1999 Ford Expedition

CONSUMERS ALLEGED THAT WHEN IT RAINED OR SNOWED, WATER LEAKED INTO THE VEHICLE AROUND THE WINDSHIELD.MOISTURE FLOWING THROUGH THE SEAL THAT SURROUNDS THE FRONT WINDSHIELD FOLLOWS A PATH THROUGH THE SEAL INTO THE GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE (GEM) AND FUSE BOX, AND MAY CAUSE THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS IN THE VEHICLE TO MALFUNCTION.OVERALL, THE NUMBER OF REPORTS ALLEGING WIPER FAILURES AND LIGHTING FAILURES IS RELATIVELY SMALL.IN REVIEWING A LARGE SAMPLE OF THE 1503 COMPLAINTS FOR WINDSHIELD LEAKS, ODI'S ANALYSIS REVEALS THAT 0.04% OF THE TOTAL VEHICLE POPULATION REPORTED IMPROPER WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATION AND 0.01% OF THE TOTAL VEHICLE POPULATIONREPORTED LIGHTING FAILURES.THE WARRANTY CLAIMS REVEAL THAT APPROXIMATELY 0.10% OF THE POPULATION HAS BEEN SERVICED FOR WIPER MALFUNCTIONS AND 0.08% FOR LIGHTING MALFUNCTIONS AS A RESULT OF WINDSHIELD LEAKING. ODI'S ANALYSIS OF THE FIELD PERFORMANCE STATISTICS AND AVAILABLE TECHNICAL INFORMATION HAS NOT ESTABLISHED THAT A DEFECT TREND EXISTS IN THE MALFUNCTION, FAILURE OR INTERMITTENT OPERATION OF THE FRONT WINDSHIELD WIPERS OR HEADLIGHTS.SEE THE ATTACHED SUMMARY REPORT.

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.

ODI HAS RECEIVED 39 REPORTS ALLEGING THAT WATER LEAKS AROUND THE WINDSHIELD CAUSING ELECTRICAL FAILURES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS AND THE HEADLAMPS.FORD REPORTS THAT WATER ENTERING THE VEHICLE CAN WET THE POWER DISTRIBUTION BOX (PDB) AND THE GENERIC ELECTRONIC MODULE (GEM).THESE COMPONENTS CONTROL VARIOUS ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE.THIS INVESTIGATION HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO AN ENGINEERING ANALYSIS, EA05015, TO ALLOW FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THE ISSUE AND TO ASSESS THE NATURE OF THE POTENTIAL SAFETY CONSEQUENCE.

EA05-005 IS CLOSED WITH FORD?S ACTIONS IN RECALLS 05V-017, 05V-388, AND 06V-286, RECALLING APPROXIMATELY 6.7 MILLION VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH TEXAS INSTRUMENTS SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCHES (SCDS).THE BRAKE SYSTEMS IN THESE RECALLED VEHICLES GENERATE A VACUUM THAT CAN POTENTIALLY CAUSE THE SCDS TO FAIL AND, IN CERTAIN SWITCH INSTALLATION ORIENTATIONS, CATCH FIRE.FORD IS ALSO INCLUDING THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF 1998 EXPLORERS.FORD HAS INFORMED ODI THAT TESTING TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURES IN THE 1998 EXPLORERS WILL CONTINUE AFTER THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.ODI BELIEVES THAT THE VEHICLES EXHIBITING THE FACTORS CAUSING SCDS FAILURE DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT CORRELATE WELL WITH THE OBSERVED FAILURE RATES ON THESE VEHICLES BY MODEL AND MODEL YEAR.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST IN THE NON-RECALLED VEHICLES MANUFACTURED WITH SCDS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN FORD?S RECALLS.ODI WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE NON-RECALLED POPULATION FOR INCIDENCE OF ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES.THE AGENCY RESERVES THE RIGHT TO TAKE FURTHER ACTION IF WARRANTED BY THE CIRCUMSTANCES.SEE ATTACHED CLOSING REPORT FOR DETAILS.

After I put it in park and turned the engine off the truck started to roll back and it didn't stop until it hit the curb across the street.

NHTSA ID

11486203

Incident

Sep 24, 2022

MY CAR HAS BEEN OVER HEATING AND HAVING PROBLEMS SINCE I FIRST BOUGHT IT. I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY I HAVE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP FIXING IT AFTER I JUST BOUGHT IT. SOMEONE TOLD ME TO CHECK IF IT HAD A RECALL AND SURE ENOUGH IT DOES! I CHECKED ON THE DMV WEBSITE TODAY.

NHTSA ID

11266520

Incident

Oct 5, 2019

THE SHIFT LINKAGE FROM THE STEERING COLUMN TO THE TRANSMISSION WILL NOT WORK DUE TO SEVERAL KINKS IN THE CABLE. I CANT GET THE KEYS OUT OF THE IGNITION DUE TO THIS NOR CAN I EVEN DRIVE MY VEHICLES BECAUSE IT WONT HO INTO GEAR. I WAS ON MY WAY HOME STOPPING AT A STORE WHEN THIS OCCURRED. HAD TO LEAVE MY TRUCK IN THE PARKING LOT WITH THE KEYS ATUUCK IN OT.

NHTSA ID

11207635

Incident

Apr 24, 2019

Mileage

220,200 mi

SPARK PLUGS BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE REPEATEDLY WHILE DRIVING

NHTSA ID

11113230

Incident

Jul 21, 2018

Mileage

150,000 mi

BOUGHT A 99 FORD EXPEDITION 5.4 4X4 ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO. TODAY 1/30/18 WAS DRIVING AND STARTED TO HEAR CLICKING NOISE UNDER DASH THE WINDSHIELD FLUID LIGHT AND 4X4 LIGHT STARTED TO FLASH AS THE SAME TIME AS IT FLASHED I HARD THE CLICKING NOISE THE RADIO THEN TURNED OFF AND THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW STOPPED WORKING ALSO FAN BLOWER WILL WORK WITH THE TRUCK IS SHUT OFF. LAST WEEK I HAD SHUT MY FORD EXPO OFF I WENT TO RESTART IT ABOUT A HALF HOUR LATER AND WOULD NOT START BACK UP. THE TRUCK FINILY STARTED ABOUT A HOUR LATER.

NHTSA ID

11065980

Incident

Jan 30, 2018

Mileage

145,386 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 05V388000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. AFTER THE REPAIR, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IT CAUGHT FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE AND A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 200,000.

NHTSA ID

10910841

Incident

Jan 10, 2016

Mileage

200,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE NEAR THE CONTACT'S GARAGE, A FIRE ERUPTED UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT WAS ALERTED TO THE FAILURE DUE TO THE ALARM SOUNDING. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED AND REMAINED PARKED AT THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 06E056000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) AND 98V312000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10903283

Incident

Aug 29, 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1999 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY. THE POLICE BELIEVED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED ON THE DRIVER SIDE UNDER THE HOOD. A POLICE AND A FIRE REPORT WERE FILED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE WITH TWO FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AND A HOSE BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. A PASSENGER WHO WAS SEATED IN AN UNKNOWN LOCATION SUSTAINED A FRACTURED RIGHT KNEE, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ID

10894407

Incident

Aug 4, 2016

Mileage

199,000 mi

SOME 1997-2008 VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A 4.6L 2V, 5.4L 2V, OR 6.8L 2V ENGINE--SPARK PLUG THREAD REPAIR PROCEDURE--NOT COVERED UNDER NEW VEHICLE LIMITED WARRANTY. *NJ THIS INCLUDES F-53 MOTORHOME CHASSIS. UPDATED 2/23/10. *PE

WDS COP KIT DIAGNOSTIC TIP - COIL ON PLUG (COP) IGNITION SYSTEMS - ENGINE MISFIRE OR ROUGH RUNNING. *TT

REAR AXLE NOISE REPAIR. *TT

USE OF STAINLESS STEEL EXHAUST STUDS IN SERVICE FOR 5.4L 2V ENGINE. *TT

INTERMITTENT ROUGH IDLE - NON-COMMANDED EGR (EXHAUST GAS RECIRCULATION VALVE) FLOW. *TT

REAR AXLE NOISE REPAIR. *SC