2020 FORD EXPEDITION Engine Problems

The SUV was driving smoothly at 55mph speed, suddenly I hit the break and tried to reaccelerate and felt a hard transmission shift, felt like metal hitting metal, felt like it was forced to shift to drive mode from parking mode. After that I started using 93 octane rated gasoline, do not observe the problem too much. I will really scary and unsafe, the whole SUV shook hard for 2sec.

Recall issue with Catalytic converters causing check engine light to come on. I took in for recall to reset check engine light. Repair did not do anything to vehicle as check engine light comes on for a few days and goes away for a few days and the cycle repeats up until this day it continues to happen. When they did the reset Ford let me know that they reset the check engine issue for recall but I would have to pay about $5k for getting new converters if I wanted to because light would still be one since it was diagnosed that converters were bad.

Ongoing problem already had 2 repairs done to transmission. Gears o not shift properly when the gears go from 3-4 and 6-7. If I am not careful when I press on the gas and try to accelerate it does not shift gears and gets stuck on and my truck will not move more than 5-10 mph while I am trying to get on the highway at times with trailers coming full speed ahead behind me. I have reported this issue many times. There has been no remedy. The gears get stuck and make a jerking motion and movement causing truck to slow and barely move. It is not just a one time thing so I cant give a specific date as it happens often.

We own a Ford Expedition 2020. In 2023, we started noticing jerky, harsh, and aggressive “slips” when the vehicle was trying to change gears - upon multiple occasions. But, in 2024, we experienced three, major, different instances - all were extremely scary and it was miraculous they didn’t cause accidents, car pile ups, or worse! The first instance, the vehicle jerked and sputtered just as I was pulling out into a busy intersection. I thought it was going to die in the middle of the road. The second instance, several weeks later, it happened, again, as our family was driving in pouring rain down the interstate; it jerked so hard it felt like we hit a small wall. The third and final instance, we were on our way to vacation - 9 hours away with our family. It sputtered, jerked, and laid in 1st gear. Thank God, we were right at a hotel and able to pull in. We found a local mechanic to take the Expedition in and begin work on it. He was so kind to loan us his car to take on to PA to the Sight & Sound Theater so we wouldn’t lose our money on the tickets. We ended up losing 2 full days of our 4 day vacation; had to rent a vehicle to drive back home; and left our Expedition in VA for 6 weeks while they rebuilt a transmission and cleaned the catalytic converter. $12,160 to the mechanic + $1000 in car rentals. Here we are, now in August 2025, and there’s been a recall on the Powertrain Control Module and that’s being replaced. Lo, and behold, what does the PCM do? It acts as the vehicle’s main computer, managing and controlling various engine and TRANSMISSION functions (adjusting engine parameters like fuel injection, ignition timing, and transmission shift points) - imagine that!

On several occasions the engine has slipped/stalled. Vehicle has only 27k miles on it, single owner. When moving from a stoplight the engine "slipped", all lights came on "service alert" or something similar. Vehicle recovered but I am very uneasy as I am a [XXX] female usually [XXX] and often on a very busy section of [XXX]. (This has occurred multiple times) When increasing speed, as to pass a vehicle or otherwise, vehicle is unresponsive or lags. To be clear this happens at speeds of 40-50 mph. It is unpredictable when this will occur nor why. I will likely sell this vehicle due to this safety issue. I spoke with a service rep at the local ford dealership who was able to look into the vehicle computer remotely but there was no record of the "Alert" or otherwise. I took the vehicle to my local mechanic who drove it and was able to replicate the danger/slipping. I was advised to do "zip code" driving only. I believe this "engine slipping" is related to the Recall just issued except the 2020 Ford Expedition is not included in this recall. Others have noted this issue as well with NHTSA. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The transmission is consistently hesitating to switch gears, very jerky gear shift, and will sometimes completely fall out of gear. You could so easily lose control if this happened on the highway. Thank goodness we weren’t on a busy street. This isn’t the first reporting according to a simple search online and there should be a recall for safety reasons. This could be life or death for someone driving on the highway.

Transmission has extremely hard downshifting which has required the tea be replaced. Vehicle will downshift so hard it feels like you have been rear ended. Vehicle has to be put into neutral and then back into drive. This is very hazardous.

This suv has 10 speed transmission that has faulty harsh shifting hesitation, acceleration problem when shifting on highway or in situations when you need to slow down and or accelerate. This has happened many times while trying to get on the highway and switching lanes. I have almost been run over because it stalled someone is going to get killed. I have had the Powertrain control module pcm reprogramed twice and it keeps happening. Ford is aware of this. They need to get this trucks off of the road!

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 the contact that there were no recalls on the vehicle for the failure and a case was filed. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Mileage: 97,000

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred, and the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact returned the vehicle to the same dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a hose on the transmission had not been installed correctly. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred two more times, and the vehicle was returned to the same dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Mileage: 99,000

While driving on a highway at approximately 70mph, attempted to pass a slower vehicle. I accelerated and the vehicle dropped down in gear, started shuddering, lost power and the MIL light started flashing. I pulled to the side of the road and the vehicle shifted into another gear and seemed to operate normally. Vehicle is currently at the Ford dealership, where they say that I need a new transmission, due to the CDF drum failure.

On Monday, December 16, 2024 I brought my vehicle in for diagnostic services due to a 'metal on metal' noise causing a vibration in the gas pedal, and loss of power when vehicle reached 2000 rpms. This vehicle is hazardous to drive and leaves the vehicle behind me without any indication that my vehicle is experiencing a loss of power and is slowing down abruptly. The vehicle began hard shifting at approximately 30-40k miles, and the dealership stated they were unable to duplicate the problem and did not document my complaint during my inquiry at oil changes. Although there is a technical service bulletin to address this concern, as an individual with Master of Science in Engineering Management educated in Safety, and currently serving as a volunteer of the Federal Aviation Administration Safety Team, I am requesting a thorough investigation of the vehicle's performance in this current condition as well as any other previous vehicle crashes that may have occurred as a result of this issue.

Frequently when driving my 2020 Ford Expedition max the transmission slips out of gear causing it to go into neutral and put me in a position when i am unable to accelerate my vehicle. This happens mostly on the freeway when we are driving 65 MPH and greatly endangers the safety of my family. Reading several on-line forums indicates this is a common problem and should be fixed via a recall. Also, my dashboard viewing screen often turns black for no reason when using or simply does not turn on.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 70-75 MPH, the transmission was shifting hard and unintendedly shifted to various gears continuously. The power train warning light was illuminated. The message "Power Train - Engine Failure - See Owner’s Manual" was displayed. Additionally, there was an abnormally loud sound coming from the transmission assembly. The message "Reduced Engine Power“ was displayed, and the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The temperature gauge displayed 285 degrees. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The contact was able to continue driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission yoke was replaced; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The vehicle was taken to Red McCombs Ford (8333 I-10, San Antonio, TX 78230) and to Griffith Ford Seguin (1880 I-10, Seguin, TX 78155); where the transmission was replaced and rebuilt several times; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the transmission was shifting hard and was continuously shifting from high gear to low gear. The check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Another driver honked and drew the contact's attention. The contact noticed a trail of white smoke and that there was smoke coming from the engine bay. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road and allowed the vehicle to cool down. The vehicle was taken back to the first dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could no longer assist in covering the cost of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

Mileage: 20,000

I was driving 70mph when suddenly a red alert on the dashboard said coolant alert 402 degrees the car was not heating up at all before that. I pulled to the side of the road right away. Smoke started coming out trunk ran and in less than 2 minutes the car was on fire.

I read that there is a recall on 2021/2022 Fords with Eco Boost but not the 2020. I have had my vehicle into the dealership multiple times due to misfires and loss of all power which has almost caused multiple accidents on the interstate. I accelerate to get into the left lane and lose all power and do not get power back until my vehicle decelerates down to around 40 mph/or a lower gear, causing semi’s and other vehicles to have to slam on their brakes so that they do no run into the back of me. It idles very roughly and overall has been the worst vehicle mechanically that I have ever owned. The dealerships always say they cannot find anything wrong with it or cannot reproduce it but it happens on a daily basis and keeps getting worse. I have had the transmission updated, changed the cool packs, and changed the plugs which has not helped at all. I want to know why the 2020 Expedition is not included in this recall? This is the most expensive vehicle I have ever purchased and I would expect it to run smoothly with no issues and I am very disappointed. Not only disappointed in the vehicle, but in Ford itself for not acknowledging this issue. I have read many complaints from other customers experiencing the same issues and unable to find a fix for it. I would like some answers and for Ford to make things right with my Expedition. I am not able to trade it in or sell it due to having all the issues that it has and frankly I’m not sure I trust Ford anymore or if I’ll ever buy a Ford product again and we have been faithful Ford owners for years. Thank you for your time and I’ll be looking forward to hearing back from you soon regarding this issue. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On multiple occasions, our car has lurched out of gear going at fast speeds on the highway. It slips out of gear and the car shakes and then it lunges back into gear. On a few occasions, the gas pedal was also inoperable while the car was "finding the right gear". This has been extremely scary for my family when this has happened. The first time we took it to the dealership and they reprogrammed the transmission. Then, it happened again about 6 weeks after the fix, and this time the transmission valve had to be replaced.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle briefly jerked and hesitated, prompting thee contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The service engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. 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 105,000.

Mileage: 105,000

Less than 74,000 miles and coolant hoses split. According to service department they have had an increase in hoses rupturing indicating a fault in the hoses.

Hard shifting, and loss of sudden power while traveling. Recently purchased. No recalls yet. But having same issue's stayed on law site filed. vehicle lost power while accelerating to merge onto freeways or cross busy intersections.

Incident happens every 1k miles or more. Car is in motion driving. Press down on throttle and transmission drops to 1st gear. A bunch clicking and thumping sounds are heard. Car doesnt accelerate(can be at 70mph), starts to slow quickly until gears change. Also 4H is jerky as well as sport mode. Very unsafe to be traveling on the highway trying to overtake a vehicle and then your car fails.

I've taken my car in for over a year multiple times for the same issue. When driving the car will jerk almost as if I've hit a car and power goes down. Many times it fails to go when accelerating after this has happened. The movement of the car is worrisome and the loud noise made can be heard out the car. When this happens the steering locks up and makes it hard to turn along with the power going out. I've been told on each occasion that nothing can be found. It never throws a code, this past weekend while traveling it threw a code TSB #23-2249

The vehicle jerks when you accelerate and begins driving.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil pressure warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with failed front cover seals and an oil leak with metal shavings in the cylinder. The contact stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred in July 2023 and the front cover seals failed and were replaced under warranty. The contact stated that the vehicle then had a coolant leak, and the coolant hose was replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to report the failure to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.

Mileage: 110,000

Already submitted 2 prior complaints regrading Transmission/Engine NHTSA ID 11583360. Vehicle transmission failure. Vehicle is at Ford Dealership for repairs. Safety risk involved risk of accident. Problem has been reproduced and confirmed by Ford service advisor. Vehicle is currently at dealership waiting on repairs to be made. It has been inspected by extended warranty advisors and approved for repair. Vehicle does give any warning when engine/transmission failure occurs. This has been documented since I bought the vehicle in Sept. 2022 with the dealership. This is the 3rd or 4th time it has gone into be checked finally when it happened and dealership was able to reproduce they stated that transmission needs to be rebuilt or new one needs to be installed. Since warranty did not want to cover new transmission they are going to rebuilt it. Before this instance they said it was because transmission failure due to having some sensor reset which did not work.

Timeline of Recent Issues and Service Dates: Date Repair Order Date Invoiced and Picked Up Mileage Issues [XXX] [XXX] 21,735 Oil Change; Transmission; Sunroof; Gas Gauge; Door Seal; Power Running Boards; Park Assist [XXX] [XXX] 30,081 Safety Recall; Power Running Boards; Transmission [XXX] [XXX] 33,909 Wipers, Power Running Boards; Transmission [XXX] [XXX] 35,695 Internal Vent and Control Module; Rear Wiper Blade [XXX] [XXX] 43,912 Transmission [XXX] [XXX] 49,144 Oil Change; Check Up Transmission; Rear Brakes [XXX] Present 49,371 Emergency Break Down Mountains- Powertrain and Electrical Issues [XXX] Routine maintenance service at Mark Ficken Ford, including an oil change, tire rotation, and rear brake work. Video documentation confirming the vehicle's good working order post-service. [XXX]: Vehicle experiences severe issues while on a family trip, including shaking, flashing check engine light, and loss of power in the gas. Attempted restart at BP Station after a 20-minute break; vehicle runs smoothly. Decided to drive to the nearest Ford Dealer for further inspection. Recurrence of issues, leading to the vehicle shaking, stalling, and eventually dying [XXX]. [XXX] Vehicle towed to Asheville Ford for repairs. Contradictory issues identified by Asheville Ford, with additional services recommended. Repairs completed on [XXX]. [XXX]: Vehicle retrieved from Asheville Ford, exhibiting new issues such as delayed engine start, increased engine noise, rough running, and sporadic electronic malfunctions. Video evidence documenting the observed issues. Due to the ongoing and unresolved nature of the issues, the vehicle was dropped off at the Mark Ficken Ford dealership after hours on the [XXX], and keys were securely deposited in the night box, and I Ubered home. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? NOT SURE. THERE IS ISSUES WITH THE AUTO STOP/START WHILE VEHICLE IS STOPPED. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? THE ISSUE HAS CAUSED THE VEHILE ENGINE TO SHUT OFF COMPLETELY. THIS HAS OCCURED WHILE STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN, BUT ALSO WHILE TAKING OFF FROM A STOP LIGHT THAT HAD TURNED GREEN. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? NO Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? AUTO STOP/START LIGHT, BATTERY LIGHT, ENGINE LIGHT ALL ILLUMINATE WHEN THIS OCCURS

Traveling on the highway I lost all acceleration, the gas pedal wasn’t functional and the vehicle begins to quickly decelerate, then it corrects itself and accelerates quickly. It has done this a few times already.

Transmission is slipping & failing. Why is this happening on a vehicle that is 4 years old

While I am driving, or stopping to turn or at the red light the engine turned off completely, and a warning signs will display telling me to restart my car again, it is very scary abd dangerous. It happens 3 times so far where I have to turn on my warning flash lights, so cars behind me could pass me or wait until I restart and drive again. It happens with no warning

The transmission jumps when putting it in park or reverse or when driving and switching gears. This is a well known issue with this vehicle. Ford has done nothing to correct it. It’s a safety issue as I went to Pass and my car stalled on the highway and did not switch gears. I do not feel to be responsible for paying for a repair that is happening everywhere.

I purchased this vehicle used, I started having transmission issues here and there and now it's more frequent. I travel from Houston tx to Katy Texas weekly and travel on I-10, the most dangerous road in Houston with my 9 year old daughter and 2 year old son. There have been several times where I was almost rear ended because the vehicle shifted gears and when I would push the accelerator the vehicle would do nothing and just glided. Yesterday traveling to Katy, it happened again but only this time the vehicle didn't shift back into gear for a longer period of time and again almost causing us to get rear ended. I have taken my vehicle to Ford only to tell me that they test drive it and nothing happened so they were not able to fix anything. I have read several complaints about this issue with the 10 speed transmission but nothing is being done about it. This is supposed to be a safe family vehicle on the road but instead it's a DEATH trap waiting to happen. Please, please, please look into Ford being held responsible for this issue that should be fixed. Thank you for your help.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 10 MPH, the vehicle shuddered with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred while the vehicle was idling. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where diagnostic codes: P0011, P0012 and P0016 were retrieved. The dealer determined that the crankshaft chain was stretched and needed to be replaced in bank #1 and bank #2, along with the pretensioners and phasers. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 98,800.

Mileage: 98,000

The transmission keeps slipping while driving. It has been happening for over 6 months. Continuous visits to FORD and they are unable to find the problem. Now, we noticed our transmission temperature is rising to 240 degrees.

Transmission slip in 4A and above gear 4 at speed..hesitation at speed accelerating inconsistent, clunking/jerking from park to reverse when parked. 22’s have lawsuit…don’t understand why 20’s aren’t included. Need recall

I was sitting at the kitchen table with my children doing some painting projects for Halloween and my car started smoking, my alarms started going off and within a matter of minutes my car was completely engulfed in flames, I grabbed my kids and ran outside as the car was close to our house and we then called 911. By the time the fire department arrived the car was a complete loss, and my house has sustained minor damages.

While I was driving (in drive) down a busy street, my car suddenly turned off. It was raining at the time, and I managed to coast to the side of the road and turn it back on.

We were driving on the highway and attempting to change lane when the engine ceased to work properly, the vehicle would not excelerate and a indicator with a crowbar came on. As we begin to steer toward the shoulder of the road we narrowly avoided getting hit by cars behind us. The car then begin to work again. We took it to the dealer who ran a diagnostic and stated there is no problem but the vehicle periodically does this and so our use of it is limited as we are afraid it could cause a fatal accident. The dealer did not inspect any of the vehicles parts and no warning indicator was present prior to the car shutting off. Our vehicle has the V6 turbocharged engine just like the Ford F150.

The transmission frequently hesitates or fails to engage gears when changing speeds. Sometimes the vehicle will fail to engage when increasing speeds on the highway to pass another vehicle and go into a neutral state momentarily causing the vehicle to drastically lose speed. This can happen anytime even when going at slower speeds. FORD has assessed the problem and knows that 1,000s of people are experiencing these very dangerous situations but do not have a solution for the problem. This defect could result in a catastrophic event. FORD should recall these vehicles and compensate customers until a solution to this major flaw is found. This has been happening over the last 6 months of driving. Countless number of incidents.

Shifting of the gears when going from 1 through 10. Hard shifts between 2-5. Skipping 2 and 5 gear sometimes. Will not shift smooth between 7-8 sometimes. Starting grinding for no reason. RPM's will shout up and not catch a gear. Engine temperature has been running at over 220+ and it grinds when its at 223+ degrees. Powertrain issues of no power. Have taken to 2 ford dealers. One said that they would have to get into transmission to find problem. Other one said that the it would need a new transmission, as it had metal in it. I do not have receipts in front of me right now but can get them if needed.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power and stalled, but independently regained motive power. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times however, the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

Mileage: 86,000

Twice I have gone to accelerate and have no power. It shoots the vehicle into a fault and creates a high rpm and feels like it’s missing gears or that it didn’t shift. Both times have been close to getting us killed. Just a matter of seconds of getting hit by a semi. The other time it did it when turning through a stop light with a car coming head on. I believe it has to do with the transmission, but they don’t find anything wrong with it when they do a diagnostic. My life matters and so does everyone else that is in a vehicle. Please issue a recall on the 2020 ford expeditions to help find out why this happens.

On an express way on multiple occasions when I’ve tried to accelerate, the transmission disengaged completely. I was moving in traffic going 70-85 mph with no power to accelerate or maintain speed until the rpm hit 1000 and speed dropped below 45mph. Other times when going from park to drive or reverse the car will “clunk” and jerk like i was driving a stick shift and missed the mesh point to get into gear.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at 10-20 MPH a week after purchasing the vehicle brand new, the vehicle started jerking. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact continued driving. However, the failure recurred while driving the entire day. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was normal as she had just started driving vehicle. The failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer twice where it was diagnosed that no issues were found. Additionally, the contact stated that there was steam coming through the AC vents. The contact also stated that the check engine warning light illuminated, indicating that the catalytic converter was damaged. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the battery needed to be replaced. However, after the battery replacement, the vehicle shut off while driving and coming to a complete stop. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. However, the failure reoccurred while driving in the highway. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and veered to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle was lacking unknown computer chips. Additionally, the dealer diagnosed that the transmission, the AC coil and the catalytic converter had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown.

Mileage: 15,000

Can be driving on freeway at 70 mph and all of sudden vehicle stalls or transmission begins to slip or stall. Make this grinding clinking sound.all lights on dash light up. Nearly caused a crash . Vehicle jerks and jumps back into gear and then takes off again. Will also do this at even 35 mph too. This has happened numerous times. We have taken it in to Ford and they can’t find anything wrong with it

At least 5 different times while driving I go to push the accelerator and the gear seems to slip and an awful sound like gears grinding is heard. I always feel like my transmission is going to fall out from under the car. It prohibits the car from moving and I have almost been hit from behind because I cannot accelerate at the time. It has happened on the freeway, in town driving, and even accelerating up my driveway. I have taken it to a Ford dealership but no answers.