Bulletins


BulletinBulletin dateReplacement BulletinItem no.SummaryAdded
TIRES
063701/01/200610019384Low tire indicator on - tpms system sensor wake up. *tt03/13/2006
05262401/01/200510018938Vibration diagnosis - tire/wheel runout. *tt01/25/2006
1822810/01/200410010737Tire feathering at low mileage. oasis. various models including 2005 expedition. *tt12/07/2004
1608307/01/2002636281Some vehicles may exhibit a check tire pressure or a tire losing pressure message in the message center. *tt11/07/2002
1602307/01/2002636216Some vehicles may exhibit a feathering of the tread edges on new tires as received from the factory. *tt11/06/2002
TIRES - PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
1741112/01/200310008289Tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) module configuration - service tip. *mj07/26/2004
1762103/01/200410007402Tire pressure monitoring system (tpms) low tire or tire very low message and/or the tpms light on. *tt06/17/2004

Consumer Complaints


Fail datemilesoccurencesPurchase date
TIRES
04/15/2011130000
 Goodyear tire blowout. size: 265/75/17 #1306431
09/04/2010110000
 While traveling at 65mph, we experienced complete tread separation of right rear tire. tire had approximately 60-70% tread left.
05/15/201089000
 Tl* the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated that while driving at speeds of 65 mph, the tread on the rear passenger
05/16/201089628
 We had 2 tires blow out while driving our ford expedition on !-95 in fla almost flip twice the skin of the tires came off during driving at 65 mph tires are continental suv p265/70/r17 damage to the truck as well as lots of expenses for towing and repairs $700.00 dollars plus the towing company put the spare on also a continental 20 minutes later it also blew
10/23/20091070001
 On oct 23 while driving i noticed a thumping noise. upon inspection i discovered the left rear tire had a large bubble sticking out on the inside of the tire between the tread and the sidewall. this is the exact same failure that i experienced on the inside of the right rear tire in aug. in both cases i had been driving for a short period on the interstate and was preparing to rejoin the interstate. i was extremely fortunate that both were discovered prior to an explosive failure and tread separation at high speed on the highway. the first tire the dealer claimed it may of been some sort of impact, which i doubted since the vehicle was mainly used for highway driving. however after this second tire, it is apparent to me that the tire is failing between the tread and sidewall. it appears to be separating where the tread joins the inside belting. *tr
06/22/200968000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the vehicle has continental contitrac suv tires, size p265/70r17. while driving approximately 70 mph, the rear of the vehicle began to shimmy and shake, followed by a clicking noise. the driver inspected the vehicle and noticed that the rear driver's side tire exhibited tread separation. the tire is in the process of being replaced. the dot number was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 68,000.
04/27/20091
 Catastrophic failure and tread separation. belts were rusty upon inspection (immediately following failure). remaining wirecoat showed rust remnants impregnating rubber where the wire previously was. tire showed no signs of imminent failure prior to incident. *tr
05/15/2009730001
 Cracks on 3 of 4 tires. no action taken. *tr
09/21/2008762071
 Driving along highway 50, outside sacramento at about 65mph in the early evening on 9/21/08 when i heard a loud popping sound and the back end of the truck began to swing out of control. i managed to remain in control and get to the edge of the freeway. when i looked at the tire, the tread from the back driver's side tire was totally gone, but the tire was still inflated. the tread had caused quite a bit of damage to my back panel and bumper assembly. *tr
07/18/20081
 I was taking my cousin to the jacksonville airport. i was approximately 25 miles outside of jacksonville when my tire blew out, causing me to loose control of my suv. the suv rollover six or seven times. the tread part of the tire separated from the tire. my air bags did not deploy also. *tr
08/03/20081044771
 1st occurrence was a side wall bulge combination flat in the front right tire. tire was replaced with new. 2nd most recent occurrence (08-03-2008) was a complete tread separation on the front right tire. driving on interstate 10 for approximately 4 hours from phoenix to los angeles. speed was 65mph to maximize gas consumption in the #2 lane. *tr
06/16/2008635041
 Tread separation- continental contitrac suv, p265/70 r17, dot adt6 45ew 2802, 2003 ford expedition, 63,504 miles, all tires had good tread remaining, replaced all tires, left rear quarter panel badly damaged. *tr
11/20/20061
 2nd set of continental contitrac tires on 2003 exp. ford tires continue to go flat on weekly basis. after putting correct lbs of air within 2 days down to less then 10-15lbs 2nd set has been on for less then 18 months. note: 17 inch model it is not listed under tire type note many other complaints regarding tire problem on same model. *tr
09/01/2006112/01/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the vehicle has continental contitrac aw tires (size p27560r17). one year after purchasing the tires, the contact noticed an air bubble on the rear passenger side tire. she returned to the store and exchanged the failed tire. a few months later, she noticed an air bubble on the rear driver side tire. a sales representative from wal-mart stated that the entire batch of tires was defective. the contact replaced the rear passenger side tire with a goodyear tire. while driving approximately 75 mph, the rear passenger side tire blew out and all of the cables were exposed. the contact believes that the tires are unsafe. the dot number, vin, engine size, # of cylinders, and failure mileage were unknown. the current mileage is 97,000.
06/18/200760620105/29/2007
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving 45 mph, the bridgestone dueler at 840 tire blew out on the rear passenger side. the tire began to smoke and melt. the contact is currently driving on the spare tire. the dealer was notified and advised her to call the tire manufacturer. bridgestone stated that they will not repair or replace the tire. the tire size is p265/70r17. currently, the tire is still not repaired. the contact has photos available. the fuel system, powertrain, and dot number were unknown. the current mileage is 60,625 and failure mileage was 60,620.
07/13/2005110/01/2003
 Dt: contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the contact stated while driving he noticed a slight vibration around 72 mph. the dealership could not verify that this was happening. the consumer did have the tires rotated and the vehicle realigned. the contact's wife was driving and the vibration was so bad that it did cause injury to her wrists. about 6-8 months later there was had a defective tire on the rear passenger's side, but this had been rotated from the front. the service invoice stated that the tire has hop-in-tire, and was out of round. the tire manufacturer stated if it was a defect in the tire. they would not replace or reimburse the consumer because there were too many miles on the tire. *ak *nm
06/01/2003500705/22/2003
 My expedition is a 1yr and 5 months. with less than 500 miles paid for a front end alignment and tire rotation, because of bad vibration at speeds of 60-70 miles an hour. still had vibration, took it back to dealer, they said the truck came with tires out of balance. still had vibration, took it back to dealership, a box dealing with the steering wheel had to be replaced. since then i have paid for another front end alignment and tire balance, now tires have worn so bad dealership will probably blame worn tires for the vibration. there is more!!! the seal on the front windshield came loose and started leaking, and had to be replaced. in the front defrost vent some foam stuff had come loose and would flap around when the vent was on, the dealership called it ( packing) it was replaced or glued back down. the side trim on both sides from the two front doors, to the two rear doors faded badly, and had to be replaced. the dome light had a pinched wire and would flicker when turned on or hit a bump, it was repaired. the power window swith light, driver side went out, and the unit had to be replaced, and now the cruise control will not stay engaged when i hit a bump most of this happened in under a year. *ak
07/19/2004160002
 There was excessive tread wear and exposed steel belts on the left front tire. the front right tire showed exactly the same signs. had to purchase two new tires after 16k miles.*ak
06/22/20042
 This is to let you know about a potentially dangerous problem with the continental contitrac tr tires that came standard on the 2003 ford expedition. the following is a copy of an email that i sent to the continental customer service department. i think that has all of the information you will need to start looking into this problem. please feel free to call me with any questions since i think this is a very important issue. you have a length of only 2000 words and my message to them is too long so please contact me for the rest of the message. dear rashida, (or whomever else sees this message) i thank you for your help and concern this morning. i have some interesting news. i think it is quite astounding and will warrant some major attention from the powers that be. not only is the damage to my tires a manufacturer defect but the damage is in all of my tires, including one that was replaced about 6 months ago. the other original that had to be replaced may have had the same problem since it had a gash in the side that caused it to go flat. after talking with you i happened to mention my problem to a neighbor who asked me to have her husband look at it. as it turns out he had been a plant supervisor for kelley-springfield tires before moving up to this area. he knows all about tire manufacturing and testing. he took one look at my tire and said there is no way that was caused by a razor, that is a defect and it is bad news. he told me to let whomever i talked to know that the tire is separating where the apex meets the sidewall. he went into a bit more technical description but i am not an expert so i can't accurately relay what he said. he said it is a major safety issue and he bets that a major recall will be occurring, hopefully before anything tragic occurs. he is not an overly excitable man but he probably told me about 10 times to get the tires off of my car.*ak
01/27/20041450001
 Continental tires, size p265/70r15; while driving at 30 mph rear driver's side tire blew out. *ak
10/01/2003200109/30/2003
 After 200 miles i noticed a vibration in the drivers seat, floorboards, and steering wheel. i have continental contitrac 17 inch tires. ford tried force aligning the tires. ford motor co. and dealer says if i want a better ride i need to buy new tires. i fought them on this and they bought me brand new bf goodrich long trail tires. i still have vibration. i feel that this proves it is the expedition and not the tires. i will never buy another ford! *cb
12/19/20031
 2003 expedition shakes while traveling, with the shake/vibration increasing as speed increases, and becomes severe. have had to dealership 3 times now, but continues. in searching online, this is a common issue, and appears to be linked to the continental tires. between the shake in the vehicle and unknown what is occurring to tires as the vehicle travels and shakes, i would think there is a risk of damage to the tires that could result in injury to the occupants. ford seems to be shirking the issue, which seems strange to me based on the issues they experienced with tires and the explorer.*ak
30212/13/2002
 When driving 70 mph or higher steering wheel and the vehicle shook excessively, causing the vehicle to become unstable. dealer has replaced the tires twice, and replaced the steering gear box. however problem recurred. dealer indicated to the consumer that it could not be fixed. *ak
5000102/17/2003
 The traction on all four tires were not good while driving in the rain. *nlm *scc *jb
11/20/2002730311/01/2002
 While traveling at 65 to 70 mph, the vehicle developed a vibration. the dealer stated that the cause is bad tires. scc
109/11/2002
 There was excessive tread wear and exposed steel belts on the left front tire. the spare tire showed exactly the same signs. the rear tire on the drivers side blew out along with side wall separation about 18 inches long. there were no obvious or unusual tread wear on this tire, consumer states the spare tire also exhibited the signs. *jg
11/02/2002106/01/2002
 While traveling at 62-65 mph on dry, smooth pavement the right rear tire suffered a sudden sidewall blowout. both the inside and outside walls were totally destroyed. i have digital photographic documentation if you are interested. luckily it was a rear tire and not a front tire at that speed. the car has less than 8000 miles on it and had just been serviced by the dealership within the last 3 weeks and all tires were properly inflated. my concern at this time is the structural integrity of the other three tires and the safety of my family while traveling on these tires. if this tire has a history of similar incidents please add this accident to it... if not please start a new file and track potential manufacturer's problems. dt
TIRES - BEAD
10/22/20036400107/01/2003
 My new 2003 ford expidition suv pruchased late june o3, two tires rf anf rr coming apart at 6,400 miles! tires are continental 17 factory new install! i noticed a virbration at 60+ mph 1st day with this suv, advised dealer! dealer re-balanced all tires. problem continued! dealer sent tries to shop for weight road balance?! problem still cont.! on 10/22/03 rf and rr tires spliting on sidewalls around beeds!! photos talken. ford and continental tire advised. continental stated they will replace two tires only at no cost to me, as of this report vehice still at delership waiting for arrival of new tires. ford and continental state they will have defective tires shipped from dealer to them for exam!ord expedition, 2003.- vin # 1fmpui6l13lc18814- *ak dealer: berglund ford, 834 east main st. salem va, 24153 owner: glenn edmonson
TIRES - SIDEWALL
01/10/200638000111/15/2002
 Running about 50 mph and sidewall blew out on tire continental tire. *jb
10/01/2004107/01/2002
 The continental contratrac 265/70r17 tires on my 2003 ford expedition have stress cracks on the sidewalls. so far, three out of four. have 25,000 miles on it. am now going back and forth between continental, the ford dealer, and tire dealer. continental does not seem to want to consider this a defect. however, my son's expedition-identical and purchased same day as mine, now has one tire doing same thing. *ak
10/11/20037000107/21/2003
 Right rear continental conitrac tire on 2003 ford expedtion blew at highway speed(65-67mph). highway condtions were normal. ford dealer examined tire and could find no foregin object to cause sidewall blowout. they sent it to the manufacturer, who determined same thing. ford/dealer reimbursed me for the new tire, but did not do anything about the other 3, which those tires concern me that they may blow at any time. *ak
210001
 The passenger's front tire sidewall blew out at 55 mph. the driver temporarily lost control of vehicle but was able to gain it back. *ak
05/12/2003101/31/2003
 Tire is flaking on side wall, the white wall is showing through. continental tires. 2003 expedition. *jb
07/15/200318500109/17/2002
 Side mirrors do not return to original position after backing up. too much brake dust and wear. tires had to be replaced at 20,000 miles for sidewall degradation.*ak
05/18/20034521112/29/2002
 Continental contitrac tr - p265-70r-17 sidewall came completely apart and almost caused a tragedy. my family is not safe with these tires on my new expedition - found out continental had a recall in 2002 and wanted to let you know of another problem - ford would not replace my tires - only the one that could have killed my family. there is no damage to the tread - the tire just completely seperated in 2 pieces. i would like to send a picture if possible, and would give you the tires for testing.
11/02/20027964106/01/2002
 While traveling on smooth dry pavement, the right rear tire suddenly exploded. both the inside and outside sidewalls were blown out. this was a new original equipment tire with less than 8000 miles on it. the car had just been serviced by the dealership within the last three weeks and all tires were properly inflated. ph *nlm **dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut over to artemis**769301
04/11/20031
 While stopped at a traffic light, the passenger rear tire experienced a blowout at the sidewall. *jb
106/01/2002
 Consumer experienced a sidewall blow out on the rear tire. (continental tires conti trac tr p265/70r17 adt6456w1002 dk7354136079). mr *jb
TIRES - TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
04/18/2009
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the driver observed that the trailer tire apparatus was not secured and was hanging off of the vehicle after driving 135 miles. the risk of a crash was increased due to the hanging tire. the dealer was notified. the tire holder was a hall-master, part number 93341. the contact stated that harborfreight.com sells the same product as part number 93341-0zga. the vin and mileages were unknown.
TIRES - TREAD/BELT
05/28/20091260001
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the vehicle has continental contitrac tr tires, size p265/70 r17. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a loud noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. from the driver's side rearview mirror, he noticed a large portion of the rear driver's side tire separating. the contact pulled the vehicle off the road and noticed the tread of the tire in the middle of the roadway. roadside assistance arrived and replaced the tire. the contact called the manufacturer of the tires and is waiting on some paperwork. he believes that a recall should be issued. the failure mileage was 126,000. updated 07/28/09 *bf updated 07/30/09.*jb
06/05/2006360003
 Three of the four original tires on my 2003 ford expedition have had a tread separation failure. the first occurred june 2006 at approximately 36,000 miles. this tire was replaced pro rata at the ford dealership. the second occurred fall of 2007 at 48,000 miles and was also replaced pro rata at the dealership. now a 3rd tire has failed, feb 2008 at approximately 52,000 miles. *tr
01/01/19011
 2003 ford expedition with tire failure. consumer states that he saw a piece of his tire bounce off the pavement behind his vehicle. the tread had separated from the rest of the tire. pictures attached. *kb the consumer stated the tire was still inflated. as the consumer continued to drive, the rest of the tread came off and blew out which caused damaged to the vehicle. the consumer stated the tire had a slow leak because of a nail and was repaired 1 year ago, and there had been no problems until this incident. ( continental conti trac tires). *jb
07/01/200740000101/01/2003
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. the vehicle has continental contitrac tires, size lt275/65r18. while driving 65 mph, the contact heard a loud noise. the contact looked in the rear view mirror and noticed that the tread separated from the passenger side rear tire. he attempted to drive to a fuel station when the tire completely blew out. the failure bent the fender of the vehicle. the tire has since been repaired. the dot number was unknown. the current and failure mileages were 40,000.
05/03/200750000211/26/2006
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving approximately 50 mph in dry conditions, both rear tires lost their tread. the contact was able to avoid a crash, but the vehicle sustained damage from the tread separation. the tire shop stated that the failure was normal. on june 5, 2007, the contact experienced the same tire failure with the rear replacement tires. the driving speed and road conditions were also the same. the tires were continental contitrac aw (p27560r17), which were recalled under notice # 02t012000 (tires:tread/belt) on november 21, 2005. the contact has pictures along with the tire to send. the current and failure mileages were 50,000. the consumer provided a copy of the estimate for repairs, multiple pictures of the problematic tires, and also a copy of the recall for pertaining to the defect of the tires. updated 08/06/07 *tr
03/13/200740000109/23/2003
 On march 13, 2007, our 2003 ford expedition had a tread separation tire failure. we were pulling a travel trailer and both vehicles rolled over twice. the tires were original equipment continental tires. two of the four passengers were injured enough to require emergency room treatment. one was airlifted to the hospital, the other driven to the hospital. both were treated nad released the same day. continental tires are dangerous and should not have been on this vehicle based on the tire recalls that have occurrred. i was unaware of any safety problems with continental tires.*ak
11/23/200653070102/21/2005
 Ford expedition 2003 xlt, 53700 miles, continental contitrac suv tires, tread separation on left rear tire, damage to the wheel well area, replaced all 5 orig. tires with michelin tires for about $1.000.00, kept all tires. managed to stop car before roll over. no recall received from ford. what should i do?*jb
10/20/2005103/11/2005
 Dt: the contact stated the driver's side rear tire came apart on the tread. this happened while driving on the interstate at 70 mph. it pulled off the bottom part of the truck, and did damage to the bumper and paint damage to the door. the vehicle was pulled over and a mechanic had to be called to change the tire. the tire still had air, just the tread was coming off. the tire was taken to the dealership, but they state it was not covered under the warranty. *ak
05/13/200523000108/15/2002
 Only one of 4 original equipment tires on a 2003 ford expedition had execssive and unsafe wear ( feathering) on the inside tread of a tire after 23,000 miles . the tires were rotated every 4000 miles. manufacturer refused to adjust the tire. ford refused to adjust the tire. photos avaialable upon request.
04/25/2005109/15/2003
 Tread separation of low mileage continental tr 265/70/ 17 suv tires- no accident occured, problem noted by ford service dept during servicing. *ak
04/20/20058
 Since we have owned this 2003 expedition we have had the windshield replaced due to noise and loose stripping, then, the contracting person put in the wrong years windshield. the emissions canister was cracked and was replaced. the muffler would pop after turning off the engine, but couldn't be fixed until verified by ford. i waited for 3-4 hours one day with 3 children while they let my car run and shut off. we finally called ahead, and had them wait outside on us until we killed the engine to hear it pop. it was a poor muffler weld and was repaired. the side molding rattled badly, and was terribly faded, and that was replaced. the door gets a lot of wind noise , and a whistle in the window. they said window passed the dollar bill test and was fine but it still whistles. they, put a clear strip along inside of door to help noise. it doesn't. then ,the rear continental tire had such horrible, uneven wear, it was extremely dangerous. bought new tires for $600. then rear differential malfunctioned, and would make a grinding on turning left or right. they fixed that in march 2005, and it just started doing it again. now, there is a strange noise when revving the engine to drive coming from under the hood. it is going in tomorrow for the noise and the rear differential. on top of all the repairs, we have had a squeaky brake issue. also, they have said they were good. they just get a lot of brake dust, just sand them. our side windows shimmies all the time. ! i did invest in an extended warranty!. *ak
11/24/200420000111/17/2003
 I bought a 2003 ford expedition. i have been having problems w/ the ride, only to be told by the dealer that the only fix is to replace all of the tires. i only have 20000 miles (almost all highway) on the tires, with good tread depth. according to the technician they've had tons of problems with the continental contitrac suv tires. if this is the case, why isn't there a recall? this vehicle is very hard to steer with the tire problem, and it shouldn't be the consumer that pays for these flaws.*ak
TIRES - VALVE
01/23/200933000
 Tl*the contact owns a 2003 ford expedition. while driving approximately 45 mph, the rear passenger side tire suddenly lost tire pressure. several weeks later, the contact experienced an identical failure with the front driver's side tire. a local technician identified the valve stem as being the cause of the failure and they made the replacement. afterwards, the failure recurred. she took the vehicle to another dealer and they stated that the new set of valve stems were corroded and defective. she currently has possession of the valve stems. the valve stem information was unknown. the failure and current mileages were 33,000.