Problems with 1999 Ford Expedition ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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.

Bought a 99 ford expedition 5.4 4x4 about 4 months ago. today 1/30/18 was driving and started to hear clicking noise under dash the windshield fluid light and 4x4 light started to flash as the same time as it flashed i hard the clicking noise the radio then turned off and the passenger side window stopped working also fan blower will work with the truck is shut off. last week i had shut my ford expo off i went to restart it about a half hour later and would not start back up. the truck finily started about a hour later.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. after parking the vehicle near the contact's garage, a fire erupted under the hood. the contact was alerted to the failure due to the alarm sounding. the fire department extinguished the flames. the vehicle was not diagnosed and remained parked at the contact's residence. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign numbers: 06e056000 (fuel system, gasoline) and 98v312000 (fuel system, gasoline). the manufacturer was not notified. the vin and failure mileage were not available.

Dome lights, running lights, door ajar lamp, odometer lamp, door ajar audible activating intermittently while in motion on a street or highway. sometimes staying on after vehicle is turned off. coming on at anytime after vehicle is turned off and stationary, causing a dead battery leaving driver, family and occupants stranded.

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. the contact stated that the horn activated independently. after inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the failure was due to a fire under the hood toward the driver side of the vehicle. the contact stated that smoke and flames were emitting from the vehicle. the fire department was contacted. however, the fire did not extinguish resulting in the vehicle exploding. the manufacturer was not notified. a police report was filed and there were no injuries sustained. the approximate failure mileage was 163,000.

Appears when it rains, the vehicle will not start. took same to a local shop that specialize in electrical systems. they could not find anything wrong and advised they were aware of windshield leakage. they advised they did not see any evidence of leakage. vehicle can be driven several months with no issues, but appears to occur when there is a heavy rain. upon reviewing other post, it appears this is a longer existing problem with the year and make vehicle. *tr

Changed heater core in the front along with the blend door heat lasted for up to 3 days and got nothing but cold air in the front of my truck blowing out still have heat in the back this is crazy it is to cold for this and i spent my last on fixing my heat to only result in it going back out three days later people are telling me it might be the heater box motor i just want heat i'm tired of shivering while i drive . *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing. the dealer stated that the fuse box and gem module multi-function failed due to a water leak from the windshield. the vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. the failure mileage was 99,084.

I have this very same problem. while vehicle is off the heater blowers will turn on and run battery down. while driving 4x4, washer lights, power windows, radio, interior lights all turn off and on. radio works while in park but, powers down when vehicle is put in gear. have had issues with water getting in and running down drivers side. appears alot of people are having the same issue. bought the vehicle in 2008 just started having these issues within the past year started out slow but are getting worst and more frequent. now my vehicle after jump starting it i hear a electrical noise coming from my starter, it shuts the car off and kills the battery. the car will only run for ten seconds or so before it repeats. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. while the vehicle was parked with the engine turned off, the rear brake lights and instrument panel began to illuminate. the contact disengaged the battery cable to prevent the malfunction from continuing. the vehicle had not been diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 155,000. the vin was unavailable.

The radio would turn on and off without the key in the ignition, the starter tries to start the vehicle without the key in the ignition. while driving down the road the interior lights flicker and the headlights will turn on and off randomly. automatic door locks will not always work. *tr

My 1999 ford expedition went up in flames last night (june 26) in my driveway. i had driven the truck home, turned it off and walked inside to go to bed. approximately fifteen minutes later, i was awoken to my car having seven foot flames coming from the hood. the fire department was called and we began trying to fight the fire. the truck is a total loss. i bought this vehicle in may of 2008 and i understand that there was a recall on this vehicle. i was never notified of any recall. *tr

When it rains my 1999 ford expedition turned on the lights all by itself , and then proceeded to try and crank itself with no key. radio and air comes on by themselves, clicking noise under dash , found several complaints saying that it is a leak in the windshield causing the computer to get wet. *tr

Our battery died because the air fan inside the car would not shut off. once i got car jump started noticed that many electrical devices were either not working or turning on and off by themselves. these problems continued after i replaced battery. i took it to the dealership and was told that the windshield in 1999 ford expedition leaked causing electrical shortages in most electrical components in the car. and would cost $1000.00 to fix and the windshield would need to be replaced for another $200.00. after researching this i have found that this is a well known problem in this model but no recall has been established. *tr

Unusual circumstances such as window switch working the wipers, digital odometer going off and on, brakes working the interior dome lights,blower motor for heater coming on without a key even in the ignition,door locks don't engage until moving for a minute or two,after blower motor kicked on without a key, took to shop and they said water had gotten in the power dist. box and floorboard had moisture also. will cost me over 700.00 but i cant afford to fix on my 600.00 disability check i get a month. thanks ford!!! *tr

1999 ford expedition. suv has been random electrical anomalies over the past month from today. gauges, interior fans, and lights would stay on when the ignition would bee in the off position and key removed. upon inspection from a local ford dealership service department, it has been noted from them that corrosion of the general electrical module and fuse box are the cause, most likely from a water leak from the front windshield. improper information from dash consoles can lead to stalls on roadways or improper driving due to improper information received from the instrument panel. in my case, it is limited to battery drain, improper fuel readings, windshield wiper failure, and failure to start. in the end it is mainly a resemblance to odi complaint ea05-015. *tr

1999 ford expedition windshield leaks and shorts out electrical system. happens when unattended often and turns on lights and other systems so battery goes dead. had ford dealer repair one year ago and problem has returned. *tr

Electrical system malfunctioning on 1999 ford expedition. lights, door lock, windows, air conditioning, radio, flashers, lights, gauges. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 1999 ford expedition. the contact stated that she previously experienced failures with the battery losing power and the vehicle shutting off without warning. the battery was replaced three times, but the failure was not corrected. on may 16, 2009, while driving approximately 30 mph, the battery lost power and the windshield wiper washer released fluid. within seconds, the vehicle shut off. the dealer stated that the gem module was corroded. the manufacturer filed report number 0481541389 and stated that there was no recall; therefore, they would not assist. the vehicle has not been repaired. the failure mileage was 80,000 and current mileage was 130,000.

Water leaks in the windshield causing blower motor to stay on after ignition is on, randomly tries to start when key is not even in ignition, lights blink, could cause fire. *tr

Vehicle fire of ford expedition - total loss. *tr

Windshield leaked into fuse box and gem module, growing a fungus and needing replacement, creating electrical functions to turn on and off at will with the potential of causing a fire. *tr

Electrical system had intermittent failures, lights going on and off, dash lights flashing, radio going on and off, ammeter fluctuating. *tr

It started off with a beeping, that happened once and a while. i also noticed when the defroster was turned on black dust like stuff would blow out. then one day my husband and i heard the expedition trying to start. no keys in the ignition, no one in the truck! my husband had to disable the battery to get it to stop. we were going to take it to the ford dealer,but when we started it, it continued to try and turn over. therefore my husband had to disconnect the battery again and we had to pay for a truck hauler to take it to the ford dealer. while at the dealer we told them it couldn't be started, because of it trying to turn over, but apparently they did let it run and now we have starter problems. also they had the windshield seal replaced, but it still leaks. we will be taking it back to them to have their repairs repaired. it's a shame, i was so proud of my suv, now i just don't know. *tr

Unwanted electrical activity that can result in fires. radio, wipers and hvac blower turn on spontaneously when vehicle ignition is off. burning rubber smell sometimes. *tr

Car on board computer had to be replaced. *tr

Every time it rains. when suv is parked and turned off the wipers come on. headlamps and flashers go on and off. radio turns on and off. vehicle tries to start itself without key in the ignition. battery discharges. *tr

I own a 1999 ford expedition truck, this truck caught on fire and blew up tuesday october 2, 2007 at approximately 7:02 pm. i had just finished parking the truck 7 minutes prior to it catching on fire and blowing up. the vehicle is now of no use. *tr the consumer stated wrote ford twice about the defect but ford informed him there was nothing they could do due to the extensive damage on the vehicle. new jersey incident report. updated 11/06/07 *tr

Started my vehicle and heard a loud noise followed by a steady popping noise. i opened the hood and found the rear spark plug on the passenger side had been blown out of the engine. i have since read hundreds of other complaints of this occurring, some causing fires. *jb

My ford expedition caught on fire on 4th of june 2007. in my driveway at 5 am - my garage was burned and the car was a crisp. *tr

After going through a car wash electrical system on my 99' ford expedition started to malfunction. all gauges going back and forth violently many warning lights illuminating loud clicking and popping noises like shorting out noises in fuse box area. battery died shortly after while in traffic heading home leaving me stranded could have caused an accident. replaced old battery with new one and still experiencing electrical failures. vehicle is still sitting to this day! *tr

Events leading up to failure: (1) started with fog light switch not working. (3) took it in for service and was told the windshield was leaking and shorted the switch. service attempted to correct leak by leaving windshield in place and providing more sealant. (1) leak in windshield discovered to persist after battery drained due to radio and various electrical functions would continue even without the key in the ignition. most recently, the starter would repeatedly attempt to start the engine randomly after the engine was started and even while the key was out of the ignition! (2) with this uncontrolled electrical activity battery drain was causing stranding and the most recent occurrence the smell of an electrical fire was noted. (3) the car was taken immediately to a ford dealership for service, where currently the gem module and fuse box are getting replaced as well as the windshield to fix the leak - i was told that the original windshield cannot be re-sealed as it will break when removed. i don't have vin with me at this very moment, but can submit it later. what does oem mean next to the defective elements i've listed? *nm

i sent you an e-mail about a week ago bringing to your attention to this safety issue with ford trucks. what happens is in a hard rain water comes into the fuse panel, it shorts out, the gem shorts out, the pcm shorts out, > > you smell an electrical burning smell, all gauges start going crazy and truck cuts out instantly! this has happened to our family -once pulling out into oncoming traffic (during a hard rain) the truck stopped running instantly. got someone to jump start the vehicle. the second time at least six months later, again in hard rain - same situation this time my husband was 170 miles away. this time he smelled an electrical burning smell. after smelling this he got out of the truck and pulled out the battery in fear of what was next. later put the battery back in however, this time a jump wouldn't work . he got a "new" battery and that didn't work either. the truck has been towed to the nearest ford dealer lake ford in lewistown, pa. here's what they say. the fuse panel has to be replaced it was shorted out along with the gem, and the pcm. with all that totaling over $800.00. and just yesterday i talked to lake ford and they informed me their going to put in a new alternator and it also needs a new instrument panel due to it was burned out also. (approx $700.00) and they tell us that even after all of the above is fixed the trucks radio and air bags! will not work they too were shorted internally. so when we get our truck back and paying over $1,500 we will have no airbags! all due to a ford manufacturing error.(windshields not sealed properly). even more important than the dollars we will have to pay. what will happen to the next person will they be able as lucky as us and avoid a serious accident? i have brought this to the attention of the ford motor vehicle company several times and they are failing to address it. there should be a safety recall put ...

Many ford trucks have a "water intrusion" problem leading to serious safety issues. some of their windshields are not sealed properly -in a hard rain water leaks into the fuse box causing an electrical burning, causing the vehicle to stop running instantly! ford is aware of this and is failing to address it. *jb

Dt*: the contact stated while the vehicle was parked in the driveway with the ignition turned off, flames erupted from underneath the hood and engine compartment area without warning. the fire department was alerted, and extinguished the fire. the police were also alerted, and a report was taken. there was extensive fire damage; an insurance adjustor deemed the vehicle a total loss. the manufacturer was not alerted. *ak

During driving of vehicle all gauges went to zero, lights wouldn't work, radio went out, ac went out, windows, etc. replaced the battery and it worked fine for 1 day. put in a new battery and all of the lights started flashing on and off with a clicking noise coming from the fuse box. replaced the alternator and tried to hook up battery. vehicle started doing the same thing. now we are looking at having to replace the gem and fuse box due to water/moisture. isn't there something we can do about this? it is obviously a problem as you can see from other complaints. *nm

While driving a loud "pop" was heard followed by an exhaust-type sound emanating from engine compartment. vehicle was driven 4 blocks to our home where inspection revealed the blown plug. *jb

1999 ford expedition burned in garage, destoying garage and damaging house. not driven for over 12 hours. burned so badly investigators could not determine how it started. recall was done for cruise control switch. *nm

1999 ford expedition 5.4 liter v8 eddie bauer - vehicle odometer began to fail intermittently, then radio, then random dash lights, i.e. 4x4 - even after car turned off. all of the above and then some went haywire and car stalled out. got to safe place w/out power steering, brakes, etc. took to mechanic and had alternator replaced. after 3 days same event occurred. mechanic replaced alternator again and battery - said battery was problem now. after 3 days event has begun to recur. co-worker has 2000 model and is experiencing same problems. no info on recall but internet reveals several similar complaints. *nm

1999 ford expedition, eddie bauer with 67,000 miles. during/after rain certain electrical components malfunction (i.e. four wheel drive system, lighting, windshield wipers (front and rear), radio, climate control (important in alaska). problem is intermittent and occurs without warning. at the suggestion of the local ford dealership, the dealership replaced the generic electronic module ($350.00) but this failed to correct the problem. the technicians stated they did not know what to do or why the problem is occurring. *jb

Dt*: the consumer stated there was a recall 05v388000 concerning the cruise control. the vehicle was taken to a local service dealer for repair under the recall. when the dealer made the repairs the 5 amp fuse in one of the circuits was replaced with a 15 amp fuse without the consumers knowledge or consent. the manufacturer was contacted and indicated the dealer should not have replaced the fuse with a large amp when completing the recall work. as result of a larger amp fuse being installed in the smaller circuit the electrical circuits were melted. the four wheel drive will no longer disengage, the windshield wipers and the front defroster will not work. the consumer discovered the larger fuse when inspecting the fuses because of the other electrical problems. *jb updated 2/28/2006 - *nm

My 1999 ford expedition has a recurring problem with a supposes safety feature. the "door ajar" warning light comes on even when there is no door open. part of this system turns on the dome light at speeds between 5 and 18 mph. this light makes it difficult to see out the windows. imagine yourself backing out of an unlit driveway at night and not being able to see if there is a child approaching the rear of your car. there is no way to turn off or over-ride the dome light short of removing the bulbs. ford tried to fix the problem once and it worked properly for a while, but the problem returned. it is frightening when you have your sight impaired. i would rather have the dome light warning system disabled that have it malfunction. the odds of an incident happening due to impaired vision are surely greater than of an open door not being noticed and subsequently causing an incident. *nm

Several times this happened. after rain or snow the electronics in my 1999 expedition goes crazy. such as vehicles fan runs after truck is turned off, when in drive radio goes out, beeping noises etc etc. this is known to be caused by a leak in the vehicles windshield which is undetectable by the owner. water leaks behind the fuse panel and the gem module and causes electrical havoc. car will even try starting on its own w/o keys in it. ford has known about this windshield defect and will do nothing to rectify it. this started this year several times. the dealer is replacing the windshield because to reseal it has to be removed and in the process they crack. the fuse box and gem module also has to be replaced due to corrosion over time caused by the unknown leak. the water leaks down the front pillar and then behind the dashboard. all the while the owner is unaware of this happening over time. ford has known about the defective seal on the windshields of several year models of expeditions. this is also a definite fire hazard and a definite danger esp. those who park in there attached garages. repairs cost the owners between $600.00 to well over $1000.00. this isn't fair when a defect like this is common knowledge to all dealers and owners of these vehicles. my vehicle is a top of the line eddie bauer model and the price new was in the $40,000 range. the nhtsa should fully investigate this and demand a recall and reimbursement to those who paid dearly for this defect that came straight from the assembly line to us. *jb

I have a 1999 ford expedition eddie bauer 4x4 that has all the symptoms of your investigation #ea05015. i took my vehicle in while it was still under warranty and i was denied a claim for them to fix it at my local dealer because they said that the cause was due to moisture and it was not covered by under warranty. this sounded to me to be a manufacturing defect and felt it should have been fixed by them. during that time i had to replace my transmission and transfer case which are controlled in some way by the gem module so i am told. i have not been able to fix the gem and fuse box to this date due to the high cost that was presented to me. i am not certain of the actual date this took place but it was identified while the vehicle was still under warranty. *jb

Major electrical problems: air suspension stop working; interior and exterior lamps continually click on and off; rear windshield wipers stop working. abs warning clicks on an off, when off brakes tend to lock during braking. *jb

Dt: 1999 ford expedition. consumer had a spark plug blow out. the spark plug came out when consumer's wife was driving. the plug was still attached, and there were sparks coming from this. the vehicle was pulled over and turned off. consumer heard a funny noise. a local mechanic stated they can fix it with a thread insert. when consumer called ford, they stated they would not fix the problem, but they would change the head. this happened on august 1, 2005, at 100,000 miles. the owner's manual stated there should be no spark plug maintenance until 100,000 miles. these were the original spark plugs. consumer states vehicle could have caught on fire. *ak

The 1999 ford expedition caught fire and burned the entire car and garage it was stored in. the fire investigation reports the fire started in the fuse panel. *jb *sc

1) noticed in mid may that the cruise control on my 1999 ford expedition stopped working. no other performance issues were noticed and since it was not critical it was not repaired at that time. 2) on july 27, 2005 the 1999 ford expedition caught on fire and burned. the fire chief on site indicated that the fire started in the area of the master cylinder, where the speed control deactivation switch is located. 3) my insurance company, usaa is in the process of investigating the cause of the fire and i am awaiting information from them. i have not contacted ford at this time. *nm

I have a '99 ford expedition and i developed a problem where i lost the brake and turn signal lights in my car. i replaced the fused and it immediately popped again. so i took it to my mechanic, and he looked at it. there was brake fluid up in the cruise control switch, all the way up in the cable harness (in the wires), and in the connector at the junction/fuse box. when he removed the cruise control switch, he discovered that the cruise control switch was the new switch and it sparked and it caught fire. luckily the flame was contained to just the switch and the mechanic was able to cut the switch out of the car and blow it out before the fire spread. he told me the car had to go to ford and he suggested that i not drive it, as it was a fire hazard. so it was towed. the ford dealership got in and investigated and they determined that i needed a whole new cabling harness because of melted wires and brake fluid contamination and that the price was going to be $500 and a new cruise control switch and fuses. i instructed ford to go ahead with the repairs and to save all of the old parts. ford said that because the cruise control switch had already been replaced, this vehicle was not subject to the recall despite the entire list of other coincidental failures that could have led to a fire and possible loss of life. i have no doubt that had the old switch still been in place, there would have been a fire already. as things were, my mechanic joe taylor, at taylor's automotive said it was just a matter of time before this one would go up.

Hi. i have a 99 ford expedition and read on cnn you are conducting an investigation. i have had so many issues with the leaking windshield, and spent over 2200 dollars with no resolution. in the end, i found you could drill holes in parts of the fuse box. the really frustrating thing is i went into many different ford dealers with documentation in hand regarding others with the same issue, and they all acted like they had never heard of the problem before. it's very upsetting. can you please tell me what else i need to do to ensure my complaints are considered as part of your investigation?