1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE OUTER TIE ROD BROKE ON HER VEHICLE AS SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 50-60 MPH. THIS HAPPENED ON 8-30-05. SHE REPORTS HAVING NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS. THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT. SHE HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD ON 9-04 TO HAVE THE TIE RODS INSPECTED EVERY 15,000 MILES. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING THE LETTER. THE CAR HAD 90,000 MILES AT THAT TIME. BOTH OUTER TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. *JB *NM

DT: CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT HAD A LOT TROUBLE WITH THE DRIVER'S SEAT. IT GETS STUCK AND WON'T GO FORWARD. *AK

DT: THE STEEL BELT IS STICKING OUT OF THE RUBBER ON THE TIRE. IT IS OCCURRING WHERE THE TREAD MEETS THE SIDEWALL. THE TIRE IS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER RT/S P265/70R17. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THIS PROBLEM HAD ALLOWED AIR TO LEAK OUT OF THE TIRE. THIS WAS ON OCTOBER 13, 2005. THE TIRE WAS LOCATED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SIDE . THE CONTACT EXAMINED THE TIRE, AND FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO PUNCTURE MARKS IN THE TIRE. WHEN THE CONTACT TOOK VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER, THEY SAID THAT IT WAS DUE TO DRIVING ON A LOW TIRE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT DRIVEN WITH THE TIRE ON THE VEHICLE WHEN HE NOTICED THE PROBLEM. THE TIRE WAS PURCHASED USED. *AK

DT: THE CONTACT STATES RECEIVED NHTSA RECALL NOTICE 05V017000. VEHICLE IS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT CALLED LOCAL DEALERSHIP AND TRIED TO ARRANGE FOR RECALL WORK TO BE DONE. THE DEALERSHIP SAID THAT FORD WOULD BE SENDING HIM ANOTHER LETTER, TO WAIT FOR THE PART TO COME IN AROUND NOVEMBER. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO PUT THE CONTACT ON THE CALL LIST FOR THE PART. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN ON THE PHONE WITH FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THEY SAID THAT THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL LETTERS COMING IN THE MAIL. FORD SAID THAT HE SHOULD WAIT FOR THE DEALER TO CONTACT HIM, THEN ,HUNG UP ON THE CONTACT . NO ONE WAS INTERESTED IN FIXING THE RECALL PART. LUCKILY HE KNEW THAT WAS TO BE DISCONNECTED, SO HE DID HIMSELF. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE GETTING THE CONTACT ON THE WAITING LIST FOR THE PART. THE CONTACT WAS ON THE PHONE TRYING TO GET THROUGH TO FORDS CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH TASK FORCE, AND THE NUMBER FOR FORD KEPT REPEATING THE OPTIONS FOR THE CONTACT. THE CONTACT TRIED TO GET THROUGH FOR ALMOST TWENTY MINUTES. THEN THE CONTACT CALLED BACK THREE DIFFERENT TIMES.*AK

DT: 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT FOUND RECALL 97V171000, FOR THE GEAR POSITION INDICATOR. UPON TAKING THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY STATED IT WAS NOT PART OF THIS RECALL. THE CONTACT STATED FOR A MONTH THE VEHICLE WILL NOT GO INTO PARK, THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE IN REVERSE TO BE IN PARK AND IN NEUTRAL TO BE IN REVERSE. THE VEHICLE HAS TO BE IN DRIVE TO BE IN NEUTRAL AND IT HAS TO BE DRIVEN IN DRIVE 1 OR 2. THE VEHICLE WAS LOOKED AT IN THE DEALERSHIP AND HE HAS RECEIVED AN ESTIMATE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT FIXED AT THAT TIME. THE CONTACT CALLED FORD AND THEY STATE THE SAME AS THE DEALERSHIP, ACCORDING TO THE VIN THE VEHICLE IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL. THE CONTACT DID HAVE THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED, BUT THE TRANSMISSION SHOP STATED THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE TRANSMISSION. THIS IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM.. *AK

ON JULY 1, 2003 WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY I HEARD A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY A LOSS OF POWER. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO GALPIN FORD. I WAS TOLD THE #2 SPARK PLUG BLEW THROUGH THE HEAD GASKET. TOTAL REPAIRS PAID WERE $4059.99. APPROX. 1 MONTH LATER SPARK PLUG #4 ON THE OTHER HEAD BLEW. NOT WANTING ANOTHER 4 GRAND BILL I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO DODGE BROTHERS WHERE I WAS CHARGED $402.95 TO INSERT A HELI-COIL FOR THE ONE SPARK PLUG HOLE. ON 11/10 A 3RD PLUG BEW. KNOWING THAT I STILL HAD TWO MORE PLUGS THAT COULD BLOW MY WIFE TOWED VEHICLE BACK TO GALPIN. WHEN TOLD REPAIRS WOULD BE IN EXCESS OF $2500.00 SHE BROKE DOWN AND GOT THEM TO REDUCE THE COST TO $874.00. TOTAL COSTS WITH TOW AND RENTAL 5,736.94. *NM

SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT FROM ENGINE. NORMAL DRIVING CONDITIONS, FAILURE CAUSED LACK OF DRIVING POWER. IF INCIDENT HAD OCCURRED DURING RUSH HOUR, ACCIDENTS WOULD HAVE OCCURRED. THE ENGINE BLOCK HAD TO BE RE-TAPPED, PLUG AND COIL REPLACED. *NM

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 1998 FORD EXPEDITION ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN HER SPARE TIRE SUDDENLY FELL FROM BENEATH THE VEHICLE AND KICKED UP THE REAR END. FORTUNATELY, SHE DID NOT LOSE CONTROL, AND THE CARS BEHIND HER WERE ABLE TO SWERVE AROUND THE LOOSE TIRE WITHOUT INCIDENT. UPON INSPECTION, WE FOUND THAT THE CABLE WHICH SUPPORTS THE SPARE TIRE SNAPPED OFF AT THE END. OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER SAYS THERE IS NO RECURRENT PROBLEM, AND THAT WE CAN PURCHASE A NEW SPARE TIRE CARRIER (JUST LIKE THE DEFECTIVE ONE) FOR $100. HOWEVER, WITH A SIMPLE SEARCH ONLINE, I FOUND NUMEROUS DOCUMENTED CASES JUST LIKE MINE WHERE THE SPARE TIRE MECHANISM FAILED AND LOOSE TIRES HAVE CAUSED CRASHES AND INJURIES. I DO NOT THINK IT IS RESPONSIBLE TO PUT THESE VEHICLES BACK ON THE ROAD WHEN THE TIRE CAN FALL OUT AT ANY MOMENT.*JB

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 1998 FORD EXPEDITION WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING AND WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. THERE IS A CLANKING SOUND. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT A SLOW SPEED ONE CAN HEAR THE NOISE. THE SPEED IS 5 MPH. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES OVER THE NOISE PROBLEM. NO ONE CAN FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING THAT THEY KNOW IS THAT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT END. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY BE THE STEERING COLUMN OR AROUND THAT AREA.*AK

DT: THERE IS AN INVESTIGATION # PE05033 FOR THE 1099-2002 MODELS, BUT IT DOES NOT INCLUDED THE 1998 MODEL THAT WAS HAVING THE SAME EXACT PROBLEMS AS DESCRIBED IN PE05033.. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC SHOP, AND THEY HAVE REPLACED A JAMMED MODULE ON AUGUST 30, 2004, AND ON SEPTEMBER 13, 2005 THEY REPLACED THE ALTERNATOR. HAD NO TROUBLE UNTIL IT RAINED AGAIN AND THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THEN, THE VEHICLE WAS SITTING FOR ABOUT THIRTY MINUTES AND IT STARTED. AFTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE, TURNING THE VEHICLE OFF, AND TAKING THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION THE DOOR CHIME WAS CLICKING ,/THE RADIO WAS GOING, AND THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS RUNNING WITH NO KEYS IN THE IGNITION. *AK