113 complaints reported

1997 Ford Expedition Suspension

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
113
Crashes
3
Fires
0
Injuries
2

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Jan 2002

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2001
Jan 2002

THERES A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT LINKAGE BROKE FROM STABLIZER BAR. *AK CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR ALIGNMENT AND DEALER TOLD HER THAT BOTH BALL JOINTS WERE VERY BAD AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT HER COST. *YD

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2002
Nov 2001

FRONT SWAY BAR WAS DISCONNECTED ON RIGHT SIDE. RIGHT SIDE LINK MISSING AND LEFT SIDE WORN OUT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2001
Nov 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2001
Nov 2001

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH NOTICED STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING. CONSUMER CHECKED VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT STABLIZER BAR WAS MISSING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *TT

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Nov 2001

THE BOLTS THAT HOLD THE SWAY BAR IN PLACE ON THE FRONT OF MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION BROKE OFF COMPLETELY. HAD I BEEN DRIVING ON A FREEWAY OR AROUND A CORNER I FEEL THAT I WOULD HAVE LOST CONTROL OF MY VEHICLE. I HAVE CONTACTED MY FORD DEALER FOR REPAIRS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2001
Oct 2001

THERE WAS A NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH VEHICLE. CONSUMER LOOKED UNDERNEATH, AND NOTICED THAT LEFT SWAY BAR WAS BROKEN. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Oct 2001
Oct 2001

VEHICLE SWAYS LEFT TO RIGHT AT ANY SPEED. VEHICLE WAS TAKEN DEALER FOR REPAIRS, AND MECHANIC NOTICED THAT BOTH FRONT BUSHINGS POPPED OFF. MECHANIC STATED IT WAS A COMMON PROBLEM AT THAT SHOP.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Oct 2001

IT TOOK SOME TIME BEFORE I COULD DETERMINE THE SOURCE OF THE SQUEAK BECAUSE IT WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM. THE OEM PITMAN ARM IS A SEALED UNIT WITH INSUFFICENT LUBRICATION & NO PROVISION FOR LUBRICATION. THIS IS A STEERING COMPONENT & SHOULD BE RECALLED. ALL STEERING & SUSPENSION MOVING COMPONENTS SUCH AS TIE-ROD ENDS & BALL JOINTS SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO HAVE PROVISIONS FOR LUBRICATION. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED BUT I HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL VEHICLES OF THE SAME MODEL WITH THE SAME PROBLEM DURING PARKING LOT TURNS. THIS IS A STEERING COMPONENT & SHOULD BE A SAFETY RECALL, NOT A TSB. THERE IS NO SAFE SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, NO MATTER WHAT THE MANUFACTURERS TELL YOU ABOUT SEALED COMPONENTS. MOVING PARTS WITH GREASE FITTINGS ARE SEALED ALSO. IF FACTORY SEALED COMPONENTS WITHOUT GREASE FITTINGS WERE ADEQUATE THEN THE BEARING HUBS ON MY BOAT TRAILER WOULDN'T HAVE GREASE FITTINGS. I HAVE BEEN AN ASE MASTER TECHNICIAN SINCE 1977.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Oct 2001

CONSUMER WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH SWAY BAR. SWAY BAR HAS BOLTS ON EACH SIDE BROKE. NOTHING WAS HOLDING SWAY BAR IN PLACE. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER WAS NOT WILLING TO DO ANYTHING.*AK A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP FOUND THE FRONT END HIGH SPEED ANTI SWAY BAR LINKS WERE COMPLETELY MISSING. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2001
Sep 2001

WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELING AT SPEEDS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH FRONT END HAD SEVERE VIBRATION, AND THERE WAS A RATTLING NOISE. VEHICLE HAD TO BE STOPPED BEFORE VIBRATION WOULD STOP. DEALERSHIP HAS LOOKED AT VEHICLE, BUT COULD NOT DETERMINE CAUSE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / ATTACHMENTS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2000
Sep 2001

HAVE HAD THE AIR SUSPENSION REPAIRED AS THE "CHECK SUSPENSION" LIGHT WAS CONSTANTLY ON. REQUIRED 3 TRIPS TO DEALERS BEFORE PROBLEM DIAGNOSED. COST $255.50 TO HAVE THE AIR SPRING SOLE AND SOLENOID ASSY REPLACED AT RON HOPKINS FORD DEALER IN ELGIN, ILLINOIS. IS THIS COVERED ON A RECALL OR STILL UNDER INVESTIGATION. HAS BEEN A PROBLEM SINCE WE PURCHASED VEHICLE.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2001
Sep 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2000
Sep 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Sep 2001

BOTH FRONT SWAY BAR LINKS BROKEN CAUSING VEHICLE TO EXHIBIT EXTREME LEAN AND SWAY DURING CORNERING.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2001
Sep 2001

SWAY BAR LINK HAD BROKEN AND WAS JUST HANGING FROM VEHICLE.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2001
Aug 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2001
Jul 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOV EVEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: May 2001
Jul 2001

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Jul 2001

I NOTICED NHTSA NEWS RELEASE OF 9/4/01 REGARDING 1997 FORD EXPEDITION STABILIZER FAILURES AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SUBMIT MY FAILURE. BOTH FRONT STABILIZER LINKS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER, THE DAY BEFORE I BEGAN A 3000 MILE TRIP IN WINTER FROM MICHIGAN TO IDAHO AND BACK. DEALER SAID STABILIZER ARM BROKE. THEY REPLACED BOTH TO BE SAFE. MY COST WAS $104.52.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Dec 2000
Jul 2001

THERE WAS NO FORE-WARNING OF THIS BREAK IN SUSPENSION. WITHOUT A DOUBT IF I HAD NOT JUST GOTTEN OFF THE HIGHWAY MY SISTER AND I WOULD HAVE BEEN KILLED IN A ROLLOVER!!! THE DEALER WOULD NOT TAKE A COMPLAINT TO FORD AND GAVE ME A HARD TIME ABOUT FIXING IT SINCE I DID NOT PURCHASE THE CAR IN CONNECTICUT AT THEIR DEALERSHIP. I PAID IN CASH, THEY WOULD NOT USE MY WARRANTY. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Jul 2001

PE 01 022/FRONT SABILIZER LINK FAILURE: NOTICED NOISE WHEN PARKING, AND WHENEVER A TURN WAS BEING MADE, VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT BOTH BARS WERE BROKEN. DEALER MADE REPAIRS AT CONSUMERS COST. *AK *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jul 2001
Jul 2001

I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR SUPPORTS. WHEN I GOT HOME TODAY, I LOOKED AT MINE AND NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FRONT BAR SUPPORTS ARE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BAR. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN LIKE THIS, BUT I ASSUME THAT IT HAS BEEN AWHILE. I ALSO EXPECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE IT AT NO CHARGE SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR A RECALL.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001
Jun 2001

WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUGH ROADS OR MAKING A SHARP TURN IN ANY DIRECTION THERE IS A "CLUNKING" NOISE COMING FROM LEFT/ FRONT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT STABILIZER BAR WAS DISCONNECTED. DEALERSHIP WAS EXAMINING VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Nov 2001
Jun 2001

BOLT ON FRONT END SWAY BAR DISENGAGED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1997 FORD EXPEDITION, Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
Incident: Jan 2001

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1997 Ford Expedition has 113 Suspension complaints on file. 3 crashes have been reported. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.