1999 Ford Expedition problems & reliability
946 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Expedition, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
42 complaints report injuries (62 injured, 5 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford Expedition vehicles were involved in 41 fatal crashes with 29 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 248 | 26% |
| Tires → | 184 | 19% |
| Visibility → | 123 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 117 | 12% |
| Power Train → | 67 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 59 | 6% |
| Suspension → | 52 | 5% |
| Steering → | 32 | 3% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 30 | 3% |
| Engine → | 26 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 99,084 miles (middle 50% between 66,795 and 130,000 miles), based on 397 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After I put it in park and turned the engine off the truck started to roll back and it didn't stop until it hit the curb across the street.”
Power Train · filed Sep 24, 2022
“My car has been over heating and having problems since I first bought it. I could not understand why I have to continue to keep fixing it after I just bought it. Someone told me to check if it had a recall and sure enough it does! I checked on the dmv website today.”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Oct 5, 2019
“The shift linkage from the steering column to the transmission will not work due to several kinks in the cable. I cant get the keys out of the ignition due to this nor can I even drive my vehicles because it wont ho into gear. I was on my way home stopping at a store when this occurred. Had to leave my truck in the…”
Steering · filed May 14, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- WINDSHIELD LEAK CAUSES ELECTRIC FAILURES
Engineering Analysis EA05015 · opened Oct 13, 2005 · closed Dec 6, 2006
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILURE
Preliminary Evaluation PE05033 · opened Jun 15, 2005 · closed Oct 13, 2005
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000
- FACTORY INSTALLED TOWING HITCH SEPARATIO
Preliminary Evaluation PE99060 · opened Sep 27, 1999 · closed Mar 8, 2000 · led to recall 00V073000
Technical service bulletins
293 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford Expedition. The 10 most recent:
Some 1997-2008 vehicles equipped with a 4.6l 2v, 5.4l 2v, or 6.8l 2v engine--spark plug thread repair procedure--not covered under new vehicle limited warranty. *nj this includes f-53 motorhome chassis. Updated 2/23/10…
07212 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2007
Wds cop kit diagnostic tip - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - engine misfire or rough running. *tt
041601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 14, 2005
Rear axle noise repair. *tt
05618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 2005
Use of stainless steel exhaust studs in service for 5.4l 2v engine. *tt
0554 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 21, 2005
Intermittent rough idle - non-commanded egr (exhaust gas recirculation valve) flow. *tt
05417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 7, 2005
Rear axle noise repair. *sc
050618 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
General (pcm) power train control module programming procedures. *tt
042107 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Rear window defroster grid/integral antenna diagnosis and repair - terminal tab repair. *tt
04189 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
Customer maintenance reminder - literature program 04l19 - tie rod inspection procedure. *tt
04L19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2004
Engine misfire or running - coil on plug (cop) ignition systems - wds cop kit diagnostic tips. To include various 2005 models. * ar this article 04161 supersedes tsb 03-14-04.
031404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1999 Ford Expedition has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1999 Ford Expedition?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 99,084 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.