Home · 2011 Ford Expedition · Complaints

What 71 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Ford Expedition

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (71)Crash / fire / injury (6)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Engine (11)Body & structure (10)Seats (8)Electrical system (7)Speed control (7)Fuel system (4)Visibility & wipers (3)Wheels (3)Engine & cooling (2)

6 of 71 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Feb 22, 2022Electrical systemFire

The contact owns a 2011 FORD Expedition. The contact stated that while driving, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated at the time she did not see any smoke coming from her vehicle, so she assumed it was the outside. The contact stated that once she parked her vehicle, she sat inside the vehicle for approximately one hour before she exited the vehicle. The contact stated that when she came back to her vehicle, it was filled with smoke. The contact stated that the wires from the rear, middle row, passengers seat, on the driver's side of the vehicle had been burning. The contact stated that it did not cause a fire, however, it did melt the foam inside the seat. The contact stated the wires inside the seat were also melted. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 177,000

NHTSA ODI 11453503

Aug 13, 2017Transmission & drivetrain1 injury

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.

NHTSA ODI 11014941

Mar 9, 2016Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlCrash

TL* 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.

NHTSA ODI 10845681

May 14, 2013Seats1 injury

THE STANDARD HEADREST IN THE 2011 FORD EXPEDITION PROTRUDES FORWARD SO MUCH THAT I CANNOT SIT WITH MY BACK AND SHOULDERS LEANING TO THE BACK OF THE SEAT WITHOUT PUSHING MY HEAD FORWARD, CAUSING UPPER BACK AND NECK PAIN. I'VE DRIVEN THE CAR TWO DAYS AND MY NECK HURTS. THE DEALERSHIP OFFERED NO SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM AND MY INTERNET RESEARCH SHOWED THAT MANY OTHER FACE THE SAME CHALLENGE. SOME ARE REMOVING THE HEADREST, WHILE OTHERS ARE BENDING THEM BACK. NEITHER SOUNDS SAFE TO ME AND IT SEEMS FORD COULD CORRECT THIS PROBLEM. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10512019

Jan 24, 2012Body & structure1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE REAR DRIVER SIDE DOOR WAS AJAR, THE RETRACTABLE RUNNING BOARDS RETRACTED AND CAUSED A PASSENGER'S FOOT TO BE CUT BY THE RUNNING BOARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER, THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED AND THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 17,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 18,000.

NHTSA ODI 10445103

Nov 21, 2011AirbagsCrash

VEHICLE NEVER BEFORE IN COLLISION. FRONT BUMPER FULLY CONTACTED WITH SMALLER SUV, SUSTAINING SIGNIFICANT FRONT-END DAMAGE. ONLY PASSENGER FRONT AIRBAG DEPLOYED, DESPITE THERE BEING NO PASSENGER IN SEAT (POCKETBOOK WEIGHING ONLY FEW POUNDS ON THE SEAT, CERTAINLY NOT ENOUGH TO TRIGGER OCCUPANCY SENSORS). MY QUESTION IS TWO-FOLD: WHY DID AIRBAG DEPLOY IN EMPTY PASSENGER SEAT? AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, WHY DID IT NOT DEPLOY IN OCCUPIED DRIVER SEAT? IS THERE EVER A NON-OFFSET FRONT-END COLLISION WHERE FORCE OF IMPACT REQUIRES ONLY ONE OF TWO AIRBAGS TO DEPLOY? *TR

NHTSA ODI 10436690

Working with the data? Download all 71 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 13, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Ford Expedition verdict →