NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Ford Expedition. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
FOLLOWED SEMI INTO DEALER SERVICE PARKING LOT. SEMI TURNED LEFT SO MOVED FORWARD TO JOIN LINE OF CARS INTO SERVICE BAY. WHILE COMING TO STOP, SEMI ON LEFT BACKED UP AND COMING RIGHT FOR ME. AT MY STOPPING, AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF TURNED OFF ENGINE AS WAS TRYING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE. BY TIME ENGINE TURNED BACK ON, ACKNOWLEDGED REVERSE, ENGAGED REVERSE, RESPONDED TO ACCELERATOR BEING PUSHED, GEAR ENGAGED, THE TRUCK WAS ABOUT TO HIT ME AS DRIVER DID NOT SEE ME. LUCKILY DRIVER NOTICED AND SLAMMED ON BRAKES. BY THIS TIME, VEHICLE WAS STILL TRYING TO MOVE SO IF TRUCK DID NOT STOP, I WOULD HAVE BEEN HIT. AUTO STOP OF ENGINE IS A DANGEROUS FEATURE. WHILE MAY WORK AT A TRAFFIC LIGHT, IN A SITUATION REQUIRING QUICK RESPONSE, TOO MANY STEPS TO TURN VEHICLE ON AND ENGAGE A CHANGE OF DIRECTION. FORD HAS A FEATURE TO TURN OFF MANUALLY, BUT SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO TURN OFF ALL THE TIME. IF VEHICLE SHUTS DOWN IN EMERGENCY SITUATION AS THIS, A PERSON COULD BE KILLED. THIS EVENT WAS VIEWED BY SEVERAL PEOPLE AND ALL I COULD SAY WAS COULD NOT MOVE AS VEHICLE DID NOT RESPOND QUICKLY ENOUGH. EMISSIONS ARE NOT MORE IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE'S LIVES AND THIS FEATURE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED OR ALLOWED TO BE OVERRIDDEN.
I am writing to urgently request the initiation of a safety investigation concerning a serious and potentially widespread defect in Ford vehicles, specifically related to the center console’s metal chrome trim on limited models. I own a Ford Expedition, purchased in October 2019, and have encountered a severe issue where the chrome plating on the center console has begun peeling away, forming sharp, dangerous shards that have already caused significant injury to myself and my children. Despite numerous attempts to resolve this issue through Ford’s customer service since first discovering the defect in 2020, the response has been dismissive, labeling the condition as "normal wear and tear." This is despite the fact that the sharp edges of the peeling chrome required medical attention on multiple occasions. The severity of this defect goes far beyond cosmetic degradation and enters the realm of serious safety hazard. Furthermore, this issue does not appear to be isolated. An examination of online consumer forums and resale platforms such as eBay reveals similar complaints from other Ford owners who note identical peeling issues in the same model and in analogous locations on the console. Historical precedence shows that similar defects in past models, like the Ford Explorer, have led to recalls. It is alarming that Ford has not only failed to recognize the defect as a legitimate safety concern but has also continued to sidestep responsibility even after the original factory warranty expired. This lack of accountability for a defect that directly impacts the physical safety of passengers and drivers is unacceptable. Given the potential risk to consumers and the apparent recurrence of this issue across multiple vehicles, I implore the NHTSA to initiate a thorough investigation into this matter. It is imperative that a recall be considered to prevent further injuries and ensure that Ford addresses this serious safety flaw promptly and effectively.
VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP MID DECEMBER, DUE TO SECOND SET OF TWINS DUE MID MARCH. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE GRACO 4EVER CHILD CAR SEATS INSTALLED BY SAFE KIDS (ORGANIZATION TO KEEP KIDS SAFE) BUT INSPECTION FAILED DUE TO 3RD ROW SEATING HEADREST ENGINEERING DESIGN MAJOR DEFECT. 3RD ROW ELECTRIC FOLD DOWN SEATS DO NOT ALLOW FOR HEADREST REMOVAL EXCEPT FOR THE MIDDLE SEAT LEAVING EXCESSIVE SPACE BETWEEN SEAT AND BACK OF FORWARD FACING CAR SEAT MAKING IT UNSAFE AS THERE IS NO CONTACT BETWEEN SEAT AND CAR SEAT. CORPORATE FORD WAS CONTACTED BY PHONE 5X REGARDING THIS ISSUE AND THEY ARE UNABLE TO HELP IN THIS SITUATION AS SEATS ARE "FUNCTIONING NORMALLY" PER MANUFACTURER SPECIFICATIONS. WITH LESS THAN 3 WKS BEFORE THE DUE DATE APPROACHING, WE SCRAMBLED AND BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE LOCAL DEALERSHIP IN WHICH THEY INDICATED IT IS ILLEGAL FOR AN ADULT TO RIDE IN A VEHICLE WITHOUT A HEADREST AND THEY WERE SHOCKED IN THE POOR DESIGN. FORD NEEDS THEIR ENGINEERING TEAM TO IMMEDIATELY RESOLVE THIS ISSUE, AS ANOTHER COMPLAINT WAS FILED WITH NHTSA IN JANUARY REGARDING THIS SAME ISSUE. THEY NEED TO COVER THE COST TO HAVE DEALERSHIP REMOVE THE HEADRESTS MANUALLY ($600 ESTIMATE) BY TEARING APART THE SEATS OR HAVE A LIST OF FORWARD FACING CAR SEATS THAT ACTUALLY WORK FOR THE 3RD ROW IN WHICH THE COST TO US WOULD PROBABLY BE A WASH FOR NEW SEATS IF THERE ARE ANY THAT WORK FOR IT! THIS IS NOT A FAMILY VEHICLE FOR ANYONE STILL IN CAR SEATS OR BOOSTERS AND THERE IS NO WAY I WOULD HAVE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE KNOWING THIS AHEAD OF TIME BY READING A PREVIOUS COMPLAINT ON THE MATTER. $80K VEHICLE THAT SEATS A FAMILY OF 5 WITH TODDLERS NOT 6 OR GREATER.
CAUGHT FIRE AFTER USING FACTORY INSTALLED REMOTE STARTER. A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, AFTER THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, WE RECEIVED TWO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH DISPLAY, SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC AND HILL DECENT CONTROL FAULT. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DASH WARNING AND ATTEMPTED TO SCHEDULE A SERVICE APPOINTMENT WITH THE DEALERSHIP, HOWEVER THE FIRE OCCURRED BEFORE WE COULD GET IT SERVICED. FORD SENT THEIR FIRE INVESTIGATORS TO INSPECT VEHICLE, BUT WE NEVER RECEIVED ANY EXPLANATION FOR THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE OR A COPY OF THEIR FINDINGS. THE FIRE NOT ONLY DESTROYED THE EXPEDITION, BUT ALSO CAUGHT OUR ATTACHED GARAGE ON FIRE, WHICH CAUSED US TO ALSO LOOSE ANOTHER VEHICLE ALONG WITH THE MAJORITY OF OUR HOUSE HOLD CONTENTS. THIS FIRE OCCURRED ON AN EARLY MORNING WHILE MOST OF OUR FAMILY WAS SLEEPING. WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED! IN ADDITION TO THE PHOTOS ATTACHED, I ALSO TOOK A BRIEF VIDEO OF THE FIRE AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ARRIVING ON SCENE.
THIS MODEL OF FORD EXPEDITION ADVERTISES THAT INFANT CAR SEATS, CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS, BOOSTER SEATS, AND HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEATS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN 4 OF THEIR SEATS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD ROW HAS AUTOMATIC SEAT FOLDING AND HEADREST FOLDING FEATURES WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE THIRD ROW HEADRESTS. WHEN PLACING A HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEAT IN ONE OF THE THIRD ROWS, THE SEAT DOES NOT SIT FLUSH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CAR SEAT INSTRUCTIONS BECAUSE THE HEADREST IS NOT FLUSH WITH THE SEAT. SINCE YOU CANNOT REMOVE THE HEADREST, THERE IS NO POSSIBLE WAY TO SAFELY INSTALL THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF CAR SEAT. IN MY CONVERSATION WITH FORD THEY ARE NOW AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, BUT ARE UNWILLING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES OR PURCHASE THE CAR BACK. I PURCHASED THE CAR 3 MONTHS AGO IN ANTICIPATION OF HAVING A 3RD CHILD. IT IS REQUIRED THAT I PUT A HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEAT SAFELY IN THE 3RD ROW TO ACCOMMODATE MY CHILDREN, YET I CANNOT DO THAT SAFELY. I AM TAKING THE CAR WITH THE SEAT TO THE POLICE STATION TOMORROW TO SEE IF THEY CAN PUT IN WRITING THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO SAFELY INSTALL THE SEAT.
CHILD IN A CAR SEAT IN SECOND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIR. CHILD WAS ABLE TO HIT BUTTON THAT COLLAPSES SEAT FORWARD - ALL WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING (ON A HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH) AND CHILD WAS IN CAR SEAT IN SEAT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. SEE PICTURES. PEOPLE BUY LARGE VEHICLES LIKE EXPEDITIONS MAINLY BECAUSE OF USE WITH CHILDREN. AS SOON AS THAT BUTTON IS HIT, THE SEAT COLLAPSES AND THE CAR SEAT BELT PLACES ENORMOUS PRESSURE ON A CHILD. I WOULD HATE TO IMAGINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF THE SEAT WAS RELEASED AND A CAR ACCIDENT OCCURRED AT THE SAME TIME. I HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED FORD TO MAKE A COMPLAINT BUT WANTED TO RAISE THE ISSUE HERE AS WELL. PLEASE INVESTIGATE. I CONTACTED MY DEALERSHIP AND THEY CONFIRMED THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN A EXPEDITION MODEL STILL ON THE LOT. THIS IS NOT A SINGLE CAR ISSUE. EVERY 2019 EXPEDITION WITH CAPTAIN'S CHAIRS IS LIKELY TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE.
REAR FIXED VISTA ROOF PANEL EXPLODED OUTWARD WITH A VERY LOUD - SHOTGUN LIKE - BANG, LEAVING A LARGE HOLE AND A VERY DANGEROUS SHATTERED REMAINING PANEL THAT COULD FALL AND INJURE OCCUPANTS, THE PANEL IS MADE OF TOUGHENED GLASS AS OPPOSED TO BEING LAMINATED AS THE FRONT WINDSHIELD IS. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A FAIRLY QUIET FREEWAY, NO CARS IN FRONT AND NOT UNDER A BRIDGE ETC.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was a loud knocking sound coming from the engine during cold starts. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer however, the dealer failed to find a failure. Upon investigation, the contact discovered that the failure was related to the cam phaser; however, there were no recalls on the VIN. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle did not qualify under a Customer Satisfaction Program. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
2019 EXPEDITION 10 SPEED TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER 2 HOURS OF "FREE WHEELING" BEHIND MY MOTORHOME. WHILE APPROACHING (NO TURNING YET) TO PARKING AREA ABOUT 3 TO 5 MPH SUDDENTLY CAR JUST LOCKED REAR WHEELS UP. WHEN CAR WAS STARTED UP THERE WERE GRINDING SOUND COMING OUT OF TRANSMISSION. SINCE UNABLE TO UNLOCK OR "FREE" THE TRANSMISSION CAR WAS SENT TO LOCAL DEALERSHIP MORE THAN 400 MILES FROM HOME. FORD DEALER INSTALLED A NEW 10-SPEED TRANSMISSION. WEEK LATER I ATTEMPTED TO PICK UP THE CAR, BUT AFTER AN HOUR OF DRIVING LIGHT COLOR SMOKE CAME BEHIND THE VEHICLE. CAR WAS HAULED BACK TO SAME DEALERSHIP FOR FURTER SERVICE. NO REAL REASON GIVEN WHY ALL THESE HAPPENED. ... DO I HAVE A "LEMON", VEHICLE HAS ONLY ABOUT 8000 MILES.
TRAILER BRAKES DO NOT WORK BELOW 11 MPH. MANUAL STATES BRAKING FORCE IS REDUCED. TESTS BY OWNER AND DEALER ON 3 DIFFERENT TRAILERS AND AN EMULATOR SHOW THAT TRAILER BRAKES ARE EFFECTIVELY DISABLED BELOW 11 MPH. THIS IS A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE. WE NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT DRIVING DROWN A GRAVEL ROAD, COULD NOT STOP, TRAILER PUSHED US UNTIL TRAILER BRAKES WERE MANUALLY ENGAGED. FORD CORP STATED TO DEALERSHIP THAT THIS IS "NORMAL FOR THIS VEHICLE". SEE ATTACHED IMAGE.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electrical system became inoperable. The contact stated that the center console had no power. The contact stated that the radio and the charging station had no electrical power. The engine on due to low power warning light illuminated and went off. In addition, the rear driver's side door and the passenger's front and rear door latches were inoperable. The latches failed to unlock from the inside. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.
PROJECTOR HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS ARE UNSAFE AND DANGEROUS, UNABLE TO SEE ADEQUATELY AT NIGHT. LIGHT OUTPUT IS EXTREMELY POOR, LIGHTING COLOR IS VERY YELLOW AND BEAM PROJECTION IS NOT FAR ENOUGH TO SEE AT ANY SPEED ABOVE 40MPH. UNABLE TO PROPERLY SEE STREET SIGNS OR OBJECTS ON EITHER SIDE OF VEHICLE THAT MAY CROSS IN PATH. TESTED MULTIPLE TIMES WITH ALL HEADLIGHTS ON INCLUDING LOWER FOG DRIVING LIGHTS. CHECKED ADJUSTMENT(DIRECTION) AND HEIGHT AND DID NOT IMPROVE VISIBILITY. WIFE IS AFRAID TO DRIVE AT NIGHT, LOSE OF USE OF VEHICLE AT NIGHT DUE TO UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITIONS.
FRONT FUEL TANK STRAP BOLT CAME OUT CAUSING THE FUEL TANK TO DROP FROM THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER FOUND ZERO DAMAGE OR ANY REASON FOR THE FAILURE. THE SERVICE WRITER TELLS ME THE PROBABLE CAUSE WAS AN ASSEMBLY LINE ISSUE WHERE THE BOLT WAS NOT TIGHT ENOUGH.
THE VEHICLE IS EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC LIFTGATE ACTIVATED BY MOTION DETECTED UNDER THE REAR BUMPER. THREE WEEKS AGO, I WAS LOADING ITEMS INTO THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND OFF WITH THE PARKING BRAKE ON. MY CHILDREN WERE BUCKLING UP IN THE VEHICLE. WHILE I WAS LOADING THE LAST ITEM FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE CART, THE LIFT GATE UNEXPECTED STARTED DESCENDING. I DIDN'T HEAR THE WARNING CHIMES AND STARTED STANDING UP WITH THE ITEM. BY THAT POINT, THE GATE WAS OVER HALFWAY DOWN AND STRUCK BE JUST BELOW THE OCCIPITAL PROMINENCE OF THE SKULL. THIS RESULTED IN A CONCUSSION AND SEVERAL MISSED DAYS OF WORK.
1 . AFTER A LEFT TURN THE VEHICLE CONTINUES TO PULL LEFT (MEASURED AT ABOUT 4 POUNDS OF FORCE ON THE STEERING WHEEL TO HOLD STRAIGHT) UNTIL A RIGHT TURN IS MADE TO CANCEL THE LEFT PULL THEN IT TRACKS STRAIGHT. THERE WERE SIMILAR RESULTS ON RIGHT TURNS BUT WORSE ON LEFTS. 2 . THESE TESTS WERE ALSO DONE ON ANOTHER NEW FORD PLATINUM EXPEDITION IDENTICALLY EQUIPPED WITH THE SAME RESULTS (BOTH WITH HEAVY DUTY TOW PACKAGE) 3 . THE NEW EXPEDITION ABOVE DID SEEM TO REQUIRE A LITTLE LESS RIGHT CORRECTIVE PRESSURE THAN OUR EXPEDITION BUT THE LEFT PULL WAS APPROXIMATELY THE SAME 4 . THESE TESTS WERE DONE WITH AND WITHOUT LANE KEEPING WITH NO CHANGE TO THE RESULTS 5 . THESE TESTS WERE DONE WITH AND WITHOUT SWAY CONTROL WITH NO CHANGE TO THE RESULTS 6 . APPROXIMATE TRAILER WEIGHT 6000 LBS. AND APPROXIMATELY 600 LBS. TONGUE WEIGHT 7 . DURING THE LEFT PULL THE VEHICLE WILL 'BLOW' THROUGH THE LANE KEEPER ON THE LEFT BUT WORKS OK ON THE RIGHT 8. TESTS WERE ALSO MADE WITH A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TRAILER AND HITCH SYSTEM WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. 9. THE TESTS WERE DONE WITH AND WITHOUT LOAD TRANSFER BARS. THE LEFT PULL REMAINED AFTER A LEFT TURN BUT WAS A BIT LESS WITHOUT THE LOAD TRANSFER BARS ATTACHED (THAT WAS SURPRISING). 10. FORD HAS REPLACED THE ENTIRE STEERING SYSTEM (INCLUDING RACK AND PINION UNIT WITH STEERING CONTROL MODULE AND YAW SENSE MODULE) AFTER THEY CHECKED ALL WHEEL ALIGNMENTS WITH NO IMPROVEMENT IN STEERING PROBLEM. 11. THIS PROBLEM ALSO HAPPENS WITH NO TRAILER IN TOW JUST NOT TO THE SAME EXTENT. 12. FORD HAS NOW REFUSED TO DO ANYTHING MORE TO RESOLVE THE STEERING PROBLEM. NOTE: I DO HAVE VIDEO FOR THIS PROBLEM ON THE ROAD.
HEADLIGHTS HAVE POOR VISIBILITY DURING LOW LIGHT. OEM HALOGEN LIGHTS INSTALLED
MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDICATOR LIGHT LIT AT THE BOTTOM OF DASHBOARD NEXT TO THE ODOMETER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SHIFTING CORRECTLY AND AS WE DROVE FURTHER, THE CAR SHIFTED THROUGH THE GEARS SLOWLY AND SLOWLY AND GRADUALLY. WE DROVE THE VEHICLE STRAIGHT TO THE BELL FORD DEALERSHIP IN PHOENIX. WE DROPPED THE VEHICLE OFF AT THE DEALERSHIP. THE DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT CALLED ME THE NEXT DAY AND SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. I HAD DESCRIBED WHAT HAPPENED TO US, BUT THEY SAID NOTHING WAS RECORDED IN THE VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM OR BLACK BOX. WE HAVE HAD THE VEHICLE AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR OVER 3 WEEKS NOW AND THEY HAVE HAD THEIR MECHANIC DRIVING THE VEHICLE AND SAID THEY ARE UNABLE TO REPLICATE THE ISSUE. WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN THE VEHICLE NOW. WE ARE NOT SURE WHAT TO DO NOW AS THE DEALERSHIP SAYS IT IS NOT ELIGIBLE UNDER THE LEMON LAW FOR A BUYBACK.
FACTORY OEM HEADLIGHTS INCLUDING HI-BEAMS, LOW-BEAMS, DRLS AND FOG LIGHTS ARE OUTDATED AND TOTALLY INFERIOR TO CURRENT LED/HID HEADLIGHTS. VISIBILITY IS NOT UP TO PAR WHATSOEVER. DEFINITE SAFETY HAZARD. VERY DISAPPOINTED. THIS CAR SHOULD HAVE STANDARD LED DAYLIGHT RUNNING STRIPS, HIGH-BEAMS, LOW BEAMS, AND FOG LIGHTS. FORD SHOULD UPDATE THIS ON ALL 2018 AND NEWER EXPEDITIONS
Transmission 10R80 is having shifting issues that have caused near crashes. The transmission will have delayed or slow shifting or miss shift when starting from stopped position. It happens on cool days or warmer days. Many people having this issue with expeditions but Ford has inspected the vehicle 2 times and found no issues. They refuse to dig deeper into the problem and fix it. These are expensive vehicles and if my family is injured i will be suing the Ford Co. Issue started at about 40,000 miles. It was inspected while under warranty but now it is over 60,000 miles and out of warranty. If it fails now I will be responsible for the expensive repairs. This issue happens nearly every day.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026