1997 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

THE AIR CONDITIONING DRAIN TUBE LEAKED ONTO THE OXYGEN SENSOR CAUSING FAILURE, DEALERSHIP REPLACED TUBE WITH EXTENSION AND REPLACED OXYGEN SENSOR. *MJS

TURNING RT AFTER A STOP, I BEGAN TO ACCELERATE. INSTANTLY THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LISP TO THE LEFT AND TRAVEL ACROSS THE CENTER LANE. APPLYING THE BRAKES I COULD NOT TURN BACK INTO THE RT LANE. THE LEFT DRIVERS MIRROW WAS RIPPED OFF AS IT CLIPPED A NEIGHBORS LAWN POLE. STANDING I STILL COULD NOT TURN THE VEHICLE. IT STOPPED. NOT ABLE TO EXIT THE DRIVERS DOOR, I DID THE PASSENGERS. INSPECTING, THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WAS GONE. TOWED TO BEAUDRT FORD THE VEHICLE HAD TWICE THE DAMAGE AS AT THE SCENE. ( PICTURES WERE TAKEN AT BOTH PLACES). ASK IF THERE WERE ANY RECALLS, I WAS TOLD NO, 4 TIMES. THIS IS UNTRUE. I HAVE BEEN FORCED TO ALLOW BEAUDRY TO FIX MY VEHICLE AS THEY TELL ME THEY CANNOT GET ANY FORD ENGINEERS TO INSPECT THE CAR. THIS SUV FELL APART. 152,000 OF THE SAME YEAR 4X4S WERE RECALLED. *AK

WAS DRIVING VEHICLE & APPLIED BRAKES TO SLOWDOWN. BRAKES FAIL TO CATCH & HIT A MOPED. WAS PLENTY OF DISTANCE FOR STOPPING. WAS THIRD SET OF BRAKES ON VEHICLE. WINDSHIELD WIPERS ARE NOT WORKING LIKE THEY SHOULD. PROBLEM IS INTERMITTEN. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & MECHANIC INDICATED THE ABS BRAKES ARE OKAY. WIPERS CAN BE REPAIRED.*AK

AT SLOW SPEED IN 4 WHEEL DRIVE GOING THROUGH A MUD PUDDLE, THE FLANGE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE REAR AXLE SHAFT ON WHICH THE DISC BRAKE CALIPER IS MOUNTED, BROKE IN SUCH A FASHION THAT THREE OF THE BOLTS FELL OFF RELEASING THE CALIPER TO FALL AGAINST THE TIRE. IN ADDITION, THE BRAKE LINE SEPARATED AND THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR EMPTIED. THE PARKING BRAKE CABLE WAS ALSO SEVERED AND NONFUNCTIONAL. NO OBJECT WAS HIT TO CREATE THE PROBLEM AND WAS CONFIRMED BY THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO OTHER DAMAGE OTHER THAN THIS FLANGE. IT APPEARS, FOR NOW, THAT THE FLANGE CRACKED RELEASING THE DISC CALIPER ASSEMBLY WHICH THEN MUST HAVE ROTATED AROUND UNTIL THE BRAKELINE SEVERED. THE FAILURE OF THE FLANGE WOULD THEREFORE APPEAR TO BE A MANUFACTURING DEFECT IN THE QUALITY OF THE MATERIAL THAT MAKES UP THE FLANGE (WEAK STEEL?). WHAT MAY BE OF CONCERN IS A SIMILAR OCCURENCE AT HIGH SPEEDS

WHEN I GET UP TO 50 MPH, THE VEHICLE STARTS TO VIBRATE. I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH THE VEHICLE SINCE I BOUGHT IT. I TOOK IT TO TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALERSHIPS AND THEY COULD NEVER FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS. BY ME SPENDING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TRYING TO GET OTHER THINGS FIXED WHICH WASN'T EVEN THE PROBLEM, I NOW FIND OUT THAT IT IS THE TRANSFER CASE, WHICH IS ABOUT $1300 JUST FOR THE PART. I WILL NEVER BUY A FORD AGAIN. *AK

PULLED OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY INTO TRAFFIC WITH FAMILY IN VEHICLE AND ALMOST IMMEDIATELY LOST ALL STEERING CONTROL. TIE ROD END SNAPPED OUT (FAULTY DESIGN), REPLACED WITH MOOG BRAND PROPERLY DESIGNED OUTER TIE ROD. ALSO THE SWAY BAR SEPARATED FROM THE TRUCK. THIS VEHICLE IS NOT USED FOR ANY TYPE OF "OFF ROAD" DRIVING, THERE WAS NO WARNING BEFORE THE TIE ROD WENT. MORE THAN ONE AUTO MECHANIC HAS TOLD ME THAT FORD IS THE ONLY AUTO COMPANY THAT MAKE THEIR TIE RODS IN THIS MANNER. THERE DOES NOT SEEM TO BE ANY "SAFETY" FEATURE TO THE TIE ROD END TO KEEP IT FROM FALLING OUT. I HAD JUST BEEN TRAVELING ON THE INTERSTATE AT 65 MPH TWO MINUTES PRIOR TO THE TOTAL LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL. WE ARE CERTAINLY AWARE THAT THE MILEAGE ON OUR VEHICLE WARRANTS SOME WEAR AND TEAR, HOWEVER, THESE TIE RODS ARE JUST NOT MADE PROPERLY. PLEASE RESEARCH THE DESIGN USED AND COMPARE TO THE MORE APPROPRIATELY DESIGNED MOOG BRAND REPLACEMENTS. ALSO THE SWAY BAR IS COMPLETELY UNATTACHED FROM THE VEHICLE ON THE LEFT FRONT SIDE. *AK

ON 4-12-2000 I WAS DRIVING TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL WITH MY WIFE AND DAUGHTER. WE WERE N/B ON I-5, AT 60 MPH IN THE SEATTLE. I ATTEMPTED TURN ON THE RADIO AND PUSHED THE BUTTON. NOTHING HAPPENED FOR A COUPLE OF MINUTES AND THEN SMOKE CAME OUT OF THE RADIO. THE SMOKE STARTED TO FILL THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT . I WAS AFRAID THE DASHBOARD AREA WAS ABOUT TO CATCH FIRE. I MANAGED TO FIND A EXIT TO GET OFF THE FREEWAY, STOPPED THE CAR AND GET MY FAMILY OUT. I TURNED OFF THE IGNITION HOWEVER THE SMOKE WAS STILL COMING OUT OF THE RADIO. THE SMOKE STOPPED ABOUT 1 OR 2 MINUTES LATER. I CALLED BOWEN SCARFF FORD IN KENT AND WAS REFERRED TO SOUND ON WHEELS FOR RADIO REPAIR. THE MANAGER AT SOUND ON WHEELS PULLED THE RADIO FROM THE DASH AND SHOWED ME THE WATER DAMAGE ON THE RADIO AND COXIAL ANTENNA WIRE LEADING FROM THE ANTENNA TO THE BACK OF THE RADIO. WHEN THE WATER GOT INTO THE BACK OF THE RADIO A SHORT WAS CAUSED AND THE SMOKE STARTED. I WAS TOLD THIS WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE 97 FORD EXPEDITION. I TOOK MY VEHICLE TO BOWEN SCARFF FORD AND WAS INFORMED A TECH MEMO HAD BEEN PUT OUT TO FORD MECHANIC BUT NOTHING HAD BEEN SENT TO FORD OWNERS OF EXPEDITION. WHAT I EXPERIENCE WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. I COULD HAVE PANIC AND CAUSE A MAJOR ACCIDENT ON A FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEEDS. I BELIEVE THIS TYPE OF SHORT COULD CAUSE A MAJOR MALFUNCTION OF THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. COULD THE DOORS LOCK, TRAPPING PEOPLE INSIDE? MOST DEATHS RELATED TO FIRE OCCURE FROM INHALING SMOKE. THESE WERE SOME TO THE THINGS GOING THROUGH MY MIND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO GET MY FAMILY TO SAFETY. WHY HAS THERE NOT BEEN A RECALL TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. HOW MANY MUST BE INJURED OR KILLED BEFORE A RECALL. NONE I PRAY. *AK

AT LOW SPEEDS THE BRAKES FAIL, THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, MAKES A STRANGE NOISE AND PULSATES. NLM

LOST CONTROL WHILE TURNING INTO AN INTERSECTION AT 5 MPH DUE TO DRIVER'S SIDE INNER TIE ROD DISCONNECTING. ALSO, BOTH SIDE SWAY BAR LINKS FELL OFF. DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. *AK *ML

CHARCOAL CANNISTER ON FUEL TANK CLOGS W/ DIRT FROM GRAVEL ROAD, CAUSES ENGINE LIGHT TO COME ON. I PAID TO REPLACED IT WITH A RE-DESIGNED PART & DEALER STILL REPEATEDLY HAS TO CLEAN NEW 1 OUT. HE SAYS THIS HAPPENS TO 97S & 98S. THIS IS A PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE. NOW I'M TOLD TO BUY ANOTHER NEW ONE WITH NO GUARANTEE IT WON'T CLOG. I'M DRIVING WITH IT CLOGGED. WHO KNOWS IF PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN THE TANK. COMPLAINTS TO FORD HAVE BEEN USELESS. I LIVE IN THE COUNTRY. CANNOT AVOID GRAVEL ROAD. THIS SUV IS ADVERTISED TO HANDLE THIS KIND OF DRIVING. OUR FORD PICKUP AND JEEP CHEROKEE DON'T DO THIS. I WANT FORD TO COME UP A PART THAT WORKS.*AK