2021 Ford Expedition Complaint Log

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The power train system message was displayed. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the clutch hub was damaged. The contact was informed that the transmission and the clutch hub needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 65,000.

This recall was issued in January 2025, we are rolling in to month 4 here, this vehicle is used for business and cant drive it while it has an open recall per insurance, we have lost out on almost 4 months of income on this vehicle along with loan payment of 4 months, I feel like Ford has not taken this serious and is taking their time considering its a little older model SUV. Not sure if there is some type of compensation for this from Ford on the delay of this fix. Also, we have had no issues with our rear camera on this vehicle; everything works fine.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the driver's side door inadvertently opened. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the driver’s side door was not closing properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

Power Train went out on our family vehicle at 107k miles. This is a known problem by Ford for this model, and it is a major hazard. It created a dangerous driving situation for our family. The transmission would slip or quickly shift down to lower gears while driving at higher speeds causing the vehicle to malfunction in traffic and creating a very dangerous driving situation for our family. The vehicle is currently at a Ford dealership awaiting repair. Ford is aware there is a safety hazard concerning the transmissions in this model and they need to fix it ASAP.

The vehicle has a significant delay in changing from park to drive, drive to reverse, and reverse to drive. The vehicle has been brought to FORD on several occasions, each time the shop has informed me that the vehicle is indicating a low voltage for the adaptive learning module. They reset the adaptive learning module and it corrects the issue for a about 6 months and the issue returns worse each time. On the most recent occasion the delay moving from drive to reverse was more than 45 seconds; which resulted in a near crash with a high speed moving vehicle. Had there been a collision the malfunction would have been the primary cause of the crash and a superseding event. I have taken the vehicle back to FORD and there response is now that the vehicle is out of warranty and the only offer was to again reset the adaptive learning module at my cost. The cost is not the issue, the issue is that they are not investigation to determine the cause and only doing temporary corrections that will ultimately, if it has not already, led to serious crashes resulting in injury or death.

The transmission has started to delay engagement into drive and reverse which causes the ability for the vehicle to unexpectedly roll in either direction. The vehicle also shifts erratically and in a rough manner while driving causing the driver(s) to either hesitate acceleration and or cause a sense of urgency to stop. It was brought to my attention from repair/transmission shops that this is a common problem with this particular transmission and calls for a new replacement or rebuild. The issue is very noticeable when driving as stated by the driver(s) and auto repair mechanics/employees.

The wiper arms keep popping off the motor. We can pop them back on, but they are still popping off.

Door latch mechanism freezes, unable to close/latch door. Ford has a known TSB for this issue, which was recently repaired. Door latch still freezing, so door will not close. Have to drive with bungee cord to hold shut. Totally unsafe for backseat passenger!!!!!’

I purchased a 2021 Ford Expedition and it has 37,000 miles on it and the transmission shifts hard when putting the vehicle in drive. The vehicle jerks violently. Also when driving down hils the transmission jerks. The vehicle shouldn't have transmission problems already. The transmission in this vehicle should have a recall. The Ford company is aware that there is an issue and they should fix the issue or replace the transmission for their consumers. I have a 2012 Expedition that doesn't have this problem and it has 280,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated, hesitated, and shifted out of gear independently. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a 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 notified of the failure, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The contact related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2428 (Harsh/Delayed Engagement And/ Or Harsh/Delayed Shift). The failure mileage was 80,000.

The “handless” rear hatch opening activates when not intended. This has caused a concussion to a driver while loading a vehicle. While this is not a “driving” system, it causes injuries to occupants immediately prior to driving. It is entirely possible that a driver could suffer a head injury without knowledge, then begin driving. This causes a dangerous driving environment. In particular the system is supposed to operate when the key is in a persons pocket and the foot is waived in the air by the hitch receiver area. The issues exists because it activates even if an object moves under the vehicle when key is in the correct proximity. This can even pin a driver down with the door over thier back while loading. Again this causes injuries and issues that may not be discovered until driving. In this particular incident the driver was loading the cargo area, when the door activated to close unknown to driver. At the same time the driver was leaning back and standing back up hitting his head on the door while it was closing on him. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes later after finishing loading, the driver drove away (sole occupant). After another 10 to 15 minutes later driver was feeling dizzy and un able to focus. The driver stopped the vehicle and sought medical attention. The driver was diagnosed with a minor concussion. While this had a good result, it could have easily escalated or caused a serious accident. It is recommended that a safety advisory about the potential risks of automatic door opening/closing is released. In addition it is recommended that the manufacturer enable the ability to disable the automatic function in the vehicle system in a manner where it only comes back on after a user turns it on.

The right tail lamp on my 2021 Ford Expedition was loose, and the tail lamp completely fell off while I was driving. My safety and the safety of other drivers was put at risk when the tail lamp fell off because my tail lamp was not visible to other drivers. The vehicle was not involved in any accident, and the tail lamp is in perfect condition. My car is at the dealership currently to get it fixed, and the technician stated that the tabs are broken on the backside of the tail lamp so it is not able to lock into place. The tail lamp has to be completely replaced. There were no warning lamps, messages, or any other type of indication that the tail lamp was loose. I believe this was caused by a manufacturer defect.

I was in an accident on December 9 at 2 pm it was slightly wet out & 51 degrees i was making a left turn out of a business went into the middle lane and gave some gas to merge into the lane and the back end of the vehicle locked up and swung into a tail spin to the right as I applied the brakes it locked up worse and the vehicle spun around twice. Went into oncoming traffic and was hit. Had to exite the vehicle on the passenger side because i could not open the drivers door. When the police and tow truck came the both could not believe the airbags did not deploy . The car was found to be totaled by my insurance Co. AAA The fact that not one of the airbags didn’t deploy is very disturbing to me!!! This was my first Ford and dont think i will ever own anther.

Transmission issues: Sudden loss of power while driving 2021 Expedition on interstate when transmission disengaged at approximately 75 MPH in passing lane. This occurred most recently AFTER transmission was re-built at Ford dealership. Transmission has been having these issues for years and they have gotten worse (more frequent) with time. Last time occurred on Thanksgiving day 2024. Large red wrench indicator warning light appeared on dash advising to consult owner's manual. Small wrench indicator light remained at bottom of screen after the larger one disappeared. Dealership has not been able to reproduce the event which occurred about an hour into the trip on the interstate when proceeding up a slight grade. Vehicle is not safe to drive. Work requires frequent travel on interstate day trips. Loyal to Ford. Love Expeditions. Have owned several. No confidence in this one. Value adversely affected since cannot in good faith sell vehicle without disclosure of transmission issues. No response from Ford to notice letter sent to them after most recent incident.

My car continues to have electrical problems since 14 months after my purchase. I have reported it to Ford service multiple times as well as Corporate. Each time the same problem happens, I report it here as well. This is the 5th time that this has happened. Each time it has happened, I am at a red light and while waiting, my car just shuts off completely. In the beginning I could press my start button after 1-2 minutes and my car would restart. However, the 4th time it took 9 minutes before my car would start up. It happened again this past week. It took no longer than a minute for my car to start up again. I went to my local dealership and after they took a look, they just think the button with the "A and an arrow circling it" just triggered something and thats why it shut off. They told me there was nothing that they could do. My battery looked fine. This has happened so many times to my vehicle and its the same response, "my car is fine," it just triggered because it's "cold outside." Just tired of the Ford Corporation not fixing this problem in the Expedition. I have read stories on here with the same issue. Be aware if you drive this vehicle because one day someone will seriously get hurt.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while stopped at a red traffic light and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle briefly lost motive power. Additionally, the contact heard an abnormal thumping sound coming from the transmission, and the vehicle experienced a hard shift before returning to normal functionality. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving, nearly causing the vehicle to be rear-ended on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where DTC: 10R80 was retrieved, and the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to cost.  The contact stated that the transmission was struggling to shift into the intended gear while driving recently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

I was on my way to my daughter's school. We got off the on ramp to her school and while waiting at the red stop light, my car stalled. The wheels locked. My brake pedal and gas pedal were not working when the stop light turned green. The car dashboard was showing the power to be on but nothing was working. After a minute, the battery light and the a light with the arrow that kind of circles around it started blinking. I put my hazards and waved people behind me to go around me. After a few minutes, my car started to go backwards on the on-ramp. I looked back and could feel and see my car going backwards toward the cars behind me. The traffic behind me on the on-ramp started to honk at me. They could see what was happening too. I put the car from drive to park and put my emergency brake and the car stopped. I called 911 and explained what was happening. After a few more minutes, two men in two different vehicles came and offered to help push my car. One of them asked me to put my car in neutral but my car was not allowing me to turn to the different shifts. All of a sudden my car starts blinking again. One of the guys told me to try to press the power again. All of a sudden my car starts powering up again. I thanked the two men and finished dropping off my daughter to school. From the time my car stalled and turned back on was about 8-9 minutes. This car has shown problems over and over with Ford. I have had 3 new car batteries since owning this vehicle in the 3 years I've had it. I've reported all the different car issues on the NHTSA website. I just had my oil changed a few months ago. My car just had a few things fixed in June. I have never been so shaken up like this before. My legs and hands could not stop shaking. I couldn’t stop crying. I’ve never been so scared in my life in this vehicle. This was the first time my kid was with me when my car has stalled like this. For my car to lose complete function was the scariest moment in my life with my kid.

Coolant leak possibly coming from the thermostat housing.

Passenger side front headlight failure. The LED turns purple. Appears this is a common problem on vehicle with this type of headlight assembly F series as well. Dealers claim they don't know about it but a quick search to find its a common issue. Available for inspection. Light failure, confirmation is it is now always that way. Was inspected at the dealership and informed it was $3000 to replace the light assembly. No warning driver in front of me informed me to the issue.

The Engine is shutting off completely. I am getting the message "Shift to P. the Restart Engine" This happened as the light changed to green. Heavy morning work traffic was behind me and I had never seen this before and called Ford Service manager and he had no answer. This is very dangerous especially during traffic.

When stopped, the auto start stop comes on and the engine turns off. Suddenly a warning comes on and says that the vehicle has to be put in park and push the start button to start the engine again. It will not start automatically when the brake pedal is released. This has happened a number of times. I have not been to the dealer.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds on several occasions, the vehicle down shifted inadvertently, and the vehicle lost power. The contact stated that there were no warning lights illuminated during the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact state while driving 55 MPH, there were abnormal sounds coming from the engine and the transmission. The temperature gauge warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a Chevrolet dealer twice to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. After the second repair the contact noticed that the engine was overheating. The vehicle was taken to a Ford dealer and the transmission was replaced another time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 89,035.

Shifting from park to drive on a level surface, the transmission will sporadically slam into gear so hard that the vehicle lurches forward. By the time I got to the dealership, it would not duplicate the problem. This vehicle has had the transmission rebuilt/replaced 4 times for this issue (among other issues), and there is less that 40,000 miles on the vehicle. The transmission also slams into gear on 3rd, 5th, and sometimes 6th (upshift and downshift). It will sporadically downshift when at highway speeds regardless of changes in speed or incline.

The Powertrain control system has detected an internal PCM communications error PCM will invoke failure mode effect management.

Expedition has roughly 33,000 miles on it. I took it into the dealer for service b/c the transmission was acting jumpy. By the time it got to the dealer for service, Pacifico Marple Ford deemed it undrivable and it needs a new transmission. I don't think the transmission should have went that quickly.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle became stuck in first gear. The driver was able to maneuver the transmission into fourth gear. The contact turned the vehicle on and off, and the transmission was reset. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V197000 (Power Train). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and was diagnosed with CDF drum failure, and that the transmission needed to be rebuilt or replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the transmission needed to be rebuilt. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate upon the depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. During one failure, the contact shifted the vehicle from drive(D) to park(P) and the vehicle began to roll backward as though the vehicle were in neutral(N). The contact then shifted the vehicle back to drive(D) and the vehicle resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed that the only way to diagnose the problem would be to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and the contact was given the same information as the dealer. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

Unknown, it appears to be a Transmission issue the vehicle shifts hard, loses power while driving, and delayed acceleration.

The 360 degree backup camera displays a black screen when activated in both reverse and forward parking mode. This causes myself & any other driver to not have clear vision around the vehicle while in reverse posing a severe safety hazard. This problem has been reported & confirmed diagnostically from my local dealership as well as reported to Ford Motors itself resulting in a case being opened regarding the safety issue. I have been told by Ford on multiple occasions that they will expedite my case & call me back with information, however it has been over 6 weeks and I have had to call them e Rey time to follow up. This back up camera safety issue has already been recalled on other makes & models of Ford vehicles including the year model before my vehicle. My dealership told me that although this exact same issue is recalled on other vehicles, I would need to pay the estimated $1500 to repair my issue. This has caused me and my family a significant amount of stress because we have young children, drive carpool for elementary school and need to be able to see our surroundings dings when backing up and parking. Several times I have come close to hitting something when parking because I can’t see from the camera. The NTHSB has also issued safety recalls for Ford backup cameras having this exact same issue and this is a huge safety issue for my model Ford as well. Ford knows there’s a safety issue and is not taking this seriously. We intentionally paid extra for this camera to ensure adequate vision while reversing and parking, this is unacceptable on Ford’s part to not escalate this issue and repair the defective camera at no cost. I desperately need help in getting Ford to fix this before a serious avoidable injury or accident occurs. I do not have another car I can drive and am stressed every time I drive now.

There is a chrome decorative trim on the interior of the vehicle that surrounds the cup holders and storage areas. This chrome decorative trim is beginning to delaminate and had a razor-sharp edge. When reaching into the storage compartment that is also a phone charging station the delaminating chrome sliced my hand resulting in me requiring stiches from urgent care.

Second row power folding captain chair can fold down without anybody touching button. Rear hatch opens intermittently while parked or driving. The latest incident occurred while driving on city streets, and dash flashed a warning about rear hatch being opened while driving about 20mph.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while at a four-way stop, the vehicle failed to move, and downshifted to first gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

Vehicle loses acceleration. When I attempt to pass someone on the interstate, the vehicle does not accelerate. When I push the gas the engine revs, but does not engage. I have to take my foot off the gas for 10-15 seconds for it to go back into gear. Error reads "stuck in park". It has been to Ford numerous times with the same result, they can't duplicate the problem.

The power train failed to accelerate and completely disengaged. While trying to avoid being t-boned by another car, the vehicle failed to accelerate when required. The RPM gauge showed the acceleration demand but it did not transfer to the power train. Luckily the car running the red light swerved to miss us because we were not able to proactively avoid the collision. Ford first replaced the transmission plate, after recurrence is now offering a transmission rebuild under warranty. Now out of warranty, concerned issues will continue as Ford dealer not forthcoming on the repairs being done stating multiple issues are not related.

When driving at interstate speeds, the transmission locked into 7th gear and refused to change gears with changes in speed. This was especially dangerous when I exited the interstate and had to drive in traffic at city speeds. Starting from a stop in 7th gear was extremely dangerous and made me a hazard to myself and other cars around me.

My catalytic converter of my 2021 expedition is going out. We had a 2019 Ford Expedition Texas Edition and I had the same issue. We purchased our current expedition in April of 2023. This spring the converter was signaled with the check engine light and since then my vehicle has had issues with acceleration, it consumes gas at an extremely high rate and my engine works harder over time. My concern is that my vehicle will have an engine malfunction or put me into bankruptcy by the amount of gas it consumes per trip. I found that many other expeditions from the years 2018-2022 have similar issues to mine, in fact one of my friends in town had the same issue. I reported my issue to Ford and they said they would not repair. My vehicle has less than 80k miles on it.

Transmissions quickly break down. First signs are hard/loud gear shifting followed by slipping gears then eventual inability to accelerate. Regular transmission drains find metal contamination indicating breakdown of gears. Ford Motor Company is aware of this issue and will replace the transmission with the same failing transmission. Their proprietary system makes it difficult to diagnose and repair leading consumers to have to buy a replacement after 60k miles (which just so happens to be the extent of their warranty).

At 40,000 miles Transmission skips gears going from 3-4 4-5 and 7-8. Transmission jolts hard when put into reverse. Valve body was replaced which fixed the issue for a couple of months and now the same issues are occurring.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed a puddle of blue windshield washer fluid on the ground underneath the vehicle. In addition, the contact stated that the washer fluid was also coming into the front floorboards of the vehicle. The contact stated that due to the failure, the interior of the vehicle had an awful odor and mold. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. In addition, the contact stated that he had not refilled the windshield washer fluid reservoir in 6 months due to the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,000.

Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I wish to report critical safety issues with my 2021 Ford Expedition Max. The primary concern involves the vehicle’s electrical system, which has repeatedly malfunctioned, causing complete vehicle shutdown while in motion. 1.Failed Component/System: The electrical system has failed, characterized by flickering lights followed by total loss of power. The exact failing component within the system remains unidentified as diagnostics have not yielded error codes. 2.Safety Risks: These malfunctions have endangered my family’s safety by causing unexpected vehicle shutdowns, potentially leading to accidents, especially concerning because it happened once while exiting our driveway. 3.Dealership and Independent Service Confirmation: The issue has been examined by Kendall Ford in Prineville and an independent service center, neither of which has been able to replicate or diagnose the problem successfully. 4.Inspections and Confirmations: The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by certified Ford technicians without conclusive results. No external inspections by police, insurance, or other entities have occurred. 5.Warning Signs and Symptoms: Prior to these failures, there were no warning lamps or messages. The symptoms, including flickering vehicle lights, appeared suddenly and without prior indication. This vehicle’s reliability is compromised due to these unresolved electrical issues, and I am concerned it represents a broader safety risk for similar models. I urge the NHTSA to investigate these problems to prevent potential harm to other consumers. See attached videos in link - [XXX] Ford Motor Case # [XXX] Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Driving down the road and my sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gunshot.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer and was pulling to the left and to the right. There was no warning lights illuminated. The EPAS system was turned off by the owner. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an alignment. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E055000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact requested a buy back, but the vehicle failed to meet the requirements. The approximate failure mileage was 24,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a grinding sound coming from the transmission while changing gear. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while upshifting from second to third gear and while down shifting from fifth to fourth gear. During the failure the vehicle experienced hard jerking. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 20,000.

Vehicle caught fire on February 29, 2024, with family members inside the vehicle. The fire appeared to start under the hood on the right passenger side, which would directly correlate with the current open recall. The family had just made a trip back from a basketball game and was dropping off a passenger when smoke was noticed. Upon further inspection, there was an active fire under the hood, which soon erupted into a burst of flames, causing the vehicle to be declared a total loss. Emergency responders had to be called to the scene to alleviate the fire. The fire report depicts a vehicle malfunction as the cause of the ignition. Ford has made no efforts to contact the consumer regarding the fire and subsequent damage.

When driving down the road and it does not matter what speed I am going, is when this issue is happening to most. I will be driving and out of the blue the tachometer will just drop to zero (0) and I lose all power and the vehicle starts shaking vigorously back and forth until it decides what gear the transmission wants to be in. It is doing this every single day, and it almost made me wrecked the other day. I do not even have 70,000 miles and it will be three years old in April 2024. I have called Ford and reported the issue as well. I have researched the issues, and many other Expeditions are having the same issue years 2020-2022. I am asking for Ford to take a serious look at all the car crashes from this exact issue. I do know the F150 are recalled with the exact transmission that is in the Expeditions. The transmission on Thursday 2-22-24 after driving and parked, put the car in drive then it did not want to get out of parked and do into drive or reverse.

Transmission slams into gear when coming out of park, into drive

I arrived home, parked the car, exited the vehicle and walked to the back to retrieve my bag. I opened the hatch and when I reached in I had the feeling that the car slightly moved but I thought because of the falling snow it was an optical illusion, but then it really started to move... thankfully I was able to get to snow covered grass and not slip and fall behind my vehicle. it then proceeded to roll all the way down to the street. It was all captured on my ring camera but I am unable to upload the video?

The transmission shakes the truck at 5th gear and up. It slips out of gear. Sounds like the toque converter is coming about. Or the High gear clutches are slipping.

I keep getting a hard transmission shift around 8th gear when cresting a hill and letting off the gas. Ford can’t replicate the issue because it’s intermittent.