Problems · NHTSA complaints

2016 Ford Expedition problems

Owners filed 217 complaints about the 2016 Ford Expedition with NHTSA between Dec 2015 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is engine (37).

Complaints
217
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
8
Reported by owners
Fires
8
Reported by owners
Injuries
5
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine37
  2. Power train36
  3. Service brakes35
  4. Electrical system33
  5. Vehicle speed control20
  6. Back over prevention19
  7. Service brakes, hydraulic17
  8. Fuel/propulsion system16
  9. Visibility8
  10. Steering5
  11. Air bags5
  12. Equipment5
  13. Visibility/wiper4
  14. Lane departure3

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20151
20166
20177
201823
201923
202027
202120
202222
202328
202416
202523
202621

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

37 reports1 crash2 fires
“The failed components are called "cam phasers." It is a known problem with the Ford 3.5 Ecoboost Engine (that even Ford is aware of). The cam phasers can fail, causing the timing chain to fail at any moment. They rattle upon startup of a cold engine. The failure of the original engineering is causing owners of this vehicle, along with the F150 and others, to have to spend anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 in order to replace these. The problem has been confirmed by the Ford dealer. In order to visually examine the cam phasers, it requires something like 10+ hours to open the engine. You do not receive a warning light to replace cam phasers. It is merely an audio diagnosis. Ford SHOULD BE RESPONSIBLE for replacing these free of charge and replacing them with the newer versions of cam phasers, which apparently don't fail. Driving around with rattling cam phasers can leave you stranded!”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 5, 2026Power train, EngineODI 11715780

Power train

36 reports4 crashes
“My 2016 Expedition has the same 6R80 transmission as the Ford F150, for which there is a recall for the Lead Frame. My wife was driving the vehicle on the highway and the check engine light came on and the vehicle went into "limp mode" causing the vehicle to decelerate to approximately 35 mph. Needless to say, she almost caused several accidents as she tried to move to the shoulder at a very reduced speed. The code was P0715 and P0717 which is the Turbine Shaft Speed Sensor which is part of the lead frame in the transmission. As stated before, there was a recall on this issue with the F150 but not to the Expedition since Ford did not sell as many Expeditions as F150's? I was able to have the lead frame replaced, at my cost, to remedy the situation, however, the fact that this is a known issue with this transmission and only some of the cars with this transmission were recalled is morally wrong. This could have caused a major accident resulting in serious injury or death since Expeditions were not part of the recall.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 26, 2026Power trainODI 11759701

Service brakes

35 reports2 crashes
“When merging on the highway in the rain the vehicle locked up on me and almost killed me. I could have been seriously injured I could not stop the car and it slid along the highway at high speeds . Luckily was able to get to the shoulder”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 2, 2025Service brakesODI 11702577

Electrical system

33 reports3 fires
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the blower motor functioned intermittently, turning on and off unexpectedly. The contact stated that the A/C functioned as intended during the cooler months but was intermittently inoperable in the warmer months, requiring that the wires that were overheating be repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (Visibility, Electrical System); however, the recall repair failed to fix the issue. The dealer was notified of the failure, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle exceeded the 12-month or 3,000-mile limitation. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 27, 2026Electrical system, VisibilityODI 11753086

Vehicle speed control

20 reports1 crash
“Wife driving 2016 Ford Exped with 61000 miles. Was driving on a remote road when the vehicle suddenly lost power and power train fault indicator came on. No cell service and no other traffic so no way to get help. Finally managed to restart which cleared the problem for now. Took the car to a Ford dealer immediately but code reader could find no fault. Dealer, however, said it is a throttle body malfunction and is not uncommon and will happen again. Now concerned about problem occurring on a freeway or other congested roadway. The sudden loss of power and resulting necessity to get off a busy roadway/highway creates a real safety issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 16, 2021Power train, Vehicle speed controlODI 11425086

Back over prevention

19 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera would occasionally display a blank screen, while at other times a "Camera Not Available" warning message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to multiple dealers, where it was diagnosed that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The rearview camera was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the rearview camera failure persisted after an unknown recall repair associated with the failure was performed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 28, 2026Back over preventionODI 11760383
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.