2001 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

CONSUMER IS CONCERNED THAT TIRE RECALL REPLACEMENT DOES NOT COMPLY WITH THE OWNERS MANUAL INSTRUCTIONS. TIRE RECALL CALLED FOR REPLACED CONTINENTAL TIRE P275/60R17 GENERAL GRABBER AW WITH SMALLER TIRES P265/70R17 CONTENTIAL CONTITRAC TIRES. *TT *NLM

CONSUMER REPLACED TIRES PRIOR TO RECALL DUE TO TO UNUSUAL TREAD WEAR AND NOISE WHILE DRIVING AT 64 MILES PER HOUR, CONSUMER IS REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FROM CONTINENTAL TIRES.*JB

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHEN SHE SUDDENLY HAD NO BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND FAILED TO RESPOND. SHE THEN BEGAN TO PUMP THEM WILDLY AND GOT SOME BRAKING ACTION. (THIS IS IN AN NEW FORD EXPEDITION WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ) SHE DROVE IN FIRST GEAR TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. A RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING HAD ALREADY WORN OUT-APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BECOME LOOSE FROM THE AXLE. AS IT CAME LOOSE, THE BRAKE SHOE AND PISTON MECHANISM OF THE BRAKE CEASED TO FUNCTION. SHE WAS LUCKY THAT SHE HIT NO ONE ELSE AND THAT THE WHEEL DID NOT COME OFF CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO FLIP. SHE WAS FORTUNATE SHE WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE SERVICE MANAGER SAID SHE WAS LUCKY TO GET IN BEFORE THE WHEEL FELL OFF THE VEHICLE. I AM APPALLED TO THINK THAT AN SUV THAT HAS ONLY HAD SOFT ON- ROAD USE AND NEVER USED OFF -ROAD COULD HAVE A WHEEL BEARING GO OUT AT SUCH LOW MILEAGE. BECAUSE OF THE HIGH PROFILE NATURE OF THE VEHICLE, THE POTENTIAL FOR FLIPPING IS EVEN GREATER WITH THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM THAN POORLY CONSTRUCTED TIRES. I AM VERY ANGRY THAT SUCH A PROBLEM OCCURRED WITH THIS VEHICLE, WHEN IT IS NOT EVEN TWO YEARS OLD.

SINCE APPROXIMATELY MARCH OF 2002 I HAVE EXPERIENCED FOUR SEPERATE INCIDENTS WHERE MY TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. EACH TIME I WAS MOVING SLOWLY USING THE ENGINE IDLE SPEED TO PROPEL THE TRUCK FORWARD WHEN THE TRUCK SUDDENLY ACCELERATED. TWICE I WAS PULLING INTO MY GARAGE, ONCE PULLING INTO A INSTANT OIL CHANGE STATION ONCE PULLING INTO A CAR WASH. EACH TIME I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE TRUCK BEFORE STRIKING ANYTHING USING THE BRAKES. PULLING INTO THE OIL CHANGE STATION I WAS VERY STARTLED AS THE MECHANIC WAS GUIDING ME INTO THE STALL AND IF I HAD NOT REACTED AS QUICKLY AS I DID I'M CERTAIN WOULD HAVE BEEN INJURED. I CONTACTED THE DEALER BY TELEPHONE AND THEY STATED THAT NO ONE HAD REPORTED ANY SIMILAR INCIDENTS. I ALSO HAD THE TRUCK EXAMINED BY ANOTHER FORD DEALER AND THEY COULD NOT LOCATE ANY "CODES" NOR COULD THEY DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I HAVE OWNED MORE THAN 25 VEHICLES DURING MY LIFETIME AND THIS IS A FIRST FOR ME. THIS IS ALSO MY SECOND FORD EXPEDITION, NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED WITH THAT TRUCK EITHER. I HOPE TO RESOLVE THIS PROBLEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS INJURED BY MY VEHICLE OR ANOTHER EXPEDITION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST, MICHAEL T. ADAMCZAK. DT

(NHTSA RECALL# 02T012000) CONTINENTAL TIRE TOLD THE CONSUMER THAT THE TIRES ON THE VEHICLE WERE NOT A PART OF THE RECALL. THEY ALSO SAID THAT THE NUMBERS DIDN'T MATCH, THEREFORE THE SERVICE WAS DECLINED. THE CONSUMER CALLED THE DEALER AND WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL DID IN FACT INCLUDE HER VEHICLE'S TIRES AND THAT CONTINENTAL TIRES SHOULD HAVE REIMBURSED HER. TS SCC

THE KNOB TO TURN ON AND OFF THE HEADLIGHTS BREAKS OFF UNDER NORMAL USAGE. THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE WAY TO CONTROL THE HEADLIGHTS. THEY ARE STUCK ON OR OFF. DT

THE HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING UNIT HAS BEEN BLOWING WHITE FLAKES INTO THE FACE OF THE DRIVER AND OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE. SEVERAL TIMES I HAVE HAD TO QUICKLY GET OFF THE HIGHWAY, TO CLEAR MY EYES OF THE FLAKES. SEVERAL TIME COMING CLOSE TO RUNNING INTO ON COMING TRAFFIC. FORD REP STATES THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM, KEEP BRINGING IT IN. I HAVE BEEN BACK TO SERVICE ABOUT ONCE A WEEK FOR THIS. PREVIOUS SERVICE ADVISOR STATED,PUT YOUR WINDOWS DOWN AND DONT USE THE A/C SYSTEM. I FOUND ON THE WEB A TSB ON THIS PROBLEM. THERE MUST BE OTHERS WITH THIS PROBLEM IN 97-02 F-150/EXPEDITIONS. FORD HAS ALREADY REPLACED MY SYSTEM ONCE TO NO AVAIL. HELP. DT

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY THE VEHICLE VIBRATES UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE DUE TO TREAD SEPARATION OF TIRE. THE TIRE IS A CONTINTENTAL. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DEALER IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. TS

THE CONSUMER DIDN'T RECEIVE A RECALL NOTICE FROM THE TIRE MANUFACTURER. SHE WILL GIVE MORE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. MR

TREAD ON THE LEFT REAR TIRE SEPARATED COMPLETELY CAUSING THE DRIVER TO TAKE EVASIVE MANUVERS GOING IN A CLOCKWISE MOVEMENT AND ROLLING OVER (FLORIDA TRAFFIC REPORT). (GENERAL TIRES GRABBER AW) LAWYER ON BEHALF OF CLIENT.*SCC *JB