1998 Ford Expedition Electrical System Problems

TAKATA RECALL MY TRUCK HAS A BURNING SPELL AND WAS SOME SMOKE IT WAS PARK I WAS ABOUT TO PULL OFF ON MY STREET WHERE I LIVE

THE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME IN2 MONTHS. IT SOUNDED LIKE THE MOTOR WAS KNOCKING . FORD ONLY PUT 3 THREADS IN THE CYLINDER HEAD TO HOLD THE SPARK PLUG BUT THE SPARK PLUGS HAVE 10 THREADS. I CALLED FORD AND THEY ACTED LIKE THEY NEVER HEARD OF THIS BEFORE. THERE ARE FORUMS GOING BACK TO 2002 THAT I WAS READING YESTERDAY ABOUT THIS ISSUE SO CLEARLY THEY WERE LYING. OWNERS REPORT ENGINE FIRES WHEN THE PLUG BLOWS OUT. MY VEHICLE DIDN'T CATCH FIRE .THEY REFUSE TO FIX THIS DEFECT AND DENY ITS THEIR FAULT.

WENT TO STORE, CAME OUT BATTERY DEAD, CAR WOULDN'T START. HAD NOT LEFT LIGHTS OR ANY ACCESSORIES ON. GOT A JUMP, DROVE TO AUTO PARTS STORE. THEY CHECKED ALTERNATOR AND BATTERY AND SAID BATTERY DEAD, NEEDED AN OVERNIGHT CHARGE. LET THEM CHARGE BATTERY, PUT BACK IN CAR, HORN STARTED BLOWING AND WOULD NOT STOP DESPITE MY USING BOTH THE KEY AND KEY FOB. HORN BLEW FOR 5 HOURS BEFORE I FOUND OUT HOW TO DISCONNECT FROM GOOGLE. GOT HORN TO STOP, AND CAR WOULDN'T START. FORD DEALER SAID ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM HAD TO BE REPROGRAMMED AT COST OF $250 PLUS TOW TO DEALER. I NEVER ARMED THE SYSTEM AND IT SHOULD NOT HAVE SHUT MY TRUCK DOWN AND PREVENTED ME FROM DRIVING IT. I DON'T HAVE $250 AND THEN I FOUND OUT THE REPAIR IS ONLY $100 AT MOST. BUT THIS ACCORDING TO MY DEALER HAPPENS TO ANY FORD ANYTIME THE BATTERY GOES DEAD AND IS REPLACED, ANTI-THEFT SYSTEM IS MAKING PEOPLE PAY $250 TO FORD TO REPROGRAM WHAT SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE REPROGRAMMED. PLEASE HELP ME. THANK YOU. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

TAKATA RECALL: THE SPARK PLUGS HAVE BLOWN OUT OF THE ENGINE BLOCK. THEY HAVE BEEN REPAIRED 3 TIMES. EACH TIME, IT SMELLS OF AN ELECTRICAL LINE IS BURNING, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER GOES ERRATIC AND THEY ZEROS OUT AND DOESN'T MOVE. THIS HAS HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING ON CITY AND HIGHWAYS.

(TAKATA RECALL) I HAVE PURCHASED MY TRUCK FROM A LEGAL CAR DEALERSHIP IN RENO NV HAD 135000 MILES WEN BOUGHT IVE HAD TO REPLACE FUEL PUMP HAD TO BUY DIFFERENT RIMS/TIRES DUE TO WEAR OF STOCK RIMS .. EXHAUST PROBLEMS REPLACED FUEL INJECTOR. . WEAR OF THING CAUSING WATER DAMAGE WHEN RAINING OUTSIDE. SPARK PLUG EJECTED FROM ENGINE WAS IN MOTION 45 MPH STATIONARY MOVING PROBLEMS ALSO N WEN TURNING.

WHEN IT RAINS EVERYTHING INSIDE GOES DEAD AND IT WILL NOT CRANK. CAN BE GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND IT SHUTS OFF ON YOU . THIS WILL CONTINUE FOR A FEW DAYS UNTIL EVERYTHING DRIES OUT OR ITS NOT DAMP OUTSIDE ANYMORE.I HAVE LOOKED THIS UP ON COMPUTER AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT IS COMING BACK TO THE FUSE PANEL GETTING WET BECAUSE OF POOR DRAINAGE COMING FROM WINDSHIELD , SOME PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT IT HAS CAUSED FIRES. IHAVE ONLY OWNED THIS VEHICLE FOR 11/2 YEARS AND DON'T KNOW IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY RECALLS OR ANYTHING FIXED ON IT. PLEASE LET ME KNOW . THANKS. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

VEHICLE DRAINING POWER AFTER IGNITION SHUT TO OFF. POWER IS ON TO VEHICLE DUE TO WATER DAMAGE FROM VEHICLES EXTERIOR DEFECT DRAINING WATER DIRECT TO THE FUSE PANEL. WHAT IS IT GOING TO TAKE BEFORE THIS DANGEROUS CONDITION IS ADDRESSED BY OUR NHTSA, DEATHS? I HAVE FOUND THIS TO BE A PROBLEM IN ALMOST EVERY ONE IF NOT EVERY ONE OF THESE VEHICLES, IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF WHEN THESE PROBLEMS START. DO YOUR RESEARCH AND YOU WILL FIND COUNTLESS COMPLAINTS, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? WILL THIS BE ANOTHER STOP SIGN INSTALLED AFTER SOMEONE IS KILLED. IS THAT WHAT WE ARE WAITING ON? PLEASE STEP UP AND PROTECT THE PEOPLE THAT NOW OWN THESE VEHICLES BEFORE SOMEONE REALLY GETS HURT. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT WAS TRAVELING 20-30 MPH WHEN THE ANTI-THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AFTER THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S HOME AND WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 200,000.

WE HAVE OUR EXPEDITION FOR A WHILE AND WE KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO OWNED IT BEFORE US. WHILE IT IS RAINING AND DAYS AFTER THE POWER TO THE TRUCK DOES NOT TURN OFF. THE RADIO WILL TURN ON, THE BLOWER FOR HEAT OR AIR WILL KEEP BLOWING, THE LIGHTS WILL TURN ON, THE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WILL STOP, ABS WILL STOP, AND THE WIPER BLADES WILL NOT WORK. SO BECAUSE THE ELECTRICAL ITEMS WILL TURN ON AT RANDOM, THEY DRAIN THE BATTERY AND THE TRUCK WILL NOT START THE NEXT DAY. WE FOUND OUT THAT DUE TO MANUFACTURING ERROR, THE WINDSHIELD LEAKS WATER INTO THE GENERAL ELECTRIC MODULE. THE OTHER PROBLEM IS THE PART NOT ONLY EXPENSIVE, BUT IF YOU BUY ONE AND IT DOES NOT WORK, IT IS NOT RETURNABLE. AND THAT WAS TOLD TO US BY MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS. SO BASICALLY FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND HAS DONE NOTHING ABOUT IT. *TR

MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION HAD A RECALL AND THEY WANTED TO KEEP MY CAR FOR THREE DAY MINIMUM OF THREE DAYS. I HAVE TO WORK SO I WAITED UNTIL I HAD A LONG WEEKEND. I WAITED TO LONG I GUESS BECAUSE I CAME OUT OF THE BANK AND MY CAR WAS ON FIRE. I CALLED AUTO FAIR FORD IN MANCHESTER,NH AND THEY SAID BECAUSE I DID NOT BRING IT IN IMMEDIATELY THAT THEY WOULD REPLACE THE PART THAT STARTED THE FIRE BUT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE DESTROYED BY THE RECALLED PART. I WILL NEVER BUY OR DEAL WITH FORD OR FORD VEHICLES AGAIN! *TR

MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION BEGAN HAVING SEVERE ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS AFTER HEAVY RAINS. THE STARTER WILL CYCLE WHEN THE KEY IS NOT EVEN IN THE IGNITION, THE AC BLOWER REMAINS ON WHEN TRUCK IS SHUT OFF, SPEEDOMETER FAILS TO WORK, TRANSMISSION SHIFTS ROUGHLY, INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON, TRUCK SHUTS OFF UNEXPECTEDLY. RESEARCHED ON INTERNET AND APPARENTLY MANY FORD TRUCKS MADE IN 1998 HAVE SIMILAR PROBLEMS DUE TO LEAKY WINDSHIELDS, ALLOWING WATER TO ENTER FUSE BOXES. THIS PROBLEM COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS PARTICULARLY THE CONSTANT CYCLING OF THE STARTER IN AN UNATTENDED TRUCK, AND SHUTTING OFF WHILE DRIVING. I WOULD IMAGINE ENGINE FIRES ARE ALSO A POSSIBILITY GIVEN THE RANGE OF ELECTRICAL ISSUES THIS IS CAUSING. REPAIRS INCLUDE A NEW WINDSHIELD AND GEM BOX, RUNNING APPROXIMATELY $1,000. *TR

OUR 1998 EXPEDITION ONLY HAS 93,000 MILES AND IT IS POSING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS, THE MECHANIC HAS TOLD US IT NEEDS A NEW GEM MODULE. I HAVE READ AT LEAST 50 COMPLAINTS ABOUT FORDS WINDSHIELD LEAKING AND CAUSING SAME SYMPTOMS. WHY WOULD FORD DO A RECALL. OR MAYBE THEY HAVE. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THEY HAVE. THIS COULD CAUSE A FIRE WHICH COULD CAUSE A SEVER ACCIDENT. ALL THE COMPLAINTS ARE VERY SIMILAR SO IT IS A MANUFACTURED DEFECT. *TR

I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION EB MODEL. I JUST HAD TO TAKE IT INTO THE DEALER BECAUSE THE WINDSHIELD IS NOT SEALED PROPERLY AND THE GEM MODULE HAS BEEN GETTING WET AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED ALONG WITH THE FUSE BOX. APPARENTLY THIS IS QUITE COMMON WITH THIS YEAR AND MODLE.I HAVE TO SPEND 885 TO HAVE IT FIXED AND NOW HAVE TO HAVE THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED AS WELL. THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND THE LIGHTS FLICKERS ON AND OFF WHILE I WAS DRIVING THE POWER LOCKS WOULD LOCK AND UNLOCK WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THE WINDOWS WOULD GO UP AND DOWN WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS IS NOT SAFE! IT DIED IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION ONCE THEN THE ENGINE REVVED UP AND IT WOULDN'T STOP. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP IT IS TO DISCONNECT THE BATTERY. THE DASH STARTED SMOKING AND A BEEPING NOISE CAME FROM UNDER THE DASH SOMEWHERE. I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET THE BATTERY DISCONNECTED BEFORE THERE WAS ANY REAL FIRE DAMAGE. IF I HAD KNOW NOTHING ABOUT CARS I WOULD HAVE KEPT DRIVING AND COULD HAVE BEEN SERIOUSLY INJURED. *TR

CORROSION ON BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR COMPONENTS AND THERMAL EVENT ON WIRING HARNESS TO BLOWER MOTOR RESISTOR. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF SMOKE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A CARPORT. SUDDENLY, THE VEHICLE ERUPTED UNCONTROLLABLY IN FLAMES AND EXPLODED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED TO THE SCENE AND A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO WARNINGS PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. THE TWO PET DOGS THAT WERE OUTSIDE WHEN THE MASSIVE FIRE ERUPTED SUSTAINED SEVERE BURNS. THERE WERE NO PERSONAL INJURIES. THE PROPERTY DAMAGE CONSISTED OF THE CARPORT AND PORTIONS OF THE HOUSE, SUCH AS THE ROOF, SIDING, AND A COUPLE OF ROOMS INSIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY DESTROYED AND CURRENTLY REMAINS AT THE SCENE FOR INVESTIGATION PURPOSES. THE CONTACT IS IN THE PROCESS OF NOTIFYING THE MANUFACTURER. THE INSURANCE COMPANY WAS NOTIFIED, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE HAS NOT YET BEEN DETERMINED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 181,000. UPDATED 05/08/09 *BF UPDATED 05/12/09.*JB UPDATED 06/09/09.*JB

MY SUV CAUGHT FIRE PARKED IN A PARKING LOT AND NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. *TR

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE MY SPARK SHOT OUT AND I HAD TAKE TO THE AUTO REPAIR FOR THEM TO REPLACE THE HALO COIL IN WHICH IT HAPPEN TWICE. *CN

MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION XLT HAS THE LEAKING WINDSHIELD PROBLEM, WHICH HAS LED TO MISDIAGNOSIS BY THE DEALER AND BY INDEPENDENT MECHANICS. THE LIGHTS, FANS, AND SWITCHES RANDOMLY TURN ON AND OFF, THE POWER WINDOWS WORK INTERMITTENTLY, THE BLOWER FAN AND RADIO STAYS ON, AND THE BATTERY HAS GONE DEAD THREE TIMES. TODAY IS THE MOST RECENT OCCURRENCE OF THE PROBLEM, AND I FOUND IT AS NOTED IN AN ONLINE FORUM. FORD IS/HAS BEEN AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, YET WILL ONLY FIX IT IF THE CAR HAS LESS THAN 75,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER, WHICH WORKS INTERMITTENTLY AS WELL. APPARENTLY THE REPAIR WILL RUN IN EXCESS OF $1,000, EVEN THOUGH FORD HAS MULTIPLE REPORTED CASES OF THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR

MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION XLT CAUGHT FIRE WHEN PARKED IN THE PARKING LOT OF GEORGIO'S RESTAURANT AFTER DRIVING FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES. FIRE STARTED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND REMAINED LOCALIZED THERE. ENTIRE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FLAMED UP, BURNED A HOLE THROUGH THE HOOD, AND DAMAGED EVERYTHING FORWARD OF THE VEHICLES FIREWALL. FLAME WAS CONTAINED AND EXTINGUISHED USING INDUSTRIAL FIRE EXTINGUISHERS AVAILABLE AT THE RESTAURANT GEORGIO'S WHERE MY WIFE, DAUGHTER, AND I WERE MEETING MY PARENTS FOR DINNER. THE VEHICLE HAS A GOOD SERVICE RECORD AND HAS BEEN SERVICE AT THE LOCAL FORD DEALER A FEW TIMES, SO THIS WAS A HUGE SURPRISE. I AM FAIRLY CONFIDENT THE VEHICLE WILL BE DECLARED "TOTALED" BY MY INSURANCE CARRIER GEICO. MY WIFE AND I DEPEND ON HAVING A SECOND VEHICLE BECAUSE I DRIVE OUR OTHER VEHICLE 60 MINUTES AWAY EVERY DAY FOR WORK. SINCE SHE SPENDS HER TIME RAISING OUR DAUGHTER, I AM THE SOLE SOURCE OF INCOME, BUT WE'RE UNSURE THAT INCOME CAN ACCOMMODATE A CAR PAYMENT (BOTH OF OUR VEHICLES ARE PAID FOR). *NM

THE BATTERY KEEPS RUNNING DOWN. CAN'T FIND ANYTHING LEFT ON INSIDE TRUCK. HAVE REPLACED BATTERY THREE TIMES. BATTERY HAS THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF CRANKING AMPS. STILL KEEPS RUNNING DOWN. HEARD THAT THERE MAYBE PROBLEMS WITH THE BATTERY CABLES OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF ELECTRICAL WIRING. *JB