Ford Expedition Complaints (2018)

383 consumer complaints on file.

#11673992July 16, 2025
ENGINE
The problem is with the cam phasers on the Ford Eco Boost 3.5 V6 Engine. Every morning when the vehicle has been sitting overnight and the engine is cool; the truck makes a loud rattle noise when starting. The rattle goes away within 2 seconds. There are tons of information online pertaining the cam phasers. Ford Motor company is very much aware of this problem on all 3.5 eco boost engines from 2017 through 2020. There have been occasions that if the cam phasers are not replaced there could be major damage to the engine. Knowing it took Ford 4 years for Ford to get it right, this issue should be a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673612July 15, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There was a recall for cam phasers etc under 21N03. My car was fixed in 2021 but the parts they put it in were not the updated parts. I was told it was the same recalled parts that they used to replace. Now I am having the same issue again . I am not currently driving my vehicle until it can be remedied. I contacted the dealership and they are not willing to cooperate or work with me. I will attach the report that was done back in 2021 below.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672819July 11, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
The passenger DRL is only lit at at the top strip and not the rest of the strip.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672890July 11, 2025
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Just purchased a certified used vehicle. 1) passenger DTRL is half way burnt out. Upon reading tons of forums online, I’m seeing this is a VERY COMMON issue. 2) the back up guide lines on the back up camera does not show. After master reset of the sync system , the lines appeared once. Since then it has not shown ever again.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672539July 10, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Recall 24E13 was issued for my vehicle on 4/16/2025 and i had repairs done on my vehicle in march. this recall states that catalytic converters may be replaced unnecessarily and the dealership has agreed with me on this. Ford continues to deny me reimbursement for this issue and I paid +/- 3800 for this repair to be done when I am sure I did not need it now.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672308July 9, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred several months later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 156,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671657July 7, 2025
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while attempting to start the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine. The contact had not contacted dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not taken a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03 (Vehicles Equipped with a 3.5L GTDI - Engine Cam Phaser Replacement); however, the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 67,850.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671840July 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Component/System That Failed: The 10R80 automatic transmission is malfunctioning. It causes harsh shifting, delayed acceleration, hesitation, and unpredictable surging. These issues have been confirmed as part of Ford’s internal TSB 23-2250, which directly references this transmission defect. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This transmission failure poses a serious safety risk. The hesitation and delay in acceleration occur during merging, turning, and highway driving, which can cause near misses and sudden loss of power. The delayed response time compromises my ability to move safely through traffic. Reproduced/Confirmed: Yes. The issue was confirmed by Liberty Ford in Fayetteville, NC, after I paid for a diagnostic. The service department acknowledged the symptoms but refused to cover the diagnosis or repair under warranty since no recall was showing under my VIN. Inspected by Others: The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer directly or by law enforcement or insurance. However, it was diagnosed and documented by an authorized Ford dealership (Liberty Ford in Fayetteville NC). Warning Lamps or Symptoms: There were no warning lamps or error codes. The symptoms began subtly but became consistent over time. The first noticeable event was approximately in “early 2025”, with increased severity since then. I submitted a written complaint to Ford on June 9, 2025, via USPS Priority Mail (Tracking #[XXX]) and also filed a certified safety complaint with NHTSA (Tracking #[XXX]) but have received no response. I am requesting formal investigation and recall action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670183June 30, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal cranking sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03 (Cam Phaser Replacement); however, the contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under the program. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669157June 25, 2025
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, unofficially the failure was diagnosed as a failed cam phaser. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test. Additionally, the contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 82,708.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669204June 25, 2025
WHEELS:LUGS/NUTS/BOLTS/STUDS
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. While contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the low tire pressure warning light illuminated. The contact's son drove the vehicle to the intended destination. The contact's son inspected the tires and determined that the front passenger’s side tire was cracked and needed to be replaced. The contact arrived at the location. The contact and son attempted to remove the lug nuts and bolts; however, the OEM provided lug removal tool did not fit the nuts and bolts. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that in hotter states the nuts and bolts occasionally would become swollen, and the provided lug tool would not work as intended. The contact requested that all the nuts and bolts be replaced, to prevent the failure from reoccurring. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668927June 24, 2025
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, POWER TRAIN
See attached document for complaint.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11668676June 23, 2025
ENGINE
My 2018 Ford Expedition previously underwent a recall repair for a known cam phaser defect at Fremont Ford in Lander, Wyoming. The cam phasers are part of the engine’s variable valve timing system and are critical for proper performance and safety. Despite the initial recall repair, the exact same issue has returned. I am now experiencing rattling noise at startup, reduced engine performance, and engine hesitation—symptoms consistent with the original defect. When I contacted the dealership, they told me that the issue would not be covered again because too much time has passed. This issue clearly indicates a recall repair failure, which poses a potential safety hazard due to timing chain slack and the risk of engine damage or stalling. Cam phasers are essential to the safe and reliable operation of the engine. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether this recall needs to be expanded or whether Ford should be required to cover failed recall repairs like mine.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667460June 17, 2025
SEAT BELTS
Went to leave for work and as I started my vehicle and pulled my seat belt to put it on and the seat belt pretensioner went off.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11667160June 16, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and occupied, the gear shifter failed to shift into drive(D). The shift system fault message was displayed. The contact exited the vehicle, opened the hood, moved a wire on the transmission, and the vehicle operated as intended. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and test-driven without failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle warranty had expired. No additional assistance was provided. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed TSB. The contact was referred by the manufacturer to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 88,992.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666649June 12, 2025
ENGINE, SUSPENSION
With only 53500 miles the gears stopped working. The gear shift pulls and hesitates when changing gears. The engine pulls when excelerating even at low speeds while struggling to shift. The Cam is also causing issues with loud start up sounds.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665316June 6, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode with the maintenance warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11665148June 5, 2025
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle jerked, and the transmission shifted hard. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while driving on a busy highway. The contact and five minor children were inside the vehicle during the failure. The contact feared for her and her families safety. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with CDF drum failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664689June 3, 2025
ENGINE
After taking my car in for a service bulletin and being told that the noise that was happening in my car was just a noise, I found out that my cam phasers needed to be replaced out of warranty. Driving down the road my car had a decrease in power and could have resulted in a wreck as I was not able to speed up correctly on the interstate.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664690June 3, 2025
ENGINE
My car started having cam phaser issues and caused a decrease in my ability to increase speed when on the interstate. This could have resulted in injury.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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