1997 Ford Expedition defect investigations

Investigations by NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation that name the 1997 Ford Expedition. An investigation is how complaints can become a recall: complaints → investigation → (sometimes) TSB → recall.

• SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
  Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006

  On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or t…

• ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
  Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000

  Ea05-005 is closed with ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in cert…

• STEERING SHAFT SEPARATION
  Engineering Analysis EA02001 · opened Feb 6, 2002 · closed May 29, 2003 · led to recall 03V196000

  See attached summary for technical details

• FRONT STABILIZER LINK
  Preliminary Evaluation PE01022 · opened Jul 2, 2001 · closed Nov 9, 2001
• FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING HITCH SEPARATIO
  Preliminary Evaluation PE99060 · opened Sep 27, 1999 · closed Mar 8, 2000 · led to recall 00V073000

  This investigation was opened on september 27, 1999 based on five consumer reports alleging that some of the eight hitch mounting bolts either became loose or came completely out of its retaining plate.one of the complaints indicated that while towig a trailer the hitch actually separated from the frame on the passenge…

• TIE ROD END FAILURES
  Preliminary Evaluation PE98024 · opened Apr 21, 1998 · closed Jul 21, 1998

  There is no summary currently available

• INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION TORSION BAR
  Preliminary Evaluation PE98009 · opened Feb 13, 1998 · closed Jun 30, 1998

  Three consumers have reported failure of one of the two front suspension torsion bars in the subject vehicles.in one case the failure occurred while the vehicle was in operation, and the vehicles were parked when the other two failures occurred.no crashes have been reported.torsion bar failures are considered to be fai…