Electrical system and build quality issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
The 2020 Ford Expedition is a large SUV that’s designed to take families on the road. The automaker claims it is “built to command,” but this vehicle can’t even direct itself. From the faulty structure to the defective electrical system, owners are taking to the internet with complaints.
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The structure consists of many parts, including the body panels and auto glass. If any part of this vital structure fails, it could have disastrous effects.
That’s what is seen with this NHTSA review. “While driving on a clear day on the Interstate (no other cars around me), the rear portion of the Vista panoramic sunroof exploded, sending glass everywhere.”
It turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg with structure-related issues. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V366000 also talks about the middle row seat headrests. The problem stems from the attachment bracket, which hasn’t been sufficiently welded to the frame. Because of the reduced strength, occupants might not be fully restrained, leading to an increased chance of injury.
This isn’t the only issue that shows the trouble with the seats. In fact, NHTSA Campaign Number 19V633000 shows that more than 630,000 vehicles might also have reduced seat back strength. It turns out that the recliner mechanisms might be missing a critical part that keeps the seat secure. Without it, the seats become loose, leaving occupants unrestrained yet again. At this point, it’s difficult to command when people can’t even rely on the seating that they are in.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Structure:body | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Power Train:automatic Transmission | |
| Air Bags | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings |
Moving onto the electrical system, there are just as many faults that could lead to injuries.
Here is one Edmunds complaint to focus on. “Lane centering is so feeble as to be worthless. Charging pad doesn’t work but maybe there’s something I don’t understand.”
However, the electrical system-related recalls are much more severe. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V262000 states that the pre-collision assist features incorrect coding that can disable the system. If the driver doesn’t know that this critical software is disabled, there is an increased chance of an accident. Yet, we see another electrical system problem that could cause injuries during a crash. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V217000 discusses the front passenger seatbelt buckle’s Belt Tension Sensor (BTS), which could malfunction. If this happens, the seat belts won’t provide adequate protection during an accident.
One more recall is worth mentioning, even though it’s not related to the complaints listed above, although it probably will create its own list of customer trouble. NHTSA Campaign Number 20V197000 states that more than 55,000 models that have a ten-speed automatic transmission might have a serious defect. In these models, the transmission shift cable lock clip hasn’t been fully seated, thereby allowing the transmission to be in a different gear from what is shown on the gear shift position. If owners are unaware of the problem and place their vehicle in Park without the parking brake engaged, the SUV could drive away on its own. This unintended vehicle movement is the cause of serious concerns. The only thing left to do is alert bystanders to stay away from the Expedition, which could roll into people or objects.
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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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My 2020 Expedition is going dead when I stop when it goes into the automatic shut-off mode. It completely shuts down and I have to put it in park and restart the engine. This has been scary for me because someone can accidentally hit me while at the stop sign or a red light!! This has been frustrating.
Mine is at the dealership now because twice now it has stalled at interstate speeds. Twice to increase speed to pass or change lanes and the harsh clunks and the inability to accelerate. In fact my speed goes from 70 to 47 in seconds. It showed an error code this last time but the dealership sees nothing. I feel like I might die in this vehicle if something isn’t done. Paying way too much for this vehicle for it to be having these issues at 40k miles.
My 2020 expedition has electrical issues and also transmission problems. At one point we put it in forward and it went in reverse. I’ve discussed with the service department and they seem to not be concerned. It is so scary when I am driving and everything just goes black for the electrical issues. I only have 12,000 miles on this car. I don’t know what to do.