Dash Wiring Problems of Ford Expedition - part 1

This issue was at night while driving the headlight to see at night had turned off at a 35 mph speed no bumps no turn just driving straight. This is a serious issue, you use your lights for night and your are left with no lights, as a result for this huge problem I received a ticket that is how I found out my lights were not working. The headlights fuses, module components, wiring were checked no issues there, as for all other lights example emergency lights, rear lights interior lights are functioning. But as the electrician found the directional switch combo was burned left with a white shadow in one area it was replaced, and now functioning. As for the suspension not functioning properly is this an issue that has not been able to be resolved. I have taken it to different shops and there is no air leakage in the suspension pump and other areas that are linked with the suspension. The suspension pump still repeatedly pump air every 45-60 minutes which it's fine, but not when the vehicle bounces very vigorously for 15 minutes or more till it activates the suspension to pump air. When the suspension is down the steering wheel functions different as the bouncing makes it hard to drive at a certain speed, not safe but manageable in the mean while. During this time I'm not appreciating the quality of my Expedition components.

See all problems of the 1997 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer because all of the instrument panel indicators illuminated, except for the brake light. The interior of the vehicle was torn apart and there was an electrical fire. The dealer is ordering a new wiring harness. The vehicle was initially taken to the dealer for the illuminated indicators; however, another failure was found without the contact's knowledge. The failure and current mileages were 83,000. Updated 12-02-08 the consumer also had a problem with the brake lights and the cruise control had to be repaired as well. The consumer stated he never reeived a recall letter for the cruise control. Updated 12/02/08.

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My husband's 2003 Ford Expedition caught on fire. He had been out of the car for about 30 minutes. We heard a loud popping noise and thought nothing of it. We heard another loud popping noise, and went to see what it was. When we got outside there was smoke coming from under the hood. Then we saw flames coming from the dashboard. At that point we called 911. The fire department came and put the fire out, and said it was caused by something electrical. There was some sort of short in the wiring. He had taken the car in for repair because the door ajar light stayed on, although there were no doors open. This problem was supposedly fixed by car max. There have been no modifications to the vehicle.

While driving to work, heard "pop" under dashboard (fuse panel) and radio went off. Replacement fuse blew immediately upon replacement. Removed radio and replacement fuse immediately blew again. Suspected ground in power circuit to factory stereo, verified with test light. Shorted circuit, 797 in this vehicle, is hot at all times (not switched through ignition). Subsequent investigation by owner shows that main wiring harness behind dashboard was not correctly installed when the vehicle was assembled at factory. The mounting points installed in the harness were never installed in the corresponding holes in the body, allowing the harness to sag approximately 2 inches below its correct position (and presumably rub against metal parts behind the dashboard). Due to the faulty factory installation, the harness can not be raised far enough to be properly installed without removing at least part of the dashboard and passenger side airbag (dealer says entire dashboard must be removed, a significant cost item). Dealer mechanic has viewed harness and agrees harness was not correctly installed. Subject harness also contains wiring for airbags, instrument panel, transmission control, rear lighting, trailer controls; basically every circuit in the vehicle which is controlled from or has indication in the dashboard. Owner is still troubleshooting and attempting to repair.

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In the last few months, I have noticed that when it rains, my blower motor will run on high-speed and my lights will flicker after I turn the vehicle off. At first it would stop after a few seconds, however this last time, it ran for about 10 minutes and finally shut off. I have a CO-worker who has the exact same Expedition and asked him if he's had this happen too him, which he stated yes and has been going on for around 6 months. I called Ford motor CO to inquire about a recall, since this is very unique in nature, and (of course) they have no record nor keep any data on anything (according too the rep). Not quite sure what their job is! so I called the local dealer and they were 'familiar' with my problem and had a 'few' fixed. Well, after doing some research on the internet, it turns out there's more than just a 'few' incidents. . There are several!!! the problem appears too start with a water leak in the windshield, going to the fuse box and gemodule which in turn sends electrical currents to the abs module which cause all sorts of problems. Now if this isn't a Ford manufacturers defect versus normal wear and tear, than I guess my college education means nothing. From my research and the local dealers quote, the cost of this repair starts a $1000. 00. !! as of today, I have not fixed it, I'm deciding it I want to get a diff vehicle.

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I have a 2000 Ford Expedition, the windshield is leaking onto my gem module and fusebox behind the dash and causing all kinds of electrical problems. The dealership has quoted me over $1000 to fix this problem, and I have read many forums and alot of complaints about this exact same problem all over the country. Sounds like this problem should be made into a recall. It is costing people lots of money to fix one of Fords screw-ups.

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Unexplained electrical activity when the car is unattended. Smell of burning plastic/wiring after vehicle has been shut off. Clicking/hissing coming from under dash after vehicle has been shut off and key removed. Heater, radio will continue to run after key has been removed, has even come on by itself after the vehicle has been left unattended. Multiple warning lights flashing for no reason as well as random warning bells.

- while driving a 2005 Ford Expedition at approximately at 5 mph she noticed black smoke coming from the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated she had her phone charger plugged into the cigarette light adapter. The contact initially thought the fire was coming from under the hood, she then discovered the fire was coming from inside the car. The plastic around the phone charger caught fire. The contact poured baby formula on the flames to extinguish the fire. The failure mileage was 39,000. The vehicle was towed to a Ford dealer. The vehicle failure had not been diagnosed at this time. The contact has pictures.

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Electrical devices in the car have turned on without keys even in the ignition. Concerned with fire hazard if such things as lights and blower motors turn on on their own, perhaps for extended periods. Also concerned as to what other electrical malfunctions will present themselves in unattended vehicle. Failure is apparently due to leaking windshield seals draining water onto gem (electronic module) and the fuse panel for the vehicle, shorting electrical connection and corroding the units over the long term. The fuse box and gem will need to be replaced to eliminate the dangerous condition (after having re-sealed the faulty seal).

My 2000 Ford Expedition leaks from the windshield during heavy rains, and water comes into the cabin area. The water also has caused my gem (general electronic module) to malfunction, making my hvac blower to spontaneously turn on after I turn off the vehicle and remove the key from the ignition. This causes my battery to run down. I would expect that this kind of malfunction could lead to more serious problems and possible fires due to unwanted electrical activity.

Rain or snow causes multiple failures in the electrical system. Most recently, the blower fan failed to operate while the vehicle was running. Once the ignition was switched off the blower fan would run. In addition, the wipers and radio would only work when the truck was in park or neutral. Needless to say that I had to pull over and wipe the inside of the windshield. This is the 3rd year in a row that these issues have occurred. I would like to add my name to the list of vehicles that have this problem with the leaking windshield. Nhtsa defect investigation #ea05015.

Vehicle had been displaying the low air pressure light and the check engine light ( smog control). Tires were checked and found to be properly inflated, all fluids, filters, etc, were checked and found to be in working order. Vehicle was driven approximately 15-20 miles. Both before mention lights continued to come on and off. Vehicle was parked. Approx 1 hour later vehicle horn sounded, I walked to check horn and found the vehicle interior in flames. I was able to put the fire out, and keep the damage to the drivers side dash, steering area. Vehicle interior suffered heavy smoke damage, front windshield cracked. Contacted insurance company and Ford motor company. Vehicle is only 9 months old and still under warranty. I requested that Ford replace my vehicle with another vehicle just like I purchased. Ford sent letter saying that since insurance company is involved they propose no further action. But since vehicle is used, insurance company will only pay fair market value, leaving me to pay for the balance. All I want is for Ford to replace my defective vehicle.

See all problems of the 2006 Ford Expedition 🔎.

Experienced failure of several electrical components - electric door windows on right front, rear windshield wiper, cruise control, interior lights would not turn off, battery wore down, sunroof window. The dealer stated that water got into the car and had to replace the fuse box and computer and the switch for the front right window. Returned with right front door window, and rear wiper not working again and have to replace the motor for these.

1998 Ford Expedition interior lights staying on, door ajar light staying on, radio turning on and off by itself, trailer lights not working, dash lights flashing off and on. I found out there are a lot of problems with these cars having leaking windshields allowing water to enter the vehicle and cause electrical shorting on the gem and fuse box. Ford dealership said this is a well-known issue with a TSB 98-9-13 !!! I did a quick search on the internet and found that these can cause electrical fires or cause cars to start by themselves, losing electrical stability while driving resulting in several near accidents. (no brake lights, etc. . ).

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Several times this happened. After rain or snow the electronics in my 1999 Expedition goes crazy. Such as vehicles fan runs after truck is turned off, when in drive radio goes out, beeping noises etc etc. This is known to be caused by a leak in the vehicles windshield which is undetectable by the owner. Water leaks behind the fuse panel and the gem module and causes electrical havoc. Car will even try starting on its own w/o keys in it. Ford has known about this windshield defect and will do nothing to rectify it. This started this year several times. The dealer is replacing the windshield because to reseal it has to be removed and in the process they crack. The fuse box and gem module also has to be replaced due to corrosion over time caused by the unknown leak. The water leaks down the front pillar and then behind the dashboard. All the while the owner is unaware of this happening over time. Ford has known about the defective seal on the windshields of several year models of Expeditions. This is also a definite fire hazard and a definite danger esp. Those who park in there attached garages. Repairs cost the owners between $600. 00 to well over $1000. 00. This isn't fair when a defect like this is common knowledge to all dealers and owners of these vehicles. My vehicle is a top of the line eddie bauer model and the price new was in the $40,000 range. The NHTSA should fully investigate this and demand a recall and reimbursement to those who paid dearly for this defect that came straight from the assembly line to us.

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The 1999 Ford Expedition caught fire and burned the entire car and garage it was stored in. The fire investigation reports the fire started in the fuse panel.

Contact states the windshield is leaking, causing the computer in the fuse panel to short out. The stereo, windshield wipers, and the air conditioner come on when the vehicle was not in use. Windshield was replaced. Warranty expired , and electronic panel had not been replaced. Ford manufacturer has been contacted.

The consumer experienced a problem with the fuse box located under the dash keep which always shorted out. Intermittently, electrical sparks and insulation burning was noticed while driving. The dealer was notified.

See all problems of the 2004 Ford Expedition 🔎.

2000 Expedition, which I've owned since new and never been damaged in an accident, ~53,000 miles is having electrical issues that at times are safety issues as well. Started with front wipers running constantly, now sometimes they work sometimes they don’t. Radio does not work at times. All gauges go to their extreme limit, including speedometer. Dealer has identified a computer module behind the dash that has been damaged by water. According to the dealer this is a known issue with Expeditions and is caused by water leaking through the front window and down onto the module. Once the module is replaced a new window and sealant is recommended. This vehicle has never been in an accident and the front window is original. This could lead to serious safety issues when the vehicle is driven during inclement weather and the driver is unable to use the wipers. Could this electrical problem be linked to the current recall for 2000 Expeditions where the cruise control is shorting?.

Every time it rains hard my vehicle won't start and if it does the wipers and radio will not operate when I put in reverse or drive. I took it to the dealership and they told me that it was the right side windshield seal. I asked them if this was a manufacture defect and they said no that it was the shifting of the glass when I run over bumps. The same thing was happening to a f-250 p/u when I took my vehicle in. They told me that they would have to replace the fuse box, gear module, rear wiper motor. I don't believe bumps would cause this to happen and from the sound of it, it appears to have been happening for a good while because they told me at the service department that there was mold in the gear module. I am afraid that if it rains and I am on the road that my truck might just turn off or my wipers might short out. The estimated cost for all repairs is about $1000. 00.

1999 Ford Expedition eddie bauer 4x4 the emergency brake was removed by the dealer when they sold it to me and never put one on it, also the /c blows out hot air up front and cold in the back, and the odomitter does not work, it goes in and out and the dealer refuses to fix it. Several of my friends have the same truck and they have the same problem.

Electronic shortages is causing malfunctions in the ignition switch, wipers, running lights and radio. These malfunctions seem to worsen when it rains. The vehicle starts by its self while unattended. When driving if the wipers dont work, I have to shift the transmission to neutrl for them to operate and the same for the radio. I have spent several hundred dollars to have this problem looked at and the Ford dealership stated that they have had several vehicles come in with the same problem, but I would have to pay around $1000. 00 more dollars to change out the fuse box and still this may not the cure the problem. The technition stated that water was getting in behind the fuse box some how. He told me to silicone the cow down to the windsheild to reflect the water, so I did and it did not work. Every morning my preganent wife as to use a battery jumper box to just start the vehicle because the electronics on the vehicle stays on all the time as if the key was insertered and turned to auxillary. The vehicle attempts to start during the night by its self. It does not start, the starter just turns over as if it is trying to start until the battery goes dead. I am scared that the vehicle is going to catch fire or even blow up in front of my residence. Dealership said that they could not fix the problem until enough people came in asking for the same help. I hope there is something that can be done about this 36,000. 00 vehicle. I have carried the vehicle to several other mechanics and they cannot figure out the problem but they still charge me for looking.

Windshield wipers failed to work when SUV in drive;when lights on;4x4, wiper and abs indicator on dash flashing on and off. Radio shutting off when vehicle put in drive. Pw not working when vehicle in drive. 11/20/04 was first occurrence. Happened approx. 8 times between then and 12/23/2004.

The windshield wipers worked intermittently, causing the interior lights, instrument cluster, and windows not to function. Manufacturer was contacted by consumer.

Prior to our 2000 Ford Expedition being recalled for the cruise control problems, we experienced electrical problems with the interior lighting group; radio, windshield wipers, etc. After a rain, the windshield wipers would not work and the blower motor would remain on or be on without ignition activation. The battery has run down because of this! we recently experienced the problems again and took the vehicle to our mechanic who recommended an electrical specialist. He diagnosed the windshield seal leak as a contributing factor to the junction box-gem module malfunctioning.

Complete fire distructin of veh. Fire appears to have started under dash in wiring harness and spread to engine compartment as well as interior of unit. Forensic analysis indicates above. Forensic report available on request. Fire started while unit parked in garage and damaged dwelling as well.

The dashboard console caught on fire within 5 minutes of the vehicle being parked and turned off. At the time of the fire two chargers were plugged into the lighter outlet and they both melted.

Windshield wipers, radio, clock, all stop working due to water leak. It was raining for several hours. In addition, the ac blower was running with the engine off and with no keys in the ignition. Dealer fixed winshield water leak and installed sop parts gem module and cjb; also replaced central junction box. Despite all this, in two other occasions, the ac continued to run without the key in the vehicle. This was finally fixed. Old parts are not available.

I bought a 99 Expedition used in March 2004, from the local Ford dealer in clarksburg, wv. From the 2nd day I had it home it has had electrical problems in the rain. The rear wiper would stop immediately and the front wipers would not come back on if the car was in drive after you had turned them off. During the first incident I stopped to get gas and when I got in to leave the pumps my headlights would not come back on. I drove the two blocks to my house by the street lights. I know from the internet I'm not the only person to have this water leak in under the dash of a Ford Expedition of f-150. It is a miracle if no one has wreck in a sudden down pour.

Warning light for suspension system with air leveler on 4x4, suspension warning light comes on several times a week since the vehicle was new. Vehicle never leveled with a load on the hitch. The air compressor runs a lot and became very noisy over the years. The vehicle rocks back and forth, in, right side goes up and down a few inches, will not level under load. Never felt safe to tow anything which was the purpose for buying the vehicle. The dealer where I purchased the vehicle refuses to accept the vehicle for service. Took in 3 - 4x a year for same and they refused to look at anything except the computer readout. Presented list of related NHTSA reports and Ford said they do not use them under warranty. Purchased Fords best extended warranty which will expire in 3 months and the problem still exists. Compressor pump broke a week ago and they refuse to look at anything else. Initial recommendation was to disconnect warning light. Second recommendation was to sell vehicle if I didn't like it. No obligation for the 45,000. 00 paid. Cannot sell vehicle because the warning light comes on all the time and vehicle never level.

No summary listed for above vehicle.

The interior dash lights of my 1997 Expedition go out every time it rains or the vehicle gets wet. The cause of this appears to be in the electrical system connect with the dimmrer switch that cause a short that then blows the 5 amp fuse. I have replaced this multiple times and is fine as long as it is dry (ohio isn't a very dry climate). I have gone through many 5 amp fuses. I have delayed getting anything done since the first occurance back in 2000 due the costly expense of just trying to diagnose the problem. This seems similar to other complaints that I have read posted on this web site due to water leaking from windshield. I have even had my windshield replaced and still have this problem to date. I have now stopped replacing the fuse and live with no dash lights at night. Very dangerous when you don't know what speed your going. In my professional engineering opinion there appears to be a water leak issue in the windshield/firewall area. This water leak issue should be looked into as the root cause to other failures that have been seen on Expeditions and f-150s in regards to electrical issues and fires.

On 4-12-2000 I was driving to children's hospital with my wife and daughter. We were n/b on I-5, at 60 mph in the seattle. I attempted turn on the radio and pushed the button. Nothing happened for a couple of minutes and then smoke came out of the radio. The smoke started to fill the passenger compartment . I was afraid the dashboard area was about to catch fire. I managed to find a exit to get off the freeway, stopped the car and get my family out. I turned off the ignition however the smoke was still coming out of the radio. The smoke stopped about 1 or 2 minutes later. I called bowen scarff Ford in kent and was referred to sound on wheels for radio repair. The manager at sound on wheels pulled the radio from the dash and showed me the water damage on the radio and coxial antenna wire leading from the antenna to the back of the radio. When the water got into the back of the radio a short was caused and the smoke started. I was told this was a problem with the 97 Ford Expedition. I took my vehicle to bowen scarff Ford and was informed a tech memo had been put out to Ford mechanic but nothing had been sent to Ford owners of Expedition. What I experience was a safety issue. I could have panic and cause a major accident on a freeway at high speeds. I believe this type of short could cause a major malfunction of the electrical system. Could the doors lock, trapping people inside? most deaths related to fire occure from inhaling smoke. These were some to the things going through my mind while attempting to get my family to safety. Why has there not been a recall to fix this problem. How many must be injured or killed before a recall. None I pray.

On Sunday windshield wipers started goinig crazy. They started to go on and off for 5 minutes after several attempts to shut them off. Finally my husband pulled over and turned the car off, and the wipers shut off. The dealer was not notified . On Tuesday at about 7:56 am I was driving to go to a gas station and as I was turning to the left I heard a loud sound that sounded like an explosion and the truck turned off. I tried tunring the car on since I have had problems with the car turning off before and I realized that the car was smoking fron the inside. I tried to open the door from outside they did not open. So in fear that the car would blow up that I tried to start the car and it started. I opened the door quickly before the car blew up. Then the the plastic started to burn under the running board and by the time the fire dept came the inside of the car was on fire. The car was towed to the dealership. The inside of the car was destroyed.

I was driving to nyc and went to park in a rest area and as I was turning to park the car shut off. I turned it on again and it was fine. One hour later again while driving and making a right turn the light in the dash board turned on and the radio shut off and then it the truck drove fine. The next day I went over a small break on the road and the lights on the dash board went on and the radio off and like always I had no problems driving it home. On 10-30-99 I was driving and I could not go faster than 35 miles it felt like the car lock or I was driving in neutral and all the sudden the truck took speed and it was driving fine until I tried turning right the stering wheel became hard to turn and it was making a click click sound when I turn the stering wheel to the right. Iwas able to drive home as long as I didn't turn right. After I park the car I turn the wheel to the right and it continued on making the click click sound.