2,039 of the
11,934 complaints filed about the Ford Expedition
are about the engine —
17% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 1999.
The engine stalled out while trying to pass someone. The car wouldn't go faster when hitting the gas and felt like I couldnt safely slow down to get back over. It felt like something slipped and lost traction, but roads were dry and not rocky or sandy. tapping breaks and letting off gas did nothing. it has happened before but usually in winter, and gettin up to speed. its like the gear shift got stuck.
NHTSA complaint #11753596 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I noticed a loud rattle when starting my 2018 Ford Expedition, at first occasionally and then on every cold start. The Ford Dealer's service department diagnosed a cam phaser issue. There were no warning lights or messages available to me, but the service department's diagnosis showed several timing faults. I was told the cam phaser repair is $4000 - $5000 and continued use puts the engine and transmission at risk. I contacted Ford customer service and was told that my vehicle was not eligible for assistance with these repairs and that my level of loyalty also did not make me eligible for assistance. I have maintained this vehicle with oil changes, fluid changes, tire and brake maintenance for the life of the vehicle. I would like the NHTSA to investigate Ford for a recall of the cam phasers and effected parts since this is a known and prominent issue that also impacts road safey.
NHTSA complaint #11750763 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When my transmission is shifting, it almost stalls about 3-4 times everytime you start off. It is a hard shift that makes it fee like the car suddenly stops then goes back. I have had it happen 3 times that I thought my car died after stopping, making weird noises, then took off like normal. I am waiting for my car to just die as I am driving. The Ford dealership said I need a new transmission. The recall is out there for other vehicles like mine, yet mine is not listed. When you read what Ford says will happen- EXACTLY what my car does!!!!! My 2021 Ford Expedition Max has 70,000 miles on it now, but when it started had about 67,000
NHTSA complaint #11748552 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Engine light stays on along with manual light and charging system service now. Battery, alternator changed out, 3 mechanic repair shops can not find what is wrong. Vehicle bogs down and does not run right when the Manuel light comes one which is about 2 times a week.
NHTSA complaint #11747439 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Incident happened 06/26/2026. My wife was driving with our 4 kids down the highway to family event. My wife smelled a funny odor coming from the vents and was going to drive to the next exit and then noticed smoke. At that moment she wasn’t sure where the smoke was coming from. She put the hazards on and started pulling off to the shoulder thinking possibly it was the radiator. She came to a stop and called me (husband) that something was wrong with the vehicle. She was going to leave the kids in the car, get out and check the radiator. That’s when smoke started coming in through the air vents. She didn’t want the kids to breath in the smoke so they exited the vehicle, that’s when she noticed a fire under the engine. At that point a state trooper arrived on scene. He checked on my wife and kids and brought them back to his patrol car. The trooper went back to the vehicle to grab the baby’s diaper bag and wife’s purse. The trooper tried to extinguish the flames but the front of the vehicle was well involved already. Within 10-15 minute from my wife stopping the whole car was burnt to the ground and nothing left of the car. Looking back my wife only had a couple minutes to get to safety, had they lingered before getting out of the vehicle this could have been a tragic fatality incident. Our children do not feel safe riding in a vehicle since the incident happened. The safety of the trooper on scene was at risk helping get everyone to safety. It seems that something on the engine failed with how quickly the fire started. Vehicle can and should be inspected to find out what happened so this does not happen to another family. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. No warning lights ever came on. There was never any symptoms prior to this incident and the vehicle has been serviced by the dealer prior to and since we purchased the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11747128 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the transmission shifted unusually rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed catalyst converter. The contact was informed that the catalyst converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced in November 2025. The contact referenced a manufacturer's recall 24E13. However, the contact's VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
NHTSA complaint #11746539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the contact's husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the transmission shifted unusually rough. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed catalyst converter. The contact was informed that the catalyst converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission was replaced in November 2025. The contact referenced a manufacturer's recall 24E13. However, the contact's VIN was not associated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
NHTSA complaint #11746539 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
- The Cam Phasers are failing. The dealer on my last visit said that the engine makes a rattle, and the Cam Phasers are the issue. It's apparently a wide spread issue with this year of vehicle. I wasn't aware previously. - The dealer said that the issue persisting will introduce debris into the engine resulting in failure. - The Ford Dealer service brought this to my attention. - The component issue is known by Ford, but they have never issued a recall. - No warning lamps, no messages. I as a car owner wouldn't know an issue was existing. The dealer service department brought it to my attention when I had my car in for another Service.
NHTSA complaint #11746565 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I am reporting a severe, systemic manufacturing defect in the 3.5L EcoBoost engine timing system (cam phasers and timing chain) of my 2017 Ford Expedition that poses an immediate highway safety hazard. Approximately February 2026 Upon start up heard odd rattle type noise, a week later heard noise again thought maybe due to recent Ford Dealership changing engine belts. Searched websites discovered notable issues regarding serious known manufacturing defect, cam phasers, timing chain, water pump. Followed Ford recommendation to change oil well before normal schedule to address. At approximately 54,550 miles, the vehicle began exhibiting continuous mechanical rattling and timing instability upon startup, a condition heavily documented across Ford’s truck/SUV platform and acknowledged internally via Ford Technical Service Bulletin TSB 23-2143. The 3.5L EcoBoost is a high-compression interference engine. A failure or skipped tooth of the timing chain or cam phaser system while operating at high speeds causes instantaneous, catastrophic engine failure. This results in an immediate stall and a complete loss of vacuum-assisted power braking and power steering. This vehicle is routinely operated on major Texas highway corridors (XXX) at posted speeds of 75 mph by my [XXX] spouse, who stands[XXX] and weighs [XXX]. A sudden loss of motive power and mechanical steering/braking assistance at 75 mph presents an unsurmountable vehicle handling emergency that would likely result in a high-speed crash, rollover, or catastrophic multi-vehicle collision, as a driver of her physical stature cannot safely muscle a stalled, unassisted 5,500-pound SUV to the shoulder. To mitigate this imminent risk to human life, I was forced to perform emergency out-of-pocket repairs to replace failed factory components with Ford's updated, redesigned parts. This defect represents an inherent, dangerous engineering failure requiring a mandatory federal safety recall before highway fatalities. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATI
NHTSA complaint #11745999 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud chattering sound coming from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the cam phasers and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the A/C failed to blow cool air due to a condenser failure. During the failure, the windows failed to properly defrost, causing a visibility hazard. The vehicle also experienced hard shifting and a shift fault code message was displayed. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 40,000.
NHTSA complaint #11744679 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the lock panel with the numbers on the driver’s side door, the seat unintendedly moved forward, and the seat belt retracted, and the driver was squeezed in the seat. The contact turned off the vehicle and seat belt to returned to the original position. The contact stated that coolant was added to the coolant reservoir; however, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact was unsure if the cap was positioned correctly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 26V368000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and remained for five days. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the seat needed to be adjusted. The dealer informed the contact that the coolant reservoir tank needed to be inspected. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 106,920.
NHTSA complaint #11744803 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted and the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle with the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that the repair was not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 62,500.
NHTSA complaint #11744477 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Multiple times we have received Powertrain Failure warnings. These warnings typically happen when driving in cruise control but also happens in normal driving. The car has trouble shifting gears, gets stuck in gears, and has trouble downshifting. This creates unsafe and unstable driving especially at high speeds. Repeated visits to the dealer have yielded no results and the dealer has not mentioned transmission work one time despite a clear issue and widespread issues with this transmission model. This issue has been persistent since the car was bought.
NHTSA complaint #11743193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving on the highway, my 2022 Ford Expedition suddenly lost acceleration. The gas pedal stopped responding completely and the vehicle gradually lost power until it shut off. It had to be towed and the battery was fully drained afterward. It was later diagnosed as a fuel pump failure. This was a sudden loss of propulsion in traffic and created a serious safety concern. Police pulled over and were able to get me towed to the nearest safe stop as my car stopped on a bridge with no shoulder.
NHTSA complaint #11743375 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle suddenly shifts to 1st gear while travelling at 45MPH or more causing immediate jerking and slowing of vehicle, placing driver, occupants and other drivers at risk of crash. In this condition, the speedometer reads 0MPH while still travelling and other warnings on dash are: Airbag Failure, Blindspot system fault, Cross traffic system fault, and See manual. Vehicle then appears stuck in 3rd gear until pulling over, stopping the engine and restarting. All warnings clear after restarting. This has occurred many times without proper diagnosis from Ford service. Now vehicle is doing this two to three times weekly and is currently in Ford service. Now diagnosed as Lead Frame Failure. Estimated cost is $1,523.38 and Ford refuses to pay for repair due to no active recalls on this specific vehicle, however the same transmission issue is in recall on same year model F-150's with the same transmission.
NHTSA complaint #11741968 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On May 16, 2026, my 2023 Ford Expedition with 6,197 miles caught fire while I was driving home from work. I smelled smoke inside the cabin, and within moments smoke began coming through the air vents. I pulled over and exited the vehicle. When I got out, I saw the engine compartment was on fire and heavy smoke was coming from under the hood. As I moved away from the vehicle, there were multiple loud pops and bangs coming from the engine area. Police and fire crews responded and extinguished the fire, but the vehicle is a total loss. This was a nearly new vehicle with very low mileage. I believe this was caused by a manufacturing defect. Ford previously settled a class‑action lawsuit involving 2021 Expeditions with engine fire issues, which suggests this problem has not been fully resolved. I am reporting this incident because it is a serious safety hazard and could have resulted in injury or death.
NHTSA complaint #11740156 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle experiences repeated harsh shifting, hesitation, sudden downshifts, hard downshifts with engine redlining, and loss of acceleration during normal driving. Transmission intermittently jerks violently between gears and hesitates when pulling into traffic or merging onto the highway, creating a serious safety concern. I have experienced multiple near collisions due to the vehicle hesitating or failing to accelerate properly while entering traffic and during highway merging situations. Vehicle has also unexpectedly downshifted hard while driving, causing the engine to redline and creating unsafe driving conditions. Issue has occurred multiple times and vehicle has been taken to Ford dealer for repair on several occasions. Dealer performed software updates/reprogramming, but condition persists. Vehicle currently has approximately 66,000 miles. Currently it is undrivable especially due to the fact I have children.
NHTSA complaint #11739216 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After Fords most recent recall for a PCM software update at the dealer the car immediately runs different and after full engine temperatures sounds like marbles or valve train issues including low rpm noise and transmission shutter between shifts. Dealer says there is no problem they can find and that I need new turbos. Very suspicious that after a PCM flash the car is now unable to drive. The car had NO issues prior to recall service and only has 70,000mi
NHTSA complaint #11738377 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.