NHTSA Complaint #734464 — 1999 FORD EXPEDITION

AT 3000 MILES THE ENGINE WAS REPLACED DUE TO A KNOCK IN THE ENGINE. AT 11,000 MILES THERE WAS A SEVERE VIBRATION IN THE DRIVE TRAIN AT 65 MPH WITH THE VECHILE UNDER LOAD - FORD COULDN'T IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM AND HAD NO FIX. AT 12,500 MILES THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED RESULTING IN THE VECHILE STALLING AT STOPS. THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND TRANSMISSION WERE REPLACED. THIS REDUCED THE VIBRATION BUT DID NOT ELIMINATE IT. AGAIN FORD TRIED SEVERAL TIMES BUT COULD NOT IDENTIFY AND CORRECT THE PROBLEM. AT 21,000 MILES THE VECHILE LOST ALL POWER AND WOULD ONLY MOVE BY REVING THE ENGINE (LIKE SEVERE CLUTCH SLIPPAGE ON A MANUAL TRANSMISSION). FORD IS PRESENTLY INVESTIGATING. BOTH FAILURES COULD HAVE RESULTED IN SEVERE ACCIDENTS IF THE DRIVING CONDITIONS HAD BEEN SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT AT THE TIME OF THE FAILURES. THE PROBLEM APPEARS TO ME TO BE IN THE COMPUTER CONSTROL SYSTEM FOR THE TRANSMISSION RESULTING IN POSSIBLY THE SECOND FAILRE OF THE TRANSMISSION.