There are 16 owner-reported engine complaints for the 2020 Ford Expeditionin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
The SUV was driving smoothly at 55mph speed, suddenly I hit the break and tried to reaccelerate and felt a hard transmission shift, felt like metal hitting metal, felt like it was forced to shift to drive mode from parking mode. After that I started using 93 octane rated gasoline, do not observe the problem too much. I will really scary and unsafe, the whole SUV shook hard for 2sec.
Loss of Use due to unavailability of safety recall parts I am writing to formally express my extreme dissatisfaction and concern regarding the ongoing mechanical failures of our 2020 Ford Expedition Max. To date, this vehicle has undergone two major transmission interventions, yet it remains in an unsafe, undrivable condition due to a recurring powertrain defect and a high-risk safety recall. Our experience with this vehicle has been defined by persistent failures and significant loss of use: •April 2023: The vehicle was admitted to MOGF for transmission repairs, where it remained for three months for a complete teardown and rebuild. •May 2024: The transmission failed again with identical symptoms and required a full replacement. •Current Issue: We have now received a recall notice regarding an internal transmission bearing. The check engine light is currently active, indicating a powertrain fault. We have been informed that the necessary recall parts are unavailable, leaving us with a vehicle that Ford’s own documentation identifies as a "crash risk." The vehicle is currently affected by NHTSA Recall 25E-070 (Ford 25SB3) regarding a missing internal transmission bearing, which Ford identifies as a crash risk. Furthermore, the vehicle falls under the expanded NHTSA Recall 25V-628 (Ford 22S36) fire risk, which requires it to be parked away from my home. These cumulative risks make the vehicle unusable and constitute a failure of the manufacturer's duty to provide a safe product
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 that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed catalyst converter. The contact was informed that the catalyst converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure had occurred on three separate occasions and the catalyst converter was replaced by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but did not assist. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Less than 74,000 miles and coolant hoses split. According to service department they have had an increase in hoses rupturing indicating a fault in the hoses.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound while starting the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. Upon investigation, the contact linked the failure to the cam phasers. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a complaint was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The vehicle jerks when you accelerate and begins driving.
On Monday, December 16, 2024 I brought my vehicle in for diagnostic services due to a 'metal on metal' noise causing a vibration in the gas pedal, and loss of power when vehicle reached 2000 rpms. This vehicle is hazardous to drive and leaves the vehicle behind me without any indication that my vehicle is experiencing a loss of power and is slowing down abruptly. The vehicle began hard shifting at approximately 30-40k miles, and the dealership stated they were unable to duplicate the problem and did not document my complaint during my inquiry at oil changes. Although there is a technical service bulletin to address this concern, as an individual with Master of Science in Engineering Management educated in Safety, and currently serving as a volunteer of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team, I am requesting a thorough investigation of the vehicle's performance in this current condition as well as any other previous vehicle crashes that may have occurred as a result of this issue.
Transmission is slipping & failing. Why is this happening on a vehicle that is 4 years old
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where diagnostic codes: P0011, P0012 and P0016 were retrieved. The dealer determined that the crankshaft chain was stretched and needed to be replaced in bank #1 and bank #2, along with the pretensioners and phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,800.
The transmission keeps slipping while driving. It has been happening for over 6 months. Continuous visits to FORD and they are unable to find the problem. Now, we noticed our transmission temperature is rising to 240 degrees.
The transmission jumps when putting it in park or reverse or when driving and switching gears. This is a well known issue with this vehicle. Ford has done nothing to correct it. It’s a safety issue as I went to Pass and my car stalled on the highway and did not switch gears. I do not feel to be responsible for paying for a repair that is happening everywhere.
The transmission frequently hesitates or fails to engage gears when changing speeds. Sometimes the vehicle will fail to engage when increasing speeds on the highway to pass another vehicle and go into a neutral state momentarily causing the vehicle to drastically lose speed. This can happen anytime even when going at slower speeds. FORD has assessed the problem and knows that 1,000s of people are experiencing these very dangerous situations but do not have a solution for the problem. This defect could result in a catastrophic event. FORD should recall these vehicles and compensate customers until a solution to this major flaw is found. This has been happening over the last 6 months of driving. Countless number of incidents.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced jerking and shuddering while shifting gear with the Power Train fault message displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the camshaft timing chain, phasers, and variable valve timing solenoid were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 91,034.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed front cover seals and an oil leak with metal shavings in the cylinder. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred in July 2023 and the front cover seals failed and were replaced under warranty. The contact stated that the vehicle then had a coolant leak, and the coolant hose was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
While I was driving (in drive) down a busy street, my car suddenly turned off. It was raining at the time, and I managed to coast to the side of the road and turn it back on.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026