There are 32 owner-reported visibility & wipers complaints for the 1997 Ford Expeditionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, HE BEGAN TO ROLL THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW DOWN. WHILE ROLLING THE WINDOW DOWN, IT DROPPED DOWN INTO THE DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE WINDOW DETACHED FROM ITS TRACK, ALLOWING IT TO DROP DOWN INTO THE DOOR PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. UPDATED 08/01/11*LJ UPDATED 09/19/11
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH IN REVERSE, BOTH BRACKETS DETACHED OFF THE BACK WINDOW, CAUSING THE WINDOW TO FALL OUTWARD. THE GLASS DID NOT BREAK, AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN IN FOR SERVICE.
MIRROR GLASS BROKE . *AK THE INTERNAL BACKING ON BOTH REAR VIEW MIRRORS IS PEELING AND CRACKING FROM THE GLASS AND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *NM
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FINISH ON THE REAR OF BOTH EXTERIOR SIDE MIRRORS IS PEELING. HE CAN SEE THE PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD AS A RESULT OF THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY WILL REPAIR THE MIRRORS AT THE CONTACTS EXPENSE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 80,034. UPDATED 09/26/07 *TR
THE DRIVER SIDE WINDOW BLEW OUT.*JB
REAR WINDSHIELD WIPER WILL NOT TO TURN ON MOST TIMES. IF WIPER ASSEMBLY IS JARRED HARD ENOUGHT (EITHER BY BUMP OR BANGING ON IT) WILL CAUSE IT TO WORK FOR A WHILE. THIS PROBLEM WAS ORGINALLY FIXED BY DEALER, BUT WARRANTY HAS PASSED AND THE PROBLEM HAS RETURNED. I HAVE TAKEN THE UNIT APART, BUT BELIEVE THE UNIT WAS NEVER CHANGED AND BELEIVE THE CONTACTS WERE CLEANED. I BELIEVE THE WIRING IS BEING CORRODED CAUSING FOR GOOD CONTACT OF THE WIRES.*AK
BOTH EXTERIOR MIRRORS ARE NOT USABLE. THESE ARE REPLACEMENTS THE FIRST SET FAILED AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF. IT SEEMS THAT THE MIRRORS DESIGNED FOR MY MODEL EXPEDITION HAVE A MAXIMUM TWO YEAR LIFE. FORD SAYS NO DEFECT, COME TAKE A LOOK AT MY SECOND SET OF MIRRORS ON A FOUR YEAR OLD VEHICLE.*AK
MECHANIC SAID FORD CHANGED DESIGN BECAUSE OF FAULTING PLACEMENT OF THE VENT. FORD SAID THEY WOULD HAVE REPLACED IF MILEAGE WAS UNDER 50K AND I WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. *AK
ON OUTSIDE MIRROR REFLECTION MATERIAL IS COMING OFF, OBSTRUCTING DRIVER'S VISION. *AK THE MANUFACTURER HAS REDESIGNED THE MIRRORS 3 TIMES. *YH
AFTER TRAVELING 10 MILES AND PARKED VEHICLE, WITHIN 2-3 MINUTES HEARD A LOUD NOISE AND FOUND REAR WINDOWS SHATTERED GLASS BOTH IN / OUT OF VEHICLE, NO KNOWN REASON COULD BE FOUND FOR THE INCIDENT. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK
TINT WINDOWS REFLECT ALL LIGHTS COMING IN, AND THIS IMPAIRS DRIVERS VISIBILITY OF ANYTHING THAT LIGHTS UP ITEMS, EVEN A SHINY BOOK IN THE SEAT. SMOKE TINT IS FINE, BUT REFLECTIVE TYPE TINT IS A SAFETY PROBLEM. *AK
FRONT PASSANGER SIDE MIRROR HAS MYLAR BACKING DETACHING ITSELF FROM THE GLASS CAUSING DISTORTION AND 'A SCRATCHING' EFFECT ON THE MIRROR'S SURFACE.
WHILE DRIVING THE REAR WINDOW SHATTERED AND COLLAPSED INSIDE THE VEHICLE. *YC
BOTH EXTERIOR MIRRORS ARE BECOMING DISTORTED IN CERTAIN LIGHTS WHICH REFLECT. DEALER CONTACTED AND NO RECALL ESTABLISHED. PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *YC
BOTH DOOR REARVIEW MIRRORS HAD TO BE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY DUE TO BACKING PEELING OFF, MAKING MIRRORS USELESS. AT THIS TIME, BACKING WAS PEELING AGAIN. CONSUMER FELT HE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO HAVE THESE MIRRORS REPLACED EVERY 2 YEARS.*AK *SLC
TRUCK WAS PARKED AND THE REAR WINDOW BLEW OUT. THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE TRUCK AND THE TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN STARTED UP. WHEN THE OWNER CAME OUT THAT WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE REAR WINDOW HAD EXPLODED. *AK
WINDSHIELD WIPERS FAIL TO CLEAN THE WINDSHIELD ON BOTH SIDES OF THE VEHICLE AND PRIMARILY IN THE CENTER VISION AREA OF THE WIPER AREA. THE WIPER BLADES HAVE BEEN REPLACED SEVERAL TIMES BUT THE PROBLEM CONTINUES. THE DEALER JUST REPLACES THE BLADES. IT APPEARS THAT THE HEIGHT OF THE WINDSHIELD IS PREVENTING THE BLADE ASSEMBLY FROM BEING ABLE TO MAKE FULL CONTACT ON THE WINDSHIELD EITHER DO TO THE SHAPE OF THE GLASS OR THE WIPER MECHANISM IS INSUFFICENT TO PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PRESSURE THROUGHOUT WIPERS RANGE. I HAVE OWNED MANY VEHICLES OVER 45 YEARS AND NEVER HAD THIS PROBLEM WITH A VEHICLE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS IN RAINY OR SNOWY CONDITIONS. *MJS
WINDSHIELD WIPER RETAINING NUT BROKE (WHERE THE BUILT IN WASHERS ARE LOCATED), WIPERS FAILED DURING THUNDER STORM, CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY.
WINDSHIELD WASHER SWITCH REPEATEDLY FAILS TO OPERATE WASHER. FIRST FAILURE WAS WITHIN THE FIRST 1000 MILES OF OWNERSHIP. DEALER REPLACED THE SWITCH ONE TIME. FAILURE REOCCURED WITHIN HOURS. DEALER CLAIMED THE SWITCH WAS OK NEXT TWO TIMES I ASKED FOR IT TO BE FIXED. SWITCH CAN BE MADE TO WORK BY SWITCHING TO HIGH BEAMS (WIPER CONTROL IS ON SAME STALK). AFTER YOU SWITCH TO HIGH BEAMS THE SWITCH MAY WORK FOR HOURS, MINUTES, DAYS OR SECONDS. IT CAN BE HAZARDOUS TO SWITCH TO HIGH BEAMS WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT IN TRAFFIC. FORD KNOW THESE SWITCHES ARE DEFECTIVE AND HAS DONE NOTHING.
REAR HATCH WINDOW IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING ON PAVED HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH. SHARP GLASS SHRADS AND CHIPS COVERED SECOND AND THIRD ROW SEAT AREAS. *AK
Showing 1–20 of 32 complaints
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026