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
2003 Ford Expedition brakes complaints
Page 2 of 4: complaints 11 to 40 of 87, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the brake pedal dropped to the floorboard as there was a loss of braking capability. The contact stated that the ABS warning light also illuminated and the emergency brakes had to be used in order to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the brake lines were completely rusted and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 110,000.
I previously reported 3 failures of the brake system on this vehicle due to corroded brake lines under the federal safety agency id# 10491754. This past weekend I just had a fourth brake failure due to a corroded brake line in 11 months. This brake line runs along the left front below the engine bay.
Brake line running across the front end of the vehicle ruptured due to rust causing loss of brake fluid and loss of braking. I had a local garage replace the ruptured line and inspect the other lines. I was advised they were all rusted but they did not see a need to replace them at this time. In october 2012 I had another brake line rupture, this time it was a brake line running along the frame rail on the driver's side to the back brakes. This also caused a loss of brake fluid and loss of braking. I had it repaired at a different repair shop. I also had him inspect all other lines and again I was told the other brake lines were rusted but he saw no reason to replace any others at that time. On january 6, 2013 I had another brake line failure near where the brake line failed in october 2012 (the other brake line running parallel) again causing a loss of brake fluid and loss of braking. Both repair facilities informed me this is a common problem. I also went to different repair facility to have maintenance performed when they saw my new brake lines, they asked what happened. When I told them they said, "oh it's a common problem" I can not understand how the federal government allows vehicle manufacturers to make brake lines out of a material so prone to corrosion. There is no other safety device on a vehicle more important than the brakes. What good are the anti-lock brakes you mandate if the brake lines fail?
Driving south on rt 202 in left lane at 35 MPH /a car in right lane changed lanes to the left in front of car in front of me to get to an exit. The car in front of me applied brakes / I pressed brakes hard to avoid rear end collision.. Abs system locked brakes but pedal went to floor. After that brakes felt soft when applied.. Found leak in rusted lines from master cylinder to booster.
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the brake pedal dropped to the floor and the contact experienced a loss of braking capability. The contact stated he crashed into a tree stump and snow on the ground and the vehicle came to a stop. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The approximate failure mileage was 18,535. Updated 3/14/11 *cn it was determined the master cylinder was leaking fluid and ultimately failed. Updated 05/04/11
Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition eddie bauer. Upon starting the vehicle he attempted to shift it out of park and the brake pedal depressed to the floor. The vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer where he was informed the brake lines for the front brakes were rusted through. Those brake lines were repaired. The failure has not recurred since but he examined his vehicle and noticed the brake lines for the rear brakes were very rusty. The vehicle was not taken to be examined and has not been repaired. The failure and current mileages were 58,900. The VIN was unavailable.
Brake lines rusted and leaked causing sudden loss of most braking. I bought this ford new in july of 2003. After the brake failure, the vehicle was towed. I had all brake lines replaced, and still have the piece which leaked. The shop said it is because the brake lines are routed on top of the frame rails, and salt builds up. But I've lived in this area all my life (I'm 66) and had many older or higher mileage vehicles, but never had this happen before. I understand that you are investigating chevy brake line failure, and think you should include fords.
Brakes need to be replaced constantly. Pads wear very fast. Rotors wear easily and need replacement with pads each time. When brought to have rotors turn, was told they are manufactured with very little tolerance and could not be turned even though there was minimal visible wear. Was told they did not "mic" with enough range to tolerate the cut when turning. Rotors should not need replacement with each brake change. Excessive brake dust. Brake dust has eaten away at finish on rims. After last brake repair, front end now has a clicking sound. Brake pedal has always felt spongy. On two occasions with aggressive braking conditions, brakes locked up. Told dealership who said this is normal with the ford braking systems. Additionally, we have had an ongoing problem with the passenger side fog lamp not staying lit and the metal reflector piece in the fog lamps coming loose. We are now having problems with two (front drivers/rear passengers) door electric locks not unlocking or locking the doors.
My 2003 ford expedition had a sudden brake failure while my seventeen year old daughter was driving. Luckily she was not hurt when this incident took place. I found the brake reservoir to be completely empty and refilled it immediately. Then I discovered the real problem. The rear factory brake lines were constantly rubbing against the rear springs of the car , thus wearing a hole in the brake line. This resulted in rapid loss of brake fluid , which also LED to sudden brake failure. This would obviously be a manufacturers defect and I cant imagine why someone at ford didn't see such an obvious problem.
Rotors needing to be replaced at low mileage on ford expedition 2003- or newer and 2004 ford f150's 2003 or newer.
On august 26,2006 took my SUV to dealer to have it checked out because the front end was shaking really bad. Was told that it needed to have front and rear rotors replaced had another dealer check out only need front rotors replaced had them replaced. On sept 8, 2006 took back to dealer because I heard a whinning noise thought it was the power steering fluid low. It checked out okay dealer check it and was informed that the power steering pump was bad had it replace. Picked up my SUV and it was still making the same noise. Was told to drive for two weeks to let air bleed out line and bring back in two weeks call them to let them know that the noise was still there took to dealer. Nothing was done about it. Call the ford customer service line and mailed them a letter about what was going on. They told me to take my SUV to another ford dealer did that was told that the power steering pump was bad that I had put on in aug. And that something was causing them to go bad. The steering rack is the problem. I call the dealer where I've all of my work done on my SUV and talk to the general manager. He was rude and hung up in my face I call back I'm going to take my SUV to them tomorrow oct 27,2006 and see if we can come to terms to get my SUV fix. But I've see many complaints about the same problem that 'm having.
My brakes began to squeal around 50k. This is the first brake servicing required on this vehicle. I was told by a number of mechanics that the front rotors needed to be replaced because they were worn down too much. I was surprised about this and found that this is a very well known and common problem with the 2003 ford expeditions. Apparently, these rotors are not "defective" in material or workmanship otherwise there would be a recall. This is a prime example of poor design and engineering. It is completely ridiculous to expect anyone to believe it is normal to replace brake rotors on each brake pad change. I have bought american made vehicles my entire life. I was always told that the foreign cars were junk and cost a lot of money to maintain. Over the years I have spent much money and time repairing my american made cars. I had bought the cheapest car I could find back in 2000. A hyundai elantra. I have had zero problems. Not a single one. The mileage is over 100k and I haven't even needed to change the brake pads. This car was the absolute cheapest car I could find on the market in 2000. I will take this as an illustration of how poorly the ford line of products are either designed or backed up by the manufacturer.
The brakes on the 2003 expedition isn't designed to hold the heavy weight of the expedition. This cause the brakes to need to be replaced numerous times. Ford needs to recall the brakes and put bigger brake pads in them. I have had to even replace them metal to metal in the front 7 times in 3 years and under 45,000 miles. I even had to replace the master cylinder due to leakage at 45,000 miles. Also due to electronic problems I have had I was unable to lock the SUV and had the alarm sound because of it and windows don't go up and down correctly.
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.
Front brake rotors completely worn down after only 23,000 miles. Seems to be a chronic problem with this year/model.
The rotors have been constantly warping. The rotors were machined at 24985, 35498 and 40520 miles. The dealership told me this will be the last time the rotors can be turned and new rotors will have to be purchased if/when they warped again. Does not seem normal for the rotors to be turned every 5000 to 10000 miles. 8jb
Dt: 2003 ford expedition. The consumer stated the rotors created a huge safety hazard . The brakes were made of hard metal, and the rotors were made of soft metal which wore them down. There were no brake problems prior to finding this defect. The vehicle has 50,000 miles on it, and was taken to dealer for regular maintenance to the brakes. The dealership refused to let the consumer take the vehicle until the rotors were replaced. They had never been turned. The rotors were replaced. The rotors were wore out below specification. This happened a month ago. The consumer contacted ford, and they contacted the dealership. A regional director was to inspect the problem. They did not contact the consumer, he called them, and they told him his claim was denied.
Braking system degredation, all four brake pads and rotors need to be replaced at 27k miles. During the first week of driving the new vehicle I noticed that the braking system performed worse than the 2000 expedition I had just traded in. After explaining this to the dealer, they decided to replace all four brake pads and rotors during the first month of ownership. After a rountine maintanence at 26k miles, I was told that the brake pads had 10% life left and all four rotors needed to be replaced. The rotors were beyond specifications for turning. I returned to the dealer and they explained to me that the warranty will not cover this work and that I would have to pay for the replacement. I am afraid that I may not be able to avoid an accident due to possible total brake failure. The dealer and maker said it's a maintanence issue and I am responsible for it's replacement. I have heard of other people having the same problem with the 2003 expedition and have found several complaints on the internet with the same issue.
2003 ford expedition developed problems with the brake equipment.***no answer required***. *mr the front brake rotors were completely worn down.
We had excessive brake dust and then at 29,000 miles when we would turn right it began squeeking. We took it to the dealer and they stated we needed brake pads (first time changing and they were not even to the metal clip) and that the rotors needed to be replaced because they were wore down below the saftey level. Dealer made many excuses like tire size, rims (they sale exact rims at dealer) and finally stated they did not know. When contacting ford customer care rep stated that it is too soon to change but that the regional manager said it is maintance issue and that we must pay for them. They state that technical bulletin (which they have on pads and rotors) are not recalls so even if they know they have a problem the consumer has to pay the price until they are forced to do an official recall. This is unfair and needs to be changed!!!!!!
Dt: contact states while vehicle was parked and locked with the emergency brake in place there was a popping noise that came from the vehicle, and then vehicle started rolling down the driveway, crashing into another person's home. This information was cited in the police report.
On december 9, 2004, I delivered my 2003 ford expedition to the aspen tire and auto center in castle rock, co for the brake repairs upon completion of the 30,000 mile service at the medved ford dealership in castle rock, co. I had reported to ford that the brakes began squeaking that morning and continued to squeak for several seconds after the brake pedal was released. Ford advised it needed new front brake pads, but I opted to take it elsewhere for the repairs. I immediately dropped the vehicle off at the aspen tire and auto center, 4978 front street, castle rock, co 80104 after medved completed the initial work. When the aspen tire and auto service technicians examined the brake system, they reported to me that both rotors were unevenly worn and warped. Additionally, the left caliper was not releasing properly. I was in the vicinity and was able to inspect the entire brake system in their service center. The aspen tire and auto center brought the right rotor to minimum safety specifications, but was unable to salvage the left rotor. Their technicians cleaned the brake system, which allowed both calipers to perform normally. Both rotors had to be replaced. As a ford owner for the past eight years, I never experienced such a significant and unsafe deterioration of a braking system. If the repairs to the rotors and calipers had not been addressed, the vehicle would not have been able to deliver optimal braking performance, endangering the lives of my family, other motorist, and myself. This vehicle never performed any driving activities that would greatly alter the normal wear on the braking system. It is used primarily as a transport vehicle to and from work, on a relatively even driving surface. There is no justifiable reason why this vehicle experienced these problems with only 33,131 miles. I have spoken to other ford expedition owners who have experienced identical problems with the front brakes on their vehicles.
I bought it with about 21000 miles at around 30000 I replaced the pads at a ford dealer because of the wear and sever brake dust I also had the rotors turned, it now has 53000 miles and I have had to turn the rotors about every 10000 miles because the shaking in the steering wheel gets so bad when braking
2003 ford expedition experiencing problems with the brake equipment. *mr there were significant escalating problems with the brakes including dusting, difficulty stopping particularly from higher speeds and chatter sounds. The problem was said to be due to overheating of the original pads. The problem was so bad that the rotors were welded to the rims. The consumer requested reimbursement.
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!.
While making a stop, the check engine light appeared on the dashboard and remained on. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection numerous times, but the mechanic could not duplicate the problem. While applying the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to stop completely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection, and the mechanic determined that the brake rotors needed to be replaced. *ak when stopping, the motor starts shaking and the vehicle would shut off. When turning the vehicle, it would not respond until attempting 2 or 3 times, then finally a lot of smoke appears. The suspension appeared to be loose and one sensor on the wheels did not respond.
Ford expedition 2003 front brakes and brake system failed. *bf the consumer stated there was visible dusting, difficulty stopping and brake chatter. The consumer was told the problem was due to incredibly high and overheating from the original brake pads, the problem was so bad that the rotors welded to the rims.
While driving 30 MPH, the vehicle vibrated uncontrollably. Suddenly, the vehicle stalled. The driver tried to restart the vehicle and was not able to do so. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic informed the driver that the alternator and battery needed to be replaced. While unlocking the driver's door with the automatic switch both side rear view mirrors would automatically move up and down. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The mechanic replaced both side rear view mirror motors. Please provide further details. *jb consumer adds both side view mirrors motors replaced 2 to 3 more times. The fog light housing replaced, rear light covers replaced due to moisture, heater core switch replaced from dash. Brakes squealing when applied. Transmission slipping and power steering pump winding.
Brakes failed to operate at 30 MPH, causing a front end collision. Upon impact, air bags did not deploy. Consumer will notify manufacturer.
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2003 Ford Expedition?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history