1998 Ford Expedition Steering Problems

YEARS AGO WHEN PURCHASED THE EXPEDITION I NOTICED THE SHIFT GEAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT. I TRY TO CONTACT THE DEALER AS I HEARD THAT THIS WAS A RECALL; I WAS TOLD THAT THE RECALL IS NOT FOR MY VEHICLE. IT HAS KNOW BEEN A FEW YEARS SINCE I BOUGHT THE TRUCK AND I'M NOW EXPERIENCING WHAT I'VE NOTICED MANY OTHERS WITH AN EXPEDITION WHICH IS TRUCK IS NOT ENGAGING INTO PARKING POSITION AND ROLLS. THIS IS A CONCERN TO ME AS MY DRIVE WAY IS ON A SLIGHT UP HILL. THIS IS AN ENDANGERING TO THE PUBLIC, THE ISSUE HAPPENS UNEXPECTEDLY. I WOULD NOT LIKE TO SEE SOMEONE HURT BECAUSE OF A ROLL BACK OR FORWARD DUE TO WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE A MANUFACTURE DEFECT FROM THE MANY CASES I'VE READ UP ON SO FAR. FORD DEALER NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AS WELL AS THE COIL AND SPARK PLUG WHICH BLOWS OUT OF ENGINE AND AIR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS. THIS VEHICLE HAS COST ME THOUSANDS IN REPAIR,ITS NOT WORTH AND CAN NOT AFFORD THE PRESENT REPAIRS. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. WHEN THE KEY WAS TURNED IN THE IGNITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE GEAR INDICATOR WAS NOT IN PARK AND THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO SHIFT INTO PARK. HE NOTICED A SCREW ON THE FLOOR. THE CONTACT, A MECHANIC, TOOK THE DASHBOARD APART AND NOTICED THAT THE SCREW FELL FROM THE STEERING COLUMN. THE SCREW WAS REPLACED, BUT IT CONTINUED TO FALL OUT. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 97V171000 (POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL). THE PASSENGER SIDE HEADLIGHT WOULD FAIL EVERY THREE MONTHS AND WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 115,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 126,000.

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SIDE OUTER TIE ROD BROKE ON HER VEHICLE AS SHE WAS DRIVING ON THE EXPRESSWAY AT 50-60 MPH. THIS HAPPENED ON 8-30-05. SHE REPORTS HAVING NO PROBLEMS PRIOR TO THIS. THERE WAS NOT AN ACCIDENT. SHE HAD RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD ON 9-04 TO HAVE THE TIE RODS INSPECTED EVERY 15,000 MILES. SHE HAD THE VEHICLE INSPECTED IMMEDIATELY AFTER RECEIVING THE LETTER. THE CAR HAD 90,000 MILES AT THAT TIME. BOTH OUTER TIE RODS WERE REPLACED. *JB *NM

DT: 1998 FORD EXPEDITION. THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED WHILE MAKING A TURN. CONSUMER WILL TAKE VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP TOMORROW. THE POWER STEERING FLUID WAS CHECKED. ALSO, STATED THAT EVERYTHING WAS CHECKED, AND THE VEHICLE WAS VERY WELL MAINTAINED. *AK

DT: THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE 1998 FORD EXPEDITION WAS HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE STEERING AND WAS MAKING A LOUD NOISE. THERE IS A CLANKING SOUND. THE PROBLEM IS INTERMITTENT. WHEN TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL AT A SLOW SPEED ONE CAN HEAR THE NOISE. THE SPEED IS 5 MPH. THE CONSUMER HAD THE VEHICLE IN THE SHOP THREE TIMES OVER THE NOISE PROBLEM. NO ONE CAN FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. THE ONLY THING THAT THEY KNOW IS THAT IS COMING FROM THE FRONT END. THE CONSUMER HAS NOT CONTACTED FORD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM. THE MECHANIC SUGGESTED THAT IT MAY BE THE STEERING COLUMN OR AROUND THAT AREA.*AK

WHILE DRIVING MY 1998 FORD EXPEDITION AT ABOUT A 35 MPH SPEED, ON A SMOOTH DRY PAVED ROAD, A SUDDEN LOAD BANG NOISE WITH TIRE SQUEALING AND A LOSS OF CONTROLL OF THE STEERING OCCURED. INSPECTION OF VEHICLE STEERING REVEALED THE RH INNER TIE ROD JOINT HAD FALLEN APART. THE BALL AND SOCKET OF THE TIE ROD HAD BROKEN AND NO STERRING CONTROLL OF THE RH FRT TIRE RESULTED. NO VEHICLE DAMAGE RESULTED (OTHER THAN THE TIEROD), NO PERSONAL OR PROPERTY DAMAGE OCCURED. FORD HAD SENT ME A LETTER OF CONCERN WITH THE STEERING AND SUSPENSION. IT CONTAINED A BRIEF NOTE ON HOW TO CHECK FOR DEFECTIVE OR WORN PARTS. WHEN I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY INFORMED ME THEIR WOULD BE A CHARGE FOR THE SERVICE. I CHECKED THE VEHICLE MYSELF USING THEIR RECOMENDATION AND NOTICED NO WORN PARTS. I HAVE INFORMED FORD AND THE DEALERSHIP OF THE CONCERN, THEY SAID BRING IT IN TO THE DEALER TO INSPECT. AGAIN THE WANTED $$. I WILL HAVE A PRIVATE GARAGE INSTALL ALL NEW FRONT STEERING PARTS ON MY VEHICLE. I WANTED TO INFORM YOUR DEPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE STEERING COMPONENT FAILIER AND THE SUDDEN LOSS OF CONTROL TO MY VEHICLE WHICH COULD HAVE LEAD TO VERY BAD CRASH.

I HAVE NOTICED A LARGE INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF SWAY WHEN STEERING AT HIGHER SPEEDS. I WENT TO CHANGE MY OIL AND FOUND THAT ONE OF THE LINKAGES FROM THE STABLIZER ARM TO THE AXLES? (SIDES WHERE THE WHEEL IS CONNECTED) HAD SNAPPED AND THE OTHER ONE WAS MISSING. I CONTACTED TWO DIFFERENT FORD DEALERS, ONE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THEY HAD SEEN THAT PROBLEM SEVERAL TIMES AND THE OTHER ONE SAID THEY HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF IT. THEY WANTED $75.00 FOR JUST THE PARTS (LINKAGES), WHICH I PAID CONSIDERING THE SAFETY ISSUE. I AM A MECHANICAL ENGINEER AND WHEN YOU HAVE BOLTS SNAPPING LIKE THAT IT APPEARS TO BE BAD ENGINEERING OR FAULTY PARTS. ALSO WHEN YOU CONSIDER THESE VEHICLES HAVE HAD A ROLLING ISSUE IN THE PAST (ALTHOUGH ATTRIBUTED TO THE TIRES), I THOUGHT THIS WOULD DEFINITLY WARRANT A RECALL INVESTIGATION (THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER DOCUMENTED CASES ON YOUR SITE OF THIS PROBLEM ALSO). I REPLACED THE PARTS: TWO (2) XL3Z-5495AA STUDS, TWO (2) F65Z-5C491-BC NUT & WASHERS, TWO (2) F65Z-5K483-CC LINKS. I HAVE KEPT THE ONE STUD THAT HAD SNAPPED SHOWING THE BREAK. IT DID NOT SNAP ON THE THREADED END.*AK

CONSUMER HEARD A SOUND WHILE STEERING THE VEHICLE. IT WAS A THUMPING SOUND. DEALER STATED THAT IT SOUNDED LIKE TIE ROD FAILURE . DEALER ADVISED CONSUMER THAT TIE ROD WAS DEFECTIVE AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH THE FRONT END TIE ROD BROKE WITHOUT WARNING. AS A RESULT THE DRIVER LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE BUT WAS ABLE TO RECOVER AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FRONT LEFT SIDE OF THE VEHICLE HAD COLLAPSED. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION . *JB

WHILE BACKING OUT OF THE DRIVEWAY LEFT FRONT TIE ROD BROKE. *AK

THE BALLSTUD OF THE DRIVER'S SIDE INNER TIE ROD BROKE APART WHILE DRIVING. THE BALL OF THE BALLSTUD SEPERATED FROM THE SOCKET.

BROKEN TIE ROD. *AK

WHEN STEERING WHEEL IS TILTED TO LOWEST POSITION TURN SIGNALS FAIL TO OPERATE. *AK

WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED, THE DRIVER'S TIRE TURNED OUTWARD, WHICH WAS THE RESULT OF A BROKEN TIE ROD. *JB

THE STEERING STABILIZER BOLTS BROKE. *JB

TIE ROD BROKE WHILE DRIVING OFF HIGHWAY 25-30 MPH, RESULTING IN TIE ROD AND BALL JOINT TO BE REPLACED. *JB

1998 FORD EXPEDITION AFTER REVIEWING ALL THE COMPLAINTS LISTED I REALIZED I HAD EXPERIENCE SIMILAR ONES FOR INSTANCE SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT IN DEC/02. IN AUG./03 THE TIE ROD BROKE. WE HAVE HAD TROUBLE WITH 4X4 WORKING OR IN THIS CASE NOT. WHEN SWITCHED IN WHILE LIFTED ON A HOIST IT REGISTERS, BUT WHEN ON THE GROUND IT DOESN'T WORK. SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE WEIGHT. ALSO THE DOOR LOCKS NO LONGER WORK, SOMETHING TO DO WITH A SENSOR. INTERIOR LIGHT STAYS ON IN HOT WEATHER. AND THE LIST GOES ON. *LA

TIE ROD END ON FRONT LEFT WHEEL HAS DISCONNECTED WHILE DRIVING AT 30-35 MPH. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED AT THIS TIME.*AK CONSUMER STATES THAT THE DRIVER HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE VEHICLE AFTER CROSSING THE RAILROAD TRACKS. *SLC

INTERNAL FAILURE OF COMPONENT NOTED BY KNOCKING NOISE IN STEERING GEAR BOX. ADDITIONAL PLAY IN STEERING NOTED AND OTHER OWNERS HAVE STATED SAME PROBLEM.*AK

BOTH TIE ROD ENDS WERE BROKEN AND REPLACED BY A REPAIR SHOP. DEALER NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK