NHTSA (USA)Critical
This page covers 20 recalls, 343 owner complaints, NHTSA crash-test ratings and EPA fuel economy for the 2020 Ford Expedition.
19 mpg combined
12.4 L/100km
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD
Fuel economy data from fueleconomy.gov (EPA / U.S. Dept. of Energy). Annual cost based on 15,000 mi/yr at 55% city driving and current fuel prices. MPG is U.S. gallons; L/100km converted.
5/5 Overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating
Transmission problems dominate complaints for the 2020 Ford Expedition, accounting for the large majority of what owners report. Across many reports, owners describe hard or erratic shifting, particularly during gear changes at higher speeds or when accelerating onto highways. A recurring pattern involves the transmission failing to downshift or engage, causing the vehicle to lose power mid-drive, sometimes dropping well below highway speeds before suddenly re-engaging. Some owners report accompanying powertrain warning messages and elevated transmission temperatures. A smaller number mention finding metal debris in transmission fluid during inspections. Engine complaints represent a much smaller share of reports, and seat belt concerns round out the top three reported systems. The transmission behavior owners describe most often, sudden loss of drive, lurching re-engagement, and persistent shifting problems even after dealer service visits, shows up consistently across the complaint set.
343
Total Complaints
4
Crash-Related
7
Fire-Related
10
With Injuries
By System
The 2020 Ford Expedition has 20 recalls, the most serious involving transmission problems that can cause unintended vehicle movement or rollaway, and a battery junction box short circuit that can start an engine fire while driving or parked.
The transmission concerns cover two separate issues. On Expedition vehicles with the police package, a shift cable lock clip may not seat fully, leaving the transmission in a different gear than the shifter shows, which can cause the vehicle to roll unexpectedly if the parking brake is not set. Across a broader range of model years, the transmission's park pawl can engage while the vehicle is still moving, damaging the park system and potentially allowing rollaway.
Several recalls cluster around occupant restraint. The front seatbelt pretensioner can spontaneously lock and freeze the belt so it will neither retract nor extend, preventing it from holding an occupant properly in a crash. Separately, a tension sensor in the front passenger seatbelt buckle can misread who is sitting there, either misclassifying a child as an adult and triggering the airbag when it should be suppressed, or simply failing to classify the occupant correctly and reducing crash protection. The front seat back recliner mechanism on some vehicles may have been assembled with reduced strength, meaning the seatback could fail to hold during a collision. A second-row headrest bracket on the driver's side may not be adequately welded to the seat frame and could give way in a crash.
The pre-collision assist system, which handles forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, is inoperative on certain vehicles due to a software
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Driver Assistance
Ratings from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Based on 2 tested variants; worst-case ratings shown.
Complaints are owner-reported and reflect individual experiences, not confirmed defects. They are distinct from recalls. Data sourced from the national vehicle safety complaint database. See trending complaints →
At a glance
What can fail
The transmission park pawl may lock while the vehicle is moving, damaging the park system.
What the fix does
Dealers will update transmission software and replace any damaged transmission parts at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The chrome plating on the center console can bubble and peel, creating sharp edges.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the center console at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The seat belt pretensioner may lock the seat belt in place, preventing it from retracting or extending normally.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors as needed at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A short circuit in the battery junction box can cause an engine fire while the vehicle is driving or parked.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and replace the battery junction box as needed, remove a ground wire, and install an auxiliary electrical box with a wire jumper on certain models.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image or fail to clear the image after backing up.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the rearview camera software at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The seat belt pretensioner in the driver or front passenger seat may lock unexpectedly, preventing the seat belt from retracting or extending.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors at no charge. Contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332 for an appointment.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A software error in the body control module prevents Pre-Collision Assist features, including forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, from working properly in certain 2020 Expedition and Navigator vehicles that received a previous repair.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram the body control module software at no cost to restore Pre-Collision Assist functionality.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The pre-collision assist system may not have been programmed correctly during a previous repair. This prevents the forward collision warning, dynamic brake support, and automatic emergency braking features from working.
What the fix does
Ford will mail you instructions to visit a dealership, where technicians will update your vehicle's software to fix the pre-collision assist system programming.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The air bag warning label on the dashboard may be missing, which means the vehicle doesn't have the required safety information label.
What the fix does
Ford will mail you the warning label at no cost. Letters were sent December 19, 2024. Call 1-866-436-7332 with questions.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The seat belt pretensioner in the driver or front passenger seat may deploy without warning and lock the seat belt, preventing it from retracting or extending.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as needed and install a missing HVAC drain tube elbow if required.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The owner's manual lacks instructions for adjusting or removing head restraints in certain seating positions, making these vehicles non-compliant with federal head restraint safety standards.
What the fix does
Ford will mail free owner's manual addendums with instructions for adjusting and removing center-position head restraints.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The windshield wiper arms can break, causing the windshield wipers to stop working.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
A poor electrical connection can cause the rearview camera to display a blank or distorted image intermittently, limiting rear visibility.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the rearview camera at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The seat belt tension sensor may misidentify a child passenger as an adult, potentially affecting proper airbag deployment.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle at no cost to correct the sensor classification.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The bracket holding the driver's second-row seat headrest may not be properly welded to the seat frame, which could cause the headrest to fail during a crash.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace it if needed, at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The Pre-Collision Assist System software is incorrect on certain vehicles. This prevents the Forward Collision Warning, Dynamic Brake Support, and Automatic Emergency Braking from functioning.
What the fix does
Ford will send you instructions to visit a dealer, who will reprogram the Pre-Collision Assist System software.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The Pre-Collision Assist feature using only a camera is not enabled due to incorrect software coding in control modules. Drivers cannot access the menu to turn on this feature.
What the fix does
Dealers will reprogram software in multiple control modules and reset the tire pressure monitor system at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front passenger seatbelt buckle's Belt Tension Sensor may malfunction, causing the vehicle to misclassify the occupant in that seat.
What the fix does
Dealers will replace the front passenger seatbelt buckle at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, causing the transmission to operate in a different gear than what the driver selected.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation at no charge.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The front or rear seat recliner mechanism may be missing a critical locking pawl, causing the seat back to be loose and weak.
What the fix does
Dealers will inspect your seat structure and replace it if needed at no cost to you.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
