1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

1997 FORD EXPEDITION BRAKES FAILED DURING A FORCED EVASIVE MANEUVER TO AVOID A HEAD ON COLLISION. *TS *SC

DT:THE CONTACT STATED VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE DRIVING. HE RECEIVED RECALL 05V388000 CONCERNING VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE AIR VENTS. HE STOPPED THE VEHICLE, TRIED TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO PARK AND IT WOULD NOT GO. HE PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, TURNED VEHICLE OFF, AND THEN WAS ABLE TO PUT INTO THE PARK POSITION. THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS WOULD NOT WORK . THE CONTACT HAD TO BREAK THE WINDOW AND UNLOCK THE DOOR WITH THE KEY TO GET OUT OF THE VEHICLE. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL THE HOOD LATCH, AND WHEN THE HOOD OPENED, THERE WAS A BIG CLOUD OF BLACK SMOKE AND THEN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND A REPORT WAS TAKEN. THE FORD INVESTIGATOR DETERMINED THAT THE EXTENT OF THE FIRE WAS SEVERE. HOWEVER, THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE MANUFACTURER WILL NOT OFFER ANY RESTITUTION. *AK

THE BRAKE LINES RUPTURE WITH NO WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAS ABSOLUTELY NO BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR. IF IN TRAFFIC, THIS BRAKE LINE RUPTURE COULD CAUSE SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH. BRAKE LINES HAD TO BE REPLACED. *NM

DT: THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE 1997 FORD EXPEDITION BLEW OUT PLUG A SPARK PLUG IN THE ENGINE AND STRIPPED THE HEAD AND THE COIL. THIS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING AT 35 MPH. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH FORD, AND THEY TOLD HIM TO TAKE THE TRUCK TO THE DEALER AND CALL THEM BACK. THE DEALERSHIP DID A DIAGNOSTIC TESTING , AND SAID THAT IT WOULD TAKE $4,850.00 TO REPAIR THE ENGINE. WHEN THE CONTACT CALLED FORD BACK THE PERSON TO WHOM THE CONTACT TALKED TO DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS CALLING THEM BACK. THE CONTACT SPOKE TO TWO DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND THEY DID NOT KNOW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT. THE CONTACT SAID THAT HE PLANNED TO FIX THE TRUCK WHEN HE HAS THE MONEY AVAILABLE.*AK

MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION 4X4 WITH 95,000 MILES JUST EXPERIENCED A FAILURE IN THE DRIVERS SIDE TIE-ROD. THE INNER TIE-ROD END SHREDDED WHERE IT CONNECTS TO THE CENTER LINK. *JB

DT: FORD CAUGHT FIRE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2005, CONTACTED FORD, THEY SAID VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL, HOWEVER, THEY SAID IT WAS SO SEVERELY DAMAGED THAT THEY COULD NOT TELL WERE IT STARTED. AS A RESULT, THEY HAD TO DENY THE CLAIM. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FIVE TO TEN MINUTES BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. THERE WAS NO FOREWARNING, AND NO NOISE WAS HEARD BEFORE THIS HAPPENED. *AK

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE LAST NIGHT. SHE HAD DRIVEN THE VEHICLE APPROXIMATELY 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE VEHICLE CATCHING ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER SMELLED AN ELECTRICAL ODOR. THERE WAS A FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SERVICE DEALER. THEY INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. THE CONSUMER SEARCHED THE NHTSA WEBSITE TO SEE WHETHER THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION FOR THIS VEHICLE'S MAKE/MODEL, AND YEAR. *AK

DT: ON AUGUST 15, 2005 THE CONTACT WAS AT WORK WHEN HE WAS ALERTED BY SECURITY THAT HIS 1997 FORD EXPEDITION WAS ON FIRE. HE WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON AND DISCOVERED VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD ALREADY ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT IT WAS AN ELECTRICAL FIRE. A FIRE REPORT WAS TAKEN, BUT THE CONTACT HAD NOT REVIEWED IT YET. THE FIRE WAS MOST SEVERE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT IN FRONT OF WHERE THE DRIVER SAT. THE FIRE STARTED NEAR THE MASTER CYLINDER. THE CONTACT WAS AWARE OF THE INVESTIGATION INTO CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, EA05005, AND BELIEVED THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. THE CONTACT WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE WAS PARKED NEAR OTHER VEHICLES AND IT COULD DO DAMAGE TO THE OTHER VEHICLES. IF THE VEHICLE BURNED WHILE AT HOME THERE COULD HAVE BEEN DAMAGE TO THE CONTACTS HOME OR INJURIES TO FAMILY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *AK

SPARK PLUG #6 BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. RESULTED IN BEING STRANDED ON THE ROAD AND IMPEDING THE FLOW OF TRAFFIC. DEALER WAS NOT HELPFUL REGARDING REPAIR.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD, AND WAS IN THE CRUISE CONTROL AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND TURNED OFF. THE DRIVER EXITED THE VEHICLE ABOUT THREE MINUTES EARLIER. THERE WAS NO SMOKE BEFORE THIS. THE DRIVER HAD NOT USED THE CRUISE CONTROL THAT DAY. THE TRUCK HAD DRIVEN FINE EARLIER. THE VEHICLE WAS MOVED FROM THE FIRE LOCATION BY THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT THE FORD DEALERSHIP. THE CONSUMER HAS A FIRE REPORT WHICH STATED THAT THERE WAS NO LEAKAGE. THERE WAS NO INSURANCE ON THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. EVERYTHING ON THE DASHBOARD WAS NORMAL. THE CONSUMER THOUGHT THAT IT WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE OF THE FIRES LOCATION AND THE WHEEL WELL. ALSO, THE VEHICLE WAS REGULARLY MAINTAINED . WHILE ON FIRE BYSTANDERS THAT TOOK PICTURES. THE CONSUMER HAS BEEN ADVISED TO REVIEW THE NHTSA WEBSITE AND SUBMIT THE PICTURES TO ODI.