Problems with 2003 Ford Expedition ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

I was on interstate 95 southbound when i heard a loud boom followed by a flapping sound i pulled onto the shoulder to see what happend when i noticed gas coming from the area where the spark plug was at i shut the car off and called for a tow. *tr

Recently purchased this 2003 expedition with the 5.4l engine. purchased on 12/20/2011. since owning said vehicle i have had two spark plug failures. on cyl 8 and cyl 3. the first incident happened at a speed of about 25 mph. the second and recent happened driving highway speed, cruise set to 65 mph. the plug ejects from the cyl causing damage to the coil, and possibly creating a fire hazard. there was no recent tune up to my knowledge. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that the vehicle was parked and shut off when he noticed flames erupting from under the hood on the driver's side. the fire department extinguished the fire. the vehicle was not taken to have the failure diagnosed. the failure and current mileages were 103,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an inspection however, the vehicle failed as a result of excessive rust corrosion in the core radiator support bracket. the vehicle had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified and they informed the contact that there was not a recall related to the defect. the approximate failure mileage was 95,000. updated 05/08/12*lj

A month or so ago the truck started running rough and engine light came on. it turns out it was spark plug #4 misfiring. replaced it and all was golden until yesterday (4/3/12) when i heard a loud pop upon starting the truck and then it was idling rough. check engine light came back on and spark plug #4 is misfiring again. we bought this truck used and it's been one thing after another. so disappointed in ford. hope they address this issue and due the proper thing. *tr

While driving at a low rate of speed, my expedition made a loud pop and then strange knocking noise. upon further inspection i noticed i had blown out a spark plug and my coil pack was blown apart as well. when i called a local ford dealership (thomas ford, stillwater ok) the man laughed and said "no it is not a recall, but absolutely should be as this is a very common occurrence in the triton motor." i ask that you re-look back into this "common" problem as this is a terrible thing to overlook. *tr

My wife was driving with our infant son and our teenage daughter in our 2003 expedition xlt 4.6l 2x4. she heard a loud pop and the vehicle lost power and started smoking and shaking violently. she thought the expedition was going to blow up. we had the expedition checked out and the cylinder number 7 spark plug blew out. the aluminum threads in the head gave and the spark plug blew out, the injector kept spraying raw fuel and the coil ignited it. when all this happened it burned the ignition coil, coil boot, spark plug and the coil harness. now we were told we would have to have the cylinder head replaced. we love our expedition and i considered buying a new one, but i don't know now. *kb

While driving on the freeway our enging just turned off with no warning. this has happened 3 tmes. this could cause serious accidents. we do not know the cause of this but i think ford should figure it ot and fix it. *tr

After making a complete stop at a traffic light i made a left turn and began to accelerate when i heard a loud pop which at first i thought was a tire blow out. the engine was running so erratically that i could feel it in my steering. we inspected the vehicle for a flat when we noticed every tire was fine. i opened the hood and removed the top cover to the engine to discover a spark plug laying on top of the engine and the coil that was once attached blown off of the plug and damaged off to the side still connected to its electrical source. this cold have caused a fire. for the record these plugs were the original factory spark-plugs. via the internet i have discovered this website to file a complaint. *tr

Driving home from a near by store i stopped at the stop sign and then got ready to go and heard a loud pop and the car sounded like a dirt bike my husband came to get me and he said that the spark plug blew out since then its been blowing out alot and we have 4kids so a small car wont do i also still pay payments on the car so i don't think its fair!! i saw online that many people have the same problem so please do a recall already i love fords so much but now that this keeps happening i don't think i will ever get a ford again so please recall it please !!! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving approximately 35 mph, the vehicle suddendly stalled. the contact stopped the vehicle on the shoulder of the road and was able to restart the engine. the failure continued intermittently. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. the mechanic stated that all eight ignition coils would have to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the approximate failure mileage was 131,000.

While driving at highway speeds the engine cuts out/dies. *tr

Blew #3 spark plug after starting up from a traffic light. pulled over to side of road. with vehicle idling, opened the hood, but the vehicle then stalled. called aaa and had vehicle towed to ford dealership. *kb

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that the engine bolts were rotted and causing fumes to enter the vehicle. the contact stated that the smell of the fumes caused difficult in driving the vehicle. the contact took the vehicle to the dealer where the dealer advised that the nickel bolts weakened after time and began to rot. the dealer stated that the failure was common in the particular year, make, and model. the failure mileage was 104,000.

I just experienced my second spark plug blowout. the first was the #4 plug in february and now the #3 in july. both repairs have been over 700 dollars each. *tr

My best friend's 2003 ford expedition blew a spark plug out of the cylinder head while pulling a boat across a highway. this caused the vehicle to be stuck in the middle of the road, and several cars had to slam on their brakes and swerve to barely avoid collision. upon internet research, i learned that thousands of people had the exact same problem with this same engine in ford vehicles over several years of production. ford denies this problem exists and endangers lives everywhere with this motor. i saw this problem myself, and mechanics i have talked to said that these ford cylinder heads are all bad with this problem. this problem exists for every ford triton 5.4 liter v8 engine, so it exists across thousands of vin numbers. *tt

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving 70 mph, there was a loud popping noise coming from the engine compartment. the vehicle was coasted to the side of the road and stopped. the contact noticed that a coil pack and spark plug blew out from its cylinder. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence and diagnosed by a private mechanic. the mechanic replaced the spark plug and coil pack. the dealer did not acknowledge the failure. the failure occurred a total of two times per month. the failure mileage was 130,000 and the current mileage was 134,000.

Spark plug striped and blew out of cylinder head on my 5.4l engine. *tr

A spark plug was ejected from my 2003 ford expedition and is a known problem and deadly safety (fire) problem. *tr

On 11/7/10 traveling home with my family in my 2003 ford expedition i heard a loud bang thought i blew a tire. i started smelling a strong odor of gas. the car started to misfire. i pulled it over to make sure it wasn't on fire. turns out a spark plug blew out of the engine. found out threw some research on the internet that this is a on going problem with ford. why are they not standing behind there product. i've heard it is a design flaw with the spark plugs not having enough thread on them. i am very disappointed. this is going to cost me somewhere around $3000.00 to get fixed. i bought this truck new from the dealer. i only have 58,000 miles on it to me this is still a new truck something has got to be done they do know that there was a design flaw because in 2004 they changed the design. shame on ford. an american made vehicle .this should be recalled and ford should make good on there product. *tr

Oil leaking from head gasket on passenger rear of head..... leaks onto manifold where a fire can start. ford mechanics know that there is a problem. the mechanics say that there is a flaw in the casting in the head. there are numerous complaints of this happening. *tr

Went out to warm up our ford expedition for work. upon starting it heard a loud boom and the engine sounded loud. had it towed to garage. found out that the #7 spark plug blew out. for safety sake, ford should admit to the defect in the engine, and issue a recall. *tr

2003 ford expedition spark plug blew out of head at 85k miles. ford dealership acknowledged that it sees 2 spark plug blow outs a month and ford is aware of the problem in 2003 expeditions. repaired with a ford fix - heliacoil or liner installed into head for damaged spark plug. for true fix, ford needs to replace the head and spark plugs to ensure that other spark plugs don't come unthreaded as mileage increases. *tr

Sudden backfire resulting in spark plug ejection. replaced with helicoil kit. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving approximately 55 mph the vehicle began to smoke inside of the engine compartment and vehicle. the vehicle also made a loud noise and would stall. the vehicle was towed to a ford dealer who stated that a spark plug melted into the engine and that the vehicle needed a new engine. the dealer stated that the contact would be responsible for the repair cost. ford motor company stated that there was nothing they could do. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure and current mileages were 88,546.

I was driving my 2003 expedition o the highway with my family in the car, all of a sudden the jeep just cut right off no warning anything i hit my blinkers to come on try and cut it on again and it did but again cut right back off. i had to continue cutting on and cutting on constantly until i got it to the side of the road. it was the scariest moment of my life this could have caused a serious accident injuring not only my family but other people on the highway. when i take the jeep to the mechanic he states that this is a problem a lot of people complain of and ford will no take responsibility for it. ford build this jeep this way so people can only return to ford for the repairs which cost a lot. the coils on the jeep were white and rusted because the way this jeep was but is very difficult to get to them a mechanic literally has to move the motor or motor parts toget to it. ford has this problem as a recall on other ford vehicles but will not honor this as a recall for the 2003 expeditions. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while the contact's wife was driving at 60mph the engine failed. the engine over heated. she was able to pull over on the side of the road. the vehicle was towed to the contact's home. the contact diagnosed the vehicle himself, he located the failure at the number seven factory plug it ejected causing the vehicle to overheat. the manufacturer was contacted, but he didn't't received a response. the vehicle was serviced. the failure mileage was 94,000 and the current mileage was 94, 2000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition, eddie bauer edition. the contact stated the vehicle unexpectedly exploded while parked in front of her place of residence. the contact stated the vehicle and the front yard of her home was engulfed in flames and smoke. the fire department advised that the fire originated from the engine. a fire report was available. the contact stated there was severe damages done to her garage and a large portion of the exterior of her home. the vehicle was destroyed. the failure and current mileages were 105,002.

2003 expedition spark plug blow-out. yesterday evening driving home with my wife and 10 year old son, we heard a loud pop and the a compression sound. pulled over and inspected the underside of my vehicle and saw no fluids or exhaust defects. proceeded to pop the hood and realized the noise was coming from the engine block. it was 113 degrees outside and wasn't going to stick my hand in the engine compartment and get burned. luckily i was not far from my house, so i limped very cautiously to my home. i proceeded to pop the hood again for a more detailed inspection and with a flashlight i could see sparks firing on the top of the engine block. looked closer and there was a hole next to what appeared to be a long rubber tube. grabbed my tools and removed the engine shroud to get a better look and that's when i figured it out. there was no spark plug in the hole, i thought maybe ford has some new technology that this vehicle doesn't use spark plugs just coils of some sort. the coil housings plastic nub was broken off. o.k. that would be an easy fix, close to 8pm getting dark, so i jump into my wife care and drive the parts store up the street. ask the manager that was there for the part and he asked if the spark plug was still in the hole fully attached. i stated that i didn't see a spark plug only a empty hole, he replied that i have a bigger issue and that i just experienced a spark plug blow-out. apparently the model of vehicle that i have has had a serious problem with spark plug blow-outs and there hasn't been a recall. and that i would have to get it towed and repaired at my own cost. why hasn't this problem been addressed nationally? i searched it online and there are thousands of the exact same issues with others. do i need to be dead for someone to hear that this is a problem with the manufacturing of such components. 2003 ford expedition with 60k miles, 40k miles away from recommended tune-up per ford. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact was traveling 55 mph when the vehicle stalled without warning. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact was informed that the vehicle was performing normally. the dealer was unable to locate a failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 113,000 and the current mileage was 117,000.

Factory spark plug blew out of engine. i found numerous complaints of the same problem and was surprised to find there has been no recall. *tr

Driving our 2003 ford expedition thru the desert to green river utah. loud pop and car shuddered and lost power. pulled over immediately and had it towed back to price ut. ford dealer said spark plug blew out of cylinder head. $2000 to re-thread head, $3000 for new cylinder head or $5000 for a new motor. since our motor had 90,000 miles on it we opted for a new motor. but after researching all the other people who blew spark plugs out of their motor's head i do not feel safe driving this vehicle anymore. come to discover this has happened to many people who own this type of vehicle with the aluminum cylinder head. this is a manufacturers defect that should be recalled. the public is being sold a defective motor and having to pay unnecessarily when it breaks down. ford needs to recall these defective engines and fix the problem. these motors are not "built ford tough". *tr

Spark plug ejecting from my 2003 ford expedition 5.4 triton engine. 3rd plug that has shot out. *tr

I have a 2003 ford expedition 5.4l that has blown the #3 spark plug 3 times. each time i have purchased oem plugs. it appears that i am not alone in this experience and many speculate that the thread depth is not enough to secure the plug appropriately. *tr

2003 ford expedition spark plug blowed out and broke the coil and damaged the threads. *tr

We own a 2003 ford expedition eddie bauer. in january 2009, we had a "misfire" in the #6 spark plug and was advised to change all of the spark plugs - which we did. since that time, we've had 3 other "misfires" in the #6, #8 and #7 spark plugs. each time a repair is made, there is a misfire in another spark plug within 3 months of the repair. on 4/19/2010, the number 4 sparkplug blew completely out of the engine upon starting the car. we have had the vehicle serviced regularly at the ford dealer and all repairs have been made by the ford dealer. we've been told that ford knows of the design defect in their engines and it is a regular problem with the v8 engines in the ford trucks and they are choosing to do nothing about it. we have spent well over $3000 total to fix all of these issues. why isn't ford standing behind their product - are they waiting for a injury or worse, a fatality in order to issue a recall? *tr

I own a 2003 5.4l ford expedition ed bauer with 63,000 miles. my 2003 ford expedition very recently blew the #3 spark plug in may 2010. i purchased the expedition in 2006 with only 14,000 miles. the spark plugs on the vehicle are the original spark plugs from the factory and have not been replaced. the expedition started making a knocking sound. on may way home from work, as i tuned into the freeway entrance, the engine made a loud popping sound followed by a rattling soung. i continued to operate the vehicle for approximately 3 miles and then exit the freeway. there was also a smell of gasoline coming from the engine. since i was not far from the ford service center (galpin ford in north hills, ca.), i continued to operate the vehicle to the service center for repair. a day later i received a call from the service technician indicating that the #3 spark plug blew out of the head. the technician mentioned that the enginene needed a new head since they could not repair the problem. total parts and labor...$3834.00. after reading comments from this website, this is clearly a manufacturer defect that should not continue to be overlooked by ford. *tr

Spark plug had blown out of its place in the engine. at first, i had the check engine light on and i had promptly taken to the shop (ase cert.) but the light didn't come on any more. after the service man ran the test some time later, nothing appeared to be wrong. a day or so later, i was hearing a "clicking" sound under the hood, later, i had lost a spark plug. which by the way is a horrible noise! i was told by the service technician that it was a problem with ford vehicles. *tr

Spark plug ejected from the engine causing the coil to brake as well, and the whole car to smell of gas. this happened once in april, and again the other day (may 17th), on a different plug. it has caused me to lose work, and my mechanic installed a repair kit with a new spark plug. it was $200-$300 for each repair. ford says its not a problem, but my mechanic has had other cases like this, and stated ford issued a service bulletin on how to fix the problem. i have contacted ford, asking them to at least check my other plugs to make sure they are tight, but they were unhelpful. there was no warning in either case. the truck drives fine, and then suddenly starts making a loud noise as its driven, and the whole truck smells of gas. these are the original plugs, and the truck has 78k miles on it. i believe the head needs to be replaced so it doesn't keep happening. i went on different car problem websites, and this seems to be a problem with this model truck. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving approximately 65 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle as it operated as normal. the failure recurred approximately 5 months later. while attempting a turn at approximately 20 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. the contact was able to restart the vehicle after twenty minutes. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but the failure could not be duplicated and the mechanic was unable to produce any failure codes. the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 120,000 and the current mileage was 127,000.

I have a 2003 expedition 5.4l and since 2006 to present every two or three months i have to replace a coil pack and spark plug. now since the coil packs have blown out so many times my catalytic converter on the passenger side has melted on the inside. *tr

My 2003 ford expedition threw a spark plug. *tr

I have a 2003 ford expedition with the triton 5.4l engine. i had the spark plug eject from the #7 cylinder. in my case the garage that i took it to had to remove the cylinder head to helicoil the cylinder. it took 5 weeks to get my truck back and cost over $1200 to fix. i had to replace 2 coil packs, a spark plug, the head gasket, intake and exhaust manifold gaskets, oil pan gasket, valve cover gasket and timing chain gasket. *tr

I was stopped at a light. i went to go and i heard a pop,so i went under the hood and i could see the last spark plug in the rear on the passenger side firing. *tr

2003 ford expedition eddie bauer, spark plug on passenger back side ejected from head while i was driving. they were still original spark plugs. going to cost over $1000 to temporarily fix problem. *tr

1st occurance: 2003 ford epedition, 5.4l v8 engine. factory original spark plug exploded while travelling at 60mph.mileage: 72,955. date: 8/17/08. 2nd occurance: same engine, original plugs( less above repair). 2/05/2010, miles 77,525. spark plug exploded while travelling 40 mph.

Ford spark plug ejection, 2003 ford expedition 5.4l triton engine. "consumeraffairs.com" has 317 pages of complaints regarding this issue. ford does not acknowledge a problem. i have had two (2) blow-outs, costing me $1,200.00 i would like to see a petition for recall started, based on potential fire and safety issues. in my case, i was traveling at 60 mph and lost power while in traffic. i had to carefully pull off highway with very little engine power. this is a serious issue which needs to be addressed. i now own a vehicle that i can not take on a long trip, for fear of having the engine explode again. hopefully, it will not take a fatality or serious injury to have someone review this problem and take action. the february 21,2007 memo from dot, ref: dp05-005 review is in need of updating. the numbers are now much greater than previously reported. please review this problem. ford simply says " not my problem". [xxx] *tr

My husband was driving his 2003 ford expedition on the way home from work on feb.4,2010. he heard a bang and smelled a small vapor of gas along with the truck not running very well. he made it home safely to find that spark plug blew through the head!! we went online to see about this problem,and what could be done. he has only 69,000 miles on it and he is the original owner and takes care to keep up on everyday mainentance. i have made phone calls to no avail--ford cistomer relationship center told me to take it to the dealer or reputable service center. this is not covered under any warranty at all!! so i am going further with this because if you go to get it fixed--(a) it could happen again and (b) a fire could start, and (c) very expensive to get fixed. we have read many other consumers have had this same problem but fords does'nt want to help out. this is a safety issue that needs to be addressed before worse scenarios happen with possible deaths. to make matters worse, i own a 2004 f-150 and have read stories of it happening in those engines too!

My ford expedition has less than 90,000 miles and the spark plug for #3 cylinder fell into the cylinder chamber thus the piston was hitting the spark plug ,this repair can cost as much $1800.00...for a spark plug that cost around $5.00 on a suv that cost $50,000.00... this could have caused a fire since the piston was pushing into the engine compartment, a fuel air mixture, plus, the presence of electrical spark are a perfect mixture for a fire... !!! i was charged $ 689.00 for a tow back to my home. i want this problem to be addressed by ford asap before someone loses their life!!!! a recall is in order! i want ford to pay for my repair and towing bill because this is an engineering flaw and it is extremely hazardous!!! contact me please! i hope this can helps other expedition owners. *tr

My 2003 ford expediton was making a slight tapping noise all day as i drove around town. when i hit my home town i was a .10 of a mile from my house and a huge banging noise occured. the vehicle lost power and i could smell gasoline vapors. from inspection under the hood i noticed the coil assembly above in the right rear cylinder was broken and the spark plug was laying on the motor. it had blown a spark plug. i had purchased an extended warranty when i purchased the vehicle. i had the car towed and was told they would inspect for repairs. the car was sub-letted out to a ford dealer. the ford dealer said that a helicoil repair was what was once accepted but their dealership no longer performed that procedure because it was only a temporary fix. ford put out a service bulletin that said the best repair is to replace the head but a helicoil type repair would suffice. because of this temporary fix announcement and ford's inablilty to admit there is something wrong with the triton motor built between 1997 and 2008 my extendede warranty company will not make the best recommended fix. ford needs to be held accoutable. i do not want to put my family of five at risk of breaking down and possible engine fire because of this defect. *tr