Total Complaints
3 filings
FORD EXPEDITION · model year
1996 FORD EXPEDITION
3 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1996FORDEXPEDITION carries 3 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1996 EXPEDITION is tires:tread/belt with 1 filings, followed by vehicle speed control:cruise control (1) and electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.
NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1996 EXPEDITION. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
3
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20160516ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE ANTI-THEFT WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER THE ANTI-THEFT LIGHT REMAINED BLINKING. THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
20071022FireVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 FORD EXPEDITION. LAST YEAR, THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTICE FOR THE VEHICLE SPEED CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH. SHE HAD THE RECALL REPAIR PERFORMED. ONE YEAR LATER, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WHILE IDLING. AN INSPECTOR FROM FORD STATED THAT THE FIRE ORIGINATED FROM THE CRUISE CONTROL SWITCH; HOWEVER,THEY WOULD NOT ASSUME LIABILITY BECAUSE THEY REPAIRED THE VEHICLE ONCE ACCORDING TO THE RECALL. THE POWERTRAIN AND RECALL NUMBER WERE UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 105,000.
Mileage: 50,000
20021211TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THE CONSUMER'S COMPLETED STREET ADDRESS IS: 8535 RED HILL COUNTRY CLUB DRIVE. THE CONSUMER STATED THAT SHE AND HER SISTER WERE IN THE VEHICLE TALKING, WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, WHEN THE CONSUMER ACCELERATED TO PASS ANOTHER VEHICLE THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED TO VIBRATE INTENSELY. THE CONSUMER STRUGGLED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE SISTER VISUALLY INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND SAW THAT THE TIRE SEEMED TO BE INFLATED. SO THEY PROCEEDED WITH THE STEERING WHEEL STILL VIBRATING, TRAVELING AT ABOUT 10-15 MPH TO A GAS STATION. (A SHORT DRIVING TEST WAS PERFORMED, AND THE CONSUMER WAS SHOWN THE INSIDE OF THE LEFT TIRE, THERE WAS BULDGING FROM THE SPLINTERED TREAD AND A HUGE BUBBLE)-THE CONSUMER WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS EVIDENCE OF A DEFCTIVE TIRE. THE SECOND INCIDENT HAPPENED ON THE FOLLOWING DAY OF THE REPAIRS. SEVERAL HOURS INTO THE TRIP, DRIVING AT A HIGH SPEED OF TRAFFIC, THE VIBRATION IN THE STEERING WHEEL STARTED AGAIN. WHEN THE CONSUMER AND SISTER IN
Compare 1996FORDEXPEDITION to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 FORD EXPEDITION have?▼
The 1996 FORD EXPEDITION has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 FORD EXPEDITION?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 FORD EXPEDITION is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CRUISE CONTROL and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE.
Is the 1996 FORD EXPEDITION safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.