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)

7 of 71 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Oct 13, 2020Speed control

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT-OFF AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING TO HIS DESTINATION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SENSOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FAILURE RECURRED WHILE ACCELERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.

NHTSA ODI 11364062

Sep 7, 2018Speed controlEngine

I WAS DRIVING 70MPH ON HWY 290 WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY DOWNSHIFTED TO FIRST GEAR AND THEN THE WHEELS TOTALLY LOCKED UP. THIS CAUSED ME TO START SLIDING SIDEWAYS DOWN THE ROAD UNTIL I CAME TO A STOP. IT TURNED OUT THAT A COMPUTER MODULE REGULATING SHIFTING HAD GONE BAD. THIS ALSO CAUSED MY TRANSMISSION TO GO OUT AND NEED REPLACING.

NHTSA ODI 11128038

May 8, 2018Transmission & drivetrainSpeed control

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 UP

NHTSA ODI 11092565

Dec 12, 2016Speed controlElectronic Stability Control (esc)

STABILITY CONTROL APPLIES BRAKES RANDOMLY IN NORMAL CONDITIONS. PRIMARILY THIS HAS BEEN AT SLOW SPEEDS. BRAKES PULSATE AND VEHICLE IS DIFFICULT TO STEER/CONTROL. ON 12/11/2016 THE STABILITY SYSTEM KICKED IN AT THE SAME TIME THE "RESUME" BUTTON WAS PRESSED FOR THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE FRONT BRAKES APPLIED WITH FORCE AS THE CAR WAS TRYING TO ACCELERATE TO 70 MPH WITH THE CRUISE CONTROL. THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO FISHTAIL AND THE TRANSMISSION LOCKED UP. I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE, BUT THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME HAD TO SWERVE INTO THE MEDIAN TO AVOID HITTING ME FROM BEHIND, AND THE DRIVER IN THE RIGHT LANE WAS FORCED TO BRAKE TO AVOID ME. THE VEHICLE WAS TRAVELLING AT APPROXIMATELY 67 MPH ON INTERSTATE 85N IN SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS PROBLEM HAD BEEN REPORTED TO MY FORD DEALER, BUT THEY "COULD NOT FIND PROBLEM" IN SERVICE DEPT.

NHTSA ODI 10934715

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

Feb 3, 2015Speed controlFuel system

IN 2014 WE PURCHASED A 2011 FORD EXP. UPON DRIVING IT, WITHIN THE FIRST WEEK WE NOTICED THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNG FORWARD WITH NO PRESSURE APPLIED TO THE ACCELERATOR OR BRAKE. IT APPEARS TO HAPPEN WHEN YOU FIRST START UP THE VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS IN DRIVE OR REVERSE. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10681057

Sep 13, 2012Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemSpeed controlEngine

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. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10475306

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 →