2020 Ford Expedition Problems

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving over 10 MPH with her husband inside the vehicle, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated, and the brakes independently engaged. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the battery was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a software update for the rearview camera was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact stated that the dealer refused to provide the telephone number for the manufacturer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (POWER TRAIN); and the VIN was included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

I was driving home from vacation on I-77 in Virginia, and felt large jolt and heard several clicking type noises. Two separate service engine lights immediately came on the dashboard, and I was able to safely pull over. I had my vehicle towed to a nearby dealership to be looked at by a mechanic. The mechanic indicated the existence of safety recall notice 26S48/(NHTSA 26V402). I spoke with the mechanic who removed the diagnostics lights on the dashboard as prescribed by Ford, and attempted to see if they would be triggered again by driving the vehicle around. I described what had happened and the mechanic immediately said the description of this safety recall seems to be the culprit as to what was experienced. The parking pawl engaged while I was on I-77 traveling 70mph, causing the transmission to inadvertently shift into park causing the jolt and sounds I described. I contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and Ford manufacturer directly regarding this recall, and was told as there is no remedy available. I have several concerns as the remedy is not expected until 5/31/2027 which is way too long of a period to have to wait when my vehicle has clearly been diagnosed with this recall issue, as shifting into park while driving presents a MAJOR safety risk that puts lives in danger. Furthermore, the parking pawl can cause significant damage to the vehicle's transmission and may make me liable for significant repair costs that 100% could be avoided by Ford providing a remedy in a reasonable amount of time. I need my vehicle to either be repaired, repurchased, or provided a loaner car by the dealership while I await this remedy to avoid this situation from happening and resulting in me having to pay for a new transmission or worse potentially causing an accident. This vehicle was inspected by the state of Pennsylvania in 2026.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the lock panel with the numbers on the driver’s side door, the seat unintendedly moved forward, and the seat belt retracted, and the driver was squeezed in the seat. The contact turned off the vehicle and seat belt to returned to the original position. The contact stated that coolant was added to the coolant reservoir; however, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact was unsure if the cap was positioned correctly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 26V368000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and remained for five days. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the seat needed to be adjusted. The dealer informed the contact that the coolant reservoir tank needed to be inspected. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 106,920.

Hard shifting when at high speeds

2020 Ford Expedition MAX. Ford issued Safety Recall 26S48 / NHTSA 26V402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until Q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a commanded shift at approximately 65mph while passing another vehicle on an expressway causing sudden unexpected deceleration with family members present — a near-miss consistent with the park pawl defect Ford now confirms. An authorized Ford dealer visit in June 2026 for computer reprogramming included verbal acknowledgment of transmission concerns but no documentation on the repair order. Eight days later Ford issued Recall 26S48. Separately this vehicle has generated over 1,400 Restraints Indicator Lamp Warnings logged in Ford’s own connected vehicle app since at least April 2023. Restraints warnings began within 30 days of purchase at under 400 miles. Ford issued Recall 26S34 / NHTSA 26V344 for Front Seatbelt Retractor inspection on this vehicle. On multiple dealer visits spanning 2021 to 2026 service advisers verbally acknowledged the restraints warning but documented no concern and performed no diagnostic action on repair orders. Ford’s telematics platform received all warnings in real time with no proactive owner notification. Remedy not available for either recall.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled on several occasions, and the instrument panel turned blank, forcing the contact to coast to the side of the road to restart the engine. Additionally, when shifting from Park to Drive, the vehicle shuddered violently and unintendedly shifted into Park. The contact associated these failures with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train). The contact also stated that the cup holder was collapsing inward, and the text or coating on every control button in the vehicle was peeling off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but no diagnostic trouble code was found. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

At highway speed of 70 mph vehicle briefly went into park and shut entire vehicle down, vert traumatized and injured my head from the brief shutdown, could have caused a fatal accident

I was driving at highway speeds and parking suddenly engaged forcing vehicle to lose all power. While I was able to get the vehicle off the road it could have ended much worse. Ford recognizes this as a recall but because it it is not officially active they will not fix it unless I pay for it. Manufacturer Recall Number26S48 NHTSA Recall Number26V402

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while reversing at an undisclosed speed, the seat belt retractor exploded, and the seat belts became inoperative. The air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available for the recall repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,361.

While driving on a public road, the recalled driver's side seatbelt pretensioner (Recall 26S34) spontaneously exploded without a crash. The seatbelt violently locked on my body, causing friction burns and bruising to my skin while the explosion caused hearing loss in my left ear. The vehicle is now un-driveable as the seatbelt no longer works and has been towed to a Ford dealership. The dealership has obtained possession of the vehicle stating it is not safe or legal to drive. We have contacted both the dealership and corporate ford for assistance with alternate transportation and have not been provided with any thus far. We have called 10 different times and visited the dealership in person twice & still no help. Since the incident, I experience high anxiety and stress whenever I am inside a motor vehicle. To add to this, the loss of my vehicle has caused severe logistical distress, disrupting my daily routine, which compounds my daily anxiety. It has been 10 days without any answers, only to be told if we don’t hear anything by mid August to call back and then we can escalate. This is unacceptable.

Car is equipped with power running boards. Set to come down when the doors are opened on that side, and return up and tucked under when doors on that side are closed. Lately they have been glitching and stuck down, stuck up, or, the most dangerous - go back up under car when door is opened and stepping on to them - children's feet have almost been crushed in them tucking under the car. I have tried overriding the system in the car to make them either stay out or stay in regardless of when the door is opened or closed but it resets when powered off and you can only reselect it when in park the next time. If the power running boards fail to pull up and tuck under the car when the door is closed, you can hear the system trying to lift it over and over while driving. There is no warning when it malfunctions, you have to open the door and just wait a moment to let it decide what to do. Unable to replicate it at a repair shop. System had been reset for a safety recall and then another visit resulted in a drained battery. Both of those temporarily fixed the issue for a few days but then it goes back to the above.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V368000 (Structure), 26V402000 (Power Train), 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while shifting the transmission into park(P) or drive(D), the vehicle lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 50 MPH, there was an abnormally loud sound and the sun/moon roof glass shattered overhead. At the time of the failure, the contact did not know that the sound was associated with panoramic moonroof and believed there was a blowout of a tire. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the sun/moon roof glass had shattered. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof fractured. The contact stated that there was no impact on the sunroof. In addition, the contact stated that the sunroof glass had exploded outward. The contact stated that had the sunroof had exploded from the inside, the shattered glass pieces would have fallen onto the contact's wife, who was seated in the front passenger's seat. The contact stated that as the owner of the vehicle, the sunroof had never been opened. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The contact stated that the vehicle was scheduled for a sunroof replacement on the following day. In addition, the contact stated that, according to the internet forum, it was a known failure with similar vehicles. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000. The VIN was unavailable.

2020 Ford Expedition MAX. Ford issued Safety Recall 26S48 / NHTSA 26V402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until Q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a commanded shift at approximately 65mph while passing another vehicle on an expressway causing sudden unexpected deceleration with family members present — a near-miss consistent with the park pawl defect Ford now confirms. An authorized Ford dealer visit in June 2026 for computer reprogramming included verbal acknowledgment of transmission concerns but no documentation on the repair order. Eight days later Ford issued Recall 26S48. Separately this vehicle has generated over 1,400 Restraints Indicator Lamp Warnings logged in Ford’s own connected vehicle app since at least April 2023. Restraints warnings began within 30 days of purchase at under 400 miles. Ford issued Recall 26S34 / NHTSA 26V344 for Front Seatbelt Retractor inspection on this vehicle. On multiple dealer visits spanning 2021 to 2026 service advisers verbally acknowledged the restraints warning but documented no concern and performed no diagnostic action on repair orders. Ford’s telematics platform received all warnings in real time with no proactive owner notification. Remedy not available for either recall.

"YOUR AIR BAG WARNING IS ON DUE TO AN ISSUE WITH THE FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG SYSTEM. THE FRONT PASENGER AIRBAG MAY NOT WORK PROPERLY." THIS SYSTEM SHOULD UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE BE MALFUNCTIONING IN ANY WAY OUTSIDE OF A COLLISION. THIS NEEDS RECALLED AND FIXED.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving over 10 MPH with her husband inside the vehicle, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated, and the brakes independently engaged. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the battery was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that a software update for the rearview camera was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact stated that the dealer refused to provide the telephone number for the manufacturer. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (POWER TRAIN); and the VIN was included in the recall. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.

The vehicle has experienced repeated critical transmission failures and currently has four active Federal Safety Recalls with no available remedy. The transmission has failed four separate times, requiring four transmission assemblies within approximately 68,795 miles. The latest failure produced DTC P07F7 (Gear 10 Incorrect Ratio) and was confirmed by the Ford dealer and an independent inspector as an internal transmission failure. Symptoms included harsh engagement, delayed shifting, hesitation, slipping, and repeated powertrain malfunction messages. The vehicle was out of service for 26 consecutive days during the most recent repair. A NHTSA VIN lookup shows four active unrepaired recalls: a transmission rollaway hazard affecting the parking system (26S48), two seatbelt pretensioner recalls involving inadvertent deployment or failure to retract (25S31 and 26S34), and a chrome trim recall involving sharp edges (26S38). All four recalls currently have no remedy available, with estimated repair dates extending into late 2026 and 2027. These defects affect critical safety systems including the power train, seat belts, and parking system. The rollaway hazard recall indicates the vehicle may move unexpectedly even when shifted into Park, creating a serious risk of injury or collision. The seatbelt pretensioner recalls involve components that may deploy without warning or fail to retract, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. The chrome trim recall involves sharp edges that may injure occupants. Combined with repeated transmission failures, these issues create multiple simultaneous safety risks. The problems have been confirmed by the Ford dealer and an independent inspector. Warning symptoms occurred before each failure, including harsh shifting, slipping, hesitation, and powertrain alerts. The combination of unresolved Federal Safety Recalls and repeated transmission failures makes the vehicle unsafe to operate.

See attached document for complaint.

Hard shift 3rd-6th gear as well as from park to reverse or drive

The SUV was driving smoothly at 55mph speed, suddenly I hit the break and tried to reaccelerate and felt a hard transmission shift, felt like metal hitting metal, felt like it was forced to shift to drive mode from parking mode. After that I started using 93 octane rated gasoline, do not observe the problem too much. I will really scary and unsafe, the whole SUV shook hard for 2sec.

We own a Ford Expedition 2020. In 2023, we started noticing jerky, harsh, and aggressive “slips” when the vehicle was trying to change gears - upon multiple occasions. But, in 2024, we experienced three, major, different instances - all were extremely scary and it was miraculous they didn’t cause accidents, car pile ups, or worse! The first instance, the vehicle jerked and sputtered just as I was pulling out into a busy intersection. I thought it was going to die in the middle of the road. The second instance, several weeks later, it happened, again, as our family was driving in pouring rain down the interstate; it jerked so hard it felt like we hit a small wall. The third and final instance, we were on our way to vacation - 9 hours away with our family. It sputtered, jerked, and laid in 1st gear. Thank God, we were right at a hotel and able to pull in. We found a local mechanic to take the Expedition in and begin work on it. He was so kind to loan us his car to take on to PA to the Sight & Sound Theater so we wouldn’t lose our money on the tickets. We ended up losing 2 full days of our 4 day vacation; had to rent a vehicle to drive back home; and left our Expedition in VA for 6 weeks while they rebuilt a transmission and cleaned the catalytic converter. $12,160 to the mechanic + $1000 in car rentals. Here we are, now in August 2025, and there’s been a recall on the Powertrain Control Module and that’s being replaced. Lo, and behold, what does the PCM do? It acts as the vehicle’s main computer, managing and controlling various engine and TRANSMISSION functions (adjusting engine parameters like fuel injection, ignition timing, and transmission shift points) - imagine that!

There is a very common problem with the passenger side headlight daytime running lights on the 2018-2023 Ford Expedition. The daytime running lights go dim, completely fail, or turn purple, as has happened on my 2020 Ford Expedition Platinum. This has created a safety issue due to the DRLs no longer functioning as intended. There is no fix for the consumer aside from replacing the entire headlight assembly, removing the entire front fascia in the process, at a cost of $1500 or more per light assembly for parts and labor. There are hundreds if not thousands of vehicles reporting the same issue with the daytime running lights.

Daytime Running Light has failed on passenger headlight. This condition makes the vehicle less visible to others. The only remedy for this issue is to replace the entire headlight which approaches $2000 for a single headlight.

Last week I took the cover off our car seat to wash and the foam on the headrest was cracked all the way through. I have no idea when this happened or even how it could have. This car seat is barely 2 years old. I’ve never been in an accident or dropped this seat, and it is not used improperly.

The infant base was installed according to manufacturer guidelines in the rear seat of the car. Upon our testing of the stability of the infant seat when placed into the base, we realized that the seat can be pulled up from the rear connection point of the base, causing that connection to separate. Thinking perhaps this was caused by our error in connecting the infant seat to the base, we revisited the manufacturer guidelines to properly connect the infant seat to the base. Again and again we connected the seat to the base, pulled up on the handle of the seat, and were absolutely horrified and shocked to realize that the infant seat released from the rear connection of the base every time. The front connection of the seat to the base did not release, so the entire seat did not fully detach from the base, but it did partially detach with just an upward force on the carrying handle. I am happy to share videos, but I could not get them to attach to this report.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the lock panel with the numbers on the driver’s side door, the seat unintendedly moved forward, and the seat belt retracted, and the driver was squeezed in the seat. The contact turned off the vehicle and seat belt to returned to the original position. The contact stated that coolant was added to the coolant reservoir; however, the vehicle was leaking coolant. The contact was unsure if the cap was positioned correctly. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 26V368000 (Structure). The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and remained for five days. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the seat needed to be adjusted. The dealer informed the contact that the coolant reservoir tank needed to be inspected. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 106,920.

The transmission seems to be missing gears and shifting violently at weird times, completely losing transmission engagement and randomly shifting into neutral when acceleration pedal is engaged at a higher speed on the highway and then the vehicle will all of the sudden try to shift back into gear violently at moments of high speed acceleration. It has issues finding the gear sometimes completely disengaging into neutral and a crackling popcorn sound coming from front passenger side under the car. The headrest in the third row, driver side is permanently, flipped down and gaged into the back of the head of the passenger, possibly resulting in a life-threatening injury during an accident The information screenshot of vehicle in the front, which displays all of the apps, air, music, sometimes randomly is blank, black screen with no power

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and attempting to steer the vehicle, the steering wheel would oversteer the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a mechanic where it was diagnosed that the power steering was overcompensating while steering the vehicle. The mechanic stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E055000 (Steering). The mechanic contacted the dealer and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 50,000.

AT 1000K MILES THE ELECTRICAL PANELS ON THE CAR LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. WHEN IT WAS PULLED OVER AND PLACED INTO PARK, IT JUMPED. WE CALLED THE DEALER TO BE TOLD IT WAS A GLITCH AND WOULD WORK ITSELF OUT. THE NEXT TIME, WE TOOK PICTURES AND THEY MISDIAGNOSED IT TWICE. THE THIRD TIME, THEY SAW IT AND DID A BANDAID REPAIR AND NOW SAY THEY HAVE TO DISSAMBLE AND REBUILD THE CAR'S ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, INCLUDING DROPPING FUEL TANKS AND OTHER MAJOR COMPONENTS TO GET THERE. THEY ARE EVALUATING WHETHER OR NOT THEY "BUY BACK" THE CAR AND WE TAKE A LARGE DEPRECIATION HIT AND THE MONTHS IT TOOK TO REPAIR IT. IT WAS 1000 MILES WHEN IT HAPPENED AND THEY SHOULD HAVE OFFERED A FULL REFUND. NOW WE HAVE A CAR OF QUESTIONALBE INTEGRITY, THEY DID NOT LET US KNOW HOW BAD THE PROBLEM WAS AT THE BANDAID REPAIR STAGE, AND NOW WANT TO CHARGE US FOR A FACTOR DEFECT. THIS IS AFTER WE BOUGHT A TRUCK THAT DEVELOPED THE FORD "DEATH WOBBLE" AND RETURNED THE VEHICLE AT A LOSS. WE HAD A SUBURBAN FOR 20 YEARS AND NO ISSUES. FORD, WHILE FACING MULTIPLE LAWSUITS ON MANY CARS, WILL NOT OWN UP TO FACTORY MISTAKES. 3 MISDIAGNOSIS AND THEN A BANDAID FIX WITHOUT ACCOUNTABILITY OF HOW EXTENSIVE THE PROBLEM WAS WITH THE VEHICLE. FORD CORPORATE DID NOT ASK FOR PICTURES AND REFUSED TO GIVE US EMAIL ADDRESS CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT. RIDICULOU

THE VEHICLE SHAKES/VIBRATES WHEN DRIVING OVER 65MPH, GETS WORSE THE FASTER YOU GO. SEEMS WORSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE VEHICLE. TOOK IT TO FORD DEALER WE PURCHASED FROM AND THEY COULDN'T FIND AN ISSUE, JUST SAID ITS SOMETHING WITH THE TIRES OR RIMS. TOOK IT TO LOCAL FORD DEALER AND SAME THING, SAID IT WAS RIMS OR TIRES GIVING VIBRATION. BRAND NEW VEHICLE!! SHOULD BE A SMOOTH RIDE, AND DEALER HAS NO IDEA WHY IT DOES THIS, AND HAS NO SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN GOOD LUCK. STARTED LAST SUMMER, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED. DEALERS DIDN'T NOTICE ANY DAMAGE OR ANYTHING NOTABLE UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE.