2001 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

CERTIFIED LTR REQUESTING NHTSA INITIATE A DEFECT INVESTIGATION RE SELECTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY VEHICLES LEFT FRONT INNER BEARINGS FOR ADVANCED FATIGUE CRACKS. *TS COMPLAINANT WAS RECENTLY ASKED TO CONSULT IN THE MATTER OF A FATAL HIGH SPEED HEAD ON TWO-VEHICLE COLLISION. WHILE DRIVING WESTBOUND 2001 FORD EXPEDITION VEERED INTO THE ONCOMING LANE AND STRUCK AN EASTBOUND 2000 FORD F250 LONG BED TRUCK TOWING A 5TH WHEEL TRAVEL TRAILER. THE RESULTING COLLISION KILLED THE THREE OCCUPANTS IN THE 2001 EXPEDITION AND THE TWO OCCUPANTS IN THE 2000 FORD F250 PICKUP TRUCK. METALLURGICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE LEFT FRONT INNER BEARING FAILED ON THE EXPLORER AS A RESULT OF PROGRESSIVE FATIGUE. THE BEARING FAILURE OCCURRED AT APPROXIMATELY 30,000 MILES. PLEASE REFERENCE ODI# 10139953 TO OBTAIN INFORMATION ON THE 2000 FORD F250 PICKUP TRUCK. *NM

DT: THE CONSUMER OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONSUMER'S WIFE WAS DRIVING AND THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THAT IT WAS A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS NOT THE SPARK PLUG, BUT THE #3 CYLINDER HEAD. THE CONSUMER COULD NOT AFFORD TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM FIXED. THERE WAS NO WARNING. THE CONSUMER CALLED FORD AND THEY SAID THAT THE CONSUMER WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY REPAIRS. THE CONSUMER ONLY HAD VEHICLE FOR TEN MONTHS AND SEARCHED THE WEBSITE AND FOUND THAT THIS WAS A KNOWN PROBLEM WITH THIS PARTICULAR ENGINE. THERE WAS NO ACCIDENT. *AK (12/01/05) THE SPARK PLUG VIOLENTLY EJECTED CAUSING A LOUD NOISE WHICH STARTLED THE DRIVER, ALMOST CAUSING HIM TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. *SC

I OWN A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION WHICH HAS HAD FAILURE OF ONE OF THE REAR SEAT BELTS. WHEN YOU ATTEMPT TO LOCK THE SEAT BELT INTO THE BUCKLE IT DOES NOT LOCK. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD THE PROBLEM COULD BE FIXED IF I WAS TO PAY OUT OF MY POCKET THE EXPENSES BECAUSE MY WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED. I DO NOT FEEL I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY ANY OUT OF POCKET EXPENSES TO COVER THE REPAIR OF MY SEAT BELT. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN AND IT IS THE LAW TO HAVE THEM SECURED IN MY VEHICLE. *JB

I HAVE BEEN HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM WITH MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION SINCE MARCH 2004. THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE FUSE THAT DISPLAYS LIGHTS ON THE DASH BOARD. THIS FUSE REPEATEDLY BLOWS. SO I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ALLAN VIGIL FORD IN MORROW, GEORGIA AND THE REPEATEDLY COULD NOT FIND THE PROBLEM. AT THIS PRESENT TIME THE PROBLEM STILL HAS NOT BEEN SOLVED THEREFORE I AM FORCED TO BE INSIDE BEFORE NIGHT FALL. *JB

IT JUST KEEPS FEELING LIKE SOMEONE IS REAR ENDED US EVERY TIME WE GO TO STOP AND I HAD THE TRANSMISSION CHECKED OUT AND ITS FINE. *JB

DT: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2005, THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK, WENT HOME, PICKED UP HIS FAMILY AND STARTED DRIVING AGAIN. WHILE IN MOTION THE CONTACT BEGAN SMELLING AND ELECTRICAL BURN. THE CONTACT HAD RECEIVED A RECALL ABOUT THE SPEED SENSOR CONTROL AND CALLED THE DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DISCONNECTED THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR. THE CONTACT COMPLAINED THAT THE DEALERSHIP ONLY CHECKED THE SPEED CONTROL SENSOR AND DID NOT DO ANYTHING TO THE REST OF THE WIRING. THERE WAS NO ELECTRICAL CONTINUITY TEST. *SC

THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. I WAS CRANKING THE VEHICLE AND HEARD A LOUD POP AND THEN THE MOTOR STARTED POPPING AND SHAKING. I HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER THAT HAS HANDLED ALL MY REPAIRS. THEY CLAIM THE ALUMINUM IN THE HEAD IS FAULTY AND THERE ARE NO THREADS ON THE HEAD BUT THE HEADS ON THE SPARK PLUG ARE FINE. THE WARRANTY COMPANY CLAIMS THAT THEY DO NOT COVER THE THREADS ON THE HEAD; JUST THE HEAD ITSELF. WELL DUH IS THAT NOT PART OF THE HEAD. I AM STILL FIGHTING WITH BOTH THE DEALER AND THE EXTENDED WARRANTY COMPANY. I HAVE PAID THE EXTRA COST FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS ON MY VEHICLE OVER THE YEARS BECAUSE I WANTED THE DEALER TO HANDLE EVERYTHING JUST IN CASE SOMETHING LIKE THIS DID HAPPEN AND THE WARRANTY COMPANY COULD NOT GET OUT OF PAYING BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE DEALER DO THE REPAIRS. I EXPECTED BETTER THAN THIS FROM FORD. I HAD EVERY PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PERFORMED ON THIS VEHICLE THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECOMMENDS AND IT WAS DONE BY A FORD DEALER; PLUS I HAVE THE EXTENDED WARRANTY. EITHER FORD, THE DEALER OR THE WARRANTY COMPANY SHOULD PAY FOR THIS; BECAUSE JUDGING FROM THE OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE SEEN; THEY ARE ALL AWARE OF THE PROBLEM!!!!!!! *JB

ON 09-15-2005 AT 12:10 AM I DISCOVERED A LARGE FIRE IN MY GARAGE. MY FAMILY AND I ESCAPED WITHOUT HARM. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESPONDED QUICKLY AND EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. ALL CONTENTS OF THE GARAGE WERE DESTROYED. SOME DAMAGE OCCURRED TO THE HOME. ACCORDING TO THE FIRE INVESTIGATOR (CAL STATE LIC NO. PI-75781), THE EXPEDITION IN THE GARAGE WAS PROBABLY THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. *JB

2001 FORD EXPEDITION 5.4L FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS IT SOUNDED LIKE THERE WAS AN EXHAUST LEAK. HAD AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE EXHAUST LOOKED AT ON 9/6/05. COMING HOME FROM WORK ON 9/2/05, WAS STUCK IN SLOW TRAFFIC. WHEN TRAFFIC BROKE UP, I STARTED TO ACCELERATE AND HEARD A POP AND LOST POWER. I HAD TO GET OVER 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC TO PULL OVER. THE TRUCK WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE AND SMELLED GAS. HAD TO CALL A TOW TRUCK TO PICK IT UP. IT COST ME $200 TO HAVE IT TOWED HOME. ON 9/6 I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THAT HAD WORKED ON IT LAST AND THEY PRETTY MUCH TOLD ME THAT DID NOT WANT TO LOOK AT IT. SO I CALLED THE LOCAL FORD DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. SO I HAD IT TOWED TO A LOCAL ENGINE SHOP FOR REPAIRS. THEY ARE PULLING BOTH HEADS AND INSTALLING 8 NEW HEAD CERTS, WHICH COST ME $2000.

NEW 2001 EXPEDITION. STARTED LURCHING FORWARD IN 2002. THIS HAPPENS WHEN I WAS PARKING IN THE GARAGE, THE FOOT IS NOT TOUCHING ANY OF THE PEDALS ITS COASTING VERY VERY SLOWLY CAUSE YOUR GOING TO PUT YOUR FOOT ON THE BREAK TO STOP. ALL OF A SUDDEN IT LUNGES FORWARD AT THE SAME TIME RADIO GOES LOUDER AND THE AIR CONDITIONER OR HEATER SPEEDS UP, ITS LIKE A POWER SERGE. IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE TO FIGURE THAT OUT, IT HAPPENS SO FAST AND IS NOT PREDICTABLE. WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN LIKE LAST WEEK IT HAD BEEN MONTHS, I HAD COMPLETELY FORGOT ABOUT IT. I WAS IN THE DRIVEWAY PARKING BY OUR CHEVY TRUCK AND ALMOST HIT IT. ONE TIME IN THE BEGINNING IT HAPPENED AT A STOP LIGHT I ALMOST HIT THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME BUT I ALWAYS HAVE A FEW FEET IN FRONT OF ME. HOWEVER IF I WAS AT STOP LIGHT AND A PEDESTRIAN WAS WALKING ACROSS AND THIS HAPPENED , I'M SURE IT WOULD HIT THEM CAUSE THEY DON'T ALWAYS WALK BETWEEN THE WHITE LINES. IN 2002 I DID TAKE THE TRUCK INTO FORD DEALER THEY RAN A TEST AND IT DIDN'T ACTED UP ON THEM THEY SAID THAT UNTIL IT WOULD DO IT FOR THEM THEY COULDN'T FIX IT. SO NOW MY SON WILL BE DRIVING NEXT YEAR IF THE PROBLEM ISN'T FIXED WE WILL HAVE TO GET RID OF IT . IT IS A NICE SUV AND WE WANTED TO HAVE IT FOR AT LEAST 200,000 MILES. *NM