general problems of the 2018 Ford Expedition - part 2

120 problems related to power train have been reported for the 2018 Ford Expedition. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2018 Ford Expedition based on all problems reported for the 2018 Expedition.

36 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/04/2025

I was on a road trip of about 900 miles. My vehicle at the time had 103,000 miles. All maintenance service intervals had been complied with since I purchased vehicle new. About half way through the trip the transmission started acting up. I was on the highway between 75 and 80 mph when it suddenly downshifted in a jerk then it failed to accelerate. This whole time I was pressing the gas pedal and my speed continued to drop and the vehicle jerking forward and back. I was able to put it in “manual” selectable speed and regain control. I had the vehicle inspected at my destination and the dealer could find no fault codes and fluid check was good. My vehicle continued random jerky shift changes at the most dangerous times. I still got no check engine light or any such failure or service alerts. On my return trip home, it did it again. This time I was watching all the gauges. I noticed my engine coolant temp spike to 240 degrees and my transmission fluid temp spiked at 247degrees. Outside air temp was 40 degrees and it was three occupants and no towing involved. The dangerous jerking and random transmission shift changes continued. After about 30 minutes of reduced speed driving on the highway the temps dropped. However the shifting was hard and erratic. I took the vehicle to the dealer after returning home. I now need a whole new transmission. This situation was extremely dangerous as to the uncontrollability of the slam shifting of the gears causing a rapid change of speed. I am very fortunate I was not in a wreck! in my research of this problem, I found I was not alone. It is a terrible design by Ford. It gives no warnings other than slamming you around in the vehicle. Something must be done!.

37 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 11/26/2024

Transmission issue: vehicle will sometimes not go into gear. When I pull out into traffic sometimes vehicle will not go into gear. Mostly occurs with 2nd and 4th gear but has happened with other gears as well. Also when shifting g into gear sometimes it takes a while and sometimes he vehicle jerks during shifting.

38 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 11/24/2024

When oil in the transmission is still cold, even when engine has wormed up to operation temperature, the transmission is shifting hard, specifically it shifts the hardest from 4th gear into 5th. For a moment car has no acceleration, and then it slams into a 5th gear. I also noticed that the transmission shifts from 4th into 1st, then into 5th. It lasts about 30 seconds. It casing a safety issue when I merge onto a busy road, and try to get up to speed, car would not respond for those 30 seconds causing traffic to catch up and slam on their brakes to avoid rear ending my vehicle.

39 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 11/14/2024

Transmission delays or goes into neutral when accelerating. I have had a couple close calls when making left hand turns across 2 way roads. Another close call during a merge where the vehicle seemed like it just decided not to go. I research the issue and found tsb23-2250. This should be a safety recall and not just a service bulletin. Ford knows they installed faulty products on the roads and could leave to very serious accidents. This TSB is not a wear and tear item, this is due to faulty programming and parts. Gm uses the same transmissions on their products with out nearly as many issues as Ford.

40 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 11/01/2024

Transmission issue: we have experienced clicking with our transmission for years and have expressed our concerns to our Ford service department. Their response has always been that it was normal. Now our vehicle has started to lose power when shifting between 2 and 4 gear. The vehicle will lose all power, for anywhere between 3 and 7 seconds, and then violently shift into gear and launch forward. The rpm's will stay around 3-4 thousand for 2 to 3 seconds and then the transmission will operate normally. It is very infrequent, but it has happened on very dangerous roads such as [xxx] and [xxx] in California. It is very scary when it happens, and I fear that I will be rear ended because of it. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

41 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 10/08/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle was shaking and jerking. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle misfired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the repair was not covered under any unknown recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,836.

42 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 09/17/2024

The transmission suddenly and violently knocked from drive into neutral while driving. I had the vehicle towed home, and have been driving it until the suspect part finally breaks for good.

43 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 09/13/2024

The car will drop into neutral while on the highway. This happens mostly when trying to accelerate to merge into traffic, down shifting to pass someone etc. Once the car goes into neutral you lose all power. This presents a safety risk as you can be trying to pass someone or merge into traffic and your vehicle stops accelerating. This happened to me when trying to merge onto a busy freeway. I had to pull to the side to avoid getting into an accident. Then once on the side of the road I had to get the car back into gear and then work to merge from a dead stop. Apparently this is a known issue called a neutral out. Once this happened to me the transmission had to be rebuilt.

44 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 09/09/2024

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.

45 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 09/06/2024

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.

46 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 09/04/2024

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.

47 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 08/24/2024

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

48 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 08/15/2024

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.

49 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 08/07/2024

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.

50 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 08/01/2024

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.

51 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 07/06/2024

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.

52 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 06/30/2024

The 10r80 transmission does not work. This is a know problem with Ford, would be nice for them to actually take action and fix the problem they know they have. They have replacement part that fixes the problem, would be nice for them to stand behind their car.

53 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 06/07/2024

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.

54 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 06/04/2024

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.

55 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 06/01/2024

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.

56 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 05/15/2024

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.

57 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 04/21/2024

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

58 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 04/15/2024

1. The issue involves the transmission and camshaft components of the vehicle. Despite the fact that both the transmission and camshaft were replaced by the Ford dealership after purchase in 2018, the vehicle continues to experience problems. These components have been inspected by the dealership, and the vehicle is available for further inspection upon request. 2. The vehicle’s loss of power during highway driving and while attempting to accelerate poses a significant safety risk. On several occasions, the vehicle has lost power while making turns or driving on the highway, nearly causing accidents with other vehicles. This has been a very frightening experience for us, as the sudden loss of power could have led to a collision. 3. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by the Ford dealership, which replaced the transmission and camshaft components. However, the vehicle continues to run roughly, indicating that the issues have not been fully resolved. These repairs were not covered under warranty, and we had to pay for them out of pocket. 4. The vehicle has been inspected by the Ford dealership multiple times. Despite the repairs, the problems persist. The vehicle has been regularly maintained and garage-kept. 5. There were no warning lamps, messages, or error codes indicating the problem before the failure. However, there has been a loud ticking sound when the vehicle is started and running, which started to occur after the initial repairs. The vehicle has had no other prior indicators to suggest the underlying issue. We purchased the vehicle brand new with only 11 miles on it it currently barely has 70k miles on it. We dropped the vehicle off at the beginning of August 2024 and didn't get it back until almost the end of October, with us needing to bring it back to the dealership for more checks/repairs in December of 2024. We have to pay out of pocket and are without a vehicle because of the constant issues and safety concerns. We can provide receipts and more docs.

59 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 04/12/2024

“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.

60 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 04/01/2024

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 loss. Said they could have it fixed the next day. It is a disaster. It is a major safety issue and I am still paying payments on this car that Ford cannot fix. This car needs to be recalled and they need to refund for cost of vehicle. This car is going to kill someone!.

61 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 03/20/2024

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 mph, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the power train warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and restarted the vehicle. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer to be diagnosed and the contact was informed that the catalytic converter and transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred several months later. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure milage was 156,000.

62 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 03/12/2024

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.

63 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 02/15/2024

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.

64 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 02/04/2024

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.

65 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 02/04/2024

The transmission will shudder while accelerating, vehicle will shift gears up and down randomly, not allowing me to accelerate while on a road with traffic. The transmission will slam/clunk into gear while driving. When that happens, there is not power and your bot accelerating anymore and it's really unsafe in traffic. While coasting to a stop the transmission will hard shift/clunk and the gears go down whilst coming to a stop.

66 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/05/2024

At around 55,700 miles the transmission started slipping. Within a few days (less than 100 miles), the transmission would thud and lurch as well. On 2 occasions, one while accelerating at a traffic light and one while making a left hand turn), the vehicle lost power and would not continue celebrating from 3/4 gear. During both instances, my children were also in the car. The second occurrence almost resulted in us being t-boned by oncoming traffic. We took the vehicle to Ford and they acknowledged the problem and stayed there was a tech bulletin about it. However we were 2. 5 months (but not miles) outside of warranty and the repair was several steps and would result in costs up to $15k! we attempted to call Ford as during the time of we were outside the warranty, I had a baby (high risk pregnancy) and then had to wait several weeks for an appointment as well. Corporate Ford flat out ignored us as well as the dealer who tried to advocate on our behalf as this was such a severe and dangerous issue.

67 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/04/2024

I turned onto a road and when I pressed the gas to accelerate, the vehicle wouldn’t move. I put the vehicle in park, turned it off and back on and into drive and it let me accelerate. When I got to the red light, I stopped then went to accelerate when it turned green and the vehicle went in reverse and the engine light turned on. Both incidences could have resulted in an accident if there were other vehicles on the road at the time. The dial that changes gears and/or the transmission abruptly stopped working. I took it to the dealership and do not have the diagnostic results yet. They have confirmed issues with shifting gears so far.

68 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/03/2024

In looking up recalls for my vehicle I see several relating to transmission issues with the 2018 Ford Expedition. I contacted Ford they said there were not any recalls for my specific vehicle, however my transmission is experiencing problems I see in other recalls. Specifically when the car is put in park and it rolls forward or back depending on the angle. The other issue is the transmission did not engage when accelerating then it made a noise like something was loose in the transmission. I backed off the accelerator and the transmission engaged again. A warning light came on briefly when it made the noise then disappeared. Ford took down my information the case # is cas47105525.

69 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/03/2024

About two weeks ago my 2018 Ford expediton max platinum 4x4 started exhibiting harsh shifting from 3 to 4 gear. Since then it has gotten worse. Harsh shifting, delayed shifting, harsh engagement of gear, or sometimes not engaging at all leaving me in a a very unsafe position on the road. It appears Ford is very aware of the danger and issued multiple TSB's about this issue. Vehicle has not been inspected by Ford as the service time is over 6 weeks long due to the very same issues are widespread. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure began happening.

70 Power Train problem

Failure Date: 01/02/2024

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 stated that she 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.



Expedition Service Bulletins
Expedition Safety Recalls
Expedition Defect Investigations