1997 Ford Expedition Vehicle Speed Control Problems
Owners have filed 79 complaints with NHTSA about vehicle speed control problems on the 1997 Ford Expedition, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 120,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “cruise control” (41% of reports).
- 79vehicle speed control complaints
- 120,000median miles at failure
- 11mention a crash
- 9mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 45%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Cruise control: mentioned in 32 of 79 complaints (41%)
- Caught fire: mentioned in 16 of 79 complaints (20%)
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems happen?
Based on 29 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 79 complaints, 11 mention a crash, 27 a fire, 9 an injury.
Ford Expedition vehicle speed control complaints by model year
| Model year | Vehicle Speed Control complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Expedition | 1 | 10% | — |
| 2025 Expedition | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2024 Expedition | 8 | 10% | 19,632 |
| 2023 Expedition | 6 | 9% | 21,000 |
| 2022 Expedition | 8 | 7% | — |
| 2021 Expedition | 9 | 4% | 2,000 |
| 2020 Expedition | 15 | 4% | 85,000 |
| 2019 Expedition | 13 | 3% | 72,000 |
| 2018 Expedition | 15 | 4% | 41,324 |
| 2017 Expedition | 21 | 6% | 50,100 |
| 2016 Expedition | 20 | 9% | 53,649 |
| 2015 Expedition | 15 | 9% | 45,000 |
| 2014 Expedition | 4 | 6% | — |
| 2013 Expedition | 7 | 8% | 114,380 |
| 2012 Expedition | 18 | 15% | 71,512 |
| 2011 Expedition | 7 | 10% | 50,000 |
| 2010 Expedition | 3 | 5% | 117,000 |
| 2009 Expedition | 1 | 4% | — |
| 2008 Expedition | 13 | 9% | 44,382 |
| 2007 Expedition | 12 | 6% | 36,000 |
| 2006 Expedition | 29 | 10% | 85,640 |
| 2005 Expedition | 66 | 21% | 71,000 |
| 2004 Expedition | 21 | 7% | 30,060 |
| 2003 Expedition | 20 | 3% | 66,500 |
| 2002 Expedition | 58 | 17% | 63,000 |
| 2001 Expedition | 101 | 17% | 100,000 |
| 2000 Expedition | 124 | 14% | 109,000 |
| 1999 Expedition | 59 | 6% | 116,500 |
| 1998 Expedition | 78 | 9% | 111,500 |
| 1997 Expedition | 79 | 9% | 120,000 |
| 1996 Expedition | 1 | 33% | 50,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain pickup trucks and sport utility vehicles equipped with speed control, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A fire at the switch could occur.
Fix: By letter dated september 12, 2005, owners were instructed to return their vehicles to their dealers to have the speed control deactivation switch disconnected. Owners who have had their speed control deactivated are being notified that parts will be available and advised to make an appointment to reconnect the speed control beginning in february 2006. Owners who did not have their speed control deactivated are being notified to have their system remedied beginning in february 2006. Owners are urged to avail themselves of the free disconnect service as soon as possible because of the significant risk of fire. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 06v286)
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Vehicle will speed up or slow down in certain times for certain speeds without notice smell of smok and looked hurt wiring
When examining my vehicle which supposedly had a recall on the cruise control sensor on brake master cylinder, found that ford only added a fusable link to prevent fire as the sensor may not have been leaking at the time. It has since leaked and the added bit of wire with the blue tag has blown…
I know for a fact there was a massive recall on the model. The cruise control malfunctions and catches on fire when the key is not in the ignition. Most of the f-150 engine fires were traced back to a faulty cruise control. The vehicles usually burned when the vehicle has 160-180,000 miles on the…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 1997 Ford Expeditions have vehicle speed control problems?
No. NHTSA has 79 owner complaints about vehicle speed control for the 1997 Ford Expedition (9% of the 853 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 1997 Ford Expedition vehicle speed control?
Yes: 1 safety recall list vehicle speed control. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do vehicle speed control problems start?
The median reported mileage is 120,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about vehicle speed control problems on the 1997 Ford Expedition?
The most frequent phrase is “cruise control”, in 32 of 79 complaints, followed by “caught fire” (16).
Other 1997 Ford Expedition problems
See all 1997 Ford Expedition problems or vehicle speed control problems across all Expedition years.