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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 1
Injuries / Deaths:
6 / 0
Average Mileage:
21,072 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 engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 2 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #46

Jan 022024

Expedition

  • 64,500 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle sputtered while restarting. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V392000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that oil was leaking from the timing valve cover and the front struts. The dealer also informed the contact that the transmission lines were leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,500.

- Georgetown, TX, USA

problem #45

Nov 192019

Expedition

  • miles
Ford Motor Company David J. Johnson Service Engineering Operations He sent Customer Satisfaction Program [XXX] on November 19, 2021, to all U.S. Ford and Lincoln Dealers. This program extended the warranty coverage of the engine cam phasers. I purchased my vehicle on 11/22/21. It is my belief that this repair should have been covered by Ford/Lincoln before this vehicle was sold to me. We purchased an extended warranty protection plan (from MPP) when we purchased the vehicle. When the issue was reported to MPP they refused to cover the repair as well. It was reported to them a second time and we were told that the mileage had exceeded our plan limit and we were denied a second time. We believe that this vehicle should have been repaired before it was sold to us (Ford TSB proves that they knew this was a problem). It has not been repaired and we are faced with paying a bill of $4500-$5500 on our own. We are looking for guidance on the next steps that we should take in regard to this repair. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Midlothian, TX, USA

problem #44

Jun 152021

Expedition

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated during cold starts, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed a failure with the cam phasers. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.

- Friendswood, TX, USA

problem #43

Oct 132023

Expedition

  • 107,762 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on start-up there was a rattling sound coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the timing chain and VCT actuator and solenoid 02 sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was also diagnosed, and it was determined that the oxygen sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 107,762.

- Carleton, MI, USA

problem #42

Sep 152023

Expedition

  • miles
Our 2018 Ford Expedition Max caught fire while on a test drive after repairs at Canby Ford. It completely caught fire and is a total loss. We were supposed to pick up the car an hour later. If our kids were in the car strapped into car seats, there may not have been enough time to get them out. They could have died. The mechanic who was driving saw the engine smoking and jumped out (he was at risk). The whole car was gone within 2-3 minutes. In my opinion it exploded as all the windows were blown out. The motor block melted, and the front end of the car is gone. There is a report with Canby Oregon Fire Department. Most people would assume it was overheating, get out and open the hood with their family still in the car. If that had happened people could have died. There were no check engine lights on when we took it to Ford. It was just close to the end of a warranty and there was an engine rattle we wanted fixed. Please come look at the car to investigate. It is at an independent insurance valuation company. I asked the manager of Canby Ford if he would report it to Ford Motor Company, he said no it would just go through their insurance. Ford needs to recall all of the expeditions so someone doesn't die in a fire. Ford already settled on the 2021 Ford Expedition and there are fires on older models and similar F150 Trucks. There are many reported fires without a recall. Please recall all the expeditions and investigate all the other Ford Vehicle fires swept under the rug. We don't want someone else to die due to a lack of action. The previous Ford Expedition settlement is not enough as it only covers 2021. If nothing is done, we plan to go public on the news with the photos, hopefully we can say NHTSA did something (or we can say NHTSA did nothing). Other families are at risk, they need to know to get out fast cause it could catch fire or explode. They need to not assume the engine is overheating (as I would have done 2 months ago) it could be on fire.

- West Linn, OR, USA

problem #41

Sep 262023

Expedition

  • miles
When car is stopped, the engine dies and it reads on screen -?? place car in park to restart engine-??. This is not the automatic stop/start. Car has died a handful of times when in stopped traffic or at red lights. Sometimes taking several seconds to get engine running again. Brand new battery. Herb Chambers Ford dealership used diagnostics on 9/29/23 and -??did not find anything broken-??.

- Ashland , MA, USA

problem #40

Sep 082023

Expedition

  • 66,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle in the morning, he detected an abnormal fluttering sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the cam phaser needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 66,000.

- Tampa, FL, USA

problem #39

May 162023

Expedition

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the contact heard an abnormal sound and knocking coming from the engine. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the variable cam timing phaser was the failure and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to contact the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

- Malcom, IA, USA

problem #38

Sep 262023

Expedition

  • miles
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 #37

Sep 252023

Expedition

  • miles
My vehicle has been making a very loud rattling sound upon starting. I reached out to the Ford service department about this and they said the cam phaser is failing but the customer satisfaction program has expired and they will no longer cover it. I never received a letter from Ford regarding this customer satisfaction program (I hadn't moved since buying the car, so it wasn't an address problem); they blamed the DMV and said they are the ones that mail out the letters and don't know why I didn't receive it. They quoted me $3,300 to fix it. I obviously can't afford that so I took my vehicle back and continued to drive it. Today the check engine light came on and I noticed my vehicle is sluggish to accelerate. Upon researching cam phasers failing I found this: "You could also lose power suddenly while you are driving. This problem puts you at risk of an accident and exposes others on the road to a dangerous situation. ". I believe the cam phaser problems in the 2018-2020 Expeditions should be a recall. It is a safety issue.

- Ponder, TX, USA

problem #36

Aug 072023

Expedition

  • 120,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that when he started the vehicle in the morning, the engine made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000. The VIN was unavailable.

- Raleigh, NC, USA

problem #35

Jun 142021

Expedition

  • miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made abnormal sounds. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Brookland Park, MN, USA

problem #34

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 #33

Aug 142023

Expedition

  • miles
2018 Ford Expedition 3.5 - Engine makes a metal noise upon start up. Brought the vehicle to a licensed mechanic and was advised that the cam phasers have failed. This has caused engine trouble to include coolant leak and intermittent A/C. Dealership advised that there is no warranty and will not cover any cost of repairs.

- Merritt Island, FL, USA

problem #32

Aug 082023

Expedition

  • 60,000 miles
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle when started. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall on the VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

- Chandler, AZ, USA

problem #31

Jul 032023

Expedition

  • miles
The cam shafts are not function correctly and need to be replaced which is causing the engine to overheat. The heater hose blew while we were driving the other day and engine temperature went to almost 300. The catalytic converter is also not functioning which is releasing emissions when we drive. The overheating engine could cause a fire while driving and the we all know about the emissions procedures. The vehicle has been inspected by the correct dealership. The warning light did come on and we took it into the dealership within the week. We also heard a knocking in the engine when we cold started the car. The engine light was not on when the heater hose blew due to the faulty cam shafts.

- St Johns, FL, USA

problem #30

Oct 102000

Expedition

  • miles
There is a recall on many 2018 CAM Phasers. My vehicle has the same issue with the recalls on many 2018 Expeditions that also effect the EPA ratings. For some reason FORD says the Recall is not my vehicle but they knew their was an issue and the FORD dealership tried to do a software update but the issue was never cured. They never performed the needed next step remediation. The ongoing CAM phase issue cause engine light to stay on. This has been going on with them for several years. They never would do the part 2 cure.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

problem #29

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 #28

Dec 012021

Expedition

  • miles
Front Blower motor not working correctly. Engine Valve cover driver side small crack.

- Joplin, MO, USA

problem #27

Mar 272023

Expedition

  • miles
No Brakes, Engine Racing, & ignition would not turn off, yes available for inspection at Seth Whatley Ford. Car crashed which was the only way it came to a stop, wheels were still turning when I got out of the car, if anyone one had been around they would have been hurt or killed. Towed to dealer, dealer was unable to find any evidence on their side. Insurance adjuster came out and assess the damage from crash. There was no warning lights or sensors that were working during this episode. Monday, March 27, 2023 at approximately 10am, I got into my Expedition to start my vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed as I pushed the button to start the car, and the engine was running smoothly. Foot was on the brake pedal when I put the car into reverse, the car shot out from the carport and engine was racing. I tried to pump the breaks and push the engine button, while guiding the car as it kept going faster and faster, until I hit a trailer that was attached to a truck. There was two witness that saw everything, that went on. I feel this car is DANGEROUS. If this had occurred when my family was around serious injuries could have occurred, or if I had been in a parking lot, there was no way to stop and I was not in control. Safety is the first issue. Special Note - I took my car in February 2022 for the recall.

- Wilson, OK, USA

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