Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 1999 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Spare tire fell off. The tiny (1/8") steel cable that held spare in place under the truck body failed allowing huge spare tire to drop to road. Fortunately, this happen as I was pulling into driveway after a 2000 mile trip. Had this occurred on i95 in 75mph / bumper-to-bumper traffic, it would have been a disaster for the following vehicles. A web search shows that this is not uncommon and should the subject of a safety recall.
Tl contact owns a 1999 Ford Expedition equipped with Firestone wilderness p265/70/r16 dot8x72 tires. The contact stated that the drivers side rear tire blew out while driving 65 MPH, causing the vehicle to crash into a cement divider. The contact suffered injuries to the face and mouth. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileages were 127,000.
Dt: the vehicle does not start when there it rains, snows or any water relating issues. Also, causes other electrical problems. Dealer keeps replacing the computer, which never last. Dealership replaced the windshield, and that did not fix the problem. Ford has been contacted by the owner. Ford recommended that the owner try another dealership. The owner has been to more than one dealership to try to fix the problem, and they could not figure out the problem either. The vehicle has been in the shop over these issues between 6-12 times, and now the dealership will not even give the owner an invoice. Owner has spent about $4,000.00 over 8 months on trying to fix this problem. This owner is not satisfied with the dealership or Ford. The water problems have been going on for two years. The wheel came off last year in July. …
1999 Expedition xlt 4wd w/17" steel wheels. While traveling on a well graded gravel road, about 35mph the ride suddenly became shuddering, like a tire was going flat. As I was slowing to stop & check it, but while still travelling about 20-25 MPH, there was a sudden thumping thud, and the right rear corner of the vehicle dropped, as if the tire had failed, accompanied by immediate loss of speed. Upon stopping & exiting to change the tire, I found that the right rear tire & wheel were completely missing, and the vehicle was resting on the brake rotor. Upon closer inspection, there were no lug bolts upon which to mount the spare. I found the tire & wheel off the side of the road, fully inflated; and also found the hubcap & all of the lug nuts strewn along the roadway. The nuts had the sheared off/broken stubs of the lug studs still attached to them. …
I work at a tire store and have seen on numerous occasions, lug studs snapping with torque wrench use of 100 psi. On Ford and Lincoln trucks and SUV's. It is only happening to the ones with 10 mm lug studs. The metal on the inside of the stud has varying shades of grey in it. It looks like the metal is not the same all the way through. Once the stud snaps, the nut can be screwed off by hand and is not cross threaded. When trying to torque them, the nut keeps turning until the stud snaps. We have done this using different impact guns and torque wrenches on a minimum of 15 vehicles with any where from 1 to 8 studs snapping. The customers think we are breaking them from incompetence. Ford recalled studs from 1997 to 1998. I have seen it on 1999 and 2000 models with 10 mm studs. When I send them to the dealer on the later models, they are told it is not covered.
I own a 1999 Ford Expedition. I was driving home when I heard a bump in the back of my vehicle. I looked in the rear view mirror to see my spare tire bouncing off another vehicle and rolling down the street. If I had been going at a faster rate of speed, someone could have been seriously injured if not killed. I stopped to retrieve the tire when I noticed that the cable holding the tire had just snapped. After a little research on the internet I have discovered that this is not an isolated incident. When I called the dealer to see if there had been a recall they said there had not, but they could sell me a replacement for $78. This is not just about money, it's about a known problem that Ford needs to fix. As I said before, "someone can be seriously injured by this problem". Can you look into this problem? Thanks.
Towing boat with the Expedition. Back left rear wheel ran off. Contacted the dealership where I purchase Expedition. Wanted no part of what I had to say. They were contacted three times. Next called Ford @ [phone]. Told them I had been made aware of the recall on the wheels/lugs/nuts/bolts. But I was informed my truck was not included in this recall. I asked why did my truck have all the systoms of the recall. 1) wheel ran off 2) none of the remaining 3 wheels will not torque down tight. My truck is also still under warranty but I was told Ford would not take care of the problem without a fee. I feel Ford is at fault, but they do not want to help.
Pe00 020; consumer was traveling about 50mph on highway while raining, he switched into another lane, and vehicle went out of control. Vehicle had skidded into a enbankment and rolled twice or more. There were injuries and vehicle was totalled. After looking at pictures taken of the vehicle after accident it was noted that driver's side front tire was damaged. It is uncertain if this could have caused the vehicle to lose control or was the result of the accident. The tires in question was a replacement tire a b.f. Goodrich, replaced June 3, 2000 because the original Firestone tires had developed a defect.
There was a passenger in vehicle going 70mph. Driver lost control, vehicle crossed over several lanes, and flipped over 4 times. Landed on wheels & hit guardrail & flipped again. Landed on right side & skidded 92 feet. Upon impact with guardrail, air bags failed to deploy. Child 2 1/2mos. In rear facing seat was thrown from seat as vehicle flipped. Police report indicated hyroplaned on water on highway. Pictures showing front right tire blown & possible rear. Firestone tires on vehicle that was totaled. Occupants suffered minor injuries & treated at emergency room. Child seat cosco model #0273310 dom 06 oct 97.
My Ford Expedition was outfitted a little over 3 years ago with Goodyear wranglers by Ford due to the Firestone tire failure. Recently, while washing the vehicle I noticed failure in the sidewall of the driver's side rear tire. All around the rim approximately 1/2 to 3/4" from the rim there are cracks in the rubber sidewall opening up as the earth does during an earthquake. These are approximately 2-3" long and a little over 1/8" deep so far. This is highly unusual for three year old tires. These will be removed before the next long trip as I will not wait for failure and put my or my family in danger.
Related recalls
Wheels › Lugs/nuts/bolts/studs
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles equipped with four-wheel-drive (4x4), 17" chrome steel wheels. The clamp load can be lost on the wheel lugs due to insufficient wheel contact area with the hub. In some cases, the contact area can deform, resulting in a loss of lug nut torque.
Remedy: Dealers will re-torque the wheel lugs to proper specifications and also install a label that specifies that the wheel lugs be torqued to 110 lb-ft any time the wheel is removed.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 1999 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 201 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 1999 Ford Expedition, 21% of the model year's 946 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (77 mentions).
Is there a recall for 1999 Ford Expedition wheel & tire problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 99V-099 (lugs/nuts/bolts/studs, Apr 29, 1999). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 1999 Ford Expedition wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 102,000 miles, and 15% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 12 crashes, 0 fires and 14 injuries and 1 death to wheels & tires problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.