Problems · NHTSA complaints
2023 Ford Expedition problems
Owners filed 65 complaints about the 2023 Ford Expedition with NHTSA between Apr 2023 and Sep 2026. The most-cited component is electrical system (17).
Complaints
65
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
5
Reported by owners
Fires
4
Reported by owners
Injuries
7
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
Complaints by component
One complaint can cite several components
- Electrical system17
- Power train11
- Engine6
- Visibility6
- Vehicle speed control6
- Service brakes5
- Structure4
- Forward collision avoidance4
- Fuel/propulsion system3
- Suspension3
- Steering2
- Lane departure2
- Seat belts2
- Air bags1
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
When complaints were filed
Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
9
19
20
17
View as table
| Model year | Complaints filed per calendar year |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 19 |
| 2025 | 20 |
| 2026 | 17 |
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.
Top problems in owners’ words
Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
Electrical system
17 reports1 crash1 fire1 related recall
“A few months ago, I noticed there was a delay in the power running board on the drivers side. The passenger side running board came up but the drivers side would only come up after driving for a minute. Now, the drivers side does not come up, without assistance. The motor still moves. It be gins to come up, rising about an inch before immediately going back down, as if something is blocking it. It has been cleaned, free of debris, and lubricated and the issue continues. We got it back in manually, and turned them off for about a week, we continue to try, as we read things on the ford forums but no avail. The worst part is it seems like it doesn’t go all the way in, I tripped getting out of the car and hurt my knee because of this issue. It has been confirmed as a “known issue” with many dealers. And has been replicated. Their suggestion was to get rid of the power boards, but I paid for a vehicle with power boards and I want them to work. There was no system notification on the ford app nor on the car.”
Power train
11 reports1 crash1 related recall
“Driving on highway, tried to accelerate, the car was acting like it was in neutral and would not accelerate. Checked to ensure I was not. the car began decelerating and I started to pull over. As I entered the brake down lane - the car automatically switched to park jarring the car to a stop. The dashboard provided the following fault "shift system fault service required" Tried shifting to drive, neutral, reverse and each time it would shift back to park and give me the warning. Had to have the car towed. The dealership is very vague on the root cause of the issue saying i need a new transmission. I specifically asked if the root cause was the CDF drum issue but they will tell me why the failure happened. Still waiting for my car to be repaired.”
Engine
6 reports2 fires
“On May 16, 2026, my 2023 Ford Expedition with 6,197 miles caught fire while I was driving home from work. I smelled smoke inside the cabin, and within moments smoke began coming through the air vents. I pulled over and exited the vehicle. When I got out, I saw the engine compartment was on fire and heavy smoke was coming from under the hood. As I moved away from the vehicle, there were multiple loud pops and bangs coming from the engine area. Police and fire crews responded and extinguished the fire, but the vehicle is a total loss. This was a nearly new vehicle with very low mileage. I believe this was caused by a manufacturing defect. Ford previously settled a class‑action lawsuit involving 2021 Expeditions with engine fire issues, which suggests this problem has not been fully resolved. I am reporting this incident because it is a serious safety hazard and could have resulted in injury or death.”
Visibility
6 reports1 related recall
“The contact owns a 2023 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver’s and passenger’s side electric mirrors could not be adjusted from the front driver’s door main switch. Additionally, the windows failed to roll up and to roll down while using the front driver’s door main switch. The contact stated that while in a parking garage, the front driver’s side window failed to roll down, and the driver was unable to immediately insert the parking garage ticket to exit the garage. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the front driver’s door main switch module, but the failure later reoccurred. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was 21,000.”
Vehicle speed control
6 reports3 crashes
“The contact owned a 2023 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while his wife was occupying the vehicle at the residence and attempting to park in the drive postion, the vehicle independently accelerated and crashed into the garage wall, causing damage to the garage wall, refrigerator, and storage cabinet. The brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle was in full throttle and failed to stop. No warning light was illuminated. During the failure, the contact's wife was the only occupant inside the vehicle. In addition, the display screen went blank. The contact's wife had not sustained an injury, and no medical attention was needed. No police report was filed. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 38,000.”
Service brakes
5 reports
“While driving the ABS system failure warning along with 2 other system warnings come on and brakes fall to the floor. My Ford expedition is experiencing the same catastrophic electronic brake booster failure as recall 25S77. The dealer updated the software and the problem continued. Its back at the dealership after happening an additional 4 time and I'm being told it $2500 to replace the electronic brake booster. My VIN is not on the recall but in experiencing the exact life-threatening system failure.”
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.