2020 Ford Expedition Complaint Log

Transmission hesitated when entering traffic almost causing accident. This is not the first time this has happened. After the first incident I addressed the issue with the service manager. He said it’s common that this model transmission shifts rough, and has some hick ups but, nothing to worry about. It also randomly shifts into neutral randomly.

The transmission is consistently hesitating to switch gears, very jerky gear shift, and will sometimes completely fall out of gear. You could so easily lose control if this happened on the highway. Thank goodness we weren’t on a busy street. This isn’t the first reporting according to a simple search online and there should be a recall for safety reasons. This could be life or death for someone driving on the highway.

I’ve owned my 2020 Ford Expedition for just over a year. Initially, the transmission performed flawlessly. However, over time I’ve noticed a few concerning issues: At low speeds, the transmission shifts very hard. While accelerating at interstate speeds, it feels like the transmission is slipping. When I shift the vehicle into gear, it makes a loud clicking or knocking sound.

Recall issue with Catalytic converters causing check engine light to come on. I took in for recall to reset check engine light. Repair did not do anything to vehicle as check engine light comes on for a few days and goes away for a few days and the cycle repeats up until this day it continues to happen. When they did the reset Ford let me know that they reset the check engine issue for recall but I would have to pay about $5k for getting new converters if I wanted to because light would still be one since it was diagnosed that converters were bad.

At highway speed 70mph, I accelerated and the vehicle downshifted to 1st, followed by loss of gear with a loud clunk. Then alarming for transmission. After coasting to about 30mph the teansmission clunked again and powere cane back. Happened while passing a semi truck. This was reproduced multiple times, on demand and I have video documentation. Dealer eventually rehauled the transmission. But now its starting to miss gears / have hard shifts. This transmission is a Huge safety risk.

This suv has 10 speed transmission that has faulty harsh shifting hesitation, acceleration problem when shifting on highway or in situations when you need to slow down and or accelerate. This has happened many times while trying to get on the highway and switching lanes. I have almost been run over because it stalled someone is going to get killed. I have had the Powertrain control module pcm reprogramed twice and it keeps happening. Ford is aware of this. They need to get this trucks off of the road!

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which manages engine-transmission communication and regulates cooling system performance, malfunctioned, resulting in a cascade of related failures: Transmission system: Delayed shifting, hesitation, and eventually a “transmission stuck in park” code. Cooling system: Repeated overheating that led to a ruptured radiator. These issues stem from the faulty PCM referenced in Ford Recall 24E13, issued on April 25, 2025. Yes, the failed components remain in the possession of Harbin Motor Company in Scottsboro, AL, where the vehicle is still located. The vehicle has not been repaired and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This vehicle was operated while exhibiting documented powertrain and overheating symptoms—including while transporting children. Harbin Ford repeatedly instructed continued use despite: Diagnostic scans on April 10, 2025 confirming PCM-related failures including “transmission stuck in park” and overheating. A coolant leak that occurred without warning lamps, leading to the radiator bursting. These failures put occupants at serious risk of breakdown or fire, especially in high-traffic or high-temperature driving conditions. Operating a vehicle with a malfunctioning PCM increases the likelihood of gear slippage, sudden deceleration, or complete transmission failure. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. The issue has been repeatedly confirmed by Harbin Motor Company, an authorized Ford dealer: On April 10, 2025, a scan identified “transmission stuck in park,” overheating, and a third unidentified code. On May 15, 2025, the service manager Craig Davis confirmed the transmission had an internal issue requiring a full rebuild and located a coolant leak. These confirmations were documented via servi

See attached document for complaint.

My transmission started jumping gears and slipping at 65k miles. I had it checked out then and the mechanic said that these transmissions shifted rough, but they were not really sure why and that they reprogrammed the computer and that should fix it. It went on intermittently for the next 6 months to a year and I took it in again and was told they couldn't get the transmission to shift rough or skip so I would have to come back once it got worse. The longer I drove it, the worse it got until I would regularly lose all power to the wheels even at high speeds as the transmission failed to find a gear to engage. I finally took it back to the dealer again and this time they found that the front differential had failed and was full of metal shavings, the transmission was shifting really hard and missing gears and the driveshaft seal had failed and begun leaking as well. The vehicle had approximately 90k miles on it, and Ford didn't even recommend a transmission service/fluid change until 100k. I drive almost exclusively highway, rarely use 4WD, and had only towed twice with less than half it's capacity. I pressed the Dealer and Ford on how it's possible that a transmission fails before it's first recommended service. They said it shouldn't have and offered to replace my transmission with a remanufactured one for the low price of over $9,000. I had the transmission rebuilt at a local shop who said they are regularly rebuilding these expedition transmissions and that they fail frequently. The vehicle losing all power to the wheels, with no warning lights and searching for gears with no warning is incredibly dangerous. After doing this several times, it did eventually throw the first loss of power blinking lights across the dashboard, and day transmission fault.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon entering the rear passenger’s side of the vehicle, the folding seat gap hider panel was missing, leaving a deep hole on the floor, approximately 19 inches deep. The contact believed that was a serious safety concern for a small child. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 87,000.

My check engine lights comes on and off reading that it is a failure with the catalytic converter. Check engine light had been on for 2 weeks I had already called Ford to set up appt. The evening before taking truck in check engine light went off. I called Ford 5/13/25 that light had gone off do I still take truck in. Since I received letter for recall, I took truck in for service . They say they only need to reprogram the PCM but now they are saying that the Catalytic Converter is bad and needs to be replaced costing $5000. What is Ford thinking this truck has been nothing but problems. I told tech that truck has been running accelerated for a few weeks when driving. Problem with check engine light could not be reproduced since it turned off the day before I had appt set. Rep told me that they just needed to see if they could read that it was the recall issue and they would just reprogram it.

On several occasions the engine has slipped/stalled. Vehicle has only 27k miles on it, single owner. When moving from a stoplight the engine "slipped", all lights came on "service alert" or something similar. Vehicle recovered but I am very uneasy as I am a [XXX] female usually [XXX] and often on a very busy section of [XXX]. (This has occurred multiple times) When increasing speed, as to pass a vehicle or otherwise, vehicle is unresponsive or lags. To be clear this happens at speeds of 40-50 mph. It is unpredictable when this will occur nor why. I will likely sell this vehicle due to this safety issue. I spoke with a service rep at the local ford dealership who was able to look into the vehicle computer remotely but there was no record of the "Alert" or otherwise. I took the vehicle to my local mechanic who drove it and was able to replicate the danger/slipping. I was advised to do "zip code" driving only. I believe this "engine slipping" is related to the Recall just issued except the 2020 Ford Expedition is not included in this recall. Others have noted this issue as well with NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

At 45000 miles the transmission started slipping gears, we took into our local ford dealership for a warranty repair. They had it for a month and a half stated the computer just needed reprograming. Well now we sit at 72000 miles and the vehicle needs a WHOLE new transmission. They are stating that due to axial movement of the CDF clutch cylinder bushing it has caused failure of the transmission. My vehicle has came to a complete stop no warning multiple times in the middle of the roadway, I have been stopped at a red light and when I hit the gas, the car rolled backwards. There were ZERO warning lights, only a hard shift every now and than. The car is currently at the dealership and ford is refusing to help even with multiple other vehicles with this same issue. They have sent me a 10k bill. From my understanding this same transmission has already been recalled in other ford vehicles.

Transmission has exhibited harsh/delayed engagement and/or harsh/delayed shift during lane changes, almost causing me to crash on two occasions.

The vehicle's transmission shutters upon rapid acceleration, especially at high speeds. It feels like it goes into neutral while trying to shift and jerks into the next gear. The RPMs shoot up and back down when this happens. You can also feel the car lose power (decelerate) when this happens.

We have replaced our transmission twice and sending the truck in for a third replacement. The transmission does not run smooth and when it shifts from 3rd to 4th gear it drops into gear very roughly. The last time it did this the TCM also faulted which stuck the truck in 7th gear while driving on a highway. Ford will only replace with the same part in a manufactured condition.

A 2020 vehicle with 80K miles is in need of a new transmission, after having hard shifting problems a few months previous. Rarely used for any towing. Appears to have a defective transmission.

Safety recall issued but no parts and no date set. Go on record as stating the safety recall was issued, dealer contacted but no repair available and no estimated date.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that when the A/C was activated, there was condensation pooling on the passenger’s side fuse box, causing the transmission to not be able to shift out of park(P). The contact stated that he was able to start the vehicle. The contact stated that numerous warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the contact was unable to turn off the headlights. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that condensation had damaged the fuse box and caused the body control module to fail. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to Technical Service Bulletin: 20-2170 Water Leaking on Right Front Floor After A/C Use (Electrical System). The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of Manufacturer Recall Number: 25S31; NHTSA Campaign Number: (AWAITING); regarding seat belts; however, the parts to do the recall repair were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The Shift Cable is not seating correctly causing the vehicle to slip out of gear. This mostly occurs if you are at cruising speed and then accelerate to pass a slow vehicle. The Transmission slips out of gear and then you have to decelerate to allow it to find gear. It also makes a hard clunking noise when shifting out of park into drive. This is the same exact issue that was recalled for the police versions. However, my vehicle has the exact same issue and concern, verified by the Ford Technician. Mine is not covered under the recall as it only covers Police versions. So I was asked to pay $9,859 for a new transmission. I am 6,000 miles outside of warranty and have no vehicle to drive now as my 4 year old vehicle is basically totaled over a transmission. Ford Corporate declined any financial assistance even though it is a known product issue.

The rear back up camera has recently been glitching and most times has a solid blue screen when car is in reverse. It was in for diagnostics, report came back stating: Verified customer concern; screen turns blue when vehicle is placed in reverse. Retrieved CMDTC B115E 08 stored current in IPMB. Verified gear selected matches commanded data in IPMB. Removed and tested circuit with known good camera, and rear view image works each time vehicle is placed in reverse, confirming circuit is good.

Sunroof explosion while driving on the highway. Loud bang rattled the driver and passenger. Driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle, but it could have been catastrophic for our vehicle and the vehicles around us if control was not maintained. Our Ford dealer said he has heard of sunroof explosions before. Dealership has the vehicle and is awaiting authorization to repair. Allstate Insurance is also involved. There was no warning anything was wrong. This vehicle was bought brand new (1 owner) and is now 5 years old, has run great and has been properly maintained at our local Ford dealership.

My 2020 Ford Expedition was repaired by Ford (under the power train warranty) in early 2024 for down shifting and loss of power when attempting to accelerate. That repair took multiple weeks. Last week (March 2025), while driving on the highway at 75mph, the vehicle lost all acceleration and the power train warning light came on. We pulled over since we could not accelerate. The vehicle was brought to the same Ford dealership where they diagnosed another transmission issue. The vehicle remains at the dealership until Ford determines an exact diagnosis and how they will proceed. The vehicle has now had two major transmission issues, the second of which occurred at highway speeds. The vehicle was purchased new in June 2020 and currently has 56k miles.

use this car for business as part of my income. Ford has issued an Advance Recall Notice. In March 2025. I have not been able earn money because of the recall notice. Manufacturer recall number: 25S31 NHTSA Recall number: pending From legal advice, the Advance Recall Notice is for the dealers and is not an Official Recall Notice. Since the notice, I have been unable to rent out my vehicle. I have another Advance Recall Notice on my other vehicle a 2018 Explorer. I need to make a living. What actions can be taken.? I've called numerous times first to times, no answer phone just rang after initial message. The following times, a human answered after message but i was disconnected or inadvertently put on hold. Then steered to this page. Looking for some assistance. I have 2 vehicles down due to Advanced Recall Notices. I can't afford to have 2 cars down. What is going on here.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts for the recall repair were on back order. The dealer was unable to confirm when the vehicle would be repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

When accelerating quickly, such as to pass, the truck feels as if it is in neutral. when the gas pedal is pushed down, the RPMs jump up, but the truck doesn't accelerate. After letting off the gas, the RPMs will drop, there is a loud "clunk" in the rear end and then power will be restored. No codes are being stored to diagnose issue. Happens intermittently and all speeds.

Transmission, it is available for inspections. Loss of acceleration power while at interstate speed, the otr driver behind us could barely stop quick enough. Two more occurrences happened same trip while driving from New Orleans to Lake Charles. Driving 75 in left lane, took foot off accelerator to coast and navigate into right lane and while transmission was supposed to be downshift, I lost power again and watched my RPM’s rise suddenly. Ford dealership ran diagnostics, and told me the valve body needs replaced at roughly 2k, I am 15000 out of warranty and they acted like they knew but wouldn’t help me. An independent transmission dealer in Lake Charles told me to trade the vehicle in or put a 2025 ford transmission in at 7k, the problem is, I don’t have that kind of money, and this should absolutely not be happening at 85k miles. He insisted the transmission was damaged and dangerous to be driving, and this is prevalent with the type of transmission in fords and chevy’s from 2019-2024. No warning lights or alarms came on at the time of these incidents that I recall, honestly I was too busy making sure I didn’t kill my wife and 4 kids. Apparently, this is a well known issue with these transmission, but now I’m faced with having to either trade in a vehicle that I am most likely upside down on, to no fault of my own, having to purchase a new vehicle that fits my family, or purchasing a 2025 ford transmission at the recommendation of local transmission dealer, there is no history on ford 2025 transmissions so idk if this the way to go. While I will get this figured out, I am taking the time to express my personal concern and experience in this matter and hope there are no future casualties related to this issue, which I’m afraid Ford will only address if there is, sadly.

I was driving my vehicle at 48 mph and went to accelerate; the car slips out of gear and drops into neutral, started smelling smoke. This is the 5th occurrence. Previous occurrence happened while traveling in dark, rainy weather on the interstate. I am lucky that no accident occurred. I had car serviced for this same issue in 8/2024, but they did not fix the transmission issue. The vehicle is currently at the dealership service department. The dealer has been unable to reproduce the issue as it has happened a handful of times and does not give the service department a diagnostic code upon diagnosing. The dealer service department inspected the vehicle and is saying that I need a whole new transmission, although the first time I took it in for the same issue they fixed the throttle body, which is completely unrelated to the transmission. At the time of all of the incidents, the car flashes a "system fault/failure". It happens so quickly I cannot remember exactly what it says. When service department tries to diagnose there are no diagnostic codes. No warning symbols appear on dash after car is shut-off and restarted. This seems to be a known issue with Ford 10-speed transmissions (10R80). Why have they not had to recall these? I am lucky that I have not injured in these incidents. Are they waiting for someone to get critically hurt??

The infant base was installed according to manufacturer guidelines in the rear seat of the car. Upon our testing of the stability of the infant seat when placed into the base, we realized that the seat can be pulled up from the rear connection point of the base, causing that connection to separate. Thinking perhaps this was caused by our error in connecting the infant seat to the base, we revisited the manufacturer guidelines to properly connect the infant seat to the base. Again and again we connected the seat to the base, pulled up on the handle of the seat, and were absolutely horrified and shocked to realize that the infant seat released from the rear connection of the base every time. The front connection of the seat to the base did not release, so the entire seat did not fully detach from the base, but it did partially detach with just an upward force on the carrying handle. I am happy to share videos, but I could not get them to attach to this report.

First my vehicle kept saying service shift system fault, then when the dealership did something to repair that, the next week they told me I need a new transmission. This put my family of seven at risk because the transmission started stalling while we were going on a trip and also had a hard time shifting to different gears and would make a clunking sound. We also started rolling backwards down a hill and barely made it up the hill. The car also started stalling while I was driving it on the interstate which almost made us get into a multi car accident at night. When I took my vehicle to one ford dealership they told me it was the transmission but when I took it to a different one they told me something else just for them to fix it and then a week later tell me it’s the transmission. My Expedition has been at the Ford dealership for over two weeks now because I’m trying to get goodwill assistance from the Ford corporate office. The warning sign that came on was service system fault and a wrench light.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle turned off and downshifted independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V197000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,000.

Transmission has extremely hard downshifting which has required the tea be replaced. Vehicle will downshift so hard it feels like you have been rear ended. Vehicle has to be put into neutral and then back into drive. This is very hazardous.

While driving on a highway at approximately 40mph, attempted to pass a slower vehicle. I accelerated and the vehicle dropped down in gear, started shuddering, lost power and the MIL light started flashing. I pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle shifted into another gear and seemed to operate normally. Vehicle is currently at the Ford dealership, where they say that I need a new transmission.

The transmission on my Ford Expedition is "slipping" and causing safety concern when there is a need to accelerate or decelerate, but the transmission is struggling to shift into 8th gear and then when it finally does, it causes an abrupt jerk. This has put my family in at risk several times, but we had an incident this morning and I decided it needed to be reported. The dealer was able to inspect, diagnose, and confirm that the issue was that the "CDF drum that holds the gears in the transmission." The issue was repaired under the existing powertrain warranty, however, the exact same issue is now occurring again for a second time a few months after the initial repair. This leads me to believe the parts are faulty and need to be replaced with a different/better part. I also want to share that this issue is being experienced by other people that I know who drive newer Fords. There were no warning messages or lights the initial time or this current time.

While driving on a highway at approximately 70mph, attempted to pass a slower vehicle. I accelerated and the vehicle dropped down in gear, started shuddering, lost power and the MIL light started flashing. I pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle shifted into another gear and seemed to operate normally. Vehicle is currently at the Ford dealership, where they say that I need a new transmission, due to the CDF drum failure.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 30 MPH with his wife seated in the front passenger’s seat, the seat belt snapped into the socket of the door and was no longer able to be used. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to expand or release from the buckle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000.

The rear camera started to work intermittently, when taken to the dealer it was not on the recall list, when I believe it should have been. Dealer could not identify which of (4) possible cameras where in the vehicle by the VIN, stating he had to disassemble the car to visually identify which camera it was. Why wasn't this VIN included in the recall when Ford can't even identify which camera was in the vehicle when manufactured. Looking forward to your response.

The driver's side front brake line is positioned too close to the steering column at manufacturing. This is causing the steering column to wear a hole in the metal brake line tube ultimately causing a loss of brakes.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle at start-up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective cam phaser. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated the transmission was slipping while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact stated that on one occasion, while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, the transmission started slipping and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 60 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 23-2120. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be test-driven. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

Frequently when driving my 2020 Ford Expedition max the transmission slips out of gear causing it to go into neutral and put me in a position when i am unable to accelerate my vehicle. This happens mostly on the freeway when we are driving 65 MPH and greatly endangers the safety of my family. Reading several on-line forums indicates this is a common problem and should be fixed via a recall. Also, my dashboard viewing screen often turns black for no reason when using or simply does not turn on.

The transmission in the car caused a complete loss of power. The car stopped in the middle of the street and was almost rear-ended. Our infant son was in the car at the time. We were very worried about our safety. The "see manual" warning light flashed on the screen. We had to place the car into neutral and was able to finally make it to a safe location.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle suddenly down shifted on its owns rapidly reducing vehicle speeds. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 74,000.

Transmission jerky and randomly kicks out of gear on higher speed creates dangerous situations on highway.Previously reported problem!Ford failed to repair despite multiple requests!Putting my family in danger!

The transmission slipped out upon acceleration. I was trying to move out of the way of emergency vehicles when the transmission lost all gear numbers and "Service Transmission" popped up on the screen. I depressed the accelerator and the transmission went to gear 1 and then went back to the appropriate gear number 5. This has been happening now for over 2 years off and on. I tried to have the dealer diagnosis it before 60,000 and they couldn't find anything wrong. I have talked to multiple people who have expeditions as well and they are experiencing the same issue.

I have experienced on multiple occasions when driving that the transmission doesn’t know what gear to go to when shifting. If I accelerate and have to let off the gas because traffic is slowing down and they start going again the transmission doesn’t know what to do and no matter how far you push the pedal the engine doesn’t do nothing. The transmission doesn’t kick in and you have to go to the side praying you don’t get hit before it’ll go into gear. This has happened while merging on the interstate and regular traffic and I took it to Ford and they told me it was normal. To me this does not seem normal imposes a severe safety risk.

Nothing noted on dashboard. Daily has a hard shift from park to drive. Also has a hard shift occasionally when dropping down a gear after pressing the gas to accelerate.

Vehicle is at 53k miles and the blower motor already has failed. No cool air to the entire rear portion and intermittently no airflow to the front.

The ten speed transmission that is standard on Ford vehicles of this caliber, has begun to skip gears. There appears to be a delay in switching from fifth gear to seventh gear. The exact same problem occurred on our last 2018 expedition max to the point the transmission was nearly inoperable. This ultimately led to a replacement of the transmission costing $6000. The vehicle became undrivable at that time due to potential hazard of driving and warnings from our mechanic. Our current vehicle has not yet been evaluated by Ford mechanics. The same symptomatic changes are occurring on this car as did the last. The car will go to the mechanics in short order. There is concern that there is a faulty transmission being manufactured due to the same problem occurring in the same make, and model of vehicle only two years apart.