Ford Expedition 1997–2002
1st generation · UN93 (derived from the PN96 F-150)
NHTSA data through 13 August 20265,514 complaints, 2,507 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 2,507
- Median of reported failures
- 99,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine and its cooling system (14.7%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 65,000 and 133,334 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Expedition 1997–2002 · 2,507 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 129 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 129 complaints (5.1%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 39,000
- 25%
- 65,000
- Median
- 99,000
- 75%
- 133,334
- 90%
- 173,883
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 29 | 1.2% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 12 | 0.5% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 22 | 0.9% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 13 | 0.5% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 21 | 0.8% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 46 | 1.8% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 68 | 2.7% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 50 | 2.0% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 50 | 2.0% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 70 | 2.8% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 64 | 2.6% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 63 | 2.5% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 99 | 3.9% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 105 | 4.2% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 73 | 2.9% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 108 | 4.3% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 95 | 3.8% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 92 | 3.7% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 86 | 3.4% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 98 | 3.9% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 114 | 4.5% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 78 | 3.1% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 111 | 4.4% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 74 | 3.0% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 98 | 3.9% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 68 | 2.7% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 96 | 3.8% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 33 | 1.3% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 56 | 2.2% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 46 | 1.8% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 74 | 3.0% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 43 | 1.7% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 44 | 1.8% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 36 | 1.4% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 32 | 1.3% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 28 | 1.1% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 27 | 1.1% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 19 | 0.8% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 21 | 0.8% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 16 | 0.6% |
| 200,000+ | 129 | 5.1% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
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.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 65,000 and 133,334 miles. The median is 99,000 miles.
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).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 1997–2002 Ford Expedition last?
Half of the failure reports on the 1997–2002 Ford Expedition were filed by 99,000 miles and 90% by 174,000 miles — figures drawn from 2,507 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
129 reports (5.1%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Expedition reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 1997–2002 Expedition: the 3-minute check
Generated from 2,507 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check engine on 1997–2002 cars. 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…
- Check cruise control / electrical on 1997–2002 cars. 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…
- Check suspension. Rear air suspension air spring and compressor leaks causing rear-end sag and compressor burnout.
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 65,000 and 133,000 miles, with a median of 99,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
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.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Expedition 1997–2002
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Tyres545 reports62,00033,000–102,000Tyres: 545 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 33,000 to 102,000 miles.
- Visibility equipment367 reports70,00048,000–98,000Visibility equipment: 367 reports, median 70,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 98,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline329 reports85,00048,000–130,000Transmission and driveline: 329 reports, median 85,000 miles, middle half 48,000 to 130,000 miles.
- Electrical system734 reports97,00066,000–129,000Electrical system: 734 reports, median 97,000 miles, middle half 66,000 to 129,000 miles.
- Suspension450 reports100,00065,000–134,000Suspension: 450 reports, median 100,000 miles, middle half 65,000 to 134,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system811 reports104,00076,000–132,000Engine and its cooling system: 811 reports, median 104,000 miles, middle half 76,000 to 132,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control504 reports109,00072,000–140,000Throttle and speed control: 504 reports, median 109,000 miles, middle half 72,000 to 140,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and its cooling system | 811 | 14.7% | 104,000 | 76,000–132,000 |
| Electrical system | 734 | 13.3% | 97,000 | 66,000–129,000 |
| Tyres | 545 | 9.9% | 62,000 | 33,000–102,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 504 | 9.1% | 109,000 | 72,000–140,000 |
| Suspension | 450 | 8.2% | 100,000 | 65,000–134,000 |
| Visibility equipment | 367 | 6.7% | 70,000 | 48,000–98,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 329 | 6.0% | 85,000 | 48,000–130,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 253 | 4.6% | 80,000 | 52,000–116,000 |
| Steering | 234 | 4.2% | 91,000 | 60,000–134,000 |
| Body structure | 173 | 3.1% | 90,000 | 61,000–130,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Expedition 1997–2002 · 2,507 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 20% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 43% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 65% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 95%: the remaining 5.1% of reports (129) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
20% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Tyres — middle half 33,000–102,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — middle half 48,000–98,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 48,000–130,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 76,000–132,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 66,000–129,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 72,000–140,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 65,000–134,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
43% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 76,000–132,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 66,000–129,000 mi
- Tyres — middle half 33,000–102,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 72,000–140,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 65,000–134,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — middle half 48,000–98,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 48,000–130,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
65% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Tyres — median 62,000 mi
- Visibility equipment — median 70,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 76,000–132,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 66,000–129,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 72,000–140,000 mi
- Suspension — middle half 65,000–134,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 48,000–130,000 mi
Which systems, and when
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 100,000 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.
Differences between model years
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.
Recalls and what they cover
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.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 5,514 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 332 (6.0%)
- Fires
- 679
- Injury reports
- 272
- Fatality reports
- 22
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Engine 1997–2002
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.
Cruise Control / Electrical 1997–2002
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).
Suspension
Rear air suspension air spring and compressor leaks causing rear-end sag and compressor burnout.
By model year
| 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 |
What owners reported
- 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…
1997 · 5,000 miles · Latches and locks
ABS brakes: brakes on '97 Ford expidition often failed due to malfunctioning ABS brakes. Pedal becomes jerky and will not go down. Clunking noise from front. Does not happen consistantly. I have to approach very cautiously to avoid collosions. Every other owner i have talked to has same complaint, yet Ford has no…
1997 · 15,000 miles · Service brakes, air
the contact owns a 1997 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was a defect recall on the cruise control unit in his vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to be serviced for the recall repair. After the repair work was performed, the cruise control device did not operate. The contact stated…
1997 · 29,000 miles · Throttle and speed control
The car is a 1997 Ford Expedition. The front to rear brake line corroded and failed. This happened coasting into my driveway. Even though it is a split system the braking left was minimal. The partition between the front chamber and the back didn't seem to leave enough fluid in the front chamber to allow effective…
1997 · 33,000 miles · Hydraulic brake circuit
Built from 2,507 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page