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2011 Ford Expedition El
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
71 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 17, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (30% of complaints).
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2011 Ford Expedition El, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Transmission & drivetrain (21) · Engine (11) · Body & structure (10) · Seats (8)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
30%21 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“Hard, delayed, jump from idle when accelerator is pressed. Hard shift from park to reverse.”
Engine
15%11 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“CAMSHAFT ROLLER BEARINGS SEIZED AND SCORED THE CAMSHAFT, REQUIRING A TOP END REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE HAD LESS THAN 95000 MILES. THIS THE SECOND EXPEDITION REQUIRING T…”
Body & structure
14%10 complaints
“ALUMINUM LIFT GATE PAINT IS CRACKING AND PEELING SIMIAR TO ALL OTHER YEARS OF EXPEDITION. PREVIOUS AND POST YEARS CONTINUE TO HAVE THE SAME ISSUE. NOT A FLUKE OR ONE O…”
Seats
11%8 complaints
“THE VEHICLE HEAD REST IS PERMANENTLY TILTED FORWARD AND CANT BE ADJUSTED. THIS PRESENTS AN UNCOMFORTABLE AND UNSAFE CONDITION WHEN OPERATING THE VEHICLE FOR LONG PERIO…”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2011 Ford EXPEDITION EL beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2011? See how every Expedition El model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2011 Ford Expedition El against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.