2021 Ford Expedition Electrical System Problems

I took my vehicle to the dealership to have all recall work done on Feb. 11th 2026. I was told i am up to date on all my recall work at that time. When I received my vehicle back It would intermittently just shut down for no apparent reason while sitting at stop lights, or just stopped in that fashion. I called and the dealership they said unless they could recreate the issue somewhat easily there was noting they could really do. So while parked in driveway the vehicle again had no power, I used my emergency key to get into vehicle and opened the hood to which I found the battery terminal connections were never tighten. I could take them off by hand. This told me the mechanic at the dealership didn't complete job and tighten my battery connections, Fast forward to April 18th, it was raining, I parked vehicle, still running, went into post office ( I was only gone for 30 seconds)and I came out to white smoke billowing out from under the hood. I opened hood the large flames shooting up. I quickly grabbed a fire extinguisher I had in the car and put 90% of the fire out, it was still burning at the fuse junction box, moments later a police officer showed up with fire extinguisher and was able to put it out. The car would not stop running, so once the fire dept. arrived they had to cut the battery terminals to shut the vehicle down. This was also the first time I drove vehicle in the rain since my recall work was done. The fire dept. and I realized the fuse box cover was not in place. So now this same mechanic that did't tighten battery terminals was also neglectful in not replacing the fuse box cover. I believe this neglect partially if not wholly caused this fire. It is highly probable that water got into the fuse box and shortened everything out which caused the fire. I have a document from the dealership that states they did the recall work for 22S36 - Underhood fires. But this website says this work was not performed. No inspection from anyone has been done

In the fordpass app, we get a notification that the vehicle has turned off certain function due to inactivity in order to reserve power. However, we will have just driven the vehicle. This message should only populate when the vehicle is inactive for 14 days. It can also populate when the battery drops below 9V or due to extremely hot or cold conditions. It is 70 degrees F outside, so this reduces the reason to only one problem, and that is the battery less than 9V. We just spent over $700 at the dealership on a new battery and service charges because they said it was a battery problem. We spent over $100 the first attempt to find the problem with a sync update. Now, with a new battery and updated sync, out vehicle is still draining the battery. Low and behold, when the message populate in the app, the vehicle will not start, leaving us stranded on multiple occasions in town. The dealership at Long Lewis Ford in Muscle Shoals cannot find the problem.

This recall was issued in January 2025, we are rolling in to month 4 here, this vehicle is used for business and cant drive it while it has an open recall per insurance, we have lost out on almost 4 months of income on this vehicle along with loan payment of 4 months, I feel like Ford has not taken this serious and is taking their time considering its a little older model SUV. Not sure if there is some type of compensation for this from Ford on the delay of this fix. Also, we have had no issues with our rear camera on this vehicle; everything works fine.

The “handless” rear hatch opening activates when not intended. This has caused a concussion to a driver while loading a vehicle. While this is not a “driving” system, it causes injuries to occupants immediately prior to driving. It is entirely possible that a driver could suffer a head injury without knowledge, then begin driving. This causes a dangerous driving environment. In particular the system is supposed to operate when the key is in a persons pocket and the foot is waived in the air by the hitch receiver area. The issues exists because it activates even if an object moves under the vehicle when key is in the correct proximity. This can even pin a driver down with the door over thier back while loading. Again this causes injuries and issues that may not be discovered until driving. In this particular incident the driver was loading the cargo area, when the door activated to close unknown to driver. At the same time the driver was leaning back and standing back up hitting his head on the door while it was closing on him. Approximately 10 to 15 minutes later after finishing loading, the driver drove away (sole occupant). After another 10 to 15 minutes later driver was feeling dizzy and un able to focus. The driver stopped the vehicle and sought medical attention. The driver was diagnosed with a minor concussion. While this had a good result, it could have easily escalated or caused a serious accident. It is recommended that a safety advisory about the potential risks of automatic door opening/closing is released. In addition it is recommended that the manufacturer enable the ability to disable the automatic function in the vehicle system in a manner where it only comes back on after a user turns it on.

My car continues to have electrical problems since 14 months after my purchase. I have reported it to Ford service multiple times as well as Corporate. Each time the same problem happens, I report it here as well. This is the 5th time that this has happened. Each time it has happened, I am at a red light and while waiting, my car just shuts off completely. In the beginning I could press my start button after 1-2 minutes and my car would restart. However, the 4th time it took 9 minutes before my car would start up. It happened again this past week. It took no longer than a minute for my car to start up again. I went to my local dealership and after they took a look, they just think the button with the "A and an arrow circling it" just triggered something and thats why it shut off. They told me there was nothing that they could do. My battery looked fine. This has happened so many times to my vehicle and its the same response, "my car is fine," it just triggered because it's "cold outside." Just tired of the Ford Corporation not fixing this problem in the Expedition. I have read stories on here with the same issue. Be aware if you drive this vehicle because one day someone will seriously get hurt.

I was on my way to my daughter's school. We got off the on ramp to her school and while waiting at the red stop light, my car stalled. The wheels locked. My brake pedal and gas pedal were not working when the stop light turned green. The car dashboard was showing the power to be on but nothing was working. After a minute, the battery light and the a light with the arrow that kind of circles around it started blinking. I put my hazards and waved people behind me to go around me. After a few minutes, my car started to go backwards on the on-ramp. I looked back and could feel and see my car going backwards toward the cars behind me. The traffic behind me on the on-ramp started to honk at me. They could see what was happening too. I put the car from drive to park and put my emergency brake and the car stopped. I called 911 and explained what was happening. After a few more minutes, two men in two different vehicles came and offered to help push my car. One of them asked me to put my car in neutral but my car was not allowing me to turn to the different shifts. All of a sudden my car starts blinking again. One of the guys told me to try to press the power again. All of a sudden my car starts powering up again. I thanked the two men and finished dropping off my daughter to school. From the time my car stalled and turned back on was about 8-9 minutes. This car has shown problems over and over with Ford. I have had 3 new car batteries since owning this vehicle in the 3 years I've had it. I've reported all the different car issues on the NHTSA website. I just had my oil changed a few months ago. My car just had a few things fixed in June. I have never been so shaken up like this before. My legs and hands could not stop shaking. I couldn’t stop crying. I’ve never been so scared in my life in this vehicle. This was the first time my kid was with me when my car has stalled like this. For my car to lose complete function was the scariest moment in my life with my kid.

The Engine is shutting off completely. I am getting the message "Shift to P. the Restart Engine" This happened as the light changed to green. Heavy morning work traffic was behind me and I had never seen this before and called Ford Service manager and he had no answer. This is very dangerous especially during traffic.

The 360 degree backup camera displays a black screen when activated in both reverse and forward parking mode. This causes myself & any other driver to not have clear vision around the vehicle while in reverse posing a severe safety hazard. This problem has been reported & confirmed diagnostically from my local dealership as well as reported to Ford Motors itself resulting in a case being opened regarding the safety issue. I have been told by Ford on multiple occasions that they will expedite my case & call me back with information, however it has been over 6 weeks and I have had to call them e Rey time to follow up. This back up camera safety issue has already been recalled on other makes & models of Ford vehicles including the year model before my vehicle. My dealership told me that although this exact same issue is recalled on other vehicles, I would need to pay the estimated $1500 to repair my issue. This has caused me and my family a significant amount of stress because we have young children, drive carpool for elementary school and need to be able to see our surroundings dings when backing up and parking. Several times I have come close to hitting something when parking because I can’t see from the camera. The NTHSB has also issued safety recalls for Ford backup cameras having this exact same issue and this is a huge safety issue for my model Ford as well. Ford knows there’s a safety issue and is not taking this seriously. We intentionally paid extra for this camera to ensure adequate vision while reversing and parking, this is unacceptable on Ford’s part to not escalate this issue and repair the defective camera at no cost. I desperately need help in getting Ford to fix this before a serious avoidable injury or accident occurs. I do not have another car I can drive and am stressed every time I drive now.

Dear National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, I wish to report critical safety issues with my 2021 Ford Expedition Max. The primary concern involves the vehicle’s electrical system, which has repeatedly malfunctioned, causing complete vehicle shutdown while in motion. 1.Failed Component/System: The electrical system has failed, characterized by flickering lights followed by total loss of power. The exact failing component within the system remains unidentified as diagnostics have not yielded error codes. 2.Safety Risks: These malfunctions have endangered my family’s safety by causing unexpected vehicle shutdowns, potentially leading to accidents, especially concerning because it happened once while exiting our driveway. 3.Dealership and Independent Service Confirmation: The issue has been examined by Kendall Ford in Prineville and an independent service center, neither of which has been able to replicate or diagnose the problem successfully. 4.Inspections and Confirmations: The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by certified Ford technicians without conclusive results. No external inspections by police, insurance, or other entities have occurred. 5.Warning Signs and Symptoms: Prior to these failures, there were no warning lamps or messages. The symptoms, including flickering vehicle lights, appeared suddenly and without prior indication. This vehicle’s reliability is compromised due to these unresolved electrical issues, and I am concerned it represents a broader safety risk for similar models. I urge the NHTSA to investigate these problems to prevent potential harm to other consumers. See attached videos in link - [XXX] Ford Motor Case # [XXX] Thank you for your attention to this serious matter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Vehicle caught fire on February 29, 2024, with family members inside the vehicle. The fire appeared to start under the hood on the right passenger side, which would directly correlate with the current open recall. The family had just made a trip back from a basketball game and was dropping off a passenger when smoke was noticed. Upon further inspection, there was an active fire under the hood, which soon erupted into a burst of flames, causing the vehicle to be declared a total loss. Emergency responders had to be called to the scene to alleviate the fire. The fire report depicts a vehicle malfunction as the cause of the ignition. Ford has made no efforts to contact the consumer regarding the fire and subsequent damage.

Back up camera stays lit after putting the car in Drive. After 30 seconds or so it goes off and the screen goes black. You cannot push any buttons on the screen, related to the radio or climate controls. Ford doesn't know how to fix it because its not a "Major Issue" What a joke.

Expedition would not shut off! Electrical system burning and burned up fuse box battery and sensors could not kill power to vehicle. We had to pull full pump relay to shut off engine and then disconnect battery to shut down electrical system. This caused not only much damage to fuse box wiriring and battery. Ford dealer says 2500-3000 in damage to vehicle. This could have caused battery to explode or electrical fire glad this wasn’t parked in my garage and we where able to keep car from catching fire Expedition did have the previous recall done for electrical and still have issues with wiring

There is an issue with the auto start/stop where the engine is turned off completely when the vehicle is stopped for any reason. For example, when the car is stopped in a traffic jam it shut off completely which means I have to shift the gear to Park and turn the engine on again . I was advised by Ford dealership that there is not a fix for that. The vehicle is still under warranty and I keep calling the ford customer care center and they keep telling me that the manager on my case will contact and she/he never did.

Issues started after the under the hood fire recall. When driving the vehicle the car will shut down and throw all lights on the dash. This vehicle has been in the shop for repairs, but not fixed. This is a safety issue due to the fact the the vehicle will shut down while driving leaving you stranded when it happens.

Underhood Engine Fire RECALL...Reuters and other news reports of update but NOTHING from Ford or Ford Pass. Have parked our Expedition outside of our garage since 6-1-22 with no updates from Ford. Is this acceptable from NHTSA?

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, he became aware that the automatic power running board was suddenly raising and lowering independently. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was confirmed that the power running board needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was no longer under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

I received notice through carfax of a recall due to fire hazard. Numerous attempts at getting more information through ford has resulted in little more than referral to a local dealer. The dealer has no loaners available at this time. I Am forced to park in my driveway surrounded by trees as there is no place near me to park that avoids other structures In a chat with ford today I was told a potential temporary solution was to disconnect the battery. When I called the local dealer again and requested a quick disconnect be installed they said they don’t /won’t do that. So I am back to square one. A new expensive suv which may burn down my house and no clear solution. If I were to install a quick disconnect on my own I was told it had to be done with a ford service (why if I am paying out of pocket for it). This is potentially dangerous situation and left hanging on my own Feel like how pinto owners must have felt

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start on several occasions. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the battery junction box was replaced and other unknown repairs were performed; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 500. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the soy-based electrical wires had been damaged by rodents. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they would cover the cost of the repair. The vehicle was repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 3,100.