1999 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

SPARK PLUG (BELIEVE IT WAS #4) BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. 66K MILES. THESE WERE ORIGINAL PLUGS, SO NOT ATTRIBUTABLE TO FAULTY MECHANIC. HEAD RE-THREADED, NEW PLUG INSERTED.

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE BEEPING NOISE LIKE AN ALARM STARTED TO SOUND. THEN THE RADIO, THE LIGHT SAYING THE WASHER FLUID AND THE 4X4 START FLASHING ON AND OFF WHEN CAR IS SHIFTED INTO PARK IT STOPS. ALSO ON AN OCCASION THE HEATER WAS RUNNING THE CAR WAS TURNED OFF KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION. HAD TO RESTART THE CAR TO GET THE HEATER TO STOP.

EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR SNOWS, SEVERAL FUNCTIONS CONTROLLED BY MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM BEGIN TO FUNCTION IRRATICALLY. AS AN EXAMPLE, WHILE DRIVING IN THE RAIN, THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS DO NOT FUNCTION CONTINUOUSLY. IN ADDITION, IF THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN THE RAIN, SEVERAL FUNCTIONS COME ON AUTOMATICALLY AND THE BATTERY INEVITABLY DIES. I'VE HAD TO REPLACE A BATTERY AND I WOULD LIKE FOR FORD TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND REPAIR THE PROBLEM BEFORE I SINK ANYMORE MONEY INTO IT. IT APPEARS THAT OTHERS HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AND IT HAS BEEN LINKED TO A LEAKY WINDSHIELD AND THE GEM MODULE OF THE VEHICLE. A RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR EXPLORERS AND MOUNTAINEERS WITH THIS PROBLEM, BUT TO DATE, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT THE EXPEDITION.

MY FORD EXPEDITION BLOW A SPARK PLUG AND KNOW REQUIRES A HEAD REPLACEMENT (OVER $2500) TALKED WITH FORD DEALERSHIP AND THEY INDICATED THAT THEY SEE AT LEAST ONE FORD A MONTH WITH THIS PROBLEM.

(1) 1999 FORD EXPEDITION WOULD NOT START, DEAD BATTERY. REPLACED BATTERY, DETERMINED ALL ELECTONIC COMPONENTS SHORTING OUT AND INOPERABLE: HEADLIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, AND INTERIOR LIGHTS GOES ON AND OFF, WIPERS WORK ONLY INTERMITTENTLY.*AK (2) VEHICLE TAKEN TO LOCAL FORD REPAIR FACILITY. DEALERSHIP WAS IMMEDIETLY FAMILLIAR WITH PROBLEM. FAILURE ATTRIBUITED TO LEAKING WINDSHIED AND SUBSEQUENT WATER LEAKAGE ON VEHICLE GEM (GENERAL ELECRONIC MODULE) AND FUSEBLOCK (3) REPAIRS CONSISTED OF REPLACING WINSHIELD, REPACING GEM MODULE WITH IMPROVED WATER RESISTANT VARIATION (RESULT OF TSB), REPLACED FUSEBLOCK, REPLACED STARTER MOTOR. PROBLEMS WITH SOME ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS PERSIST AFTER REPAIR. (4) RESULING $1,650.00 REPAIR BILL FOR 5 YEAR OLD, 70K MILE GARAGE KEPT VEHICLE DUE TO BEING LEFT IN THE RAIN FOR TWO DAYS.

CONSUMER'S 1999 FORD EXPEDITION (VIN 1FMRU176XLA50584) CAUGHT ON FIRE DUE TO A VEHICLE DEFECT. REQUEST THAT THE SCOPE OF THE FORD RECALL FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH BE EXPANDED. *NM LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CONSUMER, ALSO SEE ODI#10115516. *JB

AFTER VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR 3 HOURS A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK

NORMAL DRIVING, SHAKING STEERING WHEEL, WHICH LEAD TO A BROKEN WHEEL STUD AFTER IT WAS ALREADY FIXED IN ANOTHER RECALL. NO INJURIES, WAS CAUGHT BEFORE ANY DAMAGE WAS DONE. *AK

I RECEIVED AN UNUSUAL SAFETY BULLETIN FROM FORD WITH A DISCRIPTION OF HOW MECHANICS SHOULD INSPECT BALL JOINTS (STEERING LINKAGE). I SAID TO MYSELF THEN, WHEN I HAVE THIS INSPECTION PERFORMED, THE CAR WILL HAVE DEFECTIVE PARTS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I WAS RIGHT. $594.45 FOR BALL JOINT REPLACEMENTS AT 47,271 MILES! BALL JOINTS SHOULD LAST 100,000 MILES OR MORE. I BELIEVE FORD SHOULD REPLACE FOR FREE SINCE THEY INSTALLED DEFECTIVE PARTS ON NEW VEHICLES. DEFECTIVE STEERING LINKAGE IS A CRITICAL SAFETY ISSUE. I WOULD SUGGEST THEY DO A RECALL. THANK YOU.*AK

WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING SPOT IN SHOPPING CENTER WHEN THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE OF THE CAR COLLAPSED TO THE GROUND. BEFORE PULLING INTO THE SHOPPING CENTER HAD BEEN ON THE MAJOR HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR. THE CAR WAS STUCK IN MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC AT SHOPPING CENTER UNTIL A TOW TRUCK COULD COME AND TOW THE CAR AWAY TO CAUSEWAY FORD IN MANAHAWKIN NEW JERSEY. UPPER AND LOWER BALL JOINTS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON SIDE OF CAR THAT COLLAPSED AND ON THE OTHER SIDE WHEN DEALERSHIP STATED THAT THE OTHER SIDE WAS BAD ALSO. ALSO NEED WHEEL ALIGNMENT CAM ADJUSTERS AND SPINDLE CLIP REPLACED AND FOUND INNER TIE ROD FAILED ON DRIVER SIDE. OLD PARTS WOULD BE AT CAUSEWAY FORD IN MANAHAWKIN, NJ.*AK