1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE POWER SEAT MECHANISM DOES NOT WORK PROPERLY, RESULTING IN DRIVER'S INABILITY TO VIEW THE ROAD. THE SEAT MOVES UP AND DOWN, BUT WILL NOT GO FORWARD OR BACKWARD. THE DEALERSHIP DETERMINED THE MECHANISM NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPDATED 3/17/2006 - RIGHT FRONT AXLE LEAKED, WINDSHIELD WASHERS FAILED. THE GLASS IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP. THE DOOR LOCKS LOCKED THE CONSUMER OUT OF THE VEHICLE. THE HORN WAS DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. THE REAR TAILGATE WINDOW EXPLODED. *NM

I BACKED OUT OF A PARKING SPACE AND HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE AS I SHIFTED OUT OF REVERSE AND INTO NEUTRAL. AS SOON AS I SHIFTED INTO DRIVE THE ENGINE ACCELERATED WITH GREAT FORCE. I KEPT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AND SHIFTED BACK INTO NEUTRAL AND TURNED OF THE IGNITION STOPPING THE VEHICLE AND AVOIDING AN ACCIDENT. I MEASURED THE RESULTING TIRE SKID MARK FROM THE LEFT REAR TIRE AND IT WAS ABOUT 9 FEET LONG. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER ON JANUARY 23, 2006 FOR A DIAGNOSTIC CHECKUP. THEY KEPT IT OVERNIGHT AND TRIED TO DUPLICATE THE UNINTENDED ACCELERATION AND TO CHECK OUT ANY POSSIBLE MECHANICAL DEFECTS. NONE WERE FOUND AND THE VEHICLE WAS RETURNED WITH A SUGGESTION TO HAVE A VEHICLE DATA RECORDER INSTALLED WHEN ONE WAS AVAILABLE.*AK

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE LEFT FRONT DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT PROPERLY LOCK INTO THE BUCKLE ASSEMBLY. THIS FAILURE OCCURRED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN SEEN BY A DEALER. UPDATED 02/28/06. *JB

DRIVING DOWN TO BAKERSFIELD, FOLLOWING A SEVERE SKIING INJURY, MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION BLEW A SPARK PLUG OUT THE ALUMINUM HEAD, SHEARING OFF THE COIL, AND INCAPACITATING THE CAR. *NM

WHILE DRIVING ON THE NORTHBOUND 405 IN LA, MY 1998 EXPEDITION SHOT A SPARK PLUG FROM THE ALUMINUM HEAD. I WAS TRAPPED IN 70MPH TRAFFIC IN THE DARK WAITING A TOW TRUCK. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL, 97V171000 CONCERNING AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION: GEAR POSITION INDICATOR. THIS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AS INDICATED IN THE RECALL, BUT THE MANUFACTURER STATED THE RECALL EXPIRED. THE CONTACT ORDERED THE CABLE, AND PLANNED ON REPAIRING THE VEHICLE AT HIS OWN EXPENSE. *AK

I WAS ACCELERATING NEAR MY HOME WHEN THE PLUG BLEW IN THE ENGINE OF MY FORD EXPEDITION. NO ACCIDENT WAS CAUSED. THIS IS THE SECOND PLUG TO BLOW ON THIS VEHICLE IN 3 YEARS. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES AT LOW SPEEDS THE PEDAL WILL GO TO THE FLOOR, AND VEHICLE WILL VIBRATE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE WILL NOT STOP. THERE ARE NO WARNING LIGHTS INDICATING A PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, WITH NO SPECIFIC PATTERN OR CONDITIONS. THE DEALER SAID THIS WAS NORMAL PERFORMANCE FOR THIS VEHICLE. *AK

JUST ARRIVED HOME IN MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION FROM WORK ON OCTOBER 6, 2005 AROUND 5:50 PM RAN IN TO CHANGE CLOTHES. WE WERE IN THE HOUSE NO MORE THAN 5-8 MINUTES WHEN WE HEARD A STRANGE SOUND. RAN TO THE FRONT DOOR AND NOTICED SMOKE AND FIRE COMING OUT FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY VEHICLE. MY NEIGHBOR RAN FOR THE WATER HOSE & PUT WATER ON THE FIRE UNTIL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO HELP. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED JUST A FEW MINUTES BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE BEEN STILL IN THE VEHICLE AND COULD HAVE LOST OUR LIVES IN THE FIRE. JUST A FEW DAYS BEFORE THIS INCIDENT FORD CHOOSE TO SEND OUT RECALL NOTICES IN SEPTEMBER 2005 ON THIS YEAR\ MAKE\MODEL REGARDING THE SPEED CONTROL WIRING. NOT ONLY THAT I HAD JUST TAKEN MY VEHICLE INTO FORD SERVICE AT A LOCAL DEALERSHIP FOR A PROBLEM WITH MY AIR CONDITIONER AND THE REAR END. THEY SHOULD HAVE CORRECTED THIS DEFECT AT THAT TIME BUT DID NOT. FORD SHOULD HAVE SENT OUT RECALL NOTICES A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO DUE TO THIS DEFECT WHEN PEOPLE WERE HAVING PROBLEMS THEN. IF IT HAD BEEN DONE I WOULD STILL HAVE MY VEHICLE UP TO THIS DAY. *JB

98 FORD EXPEDITION UNDER HOOD FIRE I RECEIVED THE RECALL NOTICE ON TUESDAY AND ON WEDNESDAY THE CAR CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN IN OVER 24 HRS. FORD HAS BEEN UNRESPONSIVE TO REPEATED CALLS! *NM