NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Expedition. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Mid shift between 5th and 6th gear it sounded like marbles in my engine(grinding) so I let off the gas. It then switched down to 1st gear shuttered and slowed down and then shifted back to 6th. Was lucky no one was behind me or I would have been rear ended. Then going up my driveway same day. It disengaged(stopped) part way up my driveway. Wouldn’t go into gear and wouldn’t move. I had to shut it off put it in park and start it again. Then when I shifted back to drive it made some clunking noises and didn’t move until I put it in reverse. I rolled down the hill then was able to shift into drive and go up the driveway. I no longer trust it. So it’s been parked ever since.
I took my vehicle to the dealership to have all recall work done on Feb. 11th 2026. I was told i am up to date on all my recall work at that time. When I received my vehicle back It would intermittently just shut down for no apparent reason while sitting at stop lights, or just stopped in that fashion. I called and the dealership they said unless they could recreate the issue somewhat easily there was noting they could really do. So while parked in driveway the vehicle again had no power, I used my emergency key to get into vehicle and opened the hood to which I found the battery terminal connections were never tighten. I could take them off by hand. This told me the mechanic at the dealership didn't complete job and tighten my battery connections, Fast forward to April 18th, it was raining, I parked vehicle, still running, went into post office ( I was only gone for 30 seconds)and I came out to white smoke billowing out from under the hood. I opened hood the large flames shooting up. I quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher I had in the car and put 90% of the fire out, it was still burning at the fuse junction box, moments later a police officer showed up with fire extinguisher and was able to put it out. The car would not stop running, so once the fire dept. arrived they had to cut the battery terminals to shut the vehicle down. This was also the first time I drove vehicle in the rain since my recall work was done. The fire dept. and I realized the fuse box cover was not in place. So now this same mechanic that did't tighten battery terminals was also neglectful in not replacing the fuse box cover. I believe this neglect partially if not wholly caused this fire. It is highly probable that water got into the fuse box and shortened everything out which caused the fire. I have a document from the dealership that states they did the recall work for 22S36 - Underhood fires. But this website says this work was not performed. No inspection from anyone has been done
The vehicle has jerky and harsh shifting. Almost got into an accident when car would not accelerate on the freeway. Appears this is a known issue with my vehicle. Took it in to be checked and initially they didn’t find anything. Problem persisted so I told them to test drive it for a bit and they said it was the CDF Drum and C clutch circuit which is apparently tied to the transmission issue. I called Ford about coverage due to the recall but they said the recall that is out there for this issue is not yet available for my specific car. This is dangerous and can cause serious accidents. Would like to know what it will take for Ford to include my vehicle in the recall. Would like Ford to take responsibility and pay for fixing this issue.
Transmission harsh shifting. Common problem with ford on the 10r80. Was told from ford need new transmission
The 10r80 transmission went out in it after 80k miles. It would get "stuck" in gears and not want to shift. The lack of shifting would cause the vehicle to stall while driving. Ford was able to reproduce the issue and the transmission is getting replaced by Ford through our extended warranty company. There was a clunking noise when driving prior to the transmission having shifting issues. No, there were not any warning lights when this was happening.
In cold weather the doors will become unlatched and open. This has happened to all 4 doors, driver side, passenger side, rear driver and rear passenger. We will be driving and the doors will randomly become unlatched and fly open. We have small children and they could have been killed due to this incident. It is extremely unsafe and problematic. We are unbelievably fortunate that our children have not been killed due to these incidents. It can happen at any moment and the doors will not close for several hours or days once they become unlatched. Typically when the weather warms up they will close again, which can take days. We have had friends/family allow us to use their garage to park the car so the car will warm up and we can re-close the doors, only to have them fly open again at some random time. This is a very dangerous defect that poses a significant health and safety, especially to children and babies. Additionally it is a liability as it can take several hours/days before the latches will close again. This requires the use of ratchet straps to hold the doors closed as the latches will not close (even if you attempt to reset the latches manually). However, having ratchet straps running from door handle to door handle to keep the doors closed poses other safety concerns. When I reached out to the ford mechanic I was told to replace the door latches as they may be defective. I had the driver side door latch replaced, but unfortunately the problem persists (about twice in the two months since it was replaced).
Down to 3 gallons gas stopped and added to half a tank. Left vehicle running while filling. Pulled out of gas station and vehicle started to sputter, drove 50 more feet and vehicle died and would not restart. Confirmed unleaded and station had no reports of bad gas. Towed to repair facility where dead fuel pump was diagnosed and replaced. Ford recall 25S75 includes some 2022 expeditions but not this 2021 with only 43,000 miles and no previous issues.
The 10r80 transmission of this vehicle failed resulting in erratic shifting, slowing and stopping of the vehicle in traffic, having to pull over in the middle of traffic. Rapid acceleration and deceleration resulting in jolting the people in the vehicle and abrupt speed changes. This has been confirmed by a private mechanic and a rebuilt transmission purchased from local Ford dealership. The broken transmission will be returned to Ford as the core is required to be returned for deposit refund. There were no warning lights or indications of failure other than shifting issues.
The cdf drum in the 10R80 transmission in 2021 Ford Expedition has failed causing inability to accelerate or decrease speech reliably. For safety during interstate driving, there is a indisputable need for quick and reliable increases and decreases in speed. Being able to clear an intersection quickly is important not only for the driver's safety but the safety of others in an intersection. Dealership has confirmed the problem. Ford released a TSB that has been around since 2023 regarding how this part fails and needs to be repaired. There were no warning lights or messages about the problem. The vehicle was purchased used at only 60,000 miles and dealership made no indication that transmissions had been an issue and could be a safety issue going forward.
Most mornings when I shift the vehicle from Park to Drive the transmission slams into gear and it feels like the vehicle just hit a wall. Also when shifting from 4th through 8th gear the transmission shudders through the shift sequence and sometimes it completely cuts out, total loss of power and have to coast to a stop on the side of the highway. This happens all the time.
Faulty CDF Clutch Drum. The vehicle failed to shift properly while driving in mountains which could have lead to a runaway. Problem has been identified by my dealer and is a known issue with 2017-2023 Ford Expedtions. Vehicle inspected my FoMoCo mechanic and found issue with drum. No warnings or prompts before issue occurred.
During highway operation, vehicle transmission makes very loud and angry sound and then loses ability to move , almost caused us to get hit at an intersection. Vehicle often jumps violently when shifting to reverse, and often loses propulsion when going uphill and shifting. No issues have been identified by mechanics but I have found several forums on line with drivers reporting similar occurrences. This is very dangerous and if not addressed will result in loss of life. We purchased this vehicle certified by the dealer with 92000 miles on it and it began doing this less than a week after purchase. We took it in for recall work and reported it and they said nothing was wrong with it. Manufacturer failure to rectify this very common problem is going to cause may citizens to be injured or killed.
Have had jerky shifts and hard down shifts while driving 2021 Ford Expedition. Told dealership and was told it was normal. Then went in for oil change told the dealership about lose of power while shifting and hard shifts they advised to have transmission fluid changed. Not even 3 weeks later while pulling out onto a busy road my vehicles engine revved very high but the transmission never engaged past 2nd gear. I was almost hit by a car coming at me on the 2 lane road. After letting off the gas and then reapplying gas the transmission engaged. I drove to the dealership. Today they informed me that the transmission has multiple failures at the shift point between 1-2 and 7-8 along with hard down shifts between 4 and 3 gears. Was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. I never got any error or warning codes that anything was wrong. I told the dealership that I felt unsafe driving the vehicle due to the transmission. The first instance happened less than a month ago. My vehicle is at the shop now waiting to have a replacement at my expense when Ford knew what the transmission is like.
While attempting to pass a slower moving vehicle and changing from the right lane to left, I attempted to accelerate past the vehicle when the check manual light appeared on the vehicle display dashboard and I lost all power. I had no acceleration and no power from the gas pedal, after gliding past the slower vehicle and completely taking my foot off the gas pedal, the truck reset itself and power came back to the vehicle and was able to accelerate again, as if nothing happened.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the engine overheated. The message “Drive Mode Inoperable” was displayed. The contact pulled over for 20 minutes, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were on back order for NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V346000 (Engine). The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was due to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 99,130.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact heard a loud banging sound coming from the driver’s side seat belt. An independent mechanic or a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V099000 (SEAT BELTS); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.
Vehicle panoramic sunroof shattered imploded while driving for no visible external cause.
Nn 9/15/2025 While the car was running but parked, we began to smell burnt plastic/electrical. Upon trying to shut off the vehicle several service lamps came on advising to go immediately to a service center and that there was a powertrain issue. Vehicle would also not shut off. Upon arrival at dealership they diagnosed that the battery box had corroded and would need replaced under the 1time battery Junction box replacement campaign (22N19). Upon repair they discovered that the wiring harness was badly melted and would need replace part [XXX] . The problem lies here. This part is backordered with no date for availability. Ford refuses to acknowledge this as a problem, and will not help with rental or loaner assistance, as that repair shouldn't take more then a few hours to complete. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Automobile falls out of gear randomly losing all forward power to move the car. While pulling out into traffic, this causes the car to not gain speed with traffic endangering those in the car. Dealer currently has the car and has quoted to replace the Transmission with a rebuilt unit. No warning lights in the car to tell us anything was wrong. Based on research, I believe Ford knows this transmission is faulty, and will not recall due to cost. Issue has scared my wife and family on multiple occasions before finally getting a scheduled check on the car.
10R80 transmission jerky shifting and failing to engage correctly leading to loss of power and unsafe driving/ jerky acceleration.
In the fordpass app, we get a notification that the vehicle has turned off certain function due to inactivity in order to reserve power. However, we will have just driven the vehicle. This message should only populate when the vehicle is inactive for 14 days. It can also populate when the battery drops below 9V or due to extremely hot or cold conditions. It is 70 degrees F outside, so this reduces the reason to only one problem, and that is the battery less than 9V. We just spent over $700 at the dealership on a new battery and service charges because they said it was a battery problem. We spent over $100 the first attempt to find the problem with a sync update. Now, with a new battery and updated sync, out vehicle is still draining the battery. Low and behold, when the message populate in the app, the vehicle will not start, leaving us stranded on multiple occasions in town. The dealership at Long Lewis Ford in Muscle Shoals cannot find the problem.
While towing a rented trailer from Tractor Supply, the trailer detached because it was not properly secured by store staff. The trailer struck the rear bumper of my 2021 Ford Expedition, causing visible body damage and raising concerns about hidden damage to the drivetrain and transmission due to the sudden force of the impact. After the incident, the vehicle was taken to a Ford dealership for inspection. Documentation exists showing that additional drivetrain and transmission evaluation is needed to determine the full extent of damage. The rear-view camera is also under active NHTSA recall (25V048), and its poor image quality complicates safe reversing after the incident. The safety risk is significant: the trailer detachment created a roadway hazard and impact, while the rear camera defect reduces visibility and increases crash risk when backing. The vehicle has been inspected by a Ford dealership and is being reviewed under an insurance claim with Tractor Supply’s insurer. Full documentation of the service visit and inspection is available upon request.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH in the rain with the windshield wipers engaged, the driver's side windshield wiper arm was jerking. The contact stated that upon pulling over to the side of the road and inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the driver's side windshield wiper arm was lying on the windshield. The contact removed and placed the part inside the vehicle. After the rain had stopped, the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the driver's side windshield wiper arm needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer determined that the passenger's side windshield wiper arm needed to be replaced because the wiper arm had worn out. The dealer ordered the parts. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.
LED Daytime Running Light on passenger side headlight is fading and has purple hue at times. This presents poor visibility to other vehicles and can create confusion due to inconsistent appearance for oncoming traffic.
Fuel pump failed in express lane, unable to move the vehicle from travel lane under its own power.
Fuel pump part number JL1Z*9H307*G failed at highway speed leaving vehicle stranded in express traffic lanes. But for the prompt response from FHP this would have resulted in a serious crash. The vehicle has almost never been operated below 30% of fuel capacity and has never been operated to near empty fuel. There are no known wear or accidents that impact the fuel system. there were no warnings or other symptoms prior to the complete pump failure.
I originally leased and have since purchased this vehicle. Since owning the vehicle, it sometimes has a harsh shift between gears. It is so harsh that I have mentioned it to at least two different Ford dealerships during the transmission warranry period. No remedy was provided at the time. The car has continued to have shifting issues and now the car will pop out of gear while driving, which is a major safety issue. We informed a Ford dealership about this experience and they are now telling us we need a new transmission as they found metal in the transmission fluid. The transmission warranty just expired and there is a NHTSA bulletin about this very issue and there is an open recall on the power module for this car. Items for review: Technical Service Bulletin 10R80 Active Recall Campaign 24E13 Documented issue at Tom Masano Ford on 12/02/2021 Documented issue at Fred Beans Exton Ford on 4/26/2022 Documented issue at Tom Masano on 8/5/2025
The fuel pump failed without warning leaving the vehicle stranded in the express lane of a highway. This exposed the vehicle and occupants to serious risk of collision. The vehicle does not allow the transmission to shift to neutral to move the vehicle from live traffic lane when the engine is not running. This is the same fuel pump model at the heart of the ongoing recall on other ford vehicles.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The contact's wife had attempted to start the vehicle several times. The contact stated that when the vehicle was started, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the engine seized. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with fuel pump failure. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Transmission has completely failed at 68,000 miles and 4 years old. Ford is willing to cover cost of the tramission with a “partial good faith” agreement but the dealership who provides the service is charging $5,656 to put in new transmission. This is a widely known transmission problem with safety issues with multiple service bulletins. They are passing the issue onto the consumer instead of recalling. Shameful.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the moonroof. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact was notified of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V729000 (Visibility). The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the failure was unidentifiable and that the vehicle had passed inspection. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle experienced a loss of motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, the vehicle regained motive power independently. The local dealer was contacted and referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to a fuel system recall that had not included the model year of the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.
Transmission Failure Rough or jerky shifting: This occurs when accelerating or decelerating, and even when shifting between gears. Delayed gear engagement: Shifting from park to drive or reverse can be slow, or the vehicle may lunge into gear. Transmission slipping: The transmission slips between gears, causing a loss of power or acceleration. It can also cause a violent grinding/shaking between shifting gearshifts resulting in loss of acceleration.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon attempting to accelerate from a stop, the vehicle started to shake abnormally, and lost motive power. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact immediately attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a local independent mechanic where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the fuel pump was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.
The transmission shifts gears irregularly and has loss complete power when going up hill. This is a known issue with the 10 speed transmission but Ford has not corrected the issue that is impacting thousand of vehicles. This issue with the shifting happens everyday that I drive it.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while his wife was inside the vehicle with the vehicle idling, the vehicle vibrated and then turned off. The contact's wife attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer retrieved DTC: P0627; and informed the contact that the fuel pump had failed. The control unit and fuel pump were replaced. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V455000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.
See attached document for complaint.
Travelling down interstate at speed and right rear quarter panel came loose, was flapping around behind and beside vehicle and partially tore free. This presents a high speed debris hazard.
May 17th was trying to get over one lane on service road, gave car gas and it acted like it fail out of gear, let off gas and then it was fine. Did the something again about 4 hours later. Car only has 94,000 miles on it and dealership is saying that it needs a new transmission. I have never hauled anything with this car, only driving on the highway. I did take my Ford in at 57,000 because it was rough sounding when it would change gears. They said they couldn't find anything wrong. Now we need a new transmission and it is out of warranty of course. I just don't see how this transmission could not last longer then 94,000 miles. The note on the car still has a few years left on it. There are not active recall per Ford Relationship Center. I also have a claim with them as well. They told me to made a claim there as well.
Wiring has soy based bioplastic insulation which apparently attract rodent damage. This damaged battery, caused spark plug to be damaged and need to be replaced. It has also caused voltage and computer performance problems affecting engine idling and shifting. Issues were extremely unpredictable and hard to diagnose leading to 5 visits to the shop and many failed attempts to repair.
The vehicles jerks when shifting, pops out of gear while driving, takes a long time to find the next gear, is delayed when doing from R to D. Yesterday, 05/14/2025, I took a left turn and drove maybe .2 of a mile and the car jerked very hard and popped out of gear. The car slowed down to almost a complete stop before it finally found a gear and I could accelerate. My children and I were in the car, I was afraid it was going to stall out and we would be sitting in the middle of the road and get hit. The road we were on had no shoulder. This isn't the first time this has happened, but it was the most severe.
Vehicle stalls out upon driving when trying to accelerate. Has popped up error which states to check fuel pump.
The component of the system that failed was an internal failure in the CDF drum in transmission. This resulted in failure to accelerate up to appropriate speeds and lurching of the vehicle when shifting gears. This put the safety of others and self at risk as the vehicle was unable to get up to speed on the road resulting in dangerous conditions that could lead to accidents due to the inability to reach posted speed limits. The vehicle and the components were inspected by a Ford dealership. No warning lights were observed to indicate that a problem existed.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted. The transmission warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was able to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.
When driving and car down shifts to 4th speed and accelerator is pressed, the car does not accelerate, rpm’s only increase. The car then jars or jerks into gear with a loud sound. Safety risk is that you are driving at high speed and cannot keep car accelerating with other cars around - especially on freeway. 1st occurrence happened at 31000 miles. Now constant repeat at 43000 miles. No warning lights/lamps, etc. Car has only been serviced by Ford. Ford noted this as a software update needed. In researching this, seems to be a common problem.
Follow up to my previous complaint (11665325)see link below. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH during the snow, the driver's side and passenger’s side windshield wipers ceased to work as intended. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
DTC P07F7 - This is the code that the car is showing which is a CDF Drum failed in the transmission. The vehicle was almost hard braking when shifting gears and throwing us towards the dashboard specifically when switching between 9th and 10th gear. It was hard shifting between multiple gears. The vehicle is only 3 years old with 67,000 miles on it and the transmission has failed. There are also multiple reports and a service bulletin on this particular transmission from Ford.
I was merging on to the interstate and lost all throttle. Gear dropped to first. I had to hurry and pull off of the interstate to avoid having a wreck. I have also had issues with the car clunking into gear when putting car in drive. Car will also slip gears from 2-4 and 7-8th while driving
My Ford expeditions transmission is causing unsafe driving with rough sound and thunking noise. There is a C,D,F issue and valve separator parts that are the initial issue that can cause major issues for me and many others. A Ford technician advised me that TSBs exist and made me aware that my cost could be $199 (diagnostics), $1500 (parts), and $4400 or more (transmission repair or replacement). Why is this danger still be allowed with a well known issue. The problem started and appears to be getting worse. Why is Ford being held accountable for this lack of quality in their vehicles.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026