2020 Ford Expedition Complaints

STRUCTURE — Filed 07/01/2025

Car is equipped with power running boards. Set to come down when the doors are opened on that side, and return up and tucked under when doors on that side are closed. Lately they have been glitching and stuck down, stuck up, or, the most dangerous - go back up under car when door is opened and stepping on to them - children's feet have almost been crushed in them tucking under the car. I have tried overriding the system in the car to make them either stay out or stay in regardless of when the door is opened or closed but it resets when powered off and you can only reselect it when in park the next time. If the power running boards fail to pull up and tuck under the car when the door is closed, you can hear the system trying to lift it over and over while driving. There is no warning when it malfunctions, you have to open the door and just wait a moment to let it decide what to do. Unable to replicate it at a repair shop. System had been reset for a safety recall and then another visit resulted in a drained battery. Both of those temporarily fixed the issue for a few days but then it goes back to the above.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/18/2026

There is frequently a smell of exhaust inside the cabin upon starting the engine before driving. It is concerning that exhaust may be leaking into the cabin leading to potential injuries. The vehicle has not been inspected for this issue specifically but has been through multiple general inspections.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/19/2026

The transmission frequently has harsh and delayed shifting it is concerning that this leads to unsafe conditions while driving as the vehicle is not as responsive as it should be. The transmission has been replaced once and rebuilt three times by the dealer.

POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE — Filed 07/20/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts), 26V368000 (Structure) and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked and stalled and needed to be towed on several occasions. An unknown dealer was initially notified of the failure during an oil change appointment, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had become undrivable and was parked at the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE — Filed 07/20/2026

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V368000 (Structure), 26V402000 (Power Train), 26V344000 (Seat Belts) and 25V197000 (Seat Belts); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that while shifting the transmission into park(P) or drive(D), the vehicle lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

SEAT BELTS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 03/30/2026

We recently purchased a certified pre-owned 2020 Ford Expedition Max Limited with approximately 70,000 miles. Since purchasing the vehicle, it has experienced several issues, particularly with the transmission. Before the transmission was replaced, the dealer attempted to repair it twice but was unable to resolve the problem. After the replacement transmission was installed, the same symptoms returned within one to two weeks, including harsh shifting, shuddering, and harsh engagement when shifting into reverse and park. In addition, the front seat belts and the captain’s chair seat belts have locked up multiple times. I also received a recall notice for the replacement transmission that was installed about a month ago, with an estimated repair timeframe of the second quarter of 2027. There is currently no repair available for the seat belt issue either. There have been no warning lights or messages displayed for any of these problems. I am concerned that these ongoing issues put both my safety and my child’s safety and the public at risk while operating or riding in this vehicle.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS — Filed 06/25/2026

2020 Ford Expedition MAX. Ford issued Safety Recall 26S48 / NHTSA 26V402 confirming a transmission park pawl defect causing potential rollaway and crash risk. Remedy not available until Q2 2027. Vehicle has experienced the exact defect symptoms since at least November 2025 including stuck-in-park diagnostic codes and shifting anomalies. Prior to November 2025 the transmission failed to execute a commanded shift at approximately 65mph while passing another vehicle on an expressway causing sudden unexpected deceleration with family members present — a near-miss consistent with the park pawl defect Ford now confirms. An authorized Ford dealer visit in June 2026 for computer reprogramming included verbal acknowledgment of transmission concerns but no documentation on the repair order. Eight days later Ford issued Recall 26S48. Separately this vehicle has generated over 1,400 Restraints Indicator Lamp Warnings logged in Ford’s own connected vehicle app since at least April 2023. Restraints warnings began within 30 days of purchase at under 400 miles. Ford issued Recall 26S34 / NHTSA 26V344 for Front Seatbelt Retractor inspection on this vehicle. On multiple dealer visits spanning 2021 to 2026 service advisers verbally acknowledged the restraints warning but documented no concern and performed no diagnostic action on repair orders. Ford’s telematics platform received all warnings in real time with no proactive owner notification. Remedy not available for either recall.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 07/01/2026

on July 1st 2026The car violently slammed into park while in traffic. Took the car to the ford dealership the dealership advised me that the " PARKING PAWL" was damaged and was part of Fords recall. There is currently no fix for this recall and nothing they could do. Called Fords customer service they advised no fix and could continue to drive car. The car has since slammed into park while driving in traffic on July 10 And July 11th.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 10/01/2025

Around October/November of 2025 I reached into my center console to grab something only to be sliced open by something sharp. I was driving so I couldn’t immediately investigate- but I had to pull over and deal with the blood gushing from my finger. I thought for sure my husband had left a razor blade or something in there. Upon inspection I couldn’t find anything logical that would have cut me so I was very confused. Then within a month or two I noticed a piece of the chrome bubbled up and went to check it and realized that was what was sharp and had sliced me open.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/28/2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH and accelerating, the vehicle failed to change gears as intended or shut off completely. The "Shift System Failure" warning message was displayed. The contact stated that the failure was recurrent. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402 (Power Train). A dealer was contacted and diagnosed the failure as a power control module fault, but there was no remedy available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.