1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

INTERIOR AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS COME ON AND STAY ON, FROM 10 MINUTES TO OVER 1 HOUR. VARIES. INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. SEEMS TO HAPPEN MORE IN WET WEATHER. A REAL HAZARD AS DRIVING AT NIGHT WITH INTERIOR LIGHTS ON IS DANGEROUS. THEY MIGHT TIME OUT AFTER A FEW MINUTES OR IT MAY TAKE AN HOUR OR MORE, YOU NEVER KNOW. FORD SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS REGARDLESS OF WARRANTY AS IT IS VERY OBVIOUSLY A DEFECT ON THEIR PART. THIS HAS HAPPENED THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THIS VEHICLE AND CONTINUES TO OCCUR. *JB

PROBLEM WITH GEAR SHIFT ON 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. THE PROBLEM IS A "STICKING" SHIFTER THAT WON'T ALLOW THE VEHICLE TO PLACED IN PARK. THEREFORE, THE VEHICLE CAN'T BE PROPERLY SECURED AND/OR RESTARTED SINCE THE VEHICLE CAN'T BE SHIFTED TO THE START POSTION. THE INDICATOR INDICATES "P" FOR PARK BUT THE TRANSMISSION IS STILL IN REVERSE. VEHICLE MUST BE SHIFTED TO NEUTRAL FOR STARTING GIVING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR POTENTIAL ROLL OFFS. COULD BE RELATED TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN # 97V-171NSA-111 ALTHOUGH LOCAL DEALER STATES MY VEHICLE ID DOESN'T FALL UNDER THIS RECALL. LOCAL CERTIFED MECHANIC STATES THE PROBLEM IS IN THE ACTUAL CABLE THAT BE THE RESULT OF VEHICLE RECALL DEFECT. HE HAS PERSONNALLY FIXED 3-5 OF THESE DEFECTS WITHIN THE LAST 3 MONTHS IN A SMALL RURAL SHOP.*AK

MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION XLT REAR AIR SUSPENSION AT TIMES WILL "LOWER" TO AN EXTREMELY SHALLOW HEIGHT. THIS IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR OVERNIGHT; ALTHOUGH IT DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IN FACT, IT HAS BEEN KNOWN TO OCCUR AFTER THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN SITTING FOR AS LITTLE AS AN HOUR AND A HALF. ON OTHER OCCASIONS, THE VEHICLE DOES NOT APPEAR TO LOWER AT ALL, EVEN AFTER SITTING OVERNIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP CANNOT SEEM TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. ANOTHER MECHANIC BELIEVES THAT THE PROBLEM IS WITH EITHER THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTER SYSTEM, WHICH APPEARS TO BE SIGNALING THE VALVES ON THE AIR BAGS TO RELEASE AIR BUT NOT SIGNALING THE VALVES TO CLOSE AT THE PROPER POINT. HE FURTHER SUGGESTED (EITHER ALTERNATIVELY OR PERHAPS ADDITIONALLY) THAT THE PROBLEM MIGHT LIE WITH THE AIR COMPRESSOR WHICH IS NOT PROPERLY REGULATING THE RELEASE OF AIR FROM THESE VALVES. HE DISCOUNTED ANY SUSPICION THAT THIS WAS ANY TYPE OF A LEAK IN EITHER THE AIR BAGS OR AIR LINES, SINCE NO LEAK HAD BEEN DETECTED BY THE DEALERSHIP AND SINCE THE VEHICLE DID NOT REGULARLY LOWER AFTER EXTENDED PERIODS OF IDLE TIME. *LA

WHILE IN THE VEHICLE THE CONSUMER COULD NOT OPEN THE REAR DOORS FROM THE INSIDE ALTHOUGH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCKS WERE NOT ENGAGED. THE DEALERSHIP HAD BEEN NOTIFIED. *NLM BOTH OF THE REAR DOORS COULD BE LOCKED FROM THE INSIDE WITHOUT THE CHILD LOCK BEING MANUALLY ENGAGED. THE REAR DOORS WERE OPENED WITH NORMAL USE AND WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. *SCC *JB

CONSUMER STATED THAT STEERING MADE A CLICKING SOUND,AND HEADLIGHTS MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, HIGH BEAM LIGHTS DID NOT WORK UNLESS CONSUMER HELD THEM . CONSUMER WILL BE TAKING VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR IT TO BE CHECKED OUT.*AK

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE. WAS HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR HAD SNAPPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 40 MPH, THE DRIVER APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC AND THE MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE STEEL LINE RUSTED AND WAS ALLOWING BRAKE FLUID TO LEAK. *AK THE FIRST INCIDENT,THE BRAKE LINE FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER RUSTED THROUGH AND THEN ON THE THIRD OCCASION THE POWER STEERING LINE FROM PUMP TO RESERVOIR RUSTED THROUGH. *SCC *JB

WHILE PARKED AND IDLING, THE VEHICLE WAS IMPACTED ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAGS EXPLODED UPON IMPACT. AS A RESULT, THE DRIVER SUSTAINED NECK BURNS, COLLAR BONE/ RIB INJURIES.*AK *CB *JB

VEHICLE WAS IDLING IN PARK ON A SLIGHT INCLINE WHEN SUDDENLY VEHICLE JUMPED IN DRIVE AND ROLLED DOWN AN EMBANKMENT. THE VEHICLE COLLIDED WITH SEVERAL TREES, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO BE TOTALED. PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT ON AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT, NOR WAS THERE ANY ONE IN THE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE TRYING TO PARK LOST POWER STEERING . DEALER REPLACED PITMAN ARM/STEERING ASSEMBLY/ INTERMEDIATE ARM/POWER STEERING GEAR BOX, AND RACK AND PINION. *AK