NHTSA Complaint #10213833 — 2001 FORD EXPEDITION

WITHIN MONTHS OF PURCHASING THE VEHICLE IT BEGAN TO SPONTANEOUSLY GO INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE. INITIALLY I THOUGHT I HAD HIT THE SWITCH WHICH IS NOWHERE NEAR THE STEERING WHEEL. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK INTO DRIVE AND IT SEEMED FINE. IT BEGAN HAPPENING MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY. ON ONE OCCASION IN 2003 I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AND IT LOCKED UP. IT WENT INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND LUCKILY I WAS WEARING MY SEATBELT BECAUSE THE FORCE WAS COMPARABLE TO SLAMMING ON MY BRAKES. I DROVE OFF THE FREEWAY AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT OUT OF 4 WHEEL DRIVE BUT WAS TERRIFIED TO DRIVE ON THE FREEWAY. I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD ME THEY COULDN'T LOOK AT IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MORNING. RELUCTANTLY I DROVE IT HOME. I WAS REPEATEDLY TOLD NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH MY VEHICLE WHILE IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY. WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE THROUGH A PARKING LOT IT DECIDED TO GO INTO 4 WHEEL DRIVE AND COMPLETELY LOCKED UP. I COULD NOT DRIVE IN FORWARD OR REVERSE. I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO A DEALERSHIP WHO TOLD ME THAT THERE WAS PROBLEM WITH THE 4 WHEEL DRIVE THAT COULD BE FIXED BUT THAT MY WARRANTY DID NOT COVER IT. ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS LATER I DROVE OFF WITH MY VEHICLE BELIEVING THAT IT WOULD WORK PROPERLY. WITHIN LESS THAN ONE YEAR OF THE REPAIR I WAS ON THE FREEWAY AGAIN AND MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE KICKED IN. ONCE AGAIN SAVED BY THE SEATBELT, I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP. AGAIN I WAS TOLD THAT THE REPAIRS WERE ONLY COVERED FOR 1 YEAR OR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MILES (NOT SURE ON THE MILES ?5000). THE DEALERSHIP TOLD ME THAT THIS WAS NOT AN UNKNOWN PROBLEM THAT FORD WAS HAVING. THEY TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE AWARE OF THE PROBLEMS BUT ALL THEY COULD DO WAS KEEP FIXING IT. THE DEALERSHIP EVEN HAD THE NERVE TO TELL ME THAT WHEN IT STARTS TO BIND UP TO PUT THE VEHICLE INTO REVERSE. VERY HELPFUL WHEN YOUR DOING 65 ON THE FREEWAY. TODAY WHILE ACTUALLY USING MY 4 WHEEL DRIVE THE TRANSMISSION CONTINUALLY SLIPPED. *TR