2012 Ford Expedition Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Expedition years
- Fewer complaints than other years 20th of 33 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 118 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Ford Expedition. That ranks 20th out of 33 Expedition model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (64 complaints, 54%), typically at around 108,000 miles. Complaints mention 6 crashes, 2 fires, 13 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.

- 118owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 6complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Ford Expedition problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train problems | 64 | 54% | 108,000 | “lead frame” (19%) | — |
| Electrical System | 20 | 17% | 92,168 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 18 | 15% | 71,512 | — | — |
| Structure | 15 | 13% | 52,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 12 | 10% | 95,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 9 | 8% | 53,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 5% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 3% | 54,918 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 3% | 9,311 | — | — |
| Seats | 3 | 3% | 15,283 | — | — |
| Suspension | 3 | 3% | 17,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 2% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 2% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 2% | 45,656 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 1% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Ford Expedition recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Exterior lighting:back up lights; power train:automatic transmission:control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford f-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 âlamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.â these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
Risk: If this condition exists, the transmission may not go into reverse or when the driver pushes the shift lever in the reverse ârâ position and the vehicleâs transmission does go in reverse, the ârâ may not illuminate on the dashboard of the f-150, expedition, or navigator models and/or the backup lamp on the rear of the f-150, expedition, navigator, or mustang vehicles may not illuminate. These conditions increase the risk of a crash or a pedestrian being struck due to the vehicleâs not signaling it is in reverse.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the trs as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 11, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Seats:mid/rear assembly
Problem: Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles, manufactured from november 19, 2011, through december 2, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraints." these vehicles may have inadequate welds on the head restraint support brackets for the second row, right-hand seat.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat head restraint may not provide the required strength, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 21, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Unexpected Transmission Downshift (RQ17010) — opened Dec 25, 2017, closed Oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V075000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
vehicle shifting erratically and shows fuel mileage low and loss of speedometer
vehicle shifting erratically and shows fuel mileage low and loss of speedometer
The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the occupants to lunge forward. The tires squealed and the wheels locked up. The vehicle was turned off but failed to restart. No warning light was…
While exiting the freeway at approximately 45 to 50 mph, the transmission downshifted to 1st gear locking up the tires.
The speedometer will quit working and the vehicle will not shift out of 1st gear, if you can work through it it will start throwing error messages such as zero miles to empty, tire moniter system fault, etc. This is a very dangerous situation especially in high traffic areas. There was a customer…
Other Ford Expedition years
← 2011 Expedition · 2013 Expedition →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Expedition | 0 | 2 |
| 2026 Expedition | 10 | 2 |
| 2025 Expedition | 37 | 6 |
| 2024 Expedition | 77 | 7 |
| 2023 Expedition | 65 | 8 |
| 2022 Expedition | 116 | 12 |
| 2021 Expedition | 237 | 12 |
| 2020 Expedition | 425 | 18 |
| 2019 Expedition | 517 | 11 |
| 2018 Expedition | 380 | 14 |
| 2017 Expedition | 357 | 4 |
| 2016 Expedition | 217 | 3 |
| 2015 Expedition | 164 | 3 |
| 2014 Expedition | 72 | 0 |
| 2013 Expedition | 92 | 0 |
| 2012 | 118 | 3 |
| 2011 Expedition | 71 | 0 |
| 2010 Expedition | 58 | 0 |
| 2009 Expedition | 28 | 1 |
| 2008 Expedition | 146 | 3 |
| 2007 Expedition | 215 | 2 |
| 2006 Expedition | 299 | 2 |
| 2005 Expedition | 315 | 0 |
| 2004 Expedition | 297 | 0 |
| 2003 Expedition | 615 | 1 |
| 2002 Expedition | 340 | 2 |
| 2001 Expedition | 578 | 6 |
| 2000 Expedition | 890 | 7 |
| 1999 Expedition | 946 | 5 |
| 1998 Expedition | 836 | 5 |
| 1997 Expedition | 853 | 7 |
| 1996 Expedition | 3 | 0 |
| 1995 Expedition | 1 | 0 |
See all Ford Expedition problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Ford Expedition?
Owners most often report power train, electrical system, vehicle speed control problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 64 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Ford Expedition?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Ford Expedition a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Expedition model years, the 2012 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.