1999 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

DT: 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. HE CONTACTED FORD ,AND THEY STATED THIS WAS STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. THIS HAPPENED ON SEPTEMBER 12, 2005. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED ABOUT AN HOUR BEFORE HE WAS INFORMED IT WAS ON FIRE. THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THIS. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TOTALED. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN INSPECTED TO SEE WHY THE FIRE STARTED. FORD STATED THEY WILL EXAMINE THE VEHICLE AT THE WRECKING YARD WHERE IT WAS LOCATED. THERE WERE TWO FIRE REPORTS, ONE BY THE CASINO WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS LOCATED, AND ONE BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. *AK

THE AIR SUSPENSION SYSTEM. THIS IS THE SECOND 1999 EXPEDITION THAT I HAVE OWNED AND THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED TO BOTH AND I AM UNABLE TO GET ANY HELP FROM ANYBODY AS TO WHY THIS HAS HAPPENED AGAIN. ON BOTH VEHICLES THE AIR SUSPENSION STOPPED WORKING IN THE REAR SECTION CAUSING THE VEHICLE NOT TO LIFT UP AND MAKING THE VEHICLE BOUNCE ALL ACROSS THE ROAD IF YOU TRY TO DRIVE IT. IT DOES NOT RAISE BACK UP AT ALL AND THUS MAKING THE VEHICLE NOT ABLE TO BE DRIVEN. I WANT TO KNOW AM I THE ONLY ONE THAT IS HAVING THIS ISSUE AND ALSO WHY WITH TWO OF THE SAME MODEL VEHICLES THAT I HAVE OWNED? IS THIS A DEFECT? EVERYONE THAT I HAVE TALKED TO SAYS THAT THIS IS A VERY COSTLY FIX, MAYBE RANGING FROM $600 PLUS. AND I ALMOST FEEL AS THOUGH I AM BEING ROBBED BY HAVING TO FIX THE SAME PROBLEM THAT I HAD WITH THE FIRST 1999 EXPEDITION THAT I OWNED.... PLEASE HELP. *JB

WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY FAMILY MY 6 YEAR OLD FORD EXPEDITION BLEW A SPARK PLUG RIGHT OUT OF THE HEAD. IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THIS IS AN ON GOING PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. WE HAD BEEN DRIVING FOR ABOUT 5 HOURS COMING HOME FROM A FAMILY VACATION WHEN THIS OCCURRED IN NEW JERSEY. WE WERE LUCKY IN THIS CASE BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT ACROSS THE HIGHWAY AND OFF THE ROAD. THE PROBLEM COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE HEAD ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE ENGINE AND THE VEHICLE WAS UNUSABLE FOR OVER TWO WEEKS WHILE THE LOCAL FORD DEALER WORKED ON THE PROBLEM. THAT HEAD HAD TO BE REPLACED AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PARTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN WITH THE HEAD ON THE RIGHT SIDE. BETWEEN THE REPAIRS TO THE ENGINE AND THE RENTAL CAR FOR THE TIME OF REPAIR, THIS WAS A VERY EXPENSIVE (5000 $) PROBLEM. WHICH I STATED EARLIER APPEARS TO BE AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH THIS MOTOR. *JB

IN JUNE OF 2004, THE SUNROOF OF OUR 1999 FORD EXPEDITION STOPPED WORKING. WE HAD TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRACK AND MOTOR. NOW, JUST OVER A YEAR LATER, THE SUNROOF HAS STOPPED WORKING. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REPLACE THE ENTIRE TRACK AGAIN. OF COURSE, THE WARRANTY IS NO LONGER GOOD. *JB

ONE SPARK PLUG ON MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION EXPLODED AND BURST THROUGH THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. MY WIFE WAS PICKING UP MY CHILD AT SCHOOL. SHE PARKED THE VEHICLE, SHUT IT OFF AND MINUTES LATER RETURNED. AS SHE WAS STARTING THE EXPEDITION BOTH HER AND MY DAUGHTER HEARD A VERY LARGE EXPLOSION FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO RUN AND A CONSTANT POPPING SOUND COULD BE HEARD. SHE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE ENGINE AND NOTICED A VERY STRONG GAS/EXHAUST TYPE SMELL. SHE CALLED ME AND I ARRIVED TO CHECK THE VEHICLE OUT. I INSPECTED ALL THE FLUID LEVELS AND FUSES AND THEY WERE FINE. I BRIEFLY STARTED THE ENGINE WITH THE HOOD OPEN TO HELP NARROW THE LOCATION OF THE SOUND. THE SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. I STARTED INSPECTING THIS AREA AND FOUND THAT THE THIRD SPARK PLUG FROM THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE HAD BEEN COMPLETELY BLOWN OUT OF THE HEAD OF THE ENGINE. IT IS VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT. MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER WERE BOTH VERY STARTLED BY THE LOUD EXPLOSION AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THIS HAD OCCURRED ON THE ROAD AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. I BELIEVE THAT AN ACCIDENT WOULD HAVE RESULTED. I HAVE SINCE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE AND HAVE LEARNED THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS ON FORD VEHICLES AND HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE NHTSA. I WOULD LIKE TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT AND FIND OUT WHAT THE NHTSA IS DOING ABOUT THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE. THE DESIGN ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR SPARK PLUG/ENGINE HEAD COMBINATION IS WELL KNOWN IN AUTOMOTIVE CIRCLES. WHAT IS THE NHTSA DOING ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR MY CONCERNS, AND TO REITERATE I BELIEVE THAT THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN AN ACCIDENT IF THIS EVENT HAD HAPPENED ON THE ROAD AT ANY RATE OF HIGH SPEED. *JB

THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD FLICKER ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE WINDSHEILD WIPERS WOULD TURN ON AND OFF INTERMITTENTLY. THE RADIO WOULD TURN ON AND OFF WITHOUT ANYBODY TOUCHING THE CONTROLS. TRUCK SWITCHES INTO 4X4 MODE WHEN DRIVEN THRU CAR WASH. I COULD HAVE NEGLECTED TO FIX THE PROBLEM, BUT, DECIDED TO HAVE NECESSARY REPAIRS DONE TO THE 1999 FORD EXPEDITION AT A COST OF ALMOST $2000 TO ME..... MY EXTENDED WARRANTY DID NOT COVER THE NECESSARY REPAIRS.......AND FORD (THE MANUFACTURER), WOULD NOT HELP EITHER. I HAD 2" GEM MODULES" REPLACED IN THIS VEHICLE WITHIN 1 AND 2 YEARS. THE SECOND TIME FORD/FORD DEALER REPLACED THE GEM MODULE. THE VEHICLE STILL SWITCHES INTO 4X4 AFTER GOING THROUGH A "DRIVE THRU" CAR WASH......WATER MUST BE CAUSING AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM SOMEWHERE UNDERNEATH THE TRUCK??????? THE FIRST GEM MODULE IS AVAILABLE----I PAID FOR IT, SO I KEPT IT.....BROOKDALKE FORD (DEALERSHIP), SAID THERE WAS WATER DAMAGE TO THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD WHICH IS WHAT THE GEM MODULE IS MADE UP OF.......THERE IS NO VISIBLE WATER DAMAGE TO THIS PART. I WORK FOR AN ELECTRONICS MANUFACTURER......AND A FEW OF OUR TECHNICIANS AGREED ---NO WATER DAMAGE.......IT'S A DESIGN PROBLEM BY THE MANUFACTURER OR THE DESIGNER....... THANK YOU, DELANO MAUDAL 3082 HIGHCREST ROAD ROSEVILLE, MN 55113

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE BRAKES FAILED AND THE VEHICLE LOST ALL BRAKING POWER AND THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC, AND HE STATED THAT BRAKE LINES CORRODED. THEY CORRODED IN THE BOX FRAME UNDER THE DRIVER'S DOOR AND THE BRAKLINE BROKE ALLOWING ALL OF THE BRAKING FLUID RUN OUT. THIS HAPPENED ON JUNE 19, 2005. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND NO CRASH. THIS WAS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON A LEVEL ROAD AND ONLY GOING 25 MPH. *AK *SC

DT: VEHICLE WAS PARKED TO THE SIDE OF CONSUMER'S HOUSE AFTER 10 MINUTES CONSUMER'S HUSBAND HEARD THE FAN SHUT OFF, WENT OUTSIDE TO LOOK AND THE CAR WAS IN FLAMES. *AK

THE 1999 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED THE ENTIRE CAR AND GARAGE IT WAS STORED IN. THE FIRE INVESTIGATION REPORTS THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FUSE PANEL. *JB *SC

1) NOTICED IN MID MAY THAT THE CRUISE CONTROL ON MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION STOPPED WORKING. NO OTHER PERFORMANCE ISSUES WERE NOTICED AND SINCE IT WAS NOT CRITICAL IT WAS NOT REPAIRED AT THAT TIME. 2) ON JULY 27, 2005 THE 1999 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE AND BURNED. THE FIRE CHIEF ON SITE INDICATED THAT THE FIRE STARTED IN THE AREA OF THE MASTER CYLINDER, WHERE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH IS LOCATED. 3) MY INSURANCE COMPANY, USAA IS IN THE PROCESS OF INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE AND I AM AWAITING INFORMATION FROM THEM. I HAVE NOT CONTACTED FORD AT THIS TIME. *NM