Reliable Auto DB

2016 Ford Expedition reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 216 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Expedition over 11 years — 12 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 Camera, Fan motor, and Power assist.

2015 Ford Expedition
Photo by Bull-Doser, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons Public domain
Complaints

216

Per year

12

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (37 of 216), then Powertrain (36) and Service brakes (35). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 66,760 miles, and the middle half falls between 49,343 and 100,050 miles. Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 8 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Expedition has 164 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2017 has 357 complaints, 14 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

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 2016 Ford Expedition. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-09-04 · NHTSA campaign 25V572000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
Vehicles affected 1,456,417
Recall visibility, defroster and HVAC, fan motor 2022-08-26 · NHTSA campaign 22V648000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail.
Remedy Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the second quarter of 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S56.
Vehicles affected 198,482
Recall hydraulic brakes, power assist 2022-03-11 · NHTSA campaign 22V150000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
Remedy Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter notifying customers of the safety defect were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed April 29, 2022. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S11.
Vehicles affected 195,864

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

Complaints by component (216 total)

Engine
37
Powertrain
36
Service brakes
35
Electrical system
33
Speed control
20
Back-over prevention
19
Hydraulic brakes
17
Fuel and propulsion system
16
Visibility
8
Air bags
5
Equipment
5
Steering
5
Visibility and wipers
4
Engine and engine cooling
3
Lane departure
3
Seat belts
3
Structure
3
Wheels
3
Exterior lighting
2
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Fuel system, gasoline
1
Suspension
1
Trailer hitch
1
Show 15 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

8

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Of the 128 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 66,760 miles. The middle half fall between 49,343 and 100,050 miles.

Complaints filed per year

120156201672017232018232019272020202021222022282023162024232025202026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "2 separate ford dealerships have failed to solve my rear camera failure wasting about 12 hours of my time. The rear camera does fail to work quite often, but when in the dealer’s possession, they claim it’s working fine…"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-17
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera would occasionally display a blank screen,…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-28
  • "My 2016 Expedition has the same 6R80 transmission as the Ford F150, for which there is a recall for the Lead Frame. My wife was driving the vehicle on the highway and the check engine light came on and the vehicle went…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-26
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the blower motor functioned intermittently, turning on and off unexpectedly. The contact stated that the A/C functioned as intended during the cooler…"
    Electrical system, Visibility · filed 2026-07-27
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The message “Camera Unavailable” was displayed. The contact later received notification of…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-07-20

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Ford Expedition EL EXTENDED SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2016 Ford Expedition EL EXTENDED SUV 4x4 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Ford Expedition SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2016 Ford Expedition SUV 4x4 5 stars 5 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 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 16 22 18 MPG $3600
Expedition four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 15 20 17 MPG $3800
Expedition EL two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Rear-wheel drive 15 21 17 MPG $3800
Expedition EL four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 14 20 16 MPG $4050

Specs and fitment

3rd generation refresh (EcoBoost V6), 2015–2017
Body styles SUV, Extended-length SUV (EL)
Oil 5W-30 synthetic blend (3.5L EcoBoost) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 275/65R18 (XLT) to 285/45R22 (Limited/King Ranch/Platinum)

Known issues for this generation

Ford recalled 2015-2017 Expeditions and Navigators built between January 2014 and June 2017 (roughly 163,000 Expeditions) after finding the front blower motor, located behind the glovebox, can fail and pose a risk of interior fire while the vehicle is on; drivers reported an inoperative fan, a burning smell, or smoke from the instrument panel vents (NHTSA campaign 22V648). Ford has not identified the cause of the failures. Ford's remedy replaces the blower motor with a redesigned component.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Ford Expedition Next year 2017 Ford Expedition See every Ford Expedition model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Ford Expedition reliable?

Owners have filed 216 complaints with NHTSA about the 2016 Ford Expedition over 11 years — 12 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 Camera, Fan motor, and Power assist.

What are common problems with a 2016 Ford Expedition?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (37 of 216), then Powertrain (36) and Service brakes (35). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 66,760 miles, and the middle half falls between 49,343 and 100,050 miles. Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 8 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Ford Expedition more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Expedition has 164 complaints, 13 per year, and the 2017 has 357 complaints, 14 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Ford Expedition been recalled?

The 2016 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 2016 Ford Expedition?

Owners have filed 216 complaints about the 2016 Ford Expedition with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Ford Expedition get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Ford Expedition is 17 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.