NHTSA Complaint #10492328 — 2000 FORD EXPEDITION

VEHICLE SITTING IN DRIVEWAY AFTER 2 DAYS OF RAIN. WENT TO START UP VEHICLE AND BATTERY DEAD. TOOK BATTERY OUT TO BE TESTED AND TESTED FINE. SPENT $165 ON ALTERNATOR REPLACEMENT. VEHICLE DEAD AGAIN NEXT MORNING. CHARGED BATTERY STARTED VEHICLE UP. NOTICED WATER IN FLOORBOARDS AND HEADLINER. WHEN KEY WAS REMOVED FROM IGNITION, RADIO WAS STILL ON AND DOOR WOULD STILL DING AS IF KEY IN IGNITION. BATTERY DEAD AGAIN SEVERAL HOURS LATER. AFTER DOING RESEARCH, WAS EXTREMELY FRUSTRATED TO LEARN THE ISSUE IS VERY WELL DOCUMENTED WITH IMPROPERLY SEALED WINDSHIELDS. RATHER THAN FORD PAYING TO RESEAL OR INFORM CONSUMERS TO FIX OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS, THEY ALLOWED CONSUMERS TO EXPERIENCE DREADFUL ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTIONS WITH VEHICLE. WITHOUT GOING TO MECHANIC, I REMOVED BOTH THE GEM MODULE AND FUSE BOX. PUT FAX IN VEHICLE TO SPEED UP THE DRYING PROCESS. ALLOWED FUSE BOX TO SIT INSIDE FOR A WEEK AND ORDERED A GEM MODULE OFF THE INTERNET. CLEANED CORROSION FROM FUSE BOX/GEM CONNECTORS AND REPLACED GEM MODULE. VEHICLE PERFORMS MUCH BETTER. THINGS THAT HAVEN'T WORKED IN YEARS (AUTO LOCKS) NOW WORK. HOWEVER, RADIO LOSES POWER INTERMITTENTLY WHICH IS FRUSTRATING. I OWN 2 FORDS AND AM A VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED CONSUMER THAT SOMETHING THAT COULD HAVE BEEN FIXED FOR $100 HAVE COST LOYAL CONSUMERS THOUSANDS. *TR