Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power steering, steering column, rack and pinion).
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 while driving 30 MPH, the contact became aware that the electronic power steering was not functioning properly, requiring increased effort to prevent oversteering. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the steering shaft. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred because the aftermarket replacement part was too short. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 315,000.
I was driving the down the street going to wal-mart on pendleton pike in indianapolis indiana the car shifted from drive to neutral on its own. I shifted it back in gear drove on to wal-mart then to went to aldis. When I came out of aldis also on pendleton pike the car wouldn't come out of park without key being in acc position foot on brake and playing with gearshit for approx 15 mins it was locked. Then the power windows also went out in the same time that this all happened. Now my car will not go into gear without messing with gearshift for several minutes and messing with ignition switch mutiple times before I can get car into motion.
The passenger side tie rod broke at 65 MPH, causing consumer to strike a bridge. Consumer sustained injuries. The insurance company investigation found that the front passenger side tie rod was separated. Ford sent out letters to owners of these type vehicles telling them it is essential to have the steering and front suspension including the tie rods inspected every 15,000 miles. Prior to accident brakes were replaced with new components and a full safety inspection was performed on the vehicle.
A catastrophic failure of the driver side tie rod caused lost of steering and impact into a tree. The vehicle speed at the time of the failure was between 20 and 25 MPH. A complete disconnection of the tie rod end, while driving on a rural road, caused complete lost of steering. Automobile was towed to a repair facility where new tie rods were installed and a subsequent body shop where body damage was repaired. Photos of the failed components are available as well as photos of the site of the failure.
While driving 30 MPH, the front tie rod separated and the consumer lost control of the vehicle. The seat belt did not restrain the consumer properly and the air bag did not deploy. 4 days later the consumer received a letter in the from Ford warning him about possible tie rod failure, the consumer stated the VIN and other information was wrong which May have delayed receiving the mail.
While driving at 25 MPH consumer's vehicle suddenly pulled to the right and hit a parked car. The consumer then steered to the left but the vehicle continued to pull to the right and hit more parked cars. The right wheel separated from the vehicle and the vehicle flipped onto its left side. Vehicle was totaled. Mechanic indicated that the vehicle's steering went out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2000 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, an abnormal banging noise was heard from under the front end of the vehicle before the steering wheel suddenly failed. The contact stated that the vehicle suddenly veered into the right lane and nearly crashed into another vehicle. The contact moved to the shoulder to inspect the vehicle and discovered that the front drive shaft was fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was advised that the failure of the drive shaft also caused damage to the transfer case, shaft linkage and oxygen sensors. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified but no solution was offered. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 196,000.
At high speed, on long sustained, steep grades 5-7%, at high RPM, the steering locks up for 2-10 seconds. The steering makes a noise and then breaks free. I have brought this to the dealership 4 times and they say they can not find a problem and can not reproduce this event. Every time I drive into the colorado mountains this problems recurs. This problem never shows up on flat terrain. This problem is extremely dangerous. The Ford representative has indicated to me that 5 other complaints have been given but that no one has ever reproduced the problem. ****dimsii ivoq entry posted after 12/12/02 cut-over to artemis****769312
While making a right turn it felt like the truck was skipping. Consumer then pulled of the road. Upon exiting the truck consumer noticed that 3 of the wheels were facing forward, and the right passenger side wheel was turned inwards. The truck was then towed to dealership because it was not drivable. Dealership inspected the steering linkage, and indicated that a tie rod had fallen off, and the others were loose, all 4 tie rods need to be replaced. They also had to replaced the lower ball joints.
Consumer states the suspension on the front end passengers side failed. The tie rod end broke and the wheels were uncontrollable. When this incident occurred there weren't any lights or warnings. The vehicle was serviced 800 miles ago and there was no indication of a future problem. The outer right tie rod came apart. The dealership replaced the right inner and outer tie rod. The broken part of the rod did not show any signs of rust/corrosion or lack of lubricant.
Steering complaints in other Expedition years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2000 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA has 30 complaints about the steering of the 2000 Ford Expedition, 3% of the model year's 890 complaints. The component named most often is linkages › tie rod assembly (13 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2000 Ford Expedition steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering 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 steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 67,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 7 crashes, 0 fires and 2 injuries to steering 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.