Ford / Expedition / 2012
Family: Expedition · filed with NHTSA as EXPEDITION
Owner report While exiting the freeway at approximately 45 to 50 mph, the transmission downshifted to 1st gear locking up the tires.
Owner report Over a period of time this problem is occurring more often. The vehicle will downshift into first gear. I pull over check engine light is on. I turn off wait turn back on and no problem for awhile. Within the last month this has occurred many times . Each time the check engine light comes on but also now the advance tr…
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED AND WENT BLANK WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER (JOHNSON BROTHERS FORD LINCOLN, 7455 SOUTH GENERAL BRUCE DR, TEMPLE, TX 75505) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE MOLAR LEAD FRAME NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. …
Owner report OUR 2012 EXPEDITION SPEEDOMETER HAS REPEATEDLY DROPPED TO ZERO AND STOPPED FUNCTIONING WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. WE BOUGHT THE TRUCK LAST MONTH AS A FORD CERTIFIED VEHICLE. IT HAS 30K ORIGINAL MILES. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE. WE HAVE ALSO SUBMITTED A COMPLAINT REGARDING INTERMITTENT LOSS OF TRANSMISSION OUT…
Owner report The speedometer will quit working and the vehicle will not shift out of 1st gear, if you can work through it it will start throwing error messages such as zero miles to empty, tire moniter system fault, etc. This is a very dangerous situation especially in high traffic areas. There was a customer satisfaction program…
Owner report TL* THE CONTACT OWNS 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH AND ATTEMPTING TO ENGAGE THE BRAKES, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON A DIFFERENT OCCASION BUT SINCE SHE WAS NOT DRIVING THERE WAS A SUDDEN INCREASE IN ENGINES RPMS. TH…
4% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.
To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.
| Model year | All complaints | First three years | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 215 | 67 | |
| 2008 | 146 | 36 | not compared |
| 2009 | 28 | 7 | not compared |
| 2010 | 58 | 23 | not compared |
| 2011 | 71 | 22 | not compared |
| 2012 | 118 | 14 | not compared |
| 2013 | 92 | 16 | not compared |
| 2014 | 72 | 6 | not compared |
| 2015 | 164 | 38 | not compared |
| 2016 | 217 | 37 | not compared |
| 2017 | 358 | 41 | not compared |
Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Defect: FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT" AND 108 "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR (TRS) THAT WAS CALIBRATED OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR REVERSE GEAR.
Risk: IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE "R" POSITION AND THE VEHICLE’S TRANSMISSION DOES GO IN REVERSE, THE "R" MAY NOT ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, OR NAVIGATOR MODELS AND/OR THE BACKUP LAMP ON THE REAR OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, NAVIGATOR, OR MUSTANG VEHICLES MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. THESE CONDITIONS INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR A PEDESTRIAN BEING STRUCK DUE TO THE VEHICLE’S NOT SIGNALING IT IS IN REVERSE.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
Defect: FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINTS." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE WELDS ON THE HEAD RESTRAINT SUPPORT BRACKETS FOR THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT-HAND SEAT.
Risk: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT HEAD RESTRAINT MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.
Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
| Action | Component | Opened | Closed | Recall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RQ17010 | POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM) | 2017-12-25 | 2019-10-22 | 19V075000 |
RQ17010: Unexpected Transmission Downshift
| Version | Engine | Transmission | Drive | City | Hwy | Combined | Fuel cost / yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition 2WD FFV | 5.4L 8cyl FFV | Automatic 6-spd | Rear-Wheel Drive | 14 | 20 | 16 | $3900 |
| Expedition 4WD FFV | 5.4L 8cyl FFV | Automatic 6-spd | Part-time 4-Wheel Drive | 13 | 18 | 15 | $4150 |
Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.
| Variant | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 Ford Expedition EXTENDED SUV 4x4 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| 2012 Ford Expedition EXTENDED SUV 4x2 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
| 2012 Ford Expedition SUV 4x4 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★★☆ |
| 2012 Ford Expedition SUV 4x2 | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★☆ | ★★★★★ | ★★★☆☆ |
Ford issued 64 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about power train.
A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.
| Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-04-29 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Harvest Program 25H05 – Supplement #1 Certain 2011-2021 Model Year Vehicles Software Verification Harvest Program |
| 2026-02-24 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access… |
| 2025-11-19 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | This is a proactive investigation program by Ford Motor Company to inspect a limited number of affected vehicles that are customer-owned. Ford is voluntarily conducting this program to evaluate the software currently installed on one or m… |
| 2024-10-10 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. … |
| 2024-07-24 | WHEELS | This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable steps by vehicle application. Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhib… |
| 2024-04-24 | EQUIPMENT | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini… |
| 2023-04-04 | STRUCTURE | For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle identification numbe… |
| 2022-06-21 | POWER TRAIN | Some 2003-2020 Expedition/Navigator and 2006-2020 F-150 (non-Raptor) vehicles equipped with 4WD may exhibit grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area. This may be due to partial engagement of the integrated wheel ends (IW… |
| 2021-08-17 | POWER TRAIN | This program extends the warranty coverage of the automatic transmission molded leadframe to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This is a one-time repair program. |
| 2021-08-17 | POWER TRAIN | This program extends the warranty coverage of the automatic transmission molded leadframe to 10 years of service or 150,000 miles from the warranty start date of the vehicle, whichever occurs first. This is a one-time repair program. |
Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.
Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.
Every model year of this Expedition, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Ford Expedition model page.
MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.