There are 133 stored owner reports matching the engine leading-label group for the 1998 Ford Expedition in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 50 of 133 matching reports. This is a limited sample of up to 50 reports, ordered by incident date when available, not the complete group. The list controls page through the loaded reports only.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)5.4L GAS ENGINE. SPARK PLUGS HAVE BLOWN OUT OF 2 DIFFERENT CYLINDERS IN 2 MONTHS. I HAVE FOUND ONLY THAT THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR SEVERAL MODELS WITH THIS ENGINE INCLUDING THE F-150. FORD HAD DONE NOTHING TO ADDRESS THIS FAULTY ENGINE DESIGN. BOTH TIMES MY PLUGS BLEW OUT I WAS ACCELERATING FROM A STOP WHILE TURNING LEFT.
I HAVE A FORD 1998 EXPEDITION, EDDIE BAUER EDITION. IT HAS A 5.4 LITER ENGINE WITH ALUMINUM HEADS. THREE TIMES I'VE HAD A HELICOIL BLOWN OUT LEAVING ME STRANDED. NOW A SPARK PLUG HAS BLOWN OUT BREAKING TWO COILS. FORD HAS MADE THIS VEHICLE FOR YEARS WITH THIS ENGINE. ALL WITH THE SAME PROBLEMS OF COMPONENTS BLOWING OUT OF THE ENGINE. I FEEL IT IS FORD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO START A RECALL AND FIX THIS DEFECT.
#2 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF 5.4L 2 V V8. WAS ON HIGHWAY AT TIME. HAD TO IMMEDIATELY PULL OVER AND DISCONNECT FUEL AND SPARK FOR THAT CYLINDER. WAS OVER 100KM FROM HOME, COULDNT AFFORD TO TOW VEICLE SO I HAD TO DRIVE IT THE REMAINDER OF THE DISTANCE HOME. INSPECTED TODAY, THERE IS NO THREADS LEFT. NOW NEED TO DRILL AND TAP HEAD, INSTALL HELICOIL/TIMESERT AND HOPE FOR THE BEST.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS DEEMED DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 160,000.
BLEW A SPARK PLUG, STRIPPED THE THREADS RIGHT OUT OF THE ALUMINUM HEADS (HORRIBLE DESIGN). NOT AN ISSUE FOR NEWER VEHICLES UNTIL THEY REACH 140-190,000 MILES, AND NOW I SEE ONLINE THAT IT IS A HUGE ISSUE FOR THOUSANDS OF OWNERS OF THE 4.6 & 5.4L ENGINES. BREACHING THE HEADS EXPOSES FUEL TO THE SPARK AND COULD CREATE DANGEROUS FIRES. THE FIXES ARE EITHER TEMPORARY OR VERY COSTLY, THIS SHODDY DESIGN SHOULD BE CORRECTED BY FORD NOW THAT ALL OF THESE VEHICLES ARE REACHING HIGHER MILEAGES AND STILL ON THE ROAD. FOR FORD TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS BY USING ALUMINUM HEADS IS NOT WORTH THE SAFETY OF THOUSANDS OF LOYAL CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE ALWAYS STOOD BY FORD. MY CONFIDENCE IS DEFINITELY SHAKEN BY THEIR WILLINGNESS TO COMPROMISE QUALITY AND SAFETY FOR PROFIT. *TR
I HAVE A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION THE SPARK PLUGS NUMBER 3 AND 4 KEEP GOING OUT I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING I CAN OWN MY BUDGET TO TRY AND FIX BUT THE PROBLEM KEEP HAPPEN. I SMELL GAS AND SEE SMOKE THIS IS THE ONLY VEHICLE I HAVE TO GET ME AND MY DAUGHTER AROUND I NEED THIS PROBLEM FIX PERMANENTLY DON'T WONT NOTHING TO HAPPEN TO ME AND MY KID AS FAR AS TRUCK FIRE OR GAS FUMES. SO PLEASE CAN YOU GET WITH FORD TO FIX BEFORE SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS TO US.THANK YOU. *TR
I HAVE THE 5.4 TRITON V8 ENGINE. I JUST HAD MY 3RD SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT IN THE LAST YEAR.THEY NEED TO RECALL THESE HEADS. LUCKILY IT HASN'T RESULTED IN AN ENGINE FIRE LIKE IT HAS FOR OTHERS. *TR
WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, MY 98 FORD EXPEDITION SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT AND CAUSED A SMALL FIRE IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. *TR
SPARK PLUG KEEPS COMING OUT AND IF YOU DON'T STOP AND PULL OVER IMMEDIATELY IT CAN CAUSE A FIRE DUE TO GES COMING OUT OF THE HOLE AND GETTING ON A HOT ENGINE. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN OUR TOWN AND #3 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD, HAD TO BE TRAILERED TO A FORD MECHANIC TO FIX THE PROBLEM - NEW SPARK PLUG, COIL AND CYLINDER HEAD WORK - AND I FOUND OUT THIS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH THE 5.4 TRITON MOTOR!! *TR
THE SPARKS PLUGS BURNT OUT THEY WERE RUINED AND I JUST HAD A TUNE UP. *TR
COIL AND SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT OF ENGINE WHEN TRUCK WAS STARTED (1998). THE EXPEDITION HAS BEEN KNOWN TO HAVE THIS ISSUES AS WELL AS OTHER ISSUES. WHY IS FORD NOT TAKING RESPONSIBILITY; SO FAR ACCIDENT AVOIDED. I HAD TO REPLACE ONE COIL PACK EACH YEAR SO FAR BUT THIS WAS THE WORSE. I NEEDED THE CINDER RETREADED TO FIT THE SPARK PLUG IN. *TR
#6 SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF CYL HEAD. REINSTALLED AND REPLACED COIL SINCE IT BROKE MOUNT. PUT BACK IN SERVICE AND NEXT PLUG IN BANK (#7) BLEW WITHIN 10 MILES AT APPROX SAME SPEED. WHEN SEARCHING THE INTERNET THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH FORDS MODULAR ENGINE PRIOR TO 04. WHEN THEY MAKE SPECIAL TOOLS AND INSERTS TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM, FORD SHOULD PONY UP AND HAVE THE INSERTS INSTALLED AT LEAST FOR THE NORMAL LIFE EXPECTANCY OF THE ENGINE. *TR
SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY -- VERY DANGEROUS. HAD CHILDREN IN CAR. HAD TO BE TOWED. MY MECHANIC TOLD ME THIS IS A RECURRING PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE--5.4L-- IN OTHER FORDS AS WELL. HE HAD ANOTHER FORD WITH SAME PROBLEM COME IN THE PREVIOUS WEEK, AND HAS SEEN SEVERAL OTHERS RECENTLY (THIS IS JUST ONE SMALL TOWN/RURAL MECHANIC). PLEASE TAKE ACTION -- IT'S A COSTLY REPAIR. *KB
PLASTIC INTAKE MANIFOLD FAILURE RESULTING IN REPAIRS IN EXCESS OF $1500. *TR
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
APRIL 2011 FORD 5.4 LITER TRITON BLEW OUT YET ANOTHER SPARK PLUG. *TR
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
1998 FORD EXPEDITION THE SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT. *TR
Showing 1-20 of 50 loaded 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.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
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Vehicle import recorded: May 4, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.