Subject: 
2003 Ford Expedition story


Wed, 27 Oct 2004 09:49:53 -0700 (PDT)
Date:    




Todd
 
I saw your site and would love to have my story added.  It is still an ongoing saga.
 
On Saturday, Oct 2nd my 2003 XLT Expedition with 10K miles rolled out of my driveway and across the street into my neighbors car and house.  It was in park with the emergency brake set and had been sitting in the driveway for about 15-20 mins!!!  I had just returned from an errand, sat in the vehicle for a few minutes cleaning some trash out of it because my husband and son were going to take it to the deer woods.  I had gone back out to the vehicle 2 times putting snacks in it for them. I came back inside, put everything away, went to my bedroom at the other end of the house, came back to the garage to empty a bathroom trash can, come back in and then I hear the most horrible groaning screeching metal sound.  I instinctively ducked because I thought something was about to crash on top of me!!  I looked out into the garage trying to figure out what was happening to see my truck start to roll down our VERY steep driveway.  We took photos as well as video and had it documented in the
 police report that it was in park with the emergency/park brake set.  Of course, Ford can find nothing wrong with it.  It must surely be do to my neglect.  I must not have gotten it all the way in park and set the parking brake fully.  Ok, I've only be parking my other 7 GM products on this hill for 13 years and not a damn one of those ever rolled out of the driveway!!  Anyway, I got my truck back on the 21st and immediately come home and tested the emergency brake.  Do you think it held???  Nope.  I pulled in set the brake and put the truck in neutral.  Down the hill we go.  Pull up again, put the truck in reverse, set the brake.  Down the hill we go.  So back to the Ford dealership I go.  Well guess what.  The parking brake won't hold on a 45 degree angle and there is nothing they can do.  It will keep the truck from rolling forward (only in neutral, put it in drive and it's gone) but not backward.  How screwed up is that?  What the heck is your emergency brake for Ford?  If it
 will stop it from going forward then it should stop it from rolling backwards too.  I got this info from the Service Manager at NorthPoint Ford in Sherwood, AR.  He said on older models he could tighten the brake to help it but newer models there was nothing he could do.  How on earth are these vehicles making it thru safety testing?  I'm sure there are millions of others who, like me, are counting on their emergency brakes.  All I can say is you better test it before you trust it.  It is now up to us to have our transmission and rear end torn down to see if they can find a problem.  $750 dollars out of our pockets.  Ford won't do anything because they can't get it to repeat the problem.  They tested it on an incline that is maybe 1/4 of the grade of our driveway.  I've had the truck in the shop in Jan for it jumping on me in park before on a smaller incline.  Of course, Ford can't find a problem.  It's also been in the shop before for rear end work.  This was my first Ford purchase
 and it will be my last!!!!!
 
Best regards,
Beth McElroy
NLR, AR