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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
13,516 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2018 Ford Expedition drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2018 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #45

Oct 232023

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I've had a couple of issues with my expedition since day 1. When I click on my memory seat to adjust seat/mirror etc. the front mirrors (not the encasement) will turn in one direction and sit there and click until I manually adjust the mirror(s). Today is 10/24/23 and starting yesterday, I was in rush hour traffic and noticed my motor sounded different. Then while headed to work it just started jumping and popping in and out of gear. I am in stopped traffic at one minute and the next be going 70 mph then back to stuck in traffic. So, my fear is driving this thing and it totally failing and it causing a serious wreck to myself and others! This needs to be addressed or I will never own another Ford.

- Waxahachie, TX, USA

problem #44

Jul 152023

Expedition

  • miles
I have had issues with my Expedition not shifting gears properly/slipping gears. This usually happens during acceleration. Rpm will rise but act as if I-??m in neutral and significantly reduce my speed, then with a hard thunk it will jerk my car into gear. This has happened twice on the freeway, once almost causing me to be rear-ended with my children in the car. The other car had to swerve off to the side to avoid hitting me. The dash will flash a shifting warning light and go away almost as soon as I get the chance to look at it. The other times have happened on main roads in town. Thankfully where it-??s easy enough to pull off to the side when this happens. But even so, it-??s starting to happen more often and at slower speeds where I-??m accelerating maybe 5-10 mph faster. Just today, and the reason I am finally posting a complaint, my car slipped out of gear and when it finally slammed back into gear, the force was so strong that it whipped me forward and caused me to brake in the middle of rush hour traffic. Not only that, but it went out 2 more times on my way home and now I-??m hearing a rattling noise under my car (which is probably metal shavings). The only thing on the dash this time was a yellow warning reading -??see manual.-?? This is my family vehicle that I use to transport my kids to school, sports, etc. So they are in the vehicle with me about 95% of the time. I am honestly afraid this will happen again at the wrong time while they-??re in the car with me. Is Ford waiting for a death to happen before they address this issue? Just do a basic search on Expedition transmissions and it-??s all over the place. So many people are having the same issue and forking out so much money to replace or have their transmissions rebuilt. I have taken my vehicle in just for them to tell me they can-??t recreate the issue and therefore nothing can be done. No codes are pulling and it drives fine. Ford needs to address this and recall their 10R80 transmissions!

- Spring, TX, USA

problem #43

Nov 062021

Expedition

  • 36,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the transmission was slipping, and the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission had failed. The contact stated that the dealer replaced the valve body instead, because the manufacturer warranty department declined to cover the transmission replacement. The failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 36,000.

- Delphos, OH, USA

problem #42

Sep 262023

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The auto stop/start feature fails to work properly and causes the vehicle engine to stop running while on the road. The warning message "AUTO START/STOP, SHIFT TO P THEN RESTART ENGINE" comes up and you have to put the vehicle in park then restart the engine. This has been confirmed by the dealer (wife was driving it with the tech) and we have to pay $550 plus a diagnosis fee of $150 to get them to resolve this safety issue. Our extended vehicle warranty coverage won't cover it because it's a valve and reprogramming issue, not a part replacement. There are several mentions of this on a google search for the problem, yet Ford isn't covering any of the repair for a known issue. The rep at the Ford dealer said there is even a techincal service bulletin about the issue. Complete failure of the company to resolve this safety issue and charge the consumer for this.

- Medina, MN, USA

problem #41

Sep 072023

Expedition

  • miles
The Auto-Start/Stop is malfunctioning as follows: When I am stopped at a stop sign, when the auto-start/stop is engaged, the engine will shut down when fully stopped. When the engine re-engages (by even letting off the brake a small amount), the car transmission jolts the car forward very aggressively even thought the brakes are still pressed. It does this every time that the auto on/off is engaged. It is very dangerous! This is because the car will move a full foot, or more, forward when the engine reengages. I took my Expedition to the Ford dealer and the code is "TSB 23-2250" my understanding is that this code is for "AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION - HARSH/DELAYED ENGAGEMENT AND/OR HARSH/DELAYED SHIFT". The dealership said that the Expedition needs a new "valve body" and that it would be on back order or they can overhaul it for about the same price and they can do that soon. The quote is for $1,400 to fix this issue. I have found out that the part is on back-order from the manufacturer and that they have ordered a significant number of this part -- CLEARLY there are a ton of people needing to fix this part right now. This is SIGNIFICANTLY dangerous because when the engine reengages and the transmission has a harsh engagement at that exact same moment, I have come close to rear-ending vehicles several times. This is a significant safety issue and NOT my fault and should be immediately fixed and paid for by FORD. You can contact me in any manner: [XXX] - [XXX] -- [XXX] -- [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Des Moines, IA, USA

problem #40

Jul 312023

Expedition

  • miles
In July of 2023, while driving on the highway and depressing gas pedal, the transmission seemed to disengage from engine. The vehicle lurched, making control difficult and putting me in a position of being unable to get a response when steering vehicle. The vehicle rapidly lost speed making a rear end collision possible. The engine began racing forcing me to release gas pedal completely until I could gently depress pedal hoping the transmission would reengage. The transmission finally chose a gear and I was able to accelerate avoiding a collision and reach a safe speed. No lights or codes showed after the event. This was my first time driving the vehicle on a highway after purchasing it used, 2 weeks prior, from a local Ford dealer, who certified the vehicle as safe to drive. A second incident happened Sept. 2023 under similar circumstances.

- Valrico, FL, USA

problem #39

Mar 132023

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

-Powertrain seems to be the issue. It is available for inspection. *This has been happening since March '23- and it was very dangerous to myself and my daughter who was with me - occurred 6-7 times - and about 15 occurrences since then, life threatening danger to myself and my husband when with me. -Problem has not been reproduced by the dealer, but google this issue and many forums reference this "popping out of gear" problem. It is difficult to reproduce as it happens without warning, mostly at high speeds- no warning codes on the dash.. I have an '18 Expedition Limited 4WD. Issue occurs in 2Hmode, which I am always in. At highway speeds (70-85mph)while coasting, then attempting to accelerate(ie while trying to pass slower traffic) the car will lurch/make a clunk sound and "pop out of gear"(rpm's will rise as if in neutral and car won't accelerate). When I let off the gas, the transmission will lurch/make another loud clunk & engage a gear, then proceed to accelerate normally when I re-apply throttle. The clunk sounds are loud, jarring & alarming- like the engine is going to fall out. -No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem- although the most recent incident 8/27/23- a wrench flashed on the dash- and the engine sounded like a buzz saw was grinding metal off the engine under my car while it popped out of gear, would not accelerate while traffic has to swerve to avoid hitting me from behind. I am having to quickly engage my hazards and hope the car coming up behind has time to notice. It has continued to happen when I'm on the highway, usually when passing & it has been extremely dangerous because when the car pops out of gear- my brakes aren't engaged so no brake lights to warn other cars that suddenly, at 80 mph, I pulled into their lane to pass but am now decelerating to 50mph. I am fearful of my car unexpectedly losing ability to accelerate while another car slams into me from behind. I am scared to continue driving my car.

- Fairview, TX, USA

problem #38

Aug 242023

Expedition

  • miles
The transmission is a 10 speed and when I took off at the green light and it jerked violently when changing gears then go out of gear and we basically stopped in the middle if the highway and we-??re almost rear-ended. It continuously got worse and then completely stopped in the highway. We took it to the Ford Dealership in Florence SC and the mechanic said that FORD knew there was an issue with the 10 speed transmission but were not doing anything to remedy it at this time. We took it to several transmission shops & they each said they had several of FORD expedition &F150 waiting to have new transmission with same issue. Currently our FORD expedition is in the shop awaiting a new transmission. This shop has 4 additional FORDS there with the same issue.

- Timmonsville, SC, USA

problem #37

May 012023

Expedition

  • 68,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 2 mph, the vehicle failed to shift into gear. Additionally, the vehicle shifted into the wrong gear occasionally. The vehicle was jerking forward and backward. The vehicle unintendedly downshifted or upshifted. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

- New Brighton, PA, USA

problem #36

Aug 152023

Expedition

  • 90,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. Upon attempting to drive the vehicle, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 90,000.

- Crawford, TX, USA

problem #35

Aug 102023

Expedition

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

We were having issues with our transmission shifting very abruptly and making a clunking noise back in late June 2023. This was occurring as my wife was traveling out of state for a funeral to Michigan. We were able to drop the vehicle off at a certified mechanic in Ohio, and were told that they were metal shavings inside the transmission. The vehicle sat there for several weeks, waiting on a new/remanned transmission from a local Ford dealership. The transmission was replaced, and I flew back to Ohio to drive the vehicle back to Virginia in early August. At first, the vehicle was shifting and driving normally as it should. However, when I was near Richmond, Virginia, I had to change lanes to pass a semi, and when I pressed the gas, all power was lost and the lights on the dash went completely black. About 2 to 3 seconds later, the vehicle shifted with a loud clunk and the advance track warning light came on. The malfunction nearly caused an accident as vehicles behind me had to slam on their brakes, as I finally made my way to the shoulder of the road to collect myself.

- Chesapeake, VA, USA

problem #34

Apr 132023

Expedition

  • miles
The expedition started skipping gears and shifting hard, the shop had it for several weeks trying to determine issue. Their conclusion was the transmission so they just rebuilt it. That was in 2022. We returned it to the shop for the same issues only worse in July 2023 where it is still at now. They-??ve said the technician has looked at it and knows it-??s a transmission problem but has several with the same problem in front of mine so it will still be a while before they get to work on it.

- Powell, TN, USA

problem #33

Jun 052023

Expedition

  • miles
Door locks don-??t unlock on 3 out of 4 doors. Transmission jerks and acts like losing power frequently. Engine tries to die at idle when stopping. Timing chains failed along with cam phasers yet symptoms still continue. Heater hoses leak to heater core. This caused high temps of 255 degrees to occur for engine.

- Little Sioux, IA, USA

problem #32

Mar 172023

Expedition

  • 69,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving under 35 MPH, the transmission was shifting hard and hesitating between gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission control module (TCM) needed to be replaced; however, no repairs were completed. The vehicle was then taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.

- Mount Vernon, WA, USA

problem #31

Nov 282022

Expedition

  • miles
On 11/28/22 my transmission went out while I was driving at 25 mph. Luckily, I was in town and I was able to coast to the next driveway. It was towed to a dealership. The dealership replaced the transmission in January 2023. When I picked it up & was leaving the dealership, it began jumping gears and getting hot. A few miles down the road it started leaking transmission fluid. We immediately took it back to the dealership where they determined it was a faulty transmission and ordered another. A second new transmission was put in. I picked my expedition up from the dealership on February 23, 2023. Since having the 2nd new transmission installed, my car has shifted into neutral while driving on the highway causing my car to shake uncontrollably and jump gears once in drive. It is shifting hard during gear changes. Also, when shifting down & skipping gears, it is making a grinding noise and jumping hard. No warning lights have appeared at any time during this entire process. The expedition is going back to the dealership on 3/28/23 to reassess the issue.

- Freeport, OH, USA

problem #30

Mar 062023

Expedition

  • 111,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate while the transmission made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the failure was related to Technical Service Bulletin: 22-2145 (Momentary Neutral-Out Condition in Drive) however, the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #29

Feb 172023

Expedition

  • miles
As the vehicle accelerates it experiences a loss of power randomly at both low speeds and high speeds (like it randomly shifted into neutral) then after letting off the accelerator the vehicles clunks into gear. I experienced this at roughly 60k miles in both 2WD and less frequently in 4WD. It-??s absolutely a safety hazard while driving on the roads.

- Bothell, WA, USA

problem #28

Feb 012023

Expedition

  • miles
Transmission is hunting, popping, and jumping out of gear. Started popping into reverse at approximately 20,000 and multiple dealerships told me -??I did not understand the transmission-??. Power train warranty expired at 60K, at 62K it began violently shifting out of gear on acceleration.

- Mission, TX, USA

problem #27

Feb 182023

Expedition

  • miles
10 speed transmission is eratic and can cause sudden loss of power or stuck in gear and slamming in and out of gears.

- Morton, IL, USA

problem #26

Feb 162023

Expedition

  • miles
My transmission stalls out multiple times while driving. It switches gears really rough. If my car stalls out at a light it could interfere with other drivers and could cause an accident. I have not taken it to a dealer yet but whoever rides in my car can feel the problems it-??s causing. There is no warning lights or anything that come up.

- Magnolia , TX, USA

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