2006 Ford Expedition

2006 FORD EXPEDITION E.B. AND ENGINE FAILSAFE MODE 1. THE EVENTS LEADING UP TO THE FAILURE: THERE ARE NO DETECTABLE EVENTS PRECEDING WHATEVER CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO "ENGINE FAILSAFE" MODE. THE VEHICLE RUNS FINE AS IT ALWAYS DOES AND THEN IT JUST HAPPENS RANDOMLY. 2. THE FAILURE, HOW OFTEN IT OCCURS, ITS CONSEQUENCES: FAILURE OCCURS AT RANDOM AND IS NOT PREDICTABLE IT JUST HAPPENS. THE VEHICLE OPERATES NORMALLY AS IT SHOULD AND IN A SPILT SECOND IT IS LIKE THE VEHICLE JUST SHUTS OFF, THE INFORMATION CENTER DISPLAYS "ENGINE IN FAILSAFE MODE". THE ENGINE IS ACTUALLY RUNNING IN FAILSAFE MODE BUT ONLY AT AN IDLE, THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES FUNCTION HOWEVER THE THROTTLE IS TOTALLY UNRESPONSIVE IN FAILSAFE MODE, THE VEHICLE SLOWS TO A CREEP AND WILL STOP AT THE SLIGHTEST INCLINE. WHEN THE VEHICLE STOPS THE ONLY AVAILABLE OPTION IS TO TURN THE KEY OFF AND RESTART. THE VEHICLE ALWAYS RESTARTS AND RESUMES NORMAL OPERATION AND DRIVEABILTY IS FINE, JUST AS THOUGH NOTHING EVER HAPPENED. THE OCCURRENCE FIRST HAPPENED EARLY IN JANUARY 2010, AGAIN IN LATE JANUARY, THEN IN SEPTEMBER 2010 THEN AGAIN ON FEBRUARY 26 THEN TWICE TODAY FEBRUARY 28 ABOUT 20 MINUTES APART. THE CONSEQUENCES: SCARY, DANGEROUS, HAZARDOUS. FEELS LIKE AN INSURANCE CLAIM AND/OR A LAWSUIT WAITING TO HAPPEN. WHEN A VEHICLE UNDER POWER JUST SHUTS OFF INSTANTLY FOR NO APPARENT REASON IT IS LOGICAL SERIOUS INJURY OR WORSE IS A REALISTIC CONSEQUENCE. 3. WHAT WAS DONE TO CORRECT THE FAILURE: SO FAR JUST A LOT OF FORD GUESSWORK. THE INTERNET HAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CONSUMER POSTS REGARDING VARIOUS REPAIRS MADE. THE REPORTED REPAIRS RANGE FROM SENSORS, SPARK PLUGS, COILS, CATS,FILTERS, CONVERTERS AND MORE. THE COMMON THREAD IN THESE CONSUMER REPORTS IS THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS AND OCCURS RANDOMLY AFTER REPAIR. *TR

MY WIFE WAS DRIVING HER 2006 FORD EXPEDITION DOWN A BUSY ROAD AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 40 MPH. SHE WAS DRIVING WITH ANOTHER FRIEND AND OUR 2 CHILDREN (18 MONTHS AND 1 WEEK!) A WRENCH SYMBOL WARNING LIGHT CAME ON AND THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN. SHE PUT ON HER HAZARDS AND WAS ABLE TO SAFELY COME TO A STOP. SHE TURNED THE IGNITION KEY TO THE OFF POSITION AND THEN WAS ABLE TO START THE ENGINE AGAIN. AFTER TALKING TO A MECHANIC AND DOING INTERNET RESEARCH I FOUND THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WHICH CONSISTS OF THE ELECTRONIC CONTROL OF THE THROTTLE. THE FIX IS UPWARDS OF $500; SO A RECALL OF SOMETHING THAT EXPENSIVE CAN EASILY BE BRUSHED UNDER THE TABLE BY FORD. THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD. IF MORE VEHICLES KEEP SHUTTING DOWN ON THEIR OWN SOMEONE WILL SOON BE INJURED OR KILLED. *TR

I WAS DRIVING 45 MILES AN HOUR DOWN A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHEN MY ENGINE IN MY 2006 FOR EXPEDITION JUST SHUT DOWN WITHOUT WARNING AND WENT INTO "FAIL -SAFE MODE". THANK GOD I WAS ABLE TO CROSS 3 LANES OF TRAFFIC WITHOUT INCIDENT TO GET TO THE SHOULDER. I SHUT OFF MY CAR AS THE MANUAL TOLD ME TOO. AFTER 20 MINS I WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR. I DROVE TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP SO THEY COULD LOOK INTO THE ISSUE. IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS NEEDING A REPLACEMENT THROTTLE BODY. WHEN I ASKED "WHAT HAPPENED? WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?", I WAS TOLD "IT JUST HAPPENS," AND "THERE IS NOTHING PREVENTATIVE THAT CAN BE DONE.". CONVENIENTLY THIS PART WAS NOT COVERED BY MY 100,000 MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY THAT FORD IS SO PROUD OF ON ITS USED VEHICLES. THIS REPAIR COST ME $609. THE NEXT DAY I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ON THE EXACT SAME ISSUE FOR THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL (2006 FORD EXPEDITION) ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITE: HTTP://WWW.ABOUTAUTOMOBILE.COM/COMPLAINT/2006/FORD/EXPEDITION/ENGINE+AND+ENGINE+COOLING+SYSTEM . I CALLED THE SERVICE MANAGER TO DISCUSS AND HE AGREED HE HAS BEEN SEEING ALOT OF THESE THROTTLE BODY REPLACEMENTS AND ENGINE SHUTDOWNS ON THIS MODEL AND AGREES A RECALL NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE SOMEONE GETS SERIOUSLY HURT. I AM JUST THANKFUL MY 3 KIDS WERE NOT IN THE CAR WITH ME AND PRAY THIS DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN. THE SERVICE MANAGER GAVE ME THIS WEB ADDRESS TO MAKE AN OFFICIAL COMPLAINT, HOPING A RECALL WOULD TAKE PLACE. *TR

MY WIFE, THREE KIDS AND MYSELF WERE IN OUR 2006 FORD EXPEDITION LIMITED COMING DOWN A MOUNTAIN PASS IN LAKE TAHOE WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ENGINE STOPPED! A CODE ON THE DASH READ "FAIL SAFE ENGINE MODE". THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED AND THERE WAS NO POWER, NO ACCELERATION. I WAS LUCKY TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE FOLLOWING DAY, I TOOK THE TRUCK TO THE CARSON CITY, NV FORD DEALER AND PAID FOR A DIAGNOSTIC. NOTES FROM DEALER: ROAD TEST COULD NOT VERIFY. PERFORMED EEC SELF TEST, HAS CODE P0104. PERFORMED WIGGLE TEST AND PINPOINT TESTS. PERFORMED RECORDER-MONITOR TEST ALL THE PIDS LOOKED GOOD. REMOVED THE MAF SENSOR. HAS DEBRIS ON THE MAF SENSOR WIRES. RECOMMEND A NEW MAF SENSOR." I PUT IN A NEW MAF SENSOR AND AIR FILTER. IN DRIVING LESS THAN 3 MILES AFTER THIS WAS DONE, THE TRUCK DID THE SAME THING. THE "FAIL SAFE ENGINE MODE" CAME ON, LOSS OF POWER AND ACCELERATION. I HAD TO TURN THE TRUCK OFF COMPLETELY, REMOVE KEY AND RESTART. THEN THE TRUCK DID NOT HOLD THE IDLE AND DIED. AFTER A SECOND TIME, THE TRUCK RESTARTED. I AM STILL DRIVING WITH THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT OFF AND HAVE ANOTHER APPOINTMENT WITH THE FORD DEALER TOMORROW MORNING (6-24-10) TO SEE WHAT IS GOING ON. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LEAVE TOMORROW AND DRIVE 1100 MILES TO RETURN TO DENVER. *TR

SPARKS PLUGS BLEW OUT RIGHT AT 60,000 MILES ON 2006 FORD EXPEDITION ON OUR WAY FROM MARYLAND TO LOUISIANA. STARTED GETTING PROBLEMS IN NORTH CAROLINA. AFTER SPENDING 2000.00 FOR HOTEL, RENTAL CAR AND POSSIBLE FIX BY FIRESTONE..IT STILL WAS NOT WORKING. BROUGHT TO FORD DEALERSHIP AND SAID IT WAS SPARK PLUGS THAT BLEW AND A COMMON THING FOR F150S AND IT WOULD COST OVER 7,000.00 TO FIX IT AND RECOMMENDED TRADING IT IN. SO WE DID CAUSE WE HAD NO CHOICE WITH THE TRUCK BEING IN NC. *TR

ENGINE SHUTS OFF WHILE RUNNING. LAST TIME ON THE FREEWAY. MY MECHANIC SAYS THE SYSTEMS READS OK ON COMPUTER DIAGNOSTIC, BUT THE FAIL-SAFE SYSTEM DEFINITELY SHUT THE ENGINE DOWN DUE TO A POSSIBLE GLITCH IN THE SYSTEM. DEALERS "SEE" GOOD READINGS FOR THROTTLE SYSTEM AND WILL NOT REPLACE A "GOOD" PART. WHEN THIS HAPPENS, CAR HAS NO POWER WITH NO WARNING. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN. *TR

VEHICLE HAD BEEN DISPLAYING THE LOW AIR PRESSURE LIGHT AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ( SMOG CONTROL). TIRES WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE PROPERLY INFLATED, ALL FLUIDS, FILTERS, ETC, WERE CHECKED AND FOUND TO BE IN WORKING ORDER. VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN APPROXIMATELY 15-20 MILES. BOTH BEFORE MENTION LIGHTS CONTINUED TO COME ON AND OFF. VEHICLE WAS PARKED. APPROX 1 HOUR LATER VEHICLE HORN SOUNDED, I WALKED TO CHECK HORN AND FOUND THE VEHICLE INTERIOR IN FLAMES. I WAS ABLE TO PUT THE FIRE OUT, AND KEEP THE DAMAGE TO THE DRIVERS SIDE DASH, STEERING AREA. VEHICLE INTERIOR SUFFERED HEAVY SMOKE DAMAGE, FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED. CONTACTED INSURANCE COMPANY AND FORD MOTOR COMPANY. VEHICLE IS ONLY 9 MONTHS OLD AND STILL UNDER WARRANTY. I REQUESTED THAT FORD REPLACE MY VEHICLE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE JUST LIKE I PURCHASED. FORD SENT LETTER SAYING THAT SINCE INSURANCE COMPANY IS INVOLVED THEY PROPOSE NO FURTHER ACTION. BUT SINCE VEHICLE IS USED, INSURANCE COMPANY WILL ONLY PAY FAIR MARKET VALUE, LEAVING ME TO PAY FOR THE BALANCE. ALL I WANT IS FOR FORD TO REPLACE MY DEFECTIVE VEHICLE. *JB