1998 FORD EXPEDITION Complaints

OUR 1998 FORD EXPEDITION WITH THE 5.4 V8 TRITON ENGINE HAD ANOTHER SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. THE LAST TIME THIS HAPPENED WAS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO, IT WAS THE #3 CYLINDER PLUG THEN AND LAST WEEK IT WAS THE #6 CYLINDER PLUG, I SEARCHED THE INTERNET CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM AND FOUND HUNDREDS IF NOT MORE OF THE SAME ISSUES, AND NO ONE IS MAKING FORD DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, JUST THOUGHT MY VOICE IN THIS MATTER MIGHT HELP. PLEASE IF THERE WAS EVER AN INSTANCE OF A RECALL THIS IS SURELY ONE. THIS IS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE FOR THE AUTO OWNER, THE FIRST TIME WE HAD IT FIXED BY FORD AND IT WAS $250 AND THIS TIME IT WAS OVER $1,000. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE. *TR *KB

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE PARKED, THE CONTACT NOTICED BOTH THE PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT LATCHES FOR THE MIDDLE ROW OF THE VEHICLE WERE FRACTURED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PASSENGER SEATED IN THE MIDDLE ROW OF THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BUCKLE THE SEAT BELT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTICS OR REPAIRS. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

TL *THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CHECK SUSPENSION LAMP WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUSPENSION CONTROL MODULE AND THE AIR COMPRESSOR WERE DEFECTIVE AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED HER TO NHTSA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 166,805.

IT HAS COME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE TRAILING ARMS ON THE REAR AXLE ARE FAILING ON THE EARLY MODEL FORD EXPEDITIONS. UPON INSPECTION OF MY VEHICLE, I SEE WHERE THE FAILURE IS GOING TO OCCUR. THE TRAILING ARMS ARE ROTTING OUT AND WILL ALLOW FOR THE REAR AXLE TO TWIST OUT OF PLACE CAUSING THE DRIVE SHAFT TO BECOME DISLODGED AND BECOME A LARGE RUN AWAY COMPONENT. THESE COMPONENTS ON MY VEHICLE WILL HAVE TO BE REPLACED PRIOR TO THIS VEHICLE BEING PLACED BACK IN SERVICE AS THIS IS A LARGE SAFETY CONCERN. I AM WRITING DUE TO THIS DEFECT BEING A SAFETY ISSUE AND IS ONE WHICH IS VIRTUALLY UNKNOWN BY THE CONSUMER AS IT IS NOT AN INSPECTABLE ITEM ON ANY ANNUAL INSPECTION. MY INTERNET RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THERE ARE MANY OF THESE VEHICLES WHERE THE ISSUE IS COMING TO LIGHT. THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL ON THESE COMPONENTS AT THIS POINT BUT SHOULD BE EXAMINED VERY QUICKLY DUE TO THE NATURE OF THE PROBLEM. I ALSO FIND THAT FORD HAS UPDATED THE COMPONENTS ON LATER VEHICLES IN MATERIALS AS WELL AS OVERALL DIMENSIONS. MY FEELING IS THAT SOMETHING IS KNOWN ON SOME LEVEL AND THE INFORMATION IS NOT BEING PASSED ALONG TO THE CONSUMER. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT. THE CONTACT WAS AWAKENED BY A LOUD EXPLOSION WHEN SHE DISCOVERED THE VEHICLE IN FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED TO ASSIST AND ADVISED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT REFERENCED NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) AND STATED THAT SHE WAS ADVISED BY THE MANUFACTURER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED WITH THE RECALL BUT HAD NOT RECEIVED RECALL REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 185,467.

WHILE SITTING AT THE RED TRAFFIC LIGHT ,WHEN THE LIGHT TURNED GREEN TO GO UPON TAKING OFF AT NORMAL SPEED THE DRIVE SHAFT FELL COMPLETELY OUT AND BROKE AT THE DRIVE SHAFT UNIVERSAL EARS OF THE SHAFT AND THE RIGHT LOWER REAR CONTROLLING/TRAILING ARM BROKE AT COUPLER BECAUSE IT WAS VERY BADLY CORRODED WITH RUST FROM WEAK MATERIAL AND DRIVERS SIDE REAR LOOKS THE SAME WAY . ALSO MY EXPEDITION IS NOT A RUST BUCKET, IT IS DRIVEN VERY LITTLE IN THE WINTER. THE DRIVE SHAFT EARS THAT HOLD THE UNIVERSAL JOINT IS MADE OF CAST STEEL,WHICH IS VERY UNSAFE, IF FORD WOULD SEND THE PAIR OF TRAILING/CONTROLLING ARMS WE WILL HAVE THEM PUT ON AT MY COST. WITH THE DRY SHAFT MADE OUT THE OF THAT KIND OF MATERIAL THE VEHICLE CAN FLIP OUT OF CONTROL AND CAUSE DAMAGE, HARM OR DEATH. SOUNDS TO ME THAT ONE DAY FORD MAY HAVE A LAW SUIT BECAUSE OF THESE PROBLEMS AND I'M SURE THAT I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED TO . NO WONDER WHY ITS A LOT OF FORD EXPEDITIONS ON THE LOTS CHEAP. FROM SOME RESEARCH OF THE WEB IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING A LOT. FORD NEEDS TO MAKE RITE WHAT THEY DID WRONG!

3RD TIME WE HAVE HAD A SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM THE PASSENGER ENGINE HEAD OF OUR 1998 FORD EXPEDITION WITH A TRITON 5.4 LITER ENGINE. I OWNED A FORD F150 AND HAD THIS SAME PROBLEM TWICE. I DID RESEARCH AND CALLED A FEW ASE MASTER MECHANICS THAT ARE RATED AS AMERICA'S #1 AND #4 MECHANICS IN THE NATION, AND WAS TOLD IT IS THE MOST COMMON PROBLEM FORDS TRITON ENGINES HAVE EVER HAD, AND THEY SEE THESE PROBLEMS ON A DAILY BASIS, YET FORD DOES NOT ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. FORD DESPERATELY NEEDS TO RECALL THESE ENGINES, THEY ARE A HAZARD, AND THE SPARK PLUG EJECTS WITH EXPLOSIVE POWER DAMAGING NEARBY COMPONENTS ON IT'S WAY OUT OF THE ENGINE. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THIS COMMON MANUFACTURE DEFECT. TO FIX THIS PROBLEM NEW HEADS NEED TO BE INSTALLED ON THE ENGINE. THE QUICK HELICAL STYLE SLEEVE INTO THE STRIPPED SPARK PLUG THREADS HAS A FAILURE RATE OF 100%. AGAIN THIS IS A MAJOR PROBLEM AND THE MAGNITUDE CAN BE SEEN ALL OVER THE INTERNET BY SEARCHING FORDS SPARK PLUG BLOWOUTS. LITERALLY 10'S OF THOUSANDS OF FORUMS, AND INSIGHT IN THIS PROBLEM IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, EXCEPT SUPPORT FROM FORD MOTOR COMPANY. *LN

I WAS DRIVING @ 70MPH DOWN INTERSTATE 10 IN SEGUINE TEXAS WHEN THE SPARKPLUG ON MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION BLEW OUT OF THE HEAD, DESTROYING THE COIL, PLUG AND WIRE. THE VEHICLE INTERIOR FILLED WITH GAS FUMES AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO KNOCK VERY LOUDLY. I WAS ABLE TO STOP THE VEHICLE PRIOR TO THE FUEL VAPORS IGNITING, HOWEVER THIS WAS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS MY WIFE AND CHILDREN WERE IN THE VEHICLE WITH ME. AFTER RESEARCHING I HAVE FOUND THAT THIS PROBLEM IS COMMON WITH THE FORD 5.4 TRITON ENGINES. THE MECHANIC I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO EXPLAINED THAT THE ALUMINUM HEADS DO NOT MESH WITH THE STEEL SPARK PLUGS AND EVENTUALLY TEAR ALL THE THREADS OUT OF THE HEAD AND SHOOT THE PLUG OUT OF THE HOLE. THE HEAD OF THE VEHICLE HAD TO BE REMOVED AND MACHINED AT A COST OF 1400$. *TR

THE GAS TANK STRAPS ON MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION RUSTED THROUGH. LUCKILY I NOTICED THE GAS TANK WAS HANGING DOWN FROM THE TRUCK BEFORE TAKING IT ON AN EXTENDED TRIP. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, THE CROSS-FRAME SUPPORT RAIL THAT HOLDS THE GAS TANK STRAP WAS ALSO RUSTED THROUGH. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRAILING ARM THAT CONNECTED THE REAR END TO THE FRAME FRACTURED IN HALF WHEN HE SHIFTED INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER RECALL AND ANY REPAIRS WOULD BE AT THE CONTACT'S EXPENSE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 170,000.