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2021 Ford Expedition

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Ford Expedition do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 155.

About this comparison →

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 41 of 232 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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 110 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 55 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 23 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 reports4 fire reports4 injury reports

What owners actually said

232 reports
Mileage unknown · Apr 5, 2026
Unknown Or Other

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 unsa…

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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).

NHTSA ODI #11729256

30,000 miles · Mar 6, 2026
Visibility

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 wa…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11722526

Mileage unknown · Jan 2, 2026
Power Train

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 d…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11708354

Mileage unknown · Dec 18, 2025
Power Train

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 h…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11705760

99,130 miles · Dec 5, 2025
EnginePower Train

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 NHTS…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11703222

Mileage unknown · Dec 3, 2025
Power Train

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 m…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11702802

Mileage unknown · Dec 1, 2025
Power Train

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 complet…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11702381

Mileage unknown · Nov 25, 2025
Electrical System

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 extreme…

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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.

NHTSA ODI #11701581

Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2025
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

Vehicle stalls out upon driving when trying to accelerate. Has popped up error which states to check fuel pump.

NHTSA ODI #11698531

Mileage unknown · Oct 20, 2025
Electrical SystemPower Train

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 tha…

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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)

NHTSA ODI #11694481

Official recalls

12

26V402000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Jun 24, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

26V368000 · Structure:interior Panels:center Console

Jun 9, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2024 Expedition vehicles. The chrome plating on the center console may bubble and peel, resulting in sharp edges.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the center consoles as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 16, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S38. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 10, 2026.

26V344000 · Seat Belts:pretensioner

May 27, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed June 8, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S34. This recall replaces and expands previous NHTSA recalls 24V099 and 25V197. Vehicles previously inspected or repaired under the prior recalls will need the new repair completed.

26V204000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Mar 31, 2026

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2022-2023 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, and F-600 SD vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the wipers to fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S24.Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 1, 2026.

25V729000 · Visibility:sun/moon Roof Assembly

Oct 24, 2025

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 30, 2025.

25V442000 · Back Over Prevention:software

Jun 27, 2025

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.

25V048000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera

Jan 31, 2025

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition, 2021-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Rearview camera failure can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S05.

24V852000 · Equipment:other:labels

Nov 8, 2024

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.

23V420000 · Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual

Jun 9, 2023

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.

22V346000 · Engine

May 17, 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. An engine compartment fire may occur while driving or parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles, until the remedy is performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the battery junction box, as necessary, and remove a ground wire. On models equipped with standard-duty radiator fan motors, dealers will also install an auxiliary electrical box with a wire jumper. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 25, 2022. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Currently the remedy is available for vehicles equipped with heavy-duty radiator fan motors, and those letters were mailed July 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S36.

22V250000 · Visibility:windshield Wiper/washer:linkages

Apr 14, 2022

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.

21V805000 · Air Bags:sensor:side Impact; Air Bags:side/window

Oct 15, 2021

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Air Bags:sensor:side Impact

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.

Air Bags:side/window

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."

Consequence: An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.

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

AQ26001 · Nu Car Rental Of Vehicles With Open Recalls

Opened Jun 9, 2026 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · None

NHTSA is opening this Audit Query (AQ) to investigate NU Car Rentals (NU Car) for compliance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.The Safety Act requires that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i). NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates NU Car rented at least two vehicles to consumers without having performed required recall repairs. The Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQ) related to this investigation can be found on nhtsa.gov by searching for ID number 11730449 and 11504655. Accordingly, we are opening this audit query to seek additional information concerning this issue.