1999 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

IN FEB OF 2005 MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION WITH THE 5.4 V-8 BLEW THE PASSENGER SIDE 3RD SPARK PLUG RIGHT OUT OF THE HEAD. THE CAR HAD APOX. 95,000 MILES ON IT AND FORD SAID WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER IT. IT WOULD TAKE 3,500 $ TO FIX. SO I TOWED IT AWAY FROM GRASS VALLLEY FORD, A DECIDED TO HAVE A MECANIC FUP A HELI COIL. THAT LASTED LITTLE OVER A YEAR AND IN JUNE OF 2006 THE SAME PLUG SHOT OUT. I THINK THIS IS FORDS PROBLEM AND NEEDS TO BE DEALED WITH.

1999 FORD EXPEDITION BOUGHT BRAND NEW AT SERRAMONTE FORD IN COLMA CA. SERVICED IN STRICT ACCORDANCE EVERY 5000 MILES PER FORD OWNER MANUAL AND AT THE SAME FORD DEALERSHIP EXCLUSIVELY. LOST ENGINE, TIMING CHAIN AT 55,000 MILES, LOST TRANSMISSION AT 130000 MILES. *JB

WHILE DRIVING A LOUD "POP" WAS HEARD FOLLOWED BY AN EXHAUST-TYPE SOUND EMANATING FROM ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN 4 BLOCKS TO OUR HOME WHERE INSPECTION REVEALED THE BLOWN PLUG. *JB

FOR THE SECOND TIME IN 6 MONTHS I HAD AN ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN MY 1999 EXPEDITION. THE SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND WAS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE. I HEARD A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND. I ALSO LOST SOME POWER WHILE DRIVING, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL. I DID SMELL GAS WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. I WAS ABLE TO SLOWLY DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO THE REPAIR SHOP. *JB

APPROXIMATELY AT 8 AM, MY WIFE WAS DRIVING TO WORK WHEN SHE HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDER THE HOOD OF THE CAR. SHE WAS DRIVING A 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING A VERY LOUD POPPING NOISE. AFTER ARRIVING AND STARTING THE CAR TO HEAR WHAT WAS GOING ON, I KNEW WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. 5 YEARS AGO I DROVE A 1999 F250 FORD WITH A V10 AND IT DID THE SAME THING. THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP AGREED A SPARK PLUG HAD BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE ON THE EXPEDITION ON THE #3 CYLINDER. THEY REPAIRED IT BY PUTTING A PLUG INSERT (HELI-COIL) IN. THEY PUT THE INSERT IN WHILE THE HEAD WAS STILL ON THE VEHICLE. NOW THREE WEEKS LATER THE RODS ON #3 AND #7 PISTONS ARE BENT AND THE VEHICLE IS INOPERABLE. THE DEALERSHIP ONLY OPTION TO US WAS TO REPLACE THE ENGINE AT A COST OF NEARLY $4,500. *JB

REAR AIR BAG SUSPENSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS ALMOST ON THE GROUND AND THE GAS TANK WAS BELOW THE VEHICLE'S RIM. *NM

1999 FORD EXPEDITION 5.4 LITER V8 EDDIE BAUER - VEHICLE ODOMETER BEGAN TO FAIL INTERMITTENTLY, THEN RADIO, THEN RANDOM DASH LIGHTS, I.E. 4X4 - EVEN AFTER CAR TURNED OFF. ALL OF THE ABOVE AND THEN SOME WENT HAYWIRE AND CAR STALLED OUT. GOT TO SAFE PLACE W/OUT POWER STEERING, BRAKES, ETC. TOOK TO MECHANIC AND HAD ALTERNATOR REPLACED. AFTER 3 DAYS SAME EVENT OCCURRED. MECHANIC REPLACED ALTERNATOR AGAIN AND BATTERY - SAID BATTERY WAS PROBLEM NOW. AFTER 3 DAYS EVENT HAS BEGUN TO RECUR. CO-WORKER HAS 2000 MODEL AND IS EXPERIENCING SAME PROBLEMS. NO INFO ON RECALL BUT INTERNET REVEALS SEVERAL SIMILAR COMPLAINTS. *NM

LAST THURSDAY MY BRAKES FAILED DUE TO A RUPTURE IN THE HYDRAULIC FLUID STEEL TUBING. THE VEHICLE IS A HEAVY SUV, AND BEING AN ACTIVE SAILOR, I USE THE VEHICLE TO TOW BOAT TRAILERS. WE HAD JUST HOOKED UP A LOADED BOAT TRAILER, AND AS I GOT BACK INTO THE CAR, I NOTED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. WE PROCEEDED ABOUT 300 YARDS ON A LEVEL SIDE ROAD AND TESTED THE BRAKES WITH THE SAME RESULT. WE NOTED A LOT OF BRAKE FLUID UNDER THE CAR. WE HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO NEWPORT FORD IN MIDDLETOWN, RHODE ISLAND. THEY SHOWED ME THE RUPTURE SITE, AND THE RUST OVER THE ENTIRE SYSTEM OF STEEL TUBING. THEY INDICATED THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TUBING TO ALL FOUR (4)WHEELS, FOR A COST OF OVER $700. THEY ALSO INDICATED TO ME THAT THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IS QUITE COMMON. THE DEALERSHIP HANDLES ABOUT 2-3 INCIDENTS PER MONTH. I ASKED WHY THE TUBING WAS NOT COPPER, AND THEY INDICATED THAT MANY AMERICAN CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE SWITCHED FROM COPPER TO STEEL. WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE TRIP, FOR IF IT HAD HAPPEN GOING DOWN A MAJOR HILL IN THE CENTER OF NEWPORT, THERE COULD HAVE BEEN GRAVE CONSEQUENCES. I HAVE TWO COMMENTS. ONE IS THAT IF THIS FAILURE IS AS COMMON AS I WAS TOLD, I WOULD HOPE THERE WOULD BE A MAJOR POLICY CHANGE AND A RECALL. CARS OFTEN RECALLED, FOR RATHER MINOR ISSUES, AND I THINK THIS IS MUCH MORE SERIOUS. *JB

I BOUGHT A USED 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. I OWNED IT FOR LESS THAN 30 DAYS BEFORE THE FIRST SPARK PLUG EJECTED. AFTER HAVING THE DEALER FIX IT THE PROBLEM IT HAPPENED AGAIN IN LESS THAN 30 DAYS. I HAD TO SPEND 1000 TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED HOME FROM NY, THE PRICE OF THE RENTAL CAR AND ANOTHER 3500 TO GET A NEW HEAD. NOT TO MENTION THE 500 I PAID THE DEALER TO FIX THE CAR. *JB

I AM A SCHOOL TEACHER THAT DRIVES A 1999 EXPEDITION V8. I WAS ON MY WAY TO SCHOOL TWO WEEKS AGO AND HEARD A LOUD BANG COME FROM UNDER MY HOOD. IT THEN STARTED TO SOUND LIKE A JOHN DEER TRACTOR. I HAD MY SPARK PLUGS REPLACED LAST YEAR AND THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE THE SAME AGAIN. I TOOK IT TO THE SAME MECHANIC THAT REPLACED SPARK PLUGS LAST YEAR AND TOLD ME THAT THE PLUG BLEW MY THREAD OUT AND THAT IT MIGHT NEED SOME SERIOUS ENGINE REPAIRS BECAUSE OF IT. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THESE FORD VEHICLES. APPARENTLY IT IS GOING TO COST ME 3,000 TO FIX. I AM A TEACHER AND FIND IT RIDICULOUS TO HAVE TO PAY FOR THIS WHEN THERE HAS BEEN SO MANY COMPLAINTS OVER THE SAME ENGINEERING PROBLEM! FORD NEEDS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. AFTER SEEING SO MANY COMPLAINTS ONLINE, IT REALLY MAKES ME UPSET AND FEEL EMOTIONAL STRESS. THE NEED TO RECALL THESE ALUMINUM ENGINES. *JB