2021 Ford Expedition Problems: Transmission / driveline (230 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2021 Ford Expedition is Transmission / driveline (40% of 230 owner reports). There are 12 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 230 complaints · 12 recalls
What problems show up on the 2021 Ford Expedition?
92 of 230 filings named Transmission / driveline (40% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Engine (42 reports).
There are 12 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Body / frame, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The 2020 has 403 reports on file; this year has 230. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.
What owners reported
System named most often: Transmission / driveline 92 complaints · 40.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 3
- Fires 4
- Injuries 5
- Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 92 | 40.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 42 | 18.3% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 15 | 6.5% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 11 | 4.8% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 10 | 4.4% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 8 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) | 8 | 3.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) | 5 | 2.2% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 3 | 1.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 47 | 20.4% | 0 crashes · 1 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 23V420000 was reported 606 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V852000 was reported 1,124 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V048000 was reported 1,208 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V442000 was reported 1,355 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 25V729000 was reported 1,240 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V204000 was reported 1,398 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V344000 was reported 1,171 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V368000 was reported 722 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V402000 was reported 1,768 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 3 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 6 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 5 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 12 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 13 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 20 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 2 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 25 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 24 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 21V805000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V250000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V346000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 23V420000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V852000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V048000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V442000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 25V729000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V204000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V344000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V368000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V402000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | AQ26001 |
Safety Recalls (12)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Body / frame, and Transmission / driveline.
-
Recall campaign 21V805000
Airbags
- Report date
- Component:
- Airbags (AIR BAGS)
- Consequence:
- An air bag that does not deploy properly during a crash increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the driver and passenger front door side impact sensors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 3, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C26.
-
Recall campaign 22V250000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S26.
-
Recall campaign 22V346000
Safety recall 22V346000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy:
- Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures and other vehicles, until the remedy is performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the battery junction box, as necessary, and remove a ground wire. On models equipped with standard-duty radiator fan motors, dealers will also install an auxiliary electrical box with a wire jumper. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Interim owner notification letters informing owners of the safety risk were mailed May 25, 2022. Owners will receive a second letter once the remedy is available. Currently the remedy is available for vehicles equipped with heavy-duty radiator fan motors, and those letters were mailed July 21, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S36.
-
Recall campaign 23V420000
Safety recall 23V420000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- 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 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.
-
Recall campaign 24V852000
Safety recall 24V852000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Ford will mail owners the warning labels, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 19, 2024. Owners may call Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24C39.
-
Recall campaign 25V048000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- Rearview camera failure can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S05.
-
Recall campaign 25V442000
Rear camera / backup safety
- Report date
- Component:
- Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION)
- Consequence:
- A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 4, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S72.
-
Recall campaign 25V729000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- A detached wind deflector can become a road hazard and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and repair the moonroof wind deflector as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 10, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SB7. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 30, 2025.
-
Recall campaign 26V204000
Glass / wipers / cameras
- Report date
- Component:
- Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
- Consequence:
- Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and replace the wiper arms, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 5, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S24.Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 1, 2026.
-
Recall campaign 26V344000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- 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, were mailed June 8, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in August 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S34. This recall replaces and expands previous NHTSA recalls 24V099 and 25V197. Vehicles previously inspected or repaired under the prior recalls will need the new repair completed.
-
Recall campaign 26V368000
Body / frame
- Report date
- Component:
- Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
- Consequence:
- 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, were mailed June 16, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S38. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 10, 2026.
-
Recall campaign 26V402000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- 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 risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 5 of 230 complaints · page 1 of 10
CrashFireInjuryDeath
My Ford Expedition’s 10-speed automatic transmission experienced repeated slipping and sudden loss of propulsion. While accelerating from a stop and entering the highway, typically around 15–20 MPH, the engine would suddenly rev but the vehicle would stop accelerating, as if the transmission had shifted into neutral. I had to release the accelerator for several seconds and slowly reapply throttle before the transmission would re-engage. This occurred repeatedly and created a serious safety hazard when pulling into or crossing traffic because the vehicle could begin accelerating normally and then unexpectedly lose propulsion with approaching traffic. The transmission also exhibited severe harsh/banging shifts during harder acceleration and produced a rattling noise while slipping until the accelerator was released. CDF drum failure has been confirmed. The vehicle is currently at a reputable independent transmission repair facility undergoing a transmission rebuild due to the CDF failure. The transmission/components are available for inspection during the repair. There were no warning lights or messages that reliably warned of the impending loss of propulsion. This was not simply poor shift quality; the transmission defect caused an actual loss of propulsion while driving. Because this failure can leave a driver unable to accelerate while entering an intersection, pulling onto a highway, or merging into traffic, I believe the CDF failure presents a serious safety risk. I am requesting NHTSA investigate CDF-related transmission failures and determine whether a safety recall is warranted. TSB 23-2250
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact noticed an abnormal sound and the vehicle jerked. No warning lights were illuminated. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and to an independent mechanic; however the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was the family's only means of transportation, and the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
For the past three years I have complained about the transmission dropping out of gear. It happens most often if I'm towing a trailer. I seems to occur in spurts, happening a couple of times in a few days then not for some time. Very dangerous if you pull around to pass and suddenly you lose power. Originally the dealership said they could find nothing wrong. I have read recently that Ford is having trouble with their transmissions. At my latest service appointment, I restated my problem and was told I need a new transmission.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While stopped at a traffic light, my 2021 Ford Expedition began running rough. When the light changed and I accelerated through the intersection, the vehicle experienced a severe loss of engine power and barely made it through the intersection. After I pulled off the roadway and released the accelerator, the engine stalled. I was able to restart the engine once while applying approximately one-quarter throttle. It continued running rough and stalled again when I released the accelerator. The vehicle was taken to Robinson Brothers Ford/Lincoln in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Ford dealer documented the rough running, low power and stalling and diagnosed the "fuel pump inop." The dealer removed the fuel tank and replaced the fuel pump/sender assembly. The replacement part listed on the dealer invoice is Ford part JL1Z-9H307-G. Vehicle mileage was approximately 79,390. Several months before the complete failure, during very cold weather, I also experienced one brief incident of unusually low engine power shortly after starting the vehicle. I do not know whether that earlier incident was related. I am concerned that this failure may be related to the low-pressure fuel pump failure condition addressed by Ford Safety Recall 25S75 / NHTSA Recall 25V-455, which includes certain 2022 Ford Expeditions. My 2021 Expedition is not currently included in that recall. The loss of power occurred while I was crossing an intersection and created a serious safety risk. I am submitting this complaint so NHTSA can evaluate this fuel pump failure along with failures involving other vehicles excluded from Recall 25V-455.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicles automatic transmission repeatedly looses its gear, often while accelerating. The transmission tries to shift down, but somehow ends up loosing engagement and will not re-engage. This lead to critical/dangerous situations on Highways due to the sudden loss of power.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2021 Ford Expedition?
Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 92 of 230 reports (40%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2021 Ford Expedition?
NHTSA lists 12 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Glass / wipers / cameras, Rear camera / backup safety, Seat belts, Body / frame, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2021 Ford Expedition?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.