1997 Ford Expedition Steering

THE VEHICLE STARTED GROANING WHENEVER YOU TURNED THE STEERING WHEEL, CONSUMER STATES HE LOOKED UNDER THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THERE WAS GREASE SMEARED AROUND SEVERAL LINKAGES, IN WHICH HE BELIEVES WAS A TEMPORARY FIX TO SELL THE VEHICLE.*YH

WHILE DRIVING INNER TIE ROD FAILED AND SNAPPED APART, PREVENTING ANY MOVEMENT OF STEERING WHEEL. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

CONSUMER HEARD LOUD NOISE AND NOTICED LACK OF STEERING CONTROL. DELAER FOUND PITMAN ARM HAD TO BE REPLACED. FORD WAS NOT CONCERNED THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE, CLAIMED THAT THIS PART WAS ROUTINE MAINTENANCE.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AND WITHOUT WARNING STEERING GEAR BOX COMPLETELY MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING VEHICLE TO SWAY OR PULL TO LEFT OR RIGHT, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

EXPERIENCED A LOSS OF POWER ASSIST AND STEERING WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH DUE TO FAILURE OF POWER STEERING PUMP. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK

THE VEHICLE CAN'T BE DRIVE FORWARD OR REVERSE BECAUSE THE LEFT INNER TIE ROD END HAD FALLEN OFF, IPON EXAMINATION OF THE TIE ROD END THE CONSUMER FOUND THAT THERE WAS NO BOLT OR ANY OTHER MECHANISM TO HOLD THE TWO PARTS TOGETHER, THE CONSUMER BELIEVES THIS IS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN.

I'VE HAD TWO TIE ROD BREAK SINCE I'VE OWNED THIS VEHICLE. (I WASN'T SURE OF THE DATE, SO I MADE ONE UP ON THE QUESTIONAIRE. I CAN FIND OUT IF NEEDED. IT WAS IN 1999 BUT I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT DATE THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED)THE SECOND TIME IT HAPPENED, WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED. WE WERE DRIVING AROUND 60MPH DOWN THE ROAD, WITH LOTS OF CURVES, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE CAR STARTED GOING OUT OF CONTROL. LIKE WHEN YOU GET A BLOWOUT. I'VE CONTACTED CUSTOMER SEVICE FOR FORD AND SHE WAS NO HELP. I'M GOING TO BRING THE PART THAT BROKE TO MY LOCAL FORD DEALER AND SEE WHAT HE CAN DO. ALTHOUGH WHEN I SPOKE TO HIM ON THE PHONE, HE TOLD ME THERE PROBABLY WOULD BE NOTHING THAT COULD BE DONE. I DON'T USE THIS VEHICLE HARSHLY AND DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE TYRODS ARE BREAKING. THAT PUTS ANYONE IN A LIFE-THREATENING POSITION AND I FEEL SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE ABOUT THIS. THE FORD DEALER THAT I PUT ON THE QUESTIONAIRE MIGHT BE OUT OF BUSINESS NOW SO THE PHONE NUMBER AND ADDRESS MIGHT BE INCORRECT. MY LOCAL FORD DEALER IS COPPER COUNTRY FORD LOCATED IN HOUGHTON MI.

VEHICLE EXPERIENCED TOTAL STEERING LOSS WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. DEALER INSPECTED VEHICLE, AND SAID THAT STEERING SHAFT HAD SHEARED. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED.*AK THE VEHICLE HAD A DESIGN DEFECT. IT COST THE CONSUMER OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR REPAIER, WHICH THE MANUFACTURER DECLINED TO REIMBURSE. *YH

WHILE DRIVING 20-30 MPH STEERING FROZE. CONSUMER HAD A VERY HARD TIME GETTING VEHICLE TO MECHANIC. MECHANIC COULD NOT FIND CAUSE, STATED TO TAKE VEHICLE TO A FORD DEALER.*AK

WHILE DRIVING OUTER TIE ROD BROKE AND CAUSED TIRE TO TOW, AND OTHER TIRE IS JUST GOING STRIAGHT. *AK

CONSUMER HEARD NOISE FROM FRONT OF VEHICLE, WENT TO DEALER WHO FOUND THAT TIE ROD END WAS BREAKING, REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. *AK

THE LEFT TIE ROD DISCONNECTED FROM THE STEERING CONTROL MECHANISM ON A STRAIGHT CITY ROADWAY AT A SPEED OF 25 MPH. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO VIBRATE SEVERELY (AS ONLY ONE WHEEL HAD STEERING CONTROL), BUT I WAS ABLE TO STOP WITHOUT INCIDENT. IF THIS HAD HAPPENED AT 65 MPH, A ROLLOVER WOULD HAVE PROBABLY OCCURRED. THIS VEHICLE IS MOSTLY DRIVEN BY MY WIFE, AND HAS NEVER BEEN OFF-ROAD. THE STABILIZER LINKS WERE SEVERELY WORN, AND ONE OF THEM WAS MISSING ENTIRELY. THE INNER AND OUTER LEFT TIE RODS AND THE TWO STABILIZER LINKS WERE REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT REPAIR SHOP (COON'S REPAIR OF HOUGHTON, MI) AT A COST OF $186. PLUS $40 TOWING. I DID NOT TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER.

WHILE BACKING THE VEHICLE OUT OF A PARKING SPOT I BEGAN TO TURN THE WHEEL TO THE LEFT, AND HEARD/FELT A GRINDING, THEN OBSERVED A 6" 3/8IN BOLT SHOOT OUT FROM THE LEFT FRONT WHEEL WELL. AFTER THAT THE STEERING WOULD NOT RESPOND. UPON EXAMINATION OF THE FRONT LEFT WHEEL WELL I FOUND ON THE GROUND THE 3 MOUNT BOLTS THAT HOLD THE STEERING BOX TO THE FRAME MEMBER. THE STEERING BOX WAS HANGING 4" FORWARD AND LOWER THEN IT'S NORMAL MOUNTING POSITION. THE VEHICLE IS CURRENTLY AT SKYLINE FORD IN SALEM, OREGON AND SCHEDULED TO BE LOOKED AT FIRST THING MONDAY MORNING.

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE DRIVING POWER STEERING WENT OUT. CONSUMER SAID IT TOOK ALL HIS/HER STRENGTH TO TURN WHEEL. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

FIRST TIME I HEARD A LOAD NOISE ABOUT 4 MONTHS AGO TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER TO BE FIXED THEY SAID IT WAS THE TIE ROD AND REPLACED IT. NOW ITS MONTHS LATER AND I HAD TO HAVE MY STEERING GEAR ASSEMBLY UPPER AND LOWER COLUMN UPPER SHAFT AND LOWER BEARINGS AND IN LOOKING UNDER CAR FIND THAT STEERING SHAFTS AND ASSEMBLY ARE STILL LOOSE AND WOBBLE AND WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS IS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH THIS MAKE OF VEHICLE. *AK

WHILE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP AND BECAME INOPERABLE DUE TO A MALFUNCTION WITHIN POWER STEERING PUMP. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 70 MPH LEFT FRONT INNER TIE ROD END BROKE, CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING. MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE PROBLEM. PART WAS REPLACED AT OWNER'S EXPENSE. FORD HAS PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. *AK *ML

HEARD A SQUEAKY NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING LINKAGES: PITMAN ARM. CONSUMER HEARD NOISES WHEN MAKING TURNS. DEALER SAID PITMAN ARM COULD NOT BE LUBRICATED, HAS TO BE REPLACED AT THE CONSUMER'S COST. *AK

THE STEERING SLIPS AND OVER STEERS, 3 DIFFERENT DEALERS HAVE CHECKED AND CANNOT FIND THE PROBLEM. *ET

CONSUMER NOTICED A "SQUEAL/RUBBING" NOISE FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE, DEALERS TECH DETERMINED IT WAS A BAD PITMAN ARM BUSHING, UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION DURING THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT, TECH NOTICED THE STEERING SHAFT WAS ALSO CRACKED IN SEVEN PLACES.*ET

WHILE MAKING A TURN VEHICLE WAS MAKING A FUNNY NOISE. DEALER REPLACED TIE ROD END/T IDLER ARM, AND STEERING GEAR ARM. MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK

PITMAN ARM HAD TO BE REPLACED ON TWO OCCASIONS WITH 15,000 MILE OF WEAR DUE TO NOISE COMING FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. DEALER NOTIFIED. *AK

CONSUMER VEERED RIGHT TO AVOID ANIMAL AND THE VEHICLE DID NOT STEER RACK DUE TO THE POWER STEERING GEAR SHAFT ASSEMBLY (SHEARED IN TWO) FAILURE CAUSING LOSS OF STEERING CONTROL AND COLLISION WITH PARKED VEHICLES. *MJS