Print this page

10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
16,167 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1997 Ford Expedition accessories - exterior problems

accessories - exterior problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 1997 Ford Expedition:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

1997 Ford Expedition Owner Comments

problem #18

Oct 172007

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 1997 Ford Expedition. While exiting the vehicle the driver side door closed abruptly without intention. Consequently the driver sustained moderate injury to the head, and the eye area was also heavily bruised. The ambulance was not called to the scene. The vehicle has not been inspected for the malfunction at this time. The failure and current mileages were unknown. The VIN was unavailable.

- Running Springs, CA, USA

problem #17

May 012008

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Letter from congressman on behalf of constituent, regarding a safety defect with child safety locks on the rear door of his 1997 and 2000 Ford Expedition. The consumer owns the 1997 Ford Expedition and his wife owns the 2000 Ford Expedition. The consumer stated on both vehicles, after 3 or 4 operations of the rear door inside inside handles, the child safety locks will gradually move themselves from the off position to the on position. The next passenger that occpies the rear seat, who attempts to open the rear door will be locked inside until someone opens the rear door from the outside.

- Washington, DC, USA

problem #16

Apr 011998

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 5,000 miles
- the contact stated that the 1997 Ford Expedition XLT had a number of problems with the child safety locks. When he put someone in the back seat the safety locks engaged and the passenger could not open the door. The contact spoke to the dealership, and stated that they he should have the locks replaced at his own cost. The contact felt this was safety problem, if a crash occurred the back passengers could notb get out of the vehicle on his own. The current mileage was 10500, and the failure mileage was 105000. Updated 03/19/07.

- Manassa, VA, USA

problem #15

Jan 012004

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Child safety locks on both rear doors automatically engage after the door is shut, or the car is driven for several miles. Sometimes the switch is hard to flip back to unlock without jiggling the outside door handle. I have made sure both switches were secure in the unlock position before passengers rode in the back, only to have the doors automatically lock while on our way to our destination. Very hazardous in an emergency.

- Pahrump, NV, USA

problem #14

Mar 022006

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 90,000 miles
: the contact stated the child safety locks on the rear doors engaged themselves. The contact must exit the vehicle and open the doors for passengers. The dealership repaired the problem, but it is occurring again.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #13

Jun 012001

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 48,000 miles
The rear passenger door child safet locks engage automatically. The switch will drop into child safet lock position on its own. I have read through many other complaints posted to this web site of similar story. The passenger either has to put the window down to open door from grabbing outside handle or wait for another passenger to open the door from the outside. This can be cause for concern to passengers locked in the vehicle during accidents. Child safety locking mechanism should be replaced. Had this replaced once under extended warranty to only have it fail again. Currently lodging the switch in place to keep it in from falling into place automatically.

- Avon, OH, USA

problem #12

Mar 012003

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 98,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Child safety locks engage locking passenger into vehicle. Passenger is not able to exit vehicle without someone opening the door. Locks are set manually however even if they are set to off, once the door is closed it locks itself. It happened on both doors equipted with child safety locks. First on one side, then on the other.

- Mokena, IL, USA

problem #11

Apr 242004

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
(reference complaint 10014138). 1997 Ford Expedition, 4X4, 4.6L. Rear passenger door child locks automaticly set, on a random basis, not allowing the rear passengers to exit the vehicle on there own. This could pose an extreme safety hazard in an accident situation or any time a person might need to exit the vehicle in an emergency. Is there a resolution to this problem? the number of failures is countless.

- Hillsboro, OR, USA

problem #10

Apr 152002

Expedition 8-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 50,000 miles
While in the vehicle the consumer could not open the rear doors from the inside although the child safety locks were not engaged. The dealership had been notified. Both of the rear doors could be locked from the inside without the child lock being manually engaged. The rear doors were opened with normal use and was an intermittent problem.

- Murray, UT, USA

problem #9

Jan 022000

Expedition

  • miles
On my 1997 Ford Expedition, the child locks on both rear doors activate on their own. This started a couple of years ago on one door, but has gotten progressively worse such that 70-80 percent of the time the child locks on both doors will activate while driving and people cannot exit the second seat without someone opening the door from the outside. Once the door is opened, the child lock lever can be set to the non-lock position, but upon driving the car again, the locks activate. This is a severe safety problem, and by reviewing the NHTSA website and talking to other Expedition owners, it is a very common occurrence in this model.

- Thousand Oaks, CA, USA

problem #8

Nov 032001

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The child safety seat locks in vehicle are defected says dealer. Consumer states' the only way the rear passenger can exit vehicle is to stick hand out of the window and unlock.

- Clovis, CA, USA

problem #7

Nov 122001

Expedition 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Door ajar and overhead lights come on and stay on approximately 10 minutes after vehicle has started without any doors being opened. The light is illuminated all the time and consumers daughter nearly fell out of the car when the door wasn't shut. The light was ignored because it is on all the time.

- Billings, MT, USA

problem #6

Jun 172001

Expedition

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Child protection safety lock on the door would slip down inside, after the door has been opened several times a day. This would cause the passenger in the rear not to be able to exit unless the door was opened from the outside. Dealership informed owners that nothing could be done.*akjlg

- Long Beach, MS, USA

problem #5

May 012002

(reported on)

Expedition

  • miles
Consumer states the child safety locks on rear doors of vehicle locks by themselves where no one get out. Dealer contacted please add VIN.

- Billings, MT, USA

problem #4

Feb 022001

Expedition 4WD

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Child safety lock would engage by itself and cause doors not to open from either side. Dealer notified, and made repairs. The consumer states that not to be able to open both rear doors from inside is a big safety issue.

- Burley, ID, USA

problem #3

Oct 101998

Expedition

  • miles
Rear door child locks on both sides set themselves to lock position, the doors can not be opened from inside the vehicle.

- Scottsdale, AZ, USA

problem #2

Jun 012000

Expedition

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Rear doors keep going into child's lock mode. The rear passenger door locks in automaticaly and pauses danger during emergency.

- Indianola, MS, USA

problem #1

Feb 011999

Expedition

  • Automatic transmission
  • miles
Child safety latch locks by itself. Nlm

- Lakeside, CA, USA

Not what you are looking for?