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KLUNK

2018 Ford Expedition

The Verdict

36 Check Engine

The 2018 Ford Expedition has 381 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are engine (123 complaints) and transmission (122 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 36/100, it earns a "Check Engine" rating. If you're shopping for a Ford Expedition, consider the 2009 model year which has 92% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2009 has 92% fewer complaints

View the 2009 Ford Expedition dashboard →

36

Klunk Score: Check Engine

More complaints than most vehicles. Known issues exist — budget for potential repairs.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 9

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

26V368000 STRUCTURE:INTERIOR PANELS:CENTER CONSOLE

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2024 Expedition vehicles. The chrome plating on the center console may bubble and peel, resulting in sharp edges.

Risk

Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the center consoles as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed June 29, 2026. Additional letters ...

Reported Sep 6, 2026

26V402000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle...

Risk

Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety...

Reported Jul 1, 2026

26V344000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the s...

Risk

Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed June 8, 2026. Additional lett...

Reported Jun 4, 2026

25V197000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the ...

Risk

Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect the seat belt retractor date codes and replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contac...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

18V058000 VISIBILITY:POWER WINDOW DEVICES AND CONTROLS

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The second row window control modules may intermittently stop the movement of the power window. ...

Risk

If the window does not automatically reverse when an obstruction is found, it can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row window electronic control modules, and replace them as necessary based on their build date codes, free of charge. The recall began ...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

18V805000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Expedition vehicles. The second row center seat track assemblies may be missing one or both of the J-Channel reinfor...

Risk

In the event of a crash, a seat that moves may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row center seat for any missing J-channel reinforcement brackets, replacing the center seat frame assembly as necessary, free of charge...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

24V099000 SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently deploy an...

Risk

Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the seat belt retractors, as necessary. Additionally, dealers will install an HVAC drain tube elbow if it is missing. Repairs will be performed free of charge. O...

Reported Sep 2, 2024

23V420000 EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with third-row seating; and 2019-2023 F-Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 SuperCa...

Risk

Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July...

Reported Sep 6, 2023

17V775000 SEATS:MID/REAR ASSEMBLY

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Expedition vehicles. The second row outboard seats may have excessive forward adjustment capability and/or may have an improperly installed bolt...

Risk

If the seat back is not adequately secured, and/or the seat occupant is improperly positioned, there can be an increased risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the second row outboard seats for proper seat adjustment travel, replacing the seat frame assembly if necessary. Dealers will also inspect the bol...

Reported Jan 12, 2017

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Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
20004803024416339
20012542313315941
2002135236214325
20031778413520551
20049440707023
200562135115831
200668132418014
20078428206320
20087431121712
2009133543
201027212710
201129171618
201228581561
2013273101141
2014161171028
2015417454922
20166147334828
20179572886141
2018831043123122
2019152741139179
20209953157233
2021544146898
2022547202312
20233151199
20244981363
2025225344

By Category

Engine
123
Transmission
122
Body
83
Electrical
43
Brakes
10

By Severity

1
176
2
187
3
8
4
10

Worst Problems

Complaints

Brakes 2

MacPherson Strut assemblies leaking large amounts of hydraulic fluid which spills into/on the brakes. Decreased fluid in the MacPherson Strut results in excessive rebound, decreased braking, at times no braking when fluid has spewed onto brakes, followed by a sudden grab of the brakes that feels as though the anti-lock system might engage. This defect poses a serious risk of accident, injury, or even fatality of loss of control occurs at the wrong time. Ford has been made aware of the problem, and is side-stepping the repair under the guise of calling the component a "shock absorber" (it's quite clearly mounted inside a spring with a STRUT MOUNT at the top). Their parts catalog calls it a STRUT ASSEMBLY section, but they skirt around claim denial on the grounds that it's a "shock absorber" (simply because they don't offer the complete STRUT assembly). Ford needs to pull these defective and unsafe components (note that ALL FOUR have breached seals on my vehicle) and address the serious potential for unsafe handling or accident when fluid is suddenly dumped into/on brakes. I'm now faced with a vehicle I cannot operate because it is unsafe, and even though it's covered by an extended Premium Protection Plan, will not be repaired by Ford.

10d ago
Body 2

Manufacturer Recall Number26S34 NHTSA Recall Number26V344 Ford promised a remedy by 9/30/2026. There is still no remedy.

11d ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her daughter became entrapped by the rear passenger-side seat belt. The seat belt continuously clicked tighter, forcing the contact to cut the belt strap to free her daughter. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V344000 (Seat Belts), which the contact associated with the failure. The dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and stated that because there was no recall regarding a rear passenger-side seat belt failure, assistance could not be provided. The failure mileage was approximately 98,650.

11d ago
Engine 1

I was traveling on the interstate and went to accelerate to pass a vehicle. My car displayed system fault codes and made a clicking noise and dropped to neutral while my RPMs stayed high. I lost acceleration and had to swerve to avoid a collision. The engine then had a loud clank and jerked into gear. Once I had pulled off enough I turned the car off and on again and resumed driving. This has happened multiple times. Each time when I have contacted Ford they say it’s a known issue with the make of the Clutch drum and realized the issue after the 2022 year and changed the way it was made. However they stated it would cost me over $6500 to repair mine. They do not accept fault only state it is a known issue. When my car goes from 65 to 39 in a span of a few seconds it is a huge safety issue.

12d ago
Transmission 2

TCM component major failure as diagnosed by dealership. Vehicle has inadvertently tried to go into park on multiple occasions when trying to speed up/ overtake. This failure has also caused the transmission to need a complete overhaul.

14d ago
Engine 2

Vehicle was disabled multiple times after failures of the OEM coolant / heater hoses at plastic fittings. Hoses includes the primary radiator coolant hoses, bypass hoses and engine coolant hoses for the transmission cooler. First hose failure on 10/21/2022 (51,177) miles was repaired by Ford dealer in Davenport, FL. OEM replacement hoses have also failed.

24d ago
Electrical 2

Passenger side daytime running lamp (DRL) has failed.

24d ago
Body 1

This is a widespread problem across the Ford expedition. I've read forum after forum, facebook group after facebook group and have seen that many expeditions are affected by this. The front end of the Expedition; primarily the steering and suspension components, cause a strong vibration when approaching 70-75 miles per hour. I have replaced the tires on my Expedition and had them mounted and balanced by Ford, only for the problem to still exist. I mentioned this to Ford directly and they told me that there is no way for them to replicate the problem because they won't take the vehicle over the local speed limit. However where I drive all across the country for work, the speed limit is approximately 70 -75 miles per hour. This is a severe issue as Vibrations could easily cause an accident.

1mo ago
Engine 2

My 2018 Ford Expedition with the 3.5L EcoBoost engine has developed a pronounced rattling/knocking noise at startup. This appears consistent with the well documented cam phaser/VCT problem affecting this engine family. At approximately 118,212 miles, an independent Firestone Complete Auto Care inspected the vehicle and recommended major timing system repairs. Their estimate calls for replacement of the timing chain components and variable timing sprockets/cam phasers, with a total recommended repair cost of 5,232.13. 220782OrderRevisions.Pdf The concern is not simply the noise. The cam phasers and timing system control critical valve timing. If these components continue to deteriorate, there is a risk of improper engine timing, severe drivability problems, loss of power, stalling, or significant internal engine damage. A failure while traveling at highway speeds or in traffic could create a serious safety hazard for the occupants and surrounding motorists. There have not yet been warning lights or dashboard messages associated with the condition. The primary symptom has been the recurring startup rattle/knock, which has now been confirmed by an independent repair facility as requiring substantial timing system repair. The vehicle remains available for inspection. This has been an ongoing issue for the last few months but was first diagnosed on September 12, 2026 during a repair for another unrelated issue. I am especially concerned because this is not an isolated or unusual type of failure on the 3.5L EcoBoost. Ford has previously recognized cam phaser/VCT startup noise on these engines through service guidance. A known timing-related defect requiring more than 5,000 in repairs, with the potential to progress into engine damage or loss of engine performance, represents a significant reliability and potential safety concern.

1mo ago
Electrical 1

Daytime running LED lights in headlights have stopped working. Unable to replace bulb/fix due to having to replace the entire head lamp assembly.

1mo ago
Transmission 2

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission independently shifted into park. The check engine warning light illuminated, and the transmission brake error message was displayed. The vehicle was turned off. The vehicle was restarted; however, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the failure reoccurred. The failure was a persistent failure. The dealer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); and the VIN was associated with the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

2mo ago
Transmission 1

Transmission that's was replaced approx 3 yrs ago is hard shifting from park to drive and park to reverse on flat level surface.

2mo ago
Brakes 1

Subject: Safety Complaint – 2018 Ford Expedition Brake Master Cylinder Recall 25S37 / NHTSA 25V236 I am filing this complaint regarding my 2018 Ford Expedition, which is subject to an open Ford brake master-cylinder recall, Recall 25S37 / NHTSA Recall 25V236. I am currently experiencing brake fluid loss around the brake master cylinder/brake booster area. Because this is directly related to the braking system and the vehicle is subject to an open brake master-cylinder recall, I believe this vehicle presents a potential safety concern and needs to be properly inspected. I contacted Ford regarding the recall and explained that I am losing brake fluid in the area of the master cylinder and brake booster. I requested that the vehicle be inspected to determine whether the recall condition is present and that the brake booster be checked for brake-fluid contamination or leakage. I was told that my vehicle is approximately six months too late to receive the recall repair/replacement and that they would not allow me to bring the vehicle in for inspection under the recall. I have not yet confirmed the part number of the master cylinder currently installed on my vehicle, and I intend to do so to determine whether it is the same component addressed by the recall. My concern is that I am experiencing a symptom that appears directly related to the component identified in the recall, yet I am being denied an inspection simply because of the timing/eligibility issue. I am requesting that NHTSA review this matter and determine: 1. Whether my vehicle should be inspected for the condition identified in Recall 25S37 / NHTSA 25V236 despite the expiration or timing issue stated by Ford. 2. Whether brake-fluid leakage around the master cylinder/brake booster area is a known symptom or consequence of the recalled component. 3. Whether Ford should inspect the vehicle and determine whether the installed master cylinder is the recalled part.

2mo ago
Body 1

THERE IS A SEAT BELT RECALL AND 3 OTHER RECALLS THAT FORD CORP OFFICE AND THE DEALERSHIP IN HENDERSON NC TOLD ME THE PARTS ARE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL 2027 AND I AM EXPECTED TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE PLEASE HELP ME

2mo ago
Body 2

There is a recall on the catalytic converters of my year Expedition, but my check engine light came on at 86,000 miles, outside the 80,000 limit Ford put on the recall for the part. I think Ford should stand behind their product and the parts they are using, since the catalytic converters have failed on my car, my husbands expedition, and my dad’s ford 150.

3mo ago
Body 3

Power Running boards. The running boards half deploy and stop. The running boards go up and down while the vehicle is in motion. When opening the doors the running boards deploy half way and stop causing the persons exiting the vehicle to step on and uneven surfaces, resulting in twisted ankles and persons falling to the ground. The running boards were seems to malfunction every few years, they were replaced by Latrobe Chevy Ford 3 years ago and are currently being replaced by Bud Smail Ford.

3mo ago
Transmission 1

Failing Transmission, does not shift into the gear just hear grinding noise, after few seconds of it, transmission makes very hard shift. This takes place in all phases or driving leading to potentially very dangerous situation of the car not moving or stopping while crossing a street with upcoming traffic, crossing intersection or any other phase of driving. Visited few shops and was advised that Ford has a major problem with 10R80 Transmission and failing CDF Drum.

3mo ago
Transmission 1

The heater hose that feeds the front and rear heater cores ruptured while traveling at highway speeds on a main road. The engine coolant directly sprays onto the engine resulting in a steam cloud that can not be seen through, also rapidly overheating that motor. This caused a dangerous scenario where the driver can not see the road correctly through the steam cloud while trying to pull off of the highway with the engine over temp warnings flashing in the screen further adding to the panic.

3mo ago
Body 3

The chrome plating on the center console has peel up, causing a finger laceration when reaching into the cup holder.

3mo ago
Transmission 2

I am submitting this complaint regarding potential safety issues with my 2018 Ford Expedition Max Platinum. I purchased the vehicle from Sandy Sansing Chevrolet in Pensacola, Florida, and discovered several problems shortly after purchase that I believe may affect the vehicle's safe operation. Within days of purchasing the vehicle, it began displaying an intermittent **low oil pressure warning** while driving. Because a low oil pressure condition can lead to engine damage, loss of power, or engine failure, I believe this presents a potential safety concern. The dealership's inspection report completed before the sale states: **"Has multiple minor oil leaks, wet but not dripping yet."** I had the vehicle independently inspected by Firestone, which determined the oil leak was coming from the timing cover/timing case area and estimated approximately $3,000 in repairs. I am concerned that the documented oil leak and intermittent low oil pressure warning could increase the risk of engine failure while the vehicle is in operation. I have also experienced what I believe is a brake safety concern. Although the dealership's inspection report indicates the brakes and rotors had been serviced, the brake pedal feels unusually soft or spongy and requires more pedal travel and pressure than expected before the brakes engage. While the vehicle currently stops, I am concerned this condition could reduce braking performance or increase stopping distance. Additional issues include intermittent operation of the power running boards, a non-functioning rear window washer, and a detached rear window defroster electrical connection. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can determine whether these issues are isolated to my vehicle or may indicate a broader safety-related defect affecting other 2018 Ford Expedition vehicles. I can provide the dealership inspection report, Firestone inspection and repair estimate, photographs, and other supporting documentation upon request.

3mo ago

381 total

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