Takata recall: the spark plugs have blown out of the engine block. They have been repaired 3 times. Each time, it smells of an electrical line is burning, the instrument cluster goes erratic and they zeros out and doesn't move. This has happened while driving on city and highways.
1998 Ford Expedition engine problems
144 complaints (17% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 115,000.
- owner complaints
- 144
- of this car's complaints
- 17%
- typical mileage
- 115,000
- crashes
- 0
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Engine58
- Engine: gasoline29
- Cooling system5
- Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe3
- Exhaust system: emission control2
- Exhaust system2
- Engine: gasoline: belts and associated pulleys1
- Cooling system: hoses/lines/piping/fittings1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Ford Expedition engine problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 1998 Ford Expedition engine
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Stalling 18Engine failure 9Loss of power 9Won't start 9Knocking 8Check engine light 7Overheating 6
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Related investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On september 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or ejected from the engine.as of december 8, 2005, odi is not aware of any allegations where the alleged defect resulted in a loss of vehicle control, a crash, an injury, or a fatality in any of the 10,319,810 subject vehicles.in addition, odi is aware of only two incidents where the vehicle stalled without restart.information contained in the odi consumer complaints and obtained from 72 telephone interviews with complainants showed the following:(1) 99% of the complaints were on my 1997 to 2002 subject vehicles.(2) most the complainants reported hearing a loud pop while driving or upon starting up the vehicle followed by a loud, repetitive clicking or popping sound.(3) many of the complainants reported that the popping sound was accompanied by some loss of vehicle power; however, in 99% of the incidents reported, the vehicle did not stall.in the very few incidents where the vehicle did stall, most vehicles could be restarted.(4) only a small percentage of the complainants cited that they smelled gas or a slight burning smell when the incident occurred.(5) in all but a very few incidents, vehicle damage was limited to the engine.in one incident, the complaint reported that the fuel rail was damaged and replaced after one of the spark plugs ejected from the engine; however, the complainant reported that the damage did not result in any type of fuel leak or fire.in another incident, the only incident where a fire was alleged, the complainant reported that no fluid leak was observed, but that a fire resulted after the spark plug had ejected from the engine and he had restarted the vehicle and driven to another location.none of the complainants reported any damage to the vehicle hood.(6) only two complainants reported that they observed what appeared to be some drops of fuel coming from the cylinder where the spark plug had failed or on the spark plug itself; however, each of these complainants reported that there was no smoke or flames as a result of his incident.as the petitioner noted, and odi?s analysis showed, it is possible for a spark plug to detach from the engine cylinder threads in the subject vehicles.however, odi?s analysis of 474 complaints describing such incidents found only a very few alleged any safety-related consequences.none of these showed any evidence of a serious safety consequence.given the large population and relatively long exposure time of the subject vehicles, the complaint analysis indicates that the risk to motor vehicle safety from the alleged defect is very low.in view of the foregoing, it is unlikely that the federal safety agency would issue an order for the notification and remedy of the alleged defect at the conclusion of the investigation requested in the petition.therefore, in view of the need to allocate and prioritize the federal safety agency?s limited resources to best accomplish the agency?s safety mission, the petition is denied.
DP05005
What 1998 Ford Expedition owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
5.4l gas engine. Spark plugs have blown out of 2 different cylinders in 2 months. I have found only that this is a known issue for several models with this engine including the f-150. Ford had done nothing to address this faulty engine design. Both times my plugs blew out I was accelerating from a stop while turning left.
(takata recall) I have purchased my truck from a legal car dealership in reno nv had 135000 miles wen bought ive had to replace fuel pump had to buy different rims/tires due to wear of stock rims .. Exhaust problems replaced fuel injector. . Wear of thing causing water damage when raining outside. Spark plug ejected from engine was in motion 45 MPH stationary moving problems also n wen turning.
I have a ford 1998 expedition, eddie bauer edition. It has a 5.4 liter engine with aluminum heads. Three times I've had a helicoil blown out leaving me stranded. Now a spark plug has blown out breaking two coils. Ford has made this vehicle for years with this engine. All with the same problems of components blowing out of the engine. I feel it is ford's responsibility to start a recall and fix this defect.
#2 spark plug blew out of 5.4l 2 v v8. Was on highway at time. Had to immediately pull over and disconnect fuel and spark for that cylinder. Was over 100km from home, couldnt afford to tow veicle so I had to drive it the remainder of the distance home. Inspected today, there is no threads left. Now need to drill and tap head, install helicoil/timesert and hope for the best.
Went to store, came out battery dead, car wouldn't start. Had not left lights or any accessories on. Got a jump, drove to auto parts store. They checked alternator and battery and said battery dead, needed an overnight charge. Let them charge battery, put back in car, horn started blowing and would not stop despite my using both the key and key fob. Horn blew for 5 hours before I found out how to disconnect from google. Got horn to stop, and car wouldn't start. Ford dealer said anti-theft system had to be reprogrammed at cost of $250 plus tow to dealer. I never armed the system and it should not have shut my truck down and prevented me from driving it. I don't have $250 and then I found out the repair is only $100 at most. But this according to my dealer happens to any ford anytime the battery goes dead and is replaced, anti-theft system is making people pay $250 to ford to reprogram what should not have to be reprogrammed. Please help me. Thank you. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
Tl* the contact owned a 1998 ford expedition. While the vehicle was parked, the engine caught fire. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. The vehicle was deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. A police report was not filed. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
While I was diving around 35 MPH to 45 MPH a horrible violent shake starts to occur. And is very difficult to accelerate especially once you hit the freeway very unsafe to drive at such speeds. It starts with a violent shake with loud noises coming from the exhaust. It has blown 2 coils already.
Blew a spark plug, stripped the threads right out of the aluminum heads (horrible design). Not an issue for newer vehicles until they reach 140-190,000 miles, and now I see online that it is a huge issue for thousands of owners of the 4.6 & 5.4l engines. Breaching the heads exposes fuel to the spark and could create dangerous fires. The fixes are either temporary or very costly, this shoddy design should be corrected by ford now that all of these vehicles are reaching higher mileages and still on the road. For ford to save a few bucks by using aluminum heads is not worth the safety of thousands of loyal customers who have always stood by ford. My confidence is definitely shaken by their willingness to compromise quality and safety for profit.
I have a 1998 ford expedition the spark plugs number 3 and 4 keep going out I have done everything I can own my budget to try and fix but the problem keep happen. I smell gas and see smoke this is the only vehicle I have to get me and my daughter around I need this problem fix permanently don't wont nothing to happen to me and my kid as far as truck fire or gas fumes. So please can you get with ford to fix before something bad happens to us.thank you.
Questions about the 1998 Ford Expedition engine
Does the 1998 Ford Expedition have engine problems?
Owners have filed 144 complaints about the engine of the 1998 Ford Expedition, 17% of all its complaints, more than any other problem.
At what mileage do 1998 Ford Expedition engine problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 115,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 1998 Ford Expedition engine?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Ford Expedition have bad engine?
The Ford Expedition model years with the most engine complaints are 1999 (274 complaints), 2003 (171 complaints) and 2006 (162 complaints).
Other 1998 Ford Expedition problems
Suspension 144Electrical 115Acceleration 78Transmission 71Visibility 61Brakes 57Steering 52Tires 41Wheels 37Fuel system 28Lights 26Body 25Seat belts 25Airbags 20Locks 9Seats 8
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