Problems with 2001 Ford Expedition ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I was stopped at a red light, and all of a sudden i heard this loud crash and bang, and was jerked forward. thought the pick up truck behind me rear-ended me. that driver pulled up aside of me and told me you just dropped your driveshaft. since it was dark and my vehicle was in the middle of the road at an intersection i called the police. when they arrived they told me we can't wait for your tow truck driver to get here, it's to dangerous, so they called another towing company. well after a long hassle and the 1st tow of $150.00, i got my vehicle towed to my house. after making several phone calls i finally got it towed to the repair shop on 7/8/13 and had to pay another tow of $75.00. finally got the call on 7/10/13 what had happened to my rotted out expedition, all 4 control arms where rusted out, 2 of them actually bent and broke, damaging my driveshaft. costing me another $559.14 for the repair. that's only fixing the 2 lower control arms. they have to find the 2 upper and replace them. which will be at least another $350.00 this isn't even mentioning the $1,000.00 i spent on the rusted out rotted radiator brackets not even a year ago. i was told and expect rust but this is very dangerous, and also told ford could have coated this parts or made them stronger to avoid these serious rust problems. luckily i only got muscle spasms in my back, shoulder, and lower neck from this. but i don"t feel safe driving this vehicle any more. this is my last ford i will ever purchase again !!!!!!!!!! ford = found on roadside dead !!! this story is also shortened but the truth of what happened, i didn't mention the heat, the asthma attack i had, and the hassle i went through while all this occurred. *tr

After dropping off my children at daycare i stopped at the store. when i got back into my car and started it, it made a loud pop like something had came off. so i proceeded to turn the ignition on and then smoke came out of the top vents and the truck began making a loud popping noise and the engine was shaking. i was scared as hell and i thought the truck was about to blow up from the sound of it. so i calmed down and drove to the auto shop thankfully down the street. well my spark plug had blew out the head and that's where the smoke was coming from. i had just replaced the #5 coil and plug with ford on february 23, 2012 and that was $340.61. i am barely making it financially and to read all of these problems with this truck and ford not taking responsibility of the situation is disheartening. i am a single mother of three children and live in an area with no public transportation so i am now without a vehicle and no way to get to work and support my family, now what do i do? its amazing how this dealership can swoop you in and take your money and require you to make your payments on time but won't provide you with a safe vehicle. i now have to get a cab to pick my kids up from daycare because i can't drive my truck, not to mention when you get inside it smells like pure smoke which makes it scary to even wanna turn the thing on. very frustrated and disappointed.

A sparkplug blew out of my engine and another was loose. the plug in question ruined the threads in the cylinder head, and will require $700-$1000 for the dealer to fix. a simple google search proves ford had been having a major problem with this happening for several years, yet has did nothing about it !! *tr

My husband was on his way home from work. he was going at about 70-75 mph when the #3 spark plug blew out. it left him stranded in the middle of nowhere. it has been brought to my attention that spark plug blowouts are a common defect on my vehicle yet ford takes no responsibility for it, costing the vehicle owners a large amount of money and could cause serious accidents. *tr

While two hours from home bringing my son home from surgery, while getting off the freeway may vehicle made a horrible sound like a chopper motorcycle and when i spent over a $1,000.00 to tow my car home to find out the spark plug #3 blew out and stripped out so now i have no vehicle and told by ford dealership repair that it was a design flaw on the aluminum block and not under warranty and would require a helicoil but could happen to the other plugs. plus it would cost me over $2000.00 to repair. i have seen lots of other people who have the same problem i have a 5.4 l engine and my vehicle runs strong i would of hoped ford would of stood behind this but i was wrong i will definitely consider buying a different brand like a mazda or toyota. *tr

#3 spark plug ejected from cylinder hole at freeway speed. original plugs, never changed, never removed or checked from dealer delivery at new car in 2001. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that flames were coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. the fire department arrived and extinguished the fire. a police report was also available. the dealer did not offer any assistance. the manufacturer was not notified. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileages were 120,000. updated 10/18/11*lj updated 3/29/12 *cn

A week ago i was driving my 2001 ford expedition to friends for a social visit. on the way, i drove as i normally do the speed limit as posted. at around 10:00 pm, in the middle of nowhere, i encountered the now well known and dreaded spark plug ejection. thought i had been shot at there for a second, but soon realized what it was. it couldn't have happened at a worse time nor to a worse spark plug to reach, far left rear. i was only 75 miles from home stranded by my vehicle. i truly am a loyal ford fan and owner of several, but this is by far the worst vehicle i have ever owned! i am thoroughly disgusted with this piece of you know what! after getting it towed home, i attempted a replacement of the plug only to find the plug hole was screwed up and couldn't get it in there straight. so what the heck do i do now? ford motor company, this is a crock and you know it! whatya gonna do now? blow it off and do nothing, as i expect. or are you going to repair it as you well should. these vehicles aren't cheap, but i am beginning to think they area built that way intentionally. what are you going to do ford? *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving 50 mph there was a loud clunking noise heard from the vehicle and the check engine warning lamp illuminated. the contact mentioned that the failure occurred twice before. the vehicle was towed to a local mechanic who diagnosed that there was a blown spark plug that needed to be replaced. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure who did not offer any assistance. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 125,000 and the current mileage was 130,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to a local mechanic who diagnosed the failure at the spark plug thread. the local mechanic reinforced the thread at location number eight but the failure continuously recurred in other locations. the vehicle was not further repaired. the failure mileage was 143,000 and the current mileage was 150,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that the vehicle caught on fire while sitting idle in the residential driveway with the engine off. the fire department arrived and advised her that the fire could have originated from the engine. neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was contacted in regards to the failure. a fire report was filed. the failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

My vehicle suffered spark plug ejection. upon pulling away from a stop light, the vehicle made a loud pop or bang and began to lose power immediately. upon inspection, the coil-over-plug on the number 3 cylinder was broken from the bracket and a loud clanking noise came from the engine in that spot. after unsuccessfully trying to replace the coil, the spark plug came out of the socket without and force or tools. the spark plug came out with the coil. the area had to be rethreaded and repaired but was out of service for close to three months. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that her vehicle was parked in a parking lot when the engine suddenly caught fire. the police were notified and a police report was filed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer who advised her that they would investigate the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

I was driving when i heard a loud pop sound. my vehicle started making this loud sucking sound and noise similar to the sound of a tractor.

2001 ford expedition 5.4l engine with 75,000 miles. there was a slight ticking in engine on drivers side, had mechanic check, no obvious problem. while driving, loud popping noise, engine became very loud (tractor like sound) and engine failure. had vehicle towed to mechanic. spark plug was blown out causing damage to ignition coil. had 3 cylinders (1,3, & 5) rethreaded, ignition coils replaced and all spark plugs replaced. *tr

I have a 2001 ford expedition with approximately 130k miles. the spark plug in cylinder 4 blew out yesterday while my wife was driving down the highway. we discovered the cylinder head threads have been blown out also. i am unable to replace the spark plug without repair to the head. *tr

Spark plug ejected from the engine of my 2001 ford expedition. the engine is a triton 5.4l v8. *tr

The # 3 spark plug blew out the head while driving.

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that she was informed that the vehicle had suddenly caught fire. the contact was able to extinguish the fire; the hood was burned and the windshield blew out as a result of the failure. the vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. the failure mileage was approximately 166,000.

Ford 2001 expedition has a blown spark plug. the engine could have caught on fire while i drove the truck with the vapors pouring out of the plug spot (which flew out of the engine on to the road some where behind me). ford knows this is an engine defect. why are we not having a recall for this problem. *tr

The spark plug (passenger side, second back from front of engine) ejected from the engine head while parked. we had driven for 20 minutes, stopped at a restaurant, turned off the engine, but restarted it within about 60 seconds. the spark plug ejected immediately after the engine was restarted, within 1 second. there were no injuries, and the vehicle was not in motion at the time. my entire family was in the vehicle at the time. the sound of the ejection was sufficiently loud that it resembled a gunshot, to which an off-duty officer reacted. the coil pack was damaged beyond use, the spark plug insulator shattered. the plugs appeared to be original motorcraft plugs, although at 130k miles, they would be very old. they had sufficient carbon and wear that they could be original plugs or plugs from the first scheduled replacement (if it was done). repairs have not yet been performed. *tr

While starting the vehicle i heard a loud pop from the engine... when i took the vehicle to the mechanic #8 sparkplug blew out, damaged the head and piston....looking around $1200.00 in repairs plus car rental. sparkplugs got water in them 3 different times before they need to investigate this problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. while driving 15 mph, there was a loud, unusual pop heard from the hood area. the contact moved off the roadway and discovered that the spark plugs had fractured from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to the contact's place of residence. the dealer was not contacted and the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileage was 114,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the vehicle was parked in front of the contact's home when it caught on fire. there were flames shooting from under the hood of the vehicle. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. a fire report was available. there were no prior warnings indicating the failure. the vehicle was not diagnosed for the cause of the failure. the current and failure mileage was 95,000.

I was driving my family home from yellowstone on i25, when our 2001 ford expedition blew a spark plug. we were miles from anywhere with a tow truck, and it took over 2 hours before a tow truck operator got us. at the same time, an escaped murderer was hitchhiking down a different route home. (what if we had chosen that route?) i rented a car to drive home, and it looks like we were way overcharged for the repair. ($3500). *tr

2001 ford expedition blows spark plugs, pieces break off fall into cylinder and damage engine. fuel gases from open chamber have potential for fire. *tr

Tl* the contact owned a 2001 ford expedition. she stated that the vehicle was parked for 2 days without operation yet the vehicle caught on fire. the fire department was able to extinguish the fire. a fire report was available. the vehicle was towed to an undisclosed location. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to submit all documentation pertaining to the fire before they would provide any assistance. the failure and current mileages were approximately 90,000.

For the 5th time, my ford expedition (2001) has blown a spark plug from the engine. i have now sunk thousands of dollars into repairing this defect, furthermore, i have been stranded on a highway or city street with my children in the car 2 times thanks to this unsafe defect. this issue is clearly a national safety issue and requires a recall. *tr

Number 3 spark plug blow out. stripped threads on head. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. on february 19, 2010 while driving at 15 mph, smoke began to emit from the hood. the contact pulled over and the vehicle caught fire. a police report was filed. the contact called the manufacturer but was offered no assistance at the time of the complaint. the current and failure mileages were approximately 150,000.

Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6) i was driving a 2001 ford expedition [xxx]. i was coming from 290 expressway going towards central ave. i turned on parkside ave as i was driving my 9 year old son stated that the car was smoking. i told him ok i'm going to pull over. as i was about to pull over it started to catch fire. my children started screaming the car is on fire, the car is on fire. i said to them it's going to to be alright. i started pulling them out by there shirts, arms, legs whatever i could grab. we all got out safe thank god. my 2 year daughter is still afraid of big trucks and still talk about the fire today. i lost my children clothes (school uniforms) and some shorts i bought earlier that day. i lost there book bags, and my purse. i also always carry 2 or three pairs of shoes in my truck at all times they are also gone. i lost my nice radio i got from the flea market. i am devastated and i just paid off my truck a week before it burned up. i have been on the bus since then with all 4 of my children. i trying my best to make it but it is hard. please help me and my family we need and deserve our truck. thank you. *tr

No need for long drawn out sentences, blownout spark plugs and ford wont own up to it, it's real great to be an american. *tr

Blown out spark plug from 2001 ford expedition triton 4.6l engine during operation on a public road. the second spark plug on the passenger side blew out of the engine while it was being driven on the road. this made a loud "bang" sound as if a tire blew out. the loud sound continued like a loud exhaust leak and gasoline vapors were immediately present in the passenger compartment. the driver shut off the engine to prevent an engine fire after attempting to safely park on the side of the road while avoiding moving traffic. this required aggressive maneuvering to avoid moving traffic. the car is now awaiting repairs, which is est. at >$3,000. the mechanic reported that this is a very common problem on ford vehicles with the triton engine. i have never before seen a spark plug "blown" out of the socket like this. the plugs were replaced once at about 50k miles. the engine has about 110k miles today. *tr

I have a 2001 ford expedition 4.6 v8, and my spark plug blew out on me damaging my head and snapping my coil. i understand that this is becoming a common problem with ford and they no about it but refuse to take care of the problem. i had to replace my coil and take my head to a machinist so i can put a spark plug back in it. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. while parked he noticed flames came from the cowling ( where the windshield wiper arms are located) of the vehicle. the fire department extinguished the flames. a report was available. . the vehicle was towed to a township center for repairs. the ford the insurance company will contact the manufacturer. the failure mileage was 162,000.

The wife was leaving for work on sunday nov. 22nd. she returned a few minutes later and the vehicle was really loud. the problem was that a spark plug had blown out of the motor. the vehicle is still in the driveway yet to be repaired. 2001 ford expedition 4.6l v8. *tr

Blown #1 spark plug that has occurred 3 times in a year helicoil will not hold. *tr

Spark plug was blown out on my 2001 ford expedition (5.4 l). this poses a concern over the risk of a fire. *tr

I parked my 2001 ford expedition xlt suv in my parking stall on the afternoon of november 2, 2009 at approximately 1600hrs. the vehicle was parked until time of the fire which occurred between 1600hrs and 2325hrs. the entire engine compartment burned the fire was so intense that the hood of the car completely melted away. the fire burned and melted through every part of the inside of the vehicle. the front windshield busted out as well as 4 passenger windows. i have pictures and video of the aftermath of this fire. no one was injured and no other vehicle or property was damaged. nothing unusual was noticed up to the day the vehicle fire. *tr

I was driving down the road with my 4 children inside when we heard a loud explosion, my ford expedition engine sounded like there was something very wrong. we pulled into a gas station, lifted the hood and you could smell the gas and feel air blowing outside of wear the spark plug used to be. we towed it to a mechanic, we were told that our spark plug blew out taking the coil pack with it. this is the first time we have had a spark plug blow out but we have had to replace 4 other spark plugs and coil packs because they keep working their way out causing the engine to run rough and the check engine light to come on. we have three more plugs and coils that haven't been replaced. i am scared that at any time we could blow another spark plug and cause an accident. i have been told that there isn't any thing i can do to prevent this problem from happening again. the mechanic said it is very likely that the other plugs will have to be replaced in the future but currently the are working. the spark plug that blew out is along the road somewhere but i still have the spark plugs that haven't been replaced. the spark plugs are having to be replaced every month or so, one at a time. my engine still has three more spark plugs that could blow out. luckily,when this happened there wasn't a fire. you can smell the gas fumes when this happens. we have always maintained our vehicle by a mechanic, this is the first time we have ever had a recurring problem. the mechanic stated this is not a common problem and it is a design flaw, and ford is aware of this problem. *tr

Ford expedition 2001 triton v8. two blown spark plug engine failures within the last 6 weeks. first was original equipment failure, #7 was fixed, thorough and careful replacement of all spark plugs. just experienced a second and violent blowout during labor day holiday traffic. *tr

Ford 2001 expedition 5.4l v8 sparkplug blows out of the cylinder head. vapors, smoke , loud noise extreme hazard to my wife while she was on the highway. this engine should be recalled and ford should effect the repair. many people are at danger due to this obvious design flaw. *tr

There was basically nothing wrong with the car, my boyfriend drove it back from corpus christi that same day and there was no overheating whatsoever. at around 930 pm. we were inside our home and heard poppin noises. we opened the door and the vehicle in total and complete flames. we called the fire dept and they put out the fire. it took a good 20 minutes to put down the fire. thank god we weren't driving the truck and no one got injured. i have 3 children , 5, 2, and 1 year old. there fire destroyed the engine, no windshield , and the tires are melted in the front. all the front of the vehicle is destroyed. besides that, my children carseats and other personal property were destroyed. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2001 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph, the engine exhibited a popping noise and stalled without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed and the failure was located at the number two spark plug. the number two spark plug blew out of the cylinder head holder. the failure was not corrected. a failure was recently experienced with the number seven spark plug, which also blew out of the cylinder head holder. the manufacturer was made of the failure and denied assistance with the repair. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 40,000 and the current mileage was 79,000.

I was driving at about 45 mph when the spark plug blew out. pulled vehicle off the road and it towed to a mechanic. the whole motor had to be taken out to fix the problem. *tr

2001 ford expedition 5.4l v8 enginge spark plug blew out of head. *tr

Sparkplug blowout #3 cylinder. *tr

My wife was driving on the road when all of a sudden the engine started making a loud sound and wouldn't hardly run. the check engine light never came. i told her to call for a tow truck when it happened the first time and he told her the spark plug had blown out of the engine on the left bank. then exactly a year later it happened again only on the right side when my wife was driving on the highway and the check engine never came that time either. we had the engine replaced at the expense of $5200.00. this was on a 2001 ford expedition with 88,000 miles on it. because this was the 2nd the spark plug had blown out and the ford dealership quoted us 13 to 15 hours to repair the hole, $4800.00 to replace the heads or $5300.00 to replace the motor with a 100,00 mile warranty. *tr

Spark plug was blown out of engine when vehicle was started, breaking the coil which sits on top of spark plug. found info on internet that this is a common problem with ford triton engines due to failure of aluminum threads in engine intake; problem presents a fire hazard should fuel be injected into cylinder and ignited when spark plug is blown out. *tr

2001 ford expedition blew spark plug out of cylinder. *tr