8.8
pretty badTypical Repair Cost:
$1,566.00
Average Mileage:
109,363 miles
Total Complaints:
36 complaints
Most common solutions:
- ford should have a recall (31 reports)
- not sure (3 reports)
- had the head re-threaded (1 reports)
- replaced engine head (1 reports)
engine problem
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2011Jan 01
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
This first happened a year earlier on our way to Canada and wasted a day in Saratoga Springs getting two plugs and caps replaced. It than occurred again a month later and needed to get another one fixed. 11 months later on way hole from Canada, 10 miles from boarder there was a loud bang sound. I was able to make to Plattsburg. It was January 1st so only Sears auto was open. they were unable to fix. It was myself, wife, 2 kids and my parents. We were able to rent a car in Plattsburg to drive over to Burlington Vt to the airport to rent a Yukon XL to drive everyone back to DC. The Ford dealership ended up re-threading 5 of the heads after they removed my engine. I was without my truck for a month. I than had to catch a train to Plattsburg and then drive my truck back. Man, that Yukon drove nicely!!!!!! Ford dropped the ball on this one.
2011Oct 25
Expedition 4.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 130,000 miles
Engine Blew my Spark Plug Blew out of the engine. It was with an old lady and children for 2 years and this is the second time it happened. And the traffic was very heavy and could have caused other accidents.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2011Nov 01
Expedition Eddie Bauer 4.6L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 217,765 miles
I had picked up a client at the airport and was headed out of town. I did not know what the problem was until the car was towed in to my mechanic and he called to let me know it blew the spark plug and that this was a common problem on Fords. This is hard to believe that this would happen. It caused me quite a bit of grief especially since I had a client riding with me. We had to ride in the tow truck to a car rental facility to rent a car and continue our trip. I won't have my car back for a couple of days.
2011Jul 21
Expedition XLT 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 111,134 miles
I HAVE READ SOME BLOGS ON THIS SAME ISSUE WITH SAME PROBLEM ON SAME MAKE AND MODEL OF TRUCK THIS IS WRONG TO MAKE A TRUCK THAT HAS A PROBLEM WITH SPARK PLUG POTENTIAL POOPING OUT IM A SINGLE MOTHER OF 4 AND I DON'T HAVE MONEY TO JUST PUT IN TO FIX THIS 3000.00 TO FIX BY THE DEALER PLEASE I HOPE FORD CAN FIX THIS PROBLEM SOME ONE CAN GET HURT THIS IS A HAZARD THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED ....
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2011May 09
Expedition Limited 4.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 107,000 miles
I THOUGHT FOR SURE MY ENGINE BLEW. MY SPARK PLUG BLEW OUT OF THE ENGINE! NEVER HEARD ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BEFORE, BUT I DO BELIEVE FORD SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS. I CANT IMAGINE THIS HAPPENING TO A LITTLE OLD LADY, SHE WOULD HAVE HAD A HEART ATTACK WHEN IT HAPPENED. VERY VERY LOUD & SCARY.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2011Mar 13
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L Triton V8
- Automatic transmission
- 89,000 miles
Unfortunately, my husband and I thought our 2003 Ford Expedition was the most reliable vehicle we owned so he took off on a 600 mile trip late one Sunday. In the middle of Nowhere, KY around midnight, it blew a spark plug. Fortunately he was able to drive the remaining 200 miles with the remaining 7 spark plugs and took it to a repair shop the next day. After finding this site we realized that $384 was a cheap fix, this seems to be a common problem, and we needed a reliable vehicle. Although we both loved the Expedition, we could not trade this thing in fast enough. Purchased a GMC Sierra and haven't looked back.
2008Feb 08
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 86,992 miles
Already said by many others. Apparently engineers over optimized the number of threads in the spark plug sockets in the head.
2010Feb 07
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 80,000 miles
Wife and kids traveling from Las Vegas at night and spark plug blew from the head. Had car towed to riverside area to brothers house till I could get if fixed. Went to local dealer ship in Riverside and the guy (moron) working there had the nerve to tell me he had never heard of the plugs blowing out of the heads before. Interesting, but he was able to immediately tell how much it was going to cost to fix it. I have two other fords and I have been very disappointed in their customer service. I took it to a friend of mines shop and he helicoiled it and has been great ever since. If you haven't heard of helicoil (if I am spelling it correctly) alot of shops do it for about a couple of hundred bucks. Worth checking out. It is amazing that ford will not recognize this as a problem. Well, They have they just won't admit it because it would cost them too much to fix. Like the fords but will not purchase another one because of their customer service.
2010Dec 28
Expedition XLT 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,864 miles
2003 Expedition XLT 5.4L--We were driving down the highway and heard a pop and then a clicking noise coming from the engine. Also smelled burning and gasoline. We got it towed and the mechanic informed us that the spark plug popped out and it tore up our pistons and we need a new engine. It will cost $5000.00 with a rebuilt motor and labor. If this is an ongoing problem ford should cover it or do a recall. I probably won't buy a ford again, especially since they don't back up their product.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2010May 10
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 111,375 miles
so far i am barely able to afford my payments do to economic recession and making ends meet. this is the second time i had dealt with my spark plug blowing out of my engine. this time i was on the freeway and had almost been rear ended by a semi truck. it was snowing really bad and i felt my life had almost ended when loss of power. had family in vehicle when almost in a collision. i read upon 2003 expedition because i swore i purchased a safe reliable vehicle for my family and found out that most have been having issues with spark plug blow outs from engine block. does a death in my family or to me have to happen for ford to take action to solve its problems on cars family's have already purchased? as of right now i got to go out side and try to fix my family ford expedition car so i can provide what my family needs. i live in a town where there's no public transportation and most jobs around here are located in other towns so traveling is required. i pay for me to have personal transportation and the cost of fuel and rely on a vehicle that does not work. i maintained proper maintenance and still end up with a death trap vehicle instead of reliable transportation and passenger safety.
2010Dec 20
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 111,375 miles
had spark plug blow out of engine block. i bought a ford because i thought they were built tough to last and believe i could rely on american products. anyhow! same compliant but different spark plug. wonder if i have one more life left because this is the second time i rely on my car for safe operations. no recalls to fix the problems for 2003 expeditions and still can't afford to be updating vehicles.
2010Nov 03
Expedition 4.6
- Automatic transmission
- 92,500 miles
This problem occurred for me recently, i can't get it fixed because the engine is out of warranty. I called the ford dealership and they replace both heads not just one at a cost of 4600 to 6000 hard earned dollars. I'm in agreement with all the other complaints that I read, this is a recall that ford is running from. Unfortunately my truck is sitting in front of my house until i get the money to fix it. Very disappointed with fords lack of a positive response for problem.
2010Nov 01
Expedition 4.6 liter
- Automatic transmission
- 170,000 miles
I started our 2003 Ford Expedition to warm it up and leave for work. All of a sudden there was a loud boom and the engine sounded strange and loud. Had it towed to the garage and found out it blew out the spark plug on #7 cylinder. Ford should take responsibility for this defect and reimburse its customers.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2008Jul 05
Expedition V8
- Automatic transmission
- 112,000 miles
The first time my expedition blew a plug was on Blewitt pass and I was with my children in the middle of no where. We had no cell coverage, so we had to coast down the pass for six miles before we got to a little store. I had to have AAA come in from Wenatchee to tow my car to the dealership. Unfortunately, this was on a Saturday and the service department was closed. They said that the plug blew completely out and the threads were completely stripped. My car wasn't available until Wed. and this cost me $763.00. When the plug blew, it gave me know warning whatsoever, and this is very dangerous because of the exhaust that comes in the car when the plug blows.
Ford needs to recall this car because of the safety issue that it causes. This is VERY DANGEROUS especially for women who a drive children.
2010Sep 04
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 85,017 miles
Labor Day weekend, late Saturday afternoon, September 4th, 2010, I was driving when I heard a loud pop. I thought I had a rock go through my muffler as the popping sound wouldn't quit.I pulled over when the cabin started smelling of gas. Decided I could make it to the cabin 1/2 mile away. My brother looked at the engine and saw the spark plug blew out of the cylinder. We called into the nearest Ford dealership to see if we could get a replacement spark plug. It was a few minutes after 5pm and they were closed for the long weekend. Luckily, the manager was still there and helped us out. He sent the spark plug with a mechanic who was just leaving to go home. We drove 2-1/2 hours round trip to pick up the spark plug. Sunday morning we tried to thread the new spark plug, but the threads were stripped. Nothing was open until Tuesday. We had to wait until Thursday of the next week to get a tow into the nearest Ford dealership. Meanwhile, we had to get our family of 4 people and 2 dogs home for the week. We ended up begging & borrowing cars to get through the next week. Drove 2 hours back to the dealership the following Saturday morning to pick up the truck. HUGE PAIN ALL THE WAY AROUND! The mechanics said that they see two of these spark plug incidences a month.
Ford needs to step up and issue a recall as the mechanics said that Ford didn't drill the spark plug holes deep enough on this year's model.
2010Jun 18
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 90,000 miles
I was towing a trailer when it sounded like a tire had blown. We stopped the vehicle and we did not have any flat tires. When we started up the engine a noise similiar to driving on a flat tire came from the engine. We had to have it towed to the nearest Ford Dealership. Luckily we had AAA. Had to have my brother tow our trailer to our camp spot. Then later we borrowed a vehcile to tow it home. We had to have a new engine put in. The mechanic said that the spark plug blew the engine cap off. We had to have a new engine put in at a cost of $5300. It has been at the shop for two weeks now and is still not fixed. We had planned to leave today to go camping with friends for four days. It doesn't look like that is going to happen.
2009Dec 03
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 119,000 miles
I bought this 2003 Ford Expedition for my wife, I needed something dependable because work out of state. A week after I bought this Expedition I had to fly back to Ohio. I was able to have the dealer repair the spark plug hole, but I'm still not comfortable with the repair. I work in Seattle for an large aerospace company I don't need the worry!
2010Jun 04
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 125,000 miles
This is the second spark plug that has blown out of the head same Expedition and another trip back to Ohio! Again I say I bought this 2003 Ford Expedition for my wife, I needed something dependable because work out of state. A week after I bought this Expedition I had to fly back to Ohio. I was able to have the dealer repair the spark plug hole, but I'm still not comfortable with the repair. I work in Seattle for an large aerospace company I don't need this worry!
2010May 13
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 63,000 miles
My 2003 Ford Expedition blew out the #3 spark plug on my way home from work. It first stared with a rattling noise and a week later the spark plug bew out. Since the Expedition was still drivable and did not shut off, I drove it to nearby service center (Galpin Ford in North Hills).
The next day i received a call from the technician indicating that the #3 spark plug blew out. As a result, the threads of the head were stripped and could not be repaired. I wa quoted $3834.00 for parts and labor.
I decided to investigate and found that this was a widespread problem and contacted the service manager at Galpin. I explained to the manager that I read about this problem in the internet and that i should not be responsible for the cost of the repair. The manager stated that this problem would not be covered under the manufacturer warranty, but that he would give me a "great deal". He later called me back and stated that the best he could do is $2800.00 (1000 less).
Clearly Ford is well aware of this problem, but does not offer to help unless someone does the proper research and complaints about the problem. In my opinion, Ford must issue a recall for these defective engines.
The website recommends that a simple helicoil fix will fix the problem and to not be fooled by service centers into replacing the head. When I asked the service manager about this, he mentioned that this fix was not a proper fix because the problem would happen again very soon.
I asked the service manager if he knew the root cause of the problem. His response was "NO". I also asked him that if the head was repaired if he would guarantee that this problem would not happen again. His response was "NO". Very frustrating!!!!!
2010Jun 13
Expedition Limited 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 85,000 miles
3RD SPARKPLUG THAT BLEW OUT. OVER 1400 IN REPAIRS SO FAR. I HAVE TO STILL REPLACE THE 3RD PLUG THAT BLEW TODAY, 6/13/2010.
A SPARK PLUG THAT BLEW OUT. I WOULD THINK FORD WOULD BE EMBARRASSED OVER THIS WHOLE THING.
2010Apr 14
Expedition Ed Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 128,000 miles
I had the same proble on my ford expedition 2003 ed bauer I have had to replace all but three of my original spark plugs due to these blow outs within 2wk its back in the shop now.
2010Mar 02
Expedition 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 145,000 miles
I have had to replace all but three of my original spark plugs due to these blow outs. The problems began last January 2009. Thank God for AAA tows but the repairs at about $365 a pop.... well you do the math. Its RIDICULOUS that there is no recall in place for this. This is clearly a manufacturer's defect.
2010Feb 01
Expedition 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 80,300 miles
My Ford Expedition has less than 90,000 miles and the spark plug for #3 cylinder fell into the cylinder chamber thus the piston was hitting the spark plug...I was 60 miles from home after an appointment for a procedure on your ear canal....this repair can cost as much $1800.00...for a spark plug that cost around $5.00 on a SUV that cost $50,000.00... this could have caused a fire since the piston was pushing into the engine compartment, a fuel air mixture, plus, the presence of electrical spark are a perfect mixture for a fire... !!! I was charged $ 689.00 for a tow back to my home. I want this problem to be addressed by FORD ASAP before someone loses their life!!!! A RECALL IS IN ORDER! I want Ford to pay for my repair and towing bill because this is an ENGINEERING FLAW AND IT IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS!!! Contact me please! I hope this can helps other Expedition owners.
2008Nov 15
Expedition Eddie Bauer Triton 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 139,035 miles
I have experienced the “Blown Spark Plug” problem with Ford’s Triton 5.4 liter engine for a second time. My 2003 Ford Expedition blew the # 3 spark plug on November 15, 2008. I am the original owner of this vehicle. The original engine was replaced August 22, 2006 with 86k miles because of the same problem at a cost to me of $5,400. This engine has 53k miles and was installed by Koons Ford of Annapolis. Although Ford accepts no responsibility for this failure, the dealer assured me that Ford’s redesigned V8 engine had resolved this issue. I have been a loyal Ford customer purchasing 13 Ford vehicles over the past 32 years. It is time for the Ford Motor Company to take ownership of this problem and at least take care of their customers that have experienced this defect.
Message to Ford: Once you've lost a loyal customer, chances are excellent that even if you greatly improve your quality and service, that customer and probably their children will move on to something else and won't return.
2009Apr 09
Expedition XLT 4.6L V8
- Automatic transmission
- 115,000 miles
Well this makes the 101st problem with this Ford POS. It started with windows not working, vaccum leaks, tires going bad every few months and brakes being replaced 5 times a year. Now I am coming home from the Post Office on a road in the middle of no where and I hear a gun shot sound from the front end. I noticed it was not a tire since they are brand new. I started to lose compression but the water and oil were fine so I babied it home almost 20 miles and shut it off. After opening the hood I found my problem - the back plug on the passenger side has popped out of the engine and the cap and coil are still attached setting on the battery. I am ready to send this thing off a cliff. I am tried of my "FIX OR REPAIR DAILY" or better yet "FOUND ON ROAD DEAD"! Dodge here I come. I am sold now.
Dodge RAM's will pull a house. But a Ford just thinks they can. I bought this to pull house trailers with. My Dodge Dakota with the 4.6 pulled the same 26" trailer and thought it was just a toy at 75 MPH down the interstate and got 25 mpg doing so, but this POS would not even pull at 55 MPH on the Interstate and only got 8 MPG If I was going down hill. FORD Take a flying leap!
2009Apr 26
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 96,000 miles
Ford needs to get there act together. They could skip all the pretty stuff and build the ford better. What good is paying 40000 for a piece of s**t. I would have a better engine.
2009May 01
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 97,325 miles
I was driving and heard the spark plug pop again after it has done this before you know the sound. I was able to put the first plug back in and it would tighten up. The first time it blew out my plug coil also and that was one more thing to fix. This time the spark plug will not tighten up so this will cost me 1200.00 bucks to give it a cheap and unreliable fix.
I have owned Fords in the passed but I fell for 40,000 dollars you would think they could build a better car. My old 3000 dollar ford ran real good they build them more expensive and yet junk. I will buy a Toyota in the future. This is why the big three are going broke. I work hard for my money to piss it away like this.
2009Mar 31
Expedition Eddie Bauer
- Automatic transmission
- 78,000 miles
I am planning to buy a new car in about 18 months. I will never ever buy another Ford. How can this problem be so common and they not come forward with a recall? I have done every recommended maintenance and taken perfect care of my car. In the last three months I have had to replace the alternator, oil casing and now this.
$2,700 and a week wait for a new head. Thanks for nothing Ford. You try and do the right thing and buy American, no more.
2008Jun 18
Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 112,000 miles
Parked at a friend's house and went to start my vehicle and heard a noise like a shot gun going off. My spark plug blew out of the engine taking the coil with it...Local ford dealer heali coiled the head and put the spark plug back in with NO warranty....a month later another spark plug blew out of the head...Since there are 6 more spark plugs to go I didn't trust the vehicle anymore and ended up putting a new engine in with a 75,000 mile warranty..$5,200.00 later it works ok.......Ford should be taking care of this!!!!!!
2008Apr 14
Expedition XLT 4.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 173,379 miles
Driving to church, heard a pop, rattling began underneath the hood. Called road side assistance to have truck towed to the nearest dealership. Spark plug #3 blew out, took two days to repair (helicoil).
2009Feb 16
Expedition XLT 4.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 188,000 miles
Driving a 2003 Ford Expedition, spark plug #2 blows out 10 months later after spark plug #3. This time I was out of town in Carrollton, GA an hour away from my home in Ellenwood, GA. Road side assistance towed the vehicle to the closest dealership and Carrollton, GA. They would not perform the Helicoil repair work, even though it is recommended on the Ford website. They would only replace the head for #2 which gives an estimate of $2700 vs. $700 job. Provided them with the information from the Ford website as to the repair that's recommended. They insist that they would not and have not done any helicoil work, when another service agent said they would the day before. Transferred vehicle to another dealership to have the work down closer to my residence.
2009Jan 31
Expedition 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 120,000 miles
Off to Cosco with the wife and 5 kids in the car, I turned the corner into the parking lot and **POOF** spark plug popped right out breaking the coil. Spark plug hole stripped and now i'm down a car right as I am starting a new job, so I'm having to bum rides to work so I can make enough money to fix the problem that is apparently known about for years now.... it was the #6.... one of the hardest ones to get to, so it's going to cost more... thanks ford!! When can we start up this recall?? any day now? I will not be owning another ford because of this non-recall of a known problem, and I will make sure none of my family doesn't either.
2008Nov 01
Expedition XLT 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 92,000 miles
I was driving my sister and her friends to some haunted house when someone said they wanted McDonald. so being the nice brother i am i slow down and once i do POP with the sputtering of air right after pulled in shut it off didn't bother to pop the hood their cause i knew exactly what it was and which one it was when it got home checked sure enough i was right #6 cylinder plug shot out the head this problem should defiantly be recalled
2007Nov 01
Expedition XLT 4.6L
- Automatic transmission
- 66,000 miles
While I was 8 months pregnant I was driving to work in my Expedition, and as I turned a corner I heard a loud POP followed by a rattling sound. I immediately pulled to the side of the road and popped the hood to see if I could identify the problem. I noticed that a spark plug had ejected from the cylinder head, and of course this being the one day I forgot my cell phone, I walked approx 1/2 mile to work to call a tow truck. Thinking my vehicle was under warranty since I had purchased it less than 3 months prior, I took it to the shop that the dealer recommended. Unfortunately this problem was not covered by my warranty, so the mechanic explained that there was 2 ways to fix this problem. One was to replace the entire cylinder head, which would guarantee the problem to be fixed, or I could take the more economical route and use a Heli Coil to replace the Spark Plugs. Since the second option was around $4700 cheaper I opted for that, even though I was warned that this was more like putting a band aid on the problem. The Mechanic also informed me that this was a very common problem with ford, and they knew of this, but were not choosing to do anything about it. I think this should definitely be a recall!!
2007Jan 23
(reported on)Expedition Eddie Bauer 5.4L
- Automatic transmission
- 93,000 miles
My wife was about to depart on a road trip consisting of several hundred miles on a lonely highway with my young daughter. Just as she was leaving she heard a loud pop and then the engine began surging. Luckily she was not far from home and was able to make it back. She took her commuter car on the trip instead. The problem was, and still is, the # 6 cylinder spark plug became dislodged from the head causing the # 6 cylinder to misfire. The vehicle is out of warranty but Ford should provide a good faith warranty since this is not an isolated incident. There was a petition started to implement a recall but it was denied. I was a pretty big fan of Fords and own another (2003 F150 Harley-Davidson). I was considering a Mustang GT but have changed my mind. I will probably have to go back to Japanese cars and trucks. They are more dependable and have better warranties and recall programs.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
2011Jul 21
Expedition XLT 4.6L V8
On my first real family vacation since retiring from the Army in 2008. Had my wife, son, Mom and her boyfriend in the truck going to Seaside Heights, NJ for a Tomatoe Pie (24" round, OMG). Just as we were pulling into town I hear a super loud pop and my truck sounding like the muffler fell off. Couldn't figure it out then so we continued into town and had our tomato pie. Took it to a Ford dealership the next morning thinking it will cost a few hundred bucks to replace a plug and coil. A day later, when I called the dealership to find out what the hold up was, he said the engine had to be replaced, a piece of metal from the plug got into the engine and it had to be replaced. I was 600 miles from home and did not know if I could drive the truck home without breaking down again. A week later the truck was finally done. (I had to call the dealership every day to get an update, thats sad). $6,500 later we are on our way. Now I am having problems with the ignition, a local Auto Zone guy told me to google the problem and low and behold I find this site and read over 35 people had the same problem. Now I am pissed. Did I have to spend $6,500 or could they have informed me of the known problem? I went there thinking I would have to buy a new vehicle, but $6,500 is a lot less than $52,000. I agree with everyone on here that if Ford knows, and we know they do, they should have recalled the engines or agree to pay for 75% of the repairs. My family gave me this vehicle after my brother (owner) passed away. I keep it going in his memory. Now I am at a lost for words and thought.
Shawn M.
Jonesborough, TN, USA
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