1st generation · UN93 (derived from the PN96 F-150) · 5,514 complaints, 2,507 with mileage
Owners filed 5,514 complaints with NHTSA about the 1997–2002 Ford Expedition, and 2,507 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
50% of failures occur beyond 100,000 miles — a wear pattern. The car generally reaches substantial mileage before trouble starts.
The most-reported areas are the engine and its cooling system (14.7% of complaints, typically around 104,000 miles), the electrical system (13.3% of complaints, typically around 97,000 miles), the tyres (9.9% of complaints, typically around 62,000 miles).
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 811 | 14.7% | 104,000 | 76,000–132,000 |
| Electrical System | 734 | 13.3% | 97,000 | 66,000–129,000 |
| Tires | 545 | 9.9% | 62,000 | 33,000–102,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 504 | 9.1% | 109,000 | 72,000–140,000 |
| Suspension | 450 | 8.2% | 99,975 | 65,000–134,000 |
| Visibility | 367 | 6.7% | 70,000 | 48,000–98,000 |
| Power Train | 329 | 6.0% | 85,000 | 48,000–130,000 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 253 | 4.6% | 80,000 | 52,400–116,000 |
| Steering | 234 | 4.2% | 91,200 | 59,500–134,000 |
| Structure | 173 | 3.1% | 90,000 | 60,665–130,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1,065 | 291 |
| 1998 | 1,022 | 366 |
| 1999 | 1,137 | 466 |
| 2000 | 1,136 | 574 |
| 2001 | 739 | 492 |
| 2002 | 415 | 318 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 99,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 14.7% of complaints (811 reports, 555 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 104,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 76,000 and 132,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 13.3% of complaints (734 reports, 483 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 97,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 66,000 and 129,000 miles.
The tyres account for 9.9% of complaints (545 reports, 93 of them with a mileage figure), and they fail early — a median of 62,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 33,000 and 102,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 9.1% of complaints (504 reports, 257 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 109,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 72,000 and 140,000 miles.
The suspension accounts for 8.2% of complaints (450 reports, 126 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 99,975 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 65,000 and 134,000 miles.
Visibility equipment accounts for 6.7% of complaints (367 reports, 131 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 70,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 48,000 and 98,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 1999 model year drew the most — 1,137 complaints — while 2002 drew the fewest at 415. The median year sits at 1,043.
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Of the 5,514 complaints filed against this generation, 332 reported a crash; 679 reported a fire; 350 reported an injury; 44 reported a fatality. Crash-involved reports represent 6.0% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, a late-failure pattern shifts the question from whether to when. 50% of reported failures occur beyond 100,000 miles, so an example approaching that figure is approaching the range where other owners started reporting problems. The middle half of all failures falls between 65,000 and 133,334 miles.
On inspection, the engine and its cooling system and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The electrical system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 97,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Two-valve Triton spark plug ejection. The aluminum cylinder head carries only about four threads of engagement; plugs work loose under cylinder pressure and blow out, stripping the head threads and requiring insert repair or head replacement.
Texas Instruments speed control deactivation switch mounted on the master cylinder leaks brake fluid onto energized contacts, overheats and ignites — fires occur with the engine off and key out. Covered by Ford's large speed-control switch recall campaigns (05V-388 and successors).
Rear air suspension air spring and compressor leaks causing rear-end sag and compressor burnout.