U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Ford EXPEDITION problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

578 owner complaints analyzed

6 distinct recall campaigns

91,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 375 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 84 of 578 complaints (14.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	79	13.7%
Electrical and battery issues	76	13.1%
Transmission and shifting	35	6.1%
Engine operation	15	2.6%
Steering behavior	13	2.2%
Fuel system concerns	6	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.

Electrical System

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Tires:Tread/Belt

Tires

Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Electrical System	84
Vehicle Speed Control	72
Engine And Engine Cooling	63
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	46
Tires:Tread/Belt	28
Tires	24
Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control	24
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	23

Electrical System: 84; Vehicle Speed Control: 72; Engine And Engine Cooling: 63; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 46; Tires:Tread/Belt: 28; Tires: 24; Vehicle Speed Control:Cruise Control: 24; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 23

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

107

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 16; 25,000 to 49,999: 60; 50,000 to 74,999: 62; 75,000 to 99,999: 78; 100,000 to 149,999: 107; 150,000 and above: 52

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (107). 203 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

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2020

2022

2023

2024

2026

2000: 1; 2001: 30; 2002: 47; 2003: 54; 2004: 55; 2005: 78; 2006: 41; 2007: 46; 2008: 45; 2009: 33; 2010: 43; 2011: 32; 2012: 11; 2013: 19; 2014: 9; 2015: 8; 2016: 8; 2017: 5; 2019: 1; 2020: 5; 2022: 1; 2023: 2; 2024: 2; 2026: 2

Pattern summary

Electrical System leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 79 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 76 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 35 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 10000270 · 2002-12-19 (December 19, 2002)

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC WHEN SHE SUDDENLY HAD NO BRAKES. THE BRAKE PEDAL WENT ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOOR AND FAILED TO RESPOND. SHE THEN BEGAN TO PUMP THEM WILDLY AND GOT SOME BRAKING ACTION. (THIS IS IN AN NEW FORD EXPEDITION WITH ONLY 47,000 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. ) SHE DROVE IN FIRST GEAR TO OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER A FEW BLOCKS AWAY. A RIGHT FRONT WHEEL BEARING HAD ALREADY WORN OUT-APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, CAUSING THE WHEEL TO BECOME LOOSE FROM THE AXLE. AS IT CAME LOOSE, THE BRAKE SHOE AND PISTON MECHANISM …

Owner-reported narrative. 47,600 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000270 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003297 · 2003-01-23 (January 23, 2003)

WHEN DRIVEN IN COLD WEATHER, VEHICLE THROTTLE WILL SUDDENLY STICK AND ACCELERATE TO VERY HIGH RPM. BRAKING SYSTEM IS UNABLE TO STOP VEHICLE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. WENT TO DEALER WITH SERVICE BULLETIN NUMBER AND WAS LAUGHED AT. TOLD ME TO LEAVE VEHICLE WITH THEM.

Owner-reported narrative. 50,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003297 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013967 · 2003-04-04 (April 4, 2003)

I HAVE TWO INTERMITTENT ISSUES WITH MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION EDDIE BAUER. 1. ON 4 OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS SURGED FORWARD. THIS HAS HAPPENED TWICE AT 5 MPH, 50 MPH, AND 15 MPH. THE CRUISE CONTROL WAS NOT ON. AT THE SLOWER SPEEDS I WAS EITHER SLOWING DOWN OR COASTING AND THE RMP RAPIDLY INCREASED FOR ABOUT 2 SECONDS AND THEN SLOWED DOWN.(FROM 1100 RPMS UP TO 2200 RPMS) AT THE HIGHER SPEED, IT FELT LIKE SOMEONE RAN INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. IT TOOK OFF FOR A SIMILAR TIME AND THEN RETURNED TO THE PRIOR RPMS. I TOOK IT TO A BLUE OVAL CE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10013967 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10071073 · 2004-01-15 (January 15, 2004)

I HAVE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS FROM THE BEGINING, THEN TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS THEY HAVE ATTEMPTED TO REPAIR THEN REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION OVER 6 TIMES. THIS VEHICLE HAS BECOME UNRELIABLE AT THIS POINT. I AM TRYING TO GO THROUGH THE FORD DISPUTE SETTLEMENT BOARD AT THIS POINT BUT I AM LOOKING FOR ALL THE HELP I CAN AT THIS POINT

Owner-reported narrative. 25 miles reported. Look up ODI 10071073 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10010462 · 2003-03-14 (March 14, 2003)

ENGINE ACCELERATED AND VEHICLE FAILED TO STOP WHEN BRAKES WERE APPLIED, VEHICLE CONTINUED TO CREEP FORWARD WHEN SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL, THEN TO PARK, CAUSING DAMAGE TO SECURITY GATE AND VEHICLE. VEHICLE STOPPED ONLY WHEN ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 15,438 miles reported. Look up ODI 10010462 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10021191 · 2003-06-07 (June 7, 2003)

WHILE STOPPING WE WOULD HEAR A THUD SOUND COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION AS WELL AS IT WOULD SURGE. THEN IT LOST THE ABILITY TO DISENGAGE FROM 4TH GEAR. TOOK IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY HAD IT FOR A WEEK. GOT IT BACK, AND ON THE WAY HOME THE PROBLEMS STARTED AGAIN AND THE ERROR CODE STARTED AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF REPAIRS. SO FAR THIS HAS COST FORD $2,300 AND COUNTING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 28,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10021191 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10032555 · 2003-08-11 (August 11, 2003)

ENGINE STALLS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AT 10-DEGREE ANGLE OR GREATER. OCCURS REGARDLESS OF FUEL LEVEL OR ENGINE TEMPERATURE. THE VEHICLE MUST BE MOVED TO A LEVEL POSITION TO BE RESTARTED. HAZARDOUS OR DEADLY IN HOT WEATHER TO UNATTENDED OCCUPANTS OR AT RAILROAD CROSSINGS AND INTERSECTIONS. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10032555 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10066320 · 2004-04-16 (April 16, 2004)

IGNITION COILED BURNED OUT CAUSING A 30 AMP FUSE TO FAIL. THE CAR IMMEDIATELY STALLED AND WOULD NOT START AGAIN DUE TO ELECTRONIC SYSTEM SHUTDOWN. THE CAR HAS ONLY 40,000 MILES AND IT AND HAS HAD ALL RECOMMENDED SERVICE. THE FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHO MADE THE REPAIR STATED THAT THERE WERE 8 OF THESE IGNITION COILS AND THEY COULD BURN OUT AT ANY TIME CAUSING THE SAME FAILURE.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 40,400 miles reported. Look up ODI 10066320 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10081773 · 2004-07-13 (July 13, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING UP A MOUNTAIN VEHICLE STALLED. WHEN THIS OCCURRED THE VEHICLE LOST POWER STEERING. CONSUMER WAS ABLE TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE AND RESTARTED IT. DEALERSHIP SERVICED VEHICLE SEVERAL TIMES FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT WAS UNABLE TO REMEDY THE FAILURE BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE IT. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 32,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10081773 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10119303 · 2005-04-28 (April 28, 2005)

2001 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE IN THE STEERING WHEEL AREA UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. *MR THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED THE DAY BEFORE THE INCIDENT OCCURRED. AROUND 9 AM THE CONSUMER VIEWED SMOKE COMING FORM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOTALED. *SC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10119303 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10024441 · 2003-06-19 (June 19, 2003)

GAS TANK IS INVERTING ITSELF. WHEN THE GAS TANK GETS TO 1/4 THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF LIKE THERE IS NO GAS IN THE TANK. GAS TANK AND ITS COMPONENTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED TWICE BY THE DEALER. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10024441 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10400376 · 2011-05-09 (May 9, 2011)

ELECTRICAL: WINDSHIELD LEAKING FOR A FEW YEARS. FIRST A SMALL LEAK AND DID NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT IT. NOW IT SEEMS TO BE GREATER LEAKS INTO THE CAR WHEN IT RAINS- LEADING TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES SUCH AS DASH LIGHTS GO OUT, BLOWER STAYS ON, FUEL GAUGE DOES NOT READ RIGHT. RADIO SOMETIMES WILL NOT WORK RIGHT AND THE LIGHTS GO OUT. FUEL TANK: ISSUES FROM DAY ONE - FLOATS DID NOT WORK RIGHT, NOW GAUGE DOES NOT READ RIGHT, ONE POINT I COULD NOT FILL THE CAR - MECHANIC DID SOMETHING TO TRY AND CORRECT IT. HOOD/WINDSHIELD LEAK: MUST BE CAREFUL NOT TO…

Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10400376 at NHTSA ↗