1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT OF HEAD BY FORCE OF THE ENGINE, LOSS OF POWER AN MAJOR DAMAGE. *JB

I HAVE EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH MY 97 FORD EXPEDITION NOT STARTING AFTER SITTING FOR LONGER THAN TWO DAYS FOR OVER A YEAR NOW. I HAVE HAD THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP ATTEMPT TO FIND THE DRAW KEEPING THE VEHICLE FOR OVER A MONTH TOTAL. WHEN IT RAINED THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE WORSE. EVENTUALLY I WAS LEFT WITH HAVING TO HAVE A BATTERY BOOSTER IN THE BACK AND JUMP THE CAR AS IT NEEDED WITH NO SOLUTION FROM THE DEALER. TODAY I WENT OUT TO THE CAR ALMOST A YEAR LATER OF DEALING WITH THIS AND THE CAR WOULDN'T START AFTER LESS THAN 24 HOURS OF NOT DRIVING IT. THE CAR WAS NOT COMPLETELY DEAD AS THERE WAS CLICKING NOISES UPON TURNING THE IGNITION BUT DID NOT TURN OVER. REMOVED THE KEYS FROM IGNITION AND GOT OUT OF CAR TO GET BATTERY BOOSTER FROM THE BACK AND HEARD POPPING AND STATIC NOISE FROM PASSENGER FRONT SPEAKER VERY LOUD. AGAIN, KEYS WERE NOT EVEN IN THE IGNITION. NOISE CONTINUED TO COME FROM THE SPEAKER FOR OVER 30 MIN UNTIL I JUMPED THE CAR. WHEN STARTED THE CLOCK AND RADIO WOULD NOT WORK AND NOISE CONTINUED TO COME FROM THE SPEAKER, ALSO NOTICED WATER LEAKING DOWN PASSENGER SIDE HANDLE LOCATED BY THE WINDSHIELD. DROVE IMMEDIATELY TO GARAGE SPECIALIZING IN ELECTRICAL AND WAS TOLD OF WATER LEAKING FROM WINDSHIELD SEAL FAILURE VERY COMMON IN THIS VEHICLE AND POSITION OF FUSE AND GEM MODULE ALLOWING WATER TO LEAK IN AND POOL ACTING AS A CONDUCTOR RESULTING IN COMPONENTS COMING ON AND MALFUNCTIONING WITHOUT VEHICLE ON IS VERY COMMON. RESOLUTION, REPLACE WINDSHIELD AS SEAL NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED (APPROX. $280.00) AND REPLACE FUSE AND GEM MODULE (APPROX. $600.00). I LEFT THE GARAGE AND CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER AND WAS TOLD THE SAME AND SERVICE MANAGER SAID WITH OUR RECENT RAIN OF 25 DAYS RUNNING HERE IN WA THEY WERE SEEING A LOT OF THIS AND IS COMMON BUT THERE IS NO RECALL FOR THIS. AFTER DOING RESEARCH ONLINE THIS EVENING I AM SHOCKED HOW MANY SIMILAR COMPLAINTS I HAVE FOUND FOR THIS AND A COUPLE OF OTHER PROBLEMS I HAVE NOTICED. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER RECEIVING NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN 05V388000 CONCERNING THE VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, THE INTERIM DEACTIVATION REPAIR WAS PERFORMED AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL. WHEN THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE THE RECALL REPAIR WAS COMPLETED BY THE DEALER. ALTHOUGH THE VEHICLE DISPLAYED NO PREVIOUS PROBLEMS WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL, AFTER THE RECALL WAS COMPLETED, THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK. THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED TO THE DEALER. A DIAGNOSTIC TEST DETERMINED THERE WAS A RESISTANCE SHORT AND HIGH CURRENT EXPOSED BY THE NEWLY INSTALLED SWITCH. THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT SUGGESTED THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE NEWLY INSTALLED SWITCH, BUT A CONDITION AS A RESULT OF THE INTERIM DEACTIVATION WHICH EXPOSED SOME OF THE WIRES. *AK THE RESISTANT SHORT OUT AND THERE WAS HIGH CURRENT. ALL THEY FIXED WAS A FUSE JUMPER WIRE BETWEEN SWITCH AND VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL UNIT. *AK

SUDDEN AND CATASTROPHIC BRAKE FAILURE CAUSED BY RUPTURE OF RT. FRONT BRAKE HOSE, LOSS OF ALL FLUID AND TOTAL FAILURE OF BRAKE SYSTEM. VEHICLE WAS STOPPED BY USE OF EMERGENCY BRAKE PEDAL. NO CASUALTY BUT AS INCIDENT HAPPENED WITHOUT ANY WARNING IN A HOSPITAL PARKING LOT CONSEQUENCES COULD HAVE BEEN DIRE. ORIGINAL PURCHASE DEALER MAINTAINED VEHICLE ON SCHEDULE: MOST RECENT SERVICE AND INSPECTION IN AUGUST 2005. VEHICLE GARAGED WITH 96,000 MI. *NM

ON DEC. 08, 2005 THE WASHER FLUID LIKE BLINKED RAPIDLY AND LOUDLY FROM WHAT SOUNDED TO BE A RELAY UNDER THE DASH. THE AIRBAG LIGHT CAME ON AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING. THE DEALER ADVISED ME THAT THE TRUCK WAS ATTEMPTING TO START ITSELF. DEALER REP NAME IS GARY WELLS AT BONDY'S FORD IN DOTHAN, AL. *JB

HINGES COMPLETELY FAILED/BROKEN ON LIFTGATE WINDOW OF 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. WINDOW HANGING PRECARIOUSLY BY LATCH ALONE. COULD EASILY HAVE FALLEN/SHATTERED AND INJURED CHILDREN OF OWNER RIDING IN 3RD SEAT. THIS MANUFACTURING DEFECT ACKNOWLEDGED AND SAFETY RECALLED IN EXPLORERS ALREADY. *JB

TOWING TRAILER AND EXHAUST MANIFOLD STUDS BROKE. THIS CAUSED A LOSS OF POWER CLIMBING A STEEP GRADE. CAR BEHIND ALMOST HIT US. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL CAMPAIGN ID # 05V017000, CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: CRUISE CONTROL. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER FOR SERVICE. THE DEALER DID NOT DISCONNECT THE SWITCH. HE HAD TO MAKE TWO TRIPS TO THE DEALER BEFORE THEY DISCONNECTED THE SWITCH. *AK UPDATED 12/27/05. *JB

TRAVELING @ 65 MPH AND LOUD BANG. ENGINE LOST POWER AND WAS EXTREMELY LOUD. WAS TOLD BY AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER THAT THE SPARK PLUG HAD BLOW OUT OF THE CYLINDER. THE TRUCK WAS NOT FIXED. FORD WANTED $5000 FOR NEW ENGINE OR $4200 TO REBUILD MINE. 1997 EDDIE BAUER EXPEDITION. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT'S SON OWNS A VEHICLE THAT WAS PARKED IN A HIGH SCHOOL PARKING LOT WHEN A FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO HER SON'S CAR. THIS HAPPENED ON 10-17-05. THE FIRE DEPT DETERMINED THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS THE SCDS. ALSO, A POLICE REPORT WAS TAKEN. THIS WAS REPORTED TO CONTACT'S INSURANCE COMPANY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY STATED THE CONTACT NEVER RECEIVED A RECALL LETTER, THUS RELIEVING HIM OF ANY LIABILITY TO THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE BURNED BECAUSE OF THIS INCIDENT. THE CONTACT'S SON DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT INSURANCE TO COVER THE DAMAGE DONE TO HIS VEHICLE. *AK UPDATED 11/29/2005 - THE COMPLAINANT SON OWNED A 1989 TOYOTA CELICA 2 DOOR WHICH WAS PARKED NEXT TO THE EXPEDITION WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM