1997 FORD EXPEDITION Suspensionfrontstabilizer Bar Problems

WHILE DRIVING STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE. WAS HARD TO MAINTAIN CONTROL OF VEHICLE. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP. MECHANIC INDICATED THAT THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR HAD SNAPPED AND NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED.*AK

DEFECTIVE STABILIZER BAR, IT COULD BREAK. *AK

PE 01 022/FRONT STABILIZER LINK: WHILE GETTING AN ALIGNMENT, TECHNICIAN INFORMED CONSUMER THAT RIGHT FRONT STABILIZER BAR WAS BROKEN. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED AND THE PARTS WERE AVAILABLE FOR ANALYSIS. *AK *SLC

FOUND STABILIZER BAR LINK MISSING ON RIGHT FRONT. UNKNOWN AS TO WHEN OR HOW IT FAILED EXCEPT THAT FRONT STARTED PULLING TO THE RIGHT CONTINUOUSLY SEVERAL MONTHS AGO.*AK

CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS FOR THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINK, CONSUMER FEELS PROBLEM IS WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINKS ON HIS VEHICLE, MANUFACTUERER DECLINED REQUEST. *TT

CONSUMER REQUESTING REIMBURSEMENT FOR REPAIRS FOR THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINK, CONSUMER FEELS PROBLEM IS WITH THE DESIGN OF THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINKS ON HIS VEHICLE, MANUFACTUERER DECLINED REQUEST. *TT

THERES A CLUNKING NOISE COMING FROM VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING, TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND DEALER INFORMED CONSUMER THAT LINKAGE BROKE FROM STABLIZER BAR. *AK CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE FOR ALIGNMENT AND DEALER TOLD HER THAT BOTH BALL JOINTS WERE VERY BAD AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT HER COST. *YD

WHILE DRIVING FRONT STABILIZER BAR AND BOLTS FELL OFF. HAD VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. MECHANIC REPLACED STABILIZER BAR LINK.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING ON ROUGH ROADS OR MAKING A SHARP TURN IN ANY DIRECTION THERE IS A "CLUNKING" NOISE COMING FROM LEFT/ FRONT OF VEHICLE. CONSUMER NOTICED THAT STABILIZER BAR WAS DISCONNECTED. DEALERSHIP WAS EXAMINING VEHICLE FOR THIS PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION / DOCUMENTATION.*AK

WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 45 MPH, VEHICLE VEERED OFF THE ROAD AND FLIPPED OVER. TOOK VEHICLE TO A MECHANIC, AND THEY SAID THAT STABILIZER BAR BROKE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

I READ AN ARTICLE IN THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE NEWSPAPER A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR SUPPORTS. WHEN I GOT HOME TODAY, I LOOKED AT MINE AND NOTICED THAT BOTH THE FRONT BAR SUPPORTS ARE BROKEN AWAY FROM THE BAR. I DO NOT KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN LIKE THIS, BUT I ASSUME THAT IT HAS BEEN AWHILE. I ALSO EXPECT THAT THE MANUFACTURER WILL REPLACE IT AT NO CHARGE SINCE THIS SEEMS TO BE A CANDIDATE FOR A RECALL.*AK

I NOTICED NHTSA NEWS RELEASE OF 9/4/01 REGARDING 1997 FORD EXPEDITION STABILIZER FAILURES AND I THOUGHT I WOULD SUBMIT MY FAILURE. BOTH FRONT STABILIZER LINKS WERE REPLACED BY DEALER, THE DAY BEFORE I BEGAN A 3000 MILE TRIP IN WINTER FROM MICHIGAN TO IDAHO AND BACK. DEALER SAID STABILIZER ARM BROKE. THEY REPLACED BOTH TO BE SAFE. MY COST WAS $104.52.*AK

WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH NOTICED STEERING WHEEL VIBRATING. CONSUMER CHECKED VEHICLE, AND NOTICED THAT STABLIZER BAR WAS MISSING. DEALER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK *TT

WHILE REPLACING BRAKE PADS, NOTICED THE STABILIZER BARS ON BOTH SIDES WERE NOT ATTACHED TO THE FRAME ON TOP OF THE BARS. LINK BOLTS ON BOTH SIDES ARE GONE.VERY DANGEROUS. *AK

WHILE MAKING A LEFT TURN THE STEERING STARTED FEELING ODD AND I STARTED TO HEAR SOME NOISES COMING FROM THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE FORD REPAIR SHOP SAID THE FRONT STABILIZER BAR LINK HAD FALLEN OFF SOMEHOW.*AK

STABILIZER BAR END LINKS WERE BROKEN IN HALF AND HAD TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION AT APPROX. 60,000 MILES DURING 2000 C.Y. ALL BALL JOINTS AND TIE ROD ENDS HAD FAILED AND HAD TO BE REPLACED AT THE COST OF OVER $1600.00. THE "LUBE-FOR-LIFE" DESIGN FOR THESE COMPONENTS IS A FARCE. THEY WERE RUSTED AND WARN OUT AND CREATED AN UNSTABLE FRONT SUSPENSION AND STEERING SITUATION. THIS VEHICLE HAS SEEN NO OFF-ROAD DRIVING. *AK

AFTER READING THE NEWS ABOUT NHTSA INVESTIGATING STABALIZER BAR LINKS ON 1997-1998 FORD EXPEDITIONS I JACKED MINE UP AND FOUND THE PASSENGER SIDE LINK CONNECTOR COMPLETELY MISSING. I TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE FORD DEALER AND SHOWED THEM THE ARTICLE. THEY SAID THE VEHICLE IS NOT UNDER A RECALL AND I WOULD HAVE TO SCEDULE AN APPOINTMENT TO HAVE IT REPAIRED AND PAY FOR IT MYSELF. I WENT TO THE PARTS DEPARTMENT AND BOUGHT THE REQUIRED PIECES FOR $53. NOTE THAT THESE ARE AN "UPGRADED" ITEM FROM THE ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT.*AK

PE 01 022/FRONT SABILIZER LINK FAILURE: NOTICED NOISE WHEN PARKING, AND WHENEVER A TURN WAS BEING MADE, VEHICLE TAKEN TO DEALER AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT BOTH BARS WERE BROKEN. DEALER MADE REPAIRS AT CONSUMERS COST. *AK *SLC

BOLTS IN STABALIZER BAR AND LOWER CONTROL ARM BROKE WHEN VEHICLE WENT OVER A POTHOLE AT 20MPH. VEHICLE HAS BEEN REPAIRED AT CONSUMERS EXPENSE BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC.*AK

VEHICLE WAS EXAMINED BY THE DEALERSHIP FOR SUSPENSION PROBLEMS AND NOISES. DEALERS DETERMINED THAT PITMAN ARM AND STABILIZER BAR HAD CRACKED. REPAIRS HAVE YET TO BE MADE. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION/ATTACHMENTS.*AK

WHILE DRIVING AT 60 HEARD FUNNY NOISE ON THE BOTTOM. PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT DRIVER'S SIDE STABLIZER BAR WAS GONE. VEHICLE SHOOK ALOT BECAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. CONSUMER HAS YET TO CONTACT FORD. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION.*AK

VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO DEALER FOR A ROUTINE CHECK. WHILE UP ON LIFT, CONSUMER NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE LINKS ON LEFT SIDE WAS BROKEN, AND OTHER SIDE WAS JUST HANGING DOWN. WHEN PUTTING ON BRAKES FRONT OF VEHICLE WOULD GO DOWN. THERE WAS AN OPEN INVESTIGATION BY NHTSA ON THIS PROBLEM. *AK THE FRONT STABLIZER BAR WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER, BUT THE CONSUMER WAS SEEKING REFUND BECAUSE THE PART WAS DEFECTIVE. *YH

STABLIZER LINKAGE WHICH WAS CONNECTED TO CONTROL ARM FELL DOWN. CONSUMER SAW LINKAGE HANGING DOWN UNDER CHASSIS. CONTACTED DEALER, AND DEALER REPLACED STABILIZER LINKAGE. *AK

STABILIZER BAR PIN HAS BROKEN ON BOTH DRIVER'S AND PASSENER'S SIDES. ALSO, PROBLEM WAS SIMILAR TO PROBLEM THAT WAS RECALLED FOR FORD EXPLORER. CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED DEALER. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

VEHICLE HAD BEEN VIBRATING AT SPEEDS OVER 60 MPH, LEFT FRONT BOLT IN STABILIZER BAR WAS BROKEN. REPLACED BOLT, AND VIBRATING STOPPED. ALSO, VEHICLE SEEMED TO BE MORE STABLE WHEN WINDY. *AK

THE VEHICLES FRONT SUSPENSION STABILIZER ANCHOR LINE ASSEMBLIES WERE BROKEN THE BOLTS RUSTED,THE RIGHT SIDE ASSEMBLY TOTALLY MISSING. *ET