Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
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).
My truck has been running fine with new parts on it. I went to my friend's house went in to switch my laundry, looked out her window and my was on fire!! Truck off and keys were not in ignition and it was parked in a driveway under a carport. It posed no problems on the way over there, no smells, no sounds, no nothing. And then bam! Hood shooting out flames.
Vehicle caught fire around 10:25 pm. Vehicle was park and cold since the last time it was used was around 1:00 pm the same day. My wife got home and was parking her car a sudenly saw the Ford Expedition caching fire and flames coming out of the enginge compartment. Vehicle is total there are no possibility of repair.
My vehicle was parked in the driveway and I was alerted by my dogs barking. I opened my garage door to see the entire engine compartment on fire. The fire was so intense that everything under the hood had melted.the fire marshals said the alternator cause it
My 2000 Ford Expedition was parked at my job parking lot for 3hrs, when it caught fire underneath the hood near the master cylinder, drivers side, near the firewall. I contacted Ford motor company, bbb, and consumer affairs, which all attempts were ignored.
Summary: water leaked around the left side of windshield causing electrical failures, including but not limited to the starter, radio, windshield wipers, headlamps, etc. The water entering the vehicle wet the power distribution box (pdb) and the generic electronic module (gem). These components control various electrical systems in the vehicle. The vehicle continued to attempt to start itself without any key in ignition until it resulted in the starter burning up as well as damaging associated wiring and battery. Vehicle's windshield had to be replaced as was the starter, associated wiring and battery after vehicle was towed to repair facility.
I have now replaced the front brakes and rotors 3 times since buying this 2000 Ford Expedition in late 2000. I was informed by a former service manager from Ford that this defect is known and wide spread. What he explained to me that they received a large lot of front right brake lines that were to small or concluded enough so as not to let the caliper completely release the pads from the rotor causing failure of both in as little as 15000 miles. There is a cover up and people are probably having accidents due to this defect. I will never buy another Ford. We also had the leaking windshield over the drivers side that would leak into the electrical boards in the dash causing the lights to go out/the radio to go off and on by itself. The worst was it trying to start with no key or person in the vehicle and ruining the starter and the battery. Do not buy this vehicle!!!!!!!!!!!!! …
Water is leaking in from the windshield according to the dealership. The water is then entering the vehicle and affecting the fuse box and the gem module. It does very weird things to the electrical components of the vehicle, windshield wipers quit working while driving down the road, radio turns off once vehicle is put in drive, running lights do not work, battery dies, just to name a few the list goes on and the consequences are very dangerous in some cases. Have you ever been driving down interstate in the rain and then all of a sudden have no wipers. Let me tell you not good. The dealer wants an arm and a leg to fix it, money I do not have after spending 15K on a vehicle. So help me anything happens as a result of the failure and there will be a lawsuit. Take a look around on the internet and there are hundreds maybe thousands complaining about the same issue. Something must be done.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Expedition. The contact stated water was leaking into the vehicle from the front windshield, onto the instrument panel and into the computer system. The failure would cause the computer chips to malfunction and the vehicle would become inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer seven times for the failure. The dealer replaced the damaged computer chips nine times before discovering the failure was caused by the leaking windshield. The windshield was not replaced. The manufacturer would not provide any assistance. The failure mileage was 30,000 and the current mileage was 98,000. Updated 11/24/10 updated 11/20/10
Chronic windshield leak, drivers side. Complained to dealer (3/14/05 & 4/4/05) - seal supposedly repaired? Still continued to leak. Severe rusting under dash area. Started having electrical problems (fan blower and courtesy lights would come on by themselves while the vehicle was off and parked at night). Dealer claimed fuse block and gem module were damaged due to the water leak (a defect). The same leak we had been continually complaining about. The windshield, windshield seal, fuse block and gem were all replaced. The interior rusting was not and cannot easily be fixed. All this because of a Ford defect. The total repair was over $1,000.
Body rust and rot, along the rocker panels, bottoms of all doors and radiator support. This was pointed out to local Ford dealer where purchased, response was it wasn't outer body rust thru, so no coverage. The rust has progressed that all the bottom of the doors ,rocker panels and radiator support have rusted away. I have noticed this problem on many other expedtions. It seems to affect the 2000 model year only. I have many other , older and higher mileage fords with a little or no rust at all. I don't think the vehicle will pass the next inspection and this has made the vehicle worthless for trade or selling.
Related recalls
Structure
Certain pickup truck, van, and Mini van conversions equipped with southern comfort built running boards that contain certain courtesy lights manufactured by American technology components, inc. These units contain a courtesy light or lights that might overheat when the wire harness is exposed to excessive moisture and road salt.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness on these running boards. Owner notification began March 7, 2003. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free…
Body complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2000 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the body & structure of the 2000 Ford Expedition, 5% of the model year's 890 complaints. The component named most often is body (10 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Expedition body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 03V-094 (structure, Mar 7, 2003). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Expedition body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 79,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 fires and 2 injuries to body & structure 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.