Problems · by component

2001 Ford Expedition visibility problems

42 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2001 Ford Expedition cite visibility, 7% of all 609 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
42
7% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
1
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the visibility

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WOULD ILLUMINATE SUDDENLY WITHOUT WARRANT, THE RADIO WOULD ENGAGE INDEPENDENTLY, AND THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD ACTIVATE WITHOUT THE KEYS BEING IN THE IGNITION. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS WOULD NOT ENGAGE WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT WATER WAS LEAKING INTO THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD AND THE WINDSHIELD WOULD NEED REPLACING. THE WINDSHIELD WAS REPLACED YET THE FAILURE PERSISTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE OR DIAGNOSE WHERE THE LEAK WAS COMING FROM. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY COULD OFFER NO ASSISTANCE WITHOUT AN ACCURATE DIAGNOSIS. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 98,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 121,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 27, 2010Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10362595
“LEAKING WINDSHIELD CAUSING DIFFERENT SYSTEMS TO ACT UNPREDICTABLY. CURRENTLY AC BLOWER FAN CIRCUIT BLOWN (FIXED 4X), CRUISE CONTROL DEAD AFTER INTERMITTENTLY WORKING (HIGH POTENTIAL OF FATALITY IF ACCELERATION OUT OF CONTROL). RADIO COMES ON AN OFF. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ON CONTINUOUSLY. NUMEROUS CODES SHOWING UP EVEN AFTER DELETING. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN OCCURRING FOR YEARS ( AT LEAST 4 YEARS). THE WINDSHIELD HAS TO BE REPLACED AS PER TECHNICIAN BUT I STRONGLY FEEL THAT FORD SHOULD JUST PLUG THE LEAK FOR ALL THE EXPEDITIONS AND NAVIGATORS BEING AFFECTED BY THIS. OTHERS HAVE HAD MORE SERIOUS PROBLEM - WINDOWS OPENING AND CLOSING AUTOMATICALLY (NO USER ACTION). *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 6, 2010Electrical system, Visibility, Vehicle speed controlODI 10341566
“DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW ACTUATOR FAILED CAUSING WINDOW TO SUDDENLY DROP INTO DOOR WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS IN 25 DEGREE WEATHER. THIS IS MY FIRST OCCURRENCE WITH THIS HAPPENING (BUT I JUST BOUGHT THIS USED TRUCK LESS THAN A WEEK AGO) BUT IN DOING RESEARCH IT APPEARS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM RESULTING IN NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 24, 2010VisibilityODI 10314006
“WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD IN HEAVY RAIN WHEN WINDSHIELD WIPERS STOPPED WORKING. COULD NOT SEE 2 FEET INFRONT OF ME, SO I WAS FORCED TO PULL OVER ON A BUSY ROAD. PUT THE TRUCK IN PARK, AND WIPERS STARTED WORKING. PUT BACK IN DRIVE AND THEY STOPPED. FINALLY THE RAIN SLOWED ENOUGH FOR ME TO DRIVE WITH OUT THE WIPERS, VERY UNSAFE! WHEN I GOT HOME, I TURNED THE KEY OFF, PULLED THEM OUT OF THE IGNITION AND THE HEATER KEPT RUNNING. I HAD TO TURN IT TO OFF POSITION. LIGHTS ON GAUGE CLUSTER WERE FLICKERING TOO. OPENED DRIVER SIDE DOOR AND RADIO STAYED ON. HAD TO MANUALLY TURN THAT OFF AS WELL. SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING, SO I QUICKLY UNHOOKED THE BATTERY. CAME BACK A COUPLE HOURS LATER, CONNECTED BATTERY, NOW VEHICLE WONT START! WILL TURN OVER, BUT WONT CRANK. DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND THAT THIS IS A VERY COMMON PROBLEM WITH MANY DIFFERENT FORD VEHICLES! PROBLEM IS CAUSED BY A FAULTY WINDSHIELD, ALLOWING WATER TO LEAK INTO THE CAB, BEHIND THE DASH, AND GET WATER ON THE GEM AND FUSEBOX, CREATING CORROSION. THESE PROBLEMS COULD BE VERY UNSAFE! POSSIBLE FIRE FROM ELECTRIC SHORT, POSSIBLE INJURY/DEATH FROM WIPERS QUITTING WHILE DRIVING. FORD SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 22, 2010Electrical system, Visibility, StructureODI 10301857
“I HAVE EXPERIENCED A WINDSHIELD LEAK ON MY 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. THIS HAS LEAD TO UNWANTED ELECTRICAL ACTIVITY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS UNATTENDED. THIS HAS INCLUDED THE RADIO COMING ON OR THE BLOWER MOTOR RUNNING AND EVEN THE STARTER ENGAGING WITH THE KEY REMOVED. I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT A POSSIBLE FIRE! *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 22, 2009Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10277693
“WINDSHIELD LEAKING WATER CAUSING ERRATIC AND UNPREDICTABLE INTERMITTENT ELECTRICAL FAILURES IN A 2001 FORD EXPEDITION. WINDSHIELD WIPER OPERATION IS EFFECTED BY WATER INTRUSION INTO THE FUSE PANEL AND GEM AS STATED IN FORD MOTOR COMPANY ADVISORY. WHEN VEHICLE IS PLACED INTO DRIVE IT OPERATION OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS IS EITHER NON OPERATIONAL OR ONLY OPERATIONAL WHEN VEHICLE IS PLACED BACK INTO PARK. THIS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE WHICH HAS BEEN SWEPT UNDER THE RUG BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY. THIS ISSUE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED BY NUMEROUS COMPLAINT ON THIS WEB SITE ALONE. BUT UNTIL SOMEONE IS INJURED OR KILLED WELL THIS ISSUE COME TO LIGHT AND ACTION TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM WHICH EFFECT MANY FAMILIES THAT USE THESE VEHICLES EVERYDAY RAIN OR SHINE. THESE INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR MORE THAN THREE YEARS. *TR”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 17, 2009Electrical system, VisibilityODI 10262179

Showing 6 of 42 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 13, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Visibility: windshield wiper

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER CARS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, AND LIGHT AND MEDIUM DUTY PICKUP TRUCKS. A SWITCH LOCATED IN THE PLASTIC COVER OF THE WIPER MOTOR GEAR CASE COULD MALFUNCTION AND OVERHEAT, POTENTIALLY RESULTING IN LOSS OF INTERMITTENT WIPER FUNCTION, LOSS OF WIPER PARK FUNCTION, COMPLETE LOSS OF WIPER FUNCTION, OR IGNITION OF THE PLASTIC COVER MATERIAL. SWITCH MALFUNCTION IS MOST LIKELY TO OCCUR WHEN THE INTERMITTENT SETTING OF THE WIPERS IS BEING USED, OR WHEN SNOW OR ICE OBSTRUCTS THE BLADES FROM RETURNING TO THE "PARKED" POSITION AT THE BOTTOM OF THE WINDSHIELD. THESE VEHICLES WERE BUILT AT THE FOLLOWING ASSEMBLY PLANTS: ATLANTA PLANT FROM 2/11/00 THROUGH 7/31/00; CHICAGO PLANT FROM 2/14/00 THROUGH 8/4/00; KANSAS CITY PLANT FROM 2/26/00 TO 9/4/00; KENTUCKY TRUCK PLANT FROM 2/18/00 TO 8/31/00; MICHIGAN TRUCK PLANT FROM 2/23/00 THROUGH 8/3/00; NORFOLK PLANT FROM 2/21/00 THROUGH 7/27/00; WAYNE STAMPING AND ASSEMBLY PLANT FROM 2/25/00 THROUGH 8/15/00; AND WIXOM PLANT FROM 2/15/00 THROUGH 8/8/00.

VisibilityReported Aug 8, 2001NHTSA 01V258000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Nov 13, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.