1999 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

TRANSMISSION PROBLEM. AFTER TRAVELING 2000 MILES ON A TRIP, MOSTLY ON CRUISE CONTROL, THE VEHICLE DID NOT SHIFT FROM 1ST TO 2ND GEAR AND LUNGED FROM 1ST INTO 3RD. *AK

DRIVER SIDE SIGNAL MIRROR'S REFLECTIVE SURFACE HAS DETERIORATED - DEVELOPING DARK SPOTS DUE TO CHROME PLATING DELAMINATION. FORD DOESN'T WANT TO FIX IT - HOWEVER, THIS PRESENTS A SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE. *AK MIRRORS ARE NOT WEARABLE ITEMS LIKE BRAKE PADS. HAVING A MIRRORS SURFACE DETERIORATE ON IT'S OWN IS A MANUFACTURING/DESIGN FAILURE. FORD HAS NOTED THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN LIST (NOTED BELOW) SO THEY ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, YET REFUSE TO REPLACE THE MIRROR - INSTEAD WANTING TO CHARGE $310 FOR THE PART + INSTALLATION. MIRRORS ARE A SAFETY DEVICE, ESPECIALLY IN A LARGE VEHICLE LIKE THE THE FORD EXPEDITION - USING DEFECTIVE PARTS - ACKNOWLEDGING SAID PARTS AND THAN REFUSING TO REPLACE THEM IS INEXCUSABLE. THIS EXACT PROBLEM IS NOTED BY FORD VIA A TSB - TEXT OF TSB BELOW: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MAKE : FORD MODEL : EXPEDITION YEAR : 1999 SERVICE BULLETIN NUM : 00189 DATE OF BULLETIN: SEP 04, 2000 NHTSA ITEM NUMBER: 618602 COMPONENT: VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES SUMMARY: CONCERNS WITH THE SIGNAL MIRROR REFLECTIVE SURFACE DETERIORATING OVER TIME, DEVELOPING DARK SPOTS DUE TO CHROME PLATING DELAMINATION. *JB

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY BEGAN TO SHAKE. THE CONSUMER STATED THEY HEARD A POP AND PULLED OVER ON THE SERVICE ROAD. UPON INSPECTION THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE RIGHT FRONT TIRE HAD SHREDDED COMPLETELY. SHE SAID HER HUSBAND CHANGED THE TIRE. SHE TRIED TO GET A REPLACEMENT FOR THE SHREDDED TIRE, SHE WAS TOLD NO, BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT ON RECALL. THE TIRE WAS AN ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT FIRESTONE WILDERNESS AT P265/70 R 17 WHICH HAD ABOUT 20,680 MILES ON THEM. THE CONSUMER FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY SINCE THE TIRE BLEWOUT DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC. *NM *NM

I PURCHASED MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION USED, WITH 50,140 MILES ON IT. I ALSO PURCHASED AN ESP WARRANTY PLAN. MY ENGINE ALWAYS HAD A KNOCK WHEN COLD.I THOUGHT THAT WAS "NORMAL". ON THE WEEK OF APRIL 12TH, THE ENGINE KNOCK BECAME SEVERE AND THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN USING MORE OIL THAN USUAL. I BROUGHT IT TO JOHNSON FORD FOR REPAIR. MY SERVICE ADVISOR TOLD ME NOT TO WORRY, I HAD THE BEST WARRANTY PLAN THERE IS, AND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 5.4 ENGINES.HE EVEN TOLD ME THAT HE SPENDS MUCH TIME CALLING IN SIMILIAR CLAIMS. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS "SPUN ROD BEARINGS". AFTER TWO WEEKS, MY CLAIM WAS "DENIED", AND I REMOVED THE VEHICLE FROM THE DEALERSHIP AFTER A $6400.00 ESTIMATE FOR A NEW MOTOR. I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO A REPUTABLE INDEPENDENT, AND HAD TO PURCHASE A USED MOTOR FOR MY FORD. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH, I HAVE FOUND THAT NUMEROUS PEOPLE HAVE HAD COMPLAINTS ABOUT DEFECTS IN THE 5.4 LTR ENGINE. I FIND IT VERY FRUSTRATING TO HAVE SPENT $1100.00 ON A RENTAL CAR, $4300.00 ON REPAIRS, AND $335.00 TO JOHNSON FORD TO TELL ME THAT MY ENGINE FAILED. (I KNEW THAT WHEN I BROUGHT IT IN!) IN ADDITION TO THAT, I SPENT $2395.00 ON AN ESP WARRANTY THAT WAS OF NO USE TO ME. JOHNSON FORD IS CLAIMING THAT MY ENGINE FAILURE WAS DUE TO LACK OF MAINTENANCE. MOBILE TECH (THE INDEPENDENT) HAS STATED THAT MY ENGINE WAS SLUDGE FREE, AND THAT THEIR OPINION IS THAT IS WAS NOT LACK OF MAINTENANCE. I HAVE WRITTEN AT LEAST 20 LETTERS TO THE DEALERSHIP, THE BBB, AND DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY SINCE APRIL 30TH AND AM GETTING NO ANSWERS OR SATISFACTION. THE MOTOR REMAINS AT MOBILE TECH AS I HAVE REQUESTED AN EXAMINATION, AGAIN, FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. TO DATE, I HAVE BEEN REPEATEDLY DENIED MY REQUEST.*AK

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED SPARE TIRE CABLE BROKE. THIS CAUSED THE TIRE TO FALL OFF FROM UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER DROVE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT THE SPARE TIRE CABLE ASSEMBLY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

OUR LOCKED VEHICLE WAS BROKEN INTO AND A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS STOLEN WITH NO APPARENT FORCED ENTRY. WHEN WE SPOKE TO A POLICE OFFICER WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WAS A DESIGN FLAW IN THIS PARTICULAR VEHICLE IN WHICH A SMALL SCREWDRIVER CAN BE INSERTED UNDER THE KEYLESS ENTRY DOOR LOCK AND POP OPEN THE DOOR LOCKS. WHEN WE INSPECTED FURTHER, WE DID FIND A SMALL DENT AND GOUGED OUT PAINT FROM APPARENT USE OF A SCREWDRIVER. WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A DEALERSHIP IN JANUARY OF 2004. HAVE THERE BEEN ANY SERVICE BULLETINS PERTAINING TO THIS AND SHOULD THE DEALERSHIP HAVE RECTIFIED THIS PROBLEM BEFORE PUTTING IT BACK OUT ON THE MARKET?*AK

THE REFLECTIVE MATERIAL ON THE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS FADED AND CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. *AK FIVE MONTHS AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED (7-99)THE MIRROR WAS REPLACED. IN 2003 THE MIRRORS WERE REPLACED AGAIN. THIS TIME THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY THEREFORE THE CONSUMER HAD TO PAY TO HAVE THEM REPLACED. *NM

1999 FORD EXPEDITION HAD FAILURE OF THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINKS. AFTER CHECKING ON INTERNET I FOUND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON 1997-1998 FORDS FOR THE SAME PROBLEM. I CHECKED WITH TWO DEALERS, FORD & MERCURY IN MY TOWN AND THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE BEEN HAVING A CONSIDERABLY HIGHER NUMBER OF FAILURES OF THE STABILIZER BAR LINKS EVEN NOW. FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE SAID THAT THEY CAN'T HELP WITH THE PROBLEM AS THERE IS NOTHING IN THEIR DATA BASE REF. THE PROBLEM. *AK

IN DEC OF 2003 WE HAD A SPARK PLUG FOUL OUT, NOW 6 MONTHS LATER WE ARE INFORMED THAT WE HAD A RIGHT SIDE HEAD GASKET BLOWN AND A POWER STEERING PUMP LEAKING.

WHILE DRIVING TO MYRTLE BEACH I HEARD A LOUD BANG UNDER THE HOOD.I HAD THE TRUCK TOWED TO A FORD DEALER WHERE THEY TOLD ME THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD.I HAVE READ MANY COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS ISSUE ON THE INTERNET. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE DUE TO THE STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE WHEN THIS HAPPENS.FORD SAID THEY WILL DO NOTHING AND IT WILL COST ME 3600.00 TO FIX THIS. WHO SAYS EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE HEAD IT WONT HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN. I AM DISGUSTED WITH THE WHOLE THING. I THINK FORD SHOULD STEP UP TO THE PLATE AND FIX THIS PROBLEM.