1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

I HAD A 1994 FORD ECONOLINE 150 CUSTOM VAN FOR A YEAR AND A HALF WITH APPROX 55,000 MILES ON IT PRIOR TO GETTING THIS EXPEDITION. THE TRANSMISSION ON IT ALSO SLIPPED WHILE DRIVING AND WAS IN AND OUT OF THE SHOP TOO MANY TIMES TO COUNT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOT EVER ABLE TO "DUPLICATE" THE PROBLEM. SO I TRADED IT IN ON THE EXPEDITION. THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF OWNING THE CAR IT WAS IN THE SHOP FOR A BROKEN DOOR HANDLE. THEN THE NEXT WEEK I HAD IT IN FOR THE CD CHANGER NOT WORKING. THE NEXT MONTH (MONTH #2) I TOOK IT IN BECAUSE THE FRONT END SHIMMIED WHEN I PRESSED ON THE BRAKE. THE DEALERSHIP TURNED THE ROATERS. THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS A TIRE BEGAN SQUEALING AND I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY AGAIN TURNED THE ROATERS AND DID A BRAKE JOB THIS WAS IN MONTH #3. NOW WE ARE APPROACHING MONTH #4 AND DURING THE WEEK OF JULY 4TH, 3 DAYS IN A ROW, WHILE I WAS STARTING FROM A RED LIGHT THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED. THE RPM'S WENT UP BUT THE CAR DIDN'T GO AT FIRST. AS SOON AS I TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE GAS THE TRANSMISSION INGAGED. I TOOK IT INTO THE DEALERSHIP THE NEXT WEEK AND THEY COULDN'T DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THEY DID A TRANSMISSION FLUSH ON IT. ON JULY 23RD WHILE IN DOWNTOWN FT. WORTH, TX, I WAS DRIVING AND NEEDED TO GET OVER INTO ANOTHER LANE TO TURN ONTO THE HIGHWAY, SO I ACCELERATED, THE TRANSMISSION AGAIN SLIPPED ALLOWING THE RPM'S TO GO UP ALMOST TO 5000, AND THE CAR WAS NOT GOING ANY FASTER. I QUICKLY TOOK MY FOOT OFF THE ACCELERATOR AND IT WENT INTO GEAR. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND HAVE NOW TAKEN IT BACK IN (7/29/99). THEY HAVE CALLED ME AND SAID THEY CAN'T GET IT TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. I'VE KNOWN THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD DIFFERENT FORD PRODUCTS, 2 HAD THUNDERBIRDS AND THE OTHER HAS A 1999 F150 AND THEY ALSO HAVE EXPERIENCED TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS. THIS COULD BE A REAL DANGER, ESPECIALLY IF THE CAR HESITATES WHILE CHANGING LANES AND THERE ARE CARS COMING UP BEHIND YOU. I DO NOT BLAME THE DEALERSHIP, I BLAME FORD MANUFACTURING.

WHEN DRIVING AT A VERY SLOW SPEED ANDCOMING TO A STOP LIGHT APPLIED THE BRAKES, AND ABS SYSTEM KICKED IN, AND BRAKE PEDAL WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOORBOARD. CONSUMER HAS TO STEP ON THE PARKING BARKE FOR VEHICLE TO SLOW DOWN. *AK

TIRES WORE OUT ON THE RIGHT SIDE DUE TO NOT HAVING CAMS FOR A FRONT END ALIGNMENT.CONSUMER CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTURER. *AK

CONSUMER RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE 98V095000. DEALER TIGHTENED LUGS: NUTS: BOLTS THREE TIMES WHICH DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. DRIVER'S SIDE REAR TIRE COMPLETELY COME OFF WHILE DRIVING. PLEAE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

DEALER STATES THAT THE BRAKE PADS ARE COMPLELY WORN OUT AND NEED REPLACEMENT AT 28500 MILES. DEALER STATES THAT THIS IS NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR ON THIS PART. PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH NEW VEHICLES HAS BEEN TO REPLACE BRAKES AROUND 40000 MILES. IF IT IS NORMAL TO REPLACE BRAKES DISC PADS AT APPROXIMATELY 30000 MILES, THEN MANUFACTURERS SHOULD NOTIFY THEIR CUSTOMERS. CUSTOMERS WHO ARE EXPECTING TO RECEIVE AROUND 40000 MILES ON DISC BRAKE PADS COULD POTENTIALLY EXPERIENCE MAJOR CASTROPHYBY FAILING TO REPLACE DISC BRAKE PADS. *AK

WHEN DRIVING ALONG A CURVE AT TIMES STEERING CONTROL IS BRIEFLY INTERRUPTED CAUSING A SENSE OF LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND EXPLAINED THE PROBLEM, THEY INDICATED THAT MY VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND THAT MY TIRES NEEDED REBALANCING AND ROTATION. I PAID FOR THE ALIGNMENT AND THEY THROUGH IN THE REBALANCING AND ROTATION, BUT THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *AK

ON TWO OCCASIONS VEHICLE EXPERIENCED HIGH ACCELERATION WHILE DRIVING. ALSO, CRUISE CONTROL WOULD NOT ENGAGE/ENGINE CHECK LIGHT REMAINED ON/VEHICLE WOULD JERK WHENEVER TRANSMISSION CHANGED GEARS, AND BOTH ODOMETER/SPEEDOMETER FAILED TO OPERATE. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

HEATER HOSE SYSTEM DESIGN DEFECT CAUSED HOSES TO LEAK CAUSING SUBSEQUENT DAMAGE TO HEATER COIL AND SPARK PLUG ,CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO RUN IMPROPERLY. HAD TO WAIT ALMOST A MONTH FOR PARTS. PROBLEM NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY AND NEITHER WAS THE RENTAL CAR. FORD REFUSED RESPONSIBILITY FOR DESIGN DEFECT. THE DEALERSHIP WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED HAD 3 OTHER VEHICLES IN THE SAME WEEK WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. SERVICE MAN REPORTED THAT THE DESIGN HAD TO BE CHANGED BY FORD DUE TO HOSES LEAKING AND THE NEWLY DESIGNED HOSES WERE ON BACKORDER. *AK

WHEN APPLYING BRAKES TO COME TO A STOP, VEHICLE WILL ACCELERATE AS IF THE GAS PEDAL IS BEING DEPRESSED. IT IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND ONLY OCCURS WHEN COMING TO A COMPLETE STOP. SURGE CONTINUES AS LONG AS PRESSURE IS APPLIED ON THE BRAKES, AND STOPS WHEN BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED AND THE CAR IS PUT INTO NEUTRAL. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, UNABLE TO FIND PROBLEM. *AK *ML

THE VEHICLE WILL INTERMITTENTLY SURGE OR STALL UPON ACCELERATION . DEALER HAS PUT IT ON COMPUTER, BUT CANNOT DETERMINE WHAT IS CAUSING THE PROBLEM. *AK