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2018 Ford Expedition

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

More warning signs than most Expedition years

Owner complaints for the 2018 Ford Expedition are substantially higher than the model-year median of 155.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

129 reports with mileage · 245 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Power Train. Review the 146 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 98 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 33 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

8 crash reports2 fire reports11 injury reports

Power Train complaints

146 reports
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Mileage unknown · Feb 5, 2024
Power Train

The transmission stopped working after hit 80k mileage

NHTSA ODI #11569969

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2024
Power Train

The transmission will shudder while accelerating, vehicle will shift gears up and down randomly, not allowing me to accelerate while on a road with traffic. The transmission will slam/clunk into gear while driving. When that happens, there is not power and your bot accelerating anymore and it's really unsafe in traffic. While co…

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The transmission will shudder while accelerating, vehicle will shift gears up and down randomly, not allowing me to accelerate while on a road with traffic. The transmission will slam/clunk into gear while driving. When that happens, there is not power and your bot accelerating anymore and it's really unsafe in traffic. While coasting to a stop the transmission will hard shift/clunk and the gears go down whilst coming to a stop.

NHTSA ODI #11569819

Mileage unknown · Feb 4, 2024
Power Train

Transmission would fail in 1st and 4th gear and stall entire vehicle at any speed. Vehicle would lose all power on highway or coasting down roads. Nearly caused us to be rear ended many times. Entire transmission needed to be rebuilt. Parts were backordered for months. Car was in and out of the shop for months at a time. Ford di…

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Transmission would fail in 1st and 4th gear and stall entire vehicle at any speed. Vehicle would lose all power on highway or coasting down roads. Nearly caused us to be rear ended many times. Entire transmission needed to be rebuilt. Parts were backordered for months. Car was in and out of the shop for months at a time. Ford did not provide a loaner vehicle. Transmission still shifts hard and stalls occasionally

NHTSA ODI #11569794

Mileage unknown · Jan 26, 2024
Power Train

At around 55,700 miles the transmission started slipping. Within a few days (less than 100 miles), the transmission would thud and lurch as well. On 2 occasions, one while accelerating at a traffic light and one while making a left hand turn), the vehicle lost power and would not continue celebrating from 3/4 gear. During both i…

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At around 55,700 miles the transmission started slipping. Within a few days (less than 100 miles), the transmission would thud and lurch as well. On 2 occasions, one while accelerating at a traffic light and one while making a left hand turn), the vehicle lost power and would not continue celebrating from 3/4 gear. During both instances, my children were also in the car. The second occurrence almost resulted in us being t-boned by oncoming traffic. We took the vehicle to ford and they acknowledged the problem and stayed there was a tech bulletin about it. However we were 2.5 months (but not miles) outside of warranty and the repair was several steps and would result in costs up to $15k! We attempted to call ford as during the time of we were outside the warranty, I had a baby (high risk pregnancy) and then had to wait several weeks for an appointment as well. Corporate ford flat out ignored us as well as the dealer who tried to advocate on our behalf as this was such a severe and dangerous issue.

NHTSA ODI #11568128

Mileage unknown · Jan 18, 2024
Power Train

About two weeks ago my 2018 Ford Expediton Max Platinum 4x4 started exhibiting harsh shifting from 3 to 4 gear. Since then it has gotten worse. Harsh shifting, delayed shifting, harsh engagement of gear, or sometimes not engaging at all leaving me in a a very unsafe position on the road. It appears Ford is very aware of the d…

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About two weeks ago my 2018 Ford Expediton Max Platinum 4x4 started exhibiting harsh shifting from 3 to 4 gear. Since then it has gotten worse. Harsh shifting, delayed shifting, harsh engagement of gear, or sometimes not engaging at all leaving me in a a very unsafe position on the road. It appears Ford is very aware of the danger and issued MULTIPLE TSB's about this issue. Vehicle has not been inspected by Ford as the service time is over 6 WEEKS LONG due to the very same issues are widespread. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure began happening.

NHTSA ODI #11566203

64,500 miles · Jan 17, 2024
EngineFuel System, GasolinePower Train

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle sputtered while restarting. The contact was able to con…

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The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts; however, the vehicle sputtered while restarting. The contact was able to continue driving. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring while driving. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V392000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); however, the VIN was not included. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that oil was leaking from the timing valve cover and the front struts. The dealer also informed the contact that the transmission lines were leaking. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 64,500.

NHTSA ODI #11566092

Mileage unknown · Jan 9, 2024
Power Train

In looking up recalls for my vehicle I see several relating to transmission issues with the 2018 Ford Expedition. I contacted Ford they said there were not any recalls for my specific vehicle, however my transmission is experiencing problems I see in other recalls. Specifically when the car is put in park and it rolls forward or…

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In looking up recalls for my vehicle I see several relating to transmission issues with the 2018 Ford Expedition. I contacted Ford they said there were not any recalls for my specific vehicle, however my transmission is experiencing problems I see in other recalls. Specifically when the car is put in park and it rolls forward or back depending on the angle. The other issue is the transmission did not engage when accelerating then it made a noise like something was loose in the transmission. I backed off the accelerator and the transmission engaged again. A warning light came on briefly when it made the noise then disappeared. Ford took down my information the case # is CAS47105525

NHTSA ODI #11564345

Mileage unknown · Jan 8, 2024
Power Train

I turned onto a road and when I pressed the gas to accelerate, the vehicle wouldn’t move. I put the vehicle in park, turned it off and back on and into drive and it let me accelerate. When I got to the red light, I stopped then went to accelerate when it turned green and the vehicle went in reverse and the engine light turned o…

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I turned onto a road and when I pressed the gas to accelerate, the vehicle wouldn’t move. I put the vehicle in park, turned it off and back on and into drive and it let me accelerate. When I got to the red light, I stopped then went to accelerate when it turned green and the vehicle went in reverse and the engine light turned on. Both incidences could have resulted in an accident if there were other vehicles on the road at the time. The dial that changes gears and/or the transmission abruptly stopped working. I took it to the dealership and do not have the diagnostic results yet. They have confirmed issues with shifting gears so far.

NHTSA ODI #11564136

Mileage unknown · Dec 28, 2023
Power Train

Gears are slipping, vehicle loses power, clunking noises, ghost spanner icon on dashboard, jerks heavily sometimes when going from park to drive, shift system displays on dash after noises.

NHTSA ODI #11562251

Mileage unknown · Nov 5, 2023
Power Train

The transmission will drop to 1st gear from 3rd or 4th gear. The RPM’s will rev high, the vehicle will not accelerate. This is available for inspection if you’d like to see it. I was almost rear-end when I couldn’t get the vehicle to accelerate. Another time I was on the interstate and in 10th gear, I let off the accelerator pe…

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The transmission will drop to 1st gear from 3rd or 4th gear. The RPM’s will rev high, the vehicle will not accelerate. This is available for inspection if you’d like to see it. I was almost rear-end when I couldn’t get the vehicle to accelerate. Another time I was on the interstate and in 10th gear, I let off the accelerator pedal and the gear went to 9th gear, as I went to push back on the accelerator to speed up and the vehicle wouldn’t shift to 10th gear and again started to slow down, I immediately got over to head towards the side of the interstate. This is going to cause me to be rear-end if I can’t accelerate when I intend to accelerate. I can recreate this issue once the transmission is over 200 degrees (operating temperature). I have talked to several dealerships and transmission technicians. They believe the CDF Drum Clutch Hub bushing has slipped. The is a 2018 model, so this was BEFORE Ford Motor Company made the updated design to stop the bushing from slipping by create a “lip” to stop the bushing. This has not be officially inspected as most dealers are telling me 30-40 days and 7-12 weeks before they can even look at it. They say their transmission tech is booked way out. This makes me wonder why… upon my research these 10r80 transmissions have this problem. Ford even corrected the design (becuase obviously it was a faulty design, otherwise Ford wouldn’t have made this updated change). It does have a code saying “Engine Not in Park”. But displays no check engine light. It throws lights and warnings when it starts to rev high and says to “see manual”. Someone needs to do some research on these 10r80 tranmissions and Ford needs to correct this faulty design on models that have the bushing slipping. It’s not right that Ford corrected it for the latest models to only leave the older model customers high and dry and in the way of danger. Ford can make this corrective action, but what will it require from the public?

NHTSA ODI #11553631

Official recalls

14

26V402000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Jun 24, 2026

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

26V368000 · Structure:interior Panels:center Console

Jun 9, 2026

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.

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.

26V344000 · Seat Belts:pretensioner

May 27, 2026

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

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.

25V197000 · Seat Belts:pretensioner

May 23, 2025

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

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.

25V236000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder; Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

Apr 11, 2025

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:foundation Components:master Cylinder

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.

Consequence: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:power Assist

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.

Consequence: A brake fluid leak can cause reduced brake function and extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.

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.

24V852000 · Equipment:other:labels

Nov 8, 2024

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

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.

24V099000 · Seat Belts:pretensioner

Feb 9, 2024

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.

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.

23V420000 · Equipment:other:owners/service/other Manual

Jun 9, 2023

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

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.

18V805000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Nov 14, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: In the event of a crash, a seat that moves may not properly restrain the seat occupant, increasing their risk of injury.

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

18V392000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:fuel Pump

Jun 12, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source may increase the risk of a fire.

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.

18V213000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Apr 4, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.

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.

18V214000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission; Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

Apr 4, 2018

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.

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.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Power Train:automatic Transmission:gear Position Indication (prndl)

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.

Consequence: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.

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.

Power Train:automatic Transmission

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.

Consequence: If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.

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.

18V058000 · Visibility:power Window Devices And Controls

Jan 16, 2018

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the window does not automatically reverse when an obstruction is found, it can increase the risk of injury.

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.

17V775000 · Seats:mid/rear Assembly

Dec 1, 2017

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."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the seat back is not adequately secured, and/or the seat occupant is improperly positioned, there can be an increased risk of injury in a crash.

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.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

RQ24015 · Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment

Opened Nov 15, 2024 · Closed Jul 23, 2025

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Seat Belts:pretensioner

On November 22, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE) PE23021 to investigate complaints of front seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment in model year (MY) 2019 Ford Expedition vehicles manufactured by Ford Motor Company. Some complaints alleged hearing a loud, explosion-like sound immediately followed by the seat belt tightening around the occupant’s torso area. The complaints did not state that a crash occurred that may have resulted in the deployment of the pretensioner system, suggesting that this deployment was inadvertent or otherwise unwarranted. On February 9, 2024, Ford issued safety recall 24V-099, recalling certain MY 2018-2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with driver and front passenger seat belt retractor pretensioners built between October 1, 2018, and June 30, 2019. Ford described the defect as a seat belt retractor pretensioner assembly that may develop corroded squib pins, resulting in high resistance or an open circuit, which could result in an inadvertent deployment of a pretensioner and an increased risk of injury due to the loss of the pretensioner’s protection and a seat belt that remains in the locked position. This recall includes 77,574 vehicles. On November 15, 2024, ODI opened this Recall Query (RQ24015) after receiving 3 complaints involving vehicles not included in recall 23V-099 but that alleged a similar failure. As a result of this investigation, Ford issued safety recall 25V-197 on March 28, 2025, to expand the scope of 24V-099 to include MY 2018-2020 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with driver and front passenger seat belt retractor pretensioners built between October 1, 2018, and July 31, 2020. This recall includes 105,322 vehicles, some of which are also included in 24V-099. Additionally, on May 23, 2025, Ford issued 25V-197 Amendment #1, which further expands the recall population’s scope for vehicles with build dates of September 2018. This amendment added 7,627 additional vehicles to the 25V-197 population. In response to ODI’s inquiries in RQ24015, Ford indicated that it cannot conclusively determine the root cause of the relevant failure. Ford was able to determine that certain pretensioners may develop corroded squib pins potentially resulting in inadvertent deployment, but it was unable to specify the cause of corrosion. Without a specific root cause, Ford assessed field performance of pretensioners to determine the scope of the recalls. ODI is aware of three vehicles that experienced pretensioner inadvertent deployment that are not included in either 25V-197 or 24V-099. Two of these vehicles are MY 2018 Lincoln Navigator vehicles built prior to October 1, 2018, and both experienced failures after more than six years of use/exposure while the recalled vehicles experienced higher rate of failures with less exposure. The remaining incident involves a MY 2021 Ford Expedition that was built after July 31, 2020. ODI is not aware of any other relevant failures in vehicles built after July 31, 2020. As such, ODI has not currently identified a safety defect trend for this issue in vehicles outside of the recalled populations. ODI will continue to monitor allegations of pretensioner inadvertent deployment in subject vehicles that are not included in 25V-197. In view of the safety recall action being taken by Ford, ODI is closing this Recall Query (RQ24015). The agency reserves the right to take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.