Reliable Auto DB

2018 Ford Expedition reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2018 Ford Expedition has 374 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 18 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Expedition years here — over the median of the other years, which is 13. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Center console, and Pretensioner.

2018 Ford Expedition XLT
Photo by Kevauto, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

374

Per year

18

Recalls

14

Years on the road

9

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (146 of 374), then Engine (98) and Electrical system (33). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 54,736 miles, and the middle half falls between 25,000 and 91,000 miles. Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Next to 2017 and 2019

The 2017 Expedition has 357 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2019 has 500 complaints, 9 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

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 2018 Ford Expedition. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (14)

Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2026-06-24 · NHTSA campaign 26V402000
Summary 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 is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
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.
Vehicles affected 741,195
Recall Center console 2026-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 26V368000
Summary 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.
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.
Vehicles affected 548,463
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2026-05-27 · NHTSA campaign 26V344000
Summary 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 seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
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.
Vehicles affected 419,967
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2025-05-23 · NHTSA campaign 25V197000
Summary 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 seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Remedy Dealers will replace the seat belt retractors as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S31. Some vehicles in this recall that were previously inspected under recall 24V-099 and did not have parts replaced will need to have this new recall remedy completed.
Vehicles affected 112,951
Recall Brake master cylinder 2025-04-11 · NHTSA campaign 25V236000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. 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. Owner notification letters were mailed September 25, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S37. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 22V-150.
Vehicles affected 123,611
Recall Labels 2024-11-08 · NHTSA campaign 24V852000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, 2020-2024 Escape, Lincoln Corsair, 2018-2024 F-150, Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirement Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
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.
Vehicles affected 27,678
Recall seat belts, pretensioner 2024-02-09 · NHTSA campaign 24V099000
Summary 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 and lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend.
Remedy Dealers will 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. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 8, 2024. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S06.
Vehicles affected 77,574
Recall Owner's manual 2023-06-09 · NHTSA campaign 23V420000
Summary 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 SuperCab vehicles. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."
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.
Vehicles affected 691,133
Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2018-11-14 · NHTSA campaign 18V805000
Summary 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 reinforcement brackets, possibly allowing the seat to move in the event of a crash.
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. An interim owner notification was sent on December 21, 2018. A second letter will be mailed once the remedy is available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S37
Vehicles affected 34,946
Recall Fuel pump 2018-06-12 · NHTSA campaign 18V392000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 Ford Expedition, F-150, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI V6 engines. These vehicles have high pressure fuel pump assemblies with welds that can fracture, which may cause an oil or fuel leak.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the high pressure fuel pump and associated components, free of charge. The recall began July 17, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S17.
Vehicles affected 5,645
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2018-04-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V213000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.
Vehicles affected 142
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2018-04-04 · NHTSA campaign 18V214000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions and 2018 Ford F-150 and Expedition vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions (excluding Expedition vehicles with a Rotary Gear Shift Dial on the console). The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the shift cable locking clip and properly seat it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 18S10.
Vehicles affected 292,909
Recall visibility, power windows 2018-01-16 · NHTSA campaign 18V058000
Summary 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. If something, such as a finger, is pinched by the window glass, the stopped window control module may prevent the window from automatically reversing. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 118, "Power-Operated Window Systems."
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 on February 16, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18C01.
Vehicles affected 361
Recall seats, middle or rear assembly 2017-12-01 · NHTSA campaign 17V775000
Summary 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 that secures the seat back to the seat base. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 202a, "Head Restraints", number 207, "Seating Systems", and number 210, "Seat Belt Anchorage System."
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 bolts attaching the seat back to the seat base for the proper installation, correcting it as necessary. These repairs will be made free of charge. The recall began on January 10, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C20.
Vehicles affected 462

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

Complaints by component (374 total)

Powertrain
146
Engine
98
Electrical system
33
Engine and engine cooling
25
Exterior lighting
24
Suspension
24
Speed control
15
Service brakes
14
Structure
13
Seat belts
12
Wheels
9
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Air bags
5
Visibility
5
Latches, locks, and linkages
4
Visibility and wipers
4
Equipment
3
Steering
3
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Lane departure
1
Seats
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

8

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

11

Death reports

0

Of the 129 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 54,736 miles. The middle half fall between 25,000 and 91,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

112018262019162020222021332022652023682024892025442026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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.…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-11
  • "Daytime running LED lights in headlights have stopped working. Unable to replace bulb/fix due to having to replace the entire head lamp assembly."
    Exterior lighting · filed 2026-09-09
  • "Transmission that's was replaced approx 3 yrs ago is hard shifting from park to drive and park to reverse on flat level surface."
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-20
  • "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…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-20
  • "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…"
    Service brakes · filed 2026-08-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2018 Ford Expedition EL EXTENDED SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 Ford Expedition EL EXTENDED SUV 4x4 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2018 Ford Expedition SUV 4x2 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2018 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 (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 17 24 20 MPG $3250
Expedition four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 17 22 19 MPG $3400
Expedition MAX two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Rear-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Expedition MAX four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (10-speed) Part-time four-wheel drive 16 21 18 MPG $3600

Specs and fitment

4th generation, 2018–2024
Body styles SUV, Extended-length SUV (MAX)
Oil 5W-30 synthetic blend (3.5L EcoBoost) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 275/65R18 (XL/XLT) to 285/45R22 (King Ranch/Platinum)

Known issues for this generation

Ford service message SSM 49914 covers 2018-2021 Expeditions and Navigators on which the power liftgate becomes inoperative; the repair is a rear gate trunk module software update rather than a hardware replacement. A separate 2020 bulletin, 20-2421, addresses 2018-2019 vehicles whose doors become difficult to latch, lock, or unlock after water intrudes into the door handle cables, corrected by replacing the mini latch module.

Compare

Previous year 2017 Ford Expedition Next year 2019 Ford Expedition See every Ford Expedition model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford Expedition reliable?

The 2018 Ford Expedition has 374 complaints with NHTSA after 9 years, or 18 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Expedition years here — over the median of the other years, which is 13. NHTSA has 14 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Center console, and Pretensioner.

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford Expedition?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (146 of 374), then Engine (98) and Electrical system (33). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 54,736 miles, and the middle half falls between 25,000 and 91,000 miles. Those filings include 8 that report a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 11 that report an injury.

Is the 2018 Ford Expedition more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 Expedition has 357 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2019 has 500 complaints, 9 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2019.

Has the 2018 Ford Expedition been recalled?

The 2018 Ford Expedition has 14 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 2018 Ford Expedition?

Owners have filed 374 complaints about the 2018 Ford Expedition with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford Expedition get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford Expedition is 19 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.