There are 10 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2001 Ford Expeditionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
On the second row seat, passenger side door will not open using the door handle with the child safety switch in lock or unlock position. It will open from the outside handle. This is a safety concern. In case accident happen or fire in the vehicle occurs, the second and third row passengers can not get out of the vehicle fast enough for their safety. This has not work for over a year now.
I SENT THIS REQUEST TO FORD MOTOR COMPANY-I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE CHILD SAFETY LOCK ON BOTH REAR DOORS ON MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. THE DOORS LOCK BY THEMSELVES AND CANNOT BE OPENED FROM INSIDE. I CANNOT FIND ONLINE WHERE FORD SAYS IT IS A MALFUNCTION AND HAS NO RECORD OF ANY COMPLAINTS. HERE IS A LINK WITH QUITE A FEW COMPLAINTS. HTTP://WWW.TOPIX.COM/FORUM/AUTOS/FORD-EXPEDITION/TO442ERNK9KCQVKVB#COMMENTS. IS THERE A RECALL ON THIS. IF NOT, THERE NEEDS TO BE. OTHERWISE, I NEED TO KNOW HOW TO FIX THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE THIS IS DANGEROUS IF THE EXPEDITION IS IN AN ACCIDENT AND ANYONE IN THE BACK SEAT CANNOT ESCAPE. *TR
APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MINUTES AFTER I GOT HOME FROM WORK MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITIONS CATCHES ON FIRE. WE, MY WIFE AND 3 KIDS HERE A LOUD PRESSURE SOUND GO OFF OUTSIDE. NOT SURE WHAT WAS GOING ON, WE RUN TO THE FRONT DOOR AND AS MY WIFE OPENS THE DOORS SHE SCREAMS THAT THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE. WE RUN BACK INSIDE, SHE CALLS 911 AND I TAKE KIDS SAFELY THROUGH THE BACK YARD. I GOT BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE AND OPEN THE GARAGE DOOR AND FIND THE ENTIRE ONE CAR GARAGE FILLED WITH SMOKE. LUCKILY, NEIGHBORS GRAB THE HOSE AND ONE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO PUT OUT THE FIRE. THE FLAME REACHED THE GARAGE DOOR AND FRAME INCLUDING GUTTERS AND ROOF TILES. THANKFULLY TO THE NEIGHBORS THE ENTIRE HOUSE DID NOT CATCH ON FIRM SAID, THE LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN THEY ARRIVE AT THE SCENE. THE LOUD PRESSURE SOUND WE HEARD WAS THE DRIVER SIDE TIRE BLOW OUT. APPARENTLY, THE FIRE HAD STARTED SEVERAL MINUTES PRIOR TO US HEADING THE SOUND. CONSIDERING THE GARAGE WAS FILLED WITH THICK DARK SMOKE, IT MAY HAVE BEEN APPROXIMATELY 5-10 MINUTES SINCE THE FIRE STARTED. IT WAS THE SCARIEST MOMENT OUR LIVES. EVER SINCE OUR FAMILY HAS NEVER BEEN THE SAME, ANY LITTLE SOUND WE HEAR OUTSIDE WE'RE ALERTED. *TR
WAS CLOSING REAR LIFT GATE ON OUR 2001 FORD EXPEDITION THE STRAP ATTACHING MECHANISM BROKE CAUSING ME TO FALL BACKWARDS ON THE TO PAVEMENT STRIKING THE BACK OF MY HEAD AND SCRAPING MY ELBOW. THIS CAUSED ME TO BE TRANSPORTED TO THE LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOM FOR TREATMENT. *TR
WINDSHIELD LEAKING DUE TO FAULTY SEALANT. HAVE ALL KINDS OF SAFETY ISSUE WITH THE VEHICLE NOW. WATER LEAKS DIRECTLY INTO GEM MODULE WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TURNING ON AND OFF ALL FUNCTIONS OF MY FORD EXPEDITION. THINGS JUST RANDOMLY START AND STOP WORKING BY THEMSELVES, INCLUDING CRUISE CONTROL, FOUR WHEEL DRIVE, WIPERS, AND HEATER BLOWER. SOME STAY ON EVEN AFTER KEY IS REMOVED LEAVING YOU STRANDED. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS FIND SOMEONE FOR A JUMP START. *TR
BUBBLING AND BLISTERING OF PAINT ON HOOD BEGINNING ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO AND HAS SINCE GOTTEN MUCH WORSE. FORD EXPEDITION 2001. *TR
SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS, PAINT ON HOOD STARTED BUBBLING AND PEELING ABOUT 18 MONTHS AGO AND CONTINUES TO WORSEN EVEN THOUGH THE SUV IS GARAGE KEPT AND THERE IS NO RUST ANYWHERE ON THE VEHICLE. COST TO REPLACE AND REPAINT HOOD - $1500 - *TR
THE CHILD SAFE LOCKS ON THE REAR DOORS OF MY 2ND FORD EXPEDITION ACTIVATE THROUGH NORMAL DOOR OPERATION. THEY ARE ACTIVATED BY USING THE AUTOMATIC DOOR LOCKS AS WELL AS NORMAL INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE USE. I HAVE OWNED TWO EXPEDITION AND THIS HAS OCCURRED ON EACH VEHICLE ( A 1997 XLY EXPEDITION AS WELL AS A 2001 EDDIE BAUER EDITION). I AM AWARE OF THE SAME OCCURRENCE ON MY BROTHERS FORD EXCURSION SO THIS OBVIOUSLY IS NOT A SINGLE ISSUE BUT A ENGINEERING FAILURE. THIS ACTION LOCKS PEOPLE UNINTENTIONALLY IN THE BACK SEATS OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT NOTICE OR EASY CORRECTION SINCE YOU CAN'T REACH THE EXTERIOR HANDLE FROM INSIDE THE VEHICLE DUE TO LIMITED WINDOW OPENING HEIGHT. IN THE CASE OF AN ACCIDENT A PERSON WOULD BE LIKELY BE LOCKED IN UNABLE TO ESCAPE THE VEHICLE. OTHER OCCUPANTS WOULD LIKELY NOT BE AWARE OF THE SITUATION AND THUS POSSIBLY FIND NECESSARY ACTION UNNECESSARY. A ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN . *JB
2001 FORD EXPEDITION LEAKING FRONT WINDSHIELD CAUSED ELECTRICAL DAMAGE TO FUSE BLOCK AND ASSEMBLY. VEHICLE BECAME A NO START RESULTING IN OUT OF POCKET REPAIRS BY FORD DEALER IN STOCKBRIDGE, MI. MECHANIC COMMENTED AT TIME OF REPAIR HE HAD ALREADY FIXED SEVERAL VEHICLES PREVIOUSLY TO MY REPAIR FOR WATER DAMAGE UNDER DASH DUE TO LEAKING WINDSHIELD. *JB
RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS OVERHEATED,RESULTING IN THEIR FAILURE. RELATED RECALL 03V094000, CONSUMER'S VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED DUE TO VIN. *AK
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 Apr 25, 2026