1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

WET CONDITIONS CAUSE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS ON MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. WAS TRAVELING ON 01-10-05 ON SNOW PACKED ROADS WITH 4X4 ACTIVATED. FOUR WHELL DRIVE CLUSTER ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT VERY AKWARDLY. TOOK CAR OUT OF 4X4 AND SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NEXT OCCURANCE WAS ON 01-21-05, TRAVELING ON WET ROADS. TURNED OFF VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT AND INTERIOR LIGHTING AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD DRIED OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AGAIN. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS ON 01-29-05, ONCE AGAIN WET ROAD CONDITIONS. PARKED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT WENT OUT TO START THE NEXT DAY AND HEATER BLOWER WAS STILL RUNNING WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. VEHILCLE HAD DEAD BATTERY, JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF, AS WELL AS THE RUNNING BOARDS. HEATER BLOWER WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED ENOUGH AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. IT FELT AT ONE POINT THAT IT HAD SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AS THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME HAD TO SUDDENLY BRAKE. MANAGED TO GET THE CAR HOME SAFELY. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE EXPEDITIONS OF ANY YEAR. I AM HAVING THE CAR SERVICED TOMARROW TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. HOPEFULLY THIS CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT THE MORE I LOOK INTO IT OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLES IN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT CAN BE CORRECTED. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *AK

MY HUSBAND WENT OUT TO START VEHICLE. HE HEARD A POP. TURNED OFF THE TRUCK. SAW THAT THE COIL AND PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. HAD IT TOWED TO FORD DEALER WHO SAID ALL THEY COULD DO IS CHARGE ME $2700 TO REPLACE THE HEAD THAT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT. I'VE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE SIMILAR TO MY PROBLEM AND YES, IT SHOULD BE A MANDITORY RECALL. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD. ALSO TALKED WITH FORD COMPANY WHO ACTED LIKE THEY HAD NEVER HEARD THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE. FORD DEALER HAS WORKED ON TRUCK EACH TIME IT NEEDED REPAIR. BUYING A CHEVROLET.*AK

1997 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR FIRE CAUSED BY CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH. *TT *NM

I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE ON SATURDAY JULY 17, 2004. HE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN IT WAS PARK IN THE PARKING LOT IN MY OFFICE. I HAVEN'T START THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT.*AK THE FIRES HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR IS NOT IN USE AND THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. I TRIED TO DO SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FIND NOTHING RELATE TO THE PROBLEM. I STILL HAVE THE CAR PARKING IN THE BACK PARKING LOT, THE WHOLE CAR WAS TOTAL. HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE PARKING AND STOP THE FIRE, THE CASE NUMBER IS 040865BV BY R.L SCOTT HOUSTON ARSON INVESTIGATOR AND HIS NUMBER IS 713 865 9018.

PARKING BRAKE ON 1997 EXPEDITION FALL TO PIECES, REPLACED BOTH E-BRAKE ASSEMBLIES. *BF THE CONSUMER STARTED USING THE PARKING BRAKE SINCE HIS DRIVEWAY CONTAINED A SLOP, UNTIL ONE DAY WHEN HE BACKED OF OUT OF A PARKING SPOT, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE FUNNY NOISES. THE NEXT DAY THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO MAKE GRINDING NOISES AND STARTED TO VIBRATE BADLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED BY THE DEALER THAT IT WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM, BUT FORD WOULD NOT FIX IT FOR FREE. THE STARTER WAS REPLACED. *JB

FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR 6-8 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM

PARKED VEHICLE AT 12 PM AT AROUND 5 PM THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE LOW WASHER FLUID LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON. THEN THE LIGHT CLUSTER FOR THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE FLASHED A FEW TIMES. THE DAY OF FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 14 MILES. THE SAMES LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND THEN THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING. TOOK IT TO LOCAL GAS STATION AND THEY SAID PROBABLY A LOOSE WIRE. CAR STARTED IT SELF AND THE STARTER MOTOR KEPT TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE ON ITS OWN. POPPED HOOD AND SAW LOTS OF SPARKING AND POPPING. SO VIDEO TAPED IT AS IT HAPPENED. FIRE SEEMED TO COME FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. DID NOT USE CRUISE CONTROL AND SO DO NOT KNOW IF WORKED.

RECALL CAMPAIGN: NHTSA CAMPAIGN 97V171000/ TRANSMISSION CABLE ASSEMBLY. VEHICLE WILL NOT ALLOW DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE PARK POSITION OR IT WILL EFFECT THE PROPER NEUTRAL START SWITCH OPERATION. OWNER CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE SERVICE ON THIS VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY A FORD DEALER IN INDIANA. HOWEVER, AS PER THE CURRENT OWNER, THIS PROBLEM IS STILL OCCURRING. PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS. *NM

CHANGED LANES AT SPEED OF APROX 35 MPH RIGHT REAR AXLE OF VEHICLE BROKE OFF AT AXLE END BY WHEEL CAUSING DAMAGE TO WHEEL, TIRE AND BACKING PLATE. REPLACED ALL PARTS AND OLD PARTS ARE AVAILABLE AT MY HOME . *AK

RECALL 98V095 FOR WHEEL LUG NUTS PROBLEMS ON 1997 EXPEDITION. *BF WHILE DRIVING ONE OF THE VEHICLE'S WHEELS CAME OFF THE TRUCK. WHEN THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE HE NOTICED THAT ALL THE LUG NUTS HAD BROKEN OFF. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A GARAGE WHERE THEY DETERMINED THAT THE TRUCK HAD THE WRONG LUG NUTS ON IT. THE CONSUMER WAS THEN TOLD THAT THE YEAR BEFORE A RECALL WAS ISSUED AND THE LUG NUTS HAD BEEN CHANGED. *NM