NHTSA Complaint #10108398 — 1997 FORD EXPEDITION

WET CONDITIONS CAUSE ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS ON MY 1997 FORD EXPEDITION. WAS TRAVELING ON 01-10-05 ON SNOW PACKED ROADS WITH 4X4 ACTIVATED. FOUR WHELL DRIVE CLUSTER ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL STARTED TO FLASH INTERMITTENTLY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO SHIFT VERY AKWARDLY. TOOK CAR OUT OF 4X4 AND SEEMED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. NEXT OCCURANCE WAS ON 01-21-05, TRAVELING ON WET ROADS. TURNED OFF VEHICLE IN PARKING LOT AND INTERIOR LIGHTING AND RUNNING BOARD LIGHTS WOULD NOT SHUT OFF FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER THE VEHICLE HAD DRIED OUT AFTER A FEW DAYS THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO FIX ITSELF AGAIN. THE NEXT INCIDENT WAS ON 01-29-05, ONCE AGAIN WET ROAD CONDITIONS. PARKED VEHICLE IN DRIVEWAY OVERNIGHT WENT OUT TO START THE NEXT DAY AND HEATER BLOWER WAS STILL RUNNING WITHOUT THE KEY IN THE IGNITION. VEHILCLE HAD DEAD BATTERY, JUMP STARTED THE CAR AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS WOULD NOT TURN OFF, AS WELL AS THE RUNNING BOARDS. HEATER BLOWER WOULD NOT SHUT OFF. TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED ENOUGH AND THE SPEEDOMETER STOPPED WORKING AND IT WOULD NOT SHIFT CORRECTLY. IT FELT AT ONE POINT THAT IT HAD SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AS THE TRAFFIC BEHIND ME HAD TO SUDDENLY BRAKE. MANAGED TO GET THE CAR HOME SAFELY. I HAVE BEEN MADE AWARE THAT THIS SEEMS TO BE A COMMON PROBLEM ON THE EXPEDITIONS OF ANY YEAR. I AM HAVING THE CAR SERVICED TOMARROW TO FIND OUT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS. HOPEFULLY THIS CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT THE MORE I LOOK INTO IT OTHER OWNERS HAVE HAD THEIR VEHICLES IN SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE IT CAN BE CORRECTED. I THINK THIS IS A TERRIBLE SITUATION THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED INTO BY THE FORD MOTOR COMPANY. IT IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT. *AK