Ford Expedition Visibility Problems
Owners have filed 534 complaints with NHTSA about visibility problems on the Ford Expedition across 28 model years. The 1999 model year has the most (123). The words owners use most often: “windshield wipers” (13% of reports).
- 534visibility complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 7mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 7related recalls
- $720typical repair cost reported by owners
- 46%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.
- Windshield wipers: mentioned in 68 of 534 complaints (13%)
- Visibility electrical: mentioned in 50 of 534 complaints (9%)
- Blower motor: mentioned in 38 of 534 complaints (7%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical visibility repair on the Ford Expedition at $720, and half of them between $630 and $1,450.
Based on 15 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2003–2015), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do visibility problems happen?
Based on 264 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 534 complaints, 7 mention a crash, 8 a fire, 4 an injury.
Ford Expedition visibility complaints by model year
| Model year | Visibility complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Expedition | 1 | 3% | — |
| 2024 Expedition | 2 | 3% | 10,000 |
| 2023 Expedition | 6 | 9% | 38,192 |
| 2022 Expedition | 6 | 5% | 31,500 |
| 2021 Expedition | 13 | 5% | 27,000 |
| 2020 Expedition | 10 | 2% | 68,305 |
| 2019 Expedition | 4 | 1% | 98,000 |
| 2018 Expedition | 5 | 1% | 50,000 |
| 2017 Expedition | 29 | 8% | 96,000 |
| 2016 Expedition | 8 | 4% | 133,000 |
| 2015 Expedition | 16 | 10% | 122,000 |
| 2014 Expedition | 3 | 4% | 166,000 |
| 2013 Expedition | 2 | 2% | 72,000 |
| 2011 Expedition | 1 | 1% | 153,000 |
| 2010 Expedition | 3 | 5% | 34,500 |
| 2009 Expedition | 4 | 14% | 62,500 |
| 2008 Expedition | 7 | 5% | 25,000 |
| 2007 Expedition | 14 | 7% | 51,000 |
| 2006 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 10,756 |
| 2005 Expedition | 8 | 3% | 51,945 |
| 2004 Expedition | 15 | 5% | 87,500 |
| 2003 Expedition | 37 | 6% | 18,250 |
| 2002 Expedition | 3 | 1% | 57,535 |
| 2001 Expedition | 41 | 7% | 78,750 |
| 2000 Expedition | 67 | 8% | 82,000 |
| 1999 Expedition | 123 | 13% | 60,500 |
| 1998 Expedition | 59 | 7% | 78,000 |
| 1997 Expedition | 44 | 5% | 98,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (7)
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Model years: 2021, 2022, 2023
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2022-2023 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, and F-600 SD vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the wipers to fail.
Risk: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S24.Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 1, 2026.
Visibility:sun/moon roof assembly
Model years: 2021, 2022
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
Risk: A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 30, 2025.
Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac system:fan/motor; electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash
Model years: 2015, 2016, 2017
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail.
Risk: Front blower motor failure can increase the risk of a vehicle interior fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the second quarter of 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S56.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:linkages
Model years: 2020, 2021
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.
Visibility:power window devices and controls
Model years: 2018
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The second row window control modules may intermittently stop the movement of the power window. If something, such as a finger, is pinched by the window glass, the stopped window control module may prevent the window from automatically reversing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
Risk: If the window does not automatically reverse when an obstruction is found, it can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row window electronic control modules, and replace them as necessary based on their build date codes, free of charge. The recall began on February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C01.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Model years: 2006
Problem: On certain trucks, passenger cars and sport utility vehicles, the windshield wiper motor may have been produced without grease being applied to the output shaft gear.
Risk: After a period of continuous use on the high speed setting, lack of grease on the output shaft gear may cause the gear to distort or fracture during operation resulting in a loss of wiper function. Inoperative wipers under inclement weather conditions could cause a crash due to impaired visibility.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the wiper motor for the presence of grease and grease the wiper motor gears if necessary. The recall began on november 22, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1-800-392-3673 or lincoln/mercury at 1-800-521-4140.
Visibility:windshield wiper/washer:motor
Model years: 2000, 2001
Problem: Vehicle description: passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, and light and medium duty pickup trucks. A switch located in the plastic cover of the wiper motor gear case could malfunction and overheat, potentially resulting in loss of intermittent wiper function, loss of wiper park function, complete loss of wiper function, or ignition of the plastic cover material. Switch malfunction is most likely to occur when the intermittent setting of the wipers is being used, or when snow or ice obstructs the blades from returning to the "parked" position at the bottom of the windshield. These vehicles were built at the following assembly plants: atlanta plant from 2/11/00 through 7/31/00; chicago plant from 2/14/00 through 8/4/00; kansas city plant from 2/26/00 to 9/4/00; kentucky truck plant from 2/18/00 to 8/31/00; michigan truck plant from 2/23/00 through 8/3/00; norfolk plant from 2/21/00 through 7/27/00; wayne stamping and assembly plant from 2/25/00 through 8/15/00; and wixom plant from 2/15/00 through 8/8/00.
Risk: Loss of visibility while driving increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the date code on the wiper motor. Motors built with the suspect time frame will have the wiper motor gear case cover replaced. Owner notification began august 20, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
See attached document for complaint.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the blower motor functioned intermittently, turning on and off unexpectedly. The contact stated that the A/C functioned as intended during the cooler months but was intermittently inoperable in the warmer months, requiring that the…
The contact owns a 2022 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline), 26V204000 (Visibility), and 26V368000 (Structure); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound and the sun/moon roof glass shattered overhead. At the time of the failure, the contact did not know that the sound was associated with panoramic moonroof and…
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all Ford Expeditions have visibility problems?
No. NHTSA has 534 owner complaints about visibility for the Ford Expedition. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the Ford Expedition visibility?
Yes: 7 safety recalls list visibility. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
How much does it cost to fix visibility problems on the Ford Expedition?
Owners report a typical cost of $720 (half paid between $630 and $1,450), from 15 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about visibility problems on the Ford Expedition?
The most frequent phrase is “windshield wipers”, in 68 of 534 complaints, followed by “visibility electrical” (50).
Other Ford Expedition problems
- Power Train problems (1,571)
- Electrical System problems (1,384)
- Engine and Engine Cooling problems (1,163)
- Engine problems (860)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (834)
- Tires problems (656)
- Suspension problems (542)
- Structure problems (452)
See all Ford Expedition problems.