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Ford Expedition Maintenance and Repair

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Comments

  • rockyjohnrockyjohn Member Posts: 7
    No. The problem I had was with leaking and with the advance trac system. My replacement vehicle does not have the advance trac and runs great. I did not have any noises from the rear end. my problems started at 300 miles. I gave it back with less than 3,000 miles.

    Good luck!
  • fx4fx4 Member Posts: 72
    My 2003 4WD Expedition had the whine on mostly level ground at light throttle starting at 50 MPH on up to 65-70. The noise had been about the same to getting slowly worse over a period of several thousand miles. On moderate to steep grades the noise went away. I traded the 2003 in on 2004 NBX as the dealer was finishing out the waranty ticket (long delay due to dealer moving to new building).

    Echo nvbanker on towing. The NBX with new 4R75W transmission definitely performs very well towing my 21 ft Allison bassboat. (The high performance Allison is so much fun to ride around in that I never fish. Ha!) Need to mention excellent brakes for towing on 2003 and up Navigator/Expedition. Despite the much talked about unsightly brake dust, the brakes are way improved over my 2000 Expedition and four earlier Broncos. Look for 2005 5.4L 3V to be additional towing upgrade depending on trailer weight in question.

    ...starting to like the steering ratio of 2004 NBX after some earlier reservations...

    Went for conventional rear axle this time due to problems turning in 4wd (especially backing) with limited slip rear. IRS of new Nav/Exp seems to keep rear wheels on ground better, thus limited slip rear not as critical as earlier fixed rear axle models. Happy with the non limited slip choice in 2004 NBX in the early going. May regret in winter driving.

    Good weekend to all!!
  • jeff88jeff88 Member Posts: 94
    Just posted this request in the wrong expy forum:

    What were the telltale signs of the advance track problem? Also, were the problems in 4x4 only or in 2wd as well?

    We have this option on our new '04 and I'm hoping the issue has been solved. Thanks,
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    The only problem I've heard about with advance track is some odd abs behavior. My Father-In-Law has an Explorer with advance track and he had the brakes engage suddenly when he when to press on the pedal. I have heard others describe this too. When he took the vehicle in the dealership couldn't find anything wrong (doesn't that figure).
  • chanatechanate Member Posts: 2
    I also have a 1998 Expedition and is in the shop for the same problem. Am being told that it will cost me over $2700.00 to get it fixed. They even told me that this is a known problem and yet refuse to assist in any way. I have reported Ford to BBB and wrote to NHTSA and ABC News7 consumer advocate. Sure would help of you could do the same. Maybe if we holler loud enough Ford will help in some way.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    You want Ford's help on a 6 year old truck? How long does the manufacturer have to back a vehicle with 1000 moving parts against failure? I would not be happy, but I wouldn't expect Ford, or Bendix, or whoever made the ABS component to fix it now.
  • chanatechanate Member Posts: 2
    Yeah I get what you mean..but I have taken good care of my SUV and only has 110000 in the 6 years that I have had it. My compalint is that I was told that Ford knows/knew this is a problem and they haven't done anything about it. To bad I really like my SUV and was planning on getting another one..have to do more research I guess
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Believe me, I know how you're feeling facing a bill like that. I'm just saying that getting six years and 110,000 miles out of a subcomponent isn't unreasonable. Had the engine failed, that would be different. And I'll bet Ford didn't realize it was a problem until they started to age considerably. I've not heard about it before.

    Now, perhaps a more productive thought on my part would be an alternative to the $2,700 bill the dealer wants to fix it. Is the part interchangeable with other years? If so, perhaps a boneyard could provide you with a cheap, if not terribly long term replacement part? Are there aftermarket providers? I'd get all over the net and look around. ABS sensors on old Explorers are what I would call a chronic problem - but this one is rare. There has to be a better solution than a bill that large. Hell, I'd trade the truck.
  • 2dogs696962dogs69696 Member Posts: 2
    I have an 04 Expedition with Sirius Sat installed. I am unable to play Sat radio in dual mode while DVD is playing. AM/FM/CD work fine. Anyone know if this is normal and if so, is there a fix?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I've seen Ford buyback more lemons than any other manufacturer since Bill Ford took over. Some attorneys out there may be able to either corroborate or decry that claim, but so far, in my little circle of the world, it's Ford 3, everybody else 0.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    A friend of mine has just acquired a 99 Expedition with the keypad on the door. Problem is, he doesn't have the master combo. Can anybody tell me where the sticker with this code may be located on this car? It's usually on a trunk hinge in the cars, but not on the SUVs. I've heard it's under the dash somewhere?
  • teldocteldoc Member Posts: 49
    Bought an 04 EB in March and love it. Way better than the Tahoe it replaced. Only issue to date is a pulsing sensation from the steering wheel at highway speeds. Nothing horrible but annoying. Truck has 8,000 miles and I've just balanced and rotated the tires and it's still there.

    Question: is this a case of waiting to wear out the Contri-craps or could there be another issue with the front suspension?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I'm betting on the tires - because I have that problem, but only when one tire is on the front. The Rack & Pinion translates every little thing up to the driver, where reciprocating ball steering is numb. So if you do have a slighly lumpy or out of balance tire, you're gonna feel it. So, I move the bad tire to the back, and have no problem. You may just have the Continental jiggle..... You could try demanding another set of tires from Ford to fix it. I think they owe you a steering wheel that doesn't shake, don't you?
  • teldocteldoc Member Posts: 49
    Update from 2 post ago....just returned from the tire place that did the balancing last week. The machine was out of calibration and 3 of 4 tires needed rebalacing. Not the Expy/ContriTrac's fault. All is well in ExpyVille once more.
  • cinelli1cinelli1 Member Posts: 1
    I had an 03 EB we bought last August that had the same problem. It went in for service 8 times in less than 5 months. Ford replaced everything including the rear differential and couldn't fix the problem. They finally had to replace it this February thanks to the lemon law, but told me that they think the problem was a bad tranny. The truck only had 5000 miles on it when we turned it in. Ford told me they were taking it to Detroit to tear it apart and determine the problem for sure.
  • bdritterbdritter Member Posts: 9
    Anyone else experiencing a wind noise over 70 mph? The dealer claims the noise is caused by the side mirrors and folding them in should correct the problem (dumbest correction method a service tech has ever proposed to me). Anyone else experience this or have thoughts as to the cause and/or potential solution? Please send a message to bdritter@yahoo.com if you can. Thanks!
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    Some wind noise at highway speeds is to be expected. The key word here is 'some'. A great deal of wind noise would indicate a problem that may be able to be corrected. How much it would cost to fix the problem may be the question. Usually aging door or window seals are the culprit in this kind of thing. We own an 04 Expedition and I have to say it has the quietest cabin at any speed, of any vehicle we've ever owned but even this has a small amount of wind noise at highway speeds.

    I can say the same thing about the 98 F-150 I used to own. It was great and remarkably quiet for having the 3rd door.

    What year vehicle is this?
  • gheimurgheimur Member Posts: 88
    I have a 2004 EB and at times on startup I hear a noise that sounds like a BRR sound . It sounds like the a/c kicking in however the a/c works normally and at startup is the only time I hear the noise. The owners manual says that you may hear noises from the advance trac doing a self check. Don't know. Anyone else hear this noise?
  • mbjbmbjb Member Posts: 39
    gheimur,

    If you start your expy with the ac on, the noise you hear is the compressor kicking on. This only happens at start. I have a 04 and took it in to the dealer for this same noise and according to them this is normal. I have checked around at other sites and all say the same.
  • washington2washington2 Member Posts: 10
    I have the same problem now with my 03 Expedition around 65 mph its very annoying. I have even changed to a set of aftermarket chrome wheels that fit the factory size tires and it still vibrates at 65 mph. I have been to the shop over 4 times with the original wheels and once with the new wheels and it still shakes. What to do ! file it as a lemon? some one please help.
  • zman3zman3 Member Posts: 857
    But did you replace the tires when you got the new rims? The issue is with the tire, I believe, not the rims.
  • gheimurgheimur Member Posts: 88
    Thanks MBJB, The only other issue that I have is intermittently the 2nd and 4th buttons on the outside keypad entry don't illuminate. I hate to bring it in for something so minor. Otherwise I
    really like the 04 XP.
  • washington2washington2 Member Posts: 10
    No i didn't replace the tires. They did replace the tires once before i got the new rims and still had a vibration problem.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Pretty much all Fords with a V-8 at least, will make that noise on start up, particularly if it has sat a day or more. It is normal, if not annoying, and not damaging. It's freaky at the car lot though, when you are testing out a new car, and you start it up - and you get that grind. But it's nothing, and nothing they can get rid of either.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    In my experience with these trucks, 99% of the time it's the tires, and here's the problem. The Rack & Pinion steering is SO sensitive to road feel, which is supposedly a good thing, that any little imperfection in a tire, even one otherwise undetectable, is transmitted up to the driver via the steering wheel. Cheap tires will never pass muster, and un fortunately, Ford puts fairly cheap tires on most Expeditions. Get them to put a set of Michelins on, with factory rims (because ALL aftermarket rims are not round, you know) and you will probably be ok. Even with my Michelins, there is one tire that vibrates if on the front. ON the back it is not felt at all. I just keep the 2 round ones on the front.

    I wish Ford could dampen down the road feel just a little, and in the old trucks, or GM's trucks with the old fashioned reciprocating ball steering, ala 1940, you don't feel these things until they are quite severe. The bad comes with the good steering.
  • rockyjohnrockyjohn Member Posts: 7
    Sorry for the delay, but since I've had my replacement Expy I haven't been on here as much.

    The problems I had started with a trans. leak in the rear end. The seals were replaced then the rear end was replaced and the leak still continued. I then had a brake failure related to the advance trac. The check advance trac message came on the display once I was able to stop the vehicle. I took it to the dealership and a code came up that said that I had been in an uncontrolled braking situation for greater than 30 secs.

    3 days later, Ford agreed to take the vehicle back without a fight. The new vehicle is great. No advance trac.

    Good luck
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    I'm glad to hear your new Expedition is in good working order. We just purchased (in May) an 04 with Advance Trac and it has been a pleasure to drive for sure.

    The only thing that tames the pleasure of driving this fine charriot is it's thirst. I live a little over 6 miles from work and I figure I am paying ~$2.00 for my daily commute. I would feel a whole lot better about owning this beast if gas prices were a little lower.
  • mbjbmbjb Member Posts: 39
    Hey Tourguide,

    I feel the same way, but when I brought this monster I knew that the cost of fuel would be a killer. In Chicagoland I am paying $1.82 for regular unleaded. BP is loving me now.
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    I probably shouldn't have figured out the cost of my daily communte, but the difference was so dramatic going to this vehicle from our Caravan that I got curious. When I did the math I was a bit surprised at the result.

    I heard a distrubing rumor from a friend yesterday that gas prices may hit $4-$5/gal. this year. That really hit home in light of my recent research.

    When I started researching this purchase over a year ago, gas was peaking out at ~$1.50/gal and I knew it was going to be more expensive to drive this, but when gas prices went up 25% that starts to change your thinking. I can say for certain that if gas prices hit between $3.50 and $4.00/gal I'm going to be trading this beast in regardless of where I am on my payment schedule. It really stinks because I like driving it SO much, but I'm not going to be cycling $100 or more through the tank every other week.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    If gas prices do that, a lot of us will be putting our beloved trucks on the block - which will mean they'll be cheap as hell to buy - and may be worth the gas it costs to run them for some people! I have 18 months left on my Navigator lease - when it's up, gas prices will likely dictate if I will get another one, or move to a sedan.
  • cheyenneexpi3cheyenneexpi3 Member Posts: 1
    This is a post from a new used owner. I have a 98 Expedition. Just bought it used for a good price, and I love it. I need to get it serviced so this may have answered my own question. My check engine light came on and it has stayed on. It has not blinked, which is good news according to the owners manual. Can anyone tell me, before I take it to be serviced, what this may be, besides the solutions that the owners manual has given.

    Thanks
  • tourguidetourguide Member Posts: 190
    One of the most common causes of the CEL coming on is an oxygen sensor going out. If I had to place bets on what it is, that would be my first guess. An oxygen sensor will run you about $50 to replace I think including parts and labor.
  • philly0162philly0162 Member Posts: 1
    Hi all, I lurked this forum for information on vibration in front end at 65-70 on '01 expy I purchased recently. I took it to a local reputable tire shop. These are the 17" goodyear wilderness that are stock. Aluminum rims. Contritrac 4 wheel drive, 5.4 motor.

    Each tire was a little cupped. Took the worst one and replaced with new spare. Put the best ones on front. Re-aligned, was about 5 degrees off in the front. Re-balanced all tires, they were a little off. One rim had a very slight dent, so put that one in the back. Problem solved!!

    The shop says to come back in a couple weeks to make sure all is well. Note, I also tow a 20' boat with no problems.

    Next time I need tires I am considering the dayton wilderness HT. Consumer reports rates the RT very highly, but I really don't need an agressive tread. Any opinions on the wilderness HT, or the Goodyear Fortera HT?
  • deanctdeanct Member Posts: 10
    I just bought an 04 Expedition. Has anyone noticed how skinny the steering wheel is? Even the explorer, focus and the mini van have thicker steering wheels. Other than that the car is great so far. One more thing, has anyone noticed a burning smell at times while running the A/C?
  • gheimurgheimur Member Posts: 88
    I like the size of the steering wheel. I haven't noticed any burning smell when running the A/C. I would have it checked out if it doesn't go away.
  • limehe3limehe3 Member Posts: 2
    Hi, I have owned my 04 xlt a week. The dealer had it 5 of the 7 days i've owned it.... interior lighting not working (three days later they found a relay on the instrument panel burned and all bulbs blown), vibration at 70mph ( road balanced the tires), and a hiss associated with the a/c( their answer is its normal).The a/c hiss gets louder the faster the engine runs and tonight I found the condensate is hitting the cat heat shield instead of draining out of the rubber line. Has anyone had problems with this hiss? thank you
  • gheimurgheimur Member Posts: 88
    I have an 04 EB . I do not hear any hiss. Do you hear it inside the car? or only outside. Is the A/C cold. Do you have the climate control or standard A/C?
  • jeff88jeff88 Member Posts: 94
    Do not hear hiss from automatic air conditioning either in our newish EB. Only noise we hear is the fan at high speed early in the cycle to cool things quickly. It's actually pretty quiet when the fan returns to normal after initial rush of air.
    -------------------------
    I too think the steering wheel is a bit thin and thought the same about our prior '95 explorer eb. prefer the more fattish leather wrapped wheels.
    -----------------------------
    Speaking of the steering wheel, this is something my wife read and passed along. With airbags mounted on the steering wheels these days, the safest method of holding the wheel is definitely at 10 and 2 o'clock -- the air bag explosion is then less likely to hurt ones arms witht he explosion and if the driver is seated far enough away from the bag, less likely to hurt the chest area too. the ideal position is to be holding the wheel at 10 and 2 with the arms slightly bent so the chest area is at maximum distance away from the airbag.

    That's not a problem for me since it's basically the driver position I've always had except that often with the thinner wheel, I'll have my hands at 9 and 3 so they are more comfortable with my thumbs resting on the wheel spokes. (It always makes me cringe when I see drivers really close to the airbags, arms bent at more than 90 degrees, especially when they're yakking away on the cell phone. the airbag is likely to hurt them way more than the accident would.) Wonder what the sound of an airbag explosion is like when heard on the other end of a cell phone call?
  • limehe3limehe3 Member Posts: 2
    Yes, I hear it inside and it has a manual controller(XLT). The weather has been cooler the last couple of days and I have noticed the noise doesn't start until the car gets hot. Then it seems to go away when I hit the brakes or coast, which makes me thinks it's vacuum related. This is my sixth new Ford and the only one that I have had this problem with. I will take it back to the dealer next week.
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Sounds as if your controller, or a blend door has a vacuum leak. Though, most of these things are now electric, there's a vacuum leak under there somewhere.......
  • jameslgjameslg Member Posts: 5
    This is an ongoing battle with Ford. I have a 2003 EB with Limited Slip and the plates continue to slip. In the 62 weeks I have owned the vehicle it has been in the shop 6 weeks. The rearend has been rebuilt once and I just got it after a 31 day stay in the shop where they replaced the rearend. I still have the problem. I have asked Ford to buy it back but so far no word. I have owned a lot of Fords and never a problem like this. Zone manager is no help and is just plan BAD.
  • wijocowijoco Member Posts: 462
    What exactly is the noise? Highway whine or low speed shudder?
  • jameslgjameslg Member Posts: 5
    At low speed it is almost a grinding noise 10 to 30 MPH then at 40 to 50 it is a rough whine meaning it has the whine but there is enough friction from something and you can feel it just sitting in the car. The Zone Manager with Ford told me before the replacement of the rearend just turn the radio up if the noise was bothering me. I have asked Ford to buy the car back but have not heard back from them. They said it would take 5 business days to have an answer and that will be Tuesday. Some say I asked for the wrong thing as I would be happy to swap the unit for a new one. We will have to wait and see what I am told. I have already notified the Dealer, Ford and the State that I was claiming it was a Lemon and my Attorney says I have a good case if I want to go that route but I will not be able to collect Legal fees if I was to win as when I signed the purchase agreement I waived my right to collect legal fees.
  • bigdybigdy Member Posts: 5
    I own a 1999 XLT and I had a spark plug blow out of the head twice my truck is now in the shop waiting for new heads I have talked to several other Expedition owners who have had the same problem they got rid of their trucks and kicked Ford to the curb I have always owned Ford products but I am starting to get a little tired of this situation. The dealers treat you like Charles Manson out on bail when you try to talk to them about it they should have a recall on this problem. anybody have any answers?
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    I've never had this happen, nor ever heard of it happening. How many miles you got on the old girl?
  • bigdybigdy Member Posts: 5
    I have 88,000 on it, the plug closest to the fire wall on the passenger side blew out, at about 66,000 my mechanic was able to fix it and it held up till now but this time I have to replace the head,I have talked to a few people who were Expediton owners and Ford mechanics who have seen it happen not just on the expedition, the F-150 and some of their other vehicles, even my local dealership has told me they had a few come in.
  • bigdybigdy Member Posts: 5
    There should be a card in the glove box with the code on it
  • nvbankernvbanker Member Posts: 7,239
    Well, if it happened once, I suppose you'd not expect the fix to be permanent. That's when I sell the car, usually. Sorry about that. It may "happen", but it's rare, I promise you, on a percentage of engines out there. The Modular V-8 engines from Ford are tough long term performers, and have won awards from Wards for their performance. There are many thousands of them out there with a half a million miles on them without a teardown in livery service. That's not to say that you will find one occasionally with a defect that manifests itself at various stages of life, and I'm sorry yours is one of them. I'd still sell the truck.
  • bigdybigdy Member Posts: 5
    Well actually I had intended to sell the truck, my problem is not so much the repairs, its the fact that you can barely get the parts and you can not fix the old head I mean if it were a GM product I could have that one hole rethreaded but because of the way Ford makes the head you can not do anything with it. plus they want a thousand plus dollars for a new head they will not sell me just the head they say I have to buy the cam also, and as far as this being an isolated event its not you must have not read the whole post I have done some research on this and it does happen, I talked to Ford people (service reps, mechanics,and sales reps) from several Ford dealerships they all have seen it before. I have always owned a Ford vehicle I bought a brand new F-150 in 1984 long before trucks and suv's were considered "chic" Its not a problem for me because money talks all else walks (already shopping for a new Yukon Denali)
  • bigdybigdy Member Posts: 5
    Yes I have, my truck is in the shop for the same thing a spark plug blew out of the head on my truck twice the first time my mechanic was able to put the plug back in the motor and I got another 20,000 miles out of it the week I was ready to get rid of the truck the plug blew again now I'm having problems finding a new head
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