Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (accelerator pedal, throttle, sudden acceleration, cruise control).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2000 Ford Expedition owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
On [redacted] my 2000 Ford Expedition caught on fire at around 2am. It had not been driven or turned on since [redacted], and was sitting parked that whole time. It was parked in the parking lot of my apartment building, right outside of my unit. I was woken up by a loud pop which I believe was the tire exploding, and the flames were tall enough to see outside my second story bedroom window. My entire apartment building was evacuated by the fire department, and some doors were kicked in by them, including mine. After they put the fire out, the fire inspector looked for two hours to determine a cause and were only able to determine that the fire started under the hood, on the drivers side, close to the dashboard area. …
I have owned a 2000 Ford Expedition for approx. 3 yrs. And on nov. 22, 2017 while my vehicle was sitting in the parking lot at my work(approx. 3hrs) it decided to light itself on fire! I later found out that there had been a recall on the speed control deactivation switch. I have never been notified of this recall and am extremely angry as I have put over $10,000 worth of upgrades to the vehicle. Had I been notified of this recall I would have taken care of it immediately. The recall number is 05V017000 and Ford recall number is 05s28. I have contacted Ford about this and have not had any response. Before I contact an attorney I would like to know if there is anything the NHTSA can do to help? Thank you for your time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Expedition. While the vehicle was undergoing an oil change, the cruise control switch underneath the hood that was connected to the brake master cylinder caught on fire. The contact stated that the ignition was off at the time. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was not filed. The contact, a certified mechanic, stated that there was brake fluid coming out of the cruise control switch. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 201,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2000 Ford Expedition. While stationary, the vehicle erupted into flames. The contact was alerted of the fire by neighbors. The fire department was contacted to extinguish the flames. The vehicle was destroyed. An investigator assessed that the failure was due to a defective cruise control deactivation switch which was related to an unknown manufacturer recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 130,000.
The Ford Expedition model year 2000 was parked in the garage for approximately 3 hours on the evening of February 13,2012. The family went to bed and was awakened around 8:30 pm by a police officer who had kicked the front door of the residence in to inform us our garage was on fire. The smoke had not yet entered the home but some fumes were thought to be coming through the duct system causing us to sleep more deeply. We got out of the house and crossed the street by that time the garage was fully engaged in flames. The metal garage doors melted with the heat. Later when the fire was put out the fire chief did an investigation to say the fire originated in the Ford behind the location of the battery. The insurance company sent out specialists who said it was the speed control module that was the cause of the fire. …
On 07/28/2007 my 2000 Ford Expedition was parked in my drive way we had gotten back from the store an hour ago when my Land lord comes knocking on my door saying your truck is on fire so we went outside and it was flaming the fire department came and put it out I checked for any recalls on this truck and there was one for the speed deactivation switch I called Ford and they said someone would be calling me so a week goes by and I get this letter saying that they were not going to help me in any way because their records showed that they sent a letter in 03/23/2006 I told them that I was the 2nd owner of this truck and I never got this letter so they said to bad no we will not help you 4 days later I get this Ford letter saying that their records had up dated and that I was now the current owner of this truck to please take it in to have the recall done to it I called back and the same …
On jan 31, 2007 in the parking lot at 9935 walker in cypress, ca. The incident (fire) started approximately at 5:30 pm. The 2000 Ford Expedition was parked for approximately 1:00 hr before the fire started, a passer by saw the fire start in the left front side of the engine compartment. My son driving the car at the time came out from work and the whole engine compartment was engulfed in flames. Orange county fire and cypress police department was on site. When I arrived the fire was out, and the fire department ruled out arson. A passer by in another Ford Expedition told us at the site that there was a recall on the vehicle speed control switch. I looked into it on the internet and yes there is, 2000 Ford Expedition recall 05V017000 released on 27 jan 2005. I am the second or third party owner and didn't know any thing about the recall. …
My 2000 Ford Expedition caught on fire on 6-19-05. My daughter & I had just gotten home. 30 minutes later the truck caught on fire. It was just sitting in the driveway. Thank goodness it was not in the garage. The fire dept came to put out the fire. My truck was totaled. I received nothing from Ford. Not one dime. 3 yrs later I still get notices in the mail asking to bring my truck in for the recall. I never rec'd one notice before then. It is too late. I have emailed Ford but they do not care. I lost my truck. If it wasn't for my insurance then I wouldn't have a car. I am a single mother and because of an error on fords part, I had to start over. Ford should have to be responsible for this tragic event. Me & my daughter to this day are scared to death to park in the garage or up near the house. My driveway was burnt.
Our 2000 Ford Expedition spontaneously combusted in our driveway after sitting for 2 days. It was determined to be the cruise control switch. I am appalled that congress is so upset at Toyota when Ford knows that 11 million vehicles have these faulty cruise control switches and has done nothing to get Ford to take responsibility. Our house was completely destroyed and my wife and 2 dogs escaped with their lives. The same day in a neighboring community another family's house was burned down by a 2001 Expedition with the same problem. Why are you so critical of a foreign company and so ambivalent to a domestic car company with a history of defects that they do not take responsibility for? These vehicles are still exploding and killing people and yet I do not hear any outrage over this.
While I pulled in a parking lot after freeway driving the throttle sticks. This only happens in lot temperatures. This makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. You have to push the brake extremely hard to stop and the moment you remove your foot from the brake the vehicle speeds up. When this happens on snow cover roads the ABS kicks in. When the ABS releases the brakes the vehicle jerks forward 2 to 3 feet. This is a major safety issue making the vehicle unsafe to drive. Ford has issues a TSB on the problem (TSB 01-21-5) suggesting a pvc repair kit. The problem is not being caused by a defective part, it is a defective design allowing moisture to enter the system from the pcv and ice up the throttle plate. This needs to be a recall.
Related recalls
Vehicle speed control
On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: By letter dated September 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
On certain sport utility vehicles and pickup trucks, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat, smoke, or burn.
Remedy: As an interim repair, owners will be instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected.
NHTSA investigations
Speed control deactivation switch fire
In its letter dated January 27, 2005 to odi, Ford indicated that it would conduct a safety recall (NHTSA recall # 05v-017) to remedy an overheating speed control deactivation switch in approximately 738,490 subject vehicles.the vehicles affected by the recall are certain 2000 model year (my) Ford f150, Ford expedition and Lincoln navigator equipped with speed control and certain 2001 model year f150 supercrew…
Acceleration complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are acceleration problems on the 2000 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 124 complaints about the speed control & acceleration of the 2000 Ford Expedition, 14% of the model year's 890 complaints. The component named most often is cruise control (63 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Expedition acceleration problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 05V-388 (vehicle speed control, Sep 7, 2005); NHTSA recall 05V-017 (cruise control, Jan 27, 2005). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Expedition acceleration problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 109,000 miles, and 2% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 5 crashes, 82 fires and 4 injuries and 1 death to speed control & acceleration 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.