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2020 Ford Expedition Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 425 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Ford Expedition, most often about the transmission (63% of complaints, typically around 65,500 miles). It is 5th of 27 Expedition model years by number of complaints and has 18 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2020 Ford Expedition problems
Transmission
266 complaints · 63%Half of these problems showed up before 65,500 miles. Parts named most often: automatic transmission.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving between 30-40 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that during the failure, a thud was felt and heard as if the vehicle had been involved in a collision. The contact stated that during one failure, the "shift system…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the rpms increased; however, the vehicle failed to respond and downshifted. The message "transmission fault" was displayed. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated…
Other or unspecified
59 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 3,500 miles.
The vehicle shakes/vibrates when driving over 65mph, gets worse the faster you go. Seems worse in the middle of the vehicle. Took it to Ford dealer we purchased from and they couldn't find an issue, just said its something with the tires or rims. Took it to local Ford dealer and same thing, said it was rims or tires…
While driving on a clear day on the interstate (no other cars around me) the rear portion of the vista panoramic sunroof exploded, sending glass everywhere.
Engine
55 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 94,000 miles. Parts named most often: exhaust system.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the engine with the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle experienced jerking and shuddering while shifting gear with the power train fault message…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that there was an abnormal rattling sound coming from the vehicle at start-up. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with a defective cam phaser. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed…
Seat belts
39 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 66,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the front driver's side seat belt retractor pretensioner independently deployed. The contact stated that there was no crash or any impact to the vehicle to cause the…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at 30 MPH with his wife seated in the front passengerâs seat, the seat belt snapped into the socket of the door and was no longer able to be used. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to expand or release from the…
Electrical
35 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 49,500 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the electrical system in the vehicle unexpectedly shutdown. The vehicle was driven to several dealers where it was diagnosed and determined that the gate module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster displayed a black screen and independently blinked on and off, causing the safety features to become unavailable while operating the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an…
Body and structure
22 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 87,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon entering the rear passengerâs side of the vehicle, the folding seat gap hider panel was missing, leaving a deep hole on the floor, approximately 19 inches deep. The contact believed that was a serious safety concern for a small child. No warning…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the front passengerâs side air conditioning tube was leaking fluid, causing the carpet on the front passengerâs side floor to become wet. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed but the results were not yet available. The…
Speed control
15 complaints · 4%The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated the transmission was slipping while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact stated that on one occasion, while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, the transmission started slipping and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 60 MPH. There were no warning…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle went into limp mode and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and turned off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle…
Visibility and wipers
13 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 43,000 miles. Parts named most often: sun/moon roof assembly, windshield, windshield wiper/washer.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stationary in the driveway after being started remotely, while entering the vehicle, the contact stated that the rear windshield shattered independently. The contact called mainer Ford (1724 234th st nw, okarche, ok 73762, ([phone])…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated the windshield wipers were intermittently inoperable. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to drive from a complete stop at night, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to turn off and was drivable after…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2020 Ford Expedition recalls
Transmission: automatic transmission
Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Body and structure: center console
Risk: Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Engine
Risk: A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: 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. Owner notification letters were mailed october 3, 2025. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's numbers for this recall are 22s36 and 22s48. Vehicle identification numbers (
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles. A short circuit within the battery junction box can cause an engine fire while driving or parked.
Backup camera: software
Risk: A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver. Both of these situations can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Electrical: software
Risk: Inoperative pre-collision assist features that fail to perform as expected can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed june 25, 2025. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25s56.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 expedition and navigator vehicles that were repaired incorrectly under recall 20v262. The pre-collision assist features, such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are not functional due to a software error.
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Equipment: labels
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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."
Seat belts: pretensioner
Risk: Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Equipment: owners/service/other manual
Risk: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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."
Visibility and wipers: linkages
Risk: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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.
Full defect 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.
Backup camera: camera
Risk: Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the rearview camera, free of charge. The recall began november 17, 2020. Remedy became available on february 1, 2021. Owner notification letters were mailed on february 1, 2021. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20c19.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 ford f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, explorer, mustang, transit, expedition, escape, ranger and edge, and lincoln nautilus and corsair vehicles. Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 111, "rear visibility."
Seat belts
Risk: In the event of a crash, the incorrect classification would enable the passenger air bag to deploy instead of disabling it, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seat belt buckle, free of charge. The recall began october 16, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s54.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 expedition vehicles. The seat belt tension sensor may incorrectly classify a child occupant as an adult.
Seats: mid/rear assembly
Risk: An improperly welded headrest bracket may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace it as needed, free of charge. This recall began july 8, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20c12.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 ford expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles. The attachment bracket for the driver's side second-row seat headrest may not have been sufficiently welded to the seat frame. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with federal motor vehicle safety standard number 202, "head restraints."
Driver assistance: automatic emergency braking
Risk: If the driver is unaware that the pre-collision assist feature is not enabled, they may rely on a system that is not functional, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram software for the body control module, antilock braking system, instrument panel cluster and headlamp control modules, and reset the tire pressure monitor system, free of charge. The recall began may 26, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s20.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 ford expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles equipped with camera-only pre-collision assist feature. Vehicles built with the optional radar-plus-camera pre-collision assist system are not affected. Due to incorrect coding of interfacing modules, the pre-collision assist feature is not enabled, and the driver cannot access the menu functions necessary to enable the pre-collision assist feature.
Seat belts
Risk: In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide the intended level of protection, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seatbelt buckle, free of charge. The recall began may 11, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s17.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 expedition vehicles. The front passenger seatbelt buckle's belt tension sensor (bts) may malfunction and may result in the seat occupant being misclassified.
Transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Risk: If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began april 27, 2020. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20s18.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2020 ranger and f-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver.
Seats: mid/rear assembly
Risk: A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and ford and lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began october 21, 2019. Owners may contact ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19c07.
Full defect summary
Ford motor company (ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 f-150 and 2019-2020 f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 super duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 ford explorer, 2019-2020 expedition, and 2020 escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 ford explorer and lincoln aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) numbers 202, "head restraints" and 207, "seating systems."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Seat belt retractor pretensioner inadvertent deployment
Summary
On november 22, 2023, the oï¬ce 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 occupantâs 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
Rearview camera fmvss 111 noncompliance
Summary
On september 23, 2020, ford motor company (ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 cfr part 573 (NHTSA recall no. 20v-575), recalling 620,246 model year (my) 2020 ford f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, explorer, mustang, transit, expedition, escape, ranger and edge, and lincoln nautilus and corsair vehicles for a noncompliance with federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) 111, rear visibility. Ford's recall described the noncompliance as insufficient electrical conductivity within the printed circuit board (pcb) internal to the camera leading to intermittent rearview camera operation. The supplier of the cameras was magna electronics.according to ford's chronology in the par
Questions about the 2020 Ford Expedition
- What are the most common problems with the 2020 Ford Expedition?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: transmission (266 complaints, typically around 65,500 miles); other or unspecified (59 complaints, typically around 3,500 miles); engine (55 complaints, typically around 94,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2020 Ford Expedition have?
- 18 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 24, 2026 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2020 a bad year for the Ford Expedition?
- It is 5th of 27 Expedition model years by number of complaints, with 425 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.