1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

DT: OWNER'S VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY ON THURSDAY FOR ABOUT 5-10 MINUTES. THE OWNER HEARD THE HORN HONKING AND WENT OUTSIDE TO SEE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS IN FLAMES. THE FIRE WAS MORE CONCENTRATED IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE NEAR THE WINDSHIELD IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE OWNER CALLED 911 AND BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GOT THERE THE TRUCK WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE TOOK ABOUT 10 MINUTES TO EXTINGUISH. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. THERE WAS A FIRE INVESTIGATION AND THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR SAID HE KNEW WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE ,AND THAT HE WAS STILL PREPARING THE REPORT. THERE WAS NO POLICE REPORT. THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR SAID THE FIRE WAS CAUSED BY THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THERE WAS DAMAGE TO A POP UP CAMPER THAT WAS LOCATED NEXT TO VEHICLE. ALSO, THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE SIDING ON THE HOUSE AND THE GUTTERS. THERE WAS SOME DAMAGE TO THE LANDSCAPE TIMBERS AND SOME MULCH AND FLOWERS WERE BURNED AS WELL. THE DRIVEWAY WAS FULL OF DEBRIS. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOWING COMPANY. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL COME AND TAKE IT TO THEIR AGENCY STORAGE LOCATION. THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS BEEN CONTACTED, BUT THE OWNER WAS UNAWARE OF WHETHER THE INSURANCE COMPANY WILL CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION. THE OWNER DID NOT HAVE THE ADDRESS, BUT DID HAVE THE DEALER'S IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WHICH WAS LISTED IN DEALER INFORMATION.*AK

ANTI-LOCK BREAK SENSOR WAS REPLACED BECAUSE LSENSOR LIGHT CAME ON REPEATEDLY. DEALER SAID IT WAS FAULTY.

TRUCK WAS AT DEALER FOR MAINTENANCE. FRONT SUSPENSION: STABILIZER LINKS WERE BROKEN OFF COMPLETELY.

DT: CONTACT STATED WHILE WIFE WAS DRIVING A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION A SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT FROM ENGINE. THE CONSUMER STATES WIFE HEARD A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE KEPT RUNNING, BUT IT LOST POWER AND WAS MISFIRING. A CERTIFIED MECHANIC STATED THE NUMBER FOUR SPARK BLEW OUT ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO A DEFECTIVE CYLINDER HEAD. AND STATED THERE IS NOT ENOUGH THREAD ON THE BLOCK TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUG IN. THE CONSUMER STATES THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO HIS VEHICLE BEFORE. THE VEHICLE HAS NOW BEEN REPAIRED BY HAVING METAL JACKETS PUT INTO THE CYLINDERS AND ALSO HAD THE CYLINDERS RETHREADED. THE SERVICE DEALER STATED IT WOULD COST APPROXIMATELY $2,000 TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE.

MY 98 EXPEDITION WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE WHEN MY SON CAME HOME AND OPENED THE GARAGE A SAW SMOKE COMING OUT. I HAD BEEN HOME ABOUT 80 MINS. THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF MY EXP. I QUICKLY STARTED THE VEHICLE TO GET IT OUT OF THE GARAGE AREA, BUT IT WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE - THE BRAKE PRESSURE FUSE HAD BLOWN DUE TO THE WIRE FIRE, SO THE CAR WAS STUCK IN PARK. LUCKILY THE FIRE WENT OUT ON IT'S OWN. PROBLEM WAS THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH SPARKED (SOMEHOW) AND STARTED A SMALL WIRE FIRE UNDER THE HOOD - NEAR THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVIOR. THIS COULD HAVE BURNED MY CAR AND MY HOUSE DOWN !! NORTH CENTRAL FORD (RICHARDSON TX) WOULD NOT FIX THE PROBLEM AT NO CHARGE, BECAUSE "ONLY THE 2000 MODELS HAD A RECALL" !! THEY DID ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE 1997 TO 2001 MODELS ARE CURRENTLY BEING "INVESTIGATED" BY FORD ENGINEERS AND THE NHTSA FOR THE SAME FIRE PROBLEM THAT I HAD. MY MECHANIC (NOT A FORD DEALER) DISCONNECTED THE WIRE HARNESS SO NOW THE FUSE WON'T BLOW AND I CAN DRIVE THE VEHICLE. I WILL HAVE MY MECHANIC FIX THE PROBLEM TOMORROW. *NM

DT: 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE MAKING A TURN. CONSUMER WILL TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS CHECKED. ALSO, STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS CHECKED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. *AK

MY WIFE AND I WERE GOING DOWN TO SO. CALIF. WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD POP. I CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND THAT THE SECOND SPARK PLUG BACK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE HAD BLOWN OUT. WE HAD TO SET OUT IN THE DESERT FOR 4 HOURS BEFORE WE COULD BE TOWED. THE FORD DEALER IN CARSON CITY, NEVADA TOLD US THAT THIS A COMMON PROBLEM AND FORD WOULD NOT COVER THESE REPAIRS. WHAT IS GOING ON HERE, WHERE IS THE RECALL, FORD SHOULD HAVE TO REPLACE ALL OF THESE DEFECTIVE PARTS AT THEIR EXPENCE, THEY ARE THE ONES MADE THE DEFECTIVE PARTS.

WHEN IT RAINS WATER LEAKS ONTO THE GEM MODULE AND FUSE BOX UNDER THE DASHBOARD LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. SOME OF THE EFFECTS ARE, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPING, TRANSMISSION GOING INTO LIMP MODE WITH OD LIGHT FLASHING, BATTERY GOING DEAD IF RAINING OVERNIGHT, SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING, HEATER FAN RUNNING WHILE OFF, LEFT FRONT POWER WINDOW NOT WORKING, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING ON AND OFF. EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO NORMAL AFTER IT DRIES OUT. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED. I HAD THE NEW WINDSHIELD RESEALED TWICE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. I STILL CAN SEE WATER DRIPPING NEXT TO THE PARKING BRAKE. I HAVE BROWSED THE NET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH EXPEDITIONS AND F150'S. I WOULD LIKE FORD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REPAIR THIS DEFECT.

DT JUNE 4TH, 2005 THE VEHICLE BURNED TO THE GROUND. THE FIRE DEPT CAME OUT AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. TWO INVESTIGATORS CAME OUT AND SAID THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. THE DECK BURNED ON THE SIDE OF THE HOUSE AND IT ALSO BURNED A TREE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR 3 DAYS BEFORE IT CAUGHT FIRE. *JB

1998 FORD EXPEDITION. ON JULY 1, 2005 CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH BURNED AND MELTED RENDERING VEHICLE INOPERABLE (TEMPORARILY). THREE CHILDREN NEEDED TO BE "EVACUATED" IN TEARS AS SMOKE BILLOWED FROM UNDER THE HOOD. ALTOUGH A KNOWN ISSUE TO FORD, BECAUSE THEIR CURRENT RECALL IS 2000 YEAR ONLY THEY OFFERED NO (YES NO) ASSISTANCE FOR REPAIR (ONLY ASKING THAT THE DEFECTIVE PART(S) BE REPLACED - NOT ANY OTHER SUBSEQUENT DAMAGES. THERE WERE NONE OTHER THAN THE SMOKE). THOUGHT YOU MAY LIKE TO HERE ABOUT IT. THANKS, DAVID