Power Train Problems of Ford Expedition - part 1

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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Vehicles automatic transmission repeatedly looses its gear, often while accelerating. The transmission tries to shift down, but somehow ends up loosing engagement and will not re-engage. This lead to critical/dangerous situations on highways due to the sudden loss of power.

On several occasions the vehicle will act like it misses a gear when put under load. Example is when you go to pass a vehicle and accelerate the vehicle will just rev up and not speed up. You then have to let the vehicle slow down and sort of get itself back into the right gear and you can go. Another example is taking off from a stop it will also do the same thing causing you to be pulling out into traffic and loosing power. Both of these scenarios are life threating as in both scenarios you could be faced with either on coming traffic or traffic coming at a high rate of speed behind you.

I’ve had multiple instances happen but the two latest are — traveling down the highway when I switched lanes and accelerated moderately. The Expedition downshifted and I heard a massive clunk. I had no power. Started coasting and adjusting myself so I could get to shoulder, and it shifted back into gear. Another instance, I was at a stop sign turning left onto a highway as I turned out onto the road, I had no power and it wouldn’t accelerate while a vehicle was quickly approaching from behind. I had to coast onto the shoulder to avoid being hit before it got power and carried on. These conditions create a significant safety risk because the vehicle may fail to accelerate when entering the highway, merging into traffic, crossing traffic, making left turns, or avoiding hazards.

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA campaign numbers: 25v197000 (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 contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the message "vehicle in park" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle unexpectedly shifted into park(p) on two separate occasions. There was an abnormally loud clunking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v402000 (power train). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 79,000.

I am submitting this complaint regarding the transmission in my 2019 Ford Expedition because I believe it presents a serious safety hazard that should be investigated for a safety recall. My vehicle has approximately 108,000 miles. While driving at highway speeds, particularly when attempting to pass another vehicle, the transmission will suddenly stop providing power to the wheels. The vehicle completely loses acceleration without warning, making it impossible to safely complete a passing maneuver. This creates an extremely dangerous situation because I am left vulnerable in fast-moving traffic with no ability to accelerate out of the way of other vehicles. What makes this defect even more concerning is that the vehicle does not set any diagnostic trouble codes or illuminate a warning light when the failure occurs. After the incident, the transmission resumes normal operation and drives as though nothing happened, making it difficult to diagnose despite the serious safety risk. I have found that many owners of 2019 Ford Expeditions and other Ford vehicles equipped with the 10-speed automatic transmission have reported similar symptoms. Many of these reports identify premature failure of the cdf drum as a likely cause of the transmission malfunction. While I cannot personally confirm the exact internal failure without disassembly, the symptoms my vehicle exhibits are consistent with those widely reported by other owners. A vehicle should not unexpectedly lose the ability to accelerate while traveling at highway speeds, especially during passing maneuvers where acceleration is essential for safety. This defect places drivers, passengers, and others on the road at risk of a serious crash. I respectfully request that this issue be thoroughly investigated and that, if a common manufacturing or design defect is confirmed, Ford be required to issue a safety recall so affected owners are not forced to bear the cost of repairing a defect that poses a significant risk t.

Component: 2021 Ford Expedition max 10r80 transmission. The cdf clutch cylinder (7h351) sleeve exhibits axial movement, breaking the clutch apply-pressure seal so commanded torque is not transmitted to the wheels. Engine revs while the vehicle fails to accelerate or move forward. Vehicle is available for NHTSA inspection and testing. Incidents (7/5/2026, same drive cycle): (1) highway, after braking from a 60 mph cruise to a 15-20 mph roll over a few hundred feet, the transmission failed to engage any gear on re-acceleration. (2) city, at 35 mph while accelerating to merge lanes, the transmission again failed to engage a gear. Engine 205-220f, trans 200-210f, indicated gears 4th/5th, odometer 120,217. Second owner; purchased at 115,067 mi. Safety: sudden, unannounced loss of forward propulsion with no dash warning directly endangers my wife, my children, and other motorists during ordinary driving. Merging: stuck at 40-50 mph in 65-80 mph traffic invites a high-differential rear-end impact. Intersections/left turns: a mid-turn stall exposes the passenger side (where my family sits) to a t-bone at posted speed. Evasive maneuvers: failed acceleration converts a near-miss into an unavoidable collision. Grades: the ~7,000-lb SUV can roll backward or stall in-lane on short-sight-line hills. Towing (rated capacity, used regularly) magnifies every risk to trailer and following traffic. Shoulder stranding invites secondary collisions, a known highway-fatality cause. The defect is unpredictable. I cannot pre-empt merges, intersections, hills, or tows. Dealer/independent confirmation: none. I have not brought the vehicle in for service, to avoid compromising any NHTSA inspection or testing. Mfr/police/insurance inspection: none; no crash has occurred to this date. Prior warnings: none. No lamps, messages, or symptoms preceded these failures, which first occurred 7/5/2026. Ford has documented awareness of the 10r80 cdf clutch cylinder defect and has not issued a recall.

Component: 2021 Ford Expedition max 10r80 transmission. The cdf clutch cylinder (7h351) sleeve exhibits axial movement, breaking the clutch apply-pressure seal so commanded torque is not transmitted to the wheels. Engine revs while the vehicle fails to accelerate or move forward. Vehicle is available for NHTSA inspection and testing. Incidents (7/5/2026, same drive cycle): (1) highway — after braking from a 60 mph cruise to a 15-20 mph roll, the transmission failed to engage any gear on re-acceleration. (2) city — at 35 mph while accelerating to merge lanes, the transmission again failed to engage a gear. Engine 205-220f, trans 200-210f, indicated gears 4th/5th, odometer 120,217. Second owner; purchased at 115,067 mi. Safety: sudden, unannounced loss of forward propulsion with no dash warning directly endangers my wife, my children, and other motorists during ordinary driving. Merging: stuck at 40-50 mph in 65-80 mph traffic invites a high-differential rear-end impact. Intersections/left turns: a mid-turn stall exposes the passenger side (where my family sits) to a t-bone at posted speed. Evasive maneuvers: failed acceleration converts a near-miss into an unavoidable collision. Grades: the ~7,000-lb SUV can roll backward or stall in-lane on short-sight-line hills. Towing (rated capacity) magnifies every risk to trailer and following traffic. Shoulder stranding invites secondary collisions, a known highway-fatality cause. The defect is unpredictable — I cannot pre-empt merges, intersections, hills, or tows. Dealer/independent confirmation: none. I have not brought the vehicle in for service, to avoid compromising any NHTSA inspection or testing. Mfr/police/insurance inspection: none; no crash has occurred to this date. Prior warnings: none. No lamps, messages, or symptoms preceded these failures, which first occurred 7/5/2026. Ford has documented awareness of the 10r80 cdf clutch cylinder design defect and has not issued a recall (TSB 23-2250).

Driving on highway, tried to accelerate, the car was acting like it was in neutral and would not accelerate. Checked to ensure I was not. The car began decelerating and I started to pull over. As I entered the brake down lane - the car automatically switched to park jarring the car to a stop. The dashboard provided the following fault "shift system fault service required" tried shifting to drive, neutral, reverse and each time it would shift back to park and give me the warning. Had to have the car towed. The dealership is very vague on the root cause of the issue saying I need a new transmission. I specifically asked if the root cause was the cdf drum issue but they will tell me why the failure happened. Still waiting for my car to be repaired.

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The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 45 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started coasting, and thirty seconds later the vehicle operated as intended. The contact then heard a loud sound coming from the front of the vehicle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken the dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 118,000.

While driving on the interstate and merging to the next lane, my transmission shifted from 9th gear to 1st gear multiple times. My safety and others safety was put at risk due to the car suddenly slowing with no brake lights to indicate I would be slowing. During the incident, I lost approximately 5-10 miles per hour forward speed. The problem has not been looked at or replicated by a dealer at this time. This happened today, 7/2/2026. There have been no warning lamps or other symptoms to indicate a 9th gear to 1st gear change at highway speeds.

Vehicle has intermittent shift issues. Transmission will shift to neutral while in motion. Issue is not terrain specific. Poses extreme safety issue has been looked at and not found by mechanic. Ongoing issue since I took ownership in Nov. 2024.

My 2020 Ford Expedition has a transmission problem. The vehicle has harsh shifting, slipping, hesitation, jerking/lunging, and abnormal shifting while driving. The problem happens during gear changes and creates a safety concern because the vehicle may hesitate, slip, or shift unexpectedly in traffic. I took the vehicle to the dealer for inspection. The technician diagnosed the issue and recommended replacing the transmission. I believe this may be related to a known Ford 10r80 10-speed automatic transmission defect. I am requesting that NHTSA review this complaint and investigate this safety issue.

On July 1st 2026the car violently slammed into park while in traffic. Took the car to the Ford dealership the dealership advised me that the " parking pawl" was damaged and was part of Fords recall. There is currently no fix for this recall and nothing they could do. Called Fords customer service they advised no fix and could continue to drive car. The car has since slammed into park while driving in traffic on July 10 and July 11th.

I bought this 2014 Ford Expedition. I didn't know at the time the triton 5. 4 had a transmission lead frame defect. I asked them to cover it under NHTSA 26v237 but they refused because they dsaid it wasn't part of the recall although this vehicle shares the same exact components. I also asked them to cover it under safety recall 26s28. I ended up having to pay $1842. 00 to get this fixed.

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I am submitting this complaint regarding potential safety issues with my 2018 Ford Expedition max platinum. I purchased the vehicle from sandy sansing Chevrolet in pensacola, florida, and discovered several problems shortly after purchase that I believe may affect the vehicle's safe operation. Within days of purchasing the vehicle, it began displaying an intermittent * oil pressure warning** while driving. Because a low oil pressure condition can lead to engine damage, loss of power, or engine failure, I believe this presents a potential safety concern. The dealership's inspection report completed before the sale states: **"has multiple minor oil leaks, wet but not dripping yet. "** I had the vehicle independently inspected by firestone, which determined the oil leak was coming from the timing cover/timing case area and estimated approximately $3,000 in repairs. I am concerned that the documented oil leak and intermittent low oil pressure warning could increase the risk of engine failure while the vehicle is in operation. I have also experienced what I believe is a brake safety concern. Although the dealership's inspection report indicates the brakes and rotors had been serviced, the brake pedal feels unusually soft or spongy and requires more pedal travel and pressure than expected before the brakes engage. While the vehicle currently stops, I am concerned this condition could reduce braking performance or increase stopping distance. Additional issues include intermittent operation of the power running boards, a non-functioning rear window washer, and a detached rear window defroster electrical connection. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can determine whether these issues are isolated to my vehicle or may indicate a broader safety-related defect affecting other 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles. I can provide the dealership inspection report, firestone inspection and repair estimate, photographs, and other supporting documentation upon request.

The contact owns a 2019 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of nthsa campaign number: 26v402000 (power train); however, the part to do the recall repair was 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 repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated that after shifting to park(p), the vehicle rolled unexpectedly. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 79,800.

When merging onto the unnerstate I accerlerated about 50-60% throttle and when I did it clunked hard and dropped from 8th gear to neutral and left me coasting down the innerstate for 30 seconds with my child in the car before the transmission would re engage. I feel that this is a very unsafe issue that should be fixed by Ford since it could put me and my family and others in a loss of control situation that could cause harm.

While driving down the highway at 70 miles an hour, the transmission popped out of gear the engine revved, and when the transmission went back into gear, it engaged into second gear and locked up the rear tires on the highway. I believe this is due to the cdf drum bushing, causing line pressure problems. But this has almost caused me in my family to get into an accident.

At highway speed of 70 mph vehicle briefly went into park and shut entire vehicle down, vert traumatized and injured my head from the brief shutdown, could have caused a fatal accident.

I was driving at highway speeds and parking suddenly engaged forcing vehicle to lose all power. While I was able to get the vehicle off the road it could have ended much worse. Ford recognizes this as a recall but because it it is not officially active they will not fix it unless I pay for it. Manufacturer recall number26s48 NHTSA recall number26v402.

2020 Ford Expedition max. Ford issued safety recall 26s48 / NHTSA 26v402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a commanded shift at approximately 65mph while passing another vehicle on an expressway causing sudden unexpected deceleration with family members present — a near-miss consistent with the park pawl defect Ford now confirms. An authorized Ford dealer visit in June 2026 for computer reprogramming included verbal acknowledgment of transmission concerns but no documentation on the repair order. Eight days later Ford issued recall 26s48. Separately this vehicle has generated over 1,400 restraints indicator lamp warnings logged in Ford’s own connected vehicle app since at least April 2023. Restraints warnings began within 30 days of purchase at under 400 miles. Ford issued recall 26s34 / NHTSA 26v344 for front seatbelt retractor inspection on this vehicle. On multiple dealer visits spanning 2021 to 2026 service advisers verbally acknowledged the restraints warning but documented no concern and performed no diagnostic action on repair orders. Ford’s telematics platform received all warnings in real time with no proactive owner notification. Remedy not available for either recall.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 mph, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted to first gear, causing the vehicle to shake and jerk abnormally. The speedometer was fluctuating, and the transmission warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the parents' residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in customer satisfaction program: 19n01 (transmission molded leadframe extended coverage). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 146,500.

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