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Ford Expedition Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • malligmallig Member Posts: 2
    Thanks for the info zman, I'll give my local service folks a call and see what they say. Appreciate the help.

    -Mallig
  • was2was2 Member Posts: 1
    Which should I buy...the 4.6 L engine or the 5.4 L engine in the Ford Expedition?
  • stephjoestephjoe Member Posts: 3
    I HAVE A 2003 EB EXPEDITION AND HAVE HAD THE SAME PROBLEMS WITH MY MIRROR. I HAVE TO MAKE AN APPT. TO GET IT REPLACED. IT'S REALLY ANNOYING TO HAVE TO KEEP RESETING IT. I ALSO HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE RADIO. IT STARTED SHORTING OUT AND WAS IN THE SERVICE CENTER 3 TIMES BEFORE THEY FIXED IT. IT EVEN DRAIN MY BATTERY. I GOT OFF WORK AT 3AM ONE NIGHT AND IT WAS 20 DEGREES OUT, WHEN I WENT TO UNLOCK MY CAR AND THERE WAS NO POWER. LET ME TELL YOU HOW HAPPY I WAS. I HAD ONLY HAD IT A MONTH. I CAN GET IN TO MORE DETAILS IF ANYONE NEEDS THEM. I JUST PRAY ALL THE PROBLEMS WORK OUT BEFORE THE WARRANTY DOES. STEPH
  • sstaylorsstaylor Member Posts: 35
    Greetings everyone,

    I'm on my second Expy, a 2001 E.B., and I have experienced an intermittent problem with what seems to be unintended acceleration. When driving at a low speed 5-10 MPH, the truck will sometimes begin to quickly pick up speed. I'd describe it as a "surge" (maybe it thinks I'm going too slow.). Anyone out there seen this before?

    My second question; Suggestions on replacement brake pads? Ford wants over $300 for all four wheels!

    Thanks,
    Scott
  • sanodizesanodize Member Posts: 3
    I bought a brand new 2003 Expediton xlt. I noticed front end vibrations between 20mph and 40mph It stops over 45mph and runs smooth Has anybody experienced this problem It is going in for service , but we all know the run around this can lead to!
                                 thanks
                                  Scott
  • sanodizesanodize Member Posts: 3
    I'm an American business man who loves this country however, the Automobiles produced by the "big 3" are sadly plagued by the quality problems they have fought so hard to overcome. I just purchased a brand new 03 EXP. I vowed a few years ago after dealing with poor quality from recent "american" cars I would not buy American Again. I have driven Toyota's, Honda's trouble free for years. My new Expedition has to go back into the dealer for vibration concerns, its 3 weeks old! Reading all of the posts in this message board, concerns me. All of you out there have also experienced problems as well. I think the big three need to really start producing quality cars or they are doomed. I am starting to think I should have bought the Toyota Seqoia instead!Any one else feel this concern?
  • explorerx4explorerx4 Member Posts: 19,256
    Agree with you that you should be happy with your new expy. Have a new gen explorer, but drove a new gen expy and really liked it, however at the time it was 0 for 60 on the explorer, not on the expy. Couldn't justify the diff. Have had vibration issues too. Didn't notice it for a while; bought it in august, After a couple of trips to the dealer, they said it is the tires. It seems when the temp gets to about 80 or so, I don't notice the vibration, but in ct we we've only had a couple of days lilke that this year, so the 'jury is still out' on that one. New ones all have michelins or bfg's; i have gy's. I'm thinking maybe they cheaped out on the tires when they went to 0 for 60.
    Our experience only, but the worst car we ever had was a toy; crappy sales experience; crappy service; crappy reliability, but good resale.
    2023 Ford Explorer ST, 91 Mustang GT vert
  • sanodizesanodize Member Posts: 3
    I have a feeling when the truck goes into the shop,The dealer will give me the same song and dance about the tires as well. I guess I dont have high expectatations on getting the problem solved, and I excpect to have to go back numerous times and play the "game". It's just too bad it has to be this way!
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    Thought I'd bring you all up to speed on the running changes that they've made to the 03 Expedition. I had an early model (built in June of 02). I sold it and bought one that was built in May of this year. Don't know when all of these changes came about, but some are significant.
    The instrument panel has changed in that the needles for guages are now red with a silver base. Also seems that the lettering and numbers are a little smaller, but that may be my imagination. The electronic airconditioning now has a "dual temp" feature allowing the front seat passenger to adjust temperature to their liking. The scuff plates for the door sill is installed on the driver door sill only; the passenger side front door and both back door scuff plates were eliminated. The center overhead a/c outlet has been removed and the headliner appears to be more sculpted over the second row seating area. If you have the powerfold 3rd row seating option, the seat controls were eliminated behind the second row driver side seat, leaving one control at the rear liftgate area. There are now 4 sensors for the backup warning with a feature that reduces the radio volume when the warning goes off. Ford has eliminated the "shade band" at the top of the windshield. Ford no longer supplies a rubber insert for the hitch receptacle, and they have eliminated the under hood light for the engine compartment. I don't have many miles on it yet, but haven't noticed any issues with the front differential making and "growling" noises (it's a 4X4) and the mirrors work flawlessly. No jerky movements or popping.
  • rog2867rog2867 Member Posts: 34
    I have a 2003 expediton eb and have no problems what so ever build 2/03 . For those of you who have problems with yours go to flatratetech.com and join and post a message to the techs, they are great, they and other owners will tell you what to look for and they post TSB's and all that good stuff. There are fixes for the mirrors and the front end growl and vibration, check out the site you will be glad you did.
  • juniorsgvjuniorsgv Member Posts: 1
    hi i've had my expedition for about 2 months...2200 miles into driving my wonderful new suv...driving on the freeway...my driverside rear tire blows out...deciding to use fords 24hour roadside assistance was big mistake took over 90minutes...5 calls...and thank god i still had AAA which beat them by gettin to me in under 15 minutes...careful inspection of the tire showed the part of tire facing inside of the vehicle showed a CLEAR perfect tear all the way around...no objects...of glass or nail were shown...anyone know if ford is still havin issues with there tire blowouts? these are continental tires? maybe they just cheap tires? after 2200 miles?
    oh yeah and about the vibration under the hood...i get that every now and then when i START my ford =(
  • alderman1alderman1 Member Posts: 1
    Bought a 2003 Expy, XLT two weeks ago. Of 14 days, has been in shop for 11. Problem is "steering wheel nibble". Steering wheel has moderate vibration at about 65 MPH and up. Mechanic says bad rack and pinion steering gear is to blame. Part has been on order for a week. Apparently this is a problem with several Expy's and Navigators and thus, the part is difficult to find. Have been through the tire rotation/balance/flat spot/complete change of tires twice ordeal. Anyone else experience this problem? Did a replacement of the steering gear fix the problem?
  • mechdeclinedmechdeclined Member Posts: 5
    We are looking at a new (45 miles) 2003 xlt premium. When we took it for a test drive, I noticed a hissing noise coming from the passenger side vents. I brought this to the attention of the fleet manager and he had his technician look at it. They said it must have been something in the vent that cleared itself out or maybe the vent wasn't all the way open, as it is not making the noise anymore (this was after I suggested they check the seals/compressor/condenser and leak test it). Anyway, any thoughts/similar experiences? Thanks.
  • bethalbethal Member Posts: 1
    MAIN PROBLEM: WATER LEAK, WATER LEAK, WATER LEAK...

    I own a 2003 Eddie Bauer 4X2 FORD Expedition that has had several problems including:

    WATER LEAK, Mirrors, Service Advance Trak, OD Off,
    and air bag sensor(wire)disconnected

    WATER LEAK: Water entering the car on the front passenger floorboard---saturating the carpet creating an unpleasant mildew smell. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED over 7 (seven)times & FORD has been UNABLE to solve the problem.
  • mmonkmmonk Member Posts: 1
    I am also having the vibration problem with my new 2003 Expedition. I have had it in the shop 3 times in the month that I have had it. The first 2 times they said it was tire balance. Now they are saying that it is just the way it is. Since I traded in a 1999 Expedition, I don't agree. Any help would be appreciated.
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    Does your VIN number have a "A", "B", or "C" before the last 5 digits? If it's an "A", that was an early built (2002) model. Those have had numerous problems. There are some TSB and SSM information on these vehicles that your service department should be able to access to look up to help resolve some of your issues; i.e mirrors, advance trak, differential "noises" etc. Water leaks are new to me.
  • alwaysfordsalwaysfords Member Posts: 210
    Do you have a moonroof? If yes, do you know if they have checked the drains to make sure they are both open and not pinched? here is a drain in the A pillar that if not working properly will give you water in the footwell (no pun intended). Some dealers are not really well equipped to work on stuff like that and often your best result comes from asking them to have their sunroof installer look at it.
  • sstaylorsstaylor Member Posts: 35
    Greetings,

    I had the 30K service on my '01 Expy done in late May (my actual mileage was 35500). I had it up on ramps this past Sunday, looking at something else, and noticed that there appeared to be a minor transmission leak at the back of the trans. fluid pan. I called the dealer and scheduled a visit to get it checked/fixed. They replaced the pan gasket, topped it off, and sent me on my way.

    Well, naturally, as soon as I hit the road I experienced a problem. At first I got a hard thunk between first and second. I then heard a whine, then the transmission would kick out of and then back into gear. This made the vehicle basically undriveable (except to reproduce the problem, which I was able to do).

    Both the service writer and a/the service manager think that it is the torque converter. Has anyone heard of any TSBs, recalls, etc. with torque converter failures for Expys with 5.4l and electronic trans.? I have 39k miles on it right now.

    Thanks,
    Scott
  • tkenny53tkenny53 Member Posts: 41
    If you could do it over, what would you have changed.
     I'm looking at trading my '01 supercrew for a '03 expedition. 0@-48/60 looks better than the 6.9 I have now.
  • jsdritzjsdritz Member Posts: 2
    I have the same exact problem on my 2003 XLT Premium. I've had it in 3 times (for this problem specifically, more than that in total) as well and even paid for balancing the tires myself at 1200 miles to avoid an unnecessary trip to the dealer. I have had air pressures adjusted, one tire replaced, and the balancing business. I truly believe it's a steering problem (see message #92) because mine occurs with slight movement of the steering wheel at 65+ miles per hour. I am calling the dealer as we speak to get the stearing gear replaced. This will be the third shot they've got at this so I am pursuing lemon law actions if this doesn't work. Mine has been a horrible piece of junk and I am publicly announcing that at every possible chance.

    Thanks for the post, at least I can give my dealer direction now. They've needed it before (I had the front end issue where the half shafts remained engaged even when in 2WD).

    I dearly miss my GMC Yukon.
  • pkahl1971pkahl1971 Member Posts: 1
    All, I just purchased a new Expedition (E.B. 4x4) 11 days ago. It has been in two different dealerships totaling 7 days for vibration related issues. I just spent a hell of a lot of money on this vehicle...obviously my dissapointment level is high. It gets higher when both dealerships tell me that they have looked at everything and can not rid the vibration; "yours rides better than the three we have on the lot"...what the heck is that?
    Does anyone have any suggestions or has anyone found a solution, i.e. new tires, steering, etc.?
    Please e-mail me at pkahl@micheldist.com.

    Thanks,
    PK
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    Whatever you do, stay away from 03 expeditions that have an "A" before the last 5 digits of the VIN. They were early built (2002) models that had numerous problems. Look for ones with a "B" or better yet, a "C" before the last 5 digits of the VIN..........Mine had a "C" which was built in May of this year, has just gone over 10,000 miles with nary a problem. The other expedition I had was an "A" model and was in the shop more than I had it on the road.
  • tkenny53tkenny53 Member Posts: 41
    thanks for the info. I'm looking at the sticker dates, what I'm seeing is build dates from 4/03 to 6/03, did saw one from march.
  • wkohlerwkohler Member Posts: 74
    Those dates should be good, as long as they're the build date. One positive way to tell is to open the drivers door and look at the sticker attached to the door post. good luck!
  • graytrgraytr Member Posts: 1
    WE have a 2002 XLT when we go to the drive in theatre we back up the vehicle and open the back door. The vehilce lights inside and outside perimeter and running board lights all turn on. I asked Ford if there was a way to disable the lights or turn them off they said NO thats just the way it is.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I believe the dealer is correct. It's a courtesy feature and security issue. You'd have to pull the fust for those lights, and live without them all the time.
  • rtomrtom Member Posts: 2
    Am I the only one who has noticed, strangely enough, that almost every 03 Expedition's front wheels are very dirty? What's with that? There is obviously some design problem, because I don't have that on my older model, nor have I ever seen it on other older models, but almost every new one is like that. Anyone heard any response about this?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Oh yes. It's the brake pads. There are a couple of fixes in the works, and I'm not posted on the details, because it doesn't bug me that much that I would fix it. There is a shield that scares me. I don't like to mess with the engineered ventilation of the brakes. The pads can be replaced with another type that doesn't make that much dust. But what I really like is the brakes on my Navigator are incredibly effective, and have saved me twice so far already. I'll put up with the black wheels.....
  • trooper70trooper70 Member Posts: 2
    I have a 98 Eddie Bauer purchased used. It has about 63000 on it and I have this rattling coming from the rear. I am wondering if it needs new shocks or struts? I'm not sure what the truck has becuase there was no manual in it when purchased. I have ordered one, but in the meantime I don't want to do any damange to the truck. Other than that, it is running GREAT.
    thanks for any input...RJS
  • brads03expybrads03expy Member Posts: 12
    Move the dash light dimmer control all the way to the bottom. This will deactivate the lights when the door(s) are open. If it doesn't work then they are made to be turned off, and you would need to pull the fuse to turn the lights off.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Do you have the optional air suspension on your truck? An Eddie Bauer most likely does. So, if that's what's rattling, (although mine never did), those are about $1000 a piece installed. But it could be anything. This isn't a normal problem, and it could just be your spare tire loose.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    Check to see if the spare tire is up in there tight. I had a rattle coming from the rear of my 99 Expy and sure enough, the spare wasn't quite secured very tight. Goodluck!
  • sorlandosorlando Member Posts: 1
    Soon after delivery I noticed a vibration between 45 - 50 mph. Took it in to local Ford Dealer on July 7th with 1033 miles on it.

    The checked front end alignment, tire balance, replaced differential, u-joints, drive shaft and engine. After 16 days in the shop I sent Ford a registered letter advising them they had 10 days to repair vehicle, if not after 30 days I was going to pursue the Florida Lemon Law. Ford did not respond. After 37 days and they quit trying to fix the problem Ford offered me a like vehicle and offered to forgive the mileage amounting to $54.27. I have ignored their offer as I already asked for refund under the Lemon Law. Hope this will help someone.
  • omega35omega35 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2003 XLT (8,000 miles) and I'm having a similar problem, but the car shakes while its on the road (mainly the freeway). My wife will no longer drive the car and its been sitting in my driveway for the last week. At first I thought it was the tires but after putting on new top of the line tires (because the stock tires are every lacking) 75% of the problem went away. I finally took the car in today to the dealer and Ford knew about the problem. It seems they have had a lot of 2003 come back with the same problem. They are currently working on the car. What they have said is the rear ends in lot of these are bad and this is what is causing the shaking and vibrating problem. I will email back when I get the full service report.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Oooh, that's not good news.....
  • ttvjottvjo Member Posts: 4
    i just got my 2003 expedition xlt 4.6 motor 3 weeks ago and sometimes it feels like i have bad gas in it. Sometimes it feels like it just won't pick up not all the times but sometimes. I took it back to the dealership and they could not find anything wrong because the engine light was not on and that the problem just wasn't there at the time they drove it, just fine. it has 7500 miles on it and it's a demo. what kind of gas do u guys use in your expediton because they told me 87 octane which is regular gasoline. I prefer to use plus but i really think it is a gas problem any one else have this problem. and what's up with the break dust on the front wheels i just wash the vehicle yesterday and my wheels are black and getting tired of cleaning them off all the times
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I didn't even know they still sold the 4.6L in the Expedition. In my opinion, that's not enough engine for that size truck. But if you're using Premium, you're probably exacerbating the problem. The car is designed for 87 octane. It will run best on that if it's running right, and if it's not running right, you'll get a check engine light. By putting premiun in, you're raising the combustion temperature some, and wasting money, and probably lowering your mileage.
  • yodeyyodey Member Posts: 3
    Has anyone else had there 2003 XLT in for service for vibration when turning ? I have 800 miles on my new expedetion and took it in to get this checked and service said it is the disc plates for the posi track rear rubbing together. So they squitted lube in it and said to drive it and it will go away. Well it has not gone away. Any soulutions out there because I am embrassed to have people ride in $40K that rides like a clunker.
  • alwaysfordsalwaysfords Member Posts: 210
    Limited slip rears do occasionally bind up. The way to correct it is to put in a "limited slip additive". If they just topped off the resivoir with regualr fluid it probably won't change anything. To do it right they should have removed some of the fluid to allow the right mixture of additive and fluid. This of course depends on whether or not the original diagnosis was correct.
  • jrc346jrc346 Member Posts: 337
    This may sound corny, but it's just a thought. Is your A/C running during this time that you are encountering this situation? If the expy runs smooth, but just doesnt have the juice at times, it may be because the A/C is running. With 4.6L in these newer heavier vehicles, you are probably going to feel it when the a/c kicks in.
  • ttvjottvjo Member Posts: 4
    where do u guys get yall gas from chervon, texaco, exxon, or shell which one is better for the suv and what can i do about the brake dust on the front wheels besides washing it everyday. u think if i put another kind it will stop or what
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    At interstate speeds, both front doors have very noticeable rattles. Dealer cannot find anything via osasis or whatever it is they do. zman3 and maybe others have posted on this. I need something such as a TSB, Ford part number for the kit mentioned. Techs just do not seem to be able to tie into anything to help them.

    Had the same front diff problem as mentioned in several posts. My unit was B50000 production that was some 6-7 months after the problem was given a TSB on the NHTSA website. There is no excuse for Ford continuing to build defective vehicles that the dealers have to fix and the customers get stuck with.

    My overall worst complaint by far is the excessive weight of the FX4. Weighed 5,840 lb. with a full tank on a certified scale versus 5,720 with a full tank for a 5.4L, 4wd in the regular XLT. Shipping weight on my invoice was 5,393 or 5,396 with I assume standard 6 gallons of fuel. Got sandbagged big time by Blue Oval. The FX4 feels like a 3/4 to 1-ton 4wd truck in day-in day-out driving. The FX4 tows really well(except for pulling power) and gets about 10% mileage better than my 2000 Expy with 5.4L, 4wd. FX4 handles very well in mountains on interstate. However, FX4 has annoying amount of weight in front on rack and pinion steering a lower speeds around town. FX4 quieter than most other 2003 model Exp due to skid plates killing road noise.

    Odometer records miles traveled some 2.5% to 3.0% low compared to interstate mile makers in TN,. GA, SC, NC. Still same cheapo OEM tires.

    Per other comments, brakes much better than previous Expedition. Black dust. Owners need to "practice" having new Electronic Brake Assist feature. Surprised me at first despite 42 years driving experience, 8 previous new Ford suvs owned (Bronco, Expedition, Explorer), lots of towing and off-road experience. EBA may need some additional engineering by Ford--driver has to learn to get off the pedal completely to return to normal braking, learn to deal with "fright factor" when EDA comes on. Very different emergency braking with EBA that may not be for all drivers.

    Hate the way the 44U, 4R70W tranny takes its good sweet time about changing down when turning at an intersection. Heavy duty 44E, 4R100 never had this problem in 2000 Expedition, Broncos.

    That's about it--2003 has many good features including trusty 5.4L Trition, but overall the FX4 is near the bottom of satisfaction scale due to excessive weight that ruins the suv driving experience.

    P.s. zman3, please post on door seals issue above.
  • alwaysfordsalwaysfords Member Posts: 210
    It is a shame that 120lbs, or 2% of the total vehicle weight has ruined your driving experience. You should be happy from half a tank on down since that will have shaved off the extra weight. Did your lighter weight Expy have skid plates?
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    No, the regular XLT, 5.4L, 4wd did not have skid plates. Also keep in mind the FX4
    has the heavier steel wheels and tubular steel step bars with steel braces which probably
    make up some of the 120 lbs. difference.

    The weight comparison comments were more in relation to the weight of say a 2002 Expedition,
    4wd, 5.4L or any other 4wd 1500 series suv from GM. According to weights past and present suvs I have been able to come up with from sources such as the Michigan Hwy Patrol Police Vehicle Tests or Trailer Boats magazine, the FX4 seems to come some 350-500 lbs. heavier than most any 1500 series GM product now in production including the 4wd Suburban/Yukon XL and/or earlier Exp.

    The FX4 stops like a very heavy vehicle too--even with the advanced brakes you could run right over something or someone. It's got to be in the massive frame. The hood and rear liftgate for the 2003 models are aluminum.

    During an at home tire rotation, the vehicle pushed one of my jack stands down into the driveway pavement--that's heavy.

    While the FX4 5.4L pulls good on moderate grades on the interstate at 70 mph, it struggles up through the gears starting out up a grade empty, loaded, towing, etc. When new, the FX4 would often shift down two gears in situations my 2000 5.4L, 4wd would have easily handled in drive or maybe in O/D.

    ...still looking for information on front doors rattle at hwy speeds.
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    Unfortunately I am not going to be of much assistance. When I first complained about the noise in my drivers door the tech was not able to reproduce it but there was an internal Ford document (Don't know if it was a TSB or what) that mentioned a new door gasket kit, so he ordered it and installed it. Yours should have been build with the new gasketing. I was under the impression that mine was one of the later ones built with the old design and my VIN is AXXXXX. Anyway, my wife drives the Expy but I have driven it the last couple of days and I can say without a shadow of doubt that my doors still rattle like crazy. I will be taking it in when convenient and have it checked again. If they fix it I will let you know.
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    I meant to post about headlights not being nearly as good on the 2003 Expedtion on dim or regular setting as previous 2000 Expedition and/or 92 and 95 Broncos. It is unbelievable that a modern day suv would have such marginal headlights? On bright they come on strong enough to burn the leaves off the trees--that's no help in 90% of the driving. Almost always supplement the dim/normal driving headlights with fog lights just to make do. Pitiful really. Wonder if Navigator high intensity lights would fit Expedition without modification?
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    Wow. I have actually commented that I feel that the headlights on our 03 EB are excellent. Much better than our old 95 Explorer and also much better than my 98 Outback.
  • squiddersquidder Member Posts: 6
    I guess we all have the same problem with wheel dust. There is a simple solution dust shields for your wheels. Just pull off the tire insert them into the rim and your problem will be solved. If you don't want to do it a tire shop will for about $10 a wheel. They are manufactured by Kleen Wheels and are sold Retail or on the web at Kleenwheels.com. I spoke to the Service mgr. at my local dealership about warranty issues. They said it wouldn't effect the warranty in any way. I also have had my Rack and pinion changed due to noises and vibrations. I have been in contact with Ford about the front end vibration and noises. I have been told that they havent received any calls regarding this problem. Maybe if enough owners call Ford at 1 800 392 FORD they will take this problem a little more seriously.
  • rodw5rodw5 Member Posts: 3
    My 1999 expedition with the turn signal in the mirrors are both losing their reflective coating,both mirrors are turning black. Anybody else having the same problem?
  • alwaysfordsalwaysfords Member Posts: 210
    The 99 mirror problem was acknowledged by Ford and there were TSBs for it. Mine did it right away, I don't know if they will take care of it for you 4 years later.
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