Problems with 2003 Ford Expedition STRUCTURE

Frame rot in multiple locations, front and rear

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving, the muffler detached from the vehicle. the vehicle was towed to fz perfections auto body and collision (191 us-9w, congers, ny 10920) where it was diagnosed that the crossmember was cracked and the rear of the vehicle was rotted. the schutlz ford dealer was contacted at 1-877-724-8589 and confirmed that ford expeditions were known to rot from the rear of the vehicle. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 92,851.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving 50 mph, the vehicle began to vibrate. the failure recurred on numerous occasions. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front passenger side subframe corroded and needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 186,000.

My passenger window and both back windows have dropped several times. i have had to have this fixed more than once on the back passenger side window, what happens is ill try to put the window up and the window motor makes a struggling noise and i am unable to roll up the window. at this point i'm sure it must be a defect because of how it has happened to each window more than once. also the bumper that goes around the entire car is extremely faded and i am unable to get fixed i have gone to get estimates for a pain job but have been told due to the material it is just going to fade i would need to get it sanded and have them do some special treatment i cant afford and they will not just paint over it for me because they guarantee there work and would have to redo it too often. all the expeditions i see have the exact same issue.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving approximately 50 mph, deceleration became very difficult. the vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the brakes lines had rusted. the mechanic also discovered that the rocker panels and frame was rusted. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 150,000. updated 06/27/14*lj

I owned this vehicle since 2003. a couple of years ago i noticed small perforation/rusting on the top of the vehicle and over time it became worst. now there are numerous badly corroded areas . it appears that due to the design and the materials used water remains trapped especially when the vehicle is parked. also poor workmanship or poor materials are contributing factors. this may have caused this unforeseen issues. there is a possibility that the hood can become weak in the areas affected by the corrosion, therefore i am seeking guidance. i did reach of to the ford company with negative results, they only advise that this was not a warranty issue. on another note i am the only owner and i have not lived close to the beaches or even where you would expect corrosion of this magnitude.

Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving 25 mph, the driver's door opened without warning and would not remain latched or closed. the dealer had not been notified of the failure. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not offer any assistance. the current and the failure mileages were 108,000. the vin was unavailable.

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

I own a 2003 ford expedition. while washing my suv, i recently discovered that the front of the slots on the roof between the luggage racks have rust bubbling up through the paint. there is no apparent damage in this area and 3 of the tracks have the same problem at varying stages of progression. i was informed by ford that this was not covered under my warranty and there was nothing they could (would) do for me. i called the ford customer service hot line and was told the same. *tr

When it rains the rear doors of the vehicle fill with water. i have done everything i can to make sure the door is sealed but it still fills up with water. it has rained a lot this week and the doors are full again. *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

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

Dt*: the consumer exited the driver's seat, left the front door open and opened the back door to place some items in the back. unaware her 5 year old daughter had climbed over the front seat and sat in the driver's seat facing the open door, the consumer opened the back door farther to exit and then shut the door. when she shut the door the child's hand was caught in the door, her left hand ring finger was crushed, almost severed by the hinge that hooks the door to the vehicle. when the consumer opened the door it crushed her finger and when the consumer closed the door it released her finger. *nm

My 2003 expedition had a crack in the overhead console when i purchased it used in 2004. i didn't see it at the time of purchase and didn't think that much of it when i did discover the crack. in the past year and a half the console has simply cracked apart and the plastic is very brittle. i've glued it a number of times but it keeps cracking apart in different places. i've called the parts department at my local ford dealer and they tell me that i cannot purchase the housing for the overhead console separately. therefore, i must purchase an entire new console package including the lights, switch, etc. according to the dealer, this part will cost me approximately $450.00 not including any installation labor. i don't need the lights, switch, mirror, etc., because those parts are all functional and fine. all i need is the housing. the part cant be worth more than $10.00, especially when you consider how easily it broke into pieces. i don't know if this problem is prevalent in other expeditions, but i should not be forced to pay over $500.00 (parts and labor) for a small, cheap piece of plastic. *nm

Dt*: the contact stated there was rust appearing on the liftgate under the handle and between the window and the door. it appeared to be bubbling and rust formed. the vehicle was taken to a independent service shop for regular maintenance when the rust was observed. the dealer indicated that the rust may be due to water captured between the window and the structure of the door. *ak

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

2003 ford expedition window rolled up on consumer's hand.*mr *jb

Consumer was injured on the 2003 ford expedition while opening the rear window.*mr the consumer broke his left fourth finger on his left hand tore the ligament from his finger and caused damaged to his wrist just by opening the window. the window was designed to capture one's finger like a bottle opener. it was not angled out as to release. the window has pressure assist cylinders which that and a little wind caused the accident. *jb

Since we have owned this 2003 expedition we have had the windshield replaced due to noise and loose stripping, then, the contracting person put in the wrong years windshield. the emissions canister was cracked and was replaced. the muffler would pop after turning off the engine, but couldn't be fixed until verified by ford. i waited for 3-4 hours one day with 3 children while they let my car run and shut off. we finally called ahead, and had them wait outside on us until we killed the engine to hear it pop. it was a poor muffler weld and was repaired. the side molding rattled badly, and was terribly faded, and that was replaced. the door gets a lot of wind noise , and a whistle in the window. they said window passed the dollar bill test and was fine but it still whistles. they, put a clear strip along inside of door to help noise. it doesn't. then ,the rear continental tire had such horrible, uneven wear, it was extremely dangerous. bought new tires for $600. then rear differential malfunctioned, and would make a grinding on turning left or right. they fixed that in march 2005, and it just started doing it again. now, there is a strange noise when revving the engine to drive coming from under the hood. it is going in tomorrow for the noise and the rear differential. on top of all the repairs, we have had a squeaky brake issue. also, they have said they were good. they just get a lot of brake dust, just sand them. our side windows shimmies all the time. ! i did invest in an extended warranty!. *ak

The paint has been bubbling on the liftgate of my ford, expedition for years. just recently, that paint has been chipping, which i'm sure is going to cause rust to form. i've read many similar complaints from other expedition owners, but i can't find a place where ford has responded, except to say why it is happening. will ford be doing anything to remedy this for their consumers? *tr

Dt: the drivers side tie rod has broken twice. both times was without warning. the dealer has fixed it once and now it is back to the dealer for the second time for same problem. the manufacturer took information from the consumer, but she has not heard back from them. *jb passenger side rear window does not go down from master switch. door ajar light does not go off. left front ball joint separated, then vehicle hit sign. lower control arm broken, upper ball joint bad, spindle broken sway bar link broken, cv boot torn and axle pulled out of front differential. tie rod end on left side broken and vacuum hub cracked on spindle and tire and rim damaged. also fender liner ripped out. spindle, upper control arm, lower control arm, cv boot replaced. clip for axle vacuum hub and wheel and tire, removed front differential to reinstall, axle and clip replaced wheel and tire and performed alignment. damage to hood when knuckle split. *tt *sb

Rear hatchback paint bubbling for the second time. it was repainted after 1 year and now is doing the same thing.*ak

While driving 65 mph driver's side door rattled. consumer was informed by the dealer on numerous occasions that the door would be replaced. consumer would pay for the repairs because vehicle was not covered by the warranty. *ak

Purchased new 2003 expediton eddie bauer in 10/03. doors rattle as though they are not closed. have taken vehicle back to dealership several times (they've had vehicle for close to six weeks total). problem still exits. soo much brake dust on front wheels that they are pitting. dealership says ford won't cover the wheels becuase of dust. *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

2003 expedition headlight failed four different times due to water leakage. heat brackets rusted due to water leakage. *ts the consumer stated that ford was aware of the body seal problem with the vehicle, but didn't issue a recall. the dealer tried to fix the problem six times with no success. the drivers side door rattled. *jb

We just bought a new 2003 expedition eddie bauer 4x4. the same night we drove it home it started to rain and we noticed a leak at the driver's grab handle. we took it back to the dealer and they replaced the front windshield stating it was not sealed correctly to the car's body. the next night it rained again and there was a puddle of water in the driver's seat. i took it back to the dealership and now they are saying the internal and external metal was not sealed at the left top corner on the driver's side. they are keeping it overnight to see if it's still leaking and will notify me tomorrow. *nlm

2003 expedition has been vibrating since new. purchased in sept 2002 it has been back to the dealer numerous times to no avail. they changed the differential fluids, the tires , worked on the rear changed tire pressures. last time ford factory rep came to sayville ford. said there is a vibration, but an acceptable one. to who i do not know. this vehicle is used as an emergency vehicle. what a lemon. *jb