KnownCarProblemsHome › Ford › Expedition › 2001
2001 Ford Expedition Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 578 complaints with NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Expedition, most often about the engine (24% of complaints, typically around 110,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Expedition model year since 2000 and has 6 recalls.
Most common 2001 Ford Expedition problems
Engine
137 complaints · 24%Half of these problems showed up before 110,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, exhaust system.
- the contact stated that his 2001 Ford Expedition caught on fire in the engine compartment. The contact had driven the vehicle approximately 8 hours earlier and there had been no warning signs. A witness told the contact that his vehicle was on fire in the driveway. The contact stated there had not been any recent…
My complaint is because, I owned a Ford Expedition 2001 that caught on fire on august 9, 2007. It was out of my house in the night when we started to see smoke in the street, and when we went out of the house, the engine was on fire, and started to advance backwards the fire, until the firemen came and seized the…
Electrical
118 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 84,500 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, ignition, 12v/24v/48v battery, horn.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Expedition. The contact noticed smoke rising from the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle , and it was towed to a repair shop. The dealer was contacted, and stated that the vehicle was included in recall 05v388000. After reviewing the pictures of the vehicle's failure the…
I was coming home from church in heavy rain in 2001 Expedition when the windshield wipers and radio quit. I was forced to pull over due to not being able to see road ahead. I shifted into park and the radio and wipers came on. But as soon as I shifted back into drive they quit again. So I waited out the rain. When…
Speed control
101 complaints · 18%Half of these problems showed up before 100,000 miles. Parts named most often: cruise control, accelerator pedal, linkages.
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that her vehicle caught fire after being parked in the driveway for four hours. The fire spread to her house. The insurance investigator stated that the fire was caused by the cruise control. The contact's sister was hospitalized for four days due to chronic…
Tl contact owns a 2001 Ford Expedition. While the vehicle was parked next to the house, the fire department called and stated that the house was on fire. The fire originated in the vehicle. A fire report was filed. An investigator from his home owner's insurance company stated that the fire was caused by the cruise…
Wheels and tires
65 complaints · 11%Half of these problems showed up before 39,500 miles. Parts named most often: tread/belt, sidewall, lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, hub.
The tires experienced tread separation, which made the vehicle difficult to control. Size#p27560r17 dot#44t3400. Three of the tires separated while traveling with passengers (1 child & 3 adults) the tire caused a terrible vibration in the vehicle, rocked back and forth, and from side to side when slowing down.
The left rear tire experienced a tread separation while driving 70 MPH with two adults in a Ford, explorer 2001. The problem was noticed when the rear of the vehicle was wobbling, and something was flapping against the body of the vehicle. Original equipment, tire size 275/60r17, and dot #[VIN]. Tire company was…
Visibility and wipers
44 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: windshield, windshield wiper/washer, power window devices and controls, defroster/defogger/hvac system.
Water leak in the front windshield (following a few consecutive rainy days), causing electrical failure of the dome light, wipers, radio and gear selector. Ford service advised replacing the fuse box and gem module for $1,100. This is my family vehicle and I am deeply concerned that this may cause an electrical fire…
: the contact stated the front windshield leaked rainwater into the vehicle and the dash panel area. Afterwards, the power and electrical features did not work. The vehicle was inspected by a dealer who determined due to the heavy rain the windshield seal leaked and the water caused an electrical failure of the…
Transmission
40 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 44,000 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission, driveline, transfer case (4-wheel drive).
2001 Ford Expedition transmission 4r100 failed at 44,000 miles. Transmission "locked up" while driving on the highway at 55 MPH. Total replacement needed. Total cost $3200. Numerous service bulletins issued on this model transmission. This should be considered a defective and dangerous product and a recall should be…
I am being told my Expedition transmission needs to be rebuilt. Originally (two weeks ago) was told it was a torque converter, and noticed no differece after spending $885.00. After taking car back in, I am being told transmission needs rebuilding. Total cost is $2200.00, champion Ford says Ford will pay 1700.00 I…
Seat belts
36 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 90,500 miles. Parts named most often: front, rear/other.
: the contact stated all three of the middle row seat belts are inoperable. Two of the seatbelt buckle assemblies have completely broken apart. The springs and release buttons ejected from the buckle assembly. The third seat belt buckle assembly fails to fully lock. There is a NHTSA recall, # 01v227001, regarding the…
The driver seat belt does not stay latched all the way even though it seems it does. Randomly the seat belt will become unlatched while driving in different conditions. It was built in the michigan plant like the recall on your website but not included in the recall according to Ford because of the VIN. I think it is…
Body and structure
25 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles. Parts named most often: body, frame and members.
In the last few months, I have noticed that when it rains, my blower motor will run on high-speed and my lights will flicker after I turn the vehicle off. At first it would stop after a few seconds, however this last time, it ran for about 10 minutes and finally shut off. I have a co-worker who has the exact same…
Was closing rear lift gate on our 2001 Ford Expedition the strap attaching mechanism broke causing me to fall backwards on the to pavement striking the back of my head and scraping my elbow. This caused me to be transported to the local emergency room for treatment.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2001 Ford Expedition recalls
Speed control: vehicle speed control
Risk: A fire at the switch could occur.
Fix: By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significa
Full defect summary
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Body and structure: structure
Risk: This overheating condition can cause the running board to melt or cause a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began march 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact southern comfort at 1-800-745-6096.
Full defect summary
Certain pickup truck, van, and mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by american technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Visibility and wipers: motor
Risk: Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 thro
Seat belts: buckle assembly
Risk: In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide adequate occupant protection, increasing the risk of personal injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the front outboard seat belt buckles and if the buckle fails the inspection process, it will be replaced. Owner notification began july 25, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans. Equipped with seat belts supplied by trw. It is possible that the driver's and/or front passenger's outboard seat belt buckle may not fully latch. Ford crown victoria built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01 mercury grand marquis built at st. Thomas assembly plant from 4/17/00 - 5/29/01. Lincoln town cars built at wixom assembly plant from 3/27/00 - 5/30/01. Lincoln navigators built at michigan truck plant from 4/11/00 - 5/31/01. Ford windstars built at oakville assembly plant from 3/23/00 - 5/30/01. Ford rangers built at twin cities plant from 3/28/00 - 5/30/01, and also at the edison plant from 3/13/00 - 5/25/01. Ford f-150 truck built at norfolk plant from 4/18/00 - 5/25/00; at ontario plant from 5/10/00 - 5/28/01; at kansas city plant from 9/11/99 - 5/25/01; and at cuautitlan plan
Air bags: frontal
Risk: In the event of a vehicle crash, the driver air bag may not deploy as intended, potentially resulting in reduced occupant protection, or a burn injury.
Fix: Dealers will install a driver air bag module. Owner notification began march 19, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: passenger and sport utility vehicles. The inflator canister in the driver air bag module may have an inadequate weld near the igniter.
Equipment: owners/service/other manual
Risk: In the event of a crash, the child seat may not be properly attached increasing the risk of injury to the child.
Fix: Owners will be provided with owner guide inserts revised to provide the required information, and instructions for affixing these inserts to their owner guides. Customers will also be advised that if they prefer, their dealer will affix the inserts to their owner guides.
Full defect summary
Vehicle description: certain sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and passenger vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of fmvss 225, "child restraint anchorage systems." the affected expedition/navigator owner guides do not identify the locations of seating positions equipped with tether anchorages, and do not provide instructions for securing child seats to these tether anchorages. The f150 sc owner guides do not provide the procedure for securing child seats to the tether anchorages. The taurus/sable owner guides do not identify the center rear seating position as having latch compatible lower anchorages.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Windshield leak causes electric failures
Summary
Consumers alleged that when it rained or snowed, water leaked into the vehicle around the windshield.moisture flowing through the seal that surrounds the front windshield follows a path through the seal into the generic electronic module (gem) and fuse box, and may cause the electrical components in the vehicle to malfunction.overall, the number of reports alleging wiper failures and lighting failures is relatively small.in reviewing a large sample of the 1503 complaints for windshield leaks, odi's analysis reveals that 0.04% of the total vehicle population reported improper windshield wiper operation and 0.01% of the total vehicle populationreported lighting failures.the warranty claims rev
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
Summary
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 the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehi
Electrical system failure
Summary
Odi has received 39 reports alleging that water leaks around the windshield causing electrical failures, including but not limited to the windshield wipers and the headlamps.ford reports that water entering the vehicle can wet the power distribution box (pdb) and the generic electronic module (gem).these components control various electrical systems in the vehicle.this investigation has been upgraded to an engineering analysis, ea05015, to allow further investigation of the issue and to assess the nature of the potential safety consequence.
Engine compartment fires
Summary
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 certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.ford is also including the entire population of 1998 explorers.ford has informed odi that testing to determine the cause of failures in the 1998 explorers will continue after this investigation is closed.odi believes that the vehicles exhibiting the factors causing scds failure described in this report correlate well with the obs
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Summary
During the initial recall campaign in 2001, the subject vehicles were inspected by ford dealerships using a test tool that would detect a defective front seat outboard seat belt buckle assembly.approximately one million vehicles passed the inspection test for one or both front buckles.subsequent to the recall service action, odi received 15 consumer reports alleging that a passed inspection buckle subsequently failed to latch or inadvertently unlatched during use.in addition, ford has identified 543 owner and field reports alleging buckle failure subsequent to passing the inspection test.ford tested and examined over 100 warranty-returned buckles and found that 44% of the buckles had no prob
Front seat belt buckle assembly
Summary
Under recall campaign (01v227), ford recalled approximately 1.3 million vehicles to inspect and if necessary replace the front driver and/or passenger seat belt buckle.approximately 1.1 million owners responded by taking their vehicles to a dealer for inspection of the buckle using a specialized buckle test tool.ford reported that 829,927 vehicles had both buckles pass the tool test and another 167,336 vehicles had one buckle pass.odi and ford received complaints alleging seat belt buckle failure shortly after passing the original recall inspection service.complainants alleged that the buckle failed by either not latching or false-latching (partial engagement of the latch to the latch plate)
Questions about the 2001 Ford Expedition
- What are the most common problems with the 2001 Ford Expedition?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (137 complaints, typically around 110,000 miles); electrical (118 complaints, typically around 84,500 miles); speed control (101 complaints, typically around 100,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2001 Ford Expedition have?
- 6 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 7, 2005 (speed control). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2001 a bad year for the Ford Expedition?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Expedition model year since 2000, with 578 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.