Ford Expedition Problems by Year
NHTSA has 9,368 owner complaints and 77 safety recalls on file for the Ford Expedition, across 33 model years (1995–2027). The 1999 model year has the most complaints (946). The most reported problem area overall is power train.
Ford Expedition years to avoid? What the complaint data shows
These model years drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Expedition year: 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2019. Look at what owners reported before buying one, and check the VIN for open recalls.
Model years with the most complaints
- 1999 Expedition: 946 complaints, 5 recalls
- 2000 Expedition: 890 complaints, 7 recalls
- 1997 Expedition: 853 complaints, 7 recalls
Model years with the fewest complaints
- 1995 Expedition: 1 complaint, 0 recalls
- 1996 Expedition: 3 complaints, 0 recalls
- 2026 Expedition: 10 complaints, 2 recalls
Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold or how long each year has been on the road, so newer and less popular years naturally have fewer complaints. Use them to spot problem patterns, not as a safety ranking.
Most common Ford Expedition problems (all years)
| Problem area | Complaints | Model years | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 1,571 | 29 | 70 |
| Electrical System problems | 1,384 | 31 | 21 |
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 1,163 | 23 | 6 |
| Engine problems | 860 | 29 | 9 |
| Vehicle Speed Control problems | 834 | 31 | 83 |
| Tires problems | 656 | 21 | 37 |
| Suspension problems | 542 | 27 | 24 |
| Visibility problems | 534 | 28 | 7 |
| Structure problems | 452 | 28 | 27 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 432 | 21 | 43 |
| Air Bags problems | 361 | 29 | 221 |
| Steering problems | 343 | 29 | 37 |
| Seat Belts problems | 325 | 25 | 32 |
| Service Brakes problems | 252 | 30 | 32 |
| Fuel/propulsion System problems | 224 | 26 | 2 |
| Fuel System, Gasoline problems | 208 | 20 | 3 |
| Wheels problems | 199 | 28 | 20 |
| Equipment problems | 142 | 19 | 1 |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 142 | 22 | 0 |
| Seats problems | 100 | 28 | 9 |
| Back Over Prevention | 96 | 11 | 1 |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 91 | 18 | 0 |
| Visibility/wiper | 66 | 22 | 2 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 58 | 9 | 8 |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 53 | 19 | 1 |
| Fuel System, Other | 33 | 11 | 1 |
| Lane Departure | 32 | 10 | 2 |
| Parking Brake | 27 | 12 | 2 |
| Interior Lighting | 26 | 7 | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Air | 25 | 9 | 1 |
| Trailer Hitches | 18 | 6 | 2 |
| Child Seat | 11 | 9 | 2 |
| Traction Control System | 10 | 2 | 0 |
| Firerelated | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Carry Handle, Shell, Base | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Electronic Stability Control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Other/i Am Not Sure | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Ford Expedition problems by model year
Problem areas with enough reports for their own page.
- 2021: power train (112) · engine (56)
- 2020: power train (265) · engine (51)
- 2019: power train (222) · engine (108) · seat belts (106)
- 2018: power train (147) · engine (99)
- 2017: electrical system (92) · power train (51)
- 2012: power train (64)
- 2006: engine (87) · engine and engine cooling (75)
- 2005: electrical system (76) · vehicle speed control (66) · engine (57)
- 2003: engine and engine cooling (127) · electrical system (104) · service brakes, hydraulic (61) · air bags (59) · tires (57) · power train (50)
- 2002: engine and engine cooling (95) · vehicle speed control (58)
- 2001: engine and engine cooling (122) · electrical system (118) · vehicle speed control (101) · tires (59)
- 2000: electrical system (214) · tires (172) · vehicle speed control (124) · engine and engine cooling (116) · visibility (67) · suspension (63)
- 1999: engine and engine cooling (248) · tires (184) · visibility (123) · electrical system (117) · power train (67) · vehicle speed control (59) · suspension (52)
- 1998: suspension (144) · engine and engine cooling (127) · electrical system (115) · vehicle speed control (78) · power train (70) · visibility (59) · steering (52)
- 1997: suspension (138) · service brakes, hydraulic (96) · electrical system (95) · steering (94) · engine and engine cooling (89) · vehicle speed control (79) · power train (76)
All Ford Expedition model years
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crash rating | Top problem | Compared with other years |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 Expedition | 0 | 2 | — | — | |
| 2026 Expedition | 10 | 2 | 5★ | Steering | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2025 Expedition | 37 | 6 | 5★ | Forward Collision Avoidance | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2024 Expedition | 77 | 7 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2023 Expedition | 65 | 8 | 5★ | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2022 Expedition | 115 | 12 | 5★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2021 Expedition | 237 | 12 | 5★ | Power Train | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2020 Expedition | 423 | 18 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2019 Expedition | 516 | 11 | 5★ | Power Train | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2018 Expedition | 378 | 14 | 5★ | Power Train | More complaints than other years |
| 2017 Expedition | 357 | 4 | 5★ | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 2016 Expedition | 217 | 3 | 5★ | Engine | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2015 Expedition | 164 | 3 | 5★ | Electrical System | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2014 Expedition | 72 | 0 | 4★ | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2013 Expedition | 92 | 0 | 4★ | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2012 Expedition | 118 | 3 | 4★ | Power Train | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2011 Expedition | 71 | 0 | — | Power Train | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2010 Expedition | 58 | 0 | — | Electrical System | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2009 Expedition | 28 | 1 | — | Structure | Far fewer complaints than other years |
| 2008 Expedition | 146 | 3 | — | Structure | Fewer complaints than other years |
| 2007 Expedition | 215 | 2 | — | Tires | About as many complaints as other years |
| 2006 Expedition | 299 | 2 | — | Engine | More complaints than other years |
| 2005 Expedition | 315 | 0 | — | Electrical System | More complaints than other years |
| 2004 Expedition | 296 | 0 | — | Air Bags | More complaints than other years |
| 2003 Expedition | 615 | 1 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2002 Expedition | 340 | 2 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | More complaints than other years |
| 2001 Expedition | 578 | 6 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 2000 Expedition | 890 | 7 | — | Electrical System | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1999 Expedition | 946 | 5 | — | Engine and Engine Cooling | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1998 Expedition | 836 | 5 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1997 Expedition | 853 | 7 | — | Suspension | Far more complaints than other years |
| 1996 Expedition | 3 | 0 | — | Electrical System | |
| 1995 Expedition | 1 | 0 | — | Steering |
More from Ford: all Ford models · Ford VIN decoder
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford Expedition years should you stay away from?
By NHTSA complaints, 1997 (853), 1998 (836), 1999 (946), 2000 (890), 2001 (578), 2003 (615), 2019 (516) drew at least twice as many complaints as a typical Expedition year. Counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, and newer years have had less time to collect complaints.
What is the biggest problem with the Ford Expedition?
Power Train, with 1,571 complaints across 29 model years.
How many recalls does the Ford Expedition have?
77 safety recalls across all model years. Each model year page lists its recalls and fixes.