2021 Ford Expedition problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Power Train (101) · Engine (27) · Visibility (11)
🧭 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
41 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (12)
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
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer:linkages 2026-03-31 · campaign 26V204000 · 422,613 vehicles
Defect: 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 2025-10-24 · campaign 25V729000 · 174,853 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Back Over Prevention:software 2025-06-27 · campaign 25V442000 · 200,237 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2025-01-31 · campaign 25V048000 · 91,580 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition, 2021-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image.
Risk: Rearview camera failure can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S05.
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.
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.
Engine 2022-05-17 · campaign 22V346000 · 66,221 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. An engine compartment fire may occur while driving or parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.
Risk: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles, until the remedy is performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the battery junction box, as necessary, and remove a ground wire. On models equipped with standard-duty radiator fan motors, dealers will also install an auxiliary electrical box with a wire jumper. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 25, 2022.
Visibility:windshield Wiper/Washer:linkages 2022-04-14 · campaign 22V250000 · 652,996 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Air Bags:sensor:side Impact 2021-10-15 · campaign 21V805000 · 777 vehicles
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
Risk: An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.
Service bulletins (140)
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 2026-08-22 · SSM 55100 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for various ford and lincoln vehicles, if diagnostics lead to the replacement of the front seat cushion cover j-clips, lower-level service parts are now available. use service part w709919-s901 if the j-clip is completely detached from the seat cover and w715386-s424 if the clip is still partially a
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-21 · SSM 55028 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2021-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles may exhibit an "updating sync" message on the vehicle center display screen after an over the air (ota) update. the message can be cleared from the center display screen and sync can be used normally, but it will re-appear at every subsequent ignition cycle.
Unknown Or Other 2026-07-09 · 26E04 · Emissions
new vehicle delivery hold - emissions recall 26e04 certain 2021-2025 model year f-150, maverick, mustang, ranger, expedition, bronco sport, explorer, bronco, navigator, and aviator vehicles powertrain control module software update
Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection 2026-04-02 · SSM 54720 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
various 2020-2026 ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with blind spot information system (blis) may experience an inoperative blind spot monitoring with a "blind spot system fault" message displayed in the instrument panel cluster (ipc). this may also be accompanied by diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs)
Power Train 2026-04-02 · SSM 54719 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
for 2021 2026 vehicles equipped with the 10r80 transmission, a new transmission clutch circuit leak test has been introduced in the ford diagnosis and repair system (fdrs). this test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (pvt) when available. when referred to a specific clutch (a-f) test by
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 140 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-28 · Engine“i was making a right hand turn and had loss of power and a clunk sound. i also experienced loss of power between 65-75 mph on the freeway. i ran a forscan report and it's pointing to the transmission even though the fluid and a tcm update has been performed. there is about 40k miles on the fluid. …”
2026-10-23 · Structure:body“the chrome plating on the interior center console trim is bubbling, wrinkling, cracking and peeling along the console edges, including the vertical corner by the cupholder, leaving sharp metal edges. this vehicle is covered by ford recall 26s38 / nhtsa campaign 26v368 for this exact defect, but no remedy is available (remedy expected q1 2027) and f…”
2026-10-23 · Service Brakes“power problems and the light was on. i took it to the ford place and they didn’t fix it. …”
2026-10-22 · Visibility/Wiper“wiper switch not working for auto, because switch itself is broken. when accelerating to pass a car the transmission skips/slips and car pauses and gas pedal won't work for 10 seconds. car basically stalls. could have caused accident if unable to pass or slide back over behind the car trying to pass. …”
2026-10-19 · Power Train“while driving at highway speeds, specifically during sudden acceleration and lane-change maneuvers, the vehicle experiences a severe dynamic mechanical binding event. the transmission briefly forces a sudden "halt" or engine-braking downshift, causing the vehicle to unexpectedly slow down in active traffic before entering a temporary limp mode. thi…”
2026-10-07 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“at approximately 12:10 p.m. on october 5, 2026, we had just washed the expedition and i was going to move it over to put it in the middle bay of the garage that is attached to the house. i put the vehicle in reverse and it took off like it was going 100 miles an hour. i crashed into the garage behind us and the tires were still screaming. i then pu…”
2026-10-06 · Power Train“my 2021 ford expedition max xlt with the 10r80 automatic transmission has experienced repeated momentary “neutral-out” events while driving. the transmission/park-system components are available for inspection upon request. the most serious incident occurred in september 2026 while i was driving at highway speed near charlottesville, virginia, with…”
2026-09-28 · Power Train“vehicle has 84,000 miles at it. it started to jerk when putting it into a gear. i thought it was due to the colder mornings no. i was taking the kids to school and it was skipping gears. i was very leary of driving but had no choice. it would not get up to speed the rpms was suffering. i stopped at a parts store to run the code after the warning po…”
2026-09-26 · Seat Belts“both second-row captain’s-chair seat-belt buckle assemblies are separating. the driver-side buckle has separated enough that it will no longer latch, and the passenger-side buckle is beginning to separate in the same manner. these are inflatable second-row seat belts. the vehicle has not been involved in a crash and the restraint system has not dep…”
2026-09-25 · Unknown Or Other“"catastrophic simultaneous failure of both the main (front) and aux (rear) hvac evaporator cores at 60,000 miles. the component defect causes atomized chemical refrigerant and system compressor oil to leak and vent directly through the dashboard and rear vents into the sealed passenger cabin. this creates an immediate toxic inhalation environment a…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.