Power Train Problems of Ford Expedition - part 1

My 2018 Ford Expedition with the 3. 5l ecoboost engine has developed a pronounced rattling/knocking noise at startup. This appears consistent with the well documented cam phaser/vct problem affecting this engine family. At approximately 118,212 miles, an independent firestone complete auto care inspected the vehicle and recommended major timing system repairs. Their estimate calls for replacement of the timing chain components and variable timing sprockets/cam phasers, with a total recommended repair cost of $5,232. 13. 220782orderrevisions. Pdf the concern is not simply the noise. The cam phasers and timing system control critical valve timing. If these components continue to deteriorate, there is a risk of improper engine timing, severe drivability problems, loss of power, stalling, or significant internal engine damage. A failure while traveling at highway speeds or in traffic could create a serious safety hazard for the occupants and surrounding motorists. There have not yet been warning lights or dashboard messages associated with the condition. The primary symptom has been the recurring startup rattle/knock, which has now been confirmed by an independent repair facility as requiring substantial timing system repair. The vehicle remains available for inspection. This has been an ongoing issue for the last few months but was first diagnosed on September 12, 2026 during a repair for another unrelated issue. I am especially concerned because this is not an isolated or unusual type of failure on the 3. 5l ecoboost. Ford has previously recognized cam phaser/vct startup noise on these engines through service guidance. A known timing-related defect requiring more than $5,000 in repairs, with the potential to progress into engine damage or loss of engine performance, represents a significant reliability and potential safety concern.

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The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed, with the powertrain warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, shifted to park, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle temporarily drove normally. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was 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. The vehicle was not repaired.

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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered extremely while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed the failure and stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive with the unrepaired seat belt recall. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign number: 26v344000 (seat belts), 26v368000 (structure), and 26v402000 (power train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

The car has recalls since 2024? some are serious safety issues if in an accident. Way too long for a remedy from Ford. 2019 Ford Expedition 2019 Ford Expedition VIN: [xxx] recall data refreshed on xxx 4unrepaired recalls associated with this VIN Feb 09, 2024 information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The car will lose power when trying to accelerate on the highway. The car’s transmission will completely shift out of a high gear while traveling 50+ mph at a time when you are trying to accelerate onto the highway or speed up to avoid another vehicle. The car’s transmission will shift to first and slow way down and you cannot regain power or speed for several seconds. This has happened multiple times over the last several months, sometimes multiple times a day.

When accelerating, if you push on the gas hard the car will shift into neutral/park and then shift back into gear. It doesn't matter if this happens at 20 mph or 75 mph. It is extremely unsafe. This shift fault code p07e6 is the code that populates. It is directly correlated with the recall 26s48/26v402. Ford won't even glance at it to consider it a part of the recall because " there is no fix for the recall yet " . This recall has directly damaged the transmission in my vehicle & other peoples vehicles. I have requested a remedy as my vehicle is no longer safe to drive on the highway due to the shift issue and I am met with we won't be able to address it until the recall fix is out. I have requested a loaner while we wait for the recall fix, which isn't going to be ready till 5/2027. Ford needs to consider the transmission damage this recall has caused on vehicles, the safety issues behind that damage, and they need to make it right.

Car is stalling out while driving it.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. 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. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, the vehicle abruptly stopped in the middle of the road. During one of the failures, the front driver’s side tire had a blowout. The failure reoccurred on several occasions. The failure mileage was 86,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 26v402000 (power train), 24v099000 (seat belts), 26v344000 (seat belts), and 26v368000 (structure); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact was mostly concerned about NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train) recall. The dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was notified of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph, the transmission independently shifted into park(p), and the rear wheels locked up. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with a recall. The contact was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive with the unrepaired recall. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, parts were unavailable for the recall repair. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 133,000.

Recurring dangerous transmission defect in my 2020 Ford Expedition (3. 5l ecoboost, 10-speed 10r80, ~136,826 mi). It has lost power and shifted violently multiple times, each a crash risk. 1) ~Aug 22, 2026: accelerating to pass on the highway, the whole vehicle shut down. I lost all power including power steering and had to coast off the road. It restarted after stopping. Losing power and steering while passing at speed is extremely dangerous. 2) weekend of ~Aug 29-31, 2026: going up a slight residential driveway, the transmission slipped (engine revved, vehicle didn't move) then slammed into gear with a hard jolt. 3) another time, accelerating to pass, it made an extremely loud bang and violent jolt; I thought the transmission had failed. Ongoing since I bought it used (June 2023): it repeatedly slams/clunks hard into gear, including while just coasting down a slight grade with no foot on gas or brake, jolting violently as if it dropped into park. This is not just my vehicle. The 10r80 transmission (2020 Expedition, f-150, etc. ) has many complaints for the same thing (sudden downshifts, power loss, harsh shifting, slipping) and is subject to a class action (filed 4/2023, MA) covering 2017-present f-150/expedition/mustang/ranger/navigator, alleging Ford knew since 2018. I raised this repeatedly with Ford and two dealerships and was told there were no recalls and no known issue. Ford's open recall 26s48 (26v402) is only about the parking system and does not cover this loss-of-power/violent-shift behavior. Please investigate.

For the past month I have started noticing my Ford Expedition changing abruptly between certain gears. The problem progressively got more noticeable until last week while driving my Ford Expedition on the highway it lost power unexpectedly, feeling like it was about to stall while driving 65 mph and on the third lane while the car randomly downshifted from the 10th speed to the 6th. The person behind me almost rear ended me in the process. Just a couple of days after that (while waiting for my appointment with the dealership), I encountered another close call while entering a roundabout. The vehicle again felt like it was stalling, causing me to lose momentum in the middle of the intersection and this time almost getting hit on the side with both my young kids in the car. This is especially alarming because I am clearly not the only one to run into this problem yet no recall have been made or at least not on all the models that are affected. This issue is related to a known defect in the 10r80 transmission used in this vehicle, which I understand is widely reported among other owners of this model. I have an active repair and goodwill claim open with Ford regarding this transmission issue. I'm filing this complaint to document the safety risk this defect poses, particularly the loss of power in live traffic situations, and to ensure it's on record with NHTSA.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission attempted to shift into park but downshifted from third gear into first gear instead. No warning lights illuminated. The contact received notification for NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the parts to complete the recall repair were not available. The contact stated that the failure was persistent and once occurred while the contact's family occupied the vehicle, creating a safety hazard and rendering their only vehicle unsafe to drive. The dealer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 142,696.

My 2019 Ford Expedition max 4wd has approximately 120,000 miles. Intermittently the engine rpm increases but the vehicle does not accelerate as expected when I press on the accelerator. The transmission does not appear to be shifting between 5th and 6th gears. This creates a safety concern because the vehicle does not always accelerate when expected, specifically when entering or merging with highway traffic. I took the vehicle to a Ford dealership on August 24, 2026. I described the symptoms to the service representative. The representative told me that this transmission has a known issue involving the clutch shaft/sleeve and indicated that repair would require significant transmission work. I declined the $200 diagnostic service because I do not intend to authorize the approximately $9,000+ repair. The vehicle has not been formally diagnosed.

My Ford Expedition’s 10-speed automatic transmission experienced repeated slipping and sudden loss of propulsion. While accelerating from a stop and entering the highway, typically around 15–20 mph, the engine would suddenly rev but the vehicle would stop accelerating, as if the transmission had shifted into neutral. I had to release the accelerator for several seconds and slowly reapply throttle before the transmission would re-engage. This occurred repeatedly and created a serious safety hazard when pulling into or crossing traffic because the vehicle could begin accelerating normally and then unexpectedly lose propulsion with approaching traffic. The transmission also exhibited severe harsh/banging shifts during harder acceleration and produced a rattling noise while slipping until the accelerator was released. Cdf drum failure has been confirmed. The vehicle is currently at a reputable independent transmission repair facility undergoing a transmission rebuild due to the cdf failure. The transmission/components are available for inspection during the repair. There were no warning lights or messages that reliably warned of the impending loss of propulsion. This was not simply poor shift quality; the transmission defect caused an actual loss of propulsion while driving. Because this failure can leave a driver unable to accelerate while entering an intersection, pulling onto a highway, or merging into traffic, I believe the cdf failure presents a serious safety risk. I am requesting NHTSA investigate cdf-related transmission failures and determine whether a safety recall is warranted. TSB 23-2250.

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted into park. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission brake error message was displayed. The vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was restarted; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure reoccurred. The failure was a persistent failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); and the VIN was associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a delay in the transmission shifting gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for the transmission to be reprogrammed. The failure recurred, and the transmission was shifting roughly, and the vehicle lost automotive power while driving. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a drum body failure, incorrect gear ratio, and metal shavings were found inside the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,600.

I have a 2020 Ford Expedition, , affected by NHTSA recall 26v402. The recalled condition has actually occurred on my vehicle. The vehicle failed to remain in park and moved in reverse with the driver's door open. It struck a brick mailbox, severely damaged the driver's door, and I was pulled/dragged by the vehicle while my children were inside. This is an actual safety incident involving unintended vehicle movement, property damage, and a potential bodily-injury event. " this just occurred and has not yet been inspected.

My 2016 Expedition has the same 6r80 transmission as the Ford f150, for which there is a recall for the lead frame. My wife was driving the vehicle on the highway and the check engine light came on and the vehicle went into "limp mode" causing the vehicle to decelerate to approximately 35 mph. Needless to say, she almost caused several accidents as she tried to move to the shoulder at a very reduced speed. The code was p0715 and p0717 which is the turbine shaft speed sensor which is part of the lead frame in the transmission. As stated before, there was a recall on this issue with the f150 but not to the Expedition since Ford did not sell as many Expeditions as f150's? I was able to have the lead frame replaced, at my cost, to remedy the situation, however, the fact that this is a known issue with this transmission and only some of the cars with this transmission were recalled is morally wrong. This could have caused a major accident resulting in serious injury or death since Expeditions were not part of the recall.

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On 8/6/2026, the transmission/powertrain of my 2019 Ford Expedition malfunctioned, causing a complete loss of propulsion. While traveling on a busy mountainous highway with my three children, I stopped in a center turn lane to merge into fast-moving traffic. When I attempted to accelerate, the vehicle would not move. The transmission display showed 4th gear even though the vehicle was stopped. We were stranded in the center turn lane with traffic approaching from both directions, creating a serious collision risk. No accident occurred. This vehicle has a documented history of recurring transmission problems since 2024, including harsh/delayed shifting, bucking, hesitation and jerking, repeatedly involving 4th gear, and even loss of propulsion with the initial 2024 issue. In Jan. 2025, the dealer documented a delayed upshift and harsh bump/buck into 4th gear. In July 2025, the dealer documented hesitation/jerking that was worse going into 4th. The transmission has been removed/disassembled multiple times and has undergone major repairs including cdf drum/internal transmission work, main control/valve body repairs, and most recently torque converter and additional valve body replacement in early 2026. Previous transmission symptoms have been reproduced and verified by the dealer. After the 8/6/2026 incident, the vehicle was taken to the Lincoln dealer. The current repair record documents "complete loss of propulsion with gear stuck in 4th" and delayed shifting surrounding 4th gear. The dealer attempted to reproduce the failure and obtain diagnostic codes but has not been able to duplicate it and reports no codes at this time. I do not recall any warning lights or messages immediately before the failure. The vehicle is available for inspection. Ford has previously been contacted regarding these recurring transmission failures and provided partial assistance with a prior repair.

Ford has a recall out for the parking prawl. I have experienced my car rolling forward after shifting into park. The vehicle proceeded to move about 5 feet before I hit the brake and the vehicle shut down. I restarted the vehicle, reversed back into my parking space, kept my foot on the brake until the vehicle was shut down. I have been using the parking brake ever since. Before this incident occurred, I have been noticing my vehicle shifting sticking, skipping, and completely dropping out of any gear and going into neutral while on the road in motion. This is not safe, and I do believe it is all related.

Transmission that's was replaced approx 3 yrs ago is hard shifting from park to drive and park to reverse on flat level surface.

Oem transmission had to be replaced 3 years after new purchase. Replacement transmission installed at Ford dealership has failed after less then 2 years. About to have third transmission installed.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the message "transmission shifter failure" was displayed on the instrument panel, and the vehicle independently accelerated. A dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that a recall for the failure would be available in April 2027. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Failing transmission, does not shift into the gear just hear grinding noise, after few seconds of it, transmission makes very hard shift. This takes place in all phases or driving leading to potentially very dangerous situation of the car not moving or stopping while crossing a street with upcoming traffic, crossing intersection or any other phase of driving. Visited few shops and was advised that Ford has a major problem with 10r80 transmission and failing cdf drum.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 24v099000 (seat belts), 26v344000 (seat belts), 26v368000 (structure), and 26v402000 (power train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

I was driving home from vacation on I-77 in virginia, and felt large jolt and heard several clicking type noises. Two separate service engine lights immediately came on the dashboard, and I was able to safely pull over. I had my vehicle towed to a nearby dealership to be looked at by a mechanic. The mechanic indicated the existence of safety recall notice 26s48/(NHTSA 26v402). I spoke with the mechanic who removed the diagnostics lights on the dashboard as prescribed by Ford, and attempted to see if they would be triggered again by driving the vehicle around. I described what had happened and the mechanic immediately said the description of this safety recall seems to be the culprit as to what was experienced. The parking pawl engaged while I was on I-77 traveling 70mph, causing the transmission to inadvertently shift into park causing the jolt and sounds I described. I contacted the dealership where I purchased the vehicle and Ford manufacturer directly regarding this recall, and was told as there is no remedy available. I have several concerns as the remedy is not expected until 5/31/2027 which is way too long of a period to have to wait when my vehicle has clearly been diagnosed with this recall issue, as shifting into park while driving presents a major safety risk that puts lives in danger. Furthermore, the parking pawl can cause significant damage to the vehicle's transmission and may make me liable for significant repair costs that 100% could be avoided by Ford providing a remedy in a reasonable amount of time. I need my vehicle to either be repaired, repurchased, or provided a loaner car by the dealership while I await this remedy to avoid this situation from happening and resulting in me having to pay for a new transmission or worse potentially causing an accident. This vehicle was inspected by the state of pennsylvania in 2026.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 26v368000 (structure), 26v402000 (power train), 26v344000 (seat belts) and 25v197000 (seat belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while shifting the transmission into park(p) or drive(d), the vehicle lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

The transmission shifts very hard the first time accelerating after slowing down.

The transmission frequently has harsh and delayed shifting it is concerning that this leads to unsafe conditions while driving as the vehicle is not as responsive as it should be. The transmission has been replaced once and rebuilt three times by the dealer.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-70 mph, the vehicle shuddered with the message "see manual" displayed, and the vehicle jerked. The contact stated that the failure had occurred during hard acceleration. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable for the recall repair, and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts would be available in 2027. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The heater hose that feeds the front and rear heater cores ruptured while traveling at highway speeds on a main road. The engine coolant directly sprays onto the engine resulting in a steam cloud that can not be seen through, also rapidly overheating that motor. This caused a dangerous scenario where the driver can not see the road correctly through the steam cloud while trying to pull off of the highway with the engine over temp warnings flashing in the screen further adding to the panic.

The vehicle first experienced severe, violent jerking and slipping when shifting between the 4th & 5th gears. The vehicle was held by a Ford dealership for 21 days for this issue, but the repair failed. Two months after being out of the shop the transmission has rapidly degraded and is now actively experiencing the same severe, violent jerking and failing to engage in every single gear except 10th. The vehicle completely loses acceleration power while driving, creating an immediate crash hazard. Dealerships in my area are refusing to accept the vehicle for 2 to 3 weeks due to scheduling backlogs, leaving me with an active, dangerous powertrain failure under warranty.

Our 2017 Ford Expedition, has been diagnosed with a failure involving the molded lead frame/transmission sensor assembly in its 6r80 transmission. We were advised that the failure can cause the transmission to unexpectedly downshift at highway speed, resulting in sudden deceleration and possible loss of control. Ford has recalled 2015–2017 f-150 vehicles equipped with the 6r80 for a substantially similar unintended-downshift condition, but Ford states that our Expedition is not included and has declined financial or repair assistance. The required component is currently backordered, leaving us without a safe vehicle or a timely repair. We request that NHTSA investigate whether 2015–2017 Expeditions equipped with the 6r80 should be included in the affected population.

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