Problems with 2000 Ford Expedition ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

My expedition caught on fire parked in my driveway at least 30 minutes after driving it. i was able to put the fire out with a fire extinguisher and a water hose, but the plastic parts were were melted on the driver side. the battery was disconnected and i was told by a mechanic that it was the cruise control relay.

I was driving the down the street going to wal-mart on pendleton pike in indianapolis indiana the car shifted from drive to neutral on its own. i shifted it back in gear drove on to wal-mart then to went to aldis. when i came out of aldis also on pendleton pike the car wouldn't come out of park without key being in acc position foot on brake and playing with gearshit for approx 15 mins it was locked. then the power windows also went out in the same time that this all happened. now my car will not go into gear without messing with gearshift for several minutes and messing with ignition switch mutiple times before i can get car into motion.

My vehicle was parked in the driveway and i was alerted by my dogs barking. i opened my garage door to see the entire engine compartment on fire. the fire was so intense that everything under the hood had melted.the fire marshals said the alternator cause it

Tried to start with key out of the ignition. lights would not turn of. had to disconnect the battery. this would be life threatening if happened in a closed garage

The vehicle was parked in a store parking lot, not running/ignition off, and it caught fire under the hood near the brake master cylinder. the fire damaged everything in the upper portion of the engine compartment, the hood, the cowling and the grill. probably not repairable.

#7 spark plug blew out destroying the coil on plug with it. all the threads are stripped out and theres no way to put a new plug in it. was lucky i didn't have an engine fire from fuel venting out of spark plug hole. this is a triton 5.4l v8

Vehicle caught fire around 10:25 pm. vehicle was park and cold since the last time it was used was around 1:00 pm the same day. my wife got home and was parking her car a sudenly saw the ford expedition caching fire and flames coming out of the enginge compartment. vehicle is total there are no possibility of repair.

It started with the radio and windshield wipers not working periodically this went on for several weeks and then on saturday night 5/31/14 at approx. 11:30 am "[xxx]" showed up and my car was trying to start its self. it made a clicking sound for about 30 mins with the lights going off and on. the sound was like a dead battery sound. then it would try to start itself. this went on for about and hour and then it finally stopped. i assumed that the next morning my battery would be dead but when i went out sunday morning it started right up and i was able to run my errands. this morning monday 6/2 i went out to go to work and it would not start but the lights came on and it continued to make a clicking sound even though i assumed the battery was dead. i am scared to do anything, like jump the battery , for fear it will explode or catch fire. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Driving normally during heavy rain wipers and radio went dead at highway speed and worked intermittently after that. after the rain stopped and car dried out wipers and radio worked normally again. carpet on left side under fuse panel and gem module, both of which have already been replaced was wet. this is a safety concern as it is extremely difficult to see when the wipers stop working unexpectedly. the cause seems to be the windshield wasn't sealed properly at the factory, as my father bought the vehicle new and said the windshield has always leaked. i purchased the vehicle from him. *tr

5 people in my vehicle driving 55mph on i40 around midnight when air suspension went out and everything in the dash went crazy. things cutting off and on moving backwards and forwards, when i cut it off so to not drive with air suspension down it would not restart unless you started it in neutral but the battery kept dying and exploded driving to shop,.got another battery, it exploded to. nothing electrical worked. door locks, windows,speedometer, stereo wouldn't come on then would come on by itself, lights to. air suspension would not work, been in the shop twice. first time they didn't know what was wrong. this time they know but i can afford to fix it. the gem module and fuse box is over 600.00 plus labor! im disabled with a fixed income and i haven't driven anywhere since feb i cant get to my doctor, grocery store, to get medicine for heart attack and other disabling illnesses. i cant afford another car or to fix my expo. this could have been dangerous i sure need some help with this.electrical system failure nhtsa preliminary evaluation #pe05033 status:closed date opened:june 15, 2005 date closed: october 13, 2005 recall: no recall issued component(s): electrical system equipment:electrical visibility:windshield 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.nhtsa: for detailed information & supporting documents, see the official nhtsa investigation#pe05033. *tr

Battery will not kept a charger have to take off cable when cutting the truck off. lights not working in back ,no pick up speed

Summary: water leaked around the left side of windshield causing electrical failures, including but not limited to the starter, radio, windshield wipers, headlamps, etc. the water entering the vehicle wet the power distribution box (pdb) and the generic electronic module (gem). these components control various electrical systems in the vehicle. the vehicle continued to attempt to start itself without any key in ignition until it resulted in the starter burning up as well as damaging associated wiring and battery. vehicle's windshield had to be replaced as was the starter, associated wiring and battery after vehicle was towed to repair facility. *tr

Spark plug blow out. *tr

After an approximate 30 minute drive, vehicle was parked with the ignition off and key removed from vehicle. while unattended, the vehicle caught fire and burned completely to the ground. the vehicle was completely destroyed and is a total loss. witnesses reported smelling a strong electrical smell before fire was observed, and stated that flames and smoke were first observed coming from under the hood in the engine compartment. the vehicle was not parked near combustible materials such as dry grass, etc. the outside temperature was approximately 70 degrees. *tr

On june 3, 2013 my 2000 ford expedition that i had just purchased 7 days prior exploded in my driveway after being parked for 2hrs. the fire also caught our 2008 cobalt ablaze and caused significant damage to the property that both vehicles were parked at. as of right now there has not been a cause of the fire determined but i did find a recall notice on the expedition that was issued in 2005 from ford. apparently this recall effected the speed control system that led to an electrical fire in the motor compartment causing these explosions. i was never told of this recall from the previous owner who is a ford employee and he swears that he was never sent any recall letters from ford in regards to this problem. *tr

While driving this expedition i began noticing strange intermittant electrical behavior like the windshield wipers not working, radio turning off, windshield wash light blinking, and 4x4 light blinking. several times in the middle of the night i'd notice that the headlights would come on on their own. also the air ride would turn on and off while the car was off, and the heater fan would also come on. this would kill the battery. several times while driving the 4x4 would turn on in the low gear making it difficult to maneuver. on several occasions the starter would turn on while the car was already running. i replaced the gem module and had the windshield resealed several times, but after just a few months the problems would recur. the final nail in the coffin was when the starter kicked on while running and it took a minute to get the car safely stopped. i could smell smoke from the burned up starter motor. the expedition has sat for 1.5 years as i am unable to sell it and am unwilling to put any additional money to fix this lemon.

I was returning home from a family trip going the posted interstate speed limit of 65 mph when i heard a loud popping noise that sounded like a major leak had just occurred. when i pulled over to check out the problem i discovered the rear spark plug on the passenger side had ejected itself destroying the threads that hold it in the cylinder head and also destroying the heli coil pack that sits on top of the spark plug. i have never filed a complaint or safety report on any vehicle i have owned. this time the only reason i am filing a report is due to the frequency this problem seems to have on ford triton motors. it seems excessive and upon very little investigating on my part i have found that every person i have talked to about it either owns a vehicle with the said motors in them and have experienced this problem on multiple occasions, or is someone who knows a person who has experienced this issue. i am a dedicated and loyal ford owner and always will be, however i also believe that when a problem occurs with such frequency that they should be required to step up and make good on issues that clearly have been going on for well over a decade at this point in time. *tr

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 2001 just started having these issues within the past year started out slow but are getting worst and more frequent. *tr

Vehicle sitting in driveway after 2 days of rain. went to start up vehicle and battery dead. took battery out to be tested and tested fine. spent $165 on alternator replacement. vehicle dead again next morning. charged battery started vehicle up. noticed water in floorboards and headliner. when key was removed from ignition, radio was still on and door would still ding as if key in ignition. battery dead again several hours later. after doing research, was extremely frustrated to learn the issue is very well documented with improperly sealed windshields. rather than ford paying to reseal or inform consumers to fix out of their own pockets, they allowed consumers to experience dreadful electrical malfunctions with vehicle. without going to mechanic, i removed both the gem module and fuse box. put fax in vehicle to speed up the drying process. allowed fuse box to sit inside for a week and ordered a gem module off the internet. cleaned corrosion from fuse box/gem connectors and replaced gem module. vehicle performs much better. things that haven't worked in years (auto locks) now work. however, radio loses power intermittently which is frustrating. i own 2 fords and am a very very disappointed consumer that something that could have been fixed for $100 have cost loyal consumers thousands. *tr

While picking up speed from a stop light my truck went into 4x4 by itself and locked up my tires. i was able to get it off the road and called triple a for a tow. we unhooked the battery and it seems to be working now. also have electrical problems as well. my odometer sometimes works sometimes doesn't, my radio volume goes up when you turn it down. *tr

Interior lights and digital odometer light goes out and then come back on every now and then. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford expedition. the contact stated that the air conditioning failed. the contact had the compressor and all of the air conditioning unit components replaced, but to no avail. the mechanic that performed the repairs stated that a relay caused the failure. the failure mileage was unknown, but the current mileage was 196,000. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford expedition xlt. the contact was traveling 35 mph when smoke was seen coming from the vents and near the accelerator. the contact pulled over in a nearby parking lot and exited the vehicle. the vehicle then burst into flames. there were no injuries. a police and fire report were filed. the vehicle was destroyed and towed to a salvage yard. the failure mileage was 100,000.

The 2000 expedition eddie bauer was purchased with 117,208 miles from ron marhaufer automall inc in the year 2011. in the last six months i have experienced numerous electrical issues with this vehicle. i have spent over $1000.00 dollars replacing numerous parts ex: two electrical coils and a alternator. the vehicle will run ok, i noticed that if i drive and stop and park two too three times, the auto will not start right away. i have to continually take the car out of gear and return the gear shifter to park. the auto will then start. i also noticed that the dash lights will illuminate to bright on their own while driving. i am concerned that the ford motor company is aware of these issues and have failed to recall all affected vehicles. i have seen many complaints fro the same reason. what is the solution? *tr

I began noticing electrical problems with the lights going on and off, dash gauges going on and off, radio going on and off, heater going on and off, door alarm staying on when driver's door is open, but no key in ignition or lights on, door locks not working properly, 4wd engaging automatically, cd player going off and on, windshield wipers going on and off, and water on driver's side floor after rains. it has become more of a problem. i did not know what was causing the problems until i began replacing parts and found on the internet that this has been a known problem with the expedition and ford being aware of the problem for many years. i just wrote the ford company and they told me they knew nothing about such problems!!! reference number is [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

During rainy periods the stereo and windhshield wipers will turn off and on by themselves. if the truck is turned off the stereo and ac will stay on and locks will lock and unlock by themselves. smoke comes up from the steering wheel. the turn signals will blink a few times then stop blinkin but the light will stay on. *js

After a moderate rain, while driving on the highway, the wipers, defroster and windows stopped working and the radio began blinking in and out. since this incident, it seems that after any rain, the electrical system goes crazy, i hear relays clicking under the dash, things don't work when turned on, or do work with them turned off. several times the blower for the heat would keep or turn on after i shut the truck off. absolutely a safety hazard that should be recalled if this is that common a problem. > also my mechanic said it will cost upwards of $1000 to fix this problem and not guaranteed not to happen again. *tr

I have a 2000 ford expedition the past 3 days we have had hard rains. i went out to my car and found that the floor on both the drivers sides and passenger side of the suv was flooded. my radio was on the car was not. the dash light were going crazy. i started the car to move it so that i could get it near an outlet to use the wet vac to remove the water and the wipers would not work. i removed the water from the floors and when i went to move my expedition it would not start it seems that it is leaking from the windshield. i noticed that there are alot of complaints on water leakage on expeditions. now i am worried that the water may have shorted out the electrical system. *kb

I went approx. 3 miles when smoke started to come out of the heating vents in my 2000 ford expedition. a few sec. after the truck began to smoke flames were starting to come out of the area by the drivers side feet. under the dash. my husband put out the fire and sustained severe 2nd degree burns on his fore arm hand wrist and chin. he was able to see the fire started by corroded wires under the kick plate. all the wires have melted and now 4x4 isn't working windows are not working lights inside of truck stay on headlights stay on no tail lights no dash lights power windows and door locks no longer work, speaker on driver side does not work. hazard lights do not blink they just stay on. temp in the truck reads 140 deg. f. we have not yet had this looked at. i have an appt with a ford garage on monday to see if this was a recall issue. *tr

Well first it was the horn that has been replaced several times and now all of the sudden cruise control doesn't work. i was annoyed about the horn, but now the cruise control... seems like something is wrong with that horn and cruise control set up.... and i was wondering about the paint because it is also pealing like crazy... *tr

Symptom was a dead battery. courtesy lights would not go off. hard failure. root cause was leaking windshield seal which corroded electronics. according to the ford service bulletin this was first discovered well within the factory warranty period of the vehicle. an online search found numerous similar complaints along with a ford service bulletin ford special message #15773. repairs to my vehicle included removing and replacing gem and cjb along with resealing the windshield. i purchased the vehicle new in april 2000 and it has never been in an accident. repair cost was over $1400 for a latent defect that has been in the vehicle since it was built. *tr

Multiple instances following rain of: vehicle turns over but will not start. removing the key any of the following will occur- heater fan blower comes on and will only go off with the key in and in the on position. lights may or may not come on. radio may or may not come on. all this with key out, vehicle empty and closed. sometimes blower will come on in empty vehicle. if the car starts sometimes the wipers will not work, the horn will not work, radio will not work, lights will not work or blinkers go on. any or all of this may occur. sometimes and oder like burning or sour gas will occur. if the rain quits and the vehicle sits for minutes to hours all these symptoms go away. i have pulled the lower kicker panel on the drivers side and found evidence of water below the gem near the edge of the carpet. i believe this to be the problem reported by many as the water entering from the windshield and shorting at the gem fuse connection. i am contacting the dealer, if they will not take care of it i will have a windshield replacement company try to reseal and examine for leaks. this appears to be potenially dangerous if engine would die while driving, light go out or wipers stop working. *tr

We bought this vehicle in february 2010 it ran perfectly until we got the first snow of the year and then we started having major electrical problems. it started out just the warning lights would blink, then the radio would shut off in drive but come back on in park. then the wipers would no longer work or the headlights! so we parked it for about a month, the second day the radio and heater came on without the keys even being in the vehicle so we had to disconnect the battery! we let it sit with the battery disconnected for awhile then tried it again. the suv ran great for about 8 weeks then it snowed again and it suddenly started trying to start itself and we do not have remote start!!! now it does it every time you shift, start it, or whenever it is parked it just starts cranking away!! i now have smoke coming from somewhere behind the fuse box! the fuses are all good and i can't see any problem with the wiring... i have talked to several people who have had these exact same issues with this model of expedition and none of them have been able to figure out what the problem is even after spending thousands of dollars... and ford is refusing to issue a recall... so what are we to do as consumers when we are assured the vehicles we buy are safe and they turn out to be the exact opposite!!!!

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford expedition eddie bauer. while the vehicle was parked in the driveway it caught fire. the fire started under the hood and 90% of the vehicle was burned. the windshield exploded and the interior of the vehicle was completely destroyed. no one was injured. the fire department extinguished the fire. a fire report was filed. the fire department observation report stated that the cause of the fire was under the hood and it was electrical. the insurance company was contacted and stated that there was nothing they could do for him. the ford dealer was contacted and informed him that someone would contact him after september 4, 2010. the ford manufacturer was not contacted. the vin was unavailable. the failure mileage was 196,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2000 ford expedition. while driving approximately 10 mph during rainy weather, all electrical components turned off and then back on. the failure usually occurred in rainy and snowy weather; the doors would lock and the passenger was unable to get out of the vehicle. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated that the vehicle may have been struck by lightening but could not duplicate the failure. the contact also stated that weather leaked into the vehicle through the driver side window. the battery was dead and had to be jump started. a friend changed the solenoid and the vehicle started without the key in the ignition. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 85,000 and the current mileage was approximately 98,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2000 ford expedition. whenever it rained, the contact noticed that the warning lights would continue to illuminate off and on. the contact also noticed that when the key was taken out of the ignition all of the electrical components would continue to function and could not be turned off unless the battery was disconnected. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the failure could not be reproduced. there were no prior warnings. the failure and current mileages were 180,000.

Serious electrical malfunctions consisting of fan blowing without vehicle being started, radio going on and off, 4x4 light blinking, clicking noises, starter trying to start the vehicle while already started, popping noises, windows working and not working. battery being drained. all this after snowstorm. *tr

Water leaking into fuse box after heavy rain storm. sizzling noise and smoke eminating from fuse box. *tr

I have a 2000 ford expedition xlt and went to unlock it this morning with the keyless entry remote, the radio came on along with the abs, airbag, service engine soon lights came on and wouldn't go off. the radio is still on right now. i looked on the internet to see if anyone had the same episode and much to my surprise, there are many problems with the 98' - 02' model expeditions. we recently had alot of rain and i think that is where the problem is coming from. i'm just glad i had another vehicle to drive today. *tr

On 1/1/2010 - my 2000 ford expedition burst into flames. the car had been running well with no major problems. i had just parked the car and my son and i went inside to a store. about 5 minutes later the store manager remarked that there was a car on fire. it was my car. the smoke and flames were coming out of the hood on the driver side closer to the windshield. luckily no one was hurt. weather was not an issue as it was very cold outside, around 20 degrees. i know that in the past there have been issues with ford suvs bursting into flames due to faulty switch-related fires. i took my car in when i received the recall notice and got the fix. so i am really perplexed and angry that this happened and even more so since my 9 year old was with me! my family and i could have been really hurt! the fire department and police have ruled out any foulplay based on their report. *tr

Sudden electrical issues resulting after rain. radio played without key or ignition turned on in morning. vehicle attempted to crank with key out of ignition would not stop until battery terminal removed. radio would shut down when engaged in drive, returned when gear shift moved to park or reverse windshield wipers turn over when ignition initially turned. *tr

I own a 2000 ford expedition. i am have continuing electrical problems. initially, about 1 month after purchasing my vehicle, whenever it rained my electrical system would go haywire. the 4x4 lights would blink on and several other warnings lights including a clicking noise. i would take my key out of the ignition and the blower motor would continue to blow without the key in. when driving the radio, odometer and clock would go on and off at random times. i was told the windshield was leaking into the gem module and fuse box and i had to have a new windshield put in as well as the gem module replaced. i did this and the truck was okay for a few months. more electrical problems involving the abs light on the dash, the 4x4 light, the battery light as well as the battery control showing low. the blower continues to turn on when the key is removed as well as the running board lights remaining on. i have had to disconnect and replace the battery several times. i am concerned this is a safety issue first and foremost because of the abs light as well as fire hazard. ford has refused to address these continual electrical problems. *tr

While at work i received a phone call telling me our 2000 ford expedition was on fire and almost igniting our home. no one had driven the truck for 3 days but apparently according to the deputy fire marshal the fire was started in the engine compartment, most likely attributable to a faulty switch associated with cruise control braking. *tr

Parked my truck around 8 pm on the 27th woke up around 5 am on the 28th to a large bang looked outside to see my 2000 ford expedition fully in volved in flames. tires exploded sending molten rubber all over the side of my garage door threw a small crack underneath the garage into my brand new hard wood floors yet to be installed burning and ruining all of them also melted my daughters car seat inside the car, her basketball hoop by the car a tree next to it and all my belongings inside the car fire department and police were called. we had to evacuate our house because of smoke and possibility that fire was in the attic my children were traumatized by the incident. *tr

Our 2000 ford expedition exploded in our garage at approximately 8:45 a.m. we tried to push the car out of the garage and couldn't it caught our two-car garage and our children's room and bathroom. smoke damage throughout the entire house. *tr

I have a 2000 ford expedition. after a really bad rainstorm today my suv started acting possessed. it has been working fine and now all of the sudden the headlights turn themselves off and on, when they car is off the key is not in the ignition. the fan/ac in the suv runs while the vehicle is off and the key is not in the expedition. the whole electrical system is acting crazy, the suv does things on its on even when the vehicle is off and the key is not in the ignition.i had been left stranded with my vehicle in the walmart parking lot with the light, gauges, and air turning itself on and off. i am a single mother and i am so scared to drive it when it drives because i am worried the electrical system could catch fire or i could get into an accident with my daughter in the vehicle. *tr

I own a 2000 for expedition and have had nothing but expensive problems. first the caps on the spark plugs go bad everytime it gets washed or goes through puddles on the road. then when it rains water seeps into some control box and causes the radio and air to run when the vehicle is turned off and the key removed, it will even go as far as engaging the anti theft so it won't start. i have even lost control of the windshield wipers while driving, the rain drips on my feet and soaks the floor mat even if it just sitting. the latest issue is with an ejected spark plug which fortunately did not start a fire just leaving me stranded twice in one week. i am told there is no good fix for this problem and i am getting estimates as high as $3500. most say that this vehicle has one design flaw after another and that ford only gives one excuse after another. so many people seem to have the same exact problems i can't help but to think the fault lies with ford. so many other things have gone wrong with it to fix them all would be replacing every part, wire, and device on it. i think it's just a lemon designed to create revenue. surely some must have the power to investigate on behalf of the consumer. *tr

2000 expedition windshield was replaced in november leak caused vehicle to do crazy things like try to start when i turned the headlights on with key out of ignition and had a burning smell. this morning vehicle wouldn't start after rain. after jump starting vehicle overdrive light on gearshifter handle was blinking and vehicle wouldn't go into gear feels like you're driving with brakes on. no problems moving in reverse. problem started out of nowhere, also lights flicker when tried to jumpstart. connected cables wouldn't start lights went dead repositioned cables lights came on after doing this for over an hour car finally started with the above noted problems. *tr

Our 2000 ford expedition was parked for 12 hours and then a fire started in the engine compartment on the driver's side near the brake master cylinder. in 2007, we had the cruise control replaced by a ford dealer due to the recall. the fire was quickly extinguished, however, the vehicle is totaled. apparently the recall did not correct the fires. *tr

I was driving on the pennsylvania turnpike in a hard rain and the windshield wipers stopped working. i could not see and was forced to quickly brake and pull off of the road. this caused a car behind me to swerve out of control. fortunately, there was not any physical accident. i am very concerned about the safety of this vehicle and feel like i can't drive the vehicle safely in the rain. symptoms in the rain only: windshield wipers stop working. radio, fan lights work intermittently. clicking noises and fan running when vehicle is off and key is not in ignition. very well documented issue on the internet. due to leaky windshield which damages electrical system but ford has no recall since it is "not a safety issue". case number from ford customer service - 0382221079. *tr