1998 Ford Expedition Visibility & Wipers Problems

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER, WATER BEGAN TO LEAK INTO THE VEHICLE FROM THE WINDSHIELD AREA. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 81,000.

WHEN IT RAINS WATER LEAKS ONTO THE GEM MODULE AND FUSE BOX UNDER THE DASHBOARD LEFT OF THE STEERING COLUMN. SOME OF THE EFFECTS ARE, WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPING, TRANSMISSION GOING INTO LIMP MODE WITH OD LIGHT FLASHING, BATTERY GOING DEAD IF RAINING OVERNIGHT, SPEEDOMETER NOT WORKING, HEATER FAN RUNNING WHILE OFF, LEFT FRONT POWER WINDOW NOT WORKING, AND INSTRUMENT PANEL WARNING LIGHTS FLASHING ON AND OFF. EVERYTHING COMES BACK TO NORMAL AFTER IT DRIES OUT. I HAD THE WINDSHIELD REPLACED. I HAD THE NEW WINDSHIELD RESEALED TWICE. I HAD TO REPLACE THE BATTERY. I STILL CAN SEE WATER DRIPPING NEXT TO THE PARKING BRAKE. I HAVE BROWSED THE NET AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH EXPEDITIONS AND F150'S. I WOULD LIKE FORD TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND REPAIR THIS DEFECT.

OUTSIDE MIRRORS ON BOTH SIDES OF AUTO HAVE SHOWN LINES IN THE MIRRORS AND THEY SHOW UP IN SUNLIGHT AND WHEN IN TRAFFIC AT NIGHT. THEY CAUSE YOU TO LOSE SOME VISION. I NOTICED THIS CONDITION FOR SOME TIME BUT THE DEALERS TOLD ME THIS WAS NORMAL. THIS AUTO HAS ONLY 500 MILES NOW BUT THIS STARTED BACK IN 2000. I JUST WENT IN FOR SERVICE 3/17/05 AT FORD AND THEY SAID ITS UP TO ME TO PAY FOR REPLACEMENT. I FEEL THAT THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF THIS IS COMMON ON FORD SUV. THANK YOU R VUSICH. *JB

HEATER COIL WAS REPLACED FIVE TIMES. THE DEALER STATED THAT RADIO WAS MAKING THE PART DEFECTIVE. THE COIL WENT OUT AGAIN, AND THE VEHICLE WAS DOWN. MANUFACTURER STATED NO MORE REPLACEMENTS. *AK

BOTH OUTSIDE MIRRORS SEPARATED FROM THE OUTSIDE, MAKING VISUAL CONTACT VERY POOR. OWNER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP BUT WAS INFORMED THAT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF WARRANTY, THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD DO. *AK SIDEVIEW MIRRORD WERE DELAMINATING,CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. *AK SIDE MIRRORS ARE DELAMINATING CAUSING POOR VISABILITY.*SB

BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE MIRRORS GLASS BROKE OFF FROM THE INSIDE. THIS CAUSED POOR VISIBILITY TO THE DRIVER. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION, AND MECHANIC DETERMINED THAT BOTH PASSENGER AND DRIVER SIDE MIRRORS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK

FRONT WINDSHIELD/WIPER FLUID DISPENSER: CROSS-COUNTRY ROAD TRIP - FAILURE TO DISPENSE WIPER FLUID. SPORADIC DISPENSING OF WIPER FLUID ON ROAD TRIP AND CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. PUSHING BUTTON HARD & AT DIFFERENT ANGLES SOMETIMES WORKS. *JB

POWER WINDOWS, FRONT AND BACK FAIL TO OPERATE. DRIVERS SIDE WILL POWER DOWN, BUT WILL NOT POWER UP. SOMETIMES WHEN I CONTINUOUSLY OPERATE THE SWITCH I CAN HEAR A CLICKING NOISE ALMOST LIKE SOMETHING IS NOT CONNECTING. I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN IT TO A DEALER TO INVESTIGATE BECAUSE I AM AFRAID THE COST TO 'FIX' WILL BE HUGH. I HAVE ALSO HAD PROBLES WITH THE REAR WINDOW WIPER. IT HAS NEVER WORKED CONSISTENLY. I HAD IT WORKED ON ONE TIME, THE DEALER SAID IT WAS LOCKED UP AND FIXED IT. IT WORKED ABOUT TWICE AND HAS NOT WORKED SINCE, THAT WAS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.*AK

CONSUMER WAS HAVING PROBLEM WITH WIPER BACK AND FRONT DRIVER SIDE, WERENOT WORKING AT ALL. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK *TR

DRIVER AND PASSENGER POWER DOOR LOCK SWITCHES DO NOT WORK. *JB

CLAMP ON HEATER HOSE IS NOT STRONG AND IT BROKE, CAUSING FLUIDS TO LEAK INTO ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. VEHICLE DOES NOT RUN PROPERLY. CONTACTED DEALER,AND DEALER STATED THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO, AND IT NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. PLEASE ADD VIN #. *AK

EXTERIOR MIRRORS ARE EXPERIENCEING PEELING FROM INSIDE OF BOTH MIRRORS, AND CAUSING POOR VISIBILITY. DEALER NOTIFIED, AND UNWILLING TO ASSIST IN THIS MATTER. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ANY FURTHER INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PROBLEM. *AK

REAR WINDOW "EXPLODED" OUTWARDS WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS NOT HIT, THE WEATHER WAS COOL. THE BLOWOUT PATTERN SENT 99% OF THE GLASS INTO THE STREET A DISTANCE OF 30 FEET OR MORE. VERY LITTLE GLASS WAS INSIDE THE CAR. I HAVE HEARD OF OTHER INCIDENTS OF THIS HAPPENING IN THE EXPEDITION/NAVIGATOR MODELS. IS THIS IN FACT A MODEL SPECIFIC OR DESIGN PROBLEM.*AK

'FORD KNOWS THAT THE HEATER HOSE HAS A BAD CONNECTION POINT AT THE FIREALL, THIS RESULTS IS DRIPPING WATER ON THE #4 COIL PACK NAD CAUSES IT TO BURN OUT. THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL ITEM BECAUE SO MANY OTHER PEOPLE WITH FORD EXPEDITIONS ARE INCURING THE SAME PROBLEM. *AK

WHILE DRIVING BEHIND A TRUCK, A ROCK WAS THROWN AGAINST WINDSHIELD, CAUSING A FINGERWIDE CRACK FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF WINDSHIELD. *AK

FRONT AND REAR WIPERS AND WASHERS STOP WORKING. WILL WORK IF TURN SIGNAL IS ACTIVATED. DT

WINDSHEILD WASHER JUST COMPLETLY FAILED. *AK

WIPERS GO ON AT ALL DIFFERENT TIMES AND SPEED BY THEMSELVES

WINDSHIELD WIPERS WILL NOT TURN OFF AFTER BEING TURNED ON. THE OWNER HAS TO PULL A FUSE LOOSE. OWNER HAS TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE RAIN IN ORDER TO HOOK FUSE UP TO TURN WIPERS ON. DEALERS SAYS VEHICLE NEEDS NEW SWITCH. *ML

REAR WIPER MOTOR (RWM) HAS FAILED AND BEEN REPLACED 4 TIMES WITHIN 36K MILES, 39 MOS FROM PURCHASE AS NEW. PURCHASED TRUCK ON 9/12/98; RWM REPLACEMENT #1 ON 6/3/99 AT 8530 MI; RWM REPLACEMENT #2 ON 9/25/99 AT 11965 MI; RWM REPLACEMENT #3 ON 7/13/00 AT 20413 MI; RWM REPLACEMENT #4 ON 12/12/01 AT 35419 MI. WHY HAS THIS COMPONENT FAILED SO OFTEN? DEFECTIVE DESIGN? DEFECTIVE COMPONENTS? IMPROPER INSTALLATION? ALSO SEE RWM FAILURE COMPLAINTS MADE BY OTHER CONSUMERS TO NHTSA. PLEASE REFER TO THOSE ODI #'S: 540834; 608809; 608715; 607562; 609271; 609531; 544197. THERE APPEARS TO BE A PATTERN OF RWM FAILURE. CONSIDER HOW MANY OTHERS HAVE NOT BOTHERED TO REPORT THIS PROBLEM. I CAN PROVIDE ANY DOCUMENTATION NEEDED. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU IN YOUR EFFORTS TO HAVE FORD MOTOR COMPANY CORRECT THE REAR WIPER MOTOR FAILURE PROBLEM. THANK YOU.*AK