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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 3
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
73,325 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.

2005 Ford Expedition electrical problems

electrical problem

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2005 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #52

Mar 012013

Expedition

  • 88,000 miles

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

While driving at 40 mph engine stopped working making brakes and steering fail. Limped off busy road luckily! engine light showed electronic throttle failure. Now check engine light is on. Going to dealers for repair today-since this is an obvious problem for Ford why haven't they addressed it! could be deadly if fails in heavy traffic conditions.

- Cranberry Township, PA, USA

problem #51

Jul 012012

Expedition

  • 119,000 miles
The spark plug broke in the engine costing a lot of money to repair. Now another one is stuck and I cant afford to get it fixed. This could possibly cause fire and create a safety hazard. There are numerous complaints out there and this really needs to be a recall situation.

- Las Vegas, NV, USA

problem #50

Oct 022006

Expedition

  • 10,000 miles
First time it occurred I was traveling to work the car stalled while driving approx. 20 mph and there was no control of the car - was able to move to side of road and restart. Fault on the console was "electronic throttle". has happen approx 4 more times at various speeds and conditions with three different drivers. No problem ever found by dealer. Has happened at high speed on the freeway complete loss of steering and power occurs more concerning it can happen at any time without warning. I find this to be extremely dangerous and a death trap waiting to happen. The last time it occurred when by teenage daughter was driving she was scared to death refusing to drive it home. This reminded me of Toyota prius so I took it upon myself to report my incidents. Looking at the internet I now find it occurs frequently and it is not an isolated case.

- San Jose, CA, USA

problem #49

Nov 122012

Expedition

  • 93,000 miles

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

My 2005 Expedition was traveling at a speed of 40mph when it stopped accelerating and died in traffic while I was taking my kids to school. I couldn't turn the stirring wheel to get off of the road. This is a very dangerous problem and it has happened to me about three or four times. Once it happened when I was pulling out into traffic on a hill thank god no one else was coming.

- Lewisville, AR, USA

problem #48

Jun 192012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 71,000 miles
The air conditioning unit is leaking excessive amounts of water under the carpet and the water is pooling under the rug and flowing into the channel where the wiring harness is located. This wiring harness does not look to be protected from water and it is a mater of time before the insulation on this wire breaks down and shorts out to the frame.

- Herndon, VA, USA

problem #47

Jun 062012

Expedition

  • 102,000 miles
Warning light said electronic throttle control, this is the third time I have almost had a major accident and Ford tells me to call them when I have an accident or the code shows back up. They admit that they are aware of this issue but it must fail completely before it can be replaced under warranty or recall. Also the truck cuts out at 60mph and jerks until you speed up. They advised they are also aware of this problem and come back when it breaks down.

- Grand Prairie, TX, USA

problem #46

Apr 092012

Expedition

  • 120,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2005 Ford Expedition. While driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The engine warning light illuminated on the instrument panel and a warning notification appeared, indicating there was a charging system failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnostic testing and the technician stated the computer had to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #45

Mar 132012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 88,000 miles
I was driving on four lane highway in right lane at 40mph. I noticed the car starting to slow down and when I pressed the gas pedal it did not react and the car continued to slow down. I looked at my gauges on the dash and there were no warning lights and all gauges read normally. I thought I could smell smoke, and the car continued to slow down, and I knew I needed to get off the road as traffic was heavy. As I pulled off the road into the parking lot for the strip mall, the car stalled, lights came on the dash to indicate the car stalled and I was able to stop the car, put it in park and turn the car off. I could smell smoke and I could see smoke going out the car windows from inside the car as I had the windows open a couple of inches. There was no smoke coming from under the hood. I debated whether to call aaa or 911. As the smoke increased I called 911. I then went to the car to get my purse. When I opened the passenger front door the car was filled with smoke and I thought I could see fire in the middle row of seat on the floor. I opened the back door on the passenger side and saw flames shooting up from the floor 6 inches high in the center of the floor. I tried to put out the fire with a snow scraper with the brush end, but I was not successful. I asked the dry cleaning lady if she had a fire extinguisher. It took 30 seconds to get the extinguisher and on my way back to the car, I could see flames under the car and when I opened the back passenger door the fire had spread to the back seat. I was fearful for how fast the fire spread and the smoke prevented me from reaching the fire with the extinguisher. The fire department then arrived and it took them 15-20 minutes to put out the fire as the flames were shooting at least 20 feet into the air. The car was completely engulfed in flames. I have pictures I took with my phone.

- Allison Park, PA, USA

problem #44

Feb 052012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 77,850 miles
I was driving the vehicle and it immediately lost acceleration. An alarm on dash identified the problems as electronic throttle control failure. This was very dangerous and I was lucky no one was following me close. My wife is now scared to drive the vehicle and I don't know what to do. There are many complaints on the web about this issue which I would have thought a recall would be initiated by Ford. I searched and found out that there was no recall on this issue. I called Ford Motor Company and they informed me that I was the first one to complain about this issue. I find that very hard to believe with everything I have read on the website. Anyone one who reads this that has had the problem should call Ford Motor Company and complain. Just go to Ford.com and click on support to get the phone number.

- Katy, TX, USA

problem #43

Jun 102011

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 67,000 miles
Vehicle has been stalling for almost a year. Vehicle shut off on busy highway and towed to nearby repair shop. Mechanic found fuel pump control module completely corroded from behind and circuit board exposed to moisture. The fpcm fried and shorted out one leg of the fuel pump. Both pieces had to be replaced. New fpcm installed was obviously redesigned so module would not suffer this flaw again. I am finding an alarming amount of complaints on the internet of Ford Expedition owner experiencing the exact same problems under more dangerous conditions.

- Sunnyside, NY, USA

problem #42

Oct 312011

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 134,500 miles

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

Traveling along congested city street during morning rush and vehicle looses all power. Instrument cluster lights are all on. Message say "check electronic throttle" I was able to turn the vehicle off and back on twice before the error cleared. I have an appointment at the dealership in the morning. But these other reports don't give me much hope. And I just paid off the note last week.

- Woodbridge, VA, USA

problem #41

Mar 042010

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 101,000 miles
2005 Expedition randomly stalls at various speeds usually around 45 - 50 miles per hour. You have to try to get to the side of the road, stop and give the car a couple of minutes and crank it again. I have taken to Ford dealership and I need a throttle position sensor. It will be $700 to fix. The person that owned the vehicle before me had already replaced this same part. My concern is I spend the $700 and still have the same problem. This is a serious safety issue, I stay in constant fear that it is going to stall at any minute. I can't believe Ford has not recalled this. This is my second Ford but will be my last.

- Stockbridge, GA, USA

problem #40

Jun 152011

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 93,000 miles
Our vehicle is a 2005 Ford Expedition limited. On two occasions this vehicle has unexpedtedly lost all power with the message "check electronic throttle" appearing. On one occassion we were making a left turn on a busy road. When the vehicle lost power we were stuck in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic having to stop suddenly to keep from hitting us broadside. Turning off the ignition and restarting the car made the problem go away. Last week my wife and son were in the vehicle coming to a stop at an intersection. When applying the brake the vehicle suddenly accelerated. My wife had to break hard and narrowly missed hitting the car in front of her. The vehicle was brought to the dealership where I was informed that they will need to replace the throttle body. After resaearching this issue on the internet it appears that both these problems are common with the 2005 Expedition. If this vehicle has not seriously injured or killed someone yet it is amazing and just a matter of time before it happens. I do not understand why this problem is being ignored by Ford!

- Nashville, TN, USA

problem #39

Jun 012011

Expedition

  • 100,000 miles
We wife has a 2005 Ford Expedition, it is used mainly for her to haul our kids to practice and school back and forth. The truck is constantly dying while driving it. The display shows check electronic throttle control". this morning she was taking the kids to school when it died while going through an intersection. I have talked to several different dealers who say they never heard of this problem, but can check it out for $$$$$$ yet I can search the internet and find the same problem happening to these Expedition. My questions is why isn't Ford being responsible and getting these recalled and repaired before someone is killed in these vehicles. Can you imagine driving with your loved ones and loosing full control of your vehicle at anytime.we have experienced the shutdown at all speeds. It is getting worse. Where is the recall Ford"? before someone is killed.........update changed out the tps quess what didn't fix it still doing it..what now Ford?"

- Canton, TX, USA

problem #38

Apr 012008

Expedition

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Expedition. While driving at various speeds, the contact heard a beeping noise and then noticed that the check electronic throttle warning light was illuminated as the vehicle lost power. The failure recurred on four separate occasions. The vehicle was towed to a private mechanic who advised the contact that the electronic control module had failed. He removed the battery terminal, reset the computer, cleared all codes, replaced the throttle position censor, and cleaned the throttle body. The dealer was notified of the previous failures and did not offer any assistance. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The current mileage was 110,000 and the failure mileage was 70,000. The VIN was unavailable. Updated 04/25/11 the consumer stated the problem happened for a second time. Updated 06/20/11

- Cherrysberg, OH, USA

problem #37

Jan 032011

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
Cars shuts off while driving! I have experience this four times at various speeds. The car shuts off and the check electronic throttle control light comes on. Twice have been on the freeway at 65 miles per hour without warning. Both times I was able to start engine by putting it in neutral while driving. Although I would not recommend performing this technique as you may accidentally put the car into reverse and at that speed it could be risky. However, I had no choice because of the lane I was in. As most have mentioned, this is serious problem especially when driving with family in vehicle. My wife will not drive the car because she's afraid...I don't blame her. Ford sells itself as a family oriented company so lets protect our families and fix the problem. These complaints date as far back as 2005. Are they waiting until some of their customers start getting in serious accidents? this is a life threatening problem and needs to be addressed! if they do not want to perform a recall then they should at least tell us how to fix it since their dealers are not.

- Carlsbad, CA, USA

problem #36

Feb 092011

Expedition

  • 125,000 miles
Driving at 45 mph vehicle just turns off and has no power. Hard to steer and brake. Dash says "check electronic throttle control". after pulling over vehicle will restart. This has happened three times now and dealer says there is nothing wrong.

- Glen Allen, VA, USA

problem #35

Jan 252011

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 83,000 miles
I was driving up the highway with my two kids in my car. I was traveling about 40 mph. All of a sudden I hear the beep on my system and it stated that I needed to " check electronic throttle control". I laid off the gas and went thru a light when I attempted to hit the gas again I realized I had no power at all and I was coasting. I got in the turning lane and had to pull in front of a car just so I would not be stuck in the middle of the road where my kids and I would have been in an accident. I waited about 10 minutes and the vehicle fired up. I was in tears trying to make it to my office because I felt like it might happen again. The whole mile it took for me to get there the truck felt like it was going to shut off again. It felt like the truck did not have gas and was riding on fumes. It was shaking and moving slowing. I will not drive it like this and will probably trade it in now. I cannot drive a vehicle that I do not feel is reliable for me and my kids. This is the first time that this has happened and the truck has 83K miles on it. I also had problems with the catalytic converter at 46K miles. My mechanic said that the throttle body could have failed as a result of the catalytic converter not working properly. I might try to fix the problem depending on costs associated with it or might get another vehicle.

- Mansfield, GA, USA

problem #34

Jan 222011

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 92,000 miles
I was traveling w/B on I-96 near the okemos exit when my 2005 Ford Expedition's engine suddenly shut off. A warning stating, "check electronic throttle control" came on. I exited the express way. The engine still ran in idle, but would not run any faster than that. I pulled into a parking lot and shut off the engine. I restarted the vehicle and it began running normally again. Approximately five minutes later, while I was exiting a parking lot, the same thing happened again. This time the engine would not run at all and the power steering stopped working. I restarted the vehicle again and it ran fine. However, the check engine light is now illuminated. I have researched online and have observed that this is a problem for many people. There are forums of complaints about this exact same problem found on countless websites. Furthermore, this is a very dangerous problem. If I would have been traveling through an intersection when this occurred I could have been hit. This Expedition has had many electrical problems including: Turn signal failure, fuel pump module failure, lights and signals randomly not working, wipers randomly not working, etc. I have spent a lot of money repairing these issues. I am fed up with them and I am contacting you today because the electrical issues in this car are finally becoming unsafe. I have also contacted Ford and am waiting for a response. My vehicle only has approximately 92,000 miles on it and is still under an extended powertrain warranty.

- Fowlerville, MI, USA

problem #33

Jan 132011

Expedition 4WD 8-cyl

  • 71,000 miles
This is the fifth incident regarding this vehicle. In each case, the car was traveling at a normal rate of speed under ordinary traffic conditions. Without warning, the car either lost power and shut off suddenly or lost the ability to accelerate and slowed to a stop. In each case the dashboard message center warning "check electronic throttle control" (or something similar) appeared. In each case the driver turned the ignition switch to the off position, waited several minutes, and then started the car. The warning message no longer appeared and the car ran fine without any further immediate incident. In this particular case (incident #5), the car was traveling at approximately 25 mph South on 14th St nw in Washington, DC, when the car lost the ability to accelerate, and the "check electronic throttle control" warning appeared in the dashboard message center. Due to traffic and street parking conditions, the driver was unable to move the car out of the active traffic lane, thereby temporarily blocking traffic. The driver turned off the ignition, waited approximately 3 minutes, and then started the car. The dashboard warning light was no longer illuminated, and the car was able to accelerate normally. Incidents similar to this have been reported on various websites.

- Chevy Chase, MD, USA

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