1998 Ford EXPEDITION: complaints, problems and recalls

INTERRIOR LIGHT FAILS TO GO OFF, EVEN WITH VEHICLE RUNNING. ON ONE INSTANCE, IT BEGAN FLASHING. THIS WAS VERY DISTRACTING AND DANGEROUS AS IT WAS AT NIGHT. I WAS ONLY ABLE TO TURN THE INTERIOR LIGHT OFF BY PULLING THE RELAY. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH 1999-2000 EXPEDITIONS, BUT APPARENTLY IT AFFECTS 1998 VEHICLES AS WELL.

Owner-reported narrative. 88,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000539 at NHTSA ↗

THE RIGHT TORSION BAR OF MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION CRACKED IN MARCH 2001. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE GARAGE THAT REPAIRED MY VEHICLE SAID THAT THERE WAS A DISTINCT DEFECT IN THE TORSION BAR AND GAVE ME THE BAR TO OFFER PROOF TO FORD THAT THIS WAS INDEED AND MANUFACTURER DEFECT. THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY WAS CONTACTED AND NOTIFIED OF THIS PROBLEM. THE COMPANY DRAGGED CORRESPONDANCE OUT WITH US OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS. NO RECALL WAS ENACTED. ON JANUARY 4, 2003 THE LEFT TORSION BAR WENT ON MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION AS I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY…

Owner-reported narrative. 94,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10000549 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SWAB BAR LINKS. ALSO STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THAT IT CAUSES THE STEERING TO NOT BE THE WAY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANY PROBLEMS. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002221 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEMS WITH SWAB BAR LINKS. ALSO STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THAT IT CAUSES THE STEERING TO NOT BE THE WAY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE. DEALER WAS CONTACTED AND HAVE NOT FOUND ANY PROBLEMS. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002222 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE DRIVING AT 80 MPH, VEHICLE'S LEFT REAR TIRE EXPERIENCED A BLOW OUT. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE TIRE WAS DEFECTIVE AND REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE. *NLM A SECOND TIRE WAS FOUND TO BE DEFECTIVE. A METAL BELT WAS STICKING OUT OF THE SIDEWALL, WHICH WAS THE SAME PLACE WHERE THE OTHER TIRE FAILED. SCC

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002442 at NHTSA ↗

THIS HAS OCCURRED 8 OR 9 TIMES IN THE LAST 4 WEEKS' (THE MOST RECENT BEING 01/14/2003) MY 98 E/B 4X4 RECENTLY BEGAN OVER ACCELERATING AT INTERMITTENT TIMES. (I LIVE IN MN, AND HAVE NOTICED THIS PROBLEM IS WORSE WHEN THE TEMP IS BELOW ZERO.) I HAVE HAD 2 MINOR ACCIDENTS ALREADY BECAUSE OUT OF THE BLUE MY VEHICLE TAKES OFF AS THOUGH IT IS GOING 70 MILES AN HOUR. THE BRAKES DO NOT SEEM TO WORK WHEN THIS IS OCCURRING. IN ORDER TO STOP THIS FROM OCCURRING, I NEED TO QUICKLY SHIFT INTO NEUTRAL, WHICH CAUSES THE ENGINE TO REV UP TO 4500 RPM…

Owner-reported narrative. 56,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10002702 at NHTSA ↗

SPARK PLUG BLOWN OUT OF STRIPPED SOCKET

Owner-reported narrative. 92,102 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003503 at NHTSA ↗

CONSUMER STATES THAT THE CHILD LOCKS ARE ENGAGING THEMSELVES INTERMITTENTLY WITHOUT WARNING. DEALER ADVISED THAT LOCKS ARE MECHANICAL AND THEREFORE CAN NOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM. CONCERNED ABOUT SAFETY OF PASSENGERS IF THEY NEED TO EXIT VEHICLE IN AN EMERGENCY. TS

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003902 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2000-03-07 (March 7, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES. THE TRAILER HITCH ASSEMBLY TO THE FRAME ATTACHING BOLTS COULD LOSE THE CLAMP LOAD.

Consequence: THE TRAILER HITCH COULD THEN SEPARATE FROM THE VEHICLE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRAILER HITCH MOUNTING BOLTS AND NUT PLATES.

Reported: 2000-06-19 (June 19, 2000)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MINI VANS, LIGHT PICKUP TRUCKS, AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. OFF LEASE CANADIAN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS WHICH MEET CANADIAN REQUIREMENTS AND NOT THE PHOTOMETRIC REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." ACCORDING TO FORD, THE VEHICLES WERE IMPORTED INTO THE U.S. ERRONEOUSLY.

Consequence: THE LIGHT GIVEN OFF FROM THE DAYTIME RUNNING LIGHTS IS BRIGHTER THAN ALLOWED BY U.S. STANDARDS.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL BE ADVISED TO DEACTIVATE THE RUNNING LIGHT FUNCTION AND TO COMPLETE ANY OUTSTANDING SAFETY RECALLS ON THESE VEHICLES.

Reported: 2005-09-07 (September 7, 2005)

ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SPEED CONTROL, THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH MAY OVERHEAT, SMOKE, OR BURN.

Consequence: A FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.

Remedy: BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005, OWNERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ADVISED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO RECONNECT THE SPEED CONTROL BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS WHO DID NOT HAVE THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED TO HAVE THEIR SYSTEM REMEDIED BEGINNING IN FEBRUARY 2006. OWNERS ARE URGED TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE FREE DISCONNECT SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT RISK OF FIRE. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673. (NOTE: ALSO SEE RECALLS 05V017 AND 06V286)

Reported: 1997-10-07 (October 7, 1997)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS AND MULTI-PURPOSE PASSENGER VEHICLES. IF THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY WAS NOT FULLY ATTACHED TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET, THE SHIFT CABLE ASSEMBLY CAN COME OUT OF THE BRACKET. THE VEHICLE OPERATOR WOULD THEN NOT BE ABLE TO SHIFT THE TRANSMISSION FROM ONE OF THE DRIVE GEAR POSITIONS INTO THE PARK POSITION EVEN THOUGH THE GEAR SHIFT SELECTOR WOULD INDICATE "PARK."

Consequence: THE CONDITION WOULD NOT ALLOW A DISENGAGEMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION FROM THE PARK POSITION OR AFFECT PROPER NEUTRAL START SWITCH OPERATION. UNINTENDED VEHICLE MOVEMENT COULD OCCUR IF THE PARKING BRAKE WAS NOT SET.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL MAKE THE PROPER ATTACHMENT OF THE TRANSMISSION SHIFT CONTROL CABLE TO THE STEERING COLUMN BRACKET AND ADD A TIE STRAP TO THAT CONNECTION.

Reported: 1998-05-13 (May 13, 1998)

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: MULTI-PURPOSE VEHICLES AND LIGHT DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. THE LUG NUTS ON THESE VEHICLES MAY NOT CREATE SUFFICIENT CLAMP LOAD ALLOWING WHEEL MOVEMENT IN RELATION TO THE HUB/ROTOR MOUNTING SURFACE.

Consequence: THIS CAN RESULT IN THE LOOSENING OF LUG NUTS, STUD FATIGUE FAILURE, AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A WHEEL SEPARATION FROM THE VEHICLE, INCREASING THE RISK OF A VEHICLE CRASH.

Remedy: OWNERS OF THESE VEHICLES WILL BE RECEIVING TWO NOTIFICATIONS. THE FIRST NOTIFICATION, WHICH BEGAN IN MAY 1998, WILL PROVIDE AN INTERIM REPAIR PROCEDURE UNTIL PARTS BECOME AVAILABLE. THIS INTERIM PROCEDURE CAN BE COMPLETED BY OWNERS OR THEIR DEALERS. IT SPECIFIES THAT THE LUG NUT TORQUE MUST BE VERIFIED TO BE 100 LBS. THEN THE LUG NUTS NEED TO BE TIGHTENED AN ADDITIONAL 1/8 TO 1/4 TURN MORE. THERE WILL BE A SECOND OWNER NOTIFICATION, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN JULY 20, 1998, UNDER WHICH DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE WHEEL STUDS AND REPLACE THE WHEEL LUG NUTS.