1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

UNDER NORMAL DRIVING CONDITION SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT @ 1250000. PREVIOUSLY A DIFFERENT SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT @ 40000 AND WAS REPAIRED WITH A HELICOIL. REPAIRS WERE UNDERWAY. THIS APPEARED TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE 5.4L ENGINES! *AK

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOTIFIED AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE ENTIRE HOOD AND ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE FIRE INSPECTOR STATED THAT HE WAS AWARE OF RECALL # 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE CONTACT NOTIFIED THE MANUFACTURER AND FOUND THAT THE CONTACT'S VIN WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, BUT HE IS NOT THE ORIGINAL OWNER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 134,000. UPDATED 12/30/08 *BF THE CONSUMER STATED FORD HIRED A CONSULTANT TO INVESTIGATE THE FIRE, BUT IT COULD NOT BE DETERMINED WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CONSUMER CLAIM WAS DENIED BY FORD. UPDATED 01/05/08. *JB

I WAS DRIVING MY 98 EXPEDITION THROUGH OUR CUL-DE-SAC WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD NOISE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. MY WIFE AND I HAD TO PUSH THE TRUCK BACK TO OUR DRIVEWAY AND IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO CHECK THE SPARK PLUGS.(I AM A MECHANIC BY TRADE) WE SOON DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS THE #3 SPARK PLUG. IT HAD BLOWN OUT, STRIPPING ALL THREADS. FORD IS NO HELP AT ALL. THEY WANT $4000 TO REPLACE THE HEADS, (AND CLAIM TO HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THIS DEFECT)BUT CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT THIS WON'T HAPPEN AGAIN. SINCE YESTERDAY,I'VE DISCOVERED THAT I'M ONE OF THE MANY THOUSANDS WHO'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM. WHEN IS SOMEONE GOING TO STEP UP AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY? *TR

1998 FORD EXPEDITION INTERIOR LIGHTS STAYING ON, DOOR AJAR LIGHT STAYING ON, RADIO TURNING ON AND OFF BY ITSELF, TRAILER LIGHTS NOT WORKING, DASH LIGHTS FLASHING OFF AND ON. I FOUND OUT THERE ARE A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THESE CARS HAVING LEAKING WINDSHIELDS ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER THE VEHICLE AND CAUSE ELECTRICAL SHORTING ON THE GEM AND FUSE BOX. FORD DEALERSHIP SAID THIS IS A WELL-KNOWN ISSUE WITH A TSB 98-9-13 !!! I DID A QUICK SEARCH ON THE INTERNET AND FOUND THAT THESE CAN CAUSE ELECTRICAL FIRES OR CAUSE CARS TO START BY THEMSELVES, LOSING ELECTRICAL STABILITY WHILE DRIVING RESULTING IN SEVERAL NEAR ACCIDENTS. (NO BRAKE LIGHTS, ETC..) *JB

BACK IN 2005 MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION HAD A SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. HAD IT FIXED THE FIRST TIME WITH A HELI-COIL. IN 2006 IT BLEW OUT AGAIN HAD TO REPLACE THE CYLINDER HEADS. *NM

ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE VEHICLE THERE IS AN AUDIBLE, HIGH FREQUENCY RATTLE OR VIBRATION THAT IS INCREASED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN GEAR, STOPPED AND IN IDLE. THE NOISE REDUCES AND OFTEN GOES AWAY WHEN THE ENGINE RPMS ARE INCREASED ABOVE 600 PER MINUTE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN EXAMINED BY THE DEALER THREE TIMES, HAS HAD ALL OF THE EXHAUST BRACKETS TIGHTENED OR REPLACED TO NO AVAIL. OWNER WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS A "BACKED OUT BOLT IN THE EXHAUST HEAT SHIELD", THIS BOLT WAS CHANGED BY DEALER ON THE 3RD TRIP, WITH NO CHANGE, IN FAT, THAT MADE IT WORSE. TWO DIFFERENT MUFFLER SHOPS HAVE LOOKED AT AND NOTICE NOTHING ELSE LOOSE OR MISSING. ON THE LAST VISIT TO THE DEALER, OWNER WAS TOLD THAT THE REASON FOR THE NOISE IS THAT THE "EXHAUST PIPE IS TORQUED AND TWISTED A LITTLE BIT FROM HEAT CONTRACTION AND EXPANSION." *NM

APPROXIMATELY 2.5 HRS. INTO A 3 HR. TRIP WITH OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE IN THE SINGLE DIGIT RANGE, AND WITH CONSTANT HIGHWAY DRIVING (NO STOPPING) MY THROTTLE BECAME STUCK WHILE TRAVELING APPROX. 70 MPH. WHILE TRYING TO AVOID THE TRAFFIC THAT HAD SLOWED IN FRONT OF ME I REACHED FOR THE IGNITION KEY AND TURNED THE TRUCK OFF WHILE I SEARCHED FOR A PLACE TO PULL-OVER TO. AFTER THE TRUCK WAS STOPPED ON THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY I RESTARTED THE ENGINE ONLY TO HAVE IT RACE IN RPM'S. I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE TRUCK HOME THE REMAINING PART OF THE TRIP AFTER I REMOVED THE THROTTLE BODY COVER AND JUST LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE THROTTLE LINKAGE (JUST LEFT OF THROTTLE PLATE) WHICH RETURNED THE THROTTLE TO IDLE POSITION. TRUCK HAS BEEN TAKEN TO FORD DEALER WHERE AN UPGRADE OF THE PCV SYSTEM HAS BEEN PERFORMED (TSB 01-21-12). TRUCK INFORMATION: 1998 FORD EXPEDITION 5.4 ENGINE 126000 MILES. *NM

TL*- THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL 05V38800) IN THE MAIL. REGARDING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL. THE RECALL WAS HONORED AT THE DEALER. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT IT WAS FORD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO WARN THE CONSUMERS THAT THE BRAKE FLUID COULD BE LOST THROUGH A DEFECTIVE SWITCH, WHICH COULD CAUSE A CRASH. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH WAS NEVER REPLACED UNDER RECALL, ONLY A FUSE LINE WAS ADDED TO THE SWITCH. THE CONSUMER WAS NEVER TOLD THAT THE BRAKE FLUID COULD LEAK THROUGH THE DEFECTIVE SWITCH. UPDATED 03/19/07. *JB

1998 FORD EXPEDITION, TRITON ENGINE, FORCIBLE EJECTION OF SPARK PLUG. THREADING STRIPPED FROM CYLINDER HEAD WILL NOT ALLOW REINSERTION OF SPARK PLUG. COST TO REPAIR PER FORD SERVICE $4000. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS AS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND ISSUE RECALL. NO GUARANTEE IF REPAIRED THAT SAME FAILURE WILL NOT OCCUR AGAIN. PROBABLE CAUSE: POORLY DESIGNED ALUMINUM CYLINDER HEADS WITH INSUFFICIENT THREADING TO RETAIN SPARK PLUGS. *NM

THE BATTERY KEEPS RUNNING DOWN. CAN'T FIND ANYTHING LEFT ON INSIDE TRUCK. HAVE REPLACED BATTERY THREE TIMES. BATTERY HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CRANKING AMPS. STILL KEEPS RUNNING DOWN. HEARD THAT THERE MAYBE PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY CABLES OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ELECTRICAL WIRING. *JB