2020 Ford Expedition Complaints

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/30/2026

The little cubby in my car where I keep my phone charger literally sliced the side of my finger open. I was just reaching in there like I normally would, and somehow the edge caught my finger and cut it so badly that it took a piece of the side of my finger off. I never would have imagined something as simple as reaching into the little compartment in my car could cause an injury like that. It happened so quickly, and it honestly caught me completely off guard. Now I’m sitting here with my finger hurting, wondering how something in my own car could be sharp enough to do that much damage!

SEAT BELTS — Filed 09/27/2026

While operating the vehicle, the seatbelt retractor unexpectedly misfired and deployed with explosive force directly adjacent to my left ear. As a military veteran who already manages service-connected tinnitus, the concussive sound—comparable to a gunshot—significantly aggravated my condition, resulting in elevated ringing and heightened health impacts. ​Furthermore, the seatbelt mechanism is now permanently locked in a compromised position. This creates an unsafe driving environment, as it squeezes me tightly against the seat and distances me improperly from the steering wheel. ​This failure has severely impacted multiple aspects of my daily life: ​Professional Impact: My role as a Security Project Manager requires frequent travel between various operational sites. The current condition of the vehicle makes commuting unsafe and directly impedes my ability to perform my job duties. ​Health & Lifestyle: The physical discomfort, combined with the severe aggravation of my pre-existing ear condition and the general disruption to my family's routine, has caused significant distress. ​Following the incident, I contacted Ford frontline support, documented the situation, and received a case number. I was advised to bring this case number to my local Ford service department to secure a courtesy vehicle or loaner. They could not provide loaner and has sent me to Hertz ​As a loyal, repeat Ford customer who has purchased multiple vehicles from the brand. Given the safety implications and the disruption to my work and health, I request immediate assistance regarding a safe, long-term resolution and appropriate temporary transportation. ​

SEAT BELTS — Filed 09/20/2026

Beginning XXX, the vehicle's restraints control module repeatedly warned of a fault with the passenger seatbelt retractor pretensioner circuit, via in-vehicle warning light and Ford app alert. This warning recurred on XXX, and again on XXX, each instructing the owner to contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible. On XXX, the vehicle was brought to Clement Ford in [XXX] for diagnosis. Service technician [XXX] confirmed via text message that the diagnostic codes were secondary codes tied to the open recall for the seatbelt pretensioners, and stated that "the pretensioners have been placed on hold for that recall." The technician advised the owner to wait until the recall remedy was released, have the recall repair completed, and verify the concern was resolved at that time. On XXX, the owner again contacted [XXX], this time in connection with a required state safety inspection for license plate renewal. The vehicle passed the safety inspection. In the same exchange, the owner again asked about the open recall, and [XXX] confirmed in writing: "The seatbelt recall is on hold and can not be done at this moment... nothing can be performed at this time. We are just waiting on Ford to get things going." No interim repair, part replacement, or other remedy was offered or performed on either occasion. On XXX, at approximately 1:40 PM, at 79,000 miles, while driving with the engine on and under normal conditions — no collision or impact event — the front passenger seatbelt retractor pretensioner deployed inadvertently. The deployment produced a loud explosion-like sound and a strong odor resembling gunfire/gunpowder. The belt immediately locked tight across the occupant's chest and would not retract or extend, causing an abrasion injury to their arm. This is the exact failure mode described in NHTSA Recall 26V344: driver and/or front passenger seatbelt retractor INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 02/01/2026

During 2025/early 2026 the chrome peeled up around the center console. We carefully folded it back down, thinking it was just tape. I was cut twice across finger tips during this time. Then we got the recall notice from Ford in June 2026. It seems ridiculous that Ford will take (anticipated) up to 9 months from date of notice to find remedy for this problem. It's clearly a safety hazard. We have been forced more than once to use snippers to trim away peeling edges to prevent further injury.

POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE — Filed 06/26/2026

My name is [XXX] [XXX] and i own a 2020 Ford Expedition Limited Max, there is a recall to inspect transmission recall#26S48/26V402. I contacted Ford dealer and stated there is no fix yet, I asked them what do i do in the meantime, stated i have to wait until Ford figures out the fix. So, in the meantime, we have to continue driving this vehicle with this known issue/safety concern and hope that it does not do it again and cause an accident or god forbid something happen to my family. This is my wife's daily driver with our 4 kids; the vehicle has done this twice where it goes into park while still driving on its own. Luckily both times we were only going about 15MPH, had to turn the vehicle off to be able to turn it back on. This cannot be good for the transmission; the transmission constantly slips i believe as a result now and when i try to accelerate quickly it hesitates. If i wasn't going to be upside down i would trade it in but unfortunately i can not at the moment. I would like to see something done to fix the issues with this vehicle. Aside from this i have had constant AC issues, the center console trim cut my wife's finger, the running boards sometimes come out, it's an ongoing battle with this vehicle. I would for Ford to fix these issues or buy the vehicle back. Please let me know something, rather it be to fix these issues or buy it back, if i don't hear backi will be consulting a lawyer next. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

SEAT BELTS — Filed 08/25/2026

My 13 year old daughter and I were driving home from softball practice, and mid conversation, without warning, it felt like something rammed into us from the side of my car. We were coasting at a cool 40 miles per hour and were winding down after a long day. My daughter yelped that her seatbelt was suffocating her. My mind was racing but I didn't see a vehicle that anywhere that looked like it actually hit us. After further researching the issue, I discovered that the massive boom we felt in my vehicle was most likely the pyrotechnic charge firing inside the seatbelt retractor assembly. My daughter's seatbelt instantly retracted tightly, and my daughter had to unbuckle quickly. I'm glad I was still with it enough not to stop right there because no doubt we would've been hit on the highway, and her sitting there without a seatbelt. We pulled over and inspected our vehicle but no sign of a wreck, confused we googled exactly what had happened and were in shock to find that the seatbelt had deployed like a bomb in our vehicle. The recall has been noted without a remedy on both the dealer's website as well as NHTSA, however, we were never notified by mail. The vehicle was inspected previously, and the dealership noted that it had the recall without communicating with us. This happened without warning, messages, or anything else. My driver side seatbelt did not work effectively like it would if we were indeed in a crash, so I felt like someone wrecked into us and I basically didn't have a seatbelt restraint because the vehicle did not recognize the deployment of the mechanism as a "wreck". My neck down to my back hurts and has continued to be sore from the incident. I have been hit by vehicles before over my lifetime, and this felt much harder than any hits I have encountered.

POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 08/13/2026

I have a 2020 Ford Expedition, , affected by NHTSA recall 26V402. The recalled condition has actually occurred on my vehicle. The vehicle failed to remain in Park and moved in reverse with the driver's door open. It struck a brick mailbox, severely damaged the driver's door, and I was pulled/dragged by the vehicle while my children were inside. This is an actual safety incident involving unintended vehicle movement, property damage, and a potential bodily-injury event." This just occurred and has not yet been inspected.

SEAT BELTS — Filed 07/22/2026

While driving on a public road, the recalled driver's side seatbelt pretensioner (Recall 26S34) spontaneously exploded without a crash. The seatbelt violently locked on my body, causing friction burns and bruising to my skin while the explosion caused hearing loss in my left ear. The vehicle is now un-driveable as the seatbelt no longer works and has been towed to a Ford dealership. The dealership has obtained possession of the vehicle stating it is not safe or legal to drive. We have contacted both the dealership and corporate ford for assistance with alternate transportation and have not been provided with any thus far. We have called 10 different times and visited the dealership in person twice & still no help. Since the incident, I experience high anxiety and stress whenever I am inside a motor vehicle. To add to this, the loss of my vehicle has caused severe logistical distress, disrupting my daily routine, which compounds my daily anxiety. It has been 10 days without any answers, only to be told if we don’t hear anything by mid August to call back and then we can escalate. This is unacceptable.

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,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/27/2026

At highway speed of 70 mph vehicle briefly went into park and shut entire vehicle down, vert traumatized and injured my head from the brief shutdown, could have caused a fatal accident

POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/27/2026

I was driving at highway speeds and parking suddenly engaged forcing vehicle to lose all power. While I was able to get the vehicle off the road it could have ended much worse. Ford recognizes this as a recall but because it it is not officially active they will not fix it unless I pay for it. Manufacturer Recall Number26S48 NHTSA Recall Number26V402

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 12/31/1969

The center console metal trim has peeled and left a razer sharp edge. I cut my finger really bad. Had to keep it bandaged over a week. I cannot seem to remove the sharp edges. I had to put a piece of duck tape over it to prevent getting cut again. It looks terrible. I have been driving around with the duck tape over the center console for 9 months. Please let me know when there is a repair available. Unsafe and embarrassing to drive around with. I cant reach into cup holder. The sharp edge below may get caught on my skin. Its impossible to completely cover the sharp edge. I taped over top. Its feels like a razer blade. The surrounding area has stickiness on it from duck tape. Cant do anything about that. This is the smallest amount of duck tape I can go, without completely bothering me to look at daily.

SEAT BELTS — Filed 03/12/2026

While I the vehicle was on, the seat belt malfunctioned. The issue appears to be the same one described in the recall. During the incident, the belt tightened / locked unexpectedly and caused significant pressure to my chest. Since then I’ve been experiencing chest pain. The air bag light in the car is now on.

AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — Filed 10/02/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000(Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while his wife was driving approximately 40 MPH, the front driver’s side seat belt retracted and tightened unexpectedly, and then detached. Additionally, the front driver’s side air bag deployed unexpectedly. The contact’s wife sustained bruises and a head injury; however, no medical assistance had been received. The insurance company assisted in towing the vehicle to the dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer related the failure to the recall and confirmed that the recall parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but was unable to confirm when the parts would be available. The contact also stated that no loaner vehicle was provided. The contact expressed concerns that the failure posed a serious risk of injury to the vehicle occupants. The failure mileage was approximately 46,000.

SEAT BELTS — Filed 09/21/2025

I was parked sitting with my babies in the car and my mom in the passenger seat. I heard an explosion and felt like I had been shot or electrocuted. I was dazed and didnt know what happened. The sound was traumatizing. I rushed to get everyone out of the car. My neck and head were hurting and had friction type burn from the seatbelt. Called 911 and they sent the fire department to make sure no explosives were in the car. They thought it was the seatbelt. Went to urgent care. No warning lights were on. Happened out of the blue. I can’t even imagine how this would have affected someone driving or an elderly person. Extremely dangerous. Terrifying

SEAT BELTS — Filed 08/22/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, there was a loud pop, and smelled a burning odor inside the cabin of the vehicle, and the contact’s child cried out in pain, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. Upon inspection, the contact observed that the front passenger’s side seat belt had tightened excessively and locked, causing a small cut on the child’s chest. The air bag warnig light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the seat belt locking mechanism. The vehicle was not repaired due to the recall being a "Advance Notice Recall" which was not yet an official recall, and the contact would have to pay out of pocket for the repairs. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V197000 (Seat Belts). The VIN was included, but parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 08/19/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger’s side air bag deployed unexpectedly. The contact stated that his twelve-year-old daughter was seated in the front passenger’s side seat during the failure. The daughter sustained a seat belt injury to the neck. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the unintended deployment of the passenger’s side air bag was confirmed. The contact was informed that the air bag needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that there was no recall coverage for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,682.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 10/13/2024

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.

AIR BAGS — Filed 07/25/2024

I was in a head on collision and my airbags did not deploy but my glove box separated from my dash by about 2 inches looking as if they tried to deploy

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 01/07/2024

My check charging system light came on at a drive thru and the truck put itself in park and shut off. I tried to start it back up and wouldn’t start but the starter keep trying which lead to an electrical fire and the only way to get it to stop was to disconnect the battery. I was not even able to get the truck in neutral to push it out of the way. Even following the steps that it says by pressing both the brake and gas pedal and moving the knob. It would just go back in park. I had to have a tow truck to come remove my truck out of the drive thru is was blocking. My concern is that if this happened in a garage while using the remote start, it could’ve completely caught fire had not, I’ve been paying attention.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE — Filed 10/21/2023

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.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/03/2023

Transmission slams into gear, lacks power, has put itself into park at 55mph. Was replaced by Ford and 1,400 miles later it blew up. 2.5 hours into a 9 hour road trip the transmission started leaking and hitting the exhaust pipe and caused the fluid to flare as it hit the hot exhaust. Vehicle filled with caustic smoke and odor. Put my family (with small children) in a very dangerous situation on interstate 64 on the side of Afton Mountain. Out of the 6 months I have owned this vehicle it has been at the Ford dealership 4.5 months while they try to figure it out. Spoke to Ford Corporate the next business day and they put in a request for the Ford Buy Back as it has been in the shop so many times for the same issue.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS — Filed 05/14/2023

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving in the rain at 50 MPH, a vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into both the contact's vehicle and another vehicle. The contact stated that air bags did not deploy , the seat belts did not lock and no warning lights appeared upon impact. The contact and her daughter both sustained a headache and other aches to their neck and shoulders. A police report was filed. Despite the failure, the contact managed to drive the vehicle back home despite front end damage to the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were both notified of the failure and both referred her to the NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 53,000.

AIR BAGS — Filed 09/19/2022

I was traveling on the interstate when I was slowing down to get off an exit, got struck from behind at more than 80mph and rear ended a semi trailer that released the emergency brakes of his truck abruptly..my airbags did not deploy. suffered multiple lacerations through my body because of this double impact.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 08/05/2022

Driving on a 4-lane highway when a box truck directly ahead stopped quickly due to a stopped car ahead of it. The forward collision warning flashed and beeped, but when forcefully applying the brakes, the brake pedal only pulsed (like anti-lock brakes) but didn't slow the car even enough for the driver or passenger to feel any inertia moving forward in their seats or with their heads. The automatic emergency braking also didn't work, leading to a rear-end collision forceful enough to push the box truck into the car in front of it, apparently injuring the driver of the front car who was transferred by emergency personnel to a nearby hospital to seek medical evaluation/assistance. After impact, a message appeared on the dash stating "Pre-collision assist not available", but the forward collision warning worked, there was no prior warning of issues for the pre-collision assist, and the warning message was after impact, which significantly damaged the front portions of the vehicle (estimated damages exceed $24,000). There was a recall for the same model and year of this vehicle for pre-collision assist features/software not working properly, but it either didn't apply to this specific vehicle or was already addressed by the dealer, and the details aren't quite the same as what was experienced in this collision.