Power Train Problems of Ford Expedition - part 1

Transmission will randomly jump while accelerating and downshift to the point that we have to get to the interstate shoulder. This has happened many times.

See all problems of the 2020 Ford Expedition 🔎.

We were driving on the highway and suddenly lost all power. Vehicle downshifted so hard I thought someone had hit us. Then it was back to normal, driving fine. But now we had no speedometer and the check engine and wrench light were on. My wife said she had felt something like that before but it was minor and at a lower speed. It had never resulted in a check engine light or loss of speedometer. I told her to exit the highway. She was shaking like crazy because she thought we just got rear ended. I can see how this could cause someone to completely wreck it was so harsh. We towed it home and when we started it up at home all those error lights were off. So I drove it around the block and it drive fine. I had my friend come take a look. He scanned it and it had a p0720 code. He said his f150 had the same issue and the same code as well a few years back and it was covered. It turns out we have the same transmission in our Expedition that he has in his f150. I havent had a chance to call the dealer yet but the paper I read in the recall and extended waranty coverage states only going up to a 2013 vehicle. They say it was a leadframe issue causing this. My Expedition has the same leadframe, and the same issue. This is very much a saftey concern since it changes harshness of downshifting out of no where. It could be even worse next time locking the wheels up or blowing the engine. Knowing its the same transmission and the same leadframe, why isnt my year model under that recall. I was reading in the forums and there are hundreds of similar questions coming from people with Expeditions and f150s that are near to my year and not covered. Can you please let me know if there is something im missing. Thank you.

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When attempting to pass a slow moving vehicle on a 2 lane highway when driving up a hill the transmission failed to properly shift instead making a loud clunking and grinding sound before eventually managing to shift into a gear. This failure to shift properly meant that the vehicle was unexpectedly without power when trying to change lanes leading to a dangerous situation.

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2020 Ford Expedition with 38,094 miles started having delayed and rough shifting a few days after my warranty was out on December 12th. 2024. I had looked up the issue before I took it in and found all these complaints and was worried mine was having this same issue. Took to our Ford dealer and it was confirmed that my 10r80 transmission had failed and my cdf drum is worn and quoted 5600 to fix! they refuse to cover the cost knowing I and 1000's of others have had this same issue. Ford refuses to acknowledge it and the consumer is left with bill. I have owned 2 Ford explorers and 2 Expeditions in my driving life and feel like they have screwed me over. This needs to be resolved. They need to be held accountable! I am at a loss here and cant afford this fix so does a practically new ( by mileage terms ) car just sit in the yard and rot now??.

While driving, the vehicle experiences a sudden loss of power, after which the transmission goes into what feels like a false neutral. It then violently re-engages and accelerates uncontrollably without driver input. This is an extremely dangerous situation and presents a major safety risk to us and to others on the road. Fortunately, we were able to avoid a crash, but this could have easily resulted in a serious accident. The vehicle was initially brought to the dealership for an a/c issue, and at that time we asked that this transmission concern also be inspected. We were informed that the dealership could not replicate the problem. Since then, the issue has become more frequent and more severe. We have now been told that we can drop the vehicle off, but that it may take 3–4 weeks or longer before diagnostics even begin, and that we would be responsible for out-of-pocket rental car costs during this time. We were also told that because the issue could not previously be replicated, this would now be considered customer pay, despite the fact that this is a serious powertrain and safety-related issue. We find this unacceptable. This is not a convenience issue—it is a known concern with Ford’s 10-speed transmissions, and it places our safety at risk every time the vehicle is driven. We have opened a case with Ford in hopes that assistance will be provided, including: proper diagnosis and repair of the transmission issue coverage of related repair costs assistance with a rental vehicle while the SUV is being evaluated, as it is currently unsafe to drive we trust Ford to stand behind its product and take this issue seriously before someone is injured.

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During highway operation, vehicle transmission makes very loud and angry sound and then loses ability to move , almost caused us to get hit at an intersection. Vehicle often jumps violently when shifting to reverse, and often loses propulsion when going uphill and shifting. No issues have been identified by mechanics but I have found several forums on line with drivers reporting similar occurrences. This is very dangerous and if not addressed will result in loss of life. We purchased this vehicle certified by the dealer with 92000 miles on it and it began doing this less than a week after purchase. We took it in for recall work and reported it and they said nothing was wrong with it. Manufacturer failure to rectify this very common problem is going to cause may citizens to be injured or killed.

See all problems of the 2021 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 25e070000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that he lived near a school zone and was concerned that the failure could occur, causing the vehicle to strike and injure children on the road. The local dealer was not 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 and advised the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive because the recall was not a safety recall. The contact had not experienced a failure.

Have had jerky shifts and hard down shifts while driving 2021 Ford Expedition. Told dealership and was told it was normal. Then went in for oil change told the dealership about lose of power while shifting and hard shifts they advised to have transmission fluid changed. Not even 3 weeks later while pulling out onto a busy road my vehicles engine revved very high but the transmission never engaged past 2nd gear. I was almost hit by a car coming at me on the 2 lane road. After letting off the gas and then reapplying gas the transmission engaged. I drove to the dealership. Today they informed me that the transmission has multiple failures at the shift point between 1-2 and 7-8 along with hard down shifts between 4 and 3 gears. Was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. I never got any error or warning codes that anything was wrong. I told the dealership that I felt unsafe driving the vehicle due to the transmission. The first instance happened less than a month ago. My vehicle is at the shop now waiting to have a replacement at my expense when Ford knew what the transmission is like.

While attempting to pass a slower moving vehicle and changing from the right lane to left, I attempted to accelerate past the vehicle when the check manual light appeared on the vehicle display dashboard and I lost all power. I had no acceleration and no power from the gas pedal, after gliding past the slower vehicle and completely taking my foot off the gas pedal, the truck reset itself and power came back to the vehicle and was able to accelerate again, as if nothing happened.

I am suggesting an investigation into the 2020 model Ford Expedition relating to the 10 speed automatic transmission in this vehicle and others in previous and newer models. The problem is known and has been well documented that the transmission often fails and pops out of gear especially when accelerating and is extremely dangerous for obvious reasons while passing or climbing hills. There is not a recall for repair or replacement of these transmissions. The recommended service for this transmission occurs at 150000 miles according to the owners manual however failure often begins well before the first recommended service interval. The cost to repair or replace the equipment often exceeds $10000 and service managers are well aware of the issue.

The incident occurred while traveling at 75 mph on the interstate. The car felt like it tried to put itself in park and slammed forward violently, at that time it came up with a shift fault light on the display, it shifted to neutral so there was no movement of the vehicle it was free wheeling, then it slammed itself back in a low gear where the vehicle slammed hard and the car engine was redlined. The transmission then proceeded to shift back up into a higher gear. All this while traveling at 75 mph. My concern, if one of my kids were driving it, or the road conditions would have been wet or snowy we would of had a very different outcome. The vehicle was sent to a Ford dealer where they found a park shift failure and shift issues recommending a new transmission. Ford was not willing to warranty the transmission even with the issues experienced and forced me to pay 60 percent of the cost. I find this hard to believe since a family could've been severely injured or killed. Previous to this incident, there were no warnings, lights, or concerns, the issue came out of the blue.

My vehicle has started to have problems shifting in some gears(3rd & 7th). I have been doing research, and this seems to be a recurring problem for vehicles with the 10r80 transmission. Where this has caused a big safety risk, is that a few times, the vehicle wouldn't move when pushing on the gas after having the foot on the brake after I had already left and been driving it for 5-10 minutes. This has put me at risk of getting hit by oncoming cars since I couldn't get the vehicle to go as it should to cross a road or intersection. My vehicle shows no dashboard warnings that anything is wrong. I have had all regular maintenance done, don't use the vehicle for towing, and I only have 70k miles on the car. Over the years I have had it where it just feels like the vehicle won't shift, but it has gone away pretty quickly. It's only been since this summer that it is now a persistent issue. I have brought it up over the years to the Ford service department, and nothing was shared with me that there was an issue with the vehicle transmission. It is now that it's been consistent(only when the transmission is cold) that this happens on every drive. All Ford wants to do is charge me to rebuild the transmission conveniently now that I am out of warranty!.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 mph, the engine overheated. The message “drive mode inoperable” was displayed. The contact pulled over for 20 minutes, and the vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who confirmed that parts were on back order for NHTSA campaign number: 22v346000 (engine). The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was due to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 99,130.

I got a brand new transmission put in at the beginning of the year but my whole car spits and sputters and shakes going 45 and when I am backing up it throws me forward(almost in the car in front of me) instead of reversing and making a loud clinking noise.

Since new the vehicle has had a vibration/shake while driving at all speeds. Initially the issue was only at highway speed but is still present after dealer 'fix'. New car spent 3 days at dealer with 1,000 miles on the odometer. At the time shake was so bad over 65mph it felt unsafe to drive at highway speed. The dealer tried balance and rotate wheels. No fix. Then the driveshaft was re indexed. That was a temporary as the issue is still present.

See all problems of the 2025 Ford Expedition 🔎.

My 2020 Ford Expedition platinum VIN [xxx] miles suddenly began harsh shifting violent kicking/jerking and lunging between gears while driving at highway speeds 65-80mph. The vehicle slams into gear unexpectedly and has nearly caused loss of control on multiple occasions. Dealership diagnosed cdf drum failure in the 10r80 automatic transmission requiring full transmission replacement at a cost of 8,057 (TSB 25-2132 and prior tsbs). This is a known widespread safety defect affecting thousands of 2018-2022 Ford vehicles equipped with the 10r80 transmission. Ford has issued multiple tsbs and is currently facing class-action litigation over this exact failure. Despite the clear safety implications and identical cases being approved for 100% goodwill coverage, Ford is refusing full repair coverage in my case. This defect presents an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Transmission stalls, shifts hard, shutters,. Had the transmission rebuilt about four months agoand similar issues are already starting with the rebuilt transmission.

I was driving down the road at 45 mph, I pushed the accelerator then my vehicle shifted out of drive to neutral, the rpm increased, the car speed decelerated, then the vehicle put itself back in gear severely downshifted so much that my car lost 20 mph then the engine returned to normal after a violent shake and loud grinding noise. The car could have caused an accident had there been anyone behind me. Luckily there were no other cars around me. I had the vehicle towed to the dealer. They are unable to duplicate the issue I stated but did indicate a skip in cylinders when they hooked it up. I had the transmission overhauled at 53k when it was not shifting properly. I asked Ford to replace the transmission however they elected to overhaul it. From time to time the transmission would shift odd but nothing of over concern. The incident on Nov 3 was very unusual and safety of travel for me. The vehicle had done something similar earlier that morning but that time it was from a stop and no speed so not nearly as violent as the one later that evening. The vehicle is currently sitting at a dealer needing a transmission replaced, however the vehicle is 500 miles over the 75k esp. Ford is refusing to discuss the problem.

When you try to accelerate quickly, even when you’re switching lanes on the interstate or just driving down the road, the car will sometimes pop out of gear or something and almost comes to a complete stop causing you to almost get rear ended. I’ve almost been hit several times because the car stops and won’t go.

2020 Ford Expedition fx4. Towing a four wheeler and motorcycle on the expressway. The SUV was in tow / haul mode and on cruise. The car downshifted to go up a incline and made a booming noise and then composed its self. Shortly after, I tried to pass a car, and the trans downshifted, made a couple of loud clunks, shuddered, lost all power. After a couple terrifying seconds it composed itself, found gear and maintained speed, acceleration was not possible as the trans would go out of gear. Further down the road, it did the same thing, clunk, clunk out of gear, no power. There were no warning lights. I took it out of tow mode and tried both sport and standard settings, both had similar issues. This was the scariest situation I have ever been in with a car mechanical issue. Note: we were ~120 miles into the 160mile trip. The oat temperature was ~45 degrees. Trans temp showed 250 degrees when acting up, and dropped to 220 by the time the trip ended. Odometer shows ~77k. Cpo, dealer maintained.

The transmission suddenly downshifted to 1st gear while traveling at 45 mph with no warning. This created a very dangerous and life threatening occurence.

The transmission failed. It is being rebuilt when the dealership can get to it. So it's available until then. The transmission would slip, lag shifting or slam into gear sporadically and unpredictably. This caused inconvenience at best and erratic vehicle behavior that endangered myself and other drivers at worst. This has been confirmed by the dealer who recommended a rebuild with improved parts to correct this know condition/failure. Yes the Ford dealer inspected the transmission. There we never any warnings or messages to indicate anything is wrong. The symptoms progressed for a couple days before I brought it to Ford.

While overtaking another vehicle on the interstate at 75 mph, a loud clunk was heard and drive power was temporarily lost as the car slowed by 20 mph. The transmission subsequently reengaged, enabling the vehicle to regain speed. At that time, there was no traffic behind. No warning lights appeared, and the dashboard gauge indicated normal transmission temperature. The transmission fluid had been changed approximately 5,000 miles earlier during the 100,000-mile service. Since this event occurred late Friday afternoon, I was unable to contact the dealer.

At approximately 100,500 miles, my 2018 Ford Expedition XLT 3. 5l ecoboost developed loud rattling noises consistent with cam phaser failure. Zeigler Ford confirmed the failed cam phasers on October 20, 2025. These phasers were previously replaced on the vehicle at 51,000 miles on February 10, 2022, at al piemonte Ford under the customer satisfaction program 21n03. They used the old phasers hl3z-6c525-cd which are known to be defective rather than the new updated phasers ml3z-6c525. Cam phaser failure can cause engine misfires, loss of power, and potential engine damage, creating a serious safety risk, especially at highway speeds. This issue has been reported by multiple Ford Expedition owners, indicating it is not isolated. I request that NHTSA investigate whether this defect warrants a recall or expanded coverage for vehicles like mine that exceed csp mileage limits. My vehicle has been properly maintained, and the failure is due to a known defect in the 3. 5l ecoboost cam.

The transmission started jerking and downshifting and and like the brakes was coming on and stoping you and I was pulling out onto the road and it wouldn’t go and I was setting in the middle of the road with oncoming traffic and scared for my life, luckily I didn’t have anyone with me and it moved a little and I was finally able to get it out of the road. This is the problem everyone is having Ford you need to recall these transmissions and replace them with new ones that are better this is a shame and bad business. It is hard enough to afford buying vehicles in this day and time and then it need a transmission that is expensive to replace.

Over a period of time this problem is occurring more often. The vehicle will downshift into first gear. I pull over check engine light is on. I turn off wait turn back on and no problem for awhile. Within the last month this has occurred many times . Each time the check engine light comes on but also now the advance track light. Each time I have the same codes pulled. Driving on the highway with my daughter at 65mph it downshifted and the back tires locked up . Vehicles had to swerve to miss us. The check engine light was on advance track light same codes pulled. The dealership said it’s not in the recall even though it was built in jefferson CO kentucky 9/2011. I don’t understand why this vehicle wasn’t recalled . I have to continue to drive it’s my only vehicle. I’m so scared for my life.

See all problems of the 2012 Ford Expedition 🔎.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving over 40 mph, the vehicle stalled on two occasions. The contact stated that while driving a roundabout, the vehicle lost motive power. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle jerked and was sluggish, and there was no area to pull over to. Upon parking the vehicle, the power train warning light was illuminated. The contact called an independent mechanic who was unable to service the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was jerking due to the cs drum and transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted regarding the latest symptoms that the vehicle had displayed. The manufacturer was contacted, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 93,000.

I am writing to bring attention to what I believe is a serious and ongoing issue related to the design of my vehicle’s transmission system. I recently contacted Ford motor corp. Regarding this matter and was assigned a case number; however, the case was open and closed within a 5-minute conversation. I was informed that there are currently no known issues or recalls related to the transmission in my vehicle. Despite this, there is a problem I continue to experience recurring transmission problems that raise significant safety concerns while operating the vehicle at various speeds. Erratic and unreliable shifting, the transmission often feels like it is “floating” between gears, shifting abruptly, or sometimes not shifting at all. Slipping gear, there are frequent instances many of which I would consider close calls where the transmission slips during acceleration, causing a sudden and unexpected loss of power. These issues make it extremely unsafe to perform routine driving maneuvers such as pulling out from a stop sign into moving highway traffic, crossing busy intersections, merging onto highways, or responding quickly to changing traffic conditions. The inconsistent vehicle response under normal driving conditions puts not only my family, but others on the road, at significant risk. Based on my own experience and further research, I am concerned that this may be a broader, well-documented issue that has not been adequately addressed by the manufacturer. The Ford dealerships are aware of this problem and are so inundated that the current dealership cannot even see my vehicle for over a month and I am told have parts delay due to the repair demand. Given the nature and potential danger of these transmission problems, I respectfully urge a thorough investigation into this matter. Thank you for your attention to this serious concern.

Since November 2024 to date the transmission has reduced power when trying to accelerate thus being unsafe when trying to pull out into traffic. It also will not engage reverse thus again impeding when in traffic. It appears randomly. Verified software has been updated. Ford is saying complete transmission replacement is needed on a vehicle that is only 7 years old.

After Ford recall 24e13 (powertrain control module reprogramming) was completed on my 2019 Ford Expedition max, the vehicle immediately developed transmission problems. It began hesitating to go into reverse and then produced dtc p0736 (reverse gear ratio incorrect). Within days, it failed to shift properly and was returned by the dealership. The issue occurred only after the recall repair, indicating a possible calibration or programming fault that affected the powertrain. Ford dealership staff acknowledged metal in the fluid but gave inconsistent explanations and then claimed the transmission had to be replaced. The vehicle also displayed a “powertrain system fault” warning. No such problems existed before the recall. This raises a safety concern because transmission malfunction after a recall could cause loss of control or failure to move the vehicle. The vehicle was returned to us on October 7, 2025; it remains unsafe to drive. Ford corporate has been notified (case cxh-05773791-t4g0r8), but no resolution has been provided. I am requesting NHTSA review this as a potential post-recall powertrain safety failure related to recall 24e13.

My 2019 Ford Expedition started making some loud noises while accelerating and wouldn’t accelerate as usual when I pressed the gas pedal — there was a noticeable delay in gear shifting and acceleration. Often when I did shift gears, there would be a very loud clunking sound. It got much worse over the course of several days. At one point, I was on the highway and needed to accelerate quickly to maneuver around other vehicles —I pressed the gas and there was no acceleration— the vehicle just stayed at the current speed and it was a couple beats before the vehicle responded to me pressing down hard in the gas pedal. It did finally accelerate, but it was very delayed. It was a very unsafe experience. I have since learned there is a known issue with the transmission on these vehicles that causes this issue.

The cam phaser failed in 2023 and 2025. It kept the vehicle from starting. The transmission has failed twice in the past two years.

Transmission exhibits harsh shifting and slippage. One scary example is when accelerating at highway speeds, transmission will occasionally and suddenly drop into first gear causing complete loss of power to the wheels. On occasion will also display transmission warning on dash and lock into 4th gear, causing vehicle to exhibit downshift breaking and rapidly slow vehicle when in traffic at highway speeds.

Transmission losing power while driving. This is a known safety hazard with this 10r80 10 speed transmission with a poorly designed cdf drum. Ford chooses to wait and hope for power train warranty to expire so can be fixed at customer’s expense. This is a safety issue. If I was entering a roadway and needed to accelerate and car had no power, a terrible accident could happen.

Nn 9/15/2025 while the car was running but parked, we began to smell burnt plastic/electrical. Upon trying to shut off the vehicle several service lamps came on advising to go immediately to a service center and that there was a powertrain issue. Vehicle would also not shut off. Upon arrival at dealership they diagnosed that the battery box had corroded and would need replaced under the 1time battery junction box replacement campaign (22n19). Upon repair they discovered that the wiring harness was badly melted and would need replace part [xxx] . The problem lies here. This part is backordered with no date for availability. Ford refuses to acknowledge this as a problem, and will not help with rental or loaner assistance, as that repair shouldn't take more then a few hours to complete. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).