One problem related to brakes failed has been reported for the 1999 Ford Expedition. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Last Thursday my brakes failed due to a rupture in the hydraulic fluid steel tubing. The vehicle is a heavy SUV, and being an active sailor, I use the vehicle to tow boat trailers. We had just hooked up a loaded boat trailer, and as I got back into the car, I noted that the brake pedal went to the floor. We proceeded about 300 yards on a level side road and tested the brakes with the same result. We noted a lot of brake fluid under the car. We had the vehicle towed to newport Ford in middletown, rhode island. They showed me the rupture site, and the rust over the entire system of steel tubing. They indicated that they would have to replace the entire tubing to all four (4)wheels, for a cost of over $700. They also indicated to me that this type of failure is quite common. The dealership handles about 2-3 incidents per month. I asked why the tubing was not copper, and they indicated that many american car manufacturers have switched from copper to steel. We were very fortunate that the failure occurred at the beginning of the trip, for if it had happen going down a major hill in the center of newport, there could have been grave consequences. I have two comments. One is that if this failure is as common as I was told, I would hope there would be a major policy change and a recall. Cars often recalled, for rather minor issues, and I think this is much more serious.