2018 Ford Expedition Exterior lighting Problems

Front passenger DRL fail in lower 2/3 of LED strip. Im afraid other cars won't see me as well. No warnings on the inside dash display. A car flagged me down to tell me.

NHTSA ID

11719657

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

Passenger side DRL (daytime running light) has dimmed and turned purple. Upon further research, this is happening to thousands of Ford Expeditions specifically on the passenger side. The only repair is to replace entire housing.

NHTSA ID

11708963

Incident

Jul 21, 2025

DRL failure is widespread across ford vehicles and should be addressed by the manufacturer.

NHTSA ID

11707796

Incident

Aug 1, 2025

Passenger side daytime running lights (DRL) have dimmed, diminishing daytime visibility . LED bulb may be out. Seems to be a common problem per other Expedition owners. There were no warnings or messages stating problem. The only way to fix the problem is by replacing the entire headlamp assembly ($1,200 plus labor).

NHTSA ID

11695895

Incident

Oct 20, 2025

Drl is only half on seems that this is a common problem and a safety problem for it is a lighting issue

NHTSA ID

11687023

Incident

Sep 16, 2024

Drl not workingg

NHTSA ID

11678046

Incident

Aug 30, 2024

Just purchased a certified used vehicle. 1) passenger DTRL is half way burnt out. Upon reading tons of forums online, I’m seeing this is a VERY COMMON issue. 2) the back up guide lines on the back up camera does not show. After master reset of the sync system , the lines appeared once. Since then it has not shown ever again.

NHTSA ID

11672890

Incident

Jul 3, 2025

The passenger DRL is only lit at at the top strip and not the rest of the strip.

NHTSA ID

11672819

Incident

Apr 24, 2025

Defective daytime running light, passenger side, that does not fully illuminate. I’ve noticed this on several of the same make, model, and body style (with the same DTRLs).

NHTSA ID

11659470

Incident

Jan 1, 2023

The passenger side day time running light led halo is partially not working-Daytime Running Light defective. Several customers affected for the same reason all over internet.

NHTSA ID

11646966

Incident

Dec 17, 2024

Daylight light led lighting is halfway off.

NHTSA ID

11642792

Incident

Dec 17, 2024

The passenger side headlight assembly has a led daytime running light strip that has burnt out and is a common issue with this model car

NHTSA ID

11634805

Incident

Jan 8, 2025

Defective daytime running light, passenger side, that does not fully illuminate. I’ve noticed this on several of the same make, model, and body style (with the same DTRLs).

NHTSA ID

11562920

Incident

Jan 1, 2022

UNDER WARRANTY, MOISTURE WAS PRESENT IN ALL THE REAR BRAKE LIGHTS. THE UPPER (THIRD) BRAKE LIGHT HAD THE MOST CONDENSATION. AN AUTHORIZED FORD DEALER REVIEWED THE ISSUE AND ADVISED FORD DOES NOT COVER MOISTURE WITHIN A LIGHT AS THE MOISTURE WILL DISSIPATE OVER TIME. I ADVISED THE UPPER BRAKE LIGHT WAS NEVER DRY, THEY INSISTED WARRANTY WOULD NOT COVER THE ISSUE. I COULD REPLACE THE LIGHT, I RECEIVED A QUOTE AT THAT TIME. NOW THE UPPER BRAKE LIGHT HAS LESS THAN 2 LED'S WORKING AND THE VISIBILITY IS NEXT TO NOTHING. REVIEWING FORUMS, THIS IS AN ISSUE THAT HAS BEEN PRESENT IN THE FORD EXPEDITIONS SINCE THE NEW VEHICLE DESIGN CHANGE. MY CONCERN IS VERY SIMPLE, THAT BRAKE LIGHT IS IMPORTANT IN THE SAFETY OF OUR PASSENGERS, THOSE AROUND THE VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE ITSELF. WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN A REAR END COLLISION WITH THIS VEHICLE, BUT IT IS DIFFICULT TO SEE BRAKING OF THIS VEHICLE AHEAD WHEN THE VEHICLE IS ONE CAR AHEAD OF YOU BASED ON WHAT I HAVE SEEN WHEN DRIVING BEHIND THIS VEHICLE MYSELF. I CONSIDER THIS BRAKE LIGHT A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT OF THE SAFETY FEATURES IN OUR VEHICLE. TIMING OF THE ISSUE WAS OVER A PERIOD OF TIME. FIRST PHASE WAS MOISTURE NOT DISSIPATING, SECOND PHASE HAS BEEN THE LED LIGHTING CONTINUES TO STOP WORKING, A FEW LED'S AT FIRST, NOW ONLY A FEW ARE OPERATIONAL, AND DIM AT BEST DUE TO THE CONTINUED MOISTURE IN THE UPPER REAR BRAKE LIGHT ASSEMBLY.

NHTSA ID

11399251

Incident

Jul 1, 2020

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE 2018 EXPEDITION ARE AWFUL. THEY ARE FAR TOO DIM AND DISTANCE COVERAGE IS FAR TOO SHORT. THEY HAVE A SHARP CUT OFF THAT MAKES IT SEEM LIKE SOMETHING IS IN THE WAY OF THEM. THE BRIGHTS ARE BETTER, BUT NOT NEARLY WHAT THEY SHOULD BE FOR A 2018, $60K+ VEHICLE. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY CONCERN. NOT CONFIDENT THAT I WOULD SEE SOMETHING IN THE ROAD WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME TO SAFELY AVOID IT.

NHTSA ID

11271794

Incident

Oct 29, 2019

Mileage

30,000 mi

POOR ILLUMINATION FROM HEADLIGHTS. VISIBILITY AT NIGHT WITH EITHER HIGH OR LOW BEAMS IS UNACCEPTABLE. NOT EASY TO AVOID OBSTACLES LIKE DEER CROSSING THE HIGHWAY, DEBRIS OR OTHER HAZARDS.

NHTSA ID

11208980

Incident

May 20, 2019

Mileage

22,000 mi

I HAVE A WONDERFUL 2018 FORD EXPEDITION. I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THE CAR, AND EXPECTED I WOULD, BECAUSE I DID RESEARCH BEFORE LEASING IT. THE ONE THING I DIDN'T DO, WHICH I'VE NEVER HAD TO DO IN ALL MY YEARS OF CAR BUYING OR LEASING, IS TEST DRIVE THE CAR AT NIGHTTIME. THE STANDARD HALOGEN HEADLAMPS ARE AWFUL, AND DANGEROUS. I CANNOT SEE ANYTHING. MY GIRLFRIEND ALSO CAN'T SEE ANYTHING WHILE DRIVING THE CAR. I HAVE TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALER WHO ASSURED ME THAT EVERYTHING IS FUNCTIONING AS IT SHOULD. BUT I SWEAR I HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A CAR WITH HEADLAMPS THIS DIM OR POORLY DESIGNED. ESPECIALLY FOR A CAR SO LARGE, THE PROJECTOR LAMP CUTOFF IS TOO SHARP AND TOO LOW. OF COURSE, USING THE HIGH BEAMS DOES BRING THE LIGHTNING TO NORMAL, BUT I AM BLINDING OTHER DRIVERS. THIS NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED BY FORD ASAP. IF YOU MONITOR WHAT'S OTHER EXPEDITION DRIVERS ARE SAYING IN ONLINE FORUMS, I GUARANTEE YOU WILL FIND THE SAME RESULT. THERE HASN'T BEEN AN ACCIDENT OR INCIDENT YET, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S ONLY A MATTER OF TIME. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THIS CAR AT NIGHT, OR EVEN TO BE AROUND OTHER PEOPLE DRIVING THE SAME CAR WITH STANDARD HALOGEN HEADLAMPS. IT'S NOT SAFE FOR THIS CAR TO BE ON THE ROAD WITH ITS CURRENT EQUIPMENT SETUP.

NHTSA ID

11208554

Incident

Jan 2, 2019

HEADLIGHT POWER ON THE VEHICLE IS INADEQUATE, DOES NOT PROVIDE ENOUGH FORWARD VISIBILITY. NOTICED AFTER PURCHASE OF VEHICLE IN DEC. 2018

NHTSA ID

11170337

Incident

Jan 1, 2019

Mileage

18,500 mi

THE HALOGEN HEADLIGHTS IN MY 2018 FORD EXPEDITION LIMITED ARE TOO DIM AND UNSAFE FOR ROADS THAT ARE NOT LIT OR FOR DRIVING IN THE RAIN ON ANY ROAD. I CANNOT SEE THE ROAD WELL AND I FEEL THAT THE HALOGEN BULBS ARE NOT A GOOD ENOUGH OPTION IN A 60K+ VEHICLE. I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IN FORD MOTOR COMPANY FOR CUTTING CORNERS AND NOT MAKING THE LED HEADLIGHT HOUSING STANDARD FOR ALL OF THEIR VEHICLES. THE FORD OEM HALOGEN BULBS ARE EXTREMELY DIM AND UNSAFE FOR CONSUMER USE. IF THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THE ROAD, I DON'T THINK MY HEADLIGHTS WOULD GIVE ME ENOUGH NOTICE TO AVOID AN OBSTRUCTION. VERY UNSAFE.

NHTSA ID

11161029

Incident

Dec 12, 2018

THE HALOGEN HEADLAMPS ON THE 2018 EXPEDITION ARE COMPLETELY INADEQUATE FOR A 2018 VEHICLE. THEY ARE DIM, AND THEY ARE ANGLED DOWN WITH A LOW CUTOFF. I BROUGHT MY VEHICLE TO THE DEALER AND THEY ADJUSTED THE LIGHTS AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE, WHICH DID NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. FORD OFFERS AN OPTIONAL LED HEADLAMP SYSTEM WHICH APPEARS SIGNIFICANTLY BRIGHTER AND SAFER, BUT AT THE TIME OF PURCHASE THEY DIDN'T HAVE THESE ON THE DEALER LOTS. IT'S WILDLY IRRESPONSIBLE TO SELL A BRAND NEW VEHICLE FOR $65000 + THAT HAS HEADLIGHTS FROM THE 1990S. THEY ALSO CLAIM THAT THIS SYSTEM CAN NOT BE RETROFITTED TO THE HALOGEN HEADLAMP MODELS. DRIVING AT NIGHT ON A ROAD WITHOUT STREET LIGHTS IS UNSAFE. YOU CAN'T SEE ROAD SIGNS, ONCOMING TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIANS ON THE ROAD, ETC. VISIBILITY IS LIMITED TO A VERY SHORT DISTANCE. THERE ARE MULTIPLE COMPLAINTS ON THIS NHTSA SITE ABOUT THE INADEQUATE LIGHTING, WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO GET FORD TO REPLACE THE HALOGEN LIGHTS WITH THE LED LIGHTS?

NHTSA ID

11138814

Incident

Oct 5, 2018

THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS SHINE VERY LOW AND NOT FAR ENOUGH AHEAD OF THE VEHICLE. THEY ARE ALSO VERY DIM.

NHTSA ID

11123923

Incident

Aug 30, 2018

Mileage

39 mi

THE HEADLIGHTS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE ABSOLUTELY THE WORST OF ANY CAR I'VE EVER DRIVEN. DID NIGHT DRIVING YESTERDAY; THE PERIPHERAL LIGHTING WAS VIRTUALLY NON-EXISTENT, AND I COULDN'T EVEN SEE MY DRIVEWAY FROM THE ROAD. THERE IS NO MENTION ON THE WINDOW STICKER ABOUT WHAT TYPE OF LIGHT FIXTURES THE CAR HAS. I FEEL EXTREMELY UNSAFE WHEN DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT NIGHT, AND WILL LIMIT THIS EXPOSURE WHEN I CAN. TOTALLY UNSAFE IN THE DARK OF NIGHT. THE ROAD TO OUR PLACE IS UNLIGHTED AND KINDA COUNTRY . . . COULDN'T SEE THE DRIVEWAY AT 10MPH WITH THE TURN SIGNAL FLASHING

NHTSA ID

11122445

Incident

Aug 25, 2018

Mileage

1,400 mi

CPSC: THE PURPORTED PURPOSE OF FORD'S 'PROJECTOR' HEADLIGHT DESIGN WAS TO INCREASE LUMENS WHILE DECREASING POWER CONSUMPTION. INSTEAD OF THE HEADLIGHT (AS WITH 'NORMAL' LOW-BEAM HEADLIGHTS) BEING AIMED AWAY FROM ONCOMING VEHICLES AND DISPLAYING THE ENTIRE ROAD AHEAD, THE HEADLIGHT ROAD VISIBILITY (AS VIEWED BY THE DRIVER THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD) HAS A DISTINCT, HORIZONTAL LINE ABOVE WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY DARK AND BELOW IS LIT. *DT *JS *TT

NHTSA ID

11109448

Incident

Jun 22, 2018

Mileage

730 mi