AC & Heater complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1 | 1% | 14,000 miles |
| 2019 | 1 | 0% | 40,000 miles |
| 2018 | 1 | 0% | — |
| 2017 | 4 | 1% | 60,000 miles |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2015 | 2 | 1% | — |
| 2013 | 1 | 1% | 134,000 miles |
| 2012 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2011 | 1 | 1% | 153,000 miles |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% | — |
| 2007 | 4 | 2% | 7,000 miles |
| 2006 | 2 | 1% | 4,000 miles |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% | 118,000 miles |
| 2004 | 4 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 1% | 43,000 miles |
| 2001 | 6 | 1% | 34,000 miles |
| 2000 | 7 | 1% | 88,000 miles |
| 1999 | 6 | 1% | 107,000 miles |
| 1998 | 14 | 2% | 86,000 miles |
| 1997 | 6 | 1% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (air conditioning, heater, defroster, HVAC controls).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
Shortly after the car was started and while still parked, a foul smell was detected and black smoke observed coming from the air vents. The vehicle was then turned off however within minutes of safely exiting all passengers from the vehicle, flames came out towards the passenger seat from underneath the glove box. An unsuccessful attempt was made to smother the flames with large wet towels before being successfully put out with the fire extinguisher. 911 was called and the fire department suspected the cause of the fire was the HVAC motor blower. The battery was disconnected and the car towed to the dealership where it has been for the past week. As of yesterday, according to the dealer, the source of the fire is thought to be a short circuit in the HVAC motor blower. The insurance is awaiting the fire report at this point.
Problem occurred when vehicle was in motion and stopped. A/C blower motor stopped working after 2.5-3 years. When going to check, area was extremely hot to the touch. Took to dealer and they replaced the blower motor. Seems to me that this shouldn't occur on such a young vehicle (under 55K). Could have started a fire. Additionally, the rear A/C unit over the 3rd row seat went bad. Total cost to repair $1300.
We detected a burnt rubber smell while driving on a surface street (with A/C on). The A/C suddenly quit. We pulled over to turn SUV off and back on again hoping A/C would return. A/C did not return, smoke began billowing out of A/C vents. Stopped at a gas station and turned off SUV. The smoke from the vents got thicker and large flames began coming out underneath the dash. Husband ran in to gas station and got a fire extinguisher and put out the fire. Fire kept restarting (the parking lights were on though the car was off). Husband finally had to disconnect the battery to keep fire from restarting. The A/C/heater blower then fell out onto the front passenger floor-mat burned to a crisp.
Started the car to get heater going and warmed up and started buckling my kids up in their car seats. That's when I started to smell an electrical burning smell coming through the vents. I turned the heater off and the smell got stronger. I turned the heater back on and smelled it even worse. I immediately switched it to ac instead of heat and then I started to notice smoke coming through the air vents. I immediately turned the car off. The smoke continued to bello out of the air vents. As soon and the interior lights turned off I noticed a glow under the passenger dash down by the corner of the floorboard. When I went around to look to see what was glowing I noticed there was a fire down in that corner and it was already big enough that I couldn't blow it out no matter how hard I blew. I am thankful that I keep a fire extinguisher in my garage and was able to quickly put it out. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving in cold weather all six of the passenger windows would not defog unless the heat was turned all the way up and the air vents were directed towards the windows. The contact also stated that the windows would freeze shut and she was unable to open them. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed there might be an air leak. The driver's side mirror was replaced yet the failure persisted when driving in cold weather. The vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer four times, but there had been no resolution. The failure mileage was 4,000 and the current mileage was 38,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2007 Ford Expedition. The contact stated when the vehicle was parked in cold weather; ice would form inside each window. While driving at speeds of 30 MPH and engaging the defroster, only the front windshield would defrost but not the passenger windows in the vehicle. She then engaged the interior heat to ninety degrees in an attempt to defrost the passenger windows but to no avail. The contact was unable to open the windows because they were frozen shut and in order to determine when to change lanes, the contact would have to open the driver's door while in transit. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 7,000 and the current mileage was 38,000.
Rear A/C actuator suddenly failed with no warning. ABS light came on and dealership said that an animal chewed through the wires to the ABS computer, which was odd because I live in the city of los angeles where this was unheard off. Cost me $688 and the ABS light remained on. I don't even have proof that they did anything. Transmission stopped shifting into overdrive. Dealership said that the ABS computer needs to be replaced. Cost me $450. ABS light went off, but transmission still doesn't shift into overdrive. Dealership now says that my overdrive band is worn. They quoted me $3,300 to fix. I have also had 3 break jobs which cost $600 a piece performed in less than 3 years. Which I never had this problem with any vehicle I' ever owned. This truck is only 3 years old and has had a tremendous amount of expensive problems.
Tl*-the contact owns a 2004 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that whenever she turned the rear air conditioning unit on, she could hear a loud banging noise from the rear of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership where the contact was informed this was a known failure. The contact also mentioned she experienced the same failure a few years ago and the vehicle had the rear blend door actuator replaced at an authorized dealership. The failure and current mileages were approximately 134,000. Updated 10/20/10 updated 10/22/10
Related recalls (1)
Visibility › Defroster/defogger/HVAC system › Fan/motor
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the second quarter of 2023.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Expedition years have ac & heater problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 1998 (14), 2000 (7), 1997 (6), 1999 (6) and 2001 (6) model years. AC & Heater complaints make up 2% of all complaints for the 1998.
Is there a recall for Ford Expedition ac & heater problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 22V-648 (fan/motor, Aug 26, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford Expedition ac & heater problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles; 37% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the appliance › air conditioner (38 mentions), followed by the defroster/defogger/hvac system (13).
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.