U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Ford EXPEDITION problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

875 owner complaints analyzed

5 distinct recall campaigns

99,078 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 401 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 115 of 875 complaints (13.1%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	65	7.4%
Electrical and battery issues	49	5.6%
Transmission and shifting	36	4.1%
Steering behavior	33	3.8%
Engine operation	27	3.1%
Fuel system concerns	9	1.0%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

115

Tires

Tires:Tread/Belt

Electrical System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	115
Tires	95
Tires:Tread/Belt	73
Electrical System	71
Engine And Engine Cooling	67
Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior	47
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline	38
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	31

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 115; Tires: 95; Tires:Tread/Belt: 73; Electrical System: 71; Engine And Engine Cooling: 67; Visibility:Rearview Mirrors/Devices:Exterior: 47; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline: 38; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 31

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

137

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 11; 25,000 to 49,999: 38; 50,000 to 74,999: 79; 75,000 to 99,999: 76; 100,000 to 149,999: 137; 150,000 and above: 60

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (137). 474 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

187

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2018

2019

2022

2000: 187; 2001: 94; 2002: 74; 2003: 93; 2004: 86; 2005: 93; 2006: 57; 2007: 27; 2008: 32; 2009: 31; 2010: 30; 2011: 18; 2012: 6; 2013: 12; 2014: 10; 2015: 12; 2016: 8; 2018: 2; 2019: 2; 2022: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 65 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 49 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 36 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10001598 · 2002-12-27 (December 27, 2002)

CONSUMER COULD TAKE VEHICLE OUT OF PARK WITHOUT THE FOOT ON THE BRAKE. DEALER NOTIFIED. TS...*AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10001598 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007073 · 2003-02-11 (February 11, 2003)

THE REAR BRAKES SEIZED, WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE NOT MOVE.*JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007073 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000528 · 2003-01-05 (January 5, 2003)

AFTER AN OIL CHANGE AT 42K MILES, NOTICED A BURNING SMELL AND SOME SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE RIGHT SIDE ENGINE COMPARTMENT NEAR BATTERY. TOOK TRUCK TO DEALER AND WAS ADVISED THAT THE RIGHT SIDE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING TOWARDS THE REAR. VEHICLE OUT OF MANUFACTURER'S WARRANTY BUT LUCKILY I HAD AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. WAS TOLD BY THE DEALER MECHANIC THAT THERE IS INDEED A HEAD GASKET LEAK PROBLEM WITH THE 97-02 EXPEDITIONS. HEAD GASKETS SHOULD NOT FAIL AT 43K MILES AND FORD SHOULD REPAIR PROBLEM AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER.

Owner-reported narrative. 43,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000528 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006163 · 2003-02-03 (February 3, 2003)

THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH VEHICLE'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. ALL DOORS LOCK/UNLOCK INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT ENGAGEMENT. ALSO THE VEHICLE'S INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR LIGHTS ENGAGE ON/OFF. PH

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006163 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10000662 · 2002-12-31 (December 31, 2002)

WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE FROM A PRIVATE OWNER WE KNEW VERY WELL AND ALL REGULAR MAINTANCE HAD BEEN PERFORMED ACCORDING TO FORD RECOMENDATIONS. IN 2001 WITH ONLY 30,000 MILES THE TRANSMISSION HAD TO HAVE O-RINGS REPLACED IN TRANSMISSION BECAUSE OF PROBLEMS WITH THE AUTOMATIC SHIFTING. WE HAD THE TRANSMISSION FLUSHED JUST PRIOR TO THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT AS RECOMMENDED BY THE FORD OWNERS MANUAL. IN JUNE 2002 WHILE TOWING A TRAILER (WEIGHTS WITHIN LIMITS OF VEHICLE REQUIREMENTS) WE EXPERIENCE A COMPLETE LOSS OF THE TRANSMISSION. ENGINE WOULD …

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10000662 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10001514 · 2002-12-26 (December 26, 2002)

CONSUMER STATED HAVING PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSMISSION. ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR A THREE MONTH CHECK UP AND SAME CABLES WERE REPLACED AND TWO DAYS AFTER THE TRANSMISSION WENT OUT. TS *TT

Owner-reported narrative. 86,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10001514 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008573 · 2003-02-28 (February 28, 2003)

IN NINE MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP THE CONSUMER HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE HIGH TENSIONER, THE OUTER STEERING TIE ROD ENDS, WHICH HAD FELL APART WHILE DRIVING, THE BRAKE SYSTEM, AND THE INNER TIE ROD ENDS. SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10008573 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014510 · 2003-04-17 (April 17, 2003)

BROKEN LEFT SIDE TIE ROD RESULTED IN LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL - PURE LUCK THAT NO ACCIDENT HAPPENED. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10014510 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10018057 · 2003-05-02 (May 2, 2003)

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT THE VEHICLE SPARK PLUGS WERE DEFECTIVE. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10018057 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10053710 · 2004-02-19 (February 19, 2004)

THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THE DEALER. THE MECHANIC INFORMED THE CONSUMER THAT THE SPARK PLUGS BLEW OUT CAUSING THE ENGINE TO FAIL. *AK *NM

Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10053710 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10024569 · 2003-06-20 (June 20, 2003)

FUEL LINE IS LEAKING GAS ON TOP OF THE FUEL TANK. DEALER NOTIFIED. CONSUMER INDICATED THAT THE VEHICLE IS RUNNING WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024569 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10146239 · 2005-12-28 (December 28, 2005)

1999 FORD EXPEDITION - BLOW SPARK PLUG OUT OF NUMBER 3 CYLINDER. RESULT IS LOSS OF POWER AND VERY POOR DRIVABILITY AT LOW SPEEDS. ALSO, GAS SMELL FROM LEADING INJECTOR IN NOW OPEN CYLINDER. FORTUNATELY I WAS NOT TOWING WHEN THE PLUG BLEW, OR THE LOSS OF POWER COULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION. FORD DEALER RECOMMENDS REPLACING THE CYL. HEAD ($3,000), DOESN'T ACKNOWLEDGE ANY DEFECT THAT FORD HAS AUTHORIZED. SEVERAL OTHER MECHANICS INDICATE THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM ON THIS ENGINE, DEALS WITH INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF THREADS TO HOLD THE…

Owner-reported narrative. 92,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10146239 at NHTSA ↗