1999 Ford Excursion

ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2005, ODI RECEIVED A PETITION REQUESTING THAT THE AGENCY INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF ENGINE SPARK PLUG EJECTION IN CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 1997 THROUGH 2004 FORD VEHICLES WITH TRITON V-8 AND V-10 ENGINES.ODI RECEIVED A TOTAL OF 474 NON-DUPLICATIVE COMPLAINTS ON THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WHERE THE COMPLAINANT, OR THE DEALER REPAIRING THE VEHICLE, REPORTED THAT A SPARK PLUG DETACHED FROM THE CYLINDER AND/OR EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE.AS OF DECEMBER 8, 2005, ODI IS NOT AWARE OF ANY ALLEGATIONS WHERE THE ALLEGED DEFECT RESULTED IN A LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL, A CRASH, AN INJURY, OR A FATALITY IN ANY OF THE 10,319,810 SUBJECT VEHICLES.IN ADDITION, ODI IS AWARE OF ONLY TWO INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT RESTART.INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THE ODI CONSUMER COMPLAINTS AND OBTAINED FROM 72 TELEPHONE INTERVIEWS WITH COMPLAINANTS SHOWED THE FOLLOWING:(1) 99% OF THE COMPLAINTS WERE ON MY 1997 TO 2002 SUBJECT VEHICLES.(2) MOST THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED HEARING A LOUD POP WHILE DRIVING OR UPON STARTING UP THE VEHICLE FOLLOWED BY A LOUD, REPETITIVE CLICKING OR POPPING SOUND.(3) MANY OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THE POPPING SOUND WAS ACCOMPANIED BY SOME LOSS OF VEHICLE POWER; HOWEVER, IN 99% OF THE INCIDENTS REPORTED, THE VEHICLE DID NOT STALL.IN THE VERY FEW INCIDENTS WHERE THE VEHICLE DID STALL, MOST VEHICLES COULD BE RESTARTED.(4) ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE COMPLAINANTS CITED THAT THEY SMELLED GAS OR A SLIGHT BURNING SMELL WHEN THE INCIDENT OCCURRED.(5) IN ALL BUT A VERY FEW INCIDENTS, VEHICLE DAMAGE WAS LIMITED TO THE ENGINE.IN ONE INCIDENT, THE COMPLAINT REPORTED THAT THE FUEL RAIL WAS DAMAGED AND REPLACED AFTER ONE OF THE SPARK PLUGS EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE; HOWEVER, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT THE DAMAGE DID NOT RESULT IN ANY TYPE OF FUEL LEAK OR FIRE.IN ANOTHER INCIDENT, THE ONLY INCIDENT WHERE A FIRE WAS ALLEGED, THE COMPLAINANT REPORTED THAT NO FLUID LEAK WAS OBSERVED, BUT THAT A FIRE RESULTED AFTER THE SPARK PLUG HAD EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE AND HE HAD RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND DRIVEN TO ANOTHER LOCATION.NONE OF THE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED ANY DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE HOOD.(6) ONLY TWO COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THEY OBSERVED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SOME DROPS OF FUEL COMING FROM THE CYLINDER WHERE THE SPARK PLUG HAD FAILED OR ON THE SPARK PLUG ITSELF; HOWEVER, EACH OF THESE COMPLAINANTS REPORTED THAT THERE WAS NO SMOKE OR FLAMES AS A RESULT OF HIS INCIDENT.AS THE PETITIONER NOTED, AND ODI?S ANALYSIS SHOWED, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A SPARK PLUG TO DETACH FROM THE ENGINE CYLINDER THREADS IN THE SUBJECT VEHICLES.HOWEVER, ODI?S ANALYSIS OF 474 COMPLAINTS DESCRIBING SUCH INCIDENTS FOUND ONLY A VERY FEW ALLEGED ANY SAFETY-RELATED CONSEQUENCES.NONE OF THESE SHOWED ANY EVIDENCE OF A SERIOUS SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.GIVEN THE LARGE POPULATION AND RELATIVELY LONG EXPOSURE TIME OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES, THE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS INDICATES THAT THE RISK TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY FROM THE ALLEGED DEFECT IS VERY LOW.IN VIEW OF THE FOREGOING, IT IS UNLIKELY THAT NHTSA WOULD ISSUE AN ORDER FOR THE NOTIFICATION AND REMEDY OF THE ALLEGED DEFECT AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE INVESTIGATION REQUESTED IN THE PETITION.THEREFORE, IN VIEW OF THE NEED TO ALLOCATE AND PRIORITIZE NHTSA?S LIMITED RESOURCES TO BEST ACCOMPLISH THE AGENCY?S SAFETY MISSION, THE PETITION IS DENIED.

WHILE BACKING UP AND TURNING, THE LOWER BALL JOINT ON MY 1999 FORD EXPEDITION FAILED. THE PIN ACTUALLY SHEARED OFF THE BALL. THE VEHICLE HAD ABOUT 96200 MILES ON IT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10165090

Incident

Aug 1, 2006

Mileage

96,200 mi

I OWN A 1999 FORD EXPEDITION AND HAVE NOW HAD 2 SPARK PLUGS EJECT OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD DUE DESTROYING THE COILS OF EACH SPARK PLUG IN THE PROCESS. THIS IS A WIDELY KNOW ISSUE WITH 1997-2000 FORDS, BUT FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I CALL THE DEALER IN CARLSBAD CALIFORNIA AND WAS QUOTED ALMOST $3000 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THERE IS NO RECALL ON THIS FAILURE AND FORD IS DOING NOTHING ABOUT IT. I FOUND A COMPANY NAMED TIMESERT THAT SELLS A "FORD TRITON SPARK PLUG STEEL INSER KIT" AND PAID OVER $400 FOR THE KIT AND DID THE REPAIRS MYSELF....WHEN A COMPANY LIKE TIMESERT MAKES A KIT SPECIFICALLY TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WITH FORDS IT'S HARD NOT TO BELIEVE THERE IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM HERE THAT FORD NEEDS TO CORRECT. *JB

NHTSA ID

10154355

Incident

Jan 10, 2006

Mileage

130,000 mi

99 EXPEDITION WITH 5.4 L TRITON V-8 FORCIBLE EJECTED SPARK PLUG FROM CYLINDER HEAD LEADING TO ENGINE FAILURE. *JB

NHTSA ID

10146122

Incident

Dec 23, 2005

Mileage

73,000 mi

I HAVE A 99 FORD EXPEDITION. TAIL LIGHTS, BRAKE LIGHTS, HAZARD LIGHTS, AND REAR WIPER WORKS WHEN THEY WANT TO WORK. TAKEN IT TO SERVICE SHOP, CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. TAKE IT BAKE WHEN IT DOES IT AGAIN, SHOP REPLACES JUNCTION BOX (FUSE BOX). IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN AS I WRITE THIS, AND IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. SHOP DOESN'T SEEM TO KNOW THE PROBLEM. *NM

NHTSA ID

10132745

Incident

Aug 12, 2005

Mileage

80,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING/IDLING, SMOKE WOULD COME OUT FROM THE DRIVER SIDE TAILLIGHTS COMPARTMENT. THE DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM. THE CAUSE WAS NOT DETERMINED. PLEASE PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION. *NM THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT OFFER TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE NOR LOOK INTO WHAT CAUSED THE PROBLEM. THE CONSUMER OPENED THE TRUNK AND SAW SMOKE AND FIRE AROUND THE LOCK AREA. THE CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT. THE WIRES AND PLASTIC INSERT AND BULB THAT LIGHTS UP LICENSE PLATE WAS THE CAUSE. *TC

NHTSA ID

10108547

Incident

Nov 26, 2004

Mileage

85,000 mi

WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE STEERING WHEEL VIBRATED AND THE CAR JUMPED. THE FRONT AND REAR ROTORS WERE REPLACED. THE FUEL LINE WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED ON ITS OWN. *JB

NHTSA ID

10108800

Incident

Dec 17, 1999

Mileage

5,000 mi

WHILE TRAVELING ON THE HIGHWAY SHE HEARD A CLICKING NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH. THE DEALERSHIP IS AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE BOLT THAT HOLDS THE SWAYBAR BROKE. TS

NHTSA ID

8021619

Incident

Oct 24, 2002

FUEL CONDITIONER. LOW POWER, POOR FUEL ECONOMY, FUEL GELLING IN COLD WEATHER, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE ON COLD START, HARD START, OR COKING OF COMPONENTS EXPOSED TO EXHAUST. *TT

A COLD WEATHER REVERSE ENGAGEMENT STALL. *TT

ENGINE OR FUEL SYSTEM CONCERNS WHEN USING FUEL WITH GREATER THAN 5% BIODIESEL CONCENTRATION. *TT

LOW POWER, POOR FUEL ECONOMY, FUEL GELLING COLD, EXCESSIVE WHITE SMOKE COLD, OR HARD START. *MJ THIS OASIS UPDATES PREVIOUS OASIS DATED 12/01/03. *TT

TRANSFER CASE SHIFT ISSUES ON VEHICLES WITH AN ELECTRONIC SHIFT ON THE FLY (ESOF) TRANSFER CASE. *TT

MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) ON WITH DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P0603 (POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE KEEP ALIVE MEMORY ERROR) OR P0605 ( POWERTRAIN CONTROL MODULE READ ONLY MEMORY ERROR). *TT