2003 Ford Expedition Fuel System Problems

Fuel leaking from emissions vents on fuel tank. Non reparable part.

THIS SUV STALLED ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC. IT WAS CAUSED BY A FAULT IN THE FUEL PUMP OR FUEL PUMP RELAY. PLEASE RECALL THIS VEHICLE.

FUEL TANK CRACK AND LEAKS

TAKE A LOOK: HTTP://SPARKYS-ANSWERS.COM/2011/03/2003-FORD-EXPEDITION-NO-RUN-NO-FUEL.HTML MY FATHER'S CAR IS REGISTERING A P0231 CODE. MY MECHANIC WAS THINKING IT WAS THE CHARGING SYSTEM. (NO CODE WAS REGISTERED FOR A PERIOD OF 2 MONTHS.) TODAY, IT PULLED A P0231 CODE. MUCH TO MY SURPRISE THERE SEEMS TO BE FACTUAL THINGS DOCUMENTED ALL OVER THE INTERNET. I AM TAKING THE CAR TO CHEROKEE AUTO TECH. VINCENT NGUYEN IS A REGISTER SAE TECH WITH A MECHANICAL ENGINERING DEGREE. HE ALSO DISCOVERED THE IGNITION CYLINDER ON MY 2003 PONTIAC GRAND AM BEFORE IT WAS AN ISSUE... THIS CAR IS NOT ANY DIFFERENT. DURING HIGH PERIODS OF DRIVING, THE SOLDER "HEATS UP" AND STALLS THE GAS. WHEN THE CAR COOLS OFF, THE SOLDER SOLIDIFIES AND CURRENT CAPACITY TO THE FUEL PUMP RESUMES... THE FUSE IS NOT PROTECTING THE TRACE. YOU HAVE COMPLAINTS ON YOUR WEBSITE ON THIS MODEL ALSO. EVEN YOUTUBE VIDEOS.... HTTPS://WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=1BRGVBETKEK IF IT IS TRUE WITH MY MODEL, I WILL GIVE YOU FACTUAL EVIDENCE THAT YOU NEED.

I WAS HAVING PROBLEM MY CAR OF IT LOSING POWER UNTIL ONE DAY IT JUST LOST POWER COMPLETELY AT A STOP LIGHT I WAS LUCKY I WAS WAITING FOR THE LIGHT TO TURN GREEN SO I QUICKLY PUT ON MY EMERGENCY BLINKERS AND I WAS LUCKILY NO ONE HIT ME FROM BEHIND THIS WAS AROUND 8:30 P.M. MY CAR HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE MECHANIC WELL IT WAS AT THE MECHANIC I WENT AHEAD AND GOOGLE WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY CAR AND I CAME ACROSS A WHOLE BUNCH OF COMPLAINTS FROM THE CARS DOING THE SAME THING MY CAR WAS DOING BUT I FOUND OUT A LOT OF PEOPLE ENDED UP WASTING A LOT OF MONEY TO FIGURE OUT AT THE END WHAT THE PROBLEM WAS IF YOU'RE TRAVELING ON THE FREEWAY AND THIS HAPPENS YOU CAN BE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE I THINK THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL AND INVESTIGATE ON THIS PART

THE TRUCK JUST QUITS LIKE RUNNING OUT OF GAS STALL NO STEERING NOW BRAKING VERY UNSAFE IT IS BECAUSE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS BUILT INTO THE FUSE JUNCTION BOX NOT SERVICEABLE AND IF YOU HAVE A MOON ROOF THE DRAIN RUNS DOWN THAT SIDE THE WATER DRIPS ON FUSE BOX SHORTS OUT THE RELAY AND OFF YOUR TRUCK GOES THEY ONLY DID IT 2 YEARS AND THEY OBVIOUSLY NOW ABOUT IT AND CHANGED IT AND THE NEW PART DIFFERENT NUMBER

WHEN DRIVING ON I-10 WEST AT 65 MPH MY FORD EXPEDITION SHUT DOWN FOR NO APPARENT REASON. I WAS IN THE FAR LEFT LANE AND DON'T LIKE TO PARK IN THE INTERIOR LANES SO I PLACED MY HAZARDS ON AND DRIFTED TO THE FAR RIGHT LANE. IT WAS HARD TO DO BECAUSE WHEN MY VEHICLE WENT DEAD THE PWR STEERING AND BRAKES BECAME HARD TO USE. ONCE I GOT TO A SAFE AREA, I TRIED TO START MY VEHICLE AGAIN.....WITHOUT SUCCESS. I CONTACTED MY INSURANCE COMPANY FOR ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE AND THEY PICKED MY VEHICLE UP AND TOWED IT TO MY RESIDENCE. THE NEXT DAY I STARTED THE VEHICLE AND WENT TO A DOCTORS APPT. ON THE WAY BACK FROM THE APPOINTMENT I WAS IN THE LEFT TURNING LANE AND THE VEHICLE DIED AGAIN. THIS TIME I HAD SOMEONE BEHIND ME THAT ALMOST REAR ENDED ME. AT THIS TIME I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP (SHAMALEY FORD). THEY INDICATED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS DEFECTIVE. I RETRIEVED MY VEHICLE AND REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP. WHEN DRIVING TO ENSURE THAT MY VEHICLE WAS OPERATIONAL IT DIED AGAIN ON ME IN THE MIDDLE OF A ONE LANE STREET WHICH NEARLY CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. SOMEONE HELPED ME PUSH MY VEHICLE AROUND THE CORNER SO THAT TRAFFIC COULD PROCEED. I WAITED ABOUT 10 MINUTES AND TRIED TO START ME VEHICLE AND IT STARTED. I HURRIED AND PLACED IT IN MY PARKING SPACE. AS I HAVE READ, THIS IS A RECURRING ISSUE WITH FORD EXPEDITIONS AND LUCKILY THIS HASN'T CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT OR RESULTED IN DEATH. I DID NOT STATE THIS BUT I CONNECTED MY CODE READER AND THERE WAS NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING WRONG. AS STATED PREVIOUSLY, I TOOK MY CAR TO THE DEALER AND THEY MISDIAGNOSED THE PROBLEM. COULD YOU ADDRESS THE ISSUE? *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS UNDERGOING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE MEDAL STRAP WAS MISSING THAT SECURES THE FUEL TANK. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE MISSING PART WAS NO LONGER MANUFACTURED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,000.

THE ENGINE WOULD RANDOMLY SHUT OFF WITH NO WARNING. SOMETIMES THE ENGINE WOULD SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING, OTHER TIMES WOULD SHUT OFF AT A STOP LIGHT. THE ISSUE HAPPENED 10 TIMES OVER A 3 DAY PERIOD. I WAS LUCKY TO NOT CRASH AS THE ENGINE DIED ONCE WHILE MAKING A TURN ON A BUSY ROAD. ONCE IT DIED, SO DID THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES - VERY SCARY. THERE WERE NO ENGINE CODES THAT CAME UP AND NO INDICATION ANYTHING WAS WRONG, THE ENGINE WOULD SIMPLY SHUT OFF. WHILE DIAGNOSING THE ISSUE I DID SOME INTERNET RESEARCH THAT INDICATED IT COULD BE THE FUEL PUMP RELAY ISSUE. THE FUEL PUMP RELAY IS A NON-SERVICEABLE RELAY THAT IS SOLDERED TO THE MAIN FUSE BOX CIRCUIT BOARD. I REMOVED THE FUSE BOX AND DISASSEMBLED IT REVEALING THE FUEL PUMP RELAY WAS GETTING HOT AND HAD MELTED THE SOLDER ON THE BOARD. WHEN THE RELAY COOLED, THE SOLDER MADE CONTACT AND THE ENGINE WOULD START RIGHT UP. WHEN DRIVING THE SOLDER WOULD WARM UP AND BREAK CONTACT. THIS WOULD SHUT THE FUEL PUMP OFF AND THE ENGINE WOULD DIE. THERE ARE REPORTS OF THIS ALL OVER THE INTERNET. THE ONLY REPAIR FOR THIS ITEM WAS TO REPLACE THE MAIN CIRCUIT BOARD AS THE RELAY CANNOT BE REPLACED WITHOUT SOLDERING TO THE CIRCUIT BOARD. ONCE THE FUSE BOX WAS REPLACED, THE ISSUE WAS RESOLVED. I BELIEVE THIS COULD POTENTIALLY BE A HUGE PROBLEM AND COULD LEAD TO SERIOUS ACCIDENTS. I HAVE READ THIS PROBLEM AFFECTS NUMEROUS YEARS OF THE FORD EXPEDITION. *TR

THE CAR WAS RUNNING WELL AND SUDDENLY IT DIE. NO LIGHTS IN DASH BOARD, NO SHAKES, NO ANY PREVIOUS SIGN OF TROUBLE. SIMPLY IT DIE. I PUMPED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AND THE CAR CONTINUE RUNNING. NEXT TIME, FEW DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE CAR DOES THE SAME. THIS TIME DO NOT CONTINUE RUNNING WHEN I PUMP GAS. I HAVE TO PUT IN NEUTRAL AND START IT AGAIN. IT START AT ONCE. COULD BE MORE THAN TWO WEEKS WITHOUT SIGNAL OF PROBLEM AND THEN, IT HAPPEN AGAIN. SOME OTHER TIME, IT HAPPEN 4 OR 5 TIMES IN A HALF HOUR TRIP. *TR

WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS AND DID NOT GET ANY RESPONSE. IN A FEW SECONDS I PUSHED ON THE GAS AGAIN AND NOTHING. I STARTED TO PULL OVER AND PUSHED ON THE GAS AGAIN AND THE CAR HAD POWER. THE SAME THING HAPPENED 25 MINUTES LATER GETTING BACK ONTO THE FREEWAY. NEXT INCIDENT WAS STARTING FROM A STOP LIGHT THE CAR JUST DIED. NO WARNING. ENGINE LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT AND SERVICE NOW LIGHTS COME ON. AGAIN I PULLED OVER PUT THE CAR IN PARK AND IT STARTED BACK UP. WE HAD THE COILS AND PLUGS CHANGED. NEXT TIME DRIVING AT 35 MPH OUT OF THE BLUE NO POWER TO THE GAS AND THE CAR SHUTS DOWN. CHANGED A RELAY. TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP WHO CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. WE CHANGED THE BATTERY NEXT TIME I AM COMING TO A STOP AND THE CAR STOPS. NO BATTERY LIGHT, NO SERVICE LIGHT NOTHING. AGAIN I PULL OVER AND IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO GET THE CAR STARTED AGAIN. TOOK IT BACK INTO FORD. THIS TIME I GAVE THEM A THREAD OF EMAIL ABOUT OTHERS HAVING THE SAME ISSUE. NOW THEY HAVE CHANGED ANOTHER RELAY AND WE HOPE THIS SOLVES THE PROBLEM. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. FOR A PERSON WHO IS DRIVING 55-66 MPH ON A HIGHWAY OR FREEWAY AND THEIR CAR DIES IS A BIG ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. I DID EMAIL FORD BUT SO FAR HAVE BEEN TOLD TO TALK TO THE SERVICE PERSON. *TR

WHY IS THERE NO WARNING LIGHT,OR SIGNAL OF ANY KIND WHEN THE PCM FAILS? OUR PCM FAILED, WHICH CAUSED OUR CATALYTIC CONVERTERS, 02 SENSORS, & FUEL PUMP TO FAIL. OUR IGNITION COILS HAD TO BE REPLACED. WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE IF A WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THE DASH. THIS HAS CAUSED OUR EXPEDITION ENGINE TO RANDOMLY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING COUNTLESS TIMES! I HAVE MIRACULOUSLY BEEN ABLE TO MANEUVER MY EXPEDITION TO THE SIDE OF THE FREEWAY &HAVE IT TOWED EIGHT TIMES WITHOUT KILLING MYSELF, MY FAMILY OR ANY ONE ELSE! WE HAVE HAD ODD ELECTRICAL AND PERFORMANCE PROBLEMS SINCE AUGUST OF 2002 WHEN WE PURCHASED IT. NOT ONE FORD MECHANIC (3 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS) COULD EVER DIAGNOSE OR REPAIR ISSUES. BECAUSE THERE IS NO WARNING LIGHT/CODE WHEN THE PCM IS OUT, THE DAMAGE SNOWBALLS. THERE ARE NO COMPUTER CODES, OR WARNING LIGHTS TO SHOW UP ON THE DASH BOARD WHEN THE PCM IS OUT, WHICH BEFUDDLES THE MECHANICS. WE ARE LITERALLY $5,000 IN THE HOLE SO FAR! FORD DEALERSHIP "REPAIRED" OUR EXPEDITION BY REPLACING THE PCM ($1,300.00). 48 HOURS AFTER THEY REPLACED THE PCM, AND 18 MILES AFTER WE DROVE EXPEDITION OFF THE FORD LOT, THE "SERVICE ENGINE SOON" LIGHT CAME UP ON THE DASHBOARD -FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! WE DROVE BACK TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP, AND HE SAID FOR $3,400 PLUS TAX HE COULD REPLACE OUR NEW CATALYTIC CONVERTERS IN "BANK ONE" THAT WERE DESTROYED AGAIN, & THE "BANK TWO" CONVERTERS WHICH ARE NOW VERY WEAK, NOT UP TO SPEC. THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOTOR THAT HAS BEEN FICKLE SINCE AUG OF 2002, STOPPED WORKING WHEN WE WENT TO PICK IT UP, SO I CAN'T DRIVE IT, BECAUSE I CAN'T REACH THE GAS OR BRAKE PEDALS. $800 WILL FIX THAT, FORD SAYS. IF YOU GOOGLE "2003 FORD EXPEDITION EDDIE BAUER ENGINE SHUTS OFF RANDOMLY", THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ARE REPORTING THE SAME ISSUES. UNTIL SOMEONE CRASHES AND DIES, I DON'T THINK FORD CARES. THE CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE HAD ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOTOR STOPPED WORKING WHILE BEING SERVICED AT THE DEALER, THERE WERE PROBLEMS WITH THE WINDOWS AS WELL. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE THE FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AGAIN. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 220,000.

2003 FORD EXPEDITION SPARK PLUG BLOW OUT FROM CYLINDER. DRIVING MY CAR FROM PORTLAND TO SEATTLE, HEAR A BANG. PULLED OVER TO FIND THE IGNITION COIL BLOWN OUT OF ITS POSITION. HAD CAR TOWED FOR $100 TO LOCAL SHOP. THEY SAID "THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST COMMON PROBLEMS IN ANY FORD (THEY) SEE" WHAT HAPPENED WAS THE SPARK PLUG CAME LOOSE (AFTER HAVING THE DEALER TIGHTEN IT LESS THAN A YEAR AGO) AND BLEW OUT THE IGNITION COIL. COST ME $100 IN TOWING AND $700 IN SHOP REPAIRS AND THERE IS NO GUARANTEE THAT MORE DAMAGE WAS NOT DONE TO THE CYLINDER. DEALER IN PORTLAND REPORTED A "CLEAN INSPECTION". ONLY HAD OIL CHANGED BETWEEN. *TR

1. EVENT: GASOLINE LEAKING ONTO PAVEMENT. 2. FORD DEALER INSPECTED AND FOUND A CRACK IN THE FILLER NECK ON TOP OF THE GASOLINE TANK. I, NOR A FOREIGN OBJECT, HAVE ACCESS TO THIS AREA. TANK WILL LEAK GAS ONTO PAVEMENT CONTINUOUSLY UNTIL BELOW CRACK LEVEL. IF AN IGNITER SUCH AS A CIGARETTE OR MATCH OR SPARK IS NEAR THE FLAME, A FIRE WILL START ON GROUND UNDER THE GAS TANK LEADING TO THE GAS TANK COATED WITH GAS RESULTING IN A VEHICLE FIRE OR EXPLOSION. 3. FORD DEALER ESTIMATED REPLACEMENT COST AT $1,350. FORD DEALER STATED THIS IS NOT A RECALL ITEM AND WOULD NOT DISCUSS THE FACT THAT THIS MIGHT BE A DEFECT IN THE INJECTION MOLDED GASOLINE TANK. I THEN CONTACTED FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER CARE. FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER CARE WOULD NOT GIVE ME THE NAME OF THE LOCAL FORD MOTOR COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE (REGIONAL MANAGER), A SUPERIOR CUSTOMER CARE REP TO TAKE MY CONCERN TO A HIGHER LEVEL AND DISMISSED MY CONCERN THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY DEFECT ISSUE. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT THERE WAS NO FURTHER RECOURSE AND THERE WAS NOTHING ELSE FORD MOTOR COMPANY OR MY FORD DEALER COULD DO FOR MY SITUATION. THEREFORE, I HAVE NO FURTHER RECOURSE EXCEPT TO SUBMIT MY COMPLAINT. I CANNOT AFFORD A REPLACEMENT GAS TANK (TANK IS STILL INSTALLED ON MY VEHICLE). *TR

I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 12 WEST. AS I TURNED ONTO A ROAD, I NOTICED SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER MY HOOD. MY 8-YEAR-OLD SAID, " WHAT IS THAT SMELL?" I TOLD HER THAT IT IS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, I TURNED THE TRUCK AROUND AND WENT TO THE NEAREST QUICK STORE. THE MAN INSIDE LOOKED UNDER MY HOOD AND USED WATER TO PUT ON THE "HOOD BLANKET". THERE WAS A HOLE IN IT ABOVE THE BRAKE FLUID RESERVOIR. THE MAN KEPT PUTTING WATER ON IT UNTIL IT STOPPED SMOKING. AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME, HE TOLD ME THAT ME AND LITTLE GIRL WERE LUCKY. I KNEW THAT IT COULD HAVE GOTTEN WORSE. IT WAS COLD AND IF I WERE NOT CLOSE TO THE STORE I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE STAYED IN THE VEHICLE TO STAY WARM. I AM SO GLAD THAT I TURNED AROUND AND TOOK A CHANCE ON GETTING TO THE NEAREST STORE. MY INSURANCE AGENT WILL BE COMING MONDAY (TODAY IS SATURDAY) TO ASSESS THE DAMAGES AND DETERMINE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE. *TR

I OWN A 2003 FORD EXPEDITION 5.4 L , V8 . WE WERE ON OUR WAY TO CHURCH THIS MORNING AND HEARD A LOUD POP COMING FROM THE ENGINE, I PULLED OVER AND DROVE BACK TO THE HOUSE WHICH IS TWO BLOCKS AWAY. I CHECKED TO SEE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AND FOUND OUT THAT MY VEHICLE SPIT OUT ONE OF MY SPARK PLUG AND BROKE THE COIL. NOTICED GAS WAS COMING OUT OF THE HOLE THE PLUG SHOULD BE. I CHECKED THE WEB TODAY AND THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF COMPLAINTS FROM DIFFERENT SITES ABOUT THIS SAME ISSUE. THIS IS A SERIOUS MATTER THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESS, I HOPE YOU GUYS WILL ADDRESS THIS MATTER BEFORE SOMEONE GET HURT OR EVEN DIE DUE TO THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. *TR

CAR WOULD NOT START ON FIRST ATTEMPT. FORD DEALER (TED RUSSELL KINGSTON PIKE) SAID DEFECTIVE BATTERY WHICH WAS REPLACED. PROBLEM STILL PERSISTED. FORD DEALER (TED RUSSELL KINGSTON PIKE) THEN SAID IT WAS A DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP. WENT TO PEP BOYS KINGSTON PIKE - THEY DIAGNOSED DEFECTIVE FUEL PUMP REGULATOR. WENT TO DIFFERENT CAR DEALER LOCATION (TED RUSSELL PARKSIDE DRIVE) - THEY OBSERVED LEAK OF FUEL FROM FUEL RAIL ONTO EXHAUST MANIFOLD. REQUESTED THAT THEY HOLD PART FOR ME AFTER REPLACEMENT. *TR

FUEL PUMP COULD NOT MAINTAIN PROPER FUEL PRESSURE. WHEN IT WAS REPLACED, DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPT. DISCOVERED NECK ON FUEL TANK WAS WARPED WHERE FUEL PUMP CONNECTS TO FUEL TANK. EVIDENCE OF FUEL LEAK DUE TO THIS PROBLEM WAS DISCOVERED. *NM

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