2018 Ford Expedition complaints

Front struts faulty. Drivers side blew and all the fluid leaked out and the passenger side was leaking. Unknown safety issue but the vehicle only has 42,000 miles and has never been off road. Still has original tires, shouldn’t struts last longer than tires? The problem was confirmed by my local Ford dealer. I paid $1467.72 to have them replaced which is ridiculous for a vehicle with such low mileage. In my research I have found that this may be a widespread problem but there has been no recall. No warnings.

Cam phaser issue. Chatter noise on cold start up. Guess this is a very common issue with this engine and vehicle

When we drive long distance or up in altitude a coolant temperature indicator comes up and says it is high, it hits about 132 degrees going up any sort of hill and then goes down after a few seconds, this doesn't seem to be normal. We took to a Ford dealership and tried to have them replicate the issue but they could not, we have replaced the coolant hose and it is still happening, there is no leak ANYWHERE. If Ford can't figure out this problem then who can? We have also had the transmission replaced around 120K miles which I feel is ridiculous, it was putting my family in danger when we were driving, we had NO CHOICE. My Ford app is also giving me a service engine soon warning, saying that my emissions and exhaust system are failing, why would all of this happen after shy of 6 years? This warning started happening 06/11/23. We feel like we received a lemon vehicle, we also cannot use the sunroof, my stepping boards do not want to work, my mirrors when locking and unlocking my vehicle just click I have to manually adjust them...I take very good care of my vehicle (regular oil changes/premium gas) and to receive ALL of these issues if highly disappointing....I can't trade it in with all the issues and I can't even get HALF of what we owe...

When driving, the transmission feels like it is slipping and doesn't transfer power to the wheels. The effect is that you have a loss of power, especially when accelerating to enter the highway or to pass someone. The power train on this vehicle has a 5 year warranty, and our vehicle is 6 years old. This vehicle has the 10 speed transmission (10R80) that shows many issues online both before and after this 5 year warranty period. This isn't just a warranty issue, as the loss of power when entering a highway or executing a pass is dangerous. I will indicate an issue date, but this has been a multiple recurring issue for many months.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon start of the vehicle, an abnormal, knocking noise began to emit from the engine without warning. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a diagnostic was performed; the diagnostic showed that the engine's timing chain was defective and needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was then referred to the NHTSA Hotline to file a complaint. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic related the failure to Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not covered. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 103,500.

Lug nuts could not be removed using Ford's lug wrench. All lug nuts seemed to be slightly oversized preventing lug wrench from fitting. Had I been out on the highway needing to replace a tire, it would have required specialized assistance. I had to replace all lug nuts in order for lug wrench to be an option in the future. I do still have the old lug nuts.

The vehicle on multiple occasions has failed to shift up through the various 10 gears and in other occasions failed to properly accelerate as needed resulting in a muted and unsafe merge onto highway traffic. This has also led to the vehicle speed on highways to be limited to 40 MPH forcing us to pull over on a busy high speed highway and stop and restart the vehicle to have the transmission and power train respond properly. The 10 transmission appears to be the reason for the dangerous situation.

Engine knock (cam phasers) when starting vehicle. Happens whenever the vehicle has been sitting a few hours. The vehicle has been brought to the manufacturer dealership regarding the noise and when brought to their attention that it may be the cam phasers they remarked they hope it isn’t. Problem not fixed.

I brought my vehicle in for inspection and there is an issue with the cam phasers and timing. The cam phaser issue is a known Ford Expedition issue that they addressed and extended warranty coverage. I have been bringing my vehicle for routine maintenance, oil changes, tire rotations etc to both Koerner Ford of Syracuse, NY and more recently Dave Pirro Ford in Skaneateles, NY. I had an extended warranty that I purchased that recently expired. During many visits to the dealerships the cam phaser issue was never addressed even though it would have previously been covered under warranty and now is not. I would like to know my options as this issue is now going to cost over $6,000 to fix.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was a coolant leak underneath the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the coolant hoses were faulty and needed to be replaced. Additional, while driving at various highway speeds the vehicle lost motive power and would not properly accelerate. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000.

Transmission will up shift when accelerating then all of a sudden go to first gear at highway speeds.

My Expedition just hit 83,000 miles and has a clean title. We purchased it approximately a year and a half ago to drive around our 4 children. Around 73K miles, the catalytic converter went bad and had to be replaced. Fortunately, this was covered by a warranty. Not long ago we began to notice some rough shifting and a rattling when we turned the car on, though the rattling would stop once the engine warmed up. This week, we experienced a sudden aggressive lurching in the vehicle at 50mph accompanied by a sudden check engine light. In addition, it was accompanied by a loud, constant rattling. We were driving with our children when this happened and it scared us all. I drove it very slowly to the dealership first thing the next morning as it felt as though it could break down at any moment. It's currently at the Ford dealership, though still available for inspection, and they have said that we will need a new timing system and possibly a new engine. In addition, there are signs that our transmission is also going to need replaced.

Cam phasers make noise when the car is starting, indicative of poor cam phaser design and performance. It seems clear that Ford is aware of this problem (program 21B10) but refuses to provide support for faulty parts now that that limited program has ended.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered abnormally with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that all 4 VTC cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03 – Supplement #4 which the vehicle had previously been repaired under; however, the cam phasers were not replaced. The contact stated that only a software update was performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

When accelerating to pass on four lane highway at approximately 65 mph, transmission went into neutral as I pressed on the accelerator and had no power. This occurred twice where we almost got hit from behind. Almost got rear ended as the car would no go back into gear without shifting into neutral. There were no warnings or lamps. Took to dealer and they said it was normal but could rebuild it for 5,000 dollars. It’s not normal. My family’s life shouldn’t be in danger because of this defect. This happened dangerously twice at 62,000 miles and at 84,000 miles. Now transmissions is missing gears all the time at 95,000 miles. A transmission should not be sold that can’t last more than 64,000 miles and has these types of issues. There are hundreds of people online all reporting the same problems and lawsuits. Please recall these defective transmissions.

This car is a 2018 Ford Expedition with the 3.5L eco-boost and 10 speed transmission with 95,000mi. So it started as just some rough shifting from time to time but got worse after driving through some mountains, after about a week the transmission went from rough shifting to actually feeling like going into neutral and then jerk into gear. Our two week trip went from nothing to acting like it can't find the gear to go into. I've only noticed it going from second to third to fourth and I've taken it to two shops and they can't get it to act up but it still remains after fluid change and reprogram from the dealer.

See attached document for complaint

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of a failure with the transmission. The contact stated the vehicle stalled and was jerking with the transmission warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 154,000.

The contact stated owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced a rattling sound emitting from the engine compartment and the VIN was included in a Warranty related coverage for the cam phasers to be replaced. Approximately 4 years after the cam phasers were replaced, the rattling sound returned. The contact stated that the sound mostly occurred during cold starts, and intermittently after the vehicle had warmed up. The check engine warning light illuminated signaling a catalytic convertor failure. The contact researched and learned of Customer Satisfaction Program with the NHTSA ID Number: 10201090 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed again and needed to be replaced. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in Customer Satisfaction Program with NHTSA ID Number: 10201090 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the Customer Satisfaction Program or under warranty. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 51,084.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on several occasions when the vehicle was started, there was a rattling sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the body of the vehicle had shifted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the passenger’s side front axle seal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he heard a loud rattling sound coming from the engine compartment that dissipated once the vehicle reached an operational temperature. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03 (Engine Cam Phaser Replacement) Engine and Engine Cooling. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 48,000.

On [XXX] my wife was driving with my three children from Virginia to Michigan after my step-fathers sudden passing. While driving on the interstate in Ohio, the vehicle began shifting abruptly and violently. The wrench light also came on the dash along with a message recorded in the Ford App stating "Powertrain Malfunction." My wife pulled into a rest stop and called me hysterical, stating that the vehicle was jerking so bad upon acceleration that she was afraid to cause an accident. Since we purchased an extended warranty (third-party CarMax), we found a nearby auto shop in network and I drove down from Michigan to meet my wife and get the vehicle to the shop (Tuffy). After inspection, Tuffy stated that the entire transmission would need to be replaced, but that they were on back-order through the local Ford Dealership and could take up to 12 weeks. I also contacted Ford to see if there was any remaining manufacture warranty, but was told the the 3 year/ 36k mile warranty was expired. So I continued and had the vehicle repaired through Tuffy. After several weeks, the transmission was replaced, I flew up to Ohio and drove the vehicle back to Virginia. However, a couple of months later, I discovered that the vehicle, in fact, had a 7 year/ 100k extended powertrain warranty that Ford omitted when I originally contacted them. Ford was reluctant, but ultimately reimbursed me for the out-of-pocket expenses for the repair due to their mistake many months later. INFORMATION REDACTED

On July 6th, I was driving our vehicle with my wife and 3 children when it began jerking and shifting abruptly and the dash produced a wrench and check engine light. I reduced speed and exited the highway drove under 25 mph the remaining 10 minutes back to our home. The erratic jolting/ jerking of the vehicle could have caused a serious accident had we been in any traffic or higher rates of speed. Unfortunately, I reported a similar issue on August 19, 2023 (NHTSA ID Number 11539517). At that time, the vehicle was serviced at a local Ford Dealership and we were told that the auto shop that replaced the transmission did not clear out old computer codes which caused the jerking/ jolting shifting. Ford cleared the codes and stated that the vehicle was repaired. The vehicle operated safely again until this recent incident. The vehicle was towed and is currently at the Ford Dealership.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission slipped and became stuck in gear. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was released and depressed, and the transmission shifted to the next gear very rough. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was pumped for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to replicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

My 2018 expedition has been repaired by Ford dealership three times. The vehicle started with a hesitancy to shift into reverse then eventually a hard jerk into gear. following that, it began to hesitate to accelerate and rattle and shake hard enough to shake the steering wheel. The powertrain loss warning came on ford pass. Ford dealership said it was transmission and rebuilt it. Three weeks following the repair the very same shaking, rattling and crunching sound started again with power loss. It was intermittent and dealership said with no codes they couldn’t recreate the issue and so no help. The following day on the highway, it started again. I was attempting to stop at a red light and with my foot on the brake, the vehicle attempted to lurch forward and try to go despite the brake. Thankfully, the light turned green and the car in front of me moved. As I continued to drive, I was left stranded with the codes showing actuator failure and cam shaft failure. The dealership then said it was the cam shaft and all actuators that needed to be replaced this time. The SAME rattling and shaking and power loss they said was caused by the transmission they rebuilt 3 weeks earlier but now it is caused by the cam shaft. So 2 repairs later and 4 weeks, it did it again and this time it caught on fire and burned a hole in my hood. The dealership called me the day after I had it towed into the dealership smoking staying it was the heater hoses that caused the shaking, rattling and power l

Automatic transmission is causing slipped gears, harsh shifting, jerking, and hesitation. I am almost met with accident couple of times with my family. Whie driving car suddenly shift from 10 gear to 5th gear causing erratic behaviour. While waiting in the Signal for Green light, and when we press the accelerator. Car is not moving at all from first gear.erratically shift to 6th gear.

My 2018 Ford Expedition started having transmission issues around 49600+ miles. The warranty was 5 years or 60,000 miles. I was out of the 5 years and they will not fix it. I have researched the issue and it seems Ford knew the transmission used in the 2018 models was defective but never notified me. There are class action lawsuits in California on the same issue as well as many disgruntled consumers on the internet. My truck doesn't shift properly and I have almost been in accidents because it stalls and doesn't shift into gear. I have tried everything with Ford to help cover the replacement cost which is $8,000 but they only offered me $4,000. This is a verified issue that they know about in several of their vehicles but they have not notified their customers or did anything with a recall. I am asking for a complete investigation and recall on this issue and hope that you can assist me and all the other consumers who are driving unsafe Ford vehicles.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal rattling sound. The vehicle was taken to several independent mechanics, where it was diagnosed that the cam phasers had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was previously repaired under Ford Campaign Number: 21N03. The contact stated that the repair failed to fix the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Cam Phasers failing Rough running and poor acceleration Problem has been confirmed by a dealer Vehicle has not been inspected by manufacture, police or insurance No warning light on, but grinding when cold start. This is the second time it’s occurred! We had it fixed prior about 20,000 miles ago. I called Ford Customer service and they directed me to the NHTSA.

Transmission on this vehicle is at failure, it revs to about 3 with no go. I will be driving an all of a sudden it revs and does not go, on a side street, on a highway, in the morning and at night. I am terrified to drive my vehicle, especially with my children.

The large sunroof is made of cheap plastic mechanics and will no longer close as a plastic piece has come off the track. Causes safety issue. The vehicle is available upon request. The window not being sealed if turned over the passenger will be injured with glass shards or distracted while driving as the window will not close. The vehicle has not yet been inspected but is at the Ford Dealership being looked at. There were no other symptoms of the problem.

The Transmission is slow to respond leaving inhibited acceleration. Not being able to accelerate while pushing down on the gas pedal when entering the freeway is a major concern and could be costly to others life and mine. While making a turn during a green arrow, a collision is bound to happen. Dealer is currently reviewing vehicle. No warning lights for transmission present at time of transmission failures.

Vehicle has loud clacking sound at startup (cold startup). Repair shop diagnosed as Faulty Camshaft Phasers. Repair shop also noted there was a notice that covered assistance that ended 1/1/23 at some point.

Defective Cam phaser's in 3.5l Ecoboost engine

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was concerned about a fluid leak coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with an engine oil leak. The local dealer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 124,000.

This vehicle is used as my daily driver, multiple times in the past 3 or so months the 10 speed has lost connection with the car itself, meaning as I am driving the gear will not catch and I am not able to accelerate. I have been on I10 going 70 MPH and go to accelerate and the gear just slips and it does not catch for about 10 seconds. This is extremely dangerous as my car just suddenly starts to slow down and I'm not able to do anything on a major hwy. In addition to this, when I am driving the gear are shifting very hard. I can feel the vehicle jump multiped times during the course of a 15 minute drive.

When I start the SUV in the morning, it makes a very loud rattling noise. it appears that its a very well known issue w Dry start. My mechanic stated that Eco boost 3.5 L 2018 expeditions have many of those issues (possible to a bad Phasers). the vehicle only has 35k miles on it, and was starting without noise before.... (I will attempt to include a short video)

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the engine made loud rattling sounds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was advised to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 21N03 (Cam Phaser Replacement); however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

Transmission is slipping and harshly stopping randomly. Won’t go into park sometimes. Very unsafe. I have heard this is a common thing with the 2018 ford expeditions.

My transmission started slipping in and out of gear or getting stuck in a gear. I was driving down the highway and my car got stuck in 4th gear after I had to slow down for a car in front of me. I was almost rear ended due to this. Not to mention many other times when trying to speed up, it slipped and wouldn't allow me to increase speed correctly. Took it to Ford and apparently it was a known issue with the 10 Speed Transmission and had to replace the CDF drum. I'm also having issues with my Cam phasers apparently even after being told by the dealer in 2021 that the noise was nothing to worry about after they did the reset.

Transmission has failed twice on the highway with no warning, leading to abrupt slow down and could have caused an accident

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the driver became aware that the coolant level was low. The contact stated that the engine was making an abnormal rattling sound. The front wheel was making an abnormal sound. There were no warning lights illuminated. The service engine error message was sent to the Ford pass. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the water pump, cam phaser, hoses, solenoid, and timing chain needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who completed the repairs. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was not available.

“Shift system fault” flashes on dash and car suddenly and violently shakes and loses power at higher speeds when trying to accelerate. Also heard a metallic grinding/metallic rattle noise under the car and could not accelerate. Has happened multiple times over the last year and a half.

On [XXX] it Looked like I had a tail of a bird in my exhaust. My husband pulled it out and said the tailpipe is packed with junk. Upon clearing it out it looked like a wig or hair extensions. After googling this disgusting matter we found some Ford mufflers are defective and they have what looks like a hairy discharge. Didn’t know if it was safe to drive. Called Montrose Ford in Fairlawn, OH and said they’ve only seen this one other time in 35 years. They are aware of the situation. I have 4 kids and I feel that Ford put my life and the lives of my family on the line with the filled up exhaust from the muffler discharge. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that when the vehicle was first started during a cold morning, there was an abnormal clanking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that once the vehicle had idled for several minutes, the abnormal sound stopped. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the cam phasers needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program Number: 21N03 Cam Phaser Replacement (Engine), but the contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle was no longer covered under warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

Engine light came on so we took the company car into the Ford dealership. Just received a phone call that the Cam Phasers need to be replaced and it will cost around $4000 to fix. Seems like of the research I have done this is a common problem for this years model but cant find any recalls for this issue.

It looks like Ford is aware of the Cam Phaser issue but is not doing about it.

The transmission stopped working after hit 80k mileage

Transmission would fail in 1st and 4th gear and stall entire vehicle at any speed. Vehicle would lose all power on highway or coasting down roads. Nearly caused us to be rear ended many times. Entire transmission needed to be rebuilt. Parts were backordered for months. Car was in and out of the shop for months at a time. Ford did not provide a loaner vehicle. Transmission still shifts hard and stalls occasionally