Problems with 1999 Ford Expedition ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

97 to 99 5.4 fords like to blow plugs out of the cast aluminum cylinder heads. they doubled the threads in 2000. it occurred to my 99 expedition,out of warranty don't expectancy help from ford maybe your dealer. my expedition was 4 years old,at the time. best advice buy gm forget about ford unless you own a tow truck. *tr

Engine problems, i purchased a 1999 ford expedition 4x4 used dec. 21 2002, in feb 2003 i had to take it back to the dealer for a head gasket problem, had to have that repaired, after that was repaired while still in the shop the mechanic couldn't get it to run smooth. i was told that it was missing and was barely running, it would hardly take off and once you got rolling it would spit and sputter and cut off while driving down the road. i finally got it back 2 weeks later, when i asked what the problem was i was given the response, we don't know we just replaced parts until it was running smooth? what kind of answer was that? now here it is aug 2003 and the engine is knocking! i took it straight to the dealer and they said yep sounds like you've got either a bad bearing or some kind of rod was bad???? hello???? then i was told to bring in back in a few days that they couldnt inspect it completely at the moment. then i was told not to be driving it, ok how do i get it home if i cant drive it? how do i get it back in a few days if i cant drive it? i paid a lot of money for this piece of junk, why should i pay $20,000 for a vehicle and have to pay another $5,000 in 6 months just to be able to drive it again? whats up with ford? are they so hard up for money that they have to shaft their customers? way to go ford!! keep up the shafty work we all (customers) like to pay $20,000 + for a hunk of junk that we have to keep putting money into. i cant believe im paying payments on a vehicle that i cant even drive, that really sucks. to bad there isn't anybody that can make ford do something about those bad motors and all the other problems they are having, yes i work everyday to pay for this lemon vehicle and whats even worse is that i have to bum a ride to work, now thats sad with a nice expensive vehicle sitting in my garage.*ak

While driving, the engine made a loud the noise, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the consumer was informed the engine needed to be replaced at a cost of $5000. *jb vehicle was taken to the dealer who learned the failure was the result of a "scored cylinder." consumer was advised ford would pay for a portion of the repair. consumer felt that since the vehicle was routinely maintained, ford should cover the entire portion. consumer was told the offer was non-negotiable. *ph *nlm

The engine light illuminated on the dashboard, and remained on throughout the entire drive. *jb

99 ford expedition spark plug blow out right cylinder # 2. this occurred 10,000 miles after having ford dealership tune my vehicle up. my local mechanic claim it was a defective spark plug and that ford should remedy problem. that hasn't happened as of yet. my vehicle had 97,000 at time of blow out. i personally have put 60,000 highway miles on vehicle last year alone. this vehicle has a service bulletin on coolant hose clamp as well as insufficient threads on heads. *ph

Triton v8 5.4l with 90,000 miles spark plug pulled out and destroyed the cylinder head. i was told by 2 mechanics that this was caused by poor design. there are only 3 threads holding in the spark plug. ford has also updated this particular cylinder head but has not recalled it. *tt

Oil leak from head gasket at about 35,000 miles. oil leak from head gasket at about 75,000 miles. *jb

We just bought a 1999 ford expedition with 35000 miles. we have driven it for 5000 miles and now it needs a new right head gasket. i've read many complaints about the same problem. any answers? *nlm

Recurring oil leak, right side cylinder head, ford trucks with 4.6 engine.*jb

I have a 1999 ford expedition. it has had both head gaskets already replaced once, and now they are blown again. the car is out of warranty and the dealership has informed me that there is an abnormality in my engine which will cause this problem to continue to re-occur unless i pay $5000 to have a new engine put in. ford has recalled similiar vehicles due to the problems with the same engines, however offers no assistance on their much pricier expedition. i guess they figure we can afford the repairs. they refuse to discuss my problems and tell me that blown head gaskets are considered "normal wear and tear". the head gasket problem aside, this car has been in the shop over 30 times for non-routine maintenance issues. the leather seats had to be replaced, the exterior molding went bad, the exhaust system was faulty, wiring was faulty, mirrors and windows were faulty, electronic components were faulty, the list goes on and on.

On my recent purchase of a used 1999 ford expedition with the 4.6l v8 engine, with low miles only approx 31,500 when purchased, and after only adding 12,000 more miles to the vechicle, in which we haven't had the car for a full year, we experienced a blown right side head gasket that i just recently found out was a known problem with this model. the car wasn't under warrenty and the cost for repairs ran up to 1300.00 which is outragious. i feel that if ford has known about this defect that ford should have recalled this defect long before so many have needed repairs. i regret that this is the last ford i will ever own, which is directly due to the inept customer service that ford is now known for.

Right side oil leak from head gasket. *ak

I notice oil drops on my driveway, i took my vehicle in to verify where leak was coming from, the dealer stated that my head gasket was blown. the repair cost for labor and parts would be over $1200.00. the extended warrenty would not cover seal or gasket for this vehicle. i request nhtsa have ford dealer or manufactor's do a recall on this vehicle engine. my vehicle has the 4.6l engine with less than 49000 miles.

Head warped on engine .008". warp beyond repair tolerance thereby requiring a complete rebuild with new heads or new engine. ford refused to offer any help with this even though this happened at only 75,000 miles. engine shows evidence of head gasket seepage over a long period of time. in service manager's opinion "only a head gasket failure could cause this type of failure." this 5.4l v8 is renowned for head gasket failure. according to ford's own admission this is a manufacturing defect and therefore this motor has had this problem from day 1 of the manufacturer's warranty. 6 months prior to this failure this had had a broken valve spring. these heads are also renowned for blowing spark plugs right of the head. *nlm

Head gaskets blowing out on 1999 ford expeditions. i have had mine replaced 3 times so far. it is also occurring on other peoples same vehicles. it is on the 4.6 and 5.4 liter engines. the last time i had it to the dealer for this i asked why this keeps happening? they said that ford is aware of the problem but keeps telling the dealer to replace the gaskets. there is a manufacturers defect here.*jb

Consumer state that while driving without warning the head gasket blew causing fluid to leak out. dealer notified. ts

While driving my 1999 ford expedition 5.4l on the interstate at 55 mph, a heard a noise which at first felt like something caught in the fan, but was alter determined that a spark plug #2 passenger side had blown out and broken off the coil causing contact with the 2 fuel rail. i have discovered that this is a common problem amongst ford triton engine owners and the aluminum head is inadequate in keeping the spark plugs intact after 50, 00 miles or so due to a design defect. as i understand it, ford has re-designed the head on newer models, but has not issued a recall for this defect. i feel that a recall is necessary because the coil can damage the fuel line and that could cause a fire in the engine compartment. *cb

Oil leak from rh head/block interface. number of complaints and tsb about this issue indicate manufacturing assymbly defects. tsb note "chips could be present or dimples in mating surface of gasket area". customers should not have to pay for manufacturing problems that are none to be present.

An oil leak on right & left banks of the 4.6l & 5.4l v8 winsor and/or romeo produced engines could produce possible oil leak.causing oil to leak onto the exhaust manifold and possibly causing a fire. ford corp. is aware of this situation and has issued a bulletin article 02-22-7 published 10-31-2002

Heater hose leaks at the back of the firewall, drips down on top of spark plugs and shorts out spark plug & wire. also see smoke from oil burning from same back area. no oil on the ground. also, smell antifreeze & oil through vents after heater hose was repaired.

After an oil change at 42k miles, noticed a burning smell and some smoke coming out of the right side engine compartment near battery. took truck to dealer and was advised that the right side head gasket was leaking towards the rear. vehicle out of manufacturer's warranty but luckily i had an extended warranty. was told by the dealer mechanic that there is indeed a head gasket leak problem with the 97-02 expeditions. head gaskets should not fail at 43k miles and ford should repair problem at no cost to the consumer.

Right cylinder head gasket leaking oil. dealer said no warranty too old and too many miles. it's a 1999 ford expedition with 38,000 miles. ford knows there is a problem see tsb's. but will not do anything about it.

While driving approx 70mph w/cruise control engaged, the engine's head gasket "blew" causing the vehicle to stall. ts

Fire hazard! manufacturers defect causes head gasket failure resulting in severe pressurized oil leak onto hot exhaust manifold, creating a dangerous fire hazard. *jb

Engine oil leak, right side cylinder head leaking oil.*jb

Vehicle was purchased in 1999 new, all routine maintenance was performed on time and on schedule, vehicle was purchased with a facotry extended warranty to provide drivetrain coverage to 100,000 miles. engine failure at 103,000. warranty expired, manufature customer service reported so sorry. buy new engine. mr

Interior lights malfunctioning, daytime running lights not working correctly, heating/cooling system not working properly; stays on even when key is not in ignition. when ignition is turned on or off, the woofer makes a loud thumping sound. woofer inoperable. right sign wing never worked properly/ will not open or close. braking system is doubtful, it squeaks, and when gas is released engine and braking are not coordinated smoothly . constant squeaking when in motion. dealerships service repair personal neglect and refuse to find the causes, even though vehicle is still under warranty. *nlm

Engine head gasket needs replacing. headgasket is leaking oil. dealer stated there was no recall. *ak *yh

No summary listed for above vehicle. *ak

Unexplained fire. car was parked and unattended at the time. no components were on or in operation. nlm

Oil leak from right rear corner of engine (head gasket)leaks oil onto hot exhaust causing significant smoke at speed. defect unrepaired as manufacturer will not cover cost.*ak

4.6l v8 engine was leaking oil, vehicle taken to dealer and informed consumer of a blown head gasket. *ak the vehicle was taken in for routine service when consumer was informed that the vehicle had an oil leak. consumer called the dealership and was informed that there were several vehicles that complained of the same failure but no recall has been issued. *jg

Consumer states while servicing vehicle noticed there was an oil leak in the engine, dealer has been notified and states it is not a manufacturing defect consumer is having it serviced.*jb the cause of oil leak was determined to be head gasket failure. *yh

Is ford trying to recover money from the explorer/firestone tragedy or what? you would think that they would have learned. it is shameful that a high dollar vehicle like the expedition has become a high maintenance liability. we have repaired this gasket valve cover three times at $1800.00 each. it is embarrassing to drive such a nice vehicle that is polluting the air with oil smells and smoke. the vehicles are sluggish and it will not be long before someone is killed. i pray daily that it is not me, my children and foster children that i transport for my job. my local county government has purchased a fleet of expeditions and each one has been repaired at least once. come on ford step up to the plate. a ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. my grandfather hated ford products and stated that ford meant found on road dead. unfortunately now the customers are the ones that are found on road dead because of faulty equipment and the lack of regard for the common citizen. what are you waiting for my car to burst into flames and my kids are scared that i can't get them out of the third row seatbelts before they parish in a burning vehicle. i am a social worker with a demanding schedule and a modest salary and i can't afford the repairs. so many abuses and neglected children lives depend on me and all i am asking is that i have a vehicle that i can depend on to get me there. do the right thing. recall!!!!*ak

There is a low recurring beep when driving. *ak

During christmas while driving around town, we noticed that the truck felt sluggish and non-reponsive to acceleration attempts. at which time it was noticed on the driveway that a oil leak had begun. we took the expedition into the local ford dealership for a service evaluation. we were informed that the head gasket had been blown. we decided to get a second opinion by a respected independent mechanic, who gave us the same prognosis. we again contacted the ford dealership to see if the cost of the repair could be negotiated lower than the $1,850. estimate. a ford mechanic mentioned that a special plan might be available, by extending the warranty due to the nature of the failure. that request was rejected. in trying to talk with a ford factory service manager, he wouldn't talk with me about the problem nor did we receive any additional help. in purchasing a used vehicle, i realize there is a risk of failure, but 7 months & 14,000 miles later, to payout close to $2,000!, that's too extreme. a head gasket should not fail this soon into a vehicle's life. i've noticed that ford's have had a recent history of head gasket problems and we would like this to be "recalled" and to be reinbursed for this expense. thank you. *ak

Engine head gasket leaks oil badly. this vehicle had been to dealer twice for replacement of the engine head gasket and it needs replacement again.*ak

The right side head gasket is leaking oil. my dealer told me they have had many of these failures for this model. with only 27000 miles on an expensive vehicle like this, it shouldn't be leaking oil all over my garage floor. the 3 year warranty expired 3 weeks ago and the dealer as well as ford motor company said i will have to pay for it. i am outraged and would like the nhtsa to order a recall. we all know ford motor company will not recall this defect on their own!*ak

Passenger side head gasket is leaking oil. this is a common problem on the 5.4l emgine. ford should have a recall to correct the problem. with 60oo miles. i do not expected to have this kind of failure. *ak

The oxygen senor shorted out causing the wiring harness to burn completly through. this then caused the wiring harness below the oxygen senor wiring to also burn through which then caused the computer to the engine to be damaged and in need of replacement. if would seem this is a safety hazard if a wiring harness can completely burn through itself. this could have caused a severe fire in the vehicle. dealer and manufactuer state this is not a problem and an isolated incident.*ak

Needle in oil pump was defective. it kept going up and down. oil pump has not been replaced. the dealer was aware of problem.*ak dealer refused to replace the multifunction switch that was included in a recall. *slc

I have a 1999 ford expedition that has a faulty right side cylinder head. oil leaks onto the exhaust which is a potential fire hazard. through my own research i have found out that this is a common problem (oil leak from the right side head) with this vehicle. there are thousands of complaints that i have found on the internet. ford refuses to acknowledge the problem with the consumer but has sent out technical support information to their mechanics on how to fix it. to me that's an acknowledgment that a problem exists. if my vehicle was still under warranty they would fix it (which to me is another acknowledgement to this problem) but since it's not they won't back it up. repairs would cost me aprox $ 2,000. through my research i have found that this problem has existed since these vehicle were new, back in 1999. i bought the vehicle with aprox 40k miles on it and today i have aprox 75k miles on it. i noticed a burning smell shortly after i purchased it but only recently did i realize what the problem was. i had an oil change done by an ex ford mechanic and he admitted that the expedition is known for this oil leak but ford won't do anything about it. *tt

i have a 1999 ford expedition with 95,000 miles. at 31,000 it had warranty work performed to repair an oil leak between the cylinder head and the block. the warranty work was performed prior to the first technical service bulletin (011202) dated 6/12/01. the vehicle now has the leak again in the same area. the technical bulletin has this as the issue: some vehicles equipped with the romeo built 4.6l 2v engine or 5.4l supercharged engine may exhibit an oil leak or oil weepage from the cylinder head gasket at the right hand rear or the left hand front of the engine. oil weepage is not considered detrimental to engine performance or durability. an oil leak may be caused by metal chip debris lodged between the head gasket and the block, chip debris between the cylinder head and the head gasket, or by damage to the cylinder head sealing surface that occurred during the manufacturing process. i believe that this is a manufacturer issue not a consumer issue.*ak

Engine was leaking oil. dealership replaced the head gasket. however, oil leak recurred. currently, dealership indicated that engine head was whopping and causing the oil to leak.*ak

This is reported because of the common nature of this problem and the expense of repair. this is a faulty design which routes an engine coolant hose such that when the hose connection leaks, it drips onto the #4 coil pack and shorts it out. this defect has been carried over through at least three model years (97,98& 99). the cost of my repair was approx. $400. this is not normal wear nor is it a random component failure. i suspect ford knows about the problem. as a high volume production company, their quality department has surely flagged this defect through some form of failure trend analysis effort.

Consumer noticed drops of oil on garage floor. dealer stated that head gasket may be leaking. *ak the consumer states that the dealer was aware of head gasket problem and waited until warranty expierd for fixing it. therefore, the dealer should fix the head gasket at no charge. *yh

This is the second ford vehichle purchased. initial vehicle traded because of saftey issue involving seat belt malfunction. this particular vehicle needed an engine replaced and extensive transmission repairs. ford motor company is basically untouchable for comments. service technician at dealership admitted to knowing the engines in the 1997- 1999 expeditions were having problems. i was never notified. *ak

Right head gasket has cracked, causing oil to leak onto starter motor. dealer has been contacted.*ak consumer states that after repairs were completed, 2 weeks later the head gasket started leaking again, consumer is requesting reimbursement. *slc

1999 ford expedition experiencing problems with the head gaskets. *mr the consumer felt that the engine should be replaced at no cost. the passenger side head gasket leaked oil badly. ford replaced the head gasket once while under the manufacturer 36k mile warranty. the head gasket was replaced again at the consumers expense because the leak resumed. the consumer was informed by three different ford technicians that the oil passage in the block of the engine was so close to the edge of the block that a head gasket would have a problem preventing oil from leaking out and ford developed 2 or 3 revised head gaskets to address the problem since 1999. after th second repair ofthe head gasket, one of the heads leaked anti-freeze. other problems were: an inoperative horn, transmission shifting made a whining noise and the vehicle would not heat up when at zero. *sc *jb

After changing oil could still smell oil. then ,took vehicle back to dealer where they found blown out head gasket. this was second time. first was repaired by dealer under warranty, but this time it was not under warranty. *ak