NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Expedition. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
HAVE RUST BUBBLES ON INSIDE BOTTOM OF REAR LIFT GATE. TOOK TO DEALER AND WAS TOLD THIS IS COMMON PROBLEM WHERE LIFT GATE WAS NOT MANUFACTURED PROPERLY. FOR A CAR LESS THAN 5 YEARS OLD, THIS SHOULD NOT BE RUSTING.
MY TRANSMISSION SHIFTS DOWN IN SITUATIONS IT SHOULDN'T. IT ALSO DOESN'T MATTER HOW FAST I AM GOING. THIS CREATES AN ISSUE WITH STEERING. I TRIED TO HAVE IT FIXED BUT THEY COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND IT DOESN'T DO IT ALL THE TIME SO I COULDN'T RECREATE THE PROBLEM FOR THEM. THE PROBLEM ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN I AM TRAVELING AT HIGH SPEEDS (60-80) AND USUALLY WHEN I HAVE BEEN GOING UP AND DOWN MOUNTAINS IN MY AREA. IT HAPPENED VERY FREQUENTLY WHEN I USED CRUISE CONTROL IN THE PAST AND I START GOING DOWNHILL. I STOPPED USING CRUISE CONTROL BECAUSE OF THAT.
WHILE DRIVING THE REAR AIR SUSPENSION FAILED ABRUPTLY CAUSING THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE TO BOTTOM OUT. THE VEHICLE LOST HANDLING ABILITY, COULD NOT BE DRIVEN AND HAD TO BE TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR WARRANTY REPAIR. THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE IN THAT I USE THE VEHICLE TO TOW BOATS AND SNOWMOBILE TRAILERS OFTEN AT HIGHWAY SPEED. IF THE AIR SUSPENSION WERE TO FAIL WHILE ATTACHED TO A TRAILER THE TONGUE WILL HIT THE ROADWAY AND MAY BE A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. I THINK THE SUSPENSION SHOULD BE RE-DESIGNED TO INCLUDE A SET OF SPRINGS TO PREVENT THE SUSPENSION FROM COMPLETELY BOTTOMING OUT IF THE AIR SUSPENSION FAILS. *TR
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH IN THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE CAR LOST ALL POWER. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO THE SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY BECAUSE WE WERE TRAVELING AT THE RATE OF SPEED LISTED ABOVE WITH NO POWER. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS TO SOMEONE IN THIS POSITION. AS WE ATTEMPTED TO SEE IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD OCCURRED AN ERROR APPEARED ON THE SERVICE DISPLAY OF SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC. A FEW MINUTES LATER WE NOTICED THE ADDITIONAL CODE OF TIRE PRESSURE MONITOR FAULT. WE HAD TO GET THE VEHICLE TOWED AT THIS POINT. NOT SATISFIED AS THE COULD BE HUGE SAFETY ISSUE. *TR
AFTER ENGAGING THE 4X4 VIA THE DASHBOARD CONTROL KNOB THE "SERVICE ADVANCE TRACK" MESSAGE WAS SHOWN IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE 4X4 WAS DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN STOPPED. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR THE ABS, STABILITY CONTROL AND 4X4 WERE THEN ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND AT THIS POINT ALL STABILITY CONTROL, ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND OTHER POWERTRAIN SAFETY FEATURES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE AND/OR DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND A FAILURE OF THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS NOTED. *TR
PAINT IS PEELING OFF THE BACK HATCH
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED AND HEARD A SOUND WHEN THE WHEELS WERE TURNING. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE AIR BAG HARNESS AND SHOCKS FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE FAILURE WITH THE SHOCKS RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES AND WERE REPLACED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALER BECAUSE SHE ASSUMED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD INCLUDED THE RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE AND THE SAFETY BELT MINDER PER THE VEHICLE'S OWNER MANUAL. THE CONTACT COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN BEEPING AS USUAL TO NOTIFY HER WHEN AN OCCUPANT WAS UNBLOCKED. THE DEALER AND THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE RCM HAD NOT BEEN MANUFACTURED WITH THE VEHICLE, EVEN THOUGH THE MANUAL STATED THAT THE RCM WAS INCLUDED. THE DEALER THEN IDENTIFIED THAT THE PASSENGER AIR BAG NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND THAT WAS WHAT CAUSED THE SERIES OF BEEPING SOUNDS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,311.
A STRONG GAS SMELL/FUMES HAS FILLED THE PASSENGER CABIN ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHILE UNDERWAY AND CANNOT DETERMINE WHY (NOT NEAR GAS STATION, NOT RECENT REFUELING, JUST REGULAR HIGHWAY DRIVING). SAW TODAY (6/4/13) THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MANY FORD MODELS FOR THE GAS SMELL/FUMES, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE EXPEDITION MODELS. LAST DATE OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS 6/2/13. *TR
ON MANY OCCASIONS FROM AROUND MAY OR JUNE OF 2013, WHEN THE CAR IS ACCELERATING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR IT "JUMPS". IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE HAS HIT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. EACH TIME THEY HAVE UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND SUPPOSEDLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. AFTER EACH RETURN OF THE VEHICLE THE PROBLEM HAD ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. THE SECOND TIME AFTER BEING "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP THE VERY NEXT DAY SOMEONE ALMOST REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE "JUMP" WAS SO IMPACTFUL THAT I SUDDENLY APPLIED MY BRAKES THINKING SOMEONE HAD REAR ENDED ME. THE CAR BEHIND ME STOP JUST AN HAIR SHORT OF HITTING THE VEHICLE. BEYOND GETTING WHIPLASH FROM THE CONSTANT "JUMPS", I AM AFRAID THAT SOMETHING VERY SERIOUS WILL HAPPEN IF THIS IS NOT FIXED OR CORRECTED. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION BUT SINCE SHE WAS NOT DRIVING THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN ENGINES RPMS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 10,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,250.
MY 2012 FORD EXPEDITION SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELLING AT 65MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE TIRE WAS ONLY 11 MONTHS OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 9000 MILES. THE TIRE WAS INFLATED PROPERLY AND HAD NO EXTERNAL SIGNS OF WEAR. SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE TIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED I HEARD A SLAPPING SOUND FROM THE LEFT FRONT AND EASED OFF THE GAS. THE TIRE THEN POPPED LOUDLY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME HARD TO CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE. THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR-A. FORTUNATELY NO ONE WAS HURT BUT THE TREAD CAUSED SOME MINOR DAMAGE IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA. THIS WAS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION CAUSED BY AN UNRELIABLE TIRE. *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE WAS MODERATELY CORRODED. THE DEALER CONFIRMED THE CORROSION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 46,382. THE VIN WAS NOT PROVIDED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MOVED IRREGULARLY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PASSENGERS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ALERT SYSTEM STATED THAT THE DOOR WAS AJAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DISPATCHED AN INSPECTOR. THE INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GAP BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE FRAME, BUT STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 12,000.
STOPPED AT 0MPH. WITNESS IN CAR BEHIND. FOOT ON BRAKE. TOUCHED ACCELERATOR NORMALLY. HEARD NOISE. CAR TOOK OFF AT HIGH SPEED. HIT WALL APPROX TWENTY FEET AWAY. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. NO ONE IN PASSENGER SEAT. SEAT BELT ON, PER DRIVER, WITNESS WHO HELPED DRIVER THRU WINDOW, AND EXAMINATION OF SEAT BELT BY INSPECTOR. HOWEVER EDR READ SEAT BELT AS NOT ENGAGED. BRAKE READ AS NOT ENGAGED, HOWEVER EDR ALSO READ VEHICLE AT 0MPH. ACCELERATOR 0% AT 3.5 SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT, INITIAL ACCELERATION 23% THREE SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT, 99% 1.5 SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT. ENGINE RPMS DATA MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE. MULTIPLE VEHICLES USING REMOTE CONTROLS AT NEARBY GATE. *TR UPDATED 12/27/12 *CN UPDATED 21/31/2012 *JS
AFTER PURCHASING A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION, WE DISCOVERED THAT, WHEN RUNNING THE SEAT A/C, THE MOTOR INSIDE THE SEAT OVERHEATS. THIS CAUSES THE UPPER SECTION OF THE SEAT TO BECOME HOT, AND THE SEAT POCKET BEHIND THE SEAT TO BECOME VERY HOT. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS BUILT WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION FOR THE MOTOR, AND THERE WAS NO FIX. NOT JUST FOR OUR VEHICLE BUT FOR ALL 2012 EXPEDITIONS....ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE ADVICE GIVEN BY FORD WAS "DON'T USE THE SEAT A/C DURING THE SUMMER." I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE OKAY TO USE THE SEAT HEATER IN THE WINTER. HOWEVER, IF THE BLOWER DOESN'T VENTILATE PROPERLY, THE MOTOR WILL STILL BECOME HOT. MY FEAR IS THAT IT WILL BECOME SO HOT THAT IT COULD EITHER SHORT OUT, GIVING SOMEONE A NASTY SHOCK, OR WORSE, CATCH FIRE. *JS
THE HEADRESTS FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS ARE QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE. WE DID NOT NOTICE WHILE TEST DRIVING, SINCE NEITHER OF US SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, BUT ON THE DRIVE HOME I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TRYING TO REST MY HEAD AGAINST THE HEADREST AND FOUND IT UNCOMFORTABLE. IN THE DAYS TO COME, MY WIFE FOUND IT MORE SO. OUR WORKAROUND HAS BEEN TO INSERT A NECK PILLOW AT THE BASE OF THE HEADREST. WE CONTACTED FORD 800#, AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE HEADREST WAS DESIGNED WITH THE ANGLE FORWARD LIKE THAT FOR SAFETY, AND THEY COULD DO NOTHING ABOUT IT. THEY DID NOT SEEM TO BE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, EVEN THOUGH MANY PEOPLE HAVE POSTED COMPLAINTS ABOUT THIS 'FEATURE' ON THE WEB. APPARENTLY IT IS NOT EVEN NEW FOR THE 2011 MODEL YEAR. FOR ME, IT IS ANNOYING; FOR MY WIFE, INTOLERABLE. *TR
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026