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2013 Ford Expedition

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2013 Ford Expedition do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 155.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

68 reports with mileage · 24 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 43 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 10 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

3 crash reports3 fire reports3 injury reports

What owners actually said

92 reports
147,300 miles · Jul 13, 2026
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and unexpectedly downshifted to first gear before the vehicle veered over into the next lane. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and steer it back into the correct lane. A dealer was contacted. The ve…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the vehicle decelerated and unexpectedly downshifted to first gear before the vehicle veered over into the next lane. The contact was able to regain control of the vehicle and steer it back into the correct lane. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V075000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 147,300.

NHTSA ODI #11749980

146,500 miles · Jul 13, 2026
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, causing the vehicle to shake and jerk abnormally. The speedometer was fluctuating, and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle.…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, causing the vehicle to shake and jerk abnormally. The speedometer was fluctuating, and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the parents' residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01 (Transmission Molded Leadframe Extended Coverage). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,500.

NHTSA ODI #11749972

Mileage unknown · May 5, 2026
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, there was a sudden unattended downshift of the vehicle. The speedometer went to zero. The RPM increased without acceleration. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired.…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 25 MPH, there was a sudden unattended downshift of the vehicle. The speedometer went to zero. The RPM increased without acceleration. No warning lights were illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI #11735744

Mileage unknown · Jan 12, 2026
Power Train

Was never notified of the recall pertaining to my vehicle. Upon research I contacted the dealership to have the recall fixed. First issue was they offere complimentary pickup and delivery which I scheduled and they did not show up, aswell as the call that was supposed to happen, and they tell me the recall is out of its extended…

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Was never notified of the recall pertaining to my vehicle. Upon research I contacted the dealership to have the recall fixed. First issue was they offere complimentary pickup and delivery which I scheduled and they did not show up, aswell as the call that was supposed to happen, and they tell me the recall is out of its extended warranty. I contacted Ford service department and they said the same as its out of extended warranty. This is a safety concern as Ford is aware of the failing component and will not let me get the recall fixed. At the moment the vehicle is in limp mode still runs just fine but due to the recall it is not and cannot get any help from the dealership nor Ford. I was never notified that the vehicle had any recalls as we where dealing with the known harmonic balancer issue which caused the dealership to replace the engine with a new and still had to replace that balancer 3 times until it was right. Besides that distraction there was no issues occuring from the Molded Lead Frame. This is a safety concern. The vehicle mileage is about 160k engine mileage maybe 20-30k. Original recalled component still remains. I am able to repair this myself but need to know if this was something they should be fixing.

NHTSA ODI #11710465

Mileage unknown · Aug 23, 2025
Engine

2013 Ford Expedition Limited 5.4 engine. The vehicle was purchased new with an extended warranty with all services performed by Ford dealer. On or about [XXX], with no warning or indication of problem the vehicle experienced what was determined to be a catastrophic internal engine failure, with only 93840 miles. The engine probl…

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2013 Ford Expedition Limited 5.4 engine. The vehicle was purchased new with an extended warranty with all services performed by Ford dealer. On or about [XXX], with no warning or indication of problem the vehicle experienced what was determined to be a catastrophic internal engine failure, with only 93840 miles. The engine problems were known by Ford Motor Company as replacement engines had design changes and modifications. The engine failure resulted in an immediate stop, which occurred on a 4-lane state road with a fifty-five MPH limit. Fortunately, no vehicles were in close proximity at the time. Dense traffic, at speed, could have resulted in a multivehicle accident. The vehicle required flatbed towing to a service center. Ford Motor Company has not taken action (recall) to address the engine problems, nor has Ford offered reimbursement to customers for replacement engine cost. Ford Motor Company receives the defective engine back when a replacement engine is purchased. The cost was near $8K. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11682595

Mileage unknown · Jul 3, 2025
Power Train

This has been a great vehicle. We were going down a road around 60 mph and with no warning or symptom the car downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. This caused the rear end to lock up causing the tires to squeal and spin the car around sideways in the road. Luckily nothing was coming. This could have easily been a deadly accident if…

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This has been a great vehicle. We were going down a road around 60 mph and with no warning or symptom the car downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. This caused the rear end to lock up causing the tires to squeal and spin the car around sideways in the road. Luckily nothing was coming. This could have easily been a deadly accident if something was coming. The dealer has said the lead frame was bad a needed to be replaced. They have quoted $1,200. The vehicle only has 117,000 miles on it and it still under the mileage for the extended coverage but not the years. There are tons of vehicles with this transmission and lead frame on the road, this is a major safety issue that should be addressed. A check engine light or no other warnings have ever come on. Having these lead frames out there are just an accident waiting to happen. Luckily, ther was no one coming when mine decided to fail.

NHTSA ODI #11671030

117,000 miles · Mar 11, 2025
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed that the instrument panel became inoperable and would not function properly when the contact attempted to shift gear. The vehicle was able to resta…

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed that the instrument panel became inoperable and would not function properly when the contact attempted to shift gear. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the output speed sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

NHTSA ODI #11647731

Mileage unknown · Feb 28, 2025
Vehicle Speed Control

2/13/19- Ford Issued Recall on 2013 Ford Expedition for OSS failure and downshift 2/20/19- I go to the Preston Ford Mazda dealership, Maryland. I view and test drive a 2013 Ford Expedition, during the test drive the RPMs ran high on the Expedition and it felt sluggish and “off” crossing a road, and at one point it jumped, and t…

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2/13/19- Ford Issued Recall on 2013 Ford Expedition for OSS failure and downshift 2/20/19- I go to the Preston Ford Mazda dealership, Maryland. I view and test drive a 2013 Ford Expedition, during the test drive the RPMs ran high on the Expedition and it felt sluggish and “off” crossing a road, and at one point it jumped, and the wrench symbol came on as we were returning. My concern was shrugged off by my salesman, as he said ‘maybe Fords are just like that’. As we returned, and had the issue with the wrench symbol, salesman advised me “ well when you came and interrupted as they were just getting this thing checked out and tested.” 2/19/19 When I returned following days to purchase, the vehicle was not ready. It turned out the battery had died and they had some other issue with a “computer code”. They put in another battery on hand, and told me I should now be “good to go”, knowing that I was in desperate need of a vehicle, and would likely be trusting if they told me it was now repaired. At this point we were within manufacturer’s warranty, and under 60k miles. -was never informed that there was a recall issued by Ford that EXACTLY applied to our vehicle, and to the issue I Reported during my test drive, under warranty, and Preston Ford Mazda never correctly repaired the issue as they stated, which was reported within all Ford and recall time and mileage requirements. [XXX]-while driving suddenly speedometer went out, the gas gauge stopped working, and then, a moment later while trying to figure that out, the vehicle jumped and shuddered/stopped and the RPMS went wild, revving. Almost hit cars, but was able to pull to the side of highway. Upon turning the vehicle off and restarting, normal operation resumed, but issue with the wrench symbol, gauges, RPMs revving and vehicle jump/stop has now happened repeatedly, leaving me with no safe transportation for my large family. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI #11645524

Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2025
Power TrainUnknown Or Other

Ford had a customer satisfaction recall (which should be a safety recall, honestly) - 19N01 - that was good for 10 years or 150K miles. My vehicle a 2013 is just outside of that 10 years but under the mileage and I am starting to have issues with the leadframe and main control. Unfortunately for me, I bought the vehicle in sprin…

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Ford had a customer satisfaction recall (which should be a safety recall, honestly) - 19N01 - that was good for 10 years or 150K miles. My vehicle a 2013 is just outside of that 10 years but under the mileage and I am starting to have issues with the leadframe and main control. Unfortunately for me, I bought the vehicle in spring 2023, but am being told the warranty expired in 2019. Also unfortunately for me, the previous owner did not have the issue fixed. Ford is unwilling to assist with correcting the issue (even after the dealership confirmed this is the issue).

NHTSA ODI #11633602

180,000 miles · Oct 17, 2024
Power Train

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the RMPS were fluctuating, and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to second or to third gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and then the contact resumed driving. The vehicle was taken to …

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The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the RMPS were fluctuating, and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to second or to third gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and then the contact resumed driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the transmission molded lead frame several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where the transmission molded lead frame was replaced. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. Several unknown dealers were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 19N01 because the campaign had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

NHTSA ODI #11620462

Official recalls

0

No recalls in this snapshot.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ17010 · Unexpected Transmission Downshift

Opened Dec 25, 2017 · Closed Oct 22, 2019

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of transmissions unexpectedly downshifting to a lower gear without input from the driver on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. ODI has received 455 unique reports related to the alleged problem that were not covered under a previous recall for this issue (16V-248).Expedition and Navigator complaint rates are lower than F-150 complaints. Of those 455 reports, 34.7% claimed that the rear wheels locked up when the transmission downshifted. There were 4 accident claims with no injuries. There are many instances where drivers report leaving their lane or the road because of this issue.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 783 unique reports related to the alleged problem. There were 6 accident claims with 3 injuries. Ford also submitted 1206 warranty claims related to transmission downshifting failures. The failure can occur at any time, but typically at higher speed, and include symptoms such as sudden transmission downshifting, loss of speedometer, erratic shifting of transmission, and transmission stuck in one gear. The failures typically occur without warning and may result in the rear wheels momentarily locking up. The driver often had to fully stop the vehicle and restart it to get the vehicle to shift properly.On February 2nd, 2019 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (19V-075) to remedy transmission downshifting failures on all 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles. Ford will also offer extended warranties to 2011-2013 Expedition and Navigator vehicles with the same issue. Per Ford, some vehicles may experience an intermittent loss of Transmission Output Speed Sensor (OSS) signal to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), potentially resulting in a temporary unintended downshift into first gear. Ford will reprogram the PCM with software that will prevent an unintended downshift into first gear and illuminate the Malfunction Indicator Light in the event of an intermittent OSS signal loss.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks of concern to ODI.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:control Module (tcm/pcm/tecm)

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of transmissions unexpectedly downshifting to a lower gear without input from the driver on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. ODI has received 455 unique reports related to the alleged problem that were not covered under a previous recall for this issue (16V-248).Expedition and Navigator complaint rates are lower than F-150 complaints. Of those 455 reports, 34.7% claimed that the rear wheels locked up when the transmission downshifted. There were 4 accident claims with no injuries. There are many instances where drivers report leaving their lane or the road because of this issue.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 783 unique reports related to the alleged problem. There were 6 accident claims with 3 injuries. Ford also submitted 1206 warranty claims related to transmission downshifting failures. The failure can occur at any time, but typically at higher speed, and include symptoms such as sudden transmission downshifting, loss of speedometer, erratic shifting of transmission, and transmission stuck in one gear. The failures typically occur without warning and may result in the rear wheels momentarily locking up. The driver often had to fully stop the vehicle and restart it to get the vehicle to shift properly.On February 2nd, 2019 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (19V-075) to remedy transmission downshifting failures on all 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles. Ford will also offer extended warranties to 2011-2013 Expedition and Navigator vehicles with the same issue. Per Ford, some vehicles may experience an intermittent loss of Transmission Output Speed Sensor (OSS) signal to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), potentially resulting in a temporary unintended downshift into first gear. Ford will reprogram the PCM with software that will prevent an unintended downshift into first gear and illuminate the Malfunction Indicator Light in the event of an intermittent OSS signal loss.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks of concern to ODI.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.

Power Train:automatic Transmission

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of transmissions unexpectedly downshifting to a lower gear without input from the driver on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. ODI has received 455 unique reports related to the alleged problem that were not covered under a previous recall for this issue (16V-248).Expedition and Navigator complaint rates are lower than F-150 complaints. Of those 455 reports, 34.7% claimed that the rear wheels locked up when the transmission downshifted. There were 4 accident claims with no injuries. There are many instances where drivers report leaving their lane or the road because of this issue.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 783 unique reports related to the alleged problem. There were 6 accident claims with 3 injuries. Ford also submitted 1206 warranty claims related to transmission downshifting failures. The failure can occur at any time, but typically at higher speed, and include symptoms such as sudden transmission downshifting, loss of speedometer, erratic shifting of transmission, and transmission stuck in one gear. The failures typically occur without warning and may result in the rear wheels momentarily locking up. The driver often had to fully stop the vehicle and restart it to get the vehicle to shift properly.On February 2nd, 2019 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall (19V-075) to remedy transmission downshifting failures on all 2011-2013 F-150 vehicles. Ford will also offer extended warranties to 2011-2013 Expedition and Navigator vehicles with the same issue. Per Ford, some vehicles may experience an intermittent loss of Transmission Output Speed Sensor (OSS) signal to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM), potentially resulting in a temporary unintended downshift into first gear. Ford will reprogram the PCM with software that will prevent an unintended downshift into first gear and illuminate the Malfunction Indicator Light in the event of an intermittent OSS signal loss.The recall action initiated by the manufacturer appears to address the safety risks of concern to ODI.Accordingly, the investigation is closed.The ODI reports cited above can be reviewed at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/owners/SearchNHTSAID under the identification (ODI) numbers found in the attached list.