Owners have filed 27 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the seats, electrical, and steering. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2025Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2025 Ford Expedition: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/3
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/3
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2025's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2025 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2025 Ford Expedition. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 4WD, RWD | 18–19 mpg |
NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Ford Expedition, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Long hair snags in the metal Platinum badges on the front seat backs, at about shoulder height. All five complaints describe the same problem. Hair gets pulled or cut off, and some drivers say it happens every time they use the vehicle. One injury is reported, and one owner says trapped hair limits head movement while driving. Owners blame either a gap behind the badge or its sharp lettering. Some say they cannot drive with their hair down. No owner describes a fix.
The left turn signal comes on by itself after a right turn, once the steering wheel straightens out. Two complaints describe this, and owners say Ford calls it a known issue. For at least one owner, a dealer software update did not fix it. The more serious reports are single cases. A hybrid rental caught fire on the highway, apparently in the hybrid battery area, and was a total loss. Another new vehicle lost normal braking with every warning light on and nearly crashed.
Strong vibration at highway speed is the most common complaint here. Owners report shaking above 60 to 65 mph from new, bad enough to cause fatigue and make long trips difficult. Dealers balanced and rotated wheels and re-indexed the driveshaft, but the relief was only temporary, and one vehicle went back three times. Two other reports involve driver aids. The vehicle braked on its own while the steering fought the driver, once with BlueCruise hands-free active. One of these ended in a spin and two impacts with another vehicle.
The brakes either fail to stop the car or slam on for no reason. Two owners say the pedal went to the floor with little or no braking. One case followed a burst of brake warnings on the screen, and the other ended in a crash into a parked car. That owner blames the electronic brake booster. A third report describes harsh automatic braking on an empty downhill road at 35 mph and 2458 miles. The dealer found nothing, and the owner turned off collision avoidance.
Sharp door edges and rough roof welds make up the complaints here. In a rental, the sharp lower edge of the front driver's door cut a person's leg, leaving a 2 1/2 in. scar, at about 7,300 miles. A King Ranch owner found more than two dozen exposed rivets and welds on the roof, sitting in deep depressions. The dealer denied the warranty claim and said many Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators on its lot had the same flaw.
Driver-assist features do not work as sold. In one report, pre-collision assist never activates even though adaptive cruise works, despite module updates and a remote check by a Ford engineer. In another, BlueCruise gives a watch-the-road warning within 30 seconds no matter where the driver looks, then slows the car on the highway. Both owners went through repeated dealer visits without a fix. One of those visits lasted almost 2 weeks.
A defective windshield and a screen popup block the driver's view. The windshield problem is a star-shaped speckling that shows up only at sunrise and sunset. Ford refused a warranty replacement because no one could photograph it. The screen problem appears when the turn signal is on. A steering wheel control popup covers the blind-spot camera view during lane changes and cannot be dismissed. The dealer calls this standard behavior, and no setting turns it off.
Excerpts from complaints Expedition owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
The metal emblem on the driver and passenger seats continuously pulls my hair. I believe it is the emblem itself (sharp lettering) and not how it is adhered to the seat. I am unable to drive the vehicle with hair down.
Filed with NHTSA, June 2026
Since new the vehicle has had a vibration/shake while driving at all speeds. Initially the issue was only at highway speed but is still present after dealer 'fix'. New car spent 3 days at dealer with 1,000 miles on the odometer. At the time shake was so bad over 65mph it felt unsafe to drive at highway speed. The Dealer tried balance and rotate wheels. No fix. Then the driveshaft was re indexed. That was a temporary as the issue is still present
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
While driving in heavy traffic on Interstate 10 west bound, I made a right blinker lane change. Right after complete lane change, vehicle emergency brake applied putting me into a spin and steering was fighting me trying to correct thus causing 2 impacts to a vehicle on side of me. It was light drizzle and dash cam footage is available of vehicle taking control.
Filed with NHTSA, May 2026
While driving the vehicle the screen starting flashing several braking warnings before I tried stopping. Once I tried to stop, the brakes didn’t not work. I was pushing the pedal all the way to the floor but no stopping. I have this on video as my wife started to record the flashing lights. The brakes finally engaged slowly before I was able to let it roll to a stop in a parking lot. This car was two weeks old.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2025
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2025 ranks eighth for owner complaints among 9 Expedition years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2025 is the first model year of the Expedition's fifth generation (2025 on). First years of a redesign often carry teething problems that Ford fixes in later years, so the checks above matter more than usual.
Should you avoid the first year of a redesign? See the 45-car study.
Recall repairs are free at any Ford dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment.".
Risk: Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 17, 2026.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the electronic brake booster, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 26, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD4. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on December 3, 2025.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Lincoln Navigator, F-150, Expedition, Bronco, and Ranger vehicles. The Electronic Brake Booster (EBB) module may malfunction while driving or when the driver is utilizing an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) feature, resulting in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: An unexpected loss of power brake assist while driving can extend stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, a loss of power brake assist while ADAS features are engaged can result in the vehicle not braking as expected, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: The EBB module software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S77.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025 Navigator and Expedition vehicles. The passenger side air bag may have been manufactured incorrectly, which can cause the air bag to deploy with excessive force during a crash.
Risk: An air bag that deploys with excessive force can increase the risk of injury during a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the passenger side air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 8, 2025. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S51.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2024-2025 F-150, Expedition, and 2024 Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 3.5L GTDI engines. The engine may have a misaligned engine cup plug, which can result in a rapid oil leak.
Risk: A rapid oil leak can result in an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash. In addition, an oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the engine cup plug alignment, and replace the plug if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 22, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S30.
Cars shoppers compare with the Ford Expedition, with their own 2025 checklists.
2025 owner complaints, side by side
