general problems of the 1998 Ford Expedition

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.

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.

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. Cassandra watson-kevianne.

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.

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.

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 dont 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.

Ford Expedition caught fire while parked at walmart store, it started at driver side on engine and it took a few minutes to burn whole SUV.

I have the 5. 4 triton v8 engine. I just had my 3rd spark plug blow out in the last year. They need to recall these heads. Luckily it hasn't resulted in an engine fire like it has for others.

While driving down the road, my 98 Ford Expedition spark plug blew out and caused a small fire in the engine compartment.

Spark plug keeps coming out and if you don't stop and pull over immediately it can cause a fire due to ges coming out of the hole and getting on a hot engine.

Driving down the road in our town and #3 spark plug blew out of cylinder head, had to be trailered to a Ford mechanic to fix the problem - new spark plug, coil and cylinder head work - and I found out this a very common problem with the 5. 4 triton motor!!.

The sparks plugs burnt out they were ruined and I just had a tune up.

Coil and spark plug blow out of engine when truck was started (1998). The Expedition has been known to have this issues as well as other issues. Why is Ford not taking responsibility; so far accident avoided. I had to replace one coil pack each year so far but this was the worse. I needed the cinder retreaded to fit the spark plug in.

Spark plug blew out while driving on highway -- very dangerous. Had children in car. Had to be towed. My mechanic told me this is a recurring problem with this engine--5. 4l-- in other Fords as well. He had another Ford with same problem come in the previous week, and has seen several others recently (this is just one small town/rural mechanic). Please take action -- it's a costly repair.

April 2011 Ford 5. 4 liter triton blew out yet another spark plug.

I was driving @ 70mph down interstate 10 in seguine texas when the sparkplug on my 1998 Ford Expedition blew out of the head, destroying the coil, plug and wire. The vehicle interior filled with gas fumes and the vehicle started to knock very loudly. I was able to stop the vehicle prior to the fuel vapors igniting, however this was extremely dangerous as my wife and children were in the vehicle with me. After researching I have found that this problem is common with the Ford 5. 4 triton engines. The mechanic I took the vehicle to explained that the aluminum heads do not mesh with the steel spark plugs and eventually tear all the threads out of the head and shoot the plug out of the hole. The head of the vehicle had to be removed and machined at a cost of 1400$.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the spark plugs blew out of the engine while traveling 65 mph; the contact smelled something burning under the hood. In March of 2009 one spark plug blew out, but in August of 2010 2 additional spark plugs blew out. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed the failure. The failure mileage was 150000 and current mileage was 160000.

Driving our 1998 Ford Expedition with a triton 5. 4l v-8 home from a weekend camping trip, the engine blew a spark plug. We were on a very busy 5 lane highway with our three children under 6 years old. We spent nearly two hours on the side of the interstate waiting for a tow truck. I understand this is a fairly common malady; one in which the NHTSA has investigated before. I understand that many outside Ford motor corp feel this is a design flaw and creates unnecessary emergency events on the side of the road.

1998 Ford Expedition with 5. 4 l engine. #3 spark plug blew out of engine suddenly, causing severe noise, rough running, and loss of power. Mileage: 113,000 miles. Repair: $400 for retaping head, placing insert, replacing plug and coil.

My 1998 Ford Expedition has blown out two spark plugs in the past 4 months. After doing research this is a common problem which Ford does not repair on their warranty. Ford needs to be held responsible for their mistake!.

The engine in my 1998 Ford Expedition continues to have spark plug problems. The engine misfires, runs poorly, and is a hazard to have on the road. I have had several spark plugs blow out and have had to spend $4000 to have one of the heads replaced because Ford did not include enough threads in their original design. They later changed the design in 2003 I am told. . Read more...

Ford exp eddie b. Blew out #3 spark plug. Striped the threads in the head. Cost is about 2 grand to repair and correct the 7 other plug holes to ensure it does not happen to others.

The contact owns a 1998 Ford Expedition. When the vehicle was started, the spark plugs literally shot out and burned a whole right through the engine. She has not taken the vehicle to the dealer, but the manufacturer sells a toolkit to repair the failure. The contact believes that a recall should be available. The current and failure mileages were 127,000.

Vehicle caught fire while parked in the driveway. Owner contacted the fire department. Owner says that there was no modifications made to the engine. Vehicle was perfectly fine prior to the fire. Provide further details.

I own a 1998 Ford Expedition with a 5. 4l v8 engine. I have it serviced at diers Ford in fremont, ne. The vehicle had been driven 2 hours at normal highway speeds when a loud pop was heard followed by rough engine operation. Upon inspection, one of the spark plugs had blown out of the passenger side cylinder head stripping the threads out of the head as it went. Upon towing the vehicle to my dealer, I was given an estimate of $3,000 to replace the head. I have given the dealer permission to have the head replaced but have been told it will not be until late February until they can even get a head to replace the damaged one. To this point they have let me use a loaner vehicle but have now told me they will no longer provide me one. Thus, I am out of a vehicle for at least 8 weeks.

While parked vehicle caught on fire in the engine compartment.

1998 Ford Expedition sparkplug ejection.

After parking in the driveway, went to a neighbors house, and consumer heard the alarm going off. Rushed to see what was going on . Consumer noticed the vehicle was on fire. The fire completely consumed the vehicle. Also, the house caught on fire. The fire investigators report determined part failure in the engine department. The vehicle was totaled.

1998 Ford Expedition blew spark plug out of the head with just a little over 85,000 miles. I was told by the dealer I bought it from that the factory recommends to replace the head at $2300. 00. And they said this was the only fix. I traded the vehicle in for a huge loss. I only had it for less than a year. Because I found that this is a big problem with Fords and no-one will do anything to stop this problem, I have vowed never to by another Ford and will make as many people aware of this problem as possible. I now own an escalade and have put on over 90,000 miles without any problems, not like the Fords expensive repairs. This happened to me a number of years ago and I didn't know there was a place to enter my gripe besides the Ford motor company, and this was like talking to a wall. My family had bought Fords since the 40's, when my grandfather owned dealerships. He would turn over in his grave to find out that Ford is turning it's back on so many longtime faithful customers.

Consumer states the spark plugs pops out of engine causing the vehicle to lose power. Dealer has been notified.

Engine loses power. Also, oil gauge anf temporature gauge activate.