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10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
49,599 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.

2016 Ford Expedition drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2016 Ford Expedition Owner Comments (Page 1 of 2)

problem #27

May 292023

Expedition

  • 38,484 miles

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

The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine and transmission warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 38,484.

- Virginia Beach, VA, USA

problem #26

Jan 172022

Expedition

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that after parking and turning off the vehicle, she entered the trunk, and the vehicle rolled down her driveway into traffic and crashed into a fence while her 7-month-old daughter was still inside the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that it sounded like the shifter was stuck between the gears of park and reverse. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not yet taken to a local dealer or independent mechanic for diagnostic tests or repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

- Clemmons, NC, USA

problem #25

Jan 172023

Expedition

  • 100,200 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. While parked in her friend's driveway with her child in her car seat, the contact heard an abnormal, popping sound as she was outside of the vehicle. The vehicle began to roll back without warning with her child inside the vehicle; she attempted to hit the emergency brake but was unsuccessful. The vehicle continued to roll backward into a neighbor's fence before the vehicle came to a halt. The contact's daughter was safe inside the car seat and did not sustain any injuries; however, the contact sustained mental trauma as a result of the failure. A police report was filed due to the neighbor's damaged fence. The vehicle had yet to be diagnosed or repaired for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was given a case number; she was then referred to NHTSA for additional assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,200.

- Clemmons, NC, USA

problem #24

Sep 232022

Expedition

  • miles

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

The vehicle is regularly surging then shifting gears with a loud "Thunk" from the transmission. It has made few scary decelerations that shook all of us in the vehicle. The speedometer will jump then drop and bounce back and forth then go to zero. The information on the left panel that shows MPG goes blank. There seems to be an existing issue that is similar with F-150s but the Ford dealer says it is the same thing from a transmission harness/sensor but not a real issue with the expedition. The airbag light comes on and the check engine light comes on. The check engine light goes away after about 24 hours. It happened 4 times yesterday and 3 times this morning. I can pull over and turn it off and then turn it on again to reboot and it will function until the next failure. I believe this has negatively impacted my transmission. It seems to be worse when it is raining, foggy, or high humidity.

- Leroy, AL, USA

problem #23

Aug 042022

Expedition

  • miles
3 times now, My 2016 ford expedition has randomly down shifted at high speed. first time truck down shifted to first gear and was stuck in first until I used the manual gear shift button. The second time truck downshifted from 6th gear to 4th gear on a freeway, and it was stuck in 4th gear. The engine was over revving, I had to use the manual shift button to get truck out of 4th gear. and off the freeway. Third time I was on a freeway driving at freeway speeds and it downshifted/lost power, I was nearly hit by a motor home coming up behind me and I luckily pulled off on the shoulder before being hit. Thankfully I did not have any of my 4 children in the vehicle. Once again, no warning lights or codes, just random downshift, The truck has also slammed into gear when it downshifts when I am on surface roads. That too, is random and intermitent The truck has become unsafe to drive. It has been inspected twice by AAMCO they have not found anything, no codes and could not replicate. I asked them to check the lead frame on the transmission. The truck is now at the ford Dealer, to see if they are able to find anything and replicate the issue. It has been completely random when it happens but extremely dangerous. The day I dropped off the truck at the dealer, there was a guy behind me who had the exact same issues on his ford truck. this could easily become a deadly issue if Ford does not remedy the problem. If the Dealer does not provide a solution I will sell the truck, it is not worth risking my family's life and safety.

- Fair Oaks , CA, USA

problem #22

Jul 012022

Expedition

  • miles
The car is less than 6 year old and was driven less than 20,000 miles, no accidents and never off road. Left rear shock was leaking and so was the left rear axle seal, I could not tell how much differential oil was leaked out, but there is quite a lot. I feel that there could be a serious safety concern.

- Moorpark , CA, USA

problem #21

Jun 122022

Expedition

  • miles

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

The vehicle was on park with engine on and all of the sudden started going in reverse. Driver was able to stop the vehicle and then it did it again.

- Orlando, FL, USA

problem #20

Jul 162021

Expedition

  • miles
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.

- Young, AZ, USA

problem #19

May 052021

Expedition

  • 53,000 miles
I was accelerating, turning left to enter a freeway on ramp. My speed was reduced to 1mph and I was unable to accelerate or control the car. When I pushed on the accelerator nothing happened it did not rev the engine. A pop up appeared with a wrench and the words "see owners manual" I was able to turn off the car and turn it back on. This allowed me to regain function. This happened with no warning at all. There is no check engine light or engine codes. This is extremely dangerous! I was in the middle of an intersection where cars were both entering and exiting the freeway. Fortunately I avoided an accident had this happened after I got on the freeway I might not have been so lucky! upon returning home I checked the owners manual and there is nothing about a wrench light in there.

- Saratoga Springs, UT, USA

problem #18

Dec 012020

Expedition

  • 95,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle abruptly jerked without warning, with several instrument panel functions becoming inoperable. Once the failure occurred, the vehicle would not shift above third gear. The contact had to restart the vehicle to resume normal driving. The contact had taken the vehicle to courtesy Ford (6393 highway 98 West, hattiesburg, ms 39402) where they diagnosed the vehicle with a defective lead frame. The manufacturer was also informed of the failure and referred the contact to NHTSA for assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

- Laurel, MS, USA

problem #17

Oct 042020

Expedition

  • 77,950 miles

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

While driving on the interstate at 70 mph the vehicle suddenly lost all power and a "wrench" indicator appeared. Was able to navigate to the side of the road. Wrench light indicates a power train issue. The vehicle was turned off while contacting help. Turned the vehicle back on and wrench indicator gone. Was able to drive without further incident. Upon searching the problem apparently this has occurred to numerous Ford Expedition owners. Very dangerous as there is no warning and can happen at anytime.

- Luther, OK, USA

problem #16

Jul 112020

Expedition

  • 60,000 miles
Driving at speeds of 45-55 the SUV losses power sputters and crawls at a speed of 5 miles see owner manuel with wrench pops up very dangerous while driving with children in the vehicle....shop says they cant find anything had the SUV for 1 year bought used but this has happened 5 times

- Mesa, AZ, USA

problem #15

Jul 012020

Expedition 6-cyl

  • 77,000 miles
While driving at 35 mph the engine started shuddering and had loss of power. Pushing accelerator produced nothing. Coasted to side of road and powertrain failure warning light came on. Called Ford dealership. They said turn it off and it would clear itself as this was a well known problem. It cleared itself. They said this problem would repeat itself but no telling when. This problem caused my wife to be placed in a very hazardous traffic situation.this known throttle body defect should be recalled. After researching I found numerous identical complaints.

- London, KY, USA

problem #14

Jun 232020

Expedition 6-cyl

  • 75,000 miles
Transmission downshift from 6th gear down to 2nd gear while traveling at 50mph which caused the wheels to lock and skid. Sometimes you will just feel a sudden jolt during the downshift. Has been happening more often. My truck has only 75K miles on it.

- Round Lake, IL, USA

problem #13

Apr 072020

Expedition

  • 98,000 miles
While driving on a city parkway going around 35-40mph. My Expedition suddenly started shuddering and decelerating. The wrench light came on. I pulled over to the side of the road. I looked up in the owner's manual what that meant. It said to contact an authorized repair center. I went to the local Ford dealership. They ran the diagnostic and said it was the throttle body. They also stated it is a known problem with the eco-boost engines. This is a known problem with this engine and needs to be recalled before the loss of power and control happens on a busy highway and someone is injured or killed.

- Collinsville, IL, USA

problem #12

Feb 292020

Expedition

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The vehicle rolled away while engaged in park possible power train consequence passenger side door had to be replaced at owners expense the contact stated that the vehicle was engaged in park and the key was removed from the ignition, started to walk inside a building, noticed the vehicle rolling backwards on a flat surface street. The contact opened the passenger door in an attempt to stop the vehicle, however the door hit the side of a building. He was able to step on the brake pedal and stopped the vehicle. The contact also mentioned that the failure occurred one other time around the 20 of February 2020, but he was inside the vehicle. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for a diagnostic. No police incident report was filed. No injuries were reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

- Winsted, CT, USA

problem #11

Jul 262019

Expedition

  • 87,000 miles
2016 model, purchased in 2018. While driving to work on 7/26/19, driving on highway, going 60 mph the "wrench" warning light came on and the vehicle immediately decelerated to 40 mph, starting sputtering and shaking. I was able to limp the vehicle to the side of the road and turn off the engine. I waited a few minuets and restarted the vehicle. Initially it seem to run as normal with no warning lights. I continued on the highway for maybe 3/4 a mile and the wrench light and check engine light both came on at the same time the vehicle shut down. I was forced to pull over to a narrow side of the busy highway. I turned off the engine, praying no one would hit me. I turned the car back on and headed for the local dealership service center. The only light that remained on was check engine light. Once at the dealer they diagnosed it as the throttle body was " out of range". the solution would be to replace the throttle body which would cost me $900. Despite the charges needed for the repair, my concern is safety of driving the vehicle in which the vehicle will rapidly decelerate on a highway or interstate. Other drivers may not recognize that your vehicle is slowing down as you are not pressing the brake and you are unable to accelerate to a safe area! I have called Ford and only been told that my vehicle was out of warranty for any repairs to be made by Ford, and there are not any recalls for the vehicle. I have seen other lawsuits and recalls for vehicles using this throttle body, this issues needs to be addressed and recalls should be made before someone is seriously injured.

- Unionville, TN, USA

problem #10

Jul 142019

Expedition

  • 74,000 miles
2016, purchased 2018. While driving to Florida from Indiana for vacation 7/6/19, on highway driving 80mph, vehicle check engine light came on and vehicle immediately lost power and we were able to limp to left side of highway spitting and sputtering, unable to accelerate and continue. Turned engine off and waited 5-10 minutes to restart. Vehicle returned to sounding normal. We were able to continue on to Florida for 7day trip. Then driving home to Indiana, while highway driving and accelerating to pass a car, dash wrench light came on and vehicle lost all power and we were barely able to get to the left unsafe small side of highway, up against a concrete wall...during heavy 3 lanes of traffic. Vehicle again spit and sputtered and barely able to move. We were unable to get vehicle safely off of highway. A tow truck had to be called to tow us to the next exit to a gas station. Vehicle turned back on and wrench light off but check engine light now flashing, we chose to continue driving the remaining 5hrs home going 50-55mph. Researched issue online and found this to be a throttle body issue, common with Ford vehicles. Took vehicle to autozone for diagnostic scan and yes, the error code P2111 "throttle body actuator control system, stuck open" is what was read. This appears to be a serious and dangerous safety concern and I am afraid to drive this vehicle. This issue needs to be addressed with Ford. I have already called Ford and a recall was not identified with my vehicle, but this has been a recall with other Ford in the past. There are class action lawsuits also. I will log a complaint with the attorney general office as well. I have already paid to have to many other repairs done on this vehicle but this one is certainly a safety concern. Looks like more money will need to be poured into this lemon by having the electronic throttle body replaced. Thank you

- Indianapolis, IN, USA

problem #9

Jul 112019

Expedition

  • 52,000 miles
I'm driving at normal speed when suddenly my malfunction indicator lights up and no engine power. The power steering, braking, lighting and climate control systems remain fully functional, however the vehicle no longer remains operational. Ford has a recall 16B32 and customer satisfaction program in other Ford vehicles, but not mine, but the same exact thing is happening.. $890 latter I am having my electronic throttle body replaced with only 52,000 miles and Ford has nothing to say about the problem since the Expedition is not part of the csp. Apparently, in a variety of Ford vehicles, the electronic throttle body internal motor contacts may develop contamination resulting in increased electrical resistance. If this happens, which in my case it did, the mil light came on and the I experienced a decreased amount of engine power and speed and I couldn't accelerate. This happened on the highway, but thankfully I was able to coast to the shoulder without getting hit. The dealer is replacing the throttle body, reprograming my vehicle, and cleaning the injections. There are a lot of complaints about this for the 2016 Ford Expedition, but Ford is not doing anything. I'm glad I was able to get over to the shoulder without getting hit since I had no function to accelerate.

- Coral Springs, FL, USA

problem #8

Jan 222019

Expedition

  • 67,000 miles
Around July 2018 my Expedition started just randomly cutting off while driving with my 2 children in the car. After getting the codes read it came up as the throttle body. We had the throttle body replaced and it seemed to help until about Nov 2018 then instead of cutting off while driving the car would jerk hard and then you could not accelerate over about 50mph. Multiple things started flashing on the dash like the wrench, traction control, hill descent, and check engine. We got all codes read and this time it was the map sensor. We have replaced the map sensor 2 times with the most recent in Jan 2019. Now the Expedition has started to again flash traction control, hill descent, wrench, check engine and the codes are reading map sensor again!! we have spent $200 on each sensor we have replaced which have been 3! we have another appointment at the end of Jan to find out again if it is the map sensor for a 3rd time or if it is some computer malfunction. We have no more warranty. Ford needs to look into this problem as I have read other complaints and it is definitely not safe when I'm driving with my kids and the car jerks and then you can no longer accelerate.

- Wake Forest, NC, USA

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