2002 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

2002 FORD EXPEDITION I PURCHASED 6 DAYS AGO CAUGHT ON FIRE IN MY FRONT YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING IT WAS JUST SITTING IN MY YARD. I INFORMED THE SELLER WHEN I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL DID NOT WORK AND A FEW OTHER THINGS WERE WRONG. I WAS TOLD TO BRING THE VEHICLE BACK ON THE DAY THAT IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. BEFORE I LEFT MY HOUSE, I WAS INFORMED BY A NEIGHBOR THAT IT WAS ON FIRE. I DO HAVE A POLICE REPORT OF THE INCIDENT. RECEIVED 12/12/07 . 64200. UPDATED 12/12/07

MY 2002 EXPEDITION WAS RECALLED IN 2005 TO REPLACE THE CRUISE CONTROL WIRING HARNESS. A FUSED WIRING HARNESS WAS INSTALLED TO PROTECT THE LIVE CRUISE CONTROL CIRCUIT FROM INITIATING A FIRE IF THE BRAKE SENSING SWITCH MEMBRANE LEAKED BRAKE FLUID. YESTERDAY, 17 SEP 07, MY CRUISE CONTROL MALFUNCTIONED. THE BRAKE SENSING SWITCH AT THE MASTER BRAKE CYLINDER AND THE CRUISE CONTROL WIRING HARNESS COMING OUT OF THE SWITCH WERE SOAKED WITH BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE FLUID WAS ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. I DISCONNECTED THE WIRING HARNESS THE AREA OF THE SWITCH INTO WHICH THE WIRING HARNESS WAS PLUGGED WAS FULL OF BRAKE FLUID. BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK OUT OF THE SWITCH. THE SWITCH MEMBRANE WAS INDEED BROKEN. I ASSUMED (WRONGLY) THAT THE NEW FUSED CRUISE CONTROL BUNDLE HAD PROBABLY SPARED ME A FIRE. I TOOK MY CAR TO FORD TODAY. THEY CALLED CORPORATE REGARDING PAYMENT ISSUES. I WAS INFORMED THAT FORD WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR BILL. THIS SPECIFIC COMPLAINT IS NOT ABOUT THE BILL PER SE, BUT ABOUT MY CONCERN FOR SAFETY. AS IT TURNED OUT, THE NEW FUSED HARNESS DID NOT BLOW THE FUSE--FORD DID NOT REPLACE THE HARNESS. I AM NOW CONCERNED THAT THE "HOT" FUSED WIRING HARNESS WAS ATTACHED TO THE BRAKE SENSOR WHILE IT WAS COMPLETELY IMMERSED IN BRAKE FLUID. THERE IS STILL A SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FIRE. I HAVE KEPT THE OLD BRAKE SWITCH, BUT AS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THE FUSED WIRING HARNESS WAS NOT REPLACED SINCE THE FUSE WAS NOT BLOWN (THE FUSE CANNOT BE REPLACED--THE ENTIRE BUNDLE MUST BE REPLACED PER A INFORMATION LABEL ATTACHED TO THE WIRING HARNESS) AND IS STILL ON THE CAR. SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES ARE: IS THERE STILL A RISK OF FIRE WHEN THE BRAKE SWITCH BRAKES/LEAKS AND, WHAT IS THE SAFETY IMPLICATION WITH REGARDS TO BRAKING GIVEN AN INCREASED RISK OF FAILURE AND SUBSEQUENT LEAKAGE OF THE BRAKE FLUID AT THE SWITCH? *TR

VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER HOOD AS A RESULT OF VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL SWITCH. FILING CLAIM FOR RESULTING TOTAL LOSS OF 2002 FORD EXPEDITION EDDIE BAUER. PLEASE CONTACT FOR DETAILS AND ENGINEER REPORT. (REPORTED BY INS CO). *TR

MY 2002 FORD EXPEDITION (83,000 MILES) ON THE WAY HOME FROM LAKE POWELL BLEW A SPARK PLUG OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. WE WERE 350 MILES FROM HOME ON VACATION AND HAD TO OBTAIN ASSISTANCE AND ADDED EXPENSE TO RETURN HOME IN TIME FOR OUR JOBS. THE VEHICLE IS STILL IN ST GEORGE, UTAH AT A FORD DEALERSHIP BEING REPAIRED. IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT THE SPARK PLUG ISSUE IS WELL KNOWN. THERE IS NO ASSISTANCE FROM FORD FOR REPAIRING THE WELL KNOWN DESIGN FLAW. *TR

VEHICLE THREW A SPARK PLUG WITHOUT WARNING WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THIS STRIPPED OUT THE PLUG SOCKET REQUIRING REBUILDING OF THE ENGINE HEADS TO REALLY FIX IT CORRECTLY TO BE SURE IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. MECHANIC EXPRESSED THAT THIS WAS COMMON ON THESE VEHICLES. DESTROYED THE SPARK COIL AND WIRING AS IT BLEW OUT. COULD EASILY HAVE CAUSED A SEVERE ACCIDENT AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, TOWING A TRAILER. WE WERE LUCKY IT WAS LATE AND TRAFFIC WAS LIGHT. *TR

AFTER PARKING VEHICLE IN GARAGE, SMELLED BURNING RUBBER AND CALLED 911. WAS ABLE TO ROLL VEHICLE OUT OF GARAGE AND FIRE DEPT PUT OUT FIRE UNDER HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *JB

I NOTICED TODAY THAT THE SIDE WALL TIRES ON MY MICHELIN -CROSS TERRIANIN SUV RADIAL X TIRES APPEAR TO HAVE CROSS CUTS IN THE SIDEWALLS ON 3 OF 4 TIRES (ONE WAS RECENTLY REPLACED). ANOTHER THE RUBBER APPEARS TO BREAKING OFF, LEAVING A WHITE COATING BEHIND THE RUBBER. PLAN TO TAKE TO DEALER WHO SOLD ME THE TIRES, BUT AM DOUBTFUL THE WILL ACT. *TR

FIRST I HAD A FUSE BLOW,THAT PREVENTED THE CAR FROM BEING PUT INTO GEAR. ONCE THE FUSE WAS REPLACED, IT WAS FINE. A WEEK LATER,WHILE STOPPING AT A GAS STATION,WITH THE CAR TURNED OFF, SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOOD. WITHIN MINUTES THE WHOLE ENGINE WAS ON FIRE. IT WASN'T UNTIL LATER THAT I FOUND OUT THAT THIS PROBLEM WAS NATION WIDE! I BOUGHT THE CAR FROM A DEALER,THAT WAS NOT A FORD DEALER, SO I RECEIVED NO RECALL NOTICES! THE CAR WAS TOTALED. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION. WHEN THE CONTACT STARTED THE VEHICLE, HE NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE CAUSE OF FAILURE WAS DUE TO A BLOWN SPARK PLUG CYLINDER. THE DEALER REPLACED THE SPARK PLUG CYLINDER. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS LATER, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH UPHILL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE MECHANIC REPLACED THE SPARK PLUGS AND PERFORMED A TUNE UP. THE FOLLOWING DAY, WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH UPHILL, THE VEHICLE LOST POWER AGAIN. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE ENGINE WAS BLOWN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AS OF JULY 11, 2007, THE ENGINE HAS NOT BEEN REPLACED. THE PURCHASE DATE WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 106,710 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 106,000.

I AM THE OWNER OF A 2002 FORD EXPEDITION, EDDIE BAUER EDITION WITH LESS THAN 60,000 MILES. FOR NEARLY A YEAR DOME LIGHTS AND WINDOWS CONTINUE TO MALFUNCTION AFTER REPLACING FUSES MANY TIMES. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THERE COULD POSSIBLY BE AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, WHICH WILL BE COSTLY TO REPAIR. HAS THERE BEEN A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM. *AK