2012 Ford Expedition: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 118 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (46% of complaints); the 2010 and 2011 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 2 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Apr 2016
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 118 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The speedometer will quit working and the vehicle will not shift out of 1st gear, if you can work through it it will start throwing error messages such as zero miles to empty, tire moniter system fault, etc. This is a very dangerous situation especially in high traffic areas. There was a customer satisfaction program on it but only up to 150,000 miles. This program should last the life of the vehicle, also, if it was fixed before ownership, why did it go bad again”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Nov 2025
“Campaign 19N01 Description Transmission molded leadframe extended coverage Next Steps Contact your dealer for next steps. Did this and was told that the vehicle was not covered due to it being after 10 years and barely over 150,000 miles. I am experiencing transmission issues where the torque converter clutch is now stuck on and the lead frame is more than likely the cause. Thanks FORD, NEVER AGAIN.”Owner report · Electrical System · Jul 2025
“Transmission failed to engage after startup, and while driving will slip out like its in neutral without warning. There was a series of messages that rolled over and over as the vehicle slowed. When we first took it to have it serviced for this problem June of 2024, they optioned to flush, change the filter, and put in new transmission fluid. They could not reproduce the problem. That seemed to take care of it until May 17, 2025 when it started slipping again. Again, the service center cannot reproduce the problem. The sudden slowdown, puts us in a risk for an accident with other vehicles. The vehicle is available for inspection if needed.”Owner report · Power Train · May 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the image displayed on the back over prevention screen was either upside down, distorted, static only, or completely black. The failure was intermittent. During the failure, the contact was able to restart the vehicle to fix the image; however, the fix was intermittent. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact researched and found information on NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V270000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN and model year was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2024
“While driving my vehicle, the transmission down shift on its on and the vehicle antilock brakes hit and suddenly stops on its on.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2024
“I was driving regularly down the road when I noticed the smell of electrical fire. Smoke started coming from the undercarriage of the truck. I pulled into a gas station, and the engine died, and I got out to look at what's causing the smoke. I observed what looked to be engine or transmission oil on fire dripping from the undercarriage, so I moved a safe distance from the vehicle, and within about 30 seconds, the entire vehicle was engulfed in flames. The fire department came, and extinguished the fire. The vehicle is 100% casualty, along with everything inside of it.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2023
“The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle suddenly failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle independently decelerated and nearly caused the vehicle to be rear ended by a tractor trailer. The contact indicated that the vehicle was driven home with the transmission stuck in 3rd gear. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 59,959.”Owner report · Power Train · Dec 2022
“Metal corrosion on the back liftgate is allowing water to leech into the electrical connections to the back camera, causing it to intermittently not work leading to complete failure eventually. The service techs at the ford dealership have described this common problem with this year model expeditions and is due to a chemical problem either with the metal or factory paint or both. Corrosion is not due to rust. We bought the car new in late 2011.”Owner report · Structure · Nov 2022
“My vehicle suddenly shifted downward, my gas pedal had no effect, my speedometer stopped working and my fuel and tire sensor lights came on. This happened multiple times on my drive this morning and would have caused an accident if I was being tailgated.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2022
“My gear shaft gets stuck in park as if it's not recognizing that the break is getting pressed. It gets stuck for a while. There is no sticky substance that is causing this.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 6 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT" AND 108 "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR (TRS) THAT WAS CALIBRATED OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR REVERSE GEAR.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINTS." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE WELDS ON THE HEAD RESTRAINT SUPPORT BRACKETS FOR THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT-HAND SEAT.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2012 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Expedition by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Ford Expedition reliable?
NHTSA has 118 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2012 Ford Expedition. The most complained-about area is power train (46% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2012 Ford Expedition problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 86,500 miles or less.
Does the 2012 Ford Expedition have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning exterior lighting:back up lights. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.