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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
1 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
52,932 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Ford Expedition drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2011 Ford Expedition Owner Comments

problem #19

Dec 122018

Expedition

  • 112,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

On December 12, 2017, while traveling at 75 mph on the interstate with the cruise control set, the vehicle surged forward. Within seconds following the surge, the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted causing loss of control and nearly a roll over accident. The vehicle would not move in any gear. Turning the vehicle off and on 2 times allowed the vehicle to move again. The dealer replaced the control module in the transmission as a result. My cost was $100 since we still have an active warranty.

- Kenockee, MI, USA

problem #18

Sep 142018

Expedition

  • 141,000 miles
While my wife was driving on the interstate with the cruise control set at 78mph, the rear tires on our 2011 Expedition suddenly locked up, skidding the tires and caused the vehicle to fishtail she had no control of steering or acceleration. When the vehicle reached approximately 35mph the tires released and she was able to steer into the median. At this point, she could not move the vehicle. There was a picture of a wrench on the dashboard. When she was completely stopped, she put the vehicle in park and sat for a few minutes. She then attempted to put the vehicle in drive, but she had no power. The vehicle was running, but she was unable to accelerate in drive or reverse. She had to call for a tow truck. After the vehicle was towed home, I got in it and started it, then noticed the traction control light on. I turned that light off on the dashboard, and was able to drive without any problem. I drove it to a Ford dealer, and all the mechanic could find was that the rear struts were worn out. The mechanic told me that our vehicle did not throw any hard code, only a soft code. He said we are basically driving computers now with all the technology. Ford Motor Company informed me that there is no recall on our vehicle, only the 2012 model that has the same issue. After talking with two different people at Ford Motor Company, I was told sorry, it is not under recall and there is nothing we can do. Upon investigating further, we found out my wife's Expedition was manufactured at the same plant in Kentucky, made in the same year as the recalled vehicles but 4 months earlier, and has the same transmission (6R80) as the recalled 2012 Expedition that started production in August of 2011. Hope nhtsb can investigate because we can't get anywhere with Ford.

- Madison, FL, USA

problem #17

Jun 102018

Expedition

  • 131,000 miles
I was traveling at about 70 mph with cruise control on when the vehicle suddenly downshift twice (from 6th gear to I think 3rd then 1st gear) and the rpms red lined causing the vehicle to jerk and slow down rapidly. I lost all acceleration power and was barely able to make it to the shoulder of the highway. I could not get any acceleration in any gear once I was pulled over. I turned the vehicle off and back on and it work like nothing ever happened.

- Elgin, AZ, USA

problem #16

May 032018

Expedition

  • 150,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

I was driving 70 mph on the highway on a straight away when my car suddenly downshifted to 2nd gear, then immediately to 1st gear and then the wheels locked

- Austin, TX, USA

problem #15

Jun 012017

Expedition

  • miles
I experience headaches and dizziness when driving there has been times I have to pull over to avoid crashing. I believe carbon monoxide may be the result of these symptoms.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #14

Aug 032017

Expedition

  • 84,000 miles
Upon hard acceleration over 3000 RPM a burnt exhaust odor enters the cabin. At all times

- Dallas, TX, USA

problem #13

Jan 202017

Expedition

  • 82,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When slowing down and shifting from second to first the transmission makes a loud stuttering noise every time. This is not a normal noise a transmission should make. This is a safety concern that Ford needs to fix in new and older models. This is a very common issue people are reporting on the internet with Ford around this year. Many have had this begin to occur around only 25K miles.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

problem #12

Nov 232016

Expedition

  • 65,000 miles
I can shut off the engine and take out the keys when the transmission is still in D., not P.

- Georgetown, KY, USA

problem #11

Mar 052016

Expedition

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. When the vehicle was shifted into reverse, the contact's vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into a parked vehicle. A police report was filed and there were no injuries. The vehicle did not stop even when the brake pedal was depressed. The contact attempted to shift the vehicle into neutral, but it shifted into drive and accelerated forward. The only way to stop the vehicle was by turning the key to the off position. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Bridgewater, NJ, USA

problem #10

Jan 272015

Expedition

  • 65,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. While attempting to accelerate on an incline, the vehicle decelerated and the front wheels failed to turn. The 4X4 system also independently activated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who discovered that the 4X4 motor and solenoid failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failures. The failure mileage was 65,000.

- Pocono Lake , PA, USA

problem #9

Sep 222012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 22,500 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Traveling down the highway going approximately 70 mph when the rear wheels locked causing the vehicle to rapidly decelerate and rear end to swerve. Fortunately there were no vehicles immediately behind the vehicle as this would have resulted in a major rear end collision. The rear wheels unlocked after approximately three to four seconds and I was able to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The powertrain malfunction wrench was lit on the dashboard and the vehicle would not move forward in any gear. I put the vehicle in park, shut off the engine and restarted the vehicle. The wrench on the dashboard extinguished and I was able to drive the vehicle to the dealership utilizing secondary roads. The dealership had the vehicle for three days and contacted Ford engineering for technical advice. The dealership replaced the mechatronix unit and inspected the drive train for irregularities.

- Clayton, NC, USA

problem #8

Jul 152012

Expedition

  • 11,500 miles
While on a family trip from tx to fl, the "limp home mode" wrench came on. Pulled over, checked what I could. Got back on the road, about 20 miles down the road, a fine mist starting blowing out the back and the SUV lost all power. Pulled over and call Ford. It was towed to a Ford dealer about 5 miles away. The dealer called Monday morning, to say the transmission was blown and needed to be replaced. Well Ford had a different plan, they told the dealer to rebuild. About 60 days and 5000 miles later, "limp home mode" wrench came on again. Drove it about 8 miles to the purchasing dealer. While at the dealer and a Ford tech came out to look at it. Had the dealer, run a bunch of test and only authorized a part replacement. Even at the request of myself and the selling dealer to replace the transmission, Ford said no. It only has 16,500 miles on it with a transmission that's had problems twice.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #7

Sep 092012

Expedition

  • 25,000 miles
We were driving on 95 when we heard a thud-type noise. We thought we had a flat tire, but then the vehicle would no longer accelerate. We were able to get off at the exit that was immediately upon us and safely pull off on the side of the road. We did not have any flat tires. The vehicle would still turn on and run (so we knew it wasn't the alternator), but it wouldn't accelerate. The Ford dealership informed us it was the mextronics electronic portion of the shift mechanism and valve body in the transmission. They said that this type of problem could not have been prevented and it does not happen often.

- Bel Air, MD, USA

problem #6

Aug 262012

Expedition

  • 13,500 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60 mph, the vehicle began to shake violently. The contact had difficulty controlling the steering wheel and swerved into the next lane with the illumination of the mechanical failure warning light. The contact was able to coast onto the shoulder. The vehicle was later taken to the dealer where a diagnostic was performed, which located the failure at the transmission solenoid. The dealer reprogrammed the computer system to correct the failure however, to no avail. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure and current mileage was 13,500.

- Centerville, GA, USA

problem #5

Jan 122012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 5,000 miles
After the vehicle hit 5,000 miles, we started noticing a decrease in our fuel efficiency. Around that same time is when we also began having problems with our transmission. When driving at low speeds, between 30 mph and 40 mph, the rpms oscillate up to +/- 250 rpms. Between those speeds, the engine is constantly revving up and down while driving. We have had our vehicle serviced by Ford on six different occasions, the problem was recorded and documented on their computer systems, but has not been fixed. We currently have around 11,000 miles on our vehicle, and no resolve for this problem.

- Jupiter, FL, USA

problem #4

Oct 312011

Expedition

  • 2,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition el. The contact stated that when the vehicle was shifted into reverse, the vehicle failed to accelerate when the accelerator pedal was depressed and stalled. The vehicle was restarted after the failure. The contact also stated that while traveling 50 mph, the tow haul light illuminated. The failure recurred three times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer ten times. The dealer confirmed that the transmission needed to be re-calibrated. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 2,000 and the current mileage was 19,400.

- Ridge Wood, NJ, USA

problem #3

Aug 082012

Expedition

  • 24,000 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. The contact was driving 20 mph when the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted and the check engine light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact was a mechanic and performed a diagnostic test that indicated a transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 24,000.

- New Midway, MD, USA

problem #2

May 072012

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 22,086 miles
After driving the vehicle 2011 Ford Expedition el for approximately 5 hours at 70mph on interstate 95 at 2:30am in the state of Georgia with no other vehicles nearby suddenly without any warning the car went into a violent skid causing it to swerve and spin out of control until coming to rest at the side of the road. At this time the transmission did not respond to either forward or reverse, there was no throttle response and the engine was at low idle with 0 oil pressure registering. The wrench indicator was lighted on the dash. Owners manual indicated the vehicle was in " limp mode ". I turned off the ignition and a short time later restarted the car with all systems operating normal with the wrench indicator no longer lighted. Subsequently the car was driven without further malfunction to the selling dealer about 400 miles away. The service manager simply stated the codes would be checked and the appropriate indicated repair made with no further concern for the obvious life safety event which easily could have resulted in a tragic fatal accident if other vehicles were in close proximity.diagnostics found dtc P0975. Repair invoice indicated replace sse solenoid (7G136/ 7G383 7G484 7J136 ) & road tested ok..in view of this traumatic incident & with no further confidence to drive this car I chose to replace it with a new 2012 model without any significant consideration regarding the new car cost. Contact with Ford Motor Co case # [xxx] resulted in their opinion that "malfunctions happen and no consideration for vehicle replacement. Ford will apparently resell this vehicle to an unsuspecting customer. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

- West Palm Beach, FL, USA

problem #1

Jun 062011

Expedition 8-cyl

  • 116 miles
After picking up this new vehicle driving down the hwy this vehicle made a loud noise coming from the transmission area.. seconds later the vehicle lock up and sent me into a spin.the vehicle would not go into gear so I called a tow truck and had the vehicle take to the dealership. The dealership replaced the transmission mechatronix unit and the tcm unit.after picking the vehicle I 600 mile more on the vehicle and it did the samething. So I had take it in to another dealership they found that they had to replace the transmission pump gear. So I'm wondering is there a recall on these Expedition.

- Vancouver, WA, USA

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