ON DECEMBER 22, 2007 WHILE TRAVELING WE HEARD A 'POP' IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THEN THE SOUND AN SMELL OF EXHAUST ESCAPING THE ENGINE. WHEN TAKEN TO BOB TOMAS FORD IN MCKINNEY TEXAS I WAS TOLD THE THE #3 SPARL PLUG HAD BEEN EJECTED FROM THE ENGINE HEAD WHICH HAD STRIPPED THE THREADS. I WAS THEN TOLD THAT THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING PROBLEM BUT THAT FORD HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL AND WAS NOT PROVIDING ANY FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO WERE NO LONGER COVERED BY A WARRANTY. MY VEHICLE HAD 97,433 MILES WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURRED. THE TOTAL REPAIR BILL WAS $3375.20 TO REPLACE THE RIGHT HEAD. I REQUESTED ASSISTANCE FROM FORD AFTER POINTING OUT THAT THE MAINTANCE SCHEDULE THAT CAME WITH THE VEHICLE DID NOT REQUIRE A CHECK OF THE SPARK PLUGS UNTIL THE VEHICLE HAD REACHED 100,000 MILES. FORD STATED THEY WOULD NOT ASSIST IN ANY WAY.*CN
2000
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WE RECENTLY HAD A SNOW STORM IN OUR AREA. AFTER THE STORM OUR EXPEDITION STARTED HAVING PROBLEMS. THE FIRST PROBLEM TO OCCUR WAS THE FRONT BLOWER MOTOR FOR THE CLIMATE CONTROL WOULD TURN ON HIGH WHEN THE IGNITION WAS TURNED TO THE OFF POSITION. I STARTED RESEARCHING THIS PROBLEM AND STARTED FINDING MANY SIMILAR STORIES ON THE INTERNET. THE NEXT DAY MANY OTHER PROBLEMS POPPED UP SEVERAL DASH LIGHT WERE FLASHING ON AND OFF, WHEN THIS WAS HAPPENING YOU COULD HERE RELAYS UNDER THE DASH CLICKING ON AND OFF. WHEN THE TRUCK WAS HAVING ITS EPISODE OF FLASHING LIGHTS I FOUND THAT MY WINDOW CONTROLS AND WINDSHIELD WIPERS ALSO DID NOT WORK. I PARKED THE CAR AND TURNED IT OFF THAT DAY AND IT HAD ONE MORE SURPRISE FOR ME. WHEN THE LIGHT SWITCH WAS TURNED TO THE AUTOMATIC DAY TIME RUNNING LIGHTS AND THE KEY WAS OFF YOU COULD HERE RELAYS UNDER THE DASH OPENING AND CLOSING AT A FAST RATE. I TURNED THE SWITCH TO OFF AND IT STOPPED. I TALKED TO MY STEPFATHER WHO IS A MECHANIC. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAS SEEN THIS BEFORE HE SAID IT PROBABLY WAS MY GEM MODULE, HE SAID THAT THIS TYPE OF VEHICLE IS PRONE TO THESE MODULES MALFUNCTIONING. I DID MORE RESEARCH ON LINE AND FOUND THAT A INVESTIGATION WAS DONE ON THIS ISSUE BY NHTSA THE ACTION NUMBER WAS EA05015 IT WAS CONDUCTED IN 2005. FROM THE LOOKS OF IT THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM FOR A LONG TIME THAT HAS AFFECTED MANY PEOPLE BUT STILL NO ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. THIS IS ONE OF TWO PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS OTHERWISE GOOD VEHICLE WHICH IS MAKING IT AN UNRELIABLE AND UNSAFE VEHICLE. HOW CAN I FEEL SAFE LETTING MY FAMILY DRIVE AROUND IN THIS VEHICLE WHEN IT RAINS OR SNOWS WHICH IS FOR THE MOST PART ALL THE TIME IN WASHINGTON? IN CONCLUSION I HOPE THIS IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY AND WILL HAVE SOME KIND OF IMPACT ON GETTING THIS PROBLEM SOLVED NOT JUST FOR ME BUT FOR ALL THE OWNERS OF THIS VEHICLE WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. *TR
