Your vehicle report
2012 Ford Expedition
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 118
- Received Apr 2012 to Aug 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates22 complaints · 19% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips16 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Paint peels off roof and hood8 complaints · 6.8% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #16V248000Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
- Recall #12V190000Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford F-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 “lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.” these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Instrument cluster or speedometer failsFirst signal: Aug 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 6 crashes, 2 fires, 13 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 9 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates
- Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips
- Unintended acceleration despite braking
1 more problem
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 3 |
| 2013 | 4 |
| 2014 | 7 |
| 2015 | 5 |
| 2016 | 16 |
| 2017 | 15 |
| 2018 | 21 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 5 |
| 2021 | 10 |
| 2022 | 5 |
| 2023 | 4 |
| 2024 | 3 |
| 2025 | 9 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 4 |
| Total | 118 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford Focus transmission clutch slips and hesitates | 22 | 19% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 16 | 14% | – | NHTSA recall #16V248000 |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 8 | 6.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 4.2% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 4 | 3.4% | – | |
| Instrument cluster or speedometer fails | 4 | 3.4% | 32.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Aug 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.4% |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 4 | 3.4% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 3 | 2.5% | – | |
| Ford F-150 transmission unexpectedly downshifts or jerks | 3 | 2.5% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #16V248000April 27, 2016153,581 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
NHTSA recall #12V190000May 3, 201210,500 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: back up lights; power train: automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150, 2012 Expedition and Lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 “lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment.” these vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
If this condition exists, the transmission may not go into reverse or when the driver pushes the shift lever in the reverse “r” position and the vehicle’s transmission does go in reverse, the “r” may not illuminate on the dashboard of the F-150, Expedition, or navigator models and/or the backup lamp on the rear of the F-150, Expedition, navigator, or mustang vehicles may not illuminate. These conditions increase the risk of a crash or a pedestrian being struck due to the vehicle’s not signaling it is in reverse.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the trs as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 11, 2012. Owners may contact Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA recall #12V034000February 2, 2012569 vehicles affected
seats: mid/rear assembly
Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 Expedition and Lincoln navigator vehicles, manufactured from november 19, 2011, through december 2, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraints." these vehicles may have inadequate welds on the head restraint support brackets for the second row, right-hand seat.
In the event of a crash, the seat head restraint may not provide the required strength, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 21, 2012. Owners may contact Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2012 Ford Expedition.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN