2019 Ford EXPEDITION
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2019 Ford EXPEDITION has 569 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 7.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is transmission problems (35% of all complaints), specifically: my wife and i were making a left turn at an intersection when the vehicle stalled in the intersection while making the turn. an alert appeared on the dashboard "anti-collision alert" flashed on the dash and disappeared. then another message appeared "drive mode not available". an orange wrench indi. ⚠️ 5 fire reports filed.
569
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
7.1x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
TRANSMISSION
200 complaints- • MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI
- • 2019 EXPEDITION 10 SPEED TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP AFTER 2 HOURS OF "FREE WHEELING" BEHIND MY MOTORHOME. WHILE APPROACHING (NO TURNING YET) TO PARKING AREA ABOUT 3 TO 5 MPH SUDDENTLY CAR JUST LOCKED REAR WHEELS UP. WHEN CAR WAS STARTED UP THERE WERE GRINDING SOUND COMING OUT OF TRANSMISSION. SINCE UNAB
- • FOLLOWED SEMI INTO DEALER SERVICE PARKING LOT. SEMI TURNED LEFT SO MOVED FORWARD TO JOIN LINE OF CARS INTO SERVICE BAY. WHILE COMING TO STOP, SEMI ON LEFT BACKED UP AND COMING RIGHT FOR ME. AT MY STOPPING, AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF TURNED OFF ENGINE AS WAS TRYING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE. BY TIME ENGINE TU
“MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ENGINE
135 complaints- • FOLLOWED SEMI INTO DEALER SERVICE PARKING LOT. SEMI TURNED LEFT SO MOVED FORWARD TO JOIN LINE OF CARS INTO SERVICE BAY. WHILE COMING TO STOP, SEMI ON LEFT BACKED UP AND COMING RIGHT FOR ME. AT MY STOPPING, AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF TURNED OFF ENGINE AS WAS TRYING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE. BY TIME ENGINE TU
- • FORD IS AWARE OF A DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE VCT SYSTEM TO WEAR OUT WITHIN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN BRAND NEW EXPEDITIONS. WHEN THE VCT SYSTEM WEARS OUT, THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TRANSITIONS INTO "LIMP MODE" , WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO IMMEDIATELY (UNSAFELY) DECELERATE TO A SPEED OF 15MPH (OR
- • On March 22, 2021, check engine light. Took vehicle to Ford dealer. Technician said cam phaser needed to be change. At around 72000 miles. Google search to find out, that is a common problem in the 3.5 eco boost engines. Vehicle was purchased certified used from Elder Ford Tampa, FL with about 33000
“FOLLOWED SEMI INTO DEALER SERVICE PARKING LOT. SEMI TURNED LEFT SO MOVED FORWARD TO JOIN LINE OF CARS INTO SERVICE BAY. WHILE COMING TO STOP, SEMI ON LEFT BACKED UP AND COMING RIGHT FOR ME. AT MY STOPPING, AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF TURNED OFF ENGINE AS WAS TRYING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE. BY TIME ENGINE TU”
— NHTSA complaint filing
SEATS/RESTRAINTS
75 complaints- • THIS MODEL OF FORD EXPEDITION ADVERTISES THAT INFANT CAR SEATS, CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS, BOOSTER SEATS, AND HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEATS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN 4 OF THEIR SEATS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD ROW HAS AUTOMATIC SEAT FOLDING AND HEADREST FOLDING FEATURES WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE THIRD R
- • CHILD IN A CAR SEAT IN SECOND ROW CAPTAIN'S CHAIR. CHILD WAS ABLE TO HIT BUTTON THAT COLLAPSES SEAT FORWARD - ALL WHILE THE CAR WAS MOVING (ON A HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH) AND CHILD WAS IN CAR SEAT IN SEAT. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. SEE PICTURES. PEOPLE BUY LARGE VEHICLES LIKE EXPEDITIONS MAINLY BECAUSE
- • VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW FROM A DEALERSHIP MID DECEMBER, DUE TO SECOND SET OF TWINS DUE MID MARCH. ATTEMPTED TO HAVE GRACO 4EVER CHILD CAR SEATS INSTALLED BY SAFE KIDS (ORGANIZATION TO KEEP KIDS SAFE) BUT INSPECTION FAILED DUE TO 3RD ROW SEATING HEADREST ENGINEERING DESIGN MAJOR DEFECT. 3RD ROW ELEC
“THIS MODEL OF FORD EXPEDITION ADVERTISES THAT INFANT CAR SEATS, CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS, BOOSTER SEATS, AND HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEATS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN 4 OF THEIR SEATS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD ROW HAS AUTOMATIC SEAT FOLDING AND HEADREST FOLDING FEATURES WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE THIRD R”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
39 complaints- • MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI
- • TRAILER BRAKES DO NOT WORK BELOW 11 MPH. MANUAL STATES BRAKING FORCE IS REDUCED. TESTS BY OWNER AND DEALER ON 3 DIFFERENT TRAILERS AND AN EMULATOR SHOW THAT TRAILER BRAKES ARE EFFECTIVELY DISABLED BELOW 11 MPH. THIS IS A MASSIVE SAFETY ISSUE. WE NARROWLY AVOIDED AN ACCIDENT DRIVING DROWN A GRAVEL RO
- • THIS MODEL OF FORD EXPEDITION ADVERTISES THAT INFANT CAR SEATS, CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS, BOOSTER SEATS, AND HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEATS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN 4 OF THEIR SEATS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD ROW HAS AUTOMATIC SEAT FOLDING AND HEADREST FOLDING FEATURES WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE THIRD R
“MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
17 complaints- • CAUGHT FIRE AFTER USING FACTORY INSTALLED REMOTE STARTER. A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, AFTER THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, WE RECEIVED TWO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH DISPLAY, SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC AND HILL DECENT CONTROL FAULT. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DASH WARN
- • FORD IS AWARE OF A DESIGN DEFECT THAT CAUSES THE VCT SYSTEM TO WEAR OUT WITHIN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IN BRAND NEW EXPEDITIONS. WHEN THE VCT SYSTEM WEARS OUT, THE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY TRANSITIONS INTO "LIMP MODE" , WHICH CAUSES THE VEHICLE TO IMMEDIATELY (UNSAFELY) DECELERATE TO A SPEED OF 15MPH (OR
- • The main interface screen for GPS, Radio, Bluetooth (hands free phone operation), backup camera, and other vehicle settings, is malfunctioning and frequently non-responsive. This is tied to a faulty ACCESSORY PROTOCOL INTERFACE MODULE (APIM), also known as the SYNC 3 Module. Research on the issue s
“CAUGHT FIRE AFTER USING FACTORY INSTALLED REMOTE STARTER. A FEW DAYS PRIOR TO THE FIRE, THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, AFTER THE CRUISE CONTROL STOPPED WORKING, WE RECEIVED TWO WARNING LIGHTS ON THE DASH DISPLAY, SERVICE ADVANCE TRAC AND HILL DECENT CONTROL FAULT. I TOOK PHOTOS OF THE DASH WARN”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 569 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐TRANSMISSION: MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐ENGINE: FOLLOWED SEMI INTO DEALER SERVICE PARKING LOT. SEMI TURNED LEFT SO MOVED FORWARD TO JOIN LINE OF CARS INTO SERVICE BAY. WHILE COMING TO STOP, SEMI ON LEFT BACKED UP AND COMING RIGHT FOR ME. AT MY STOPPING, AUTO ENGINE SHUT OFF TURNED OFF ENGINE AS WAS TRYING TO SHIFT TO REVERSE. BY TIME ENGINE TU
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐SEATS/RESTRAINTS: THIS MODEL OF FORD EXPEDITION ADVERTISES THAT INFANT CAR SEATS, CONVERTIBLE CAR SEATS, BOOSTER SEATS, AND HIGH BACK BOOSTER SEATS COULD BE ACCOMMODATED IN 4 OF THEIR SEATS. HOWEVER, THE THIRD ROW HAS AUTOMATIC SEAT FOLDING AND HEADREST FOLDING FEATURES WHICH MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REMOVE THE THIRD R
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: MY WIFE AND I WERE MAKING A LEFT TURN AT AN INTERSECTION WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED IN THE INTERSECTION WHILE MAKING THE TURN. AN ALERT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD "ANTI-COLLISION ALERT" FLASHED ON THE DASH AND DISAPPEARED. THEN ANOTHER MESSAGE APPEARED "DRIVE MODE NOT AVAILABLE". AN ORANGE WRENCH INDI
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Ford EXPEDITION — Year Comparison
How does 2019 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 569
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 5
- Crash reports
- 5
- Injury reports
- 27
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2019 Ford EXPEDITION