Electrical system & powertrain issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
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A full-size sports utility vehicle (SUV), the Ford Expedition was launched for the 1997 model year. There have been four generations, the most recent launching in 2018.
It’s a popular SUV, but since day 1, it’s elicited complaints. In its first year (1997), there were 82 consumer complaints directed at the United States Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). But, over time, complaints have gathered momentum, and there are currently a total of 905 complaints about the 1997 model on file with NHTSA.
There were also 9 recalls for the first Ford Expedition model.
So far, there are 4 complaints on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Expedition. There has also been 1 recall involving an airbag that doesn’t deploy properly during a crash. This, of course, increases the risk of the driver and passengers being injured if the Expedition is in a crash.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019 2020 2022
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The NHTSA complaints about the 2021 Ford Expedition affect back-over prevention, the electrical system of the car, the engine, and the powertrain. Let’s take a closer look.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Engine | |
| Power Train | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Visibility | |
| Electrical System | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Visibility/wiper | |
| Air Bags | |
| Back Over Prevention | |
| Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera |
There are 2 back-over prevention complaints, both of which relate to the camera system.
One complaint says: “The reverse camera system does not display any images, i.e. the screen is black/blue (depending on night/day) and provides no view of what is behind the vehicle. The motion and parking sensors are still providing input, but the driver cannot see what the sensors are detecting. Since this is a large SUV with multiple blind spots, this creates a hazard when trying to back up the vehicle.”
The other says that the “backup camera does not always work and cuts out. Also, the 360 view cameras cut out. It is hard to see in the back during low light conditions with (the) tinted back window.”
This complainant is afraid the driver might hit someone or something when backing out in public parking spaces or from their home driveway.
While the problem was reported to the dealer shortly after the SUV was purchased, and then again about 3 months later, nothing was done. According to the complaint, the dealer acknowledged the issue and said the part was on backorder.
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The powertrain complaint states that the automatic transmission of this Ford Expedition got stuck in 6th gear while the driver was accelerating on a busy tollway.
“The car then began to slow down, and the gear display went blank. This put my safety and the safety of others at risk, as it happened in the left lane of a busy, high-speed tollway. The local dealership refused to help – even though the car is within warranty – as they did not believe the issue was replicable. However, the car had a similar problem on a lower-speed roadway just a few weeks prior. In both incidents, the transmission became stuck in one gear, the gear display on the dashboard went blank, and the car began to decelerate.”
Filed as an electrical system/engine problem, this is not your usual electrical problem!
According to the complaint, the owner stated that on starting the vehicle, “the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the soy-based electrical wires had been damaged by rodents. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 3,100.”
We wonder just how common this failure is!
If you’re wondering whether your Ford Expedition is a lemon, contact the Lemberg Law Helpline so we can assess your issues.
We’ve helped many car owners get settlement deals after experiencing recurring problems. It’s not going to cost you anything because the law says Ford has to pay the legal fees of lemon law cases.
Lemberg Law is an experienced lemon law consultancy. Call our Helpline and we’ll see what we can do to help you.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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At 65 MPH, the sunroof spontaneously exploded on my 2021 Expedition. Outside temp was 60 degrees. No heat or air conditioning was on. Still under warranty at 28k but Ford refused to fix unless I paid.