1999 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

1000 MILES AFTER A TIRE ROTATION, RIGHT REAR WHEEL FELL OFF WHILE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION, CAUSING DAMAGE TO BACK QUARTER PANEL AND BRAKE ROTOR, DEALERSHIP STATED WHEEL NUTS WERE PROBABLY OVER TIGHTENED AND CAUSED WHEEL BOLTS TO BREAK, THE OTHER THREE WHEELS WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE TIGHTENED SIMILARLY, CONSUMER STATES THERE GIVES NO MENTION OF RECOMMENDED TORQUE ON THE WHEEL NUTS WHEN ROTATING TIRES. *SLC

SAFETY INSPECTION OF FACTORY INSTALLED TRAILER HITCH RECEIVED ONE BOLT ONLY FINGER TIGHT.

VEHICLE WOULD SHIFT INTO A LOW GEAR BY ITSELF. CONSUMER HAS ALMOST LOST CONTROL.*AK

ON THE 5/21/01 ACCIDENT I WAS MAKING A LEFT TURN OFF OF MY CUL A SAC ST AND JUST AS I TURNED THE WHEEL TO GO LEFT VEHICLE LOCKED UP TO THE RIGHT AND I COUND NOT GET IN TO UNLOCK WHICH CAUSED ME TO HIT A PARKED CAR, I BOUNCED OFF THE CAR 3 TIMES BEFORE MY TRUCK ROLLOED BACK AND STOPPED.THE POLICE OFFICER TRIED TO TURN THE WHEELS WITH THE TRUCK ON AND WAS UNABLE TO DO SO, ALL FLUIDS RELEASED FROM THE TRUCK. I WAS INJURED IN MY BACK/NECK/SPINE, AND BURN MARKS ON MY RT HAND FROM TRYING TO TURN THE WHEEL TO AVOID HITTING THE CAR. THIS ACCIDENT HAPPENED WITHIN 15 FT.ON THE POLICE REPORT IT STATES THAT THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP BUT DUE TO NO WITNESSES HE CAN'T PROVE THIS. BODYSHOP SAID THE GEAR BOX AND ALL THE GEARS ARE DESTROYED AND BECAUSE OF IT LOCKING UP TO THE RIGHT WHEN I WAS MAKING A LEFT IT LOOKS LIKE THE POWER STEERING LOCKED UP ALSO. FORD WILL NOT COMMENT ON MY SITUATION AND I WANT TO KNOW WHAT TO DO TO PROTECT MYSELF IF THIS IS A DEFECT PROBLEM. ON THE TRANSMISSION, I TOOK IT TO FORD AND TOLD THEM MY TRUCK WAS SLIPPING AND HAVING PROBLEMS AND THEY REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION AND FIXED SOME ENGINE PROBLEMS. I HAVE SO MANY THINGS GO WRONG ON THIS VEHICLE SINCE 1999 I'M AFRAID TO EVEN DRIVE IT ONCE IT IS FIXED. I"M NOT SURE IT IS SAFE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF YOU CAN OR LET ME KNOW WHAT YOUR PROCESS IS ON THIS COMPLAINT. *AK

THESE HEAD GASKET FAILURES ARE COMMON ON THE LATE 1998 AND EARLY 1999 5.4L ENGINES. MANY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY. HOW EVER, IT APPEARS THAT THIS DEFECT CAN OCCUR AT ANY MILEAGE. FORD HAS REFUSED TO REPAIR MY VEHICLE SINCE IT OCCURRED AFTER THE WARRANTY AND NO RECALL HAS BEEN ISSUED. FROM THE NUMBER OF DOCUMENTED FAILURES OF THIS COMPONENT, I FEEL FORD SHOULD EXTEND THE EINGINE WARRANTY OR JUST RECALL THE ENGINES IN QUESTION. THERE ARE TWO TSBS ON FILE (8093-122 &13846-124) THAT DETAIL THE DATES OF MANUFACTURE AND THE ENGINES INVOLVED. THERE ARE DOZENS (IF NOT HUNDREDS) OF THIS GASKET FAILURE NOTED ON VARIOUS INTERNET SITES, MOST THAT I CAN FIND HAVE BEEN COVERED UNDER THE 36,000 MILE WARRANTY, OTHERS UNDER EXTENDED WARRANTY. IN ANY EVENT, THIS GASKET/HEAD IS A DEFECTIVE COMPONENT THAT WILL FAIL AND SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.*AK

PLEASE NOTE THAT BRANDON FORD HAS NOT HELPED ME RESOLVE SOME OF THESE ISSUES. NO SAFETY DEFECT MENTIONED IN SUMMARY. *AK (TIRESIZE: 26516)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 26516 )

I TOOK TO FORD AND THEY SAID THEY WOULD REPLACE BUT THEN STATED THAT TREAD WEAR WAS BEYOND.*AK (TIRESIZE: 265/16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: 265/16 )

THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER IN A 6 MONTH PERIOD FOR ENGINE TROUBLES DUE TO A DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK. THE DEALER HAS STATED THAT FORD MOTOR CO. IS AWARE OF THIS DEFECT, HOWEVER THEY HAVE NOT NOTIFIED CONSUMERS THAT PURCHASED AFFECTED VEHICLES. THIS DEALER HAS MADE REPAIRS USING A "REBUILT, REMANUFACTURED" ENGINE BLOCK. THIS REPAIR IS NOT SATISFACTORY AS I PURCHASED ANEW VEHICLE AND EXPECT THE REPAIRS TO BE DONE WITH BRAND NEW NOT REFURBISHED PARTS. HAD I NOT TAKEN MY VEHICLE TO THE SELLING FORD DEALER FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, I WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN ABOUT THIS PROBLEM UNITL MY ENGINE FAILED AND POSSIBLY AFTER MY WARRANTY EXPIRED. I BELIEVE THAT OTHER CONSUMERS MAY BE CHARGED FOR WORK THAT IS A RESULT OF THIS SAME TYPE OF ENGINE DEFECT THAT FORD IS AWARE OF AND HAS SENT TECHNICAL MEMO'S TO THE DEALERS ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE DEALER STATED THAT FORD MOTOR CO. WON'T ALLOW THE DEALERS TO NOTIFY CONSUMERS ABOUT THIS DEFECT AS IT COULD COST SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS FOR FORD WARRANTY WORK. THIS IS A SERIOUS DEFECT AND A SAFETY ISSUE AS ENGINE FAILURE CAN RESULT IF NOT REPAIRED. THE FIRST TIME MY VEHICLE WAS LEAKING OIL, AND THE SECOND TIME IT WAS LEAKING ENGINE COOLANT DUE TO THE DEFECTIVE ENGINE BLOCK. I FEEL AS THOUGH FORD MOTOR CO. AND IT'S DEALERS ARE KEEPING THIS INFORMATION FROM CONSUMERS THAT HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW THEIR VEHICLES MAY BE DEFECTIVE BEFORE THEY HAVE AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT DUE TO ENGINE FAILURE.*AK

EVERY MONTH I CHECK MY TIRE PRESSURE. IN CHECKING THE TIRE PRESSURE ON APRIL 6TH, I NOTICED THAT ON ALL FOUR TIRES, THERE WAS A SPLITTING/CRACK WHICH RAN ABOUT THREE-QUARTERS OF AN INCH FROM RIGHT TO LEFT RIGHT UNDER THE TREAD KNUCKLE WHERE THE KNUCKLE OF THE TREAD WOULD HAPPEN TO MEET THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRE. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER AT MY FORD GARAGE WHICH IS VENUS FORD IN CUDAHY, WISC. HE TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THAT I WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT AN AUTHORIZED FIRESTONE DEALER. I CONTACT MUSKEGO FIRESTONE IN MUSKEGO, WI. THEY INSPECTED THE TIRES AND I WAS TOLD THAT ALL FOUR TIRES WERE UNSAFE. AFTER I ASKED THE OWNER (KEITH) HOW SAFE THE TIRES ACTUALLY WERE,HE TOLD ME "IF THOSE TIRES WERE ON MY VEHICLE, THEY'D BE COMING OFF." KEITH CONTACTED FIRESTONE. FIRESTONE WOULD NOT REPLACE THE TIRES FREE OF CHARGE I GUESS IN DOING THIS THEY WOULD NOT ADMIT TO ANY DEFAULT WITH THE TIRE OR WITH THEIE WORKMANSHIP. THE ONLY THING FIRESTONE WOULD DO FOR ME WAS TO REPLACE ALL FOUR TIRES UNDER A PRO-RATING SYSTEM. DON'T GET ME WRONG, THE TIRES WERE WEARING LIKE IRON AND FOR HAVING 34,600 MILES ON THEM, THE ACTUAL TREAD WEAR LOOKED LIKE THE TIRES ONLY HAD 10,000 MILES ON THEM. THE DEPTH OF THE TIRES WERE MEASURED BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER AND ALL FOUR TIRES CAME IN AT 10/32. THE TIRES BEFORE COMING OFF OF MY VEHICLE WERE DOCUMENTED BY THE FIRESTONE DEALER ON SOME FORM WHICH I HAD TO SIGN. ON THIS FORM, THE SERIAL NUMBERS OF ALL FOUR TIRES WERE LISTED AND THE THEIR ACTUAL POSITION ON THE VEHICLE. THE REPLACEMENT TIRES FIRESTONE PROVIDED WERE AGAIN THEIR WILDERNESS AT'S AND SAME SIZE. MY COST WHICH INCLUDED LABOR AND TAX CAME OUT TO ABOUT $50.00 PER TIRE. AFTER SEEING THE SPLITS/CRACKS IN THE TIRES I WANTED THESE TIRES REMOVED BECAUSE IT WAS MY CONCERN THAT THERE WAS DEFINITELY A SAFETY ISSUE HERE. ESPECIALLY WITH A FAMILY AND THIS FAMILY VEHICLE GOING TO BE USED VERY SHORTLY FOR TWO SEPARTE FAMILY VACATIONS.*AK (TIRESIZE: 265/70R17)

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 55 MPH LEFT REAR TIRE HAD A BLOWOUT, AND FOUND TREAD HAD SEPARATED. FORD, EXPEDITION, 1999, P-255/70R16, DOT VNCU1RD259. *AK TIRE IS A FIRESTONE WILDERNESS, FAILURE CAUSED DAMAGE TO VEHICLE. *SLC