AutoUtility currently tracks 228 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Ford Expedition. Powertrain & Transmission issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 106 complaints (46.5% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 3 filings cite a crash, 4 cite a fire, 4 report one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
106 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
53 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
22 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
22 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
19 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"For the past three years I have complained about the transmission dropping out of gear. It happens most often if I'm towing a trailer. I seems to occur in spurts, happening a couple of times in a few days then not for some time. Very dangerous if you pull around to pass and suddenly you lose power...."
"While stopped at a traffic light, my 2021 Ford Expedition began running rough. When the light changed and I accelerated through the intersection, the vehicle experienced a severe loss of engine power and barely made it through the intersection. After I pulled off the roadway and released the..."
"Vehicles automatic transmission repeatedly looses its gear, often while accelerating. The transmission tries to shift down, but somehow ends up loosing engagement and will not re-engage. This lead to critical/dangerous situations on Highways due to the sudden loss of power."
"OEM transmission had to be replaced 3 years after new purchase. Replacement transmission installed at Ford dealership has failed after less then 2 years. About to have third transmission installed."
"The engine stalled out while trying to pass someone. The car wouldn't go faster when hitting the gas and felt like I couldnt safely slow down to get back over. It felt like something slipped and lost traction, but roads were dry and not rocky or sandy. tapping breaks and letting off gas did..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Ford Expedition | 164 | 8 | 3 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Ford Expedition | 214 | 8 | 3 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Ford Expedition | 356 | 21 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Ford Expedition | 372 | 8 | 14 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Ford Expedition | 480 | 7 | 11 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Ford Expedition | 387 | 5 | 18 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Ford Expedition Current Page | 228 | 3 | 12 | Current |
| 2022 Ford Expedition | 111 | 4 | 12 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Ford Expedition | 64 | 5 | 8 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Ford Expedition | 71 | 6 | 7 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Ford Expedition | 30 | 4 | 5 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Ford Expedition | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 48 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 82 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 22 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 19 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,ENGINE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Back Over Prevention / Camera NHTSA category: BACK OVER PREVENTION | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FIRERELATED | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PARKING BRAKE,POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEAT BELTS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2021 Ford Expedition
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Ford Expedition is Powertrain & Transmission, appearing in 106 records (46.5% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (53) and Visibility, Wipers & Glass (22).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 228 consumer defect complaints and 12 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Ford Expedition.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Ford Expedition, 3 filings cite a crash, 4 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2021 Ford Expedition (1 currently open).
Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.