2021 Ford Expedition Problems

Vehicles automatic transmission repeatedly looses its gear, often while accelerating. The transmission tries to shift down, but somehow ends up loosing engagement and will not re-engage. This lead to critical/dangerous situations on Highways due to the sudden loss of power.

OEM transmission had to be replaced 3 years after new purchase. Replacement transmission installed at Ford dealership has failed after less then 2 years. About to have third transmission installed.

The engine stalled out while trying to pass someone. The car wouldn't go faster when hitting the gas and felt like I couldnt safely slow down to get back over. It felt like something slipped and lost traction, but roads were dry and not rocky or sandy. tapping breaks and letting off gas did nothing. it has happened before but usually in winter, and gettin up to speed. its like the gear shift got stuck.

When my transmission is shifting, it almost stalls about 3-4 times everytime you start off. It is a hard shift that makes it fee like the car suddenly stops then goes back. I have had it happen 3 times that I thought my car died after stopping, making weird noises, then took off like normal. I am waiting for my car to just die as I am driving. The Ford dealership said I need a new transmission. The recall is out there for other vehicles like mine, yet mine is not listed. When you read what Ford says will happen- EXACTLY what my car does!!!!! My 2021 Ford Expedition Max has 70,000 miles on it now, but when it started had about 67,000

Turn.wipers on were slow to move, then just quit, now they don't move at all,all with no warning

On two separate occasions while driving on the interstate in the rain, the wipers stopped working. Two of the times they stopped in the up position and once they stopped in the middle of the stroke and it was hard to see. After turning the wiper switch to different settings, the wipers started working again.

I took my vehicle to the dealership to have all recall work done on Feb. 11th 2026. I was told i am up to date on all my recall work at that time. When I received my vehicle back It would intermittently just shut down for no apparent reason while sitting at stop lights, or just stopped in that fashion. I called and the dealership they said unless they could recreate the issue somewhat easily there was noting they could really do. So while parked in driveway the vehicle again had no power, I used my emergency key to get into vehicle and opened the hood to which I found the battery terminal connections were never tighten. I could take them off by hand. This told me the mechanic at the dealership didn't complete job and tighten my battery connections, Fast forward to April 18th, it was raining, I parked vehicle, still running, went into post office ( I was only gone for 30 seconds)and I came out to white smoke billowing out from under the hood. I opened hood the large flames shooting up. I quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher I had in the car and put 90% of the fire out, it was still burning at the fuse junction box, moments later a police officer showed up with fire extinguisher and was able to put it out. The car would not stop running, so once the fire dept. arrived they had to cut the battery terminals to shut the vehicle down. This was also the first time I drove vehicle in the rain since my recall work was done. The fire dept. and I realized the fuse box cover was not in place. So now this same mechanic that did't tighten battery terminals was also neglectful in not replacing the fuse box cover. I believe this neglect partially if not wholly caused this fire. It is highly probable that water got into the fuse box and shortened everything out which caused the fire. I have a document from the dealership that states they did the recall work for 22S36 - Underhood fires. But this website says this work was not performed. No inspection from anyone has been done

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.

On my expedition I started having issues with my transmission staying in gear while driving. I will be going up a hill and all of a sudden boom it starts down shifting or not accelerating at all. I had a few times when me and my wife will be driving, and we would be going through a intersection or a area where you don't want to slow down and then the transmission would forget which gear it would be in and lose all power. Keep in mind my expedition only has 83K miles and serviced regularly. $8,900 later it needs a new transmission. This is a huge safety problem that's being ignored.

I am filing this complaint because I truly believe this transmission issue is a safety problem. I was driving my 2021 Ford Expedition and was merging onto a busy highway when I pressed the gas to get up to traffic speed. Instead of accelerating, the engine revved but the transmission would not shift. It felt like the vehicle was stuck between gears or in neutral. My SUV would not accelerate when I needed it to, and I remember thinking, “This is how someone gets hit.” As a mom, it was terrifying. I depend on my vehicle to safely get my family where we need to go. When you press the gas while merging into fast-moving traffic, you expect your vehicle to respond. Mine didn’t. I was left trying to merge while traffic was approaching and my SUV would barely move. Before this happened, I had noticed increasingly harsh shifting and delayed gear changes. The vehicle had been properly maintained, and the transmission had recently been serviced. After the incident, an authorized Ford dealership diagnosed the transmission with a failed CDF drum in the 10-speed transmission. The transmission had to be completely rebuilt. After researching this problem, I found many other Ford owners reporting the exact same failure and the same scary symptoms. This doesn’t seem like normal wear and tear. Losing the ability to accelerate without warning is a serious safety concern, especially when merging onto a highway or crossing an intersection. I hope NHTSA investigates this issue before someone isn’t as lucky as I was. I was fortunate to avoid an accident, but I can’t help thinking another family may not be.

While stopped at a traffic light, my 2021 Ford Expedition began running rough. When the light changed and I accelerated through the intersection, the vehicle experienced a severe loss of engine power and barely made it through the intersection. After I pulled off the roadway and released the accelerator, the engine stalled. I was able to restart the engine once while applying approximately one-quarter throttle. It continued running rough and stalled again when I released the accelerator. The vehicle was taken to Robinson Brothers Ford/Lincoln in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Ford dealer documented the rough running, low power and stalling and diagnosed the "fuel pump inop." The dealer removed the fuel tank and replaced the fuel pump/sender assembly. The replacement part listed on the dealer invoice is Ford part JL1Z-9H307-G. Vehicle mileage was approximately 79,390. Several months before the complete failure, during very cold weather, I also experienced one brief incident of unusually low engine power shortly after starting the vehicle. I do not know whether that earlier incident was related. I am concerned that this failure may be related to the low-pressure fuel pump failure condition addressed by Ford Safety Recall 25S75 / NHTSA Recall 25V-455, which includes certain 2022 Ford Expeditions. My 2021 Expedition is not currently included in that recall. The loss of power occurred while I was crossing an intersection and created a serious safety risk. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate this fuel pump failure along with failures involving other vehicles excluded from Recall 25V-455.

The engine stalled out while trying to pass someone. The car wouldn't go faster when hitting the gas and felt like I couldnt safely slow down to get back over. It felt like something slipped and lost traction, but roads were dry and not rocky or sandy. tapping breaks and letting off gas did nothing. it has happened before but usually in winter, and gettin up to speed. its like the gear shift got stuck.

Part of the luggage rack broke off of the vehicle while driving down the road. The vehicle had not been previously damaged. The broken piece could not be recovered.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while reaching into the center console of the vehicle, a sharp edge on the trim caused an injury to the thumb. The contact stated that the issue reoccurred, and the sharp edge caused a cut on the thumb. No medical attention was needed; however, bandages were used on the cuts. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the issue. The contact associated the issue with NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V368000 (Structure). The approximate failure mileage was 73,000.

I am filing this complaint because my vehicle is exhibiting the exact failure mode detailed in Ford Recall 26S48 (NHTSA Campaign 26V402000), but my VIN is currently excluded from the recall population." A loud, heavy metal-on-metal "CLUNK" or "THUNK" right under the center console or floorboards the exact second I change gears. It feels like the transmission is violently dropping or snapping into gear. I even feel a physical jar or shudder through the shift dial and I brake pedal.

I was in an accident on December 9 at 2 pm it was slightly wet out & 51 degrees i was making a left turn out of a business went into the middle lane and gave some gas to merge into the lane and the back end of the vehicle locked up and swung into a tail spin to the right as I applied the brakes it locked up worse and the vehicle spun around twice. Went into oncoming traffic and was hit. Had to exite the vehicle on the passenger side because i could not open the drivers door. When the police and tow truck came the both could not believe the airbags did not deploy . The car was found to be totaled by my insurance Co. AAA The fact that not one of the airbags didn’t deploy is very disturbing to me!!! This was my first Ford and dont think i will ever own anther.

I was in an accident on December 9 at 2 pm it was slightly wet out & 51 degrees i was making a left turn out of a business went into the middle lane and gave some gas to merge into the lane and the back end of the vehicle locked up and swung into a tail spin to the right as I applied the brakes it locked up worse and the vehicle spun around twice. Went into oncoming traffic and was hit. Had to exite the vehicle on the passenger side because i could not open the drivers door. When the police and tow truck came the both could not believe the airbags did not deploy . The car was found to be totaled by my insurance Co. AAA The fact that not one of the airbags didn’t deploy is very disturbing to me!!! This was my first Ford and dont think i will ever own anther.

Transmission is slipping and hard shifting or fails to shift. I noticed it at hot temperatures but does it now constantly. Airbag is starting to come out of the perforation below the Ford symbol on the horn. I'm concerned it will deploy while driving and cause a traffic accident/injury/death.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 26V368000 (Structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact heard a loud banging sound coming from the driver’s side seat belt. An independent mechanic or a dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V099000 (SEAT BELTS); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,000.

LED Daytime Running Light on passenger side headlight is fading and has purple hue at times. This presents poor visibility to other vehicles and can create confusion due to inconsistent appearance for oncoming traffic.

Passenger side front headlight failure. The LED turns purple. Appears this is a common problem on vehicle with this type of headlight assembly F series as well. Dealers claim they don't know about it but a quick search to find its a common issue. Available for inspection. Light failure, confirmation is it is now always that way. Was inspected at the dealership and informed it was $3000 to replace the light assembly. No warning driver in front of me informed me to the issue.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the driver's side door inadvertently opened. The contact stated that after inspecting the vehicle, the contact became aware that the driver’s side door was not closing properly. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 30,000.

Second row power folding captain chair can fold down without anybody touching button. Rear hatch opens intermittently while parked or driving. The latest incident occurred while driving on city streets, and dash flashed a warning about rear hatch being opened while driving about 20mph.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer and was pulling to the left and to the right. There was no warning lights illuminated. The EPAS system was turned off by the owner. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an alignment. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24E055000 (Steering); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact requested a buy back, but the vehicle failed to meet the requirements. The approximate failure mileage was 24,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

Vehicle is making Clicking sound when steering. Also there was an electrical sparking sound in steering wheel that was found and fixed.

See attached document for complaint.

The transmission is a major issue. I have had it in the shop 3 or 4 times now and still experiencing issues. The vehicle goes in and out of gear, doesn’t always accelerate when giving it gas, jerks when slowing down/downshifting. Makes a loud noise during downshifting at times, and the list goes on. Ford knows there are problems and refuses to address the issue, applies a computer update to bandaid the issue, and sends customers on their way to only be faced with the issue a short time later.

The contact owned a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V250000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while her husband was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact’s husband was able to pull over on the side of the road when they noticed that there was smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact’s husband opened the hood and saw that the electrical box on the passenger’s side had caught fire. The contact’s husband attempted to put out the flames with a cup of water before the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The contact and their five children were able to safely exit the vehicle. No injuries were sustained and no medical attention was received. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A police report was filed; however, the contact was unaware if there was a fire department report. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and was not yet deemed totaled by the insurance company. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.