1997 Ford Expedition Electrical System

THE CONSUMER WAS UNABLE TO START THE VEHICLE. THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED THE DASH BOARD AND FLASHED VERY FAST. IT MADE A CLICKING NOISE IN THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO REPLACED THE KEYS AND, THE PCM, THE PCM BURNED OUT AGAIN, AND THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD SOME WIRES WERE PULLING FROM THE FRONT TO THE TRANSMISSION. THE VEHICLE IS OUT OF SERVICE AGAIN WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.

DT: CONTACT HAD A 1997, FORD, EXPEDITION THAT BURNED ON 4-23-2004. SHE CALLED FORD, AND THEY TOLD HER THAT THERE WAS NOTHING THEY COULD DO BECAUSE THEY HAD NO PROOF OF WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE CAR WAS SITTING IN A GROCERY STORE PARKING LOT ; SHE HADN'T DRIVEN IT FOR MORE THAT 15 MINUTES WHEN IT CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE SITTING THERE. THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN IN THE GARAGE FOR 3 WEEKS PRIOR TO THIS. THE FIRE CAME FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE INSIDE OF THE CAR WAS NOT DAMAGED. *AK

1997 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED. *MR THE CONSUMER WAS INFORMED THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE HOOD ALONG WITH FLAMES ON THE DRIVERS SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE SPREAD TO THE VEHICLE PARKED BESIDE THE CONSUMERS VEHICLE AND DAMAGED THE REAR DRIVER SIDE QUARTER PANEL OF THE OTHER VEHICLE. *SC *JB

MY 97 FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE PARKED IN HOME DEPOT PARKING LOT 10-29-05. THE FIRE WAS ELECTRICAL, AND IT STARTED UNDER THE HOOD ACCORDING TO THE INSURANCE REPORT. *JB

AFTER PARKING FOR 5 MINUTES A FIRE STARTED UNDER THE HOOD. DEALERSHIP WAS NOTIFIED, BUT DID NOT RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.*AK

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON STAYS ON. AT FIRST, I WAS TOLD THIS WAS BEING CAUSED BY A GAS CAP NOT HOLDING PRESSURE. I PURCHASED A NEW GAS CAP WHICH SEEM TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM AND THE COMPUTER WAS RESET BY TAKING THE CABLE OFF THE BATTERY. THIS LAST ABOUT A MONTH UNTIL I WAS TOLD IT WAS THE EVAP CAN SOLINOID, WHICH WAS REPLACED UNDER THE EXTENDED WARRANTY PURCHASED. THE COMPUTER WAS RESET BY REMOVING THE CABLE FROM THE BATTERY. THIS LASTED ABOUT A MONTH AND WAS TOLD TO CHECK THE GAS CAP AND THE COMPUTER RESET BY REMOVING THE BATTERY CABLE. THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WILL GO OUT WITH FRESH TANK OF HIGH OCTANE GAS, BUT WILL REAPPEAR WITH LOWER GRADE OF FUEL AFTER A WHILE. I AM TOLD NOW THAT 1 OF 4 O2 SENSORS ARE BAD AND NEED TO BE REPLACED. FURTHERMORE, IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL 4 O2 SENSORS BE REPLACED ($150/EA) AT THE SAME TIME. I AM RELUCNTANT IN BELIEVING THE CAUSE OF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AS I HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM WAY TOO MANY TIMES TO THROW DOWN $700 ON SOMETHING MAY OR MAY NOT WORK. OHIO EMISSIONS TEST WILL AUTOMATICALLY FAIL YOUR VEHICLE IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. THERE NEEDS TO BE RECORD SOME PLACE SO THAT OWNERS CAN FIGHT BACK IF THEY PASS THEIR EMISSIONS TEST, BUT CAN'T GET THE CERTIFICATE IF THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON. I HAVE WASTED TOO MUCH MONEY AND TIME TRYING TO DIAGNOSE AND FIX THIS CHECK ENGINE LIGHT.*AK

THE INTERIOR DASH LIGHTS OF MY 1997 EXPEDITION GO OUT EVERY TIME IT RAINS OR THE VEHICLE GETS WET. THE CAUSE OF THIS APPEARS TO BE IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CONNECT WITH THE DIMMRER SWITCH THAT CAUSE A SHORT THAT THEN BLOWS THE 5 AMP FUSE. I HAVE REPLACED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES AND IS FINE AS LONG AS IT IS DRY (OHIO ISN'T A VERY DRY CLIMATE). I HAVE GONE THROUGH MANY 5 AMP FUSES. I HAVE DELAYED GETTING ANYTHING DONE SINCE THE FIRST OCCURANCE BACK IN 2000 DUE THE COSTLY EXPENSE OF JUST TRYING TO DIAGNOSE THE PROBLEM. THIS SEEMS SIMILAR TO OTHER COMPLAINTS THAT I HAVE READ POSTED ON THIS WEB SITE DUE TO WATER LEAKING FROM WINDSHIELD. I HAVE EVEN HAD MY WINDSHIELD REPLACED AND STILL HAVE THIS PROBLEM TO DATE. I HAVE NOW STOPPED REPLACING THE FUSE AND LIVE WITH NO DASH LIGHTS AT NIGHT. VERY DANGEROUS WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT SPEED YOUR GOING. IN MY PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING OPINION THERE APPEARS TO BE A WATER LEAK ISSUE IN THE WINDSHIELD/FIREWALL AREA. THIS WATER LEAK ISSUE SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO AS THE ROOT CAUSE TO OTHER FAILURES THAT HAVE BEEN SEEN ON EXPEDITIONS AND F-150S IN REGARDS TO ELECTRICAL ISSUES AND FIRES.*AK

ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PARKED 30 MINUTES. ALTERNATOR REPLACED 1 MONTH AGO. CRUISE CONTROL USED SOMETIMES. LAST USED 1 MONTH AGO AND IT WORKED. NO AFTER MARKET EQUIPMENT. BRUCE YORK WENT TO SEE VEHICLE AND TOOK PICTURES.*AK

MY HUSBAND WENT OUT TO START VEHICLE. HE HEARD A POP. TURNED OFF THE TRUCK. SAW THAT THE COIL AND PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE CYLINDER HEAD. HAD IT TOWED TO FORD DEALER WHO SAID ALL THEY COULD DO IS CHARGE ME $2700 TO REPLACE THE HEAD THAT WAS DAMAGED FROM THE SPARK PLUG BLOWING OUT. I'VE SEEN OTHER COMPLAINTS ON THIS WEBSITE SIMILAR TO MY PROBLEM AND YES, IT SHOULD BE A MANDITORY RECALL. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER FORD. ALSO TALKED WITH FORD COMPANY WHO ACTED LIKE THEY HAD NEVER HEARD THIS COMPLAINT BEFORE. FORD DEALER HAS WORKED ON TRUCK EACH TIME IT NEEDED REPAIR. BUYING A CHEVROLET.*AK

I HAVE A 1997 FORD EXPEDITION WHICH CAUGHT ON FIRE ON SATURDAY JULY 17, 2004. HE CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHEN IT WAS PARK IN THE PARKING LOT IN MY OFFICE. I HAVEN'T START THE CAR FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS PRIOR TO THE EVENT.*AK THE FIRES HAPPENED WHEN THE CAR IS NOT IN USE AND THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF. I TRIED TO DO SOME ONLINE RESEARCH AND FIND NOTHING RELATE TO THE PROBLEM. I STILL HAVE THE CAR PARKING IN THE BACK PARKING LOT, THE WHOLE CAR WAS TOTAL. HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO THE PARKING AND STOP THE FIRE, THE CASE NUMBER IS 040865BV BY R.L SCOTT HOUSTON ARSON INVESTIGATOR AND HIS NUMBER IS 713 865 9018.

FORD EXPEDITION CAUGHT ON FIRE.***NO ANSWER REQUIRED***. *MR THE VEHICLE HAD BEEN SITTING FOR 6-8 HOURS BEFORE IT CAUGHT ON FIRE. *NM

PARKED VEHICLE AT 12 PM AT AROUND 5 PM THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE FIRE THE LOW WASHER FLUID LEVEL LIGHT CAME ON. THEN THE LIGHT CLUSTER FOR THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE FLASHED A FEW TIMES. THE DAY OF FIRE, THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN ABOUT 14 MILES. THE SAMES LIGHTS WERE FLASHING AND THEN THE ODOMETER STOPPED WORKING. TOOK IT TO LOCAL GAS STATION AND THEY SAID PROBABLY A LOOSE WIRE. CAR STARTED IT SELF AND THE STARTER MOTOR KEPT TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE ON ITS OWN. POPPED HOOD AND SAW LOTS OF SPARKING AND POPPING. SO VIDEO TAPED IT AS IT HAPPENED. FIRE SEEMED TO COME FROM THE PASSENGER SIDE. DID NOT USE CRUISE CONTROL AND SO DO NOT KNOW IF WORKED.

WET CONDITIONS CAUSE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS ON MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. WAS TRAVELING ON 01-10-05 ON SNOW PACKED ROADS WITH 4X4 ACTIVATED. FOUR WHELL DRIVE CLUSTER ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT VERY AKWARDLY. TOOK CAR OUT OF 4X4 AND SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NEXT OCCURANCE WAS ON 01-21-05, TRAVELING ON WET ROADS. TURNED OFF VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT AND INTERIOR LIGHTING AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD DRIED OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AGAIN. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS ON 01-29-05, ONCE AGAIN WET ROAD CONDITIONS. PARKED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT WENT OUT TO START THE NEXT DAY AND HEATER BLOWER WAS STILL RUNNING WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. VEHILCLE HAD DEAD BATTERY, JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF, AS WELL AS THE RUNNING BOARDS. HEATER BLOWER WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED ENOUGH AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. IT FELT AT ONE POINT THAT IT HAD SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AS THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME HAD TO SUDDENLY BRAKE. MANAGED TO GET THE CAR HOME SAFELY. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE EXPEDITIONS OF ANY YEAR. I AM HAVING THE CAR SERVICED TOMARROW TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. HOPEFULLY THIS CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT THE MORE I LOOK INTO IT OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLES IN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT CAN BE CORRECTED. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *AK

THE CONSUMER WENTTO WARM THE VEHICLE, HE SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, THEN LOOKED AROUND AND SAW THAT THE FUSE BOX MELTED AND WIRES WERE HANGING. *SC *JB

WHILE IN THE GARAGE AND IN PARK THE KEY WAS TAKEN OUT OF THE IGNITION SWITCH AND VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. *AK

SPARKPLUGS BLOWING OUT OF ENGINE ON 1997 EXPEDITION DUE TO POOR ENGINEERING

WHEN I DRIVE THROUGH A PUDDLE OR IT RAINS IT LEAKS SOMEWHERE AND THE G.E.M. (GEM) MODULE GETS WET AND THE SPEEDOMETOR, ODOMETER, RUNNINGBOARD LIGHTS DON'T WORK AND IT DOESN'T SHIFT CORRECTLY UNTIL YOU LET IT DRY OUT. *AK

MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION HAS HAD 9 FAULTY OR FAILED ENGINE COILS. THE PROBLEM IS MOST PREVELANT IN THE SPRING. I SUSPECT MOISTURE BUT HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ISOLATE THE SOURCE. THE COILS HAVE TYPICALLY BEEN ON CYLINDERS 5, 6 AND 8.*AK

MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION (EDDIE BAUER) WITH 5.4L ENGINE WITH UNDER 60000 MILES AND WITH ALL REGULAR SERVICE AT DEALERSHIP "BLEW" A SPARK PLUG OUT OF PASSENGER SIDE CYLINDER HEAD. PLUGS ARE ORIGINAL FACTORY INSTALLED. PLEASE SEE "CONSUMER AFFAIRS.COM WEBSITE. WHILE NOT A SAFETY ISSUE PLUGS ON FORDS 96-2000 ARE BLOWING OUT ALL OVER COUNTRY. THE FIX IS $2-3K. PLEASE CONSIDER RECAL INVESTIGATION. *AK

I AM ORIGINAL OWNER OF MY 1997 EXPEDITION, WHICH JUST TURNED 60000. DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS FLICKERED. STOPPED THE TRUCK AND IT STALLED. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART, BATTERY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH JOICE TO TURN ENGINE. WHEN HOOKING UP JUMPER CABLES, THE STARTER ENGAGED BY ITSELF, WITHOUT KEY IN IGNITION, ENGINE STARTED, BUT STARTER REMAINED ENGAGED FOR A FEW MINUTES. ENGINE IDLED, BUT WHEN HEADLIGHTS WERE TURNED ON ENGINE STALLED. WHEN TRYING TO RESTART, NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN TURNING KEY, EVEN WITH JUMPER CABLES CONNECTED TO A GOOD BATTERY. HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED. MECHANIC HAD TO REPLACE GROUND WIRE, STARTER, STARTER SOLENIOD, STARTER CABLE, ALTERNATOR, BATTERY, AND LOCKOUT SENSOR. MECHANIC SAID HE HAS REPLACED MANY GROUND WIRES ON THESE TRUCKS, BUT TYPICALLY ONLY GROUND WIRE, STARTER SOLENOID, & BATTERY. MY TRUCK WAS THE WORST EFFECTED. HOW CAN I FIND OUT IF THERE IS ANY ACTION THAT CAN BE TAKEN AGAINST FORD FOR THIS VERY EXPENSIVE FAULT ?*AK

WHEN THE CONSUMER ATTEMPTED TO START THE VEHICLE IT WOULD NOT START. THIS OCCURRED FOUR TIMES. AFTER AN HOUR THE KEY WAS INSERTED INTO THE IGNITION AND THE VEHICLE STARTED UP AS IF NOTHING HAPPENED. *AK

WHILE DRIVING SPARK PLUG FELL OUT, CAUSING VEHICLE TO HAVE NO POWER. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

5.4L FORD ENGINE IN 1997 EXPEDITION. SPARK PLUG BLOW-OUT IN 3 POSITION. EXPEDITION HAS 64,000 MILES ON IT!! ALSO , THIS VEHICLE WAS SOLD TO ME AS A DEMO MODEL THAT WAS NEVER TITLED, WARRANTY SHOULD HAVE STARTED WHEN I PURCHASED IT. *NLM

WHILE DRIVING, SPEEDOMETER STAYED AT ZERO. CONSUMER STATES ALL THE CONSOLE LIGHTS STARTED TO FLASH ON AND OFF. THE NEXT DAY VEHICLE WOULD NOT START TOOK TO DEALER. DEALER STATES' THERE A CRACK IN FRONT WINDOW THAT ALLOWED WATER GO INTO FUSE BOX AND SHORT CIRCUIT WIRES. RESULTING IN SPEEDOMETER BEING INOPERATIVE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION. TS

SHORTS IN THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM RESULTED IN MISFUNCTIONING DOOR LOCKS (REPAIRED), ELECTRONIC 4WD (STILL MALFUNCTIONING) AND FAILURE OF INTERNAL DOME LIGHT TO TURN OFF. ALL OCCURRED WITHIN THE FIRST 12000 MILES. 4WD AND DOME LIGHT ARE STILL A PROBLEM.. DOME LIGHT MAKES VEHIVCLE DIFFICULT TO DRIVE AT NIGHT.