Reliable Auto DB

2021 Ford Expedition reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2021 Ford Expedition has 232 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 28 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Expedition years on this site. NHTSA has 12 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

232

Per year

28

Recalls

12

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (110 of 232), then Engine (55) and Electrical system (23). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 43,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 18,000 and 78,000 miles. Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Expedition has 414 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2022 has 113 complaints, 16 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

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 2021 Ford Expedition. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (12)

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 visibility, windshield wiper, linkages 2026-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 26V204000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2022-2023 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, and F-600 SD vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the wipers to fail.
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.
Vehicles affected 422,613
Recall visibility, sunroof 2025-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 25V729000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, 2021-2023 F-150, 2022 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The moonroof wind deflector clips may be inadequately attached to the moonroof frame, which can result in the wind deflector detaching from the vehicle.
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.
Vehicles affected 174,853
Recall back-over prevention, software 2025-06-27 · NHTSA campaign 25V442000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2022 Transit Connect, 2019-2020 MKZ, MKX, Edge, Continental, F-150, Nautilus, Fusion, 2019-2023 Ranger, Mustang, 2020-2021 EcoSport, Expedition, Navigator, 2020-2022 Escape, F-250 SD, Corsair, 2020-2023 Aviator, Transit, 2020-2024 Explorer, 2021-2024 Bronco Sport, and 2022-2024 Maverick vehicles. A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended.
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.
Vehicles affected 200,237
Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-01-31 · NHTSA campaign 25V048000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition, 2021-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair vehicles. The rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image.
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.
Vehicles affected 91,580
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 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 Engine 2022-05-17 · NHTSA campaign 22V346000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. An engine compartment fire may occur while driving or parked, even with the ignition in the "Off" position.
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.
Vehicles affected 66,221
Recall visibility, windshield wiper, linkages 2022-04-14 · NHTSA campaign 22V250000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2021 F-150, Expedition, 2020-2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, and 2020-2021 Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.
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.
Vehicles affected 652,996
Recall air bags, sensor, side impact 2021-10-15 · NHTSA campaign 21V805000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022 Super Duty F-250, F-350, 2021 F-150, Expedition, and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front-door side impact pressure sensor modules may have been damaged during supplier assembly, which can cause the side impact air bags to not deploy properly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 214, "Side Impact Protection."
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.
Vehicles affected 777

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

Complaints by component (232 total)

Powertrain
110
Engine
55
Electrical system
23
Visibility
13
Fuel and propulsion system
10
Structure
10
Speed control
9
Visibility and wipers
9
Back-over prevention
5
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Service brakes
4
Air bags
3
Engine and engine cooling
3
Seat belts
3
Exterior lighting
2
Steering
2
Fire-related
1
Forward collision avoidance
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Parking brake
1
Seats
1
Suspension
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

3

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

4

Death reports

0

Of the 41 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 43,000 miles. The middle half fall between 18,000 and 78,000 miles.

Complaints filed per year

42021482022332023402024542025532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "VIN):[XXX]/Make/Model: 2021 Ford Expedition XLTCurrent Mileage: Approx. 150,000 milesLocation: [XXX] of the Safety Defect:El vehículo presenta un defecto de seguridad crítico y extremo en el tren motriz que pone en…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system, Engine · filed 2026-09-10
  • "While trying to pull out of a residential neighborhood onto a state highway (45 mph speed limit), the vehicle refused to accelerate. The transmission couldn't engage into gear and the vehicle struggled to gain momentum.…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-08
  • "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…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-30
  • "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…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-28
  • "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…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-08-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Ford Expedition EL SUV 2WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2021 Ford Expedition EL SUV 4WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Ford Expedition SUV 2WD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 3 stars
2021 Ford Expedition SUV 4WD 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 23 19 MPG $3400
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 2020 Ford Expedition Next year 2022 Ford Expedition See every Ford Expedition model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Ford Expedition reliable?

The 2021 Ford Expedition has 232 complaints with NHTSA after 6 years, or 28 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Expedition years on this site. NHTSA has 12 recalls on file, including Automatic transmission, Center console, and Pretensioner.

What are common problems with a 2021 Ford Expedition?

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (110 of 232), then Engine (55) and Electrical system (23). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 43,000 miles, and the middle half falls between 18,000 and 78,000 miles. Those filings include 3 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 4 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Ford Expedition more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Expedition has 414 complaints, 14 per year, and the 2022 has 113 complaints, 16 per year. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has more complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Ford Expedition been recalled?

The 2021 Ford Expedition has 12 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 2021 Ford Expedition?

Owners have filed 232 complaints about the 2021 Ford Expedition with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Ford Expedition get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Ford Expedition is 18.8 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.