2018 Ford Expedition problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (129) · Engine (61) · Suspension (25)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford Expedition model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
130 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (14)
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2026-06-24 · campaign 26V402000 · 741,195 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable
Structure:interior Panels:center Console 2026-06-09 · campaign 26V368000 · 548,463 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2024 Expedition vehicles. The chrome plating on the center console may bubble and peel, resulting in sharp edges.
Risk: Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the center consoles as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 16, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S38. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 10, 2026.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2026-05-27 · campaign 26V344000 · 419,967 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 8, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S34. This recall replaces and expands previous NHTSA recalls 24V099 and 25V197. Vehicles previously inspected or repaired under the prior recalls w
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2025-05-23 · campaign 25V197000 · 112,951 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder 2025-04-11 · campaign 25V236000 · 123,611 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
Risk: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S37. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-150.
Equipment:other:labels 2024-11-08 · campaign 24V852000 · 27,678 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
Seat Belts:pretensioner 2024-02-09 · campaign 24V099000 · 77,574 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently deploy and lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors, as necessary. Additionally, dealers will install an HVAC drain tube elbow if it is missing. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S06.
Equipment:other:owners/Service/Other Manual 2023-06-09 · campaign 23V420000 · 691,133 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."
Risk: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2018-11-14 · campaign 18V805000 · 34,946 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Expedition vehicles. The second row center seat track assemblies may be missing one or both of the J-Channel reinforcement brackets, possibly allowing the seat to move in the event of a crash.
Risk: In the event of a crash, a seat that moves may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row center seat for any missing J-channel reinforcement brackets, replacing the center seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge. An interim owner notification was sent on December 21, 2018. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S37
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump 2018-06-12 · campaign 18V392000 · 5,645 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S17.
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2018-04-04 · campaign 18V213000 · 142 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Risk: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.
Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (Prndl) 2018-04-04 · campaign 18V214000 · 292,909 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions and 2018 Ford F-150 and Expedition vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions (excluding Expedition vehicles with a Rotary Gear Shift Dial on the console). The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.
Risk: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the shift cable locking clip and properly seat it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 18S10.
Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls 2018-01-16 · campaign 18V058000 · 361 vehicles
Defect: 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 Syste
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.
Seats:mid/Rear Assembly 2017-12-01 · campaign 17V775000 · 462 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Expedition vehicles. The second row outboard seats may have excessive forward adjustment capability and/or may have an improperly installed bolt that secures the seat back to the seat base. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints", number 207, "Seating Systems", and number 210, "Seat Belt Anchorage System."
Risk: If the seat back is not adequately secured, and/or the seat occupant is improperly positioned, there can be an increased risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row outboard seats for proper seat adjustment travel, replacing the seat frame assembly if necessary. Dealers will also inspect the bolts attaching the seat back to the seat base for the proper installation, correcting it as necessary. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began on January 10, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C20.
Service bulletins (165)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-03-25 · 25N17 · Other
advance notice – customer satisfaction program 25n17 certain 2015-2025 model year multiple vehicle lines rear view camera replacement if required after dealer evaluation
Electrical System 2025-11-26 · TSB 25-2570 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this article supersedes tsb 24-2165 to update the tsb service procedure. some vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit various sync performance related concerns including but not limited to: display operation concerns navigation inoperative voice recognition concerns phone co
Power Train 2025-11-12 · SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2015-2021 ford and lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated mil with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0011, p0012, p0014, p0015, p0016, p0017, p0018, p0019, p0021, p0022, p0024 and/or p0025. pinpoint test hk in the powertrain control and emissions diagnosis (pc/ed) or in section 303-14 of th
Power Train 2025-10-30 · TSB 25-2476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
this bulletin supersedes tsb 25-2132. reason for update: update the part list description and labor times description some of the vehicles listed in the model statement above may exhibit at least one of the following conditions: * harsh engagement * delayed engagement * harsh shift * delayed shift *
Unknown Or Other 2025-05-05 · 24E13 · Emissions
on your vehicle, the obd monitoring system for the catalytic converter may not be operating as intended. the malfunction indicator light (mil) may illuminate on the instrument panel even though a catalytic converter repair may not be necessary.
Unknown Or Other 2025-04-24 · SSM 53661 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2018-2024 expedition/navigator vehicles equipped with 22 inch wheels, may exhibit an increased level of vibrations which can be felt while driving on a smooth road at speeds at or above 75 mph (120 km/h). pinpoint test g located in workshop manual (wsm), section 204-04 has been developed to ass
Showing the 6 most recent of 165 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-26 · Power Train“transmission shifting very hard and lost forward momentum while on highway nearly causing accident. the resulting tow and repars totaled close to $5000.00…”
2026-10-16 · Suspension“macpherson strut assemblies leaking large amounts of hydraulic fluid which spills into/on the brakes. decreased fluid in the macpherson strut results in excessive rebound, decreased braking, at times no braking when fluid has spewed onto brakes, followed by a sudden grab of the brakes that feels as though the anti-lock system might engage. this…”
2026-10-15 · Seat Belts · 98,650 mi“the contact owns a 2018 ford expedition. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her daughter became entrapped by the rear passenger-side seat belt. the seat belt continuously clicked tighter, forcing the contact to cut the belt strap to free her daughter. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 26v344000 (seat bel…”
2026-10-15 · Seat Belts“manufacturer recall number26s34 nhtsa recall number26v344 ford promised a remedy by 9/30/2026. there is still no remedy.…”
2026-10-14 · Power Train“i was traveling on the interstate and went to accelerate to pass a vehicle. my car displayed system fault codes and made a clicking noise and dropped to neutral while my rpms stayed high. i lost acceleration and had to swerve to avoid a collision. the engine then had a loud clank and jerked into gear. once i had pulled off enough i turne…”
2026-10-12 · Power Train“tcm component major failure as diagnosed by dealership. vehicle has inadvertently tried to go into park on multiple occasions when trying to speed up/ overtake. this failure has also caused the transmission to need a complete overhaul. …”
2026-10-02 · Engine“vehicle was disabled multiple times after failures of the oem coolant / heater hoses at plastic fittings. hoses includes the primary radiator coolant hoses, bypass hoses and engine coolant hoses for the transmission cooler. first hose failure on 10/21/2022 (51,177) miles was repaired by ford dealer in davenport, fl. oem replacement hoses have al…”
2026-10-02 · Exterior Lighting“passenger side daytime running lamp (drl) has failed. …”
2026-09-22 · Suspension“this is a widespread problem across the ford expedition. i've read forum after forum, facebook group after facebook group and have seen that many expeditions are affected by this. the front end of the expedition; primarily the steering and suspension components, cause a strong vibration when approaching 70-75 miles per hour. i have replaced the tir…”
2026-09-11 · Power Train“my 2018 ford expedition with the 3.5l ecoboost engine has developed a pronounced rattling/knocking noise at startup. this appears consistent with the well documented cam phaser/vct problem affecting this engine family. at approximately 118,212 miles, an independent firestone complete auto care inspected the vehicle and recommended major timing syst…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.