF THE CRASH. THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 95,000.

MARCH 17, 2010 I WAS STOPPED AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT ON LELAND AND LOVERIDGE WITH MY 4 SMALL CHILDREN IN THE VEHICLE. THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN, I STEPPED ON THE GAS AND HEARD A POP. THEN A CONTINOUS EXTREMELY LOUD POPPING NOISE. I TURNED INTO THE ARCO AND HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED. THE CAR WAS TAKEN TO RIVERA AUTO REPAIR INC. ON MARCH 22, 2010. THE #3 SPARK PLUGGED HAD POPPED OUT. THEY HAD TO DO A SLEEVE AND REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS ALONG WITH THE IGNITION COIL ON THE PLUG. AFTER MY RESEARCH, THIS IS VERY COMMON IN THE 2002 EXPEDITIONS BECAUSE OF A DEFECT IN THE ENGINE. AT THE TIME OF INCIDENT, I HAD 81909 MILES ON THE VEHICLE. I DO HAVE THE OLD PARTS. IT SEEMS THAT FORD IS AWARE OF THIS PROBLEM BUT REFUSES TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. I AM GLAD I WAS NOT ON A FREWAY. THEY MUST BE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO GET KILLED FROM THIS DEFECT. HERE IS A WEBSITE WITH SEVERAL COMPLAINTS LIKE MINES, SPARK PLUGS POPPING OUT ON THEIR OWN. INCLUDING # 3 LIKE MINES. HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2002/FORD/EXPEDITION/ENGINE CONSEQUENCES TO SUCH PROBLEM CAN BE LOSS OF POWER, FUEL SPURTING OUT OF THE PLUG OPENING INTO THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, FIRES CAN START FROM VAPORS BEING IGNITED BY LOOSE SPARK PLUGS. ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCE WOULD BE DEATH. I DON'T FEEL I SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR BILL WHEN FORD HAS BEEN AWARE OF THIS DEFECT IN THEIR ENGINE. THERE IS CONSENSUS THAT THE SPARK PLUG THREADS ON THE ENGINE ARE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUGS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALUMINUM. PLEASE INVESTIGATE THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY INJURED OR DIES FROM THE RESULT OF A BLOWN SPARK PLUG SINCE IT APPEARS TO BE VERY COMMON ON THESE TYPES OF VEHICLES. THANK YOU!

I HAVE OWNED TWO FORD EXPEDITION, BOTH OF WHICH WERE WRECKED WHEN IT RAINED. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE VEHICLE BECOMES VERY LOOSE IN THE REAR WHEN IT RAINS AND THAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT HAS LEAD TO ME HAVING MY ACCIDENTS. *TR

SPARK PLUG EXPLODE,WHEN DRIVING AT 45MPH, CAR WARRANTY INSURANCE DENY CLAIM DUE THAT THEY SAID IS FOR A BAD TORQUE, HOWEVER THOSE WERE INSTALLED AT FACTORY. *TR

MY 2002 FORD EXPEDITION OD LIGHT FLASHES ON AND OFF. I WAS DRIVING DOWN I75 AND MY TRANSMISSION KEPT SHIFTING IN AND OUT OF GEAR.. MY WHOLE TRIP. IT SLAMMED INTO GEAR ALMOST CAUSING ME TO LOOSE CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. THIS TRANSMISSION IS DEFINITELY A SAFETY HAZARD. IT DOES NOT DO IT ALL THE TIME SEEMS LIKE WHEN WE HIT BUMPS IN THE ROAD. *TR

WE OWN A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION WITH ABOUT 115,000 MILES ON IT. RIGHT WHEN WE ROLLED OVER 100,000, WE HAVE HAD MULTIPLE INSTANCES OF THE SPARK PLUGS BLOWING RIGHT OUT OF THE ENGINE. EACH SPARK PLUG REPAIR HAS COST US BETWEEN $300-$500 PLUS TOWING. THE CAR WILL HAVE NO REAL SIGN THAT IT'S ABOUT TO BLOW A PLUG. WHICH IS SCARY OF WHERE YOU MAY BE STUCK WHEN THE THING DECIDES TO GO. THE LAST TIME (YESTERDAY) THAT THIS HAPPENED, WE WERE TOLD THAT THE CAR WOULD NEED NEW HEADS ( A $3500 REPAIR). WE HAVE RESEARCHED THIS PROBLEM, AND IT IS NOT UNIQUE TO US AS FORD OWNERS. COMPLAINT UPON COMPLAINT CAN BE FOUND OF THE SAME PROBLEM AT AROUND THE SAME MILEAGE. FORD CLAIMS TO NOT BE RESPONSIBLE, HOWEVER THEY HAVE SINCE REPAIRED THE SPARK PLUG FLAW IN NEWER FORD CARS AND TRUCKS. THE PROBLEM LIES IN THAT THE SPARK PLUGS DON'T HAVE ENOUGH THREADING, WHICH CAUSES THEM TO SHOOT RIGHT OUT OF THE ENGINE. IF THEY HAVE REALIZED THEIR FLAW ENOUGH TO CHANGE IT, THEN THEY SHOULD TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITY IN REPAIRING THE CARS/TRUCKS THAT ARE ON THE ROAD WITH THIS PROBLEM, AND REPAIRING PEOPLE'S POCKET BOOKS THAT HAVE ALREADY HAD TO SHOVEL OUT THE FUNDS TO PAY THE REPAIRS. *TR