Problems with 2003 Ford Expedition ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Loss of brake lights to 2003 ford expedition, took it into dealership they found a fire in overhead wiring harness. ford claims to have no problems with harness. none of these wires were visible to us , but had melted the underside of overhead compartment. visible burn marks on metal interior of roof. all overhead wiring has to be replaced. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer because all of the instrument panel indicators illuminated, except for the brake light. the interior of the vehicle was torn apart and there was an electrical fire. the dealer is ordering a new wiring harness. the vehicle was initially taken to the dealer for the illuminated indicators; however, another failure was found without the contact's knowledge. the failure and current mileages were 83,000. updated 12-02-08 *bf the consumer also had a problem with the brake lights and the cruise control had to be repaired as well. the consumer stated he never reeived a recall letter for the cruise control. updated 12/02/08 *jb

live in chicago il. (20 minutes outside) and my expedition was left outside. it got cold (48 outside) over night, and my ford was dead in the morning, (dome lights wouldn't even turn on). i jumped it, and noticed that the climate control was inoperable (doesn't even light up). i took it to ford, and they had thought that the unit burned out. cool, i can buy one on e-bay for about $40.00 instead of 326.00 that they quoted me... i left feeling a little better, knowing what the problem was....then something strange started happening... the 4wd high/low is flashing in 1 minute intervals at the same time. the driver seat is adjusting on it's own, while i am driving, and cannot be stopped, leaving me crammed into the dash/steering wheel, the back up aid is not working, when i exit the vehicle the radio stays on, i have to re-open the doors and close them again to turn it off, and i still have the problem with the climate controls. call me stupid, but this sounds a little more indepth than a climate control burning out. after reading countless issues with the expedition (including the cool feature of auto ignite, where it decides to burn it's self to the ground after being parked for 3-5 hours due to electrical fires) i am not sure i am very fond of this truck anymore. i am not encouraged by everyone on this having similar electrical problems, and not having ford be able to identify the problem causes grave concern, seeing how my wife and 3 kids (who are secured in their car seats) are driving in a fire laden death trap, or worse, my wife getting pinned against the steering wheel from the seat going haywire, then hitting another car and the air bag going off.... this is serious, i need you to investigate this a little more closely, please for my family's well being. *tr

My husband's 2003 ford expedition caught on fire. he had been out of the car for about 30 minutes. we heard a loud popping noise and thought nothing of it. we heard another loud popping noise, and went to see what it was. when we got outside there was smoke coming from under the hood. then we saw flames coming from the dashboard. at that point we called 911. the fire department came and put the fire out, and said it was caused by something electrical. there was some sort of short in the wiring. he had taken the car in for repair because the door ajar light stayed on, although there were no doors open. this problem was supposedly fixed by car max. there have been no modifications to the vehicle. *tr

While traveling at highway speeds, the engine would quit with no proceeding symptoms or indications. shifting to neutral and trying to re-start would not work. shifting to neutral, turning off the ignition and then turning the key to start did cause a re-start. this problem causes the "service engine soon" light on the dash to light, so a code is being generated. ford is aware of this problem, since it has issued a notice (not a recall) to it's service departments. the repair is the replacement of the alternator wiring harness assembly and reprogramming of the processor. ford has not issued a recall for this very unsafe problem, so the charge for the work is $ 342.64. *tr

Outside mirror lights and interior lights would not go off after getting out of vehicle and pressing remote lock button. they eventually ran the battery down. this was after a hard rain. a few weeks later the same thing happened only this time, the radio would not turn off (key out of ignition and doors open) the chime kept going off and the battery went dead because i did not disconnect it. i researched online and found this is not uncommon because the windshield leaks, from the factory, and water drips down onto the computer module and fuse box. i checked my fuse box and i did have dripping water in it along with corroded connectors, inside the vehicle, indication long term intrusion of water. this causes all kinds of problems. other owners have reported complete loss of power while driving. upon inspecting my oem windshield i found it completely separated at the top and i could see light between the glass and seal. i now have to buy a new windshield along with fuse block and computer crap. the other problem is that the entire top of the windshield, as mentioned, is not sealed. i have been informed that the windshield integrity is a huge part of the strength of the vehicle and the windshield is used to support the passenger side air bag in case of deployment. i don't have that integrity on my vehicle. this is very unsafe condition and this should be something that ford pays for. *tr

While driving on the highway my car shut off.i came very closs to being killed or serious injuried.my mechanic couldnt find the cause. this happened about 10 times in 7 years.can you help me? *tr

For the past few months i have been having problems with the mirrors and windows on my ford suv. i took it to the dealer they claim they could not find out what the problem was. they were able to fix the broken gear shift and jam radio. one month later i wake up to my truck on fire after sitting for seven hours. *tr

My 2003 ford expedition is shutting off while i am driving, nearly causing me to lose control and be rear ended. it happens when i least expect it and the dealership is baffled. all their expensive diagnostic equipment can't even track down the issue. so far they have replaced some fuel parts and my fuse box but it still shuts down unexpectedly. i am $900. in the hole already, let alone i am going to have my first grandchild within a week, and i have this tank that shuts down on the middle of the highway. it sounds electrical and i am in fear of catching fire. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving 70 mph, the entire vehicle began to jerk and ride roughly. the contact stated that the service engine light illuminated. she pulled over and turned off the vehicle. she restarted the vehicle and drove to the ford dealer. the dealer performed an ids diagnostic and pinpoint test and discovered that a cylinder misfired on cylinder number 4. the dealer replaced the ignition coil and spark plug assembly. the current mileage was 74,800 and failure mileage was 74,776.

First, the door ajar light came on and stayed on. i continued to go around the vehicle opening and shutting the doors and the light remained on. consumer could not start the vehicle since the light came on, and had to get a jump to start it. after a few days of this the battery was finally ruined, and i was forced to buy a new one. i used lubricants to try and clear debris from the door sensors and this worked for 3 months. now it will not work at all. talked to dealer and they want to charge 600 dollars per sensors. nothing wrong with sensor its just dirty. second, the rear ac is making a clicking noise and will not control temperature. i sent it under warranty to the dealership and replaced the ac mechanism, stated "this was a common defect with the vehicle". 5 months later this part went out again and it was no longer under warranty and the dealership would not replace the problem and wanted to charge me over 300 dollars. they apparently replaced the defective part with the same defective part and would repair it again 5 months later!!!. third, the side panels on the expedition exterior started fading at about 20,000 miles. the dealership replaced them under warranty. about 20,000 miles later we noticed they had faded again. we took it to the dealership and they would not replace the defective panels this time because it was know longer under warranty. even though it was another defect replaced with a defective part. forth, the rear passenger exterior door/window trim is bubbling and peeling off. this looks horrible! fifth, the front passenger and font driver window switches that roll down the windows are having issues. i had the motor replaced for the passenger window and it fixed the issue for a little bit. now the passenger can not roll down the window. however the driver can??? please help! i need help with any or all of these issues. i don't know where else to go! *tr

Vehicle underwent normal driving. 2. suddenly upon starting the vehicle a loud popping noise from the engine compartment was heard. there was loss of power, and would continue whenever the engine started. the odor of gasoline and oil was emitted into the vehicle. the vehicle had to be immediately brought into a ford dealership. instead of replacing the entire head as required by ford , helicoil, spark plug, and ignition coil had to be installed by the dealership. *ak

Alternator failed at 55,000 miles, seems a bit early for this to happen. replaced with new, battery light and check charging system warning will not go off. both alt and battery tested fine on analyzer. *tr

The vehicle would randomly fail to start over a period of 2 months, usually in the morning. all lights, gauges, radio, and heater would work, but the engine would not crank. after turning the key 4-5 times, it would eventually start. one time, nothing worked and had to jump start the battery. i replaced the battery and 1 week later, it did not turn over again at all, but everything else was working. i let it sit, and tried it later in the day, of which it started right away. i took it to the dealer and they tested it. they had the problem happen twice on the first day and determined the cause to be the starter terminal wiring pigtail was corroded, and they replaced it with a new one. *jb

Rear view mirrors fail to return to correct position after backing up causing a driving hazard. this has been an on-going problems since purchasing this vehicle - new in 2003. dealer has looked at it and stated they could not duplicate the problem and no service bulletins existed as of march 2006. other intermittent electrical problems exist - 1. passenger side rear door - automatic lock doesn't always operate. 2. interior lights stay on as if a door has been left open, even when all doors and hatches have been checked to ensure they are completely closed. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehicle completely stalled without warning and there were no lights illuminated. each time the vehicle was restarted, it stalled again. an independent mechanic was contacted, and determined the battery needed to be replaced. because the alternator was not charging the battery, the alternator had to be replaced. after both replacements, and checking the fuses, the battery light illuminated indicating the problem was repaired. not too long after, the problem recurred. the vehicle was taken to the service dealer, who determined that the wiring harness was corroded. the part was unavailable at the dealer therefore the vehicle was taken to another service dealer who installed a new wiring harness. the manufacturer was not notified.

2003 ford expedition lost all power and almost got rear ended. *kb ***nar*** the vehicle crossed into oncoming traffic and was almost involved in a head on collision. the vehicle finally stopped and was able to be restarted and driven to the consumer's home. the next day the vehicle was taken to a dealer. the dealer was unable to duplicate the problem and returned the vehicle to the consumer. about a week later the vehicle stalled again without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer a left for a few days so they could try to duplicate the problem. unfortunately they were unable to and the vehicle was again returned to the consumer. the primary driver of the vehicle no longer felt safe driving the car especially since she transported her children in it. the consumer read somewhere that the wiring harness was the caused of the problem. the consumer told the dealer of his findings but they were not interested. they told him that the could not fix it unless they found the problem. *nm

Coil pack went out on my 2003 ford expedition @ 36,200 miles, 200 miles out of warranty. dealer would not make exception and cover. *nm

While traveling at highway speeds, the engine would quit with no proceeding symptoms or indications. shifting to neutral and trying to re-start would not work. shifting to neutral, turning off the ignition and then turning the key to start did cause a re-start. this problem causes the "service engine soon" light on the dash to light, so a code is being generated. ford is aware of this problem, since it has issued a notice (not a recall) to it's service departments. the repair is the replacement of a wiring harness and reprogramming of the processor. ford has not issued a recall for this very unsafe problem, so the charge for the work is $ 358.18. *nm

I own a 2003 ford expedition that has been giving me problems since day one. i have had several electrical problems with the vehicle causing the lights to remain on at all times and my battery to run down twice. the doors all seem to lock and unlock only when they want to and the most recent of my complaints is the rear passenger door has begun opening on its own while being driven. my 10 month old daughter and i were out shopping at a local shopping center a few weeks ago and while making a turn and preparing to park in a space the rear passenger door flung completely open. i was stunned. my daughter luckily was safely belted in her car seat in the middle seat. i shudder to think what could have happened if my other two children had of been with me at the time and had been sitting by that door which my 5 year old usually does on a daily basis. i contacted ford motor company and they told me to have it evaluated by a ford dealership which i did and it was proven to be a faulty latch and switch. i was told that there was no more warranty on the vehicle and that no extended warranty would cover it. it is considered to be normal wear and tear. i have owned the vehicle less than 3 years and i don't understand how a faulty latch and switch could end up being my fault. i have authorized the dealership to repair needless to say it is not worth the safety of my children, but i am still unsure how a faulty part is deemed the responsibility of the consumer. i have had several switches fixed for two other doors while under warranty but the problem just seems to be continuing. the total amount of the repair will run me $257.00. *jb

2003 expedition relay junction box burned. *ts ***nar*** the vehicle stalled while being driven. the problem was diagnosed as a relay problem and replaced the relay. after repair the vehicle would not shift into overdrive. the dealer performed diagnostic test which determined that the junction had melted. the junction box was replaced but the vehicle still had no overdrive nor third gear. the dealer removed the transmission pan and found internal transmission damage. the consumer feels that the transmission was destroy when the junction box burned out. the consumer has the burned junction box in his possession. prior to this failed the vehicle alternator had to be replaced. *nm

Consumer is having problems with air condition making noise, power windows only lower, radio volume gets louder when accelerating seat control buttons are inoperable. *ts water leaked from the sunroof, even though it was closed. the vehicle was taken to the dealer on 3 separate occasions due to brake and rotor noise. the consumer experienced lack of power when attempting to accelerate. the consumer was unable to hear the radio separately when the dvd was playing. *jb

Dt: orange wire under the third row seat, this wire started smoking. we left the car. this wire burned into. flames were coming out from under the seat, and it smoked up the vehicle. parked the car, and the car had not been moved since. this happened 6:30 pm, and all the dealerships were closed. *ak

The door ajar light came on and stayed on. could continue to go around the vehicle opening and shutting the doors and the light remained on. consumer could not start the vehicle since the light came on, and had to get a jump to start it.*ak

While driving 70 mph fuse on the passenger's side caught on fire. the fire department disconnected the battery, and the flames began to settle. *ak

The truck was parked inside the garage and the truck and garage caught on fire. no injuries reported. the fire department was called to extinguish the fire. vehicle was towed and totaled by the insurance company. *ak prior to the fire. the vehicle leaked gas, the dealer stated a gas line was loose. *jb

Dt: vehicle caught on fire and burned while parked fro about 6-7 hours. vehicle had been parked for about 6-7 hours. fire department stated that the cause of the fire was undetermined. fire started under the hood, and burned evenly throughout the front of the vehicle, all the way back to just about the passenger doors on the outside, and about to the back gate on the inside.*ak

Car stops running while driving a speed. this has happened 4 times in the last 9 months. the dealer cannot correct problem until it is reproduced. *ak

The dashboard console caught on fire within 5 minutes of the vehicle being parked and turned off. at the time of the fire two chargers were plugged into the lighter outlet and they both melted. *ak

The vehicle had dead battery and required jump start. the attempt was successful how ever i began having electrical problems almost immediately. the instrument panel lights and odometer display malfunctioned on several occasions, including jumps in mileage or no change after a trip, radio would go off or change stations by its self, door locks would unlock and lock byself,and instruments not working. the cigarette lighter mounted next to the ashtray in the dash some how became welded in place. on occasion when starting the vehicle as you put key in ignition you would hear the door chime as normal then when you turn key to start position chime would die and nothing happened then return the key to off and back to start and it would start fine on the second attempt. i took the vehicle in to my dealership and they replaced the radio but this did not solve the problem. they where unable to find the problem and fix it. i continued to have the problem and it just seemed to happen randomly. *nm

2003 ford expedition- after it rains i am having many different things happening within the electrical system. the doors won't lock, the radio won't light up any more, the interior lights won't shut off, the front windows won't work, mildew smell in the car. the electrical problems alone can cause a fire but with the doors not being able to be locked is a completely different story and i am concerned for my families safety. i heard from the dealer and others that ford will not issue a recall for this ongoing problem. *tr

While making a stop, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection numerous times, but the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. while applying the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop completely. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the brake rotors needed to be replaced. *ak when stopping, the motor starts shaking and the vehicle would shut off. when turning the vehicle, it would not respond until attempting 2 or 3 times, then finally a lot of smoke appears. the suspension appeared to be loose and one sensor on the wheels did not respond. *sc

#1 nothing out of the ordinary #2 car had be parked for almost an hour when a passerby knocked on the door to say that the car was on fire and she had already called the fire department. #3 fire was put out. car was a total loss. also, the car parked in front of mine was burned when the fire spread and that car was totalled as well. it belonged to my friend, olivia jackson oke, whom i was visiting and my car was parked directly behind hers in her driveway. i filed a claim with my insurance and so did olivia.

Within 1,000 miles the back up sensor rang when ever you put the car into reserve - has been serviced three times still does it today. within 5,000 the mirrors would tilt too far to the outside then pop as they tried to continue to move further outside. within 18,000 1)advancetrac light came cause the right front brake to lock up when turning left and the left front brake to lock up when turning right. engine was shutting down going traveling at 70 mph. transmission would not change out to next gear until very high rpm. pop and clicking noises from under the dash (front passanger and drive side). engine would not start. - authorized ford blue oval repair center has replaced 2 abs modules, the battery, made repairs to the wiring harness, replaced two other computer modules. car was in the shop for three weeks and returned three times. vehicle is still not correct.

During a recent trip to denver, the temperature dropped below 20 degrees and the back-up warning began malfunctioning. at the same time, the advance trac light illuminated and although i cycled the switch, the system would not come online. the back-up warning system either emitted a constant tone, even though nothing was behind me or i could get right next to something and it failed to alarm. i took the vehicle into the dealer where i purchased the vehicle and was told that since it is an intermittant problem that only occurs when it is cold, that there is nothing that they could do, as their shops are heated to about 68 degrees. this vehicle also experiences problems with the side mirrors moving of their own accord. the direction is not isolated to a single direction. sometimes they move up and other times down. mostly with the passenger side, but it has happened in both. in some cases it is only a minor change and at other times it is quite drastic. the dealer states that the minor changes are because i sit in the seat differently each time i sit in the vehicle and the major changes in settings cannot be duplicated and therefore, they cannot fix it. aside from this, i asked the dealer if there were any outstanding recalls and was told no. according to the vehicle page that they provide, there are 8 recalls for this vehicle and they claim that they have notifed me of these recalls. the recalls are: 01v310000, 02v154000, 02v018008, 02v317000, 03v074000, 03v094000, 03v251000, 03v317000, and 03v362000. when i look these up on your site, they show that they do not belong to my vehicle as most are for rvs, which makes this all the more confusing. *la

Consumer was at a stop in traffic while gradually the vehicle moved up. upon depressing the brakes the pedal went to the floor and would not stop the vehicle. this problem occurred more than ten times in the last six months. also, while driving at any speed the engine check light and battery light came on. sometimes, the lights blinked rapidly, and sometimes they would just stay on. dealer examined the vehicle seven times, and was unable to resolve the problem. *ak

Consumer was having problems with side view mirror, and horn. side view mirror moved at will. when he set it, side view mirror did not stay, but wondered all over. vehicle had a couple of near misses because of not being able to see from the side view mirror. also, horn did not operate. this was a safety issue because driver needed a way to announce that he was near another vehicle to avoid any accident.*ak

My expedition is a 1yr and 5 months. with less than 500 miles paid for a front end alignment and tire rotation, because of bad vibration at speeds of 60-70 miles an hour. still had vibration, took it back to dealer, they said the truck came with tires out of balance. still had vibration, took it back to dealership, a box dealing with the steering wheel had to be replaced. since then i have paid for another front end alignment and tire balance, now tires have worn so bad dealership will probably blame worn tires for the vibration. there is more!!! the seal on the front windshield came loose and started leaking, and had to be replaced. in the front defrost vent some foam stuff had come loose and would flap around when the vent was on, the dealership called it ( packing) it was replaced or glued back down. the side trim on both sides from the two front doors, to the two rear doors faded badly, and had to be replaced. the dome light had a pinched wire and would flicker when turned on or hit a bump, it was repaired. the power window swith light, driver side went out, and the unit had to be replaced, and now the cruise control will not stay engaged when i hit a bump most of this happened in under a year. *ak

The seats, mirrors & gauges all will readjust while you are driving down the road. my wife already had a near miss on the interstate when this happened. the ford dealer. andy mohr ford says he can do nothing and the engineers are working on a fix. i have called the ford customer service and wrote them 2 letters. it has been going on for 5 months now and no one will address the problem. they say it is a problem with all 2003 expeditions so i would think it would be a priority to fix. *jb

The vehicle had an all-inclusive computer console on dashboard which controlled the functions of rear/side view mirrors and memory seats, etc. the console did not function properly, which caused the side view mirrors to be incorrectly positioned while driving. dealer diagnosed defect with system, but advised there was no remedy or parts which existed to correct. *jb

While driving 30 mph, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. suddenly, the vehicle stalled. the driver tried to restart the vehicle and was not able to do so. the vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the driver that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. while unlocking the driver's door with the automatic switch both side rear view mirrors would automatically move up and down. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic replaced both side rear view mirror motors. please provide further details. *jb consumer adds both side view mirrors motors replaced 2 to 3 more times. the fog light housing replaced, rear light covers replaced due to moisture, heater core switch replaced from dash. brakes squealing when applied. transmission slipping and power steering pump winding. *tt

While driving at highway speeds advance track system light illuminated, then all electrical components started to flash. heard a rattling noise, pulled over, turned off engine to see what problem was, and vehicle would not restart. took vehicle to dealer, and they stated it was the alternator. *ak