2012 Ford Expedition power train problems
64 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2012 Ford Expedition — 55% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“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 locked up. The vehicle was turned off but failed to restart. No warning light was…”
filed Apr 7, 2026
“Over a period of time this problem is occurring more often. The vehicle will downshift into first gear. I pull over check engine light is on. I turn off wait turn back on and no problem for awhile. Within the last month this has occurred many times . Each time the check engine light comes on but…”
filed Oct 22, 2025
“While exiting the freeway at approximately 45 to 50 mph, the transmission downshifted to 1st gear locking up the tires.”
filed Feb 24, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly…Campaign 16V248000 · Apr 27, 2016
Related service bulletins
Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the…
TSB 22-2219 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 21, 2022This program extends the warranty coverage of the automatic transmission molded leadframe to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This is a one-time…
19N01-S4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2021This program extends the warranty coverage of the automatic transmission molded leadframe to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This is a one-time…
16N02-S1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 17, 2021
Power Train problems in other Expedition years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Expedition | 4 | 15% |
| 2024 Expedition | 5 | 7% |
| 2023 Expedition | 11 | 17% |
| 2022 Expedition | 14 | 13% |
| 2021 Expedition | 105 | 46% |
| 2020 Expedition | 241 | 63% |
| 2019 Expedition | 208 | 44% |
| 2018 Expedition | 143 | 39% |
| 2017 Expedition | 51 | 14% |
| 2016 Expedition | 35 | 16% |
| 2015 Expedition | 29 | 18% |
| 2014 Expedition | 34 | 48% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2012 Ford Expedition
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.