Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
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).
The contact owns a 2000 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle would not start-up. The contact attempted to jump start the vehicle with assistance, but he was not successful. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 300,000.
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.
The vehicle was parked in a store parking lot, not running/ignition off, and it caught fire under the hood near the brake master cylinder. The fire damaged everything in the upper portion of the engine compartment, the hood, the cowling and the grill. Probably not repairable.
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.
While driving this Expedition I began noticing strange intermittant electrical behavior like the windshield wipers not working, radio turning off, windshield wash light blinking, and 4x4 light blinking. Several times in the middle of the night I'd notice that the headlights would come on on their own. Also the air ride would turn on and off while the car was off, and the heater fan would also come on. This would kill the battery. Several times while driving the 4x4 would turn on in the low gear making it difficult to maneuver. On several occasions the starter would turn on while the car was already running. I replaced the gem module and had the windshield resealed several times, but after just a few months the problems would recur. The final nail in the coffin was when the starter kicked on while running and it took a minute to get the car safely stopped. …
Tl contact owns a 2000 Ford Expedition. While driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle began to vibrate and the ABS indicator illuminated on the instrument panel. Immediately following, the odometer, heat, and radio became inoperable and the vehicle began idling loudly. Upon entering her driveway, the vehicle stalled. The brake pedal was depressed, but there was no reaction. The contact rear ended another vehicle in the driveway. The vehicle did not sustain any damages; however, the vehicle that was rear ended sustained damage to the rear bumper. There were no injuries or a police report. The vehicle was towed to a local repair shop and the mechanic stated that water entered through the windshield and drained into the fuse box, which damaged the g.e.m module. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer stated that they were not liable for the repairs. …
On June 3, 2013 my 2000 Ford Expedition that I had just purchased 7 days prior exploded in my driveway after being parked for 2hrs. The fire also caught our 2008 cobalt ablaze and caused significant damage to the property that both vehicles were parked at. As of right now there has not been a cause of the fire determined but I did find a recall notice on the Expedition that was issued in 2005 from Ford. Apparently this recall effected the speed control system that LED to an electrical fire in the motor compartment causing these explosions. I was never told of this recall from the previous owner who is a Ford employee and he swears that he was never sent any recall letters from Ford in regards to this problem.
I drove the about 3 miles, and parked the truck, then the vehicle caught on fire in front of the wal-mart. It had been parked for about 1 hour before we got notified that the truck was engulfed in flames and a explosion came from the engine compartment area. 911 was called and the fired dept came and put the fire out. The fire department was unable to determine the cause of the fire, but stated we need to contact the maufactor, and they gave me a case number as well (prince william county - [redacted]"
NHTSA investigations
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
Engine complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2000 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 144 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2000 Ford Expedition, 16% of the model year's 890 complaints. The component named most often is engine (39 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Expedition engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2000 Ford Expedition, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2000 Ford Expedition engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 120,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 34 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.