2012 Ford Expedition reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2012 Ford Expedition has 118 complaints with NHTSA after 15 years, or 5 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most Expedition years here — under the median of the other years, which is 14. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Transmission control module, and Middle or rear assembly.

Ford Expedition, 2012–2014 body — Photo by order_242 from Chile, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Complaints

118

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (64 of 118), then Electrical system (20) and Speed control (18). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 82,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 51,120 and 123,000 miles. Those filings include 6 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Expedition has 92 complaints, 5 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Ford Expedition. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (3)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2016-04-27 · NHTSA campaign 16V248000

Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.

Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.

Vehicles affected 153,581

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, transmission control module 2012-05-03 · NHTSA campaign 12V190000

Summary FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT" AND 108 LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR (TRS) THAT WAS CALIBRATED OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR REVERSE GEAR.

Remedy FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 10,500

Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2012-02-02 · NHTSA campaign 12V034000

Summary FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINTS." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE WELDS ON THE HEAD RESTRAINT SUPPORT BRACKETS FOR THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT-HAND SEAT.

Remedy FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Vehicles affected 569

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (118 total)

Powertrain

Electrical system

Speed control

Structure

Engine

Service brakes

Fuel and propulsion system

Air bags

Seats

Suspension

Back-over prevention

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seat belts

Child seat

Exterior lighting

Tires

Wheels

Show 9 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 85 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 82,000 miles. The middle half fall between 51,120 and 123,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"vehicle shifting erratically and shows fuel mileage low and loss of speedometer"
Speed control, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-12
"vehicle shifting erratically and shows fuel mileage low and loss of speedometer"
Speed control, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-12
"The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 30 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, causing the occupants to lunge forward. The tires squealed and the wheels…"
Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-04-07
"While exiting the freeway at approximately 45 to 50 mph, the transmission downshifted to 1st gear locking up the tires."
Powertrain · filed 2026-02-24
"The speedometer will quit working and the vehicle will not shift out of 1st gear, if you can work through it it will start throwing error messages such as zero miles to empty, tire moniter system fault, etc. This is a…"
Speed control · filed 2025-11-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2012 Ford Expedition EXTENDED SUV 4x2	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2012 Ford Expedition EXTENDED SUV 4x4	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2012 Ford Expedition SUV 4x2	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	3 stars
2012 Ford Expedition SUV 4x4	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Annual fuel cost
Expedition two-wheel drive flex-fuel	5.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Rear-wheel drive	14	20	16 MPG	$4050
Expedition four-wheel drive flex-fuel	5.4L, 8-cyl	Automatic 6-speed	Part-time four-wheel drive	13	18	15 MPG	$4300

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (5.4L V8), 2012–2014

Body styles SUV, Extended-length SUV (EL)

Oil 5W-20 conventional/synthetic blend (5.4L V8) , 7 qt capacity

Tire size P265/70R17 (XLT) to P275/70R20 (Limited)

Towing capacity 9,200 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Certain 2012 Expeditions built at the Kentucky Truck Plant between August and December 2011 were recalled along with related F-150, Mustang, and Navigator models after an output speed sensor issue in the 6R80 transmission's lead frame could force a temporary downshift into first gear at speed, causing the rear tires to slide or lock up and increasing the risk of loss of vehicle control (NHTSA campaign 16V248). Ford's remedy updated the powertrain control module software and offered a one-time lead-frame replacement within 10 years or 150,000 miles.

Compare

Next year 2013 Ford Expedition See every Ford Expedition model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Ford Expedition reliable?

What are common problems with a 2012 Ford Expedition?

Is the 2012 Ford Expedition more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Expedition has 92 complaints, 5 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Ford Expedition been recalled?

The 2012 Ford Expedition has 3 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Ford Expedition?

Owners have filed 118 complaints about the 2012 Ford Expedition with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Ford Expedition get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Ford Expedition is 15.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2016 Ford Expedition?

3rd generation, EcoBoost V6 refresh (2015-2017).

Does the Ford Expedition have power liftgate problems?

On some 2018-2021 Expeditions the power liftgate stops working; Ford's service message SSM 49914 fixes it with a rear gate trunk module software update.