1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

DT: ON JUNE 27, 2005 WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 65 MPH THE CONSUMER HEARD A NOISE. AND UPON STOPPING, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE SPARE TIRE FELL OFF. NO DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE WAS REPORTED. THE CABLE BROKE COMPLETELY OFF, AND THE TIRE WAS GONE. OWNER CALLED FORD, AND THEY WERE NOT CONCERNED.*AK THE BRAKE LINE RUPTURED. *JB

ON 13 JULY 2005, I PARKED MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION AT A CO-WORKERS HOME. WE LEFT FOR WORK IN HIS VEHICLE. 45 MINUTES LATER, I RECEIVED A TELEPHONE CALL FROM HIS SPOUSE. SHE STATED MY VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE AND THE SCHERTZ FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD RESPONDED. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALL, TERRY AIKMAN, OPINED THE IGNITION POINT OF THE FIRE WAS AT THE CRUISE CONTROL CIRCUITS. I CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY WHO RESPONDED WITH A LETTER. THE LETTER SAID FORD REGRETTED MY LOSS BUT COULD NOT HELP BECAUSE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT CURRENTLY ON THEIR RECALL LIST.

ON JUNE 17, 2005 OUR 1997 EXPEDITION BLEW ITS FIRST SPARK PLUG. WE AT THE TIME THAT IT WAS AN UNCOMMON OCCURENCE SO WE HAD A LOCAL MECHANIC FIX THE PROBLEM AT THE COST OF $388. NOT EVEN A MONTH LATER ON JULY 15, 2005 OUR EXPEDITON BLEW ANOTHER SPARK PLUG DIFFERENT CYLINDER BUT ON THE SAME SIDE. WE ARE LOOKING INTO OPTIONS TO SEE WHICH IS THE BEST OPTION FOR US TO GO WITH. WHILE RESEARCHING WE FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS NOT SO UMCOMMON WITH A 5.4 LITER ENGINE WHETHER IN A EXPEDITION, F-150, ETC AND DOES NOT MATTER HOW MANY MILES EITHER. I SAW THE NUMEROUS COMPLIANTS ON CONSUMER AFFAIRS.COM WHICH IS WHERE I FOUND YOUR NUMBER AND CALLED TODAY. I THINK THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEEDS TO START ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR DEFECTS IN THEIR ENGINES. AS OF RIGHT NOW WE ARE NOT SURE HOW MUCH IT WILL COST TO REPAIR OUR TRUCK. AN ESTIMATE GIVEN TO MY HUSBAND WAS FOR $3600.00 TO REDO THE HEADS OR $4700.00 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE BUT IF THEY REPLACE WITH THE SAME DEFECTED ENGINE EVEN WITH A WARRANTY IT WILL DO US NO GOOD CONSIDERING THE WARRANTY WILL NOT COVER FOR THIS SPECIFIC REPAIR. THIS HAS ALSO CAUSED OUR FAMILY VACATION TO BE PUT IN LIMBO AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THE REPAIRS. MY FAMILY DOES NOT HAVE THAT TYPE OF MONEY JUST LYING AROUND WAITING TO BE USED. ME AND MY HUSBAND BOTH WORK TO SUPPORT OUR SIX CHILDREN, AND IT SEEMS LIKE FORD MOTOR COMPANY NEEDS TO PICK UP THE PACE AND HELP US CONSIDERING THEY ARE NOT WILLING TO COME OUT AND RECALL THEIR DEFECTED ENGINE.

DT: FORD EXPIDITION CAUGHT FIRE THIS PAST SATURDAY ON JULY 16, 2005. NO KEYS WERE IN IGITION, IT HAD BEEN SITTING FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES, GOT IN AND BEGAN TO DRIVE IT, BACKED IT UP AND SMELLED SOMETHING FUNNY, SO LEFT IT THERE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD A HARD TIME PUTTING OUT THE FIRE. THEY SAID FIRE WAS SO BAD THEY COULDN'T DETERMINE WHAT STARTED IT OR WHERE IT STARTED FROM. COULDN'T EVEN TELL THERE WAS AN ENGINE IN THE TRUCK. IT BURNT THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONTACTED DEALER, THEY SAID THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO. . AT THIS POINT HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER.*AK

CRUSE CONTROLL BRAKE SWITCH BURNED UP WHILE ATTEMPTING TO BACK CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE. WHEN THIS SWITCH BURNED UP IT CAUSED THE STOP LIGHT FUSE TO ALSO BURN OUT AND AND THIS CAUSES THE SHIFT LEAVER TO LOCK IN THE PARK POSITION. NOW WE HAVE AN ELECTRICAL FIRE AND CAN'T GET THE CAR OUT OF THE GARAGE. A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE HAS HIS OWN SHOP AND HE USED TO A CHIEF MECHCANIC FOR FORD SO I CALLED HIM AND HE CORECTED THE PROBLEM. HE GAVE ME THE PARTS THAT BURNED UP AND TOLD ME TO CALL FORD BECAUSE THEY HAD A RECALL OUT FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THIER 2000 & 2001 MODLES. MY CAR IS A 1997 AND THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT HELP ME. ANY SUGGESTIONS. P.S. I STILL HAVE THE PARTS FROM THE CAR.

DT: CONTACT STATES: A FIRE OCCURRED IN 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. IT BURNT THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH, THE WIRING HARNESS, AND IT MELTED THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR, WHICH COULD LEAD TO THE VEHICLE HAVING NO BRAKES. HE TALKED TO FORD, AND CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. CONTACT BELIEVED THE RECALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN BROADER AND GONE BACK TO EARLIER YEARS.*AK

DT: CONTACT HAD A 1997, FORD, EXPEDITION THAT BURNED ON 4-23-2004. SHE CALLED FORD, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THEY HAD NO PROOF OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT ; SHE HADN'T DRIVEN IT FOR MORE THAT 15 MINUTES WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING THERE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS. THE FIRE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE INSIDE OF THE CAR WAS NOT DAMAGED. *AK

DT:CONSUMER STATED THAT SINCE T SHE BOUGHT VEHICLE IT HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. DEALER TOLD CONSUMER HAD CONSUMER TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A SPECIAL SHOP, THEY WOULD TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. CONSUMER SAID THAT WITHIN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS VEHICLE HAD TWO IGNITION SWITCHES INSTALLEDT HAT CONSUMER DID NOT HAVE TO PAY FOR. VEHICLE HAD SEVERAL OTHER ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. CONSUMER SAID THAT WITHOUT THE KEY IN IGNITION THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS /RADIO CAME ON, AND THE AIR BAG DEPLOYED. SOMETIMESM THE WINDOWS WOULD NOT ROLE BACK UP AFTER BEING ROLLED DOWN. CONSUMER ARRIVED HOME AFTER DRIVING VEHICLE ALL DAY. CONSUMER PARKED AND WENT INSIDE THE HOUSE. ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER, FOUND OUT THAT VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. FIREMEN STATED THEY COULD NOT TELL WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE.*AK

DT: CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE AND PARKED IT OUTSIDE OF HIS HOUSE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES LATER IT WAS IN FLAMES. CONSUMER CONTACTED FORD, AND WAS ADVISED NOT TO MOVE THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING TO SEND SOMEONE TO INSPECT IT. HOWEVER, FORD DID NOT AS OF YET INSPECT VEHICLE, AND CASE WAS CLOSED. VEHICLE IS STILL SITTING IN FRONT OF HOUSE. ACCORDING TO FORD CUSTOMER HOTLINE THE CNN STORY WAS OFF BASE AND NHTSA WAS ALSO OFF BASE.*AK

DT: MY WIFE WAS DRIVING ABOUT 1/2 MILE, CAME HOME AND PARKED THE TRUCK. WITHIN 30 MINUTES THE TRUCK WAS ON FIRE AND BURNED COMPLETELY. CONSUMER PUT OUT THE FIRE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED ON THE SCENE. THE FIRE DEPT CAME OUT TO MAKE SURE THE FIRE WAS COMPLETELY OUT, AND THEY CUT THE HOOD OPEN AND NOTICED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE MASTER CYLINDER AREA. THE TRUCK WAS STILL SITTING IN FRONT OF THE CONSUMER'S HOUSE. *AK *SB