2010 Ford Expedition Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine shutting off, stuttering, or racing without warning, and the vehicle moving after it was put in park. Other frequent reports include head restraints angled too far forward, paint bubbling on the hood and tailgate, and power windows, wipers, or the radio cutting out. Headrest complaints mostly list very low mileage, while the engine and paint complaints tend to come up at higher mileage.

1. 1
   Engine

   Engine stalls, stutters, or races unexpectedly

   • 10 complaints (17%)
   • median 96,632 mi at 6.8 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2026

   Owners describe the engine shutting off while driving or idling, sometimes with no warning lights, and in one case the power steering and brakes stopped working during the stall. Other complaints describe the engine racing after the accelerator is pressed or after a restart, without any input from the pedal, and one describes a stutter during acceleration. According to complaints, a dealer found nothing wrong shortly before a stall returned, and one owner was told a dealer attributed the stutter to the torque converter. One owner linked stalling at stop lights to a seized air conditioning compressor. Listed mileages run from about 15,000 to 185,000 miles, most above 90,000, and several episodes happen at idle or low speed.

   What to check: Ask whether any stalls or warning messages were recorded and whether a repair was documented, and check for stored trouble codes with a scan tool.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was attempting to accelerate from an idle position to enter a highway. In the process of acceleration, my engine began to kick and stutter like it was not taking in enough gas. I have reported this matter to my Ford dealership without a satisfactory answer. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10693138, filed 2015-03, 150,000 miles

   “On wednesday morning, july 27, 2011, between 8:30 a.m. And 9:00 a.m., I took my 2010 Ford Expedition to the fountain car wash in plano. Upon exiting the car wash tunnel, I shifted the truck from neutral to drive, idled slowly out of the tunnel and around the hairpin turn to head to the back of the building where car wash employees dry vehicles by hand. In the driveway ahead of me was a blue Ford Expedition. Once around the turn, I pressed on the accelerator to move the truck forward. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10421832, filed 2011-08, 15,400 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Vehicle moves or rolls after being put in park

   • 13 complaints (22%)
   • median 43,978 mi at 2.4 yrs old (10 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2026

   Owners describe the vehicle moving after it was placed in park or left idling, sometimes crashing into a tree, a post, a building, or a rock bank. One complaint says the shifter was in reverse while the vehicle responded as if in park, and another says the key could be removed with the car in drive. According to complaints, the dealer said the shift behavior was how the vehicle was designed in one case, and one owner reports the vehicle jumped out of gear repeatedly before a crash. Listed mileages range from about 2,000 to 247,000 miles, and several events happened while in park or idling, some on a driveway or incline.

   What to check: On a test drive, check that the shifter engages Park firmly and that the vehicle holds still on a slight slope, and ask whether any shifter or transmission repairs are recorded.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “My 2010 has jumped out of gear 4-5 times and most recently it jumped out and I missed the brake and hit the gas --the SUV ran into a building causing about 6-8k in damage. I know I put the Expedition in gear and the video/surveil. Tape shows that I did..I am trading this pos asap!!!”

   NHTSA complaint #10395197, filed 2011-04

   “The 2010 Ford Expedition was parked in a driveway not on an incline. While in park it rolled backwards across a street and crashed into a tree. After the incident it was determined that with the engine turned off and the key removed the car could be put into any gear. It was further determined that the key could be removed with the engine off and the car in drive or any other gear.”

   NHTSA complaint #10434189, filed 2011-11, 40,957 miles
3. 3
   Seats

   Head restraints angled too far forward

   • 6 complaints (10%)
   • median 20 mi at 0.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2009–2011

   Owners describe front head restraints tilted forward or inward, which forces the head down or forward to sit upright. Complaints describe neck, upper back, and chest pain after driving, and say the only workaround is removing or reversing the headrest, which they say defeats its purpose. According to complaints, the dealer said the headrests could not be altered or replaced, and a manufacturer representative described the angle as the normal design. Complaints that list mileage give 300 miles or less, and they were filed between 2009 and early 2011.

   What to check: On a test drive, sit upright in both front seats and check whether the head restraint is comfortable behind the head, and ask whether the seat can be adjusted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The two front headrests are at an acute angle towards the front of the vehicle and preclude the driver/rider from sitting upright without tilting his head considerably forward. Riding like this for any length of time causes a very bad neck ache and prevents the driver/rider from being able to look up. The only solutions are to remove the headrest or to turn the headrest around. Both of these totally defeat the purpose of the headrest to prevent whiplash.”

   NHTSA complaint #10362458, filed 2010-10, 20 miles

   “The contact owns a 2010 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the front driver and passenger head rests are at an acute angle. This angle disabled the occupants from being properly positioned in the seats. He notified the manufacturer; however, he was advised by a representative that the angle was the normal design of the vehicle. The failure mileage was 3 and the current mileage was 154. Updated 10/13/09.”

   NHTSA complaint #10283390, filed 2009-09, 3 miles
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Paint bubbling and corrosion on hood and tailgate

   • 7 complaints (12%)
   • median 45,813 mi at 4.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2012–2016

   Owners describe paint bubbling, blistering, or peeling on the hood and tailgate, sometimes starting at the edges or around the license plate. Some say these panels are aluminum, and one reports corrosion returned after the liftgate was refinished. According to complaints, the manufacturer or dealer declined coverage in several cases, and one owner says the corrosion warranty applies only once the metal is perforated. Listed mileages range from about 24,000 to 87,000 miles, mostly under 52,000.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look closely at the hood and tailgate edges and around the license plate for bubbles or peeling paint, and ask whether any panel repair under the aluminum body panel service bulletin has been done.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The paint on the rear hatch is bubbling, Ford states they do not have a issue. The same thing happened on my 2004 Expedition. This should not happen to a 2 year old vehicle. After researching online the problem seems very widespread. They will not give me a answer as to why this could happen on such a new vehicle, only send me a form letter response.”

   NHTSA complaint #10466450, filed 2012-07, 51,626 miles

   “Paint is blistering on the hood and rear tailgate, which are made of aluminum. Ford won't cover this under their corrosion warranty unless there is perforation thru to the sheet metal. By the time this occurs the warranty is up and the paint is falling off the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10605219, filed 2014-06, 24,583 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Power windows, wipers, or radio stop working

   • 9 complaints (16%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2019

   Owners describe power windows that will not roll up or down, sometimes stuck open, and wipers or the radio that stop working while driving. One owner had a window motor replaced, but the window still stuck in cold weather, and another says electrical components in the dash flicker or shut off when the brakes are pressed. According to complaints, dealers diagnosed failed window regulators in some cases, and one complaint says the manufacturer stated there was no recall on the regulator. Listed mileages run from about 35,000 to 96,000 miles, and one owner notes the window problem is worse in cold weather.

   What to check: On a test drive, run each power window, the wipers at every speed, and the radio, and ask whether the window motor or regulator has already been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When we touch the brakes, from starting position or when in motion, the electrical components in the dash flash and flicker or turn off, the headlights turn off, there is a clicking noise in the doors, the windows won't roll up or down, the AC turns off, the radio turns off, and you can't switch gears (gear shift won't move). I'd need to upload a video for you to see it. It always happens when using the brakes and has been happening for over a year.”

   NHTSA complaint #11019268, filed 2017-08, 96,000 miles

   “As I was driving away from my home (thankfully at a low speed) the power steering suddenly went out. If I had been going any faster an accident might have happened. Also, I continue to have problems with the power window in the car. When it is cold, you can get the window to go down but it is very hard to get it to go back up. Two shops told me that the motor in the window was bad so I had one of them replace it but that didn't solve the problem as I learned the next time it was cold and the window still didn't work right. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10594994, filed 2014-05, 35,000 miles

Buying note. Buyers considering this model year may want to check engine behavior at idle and under light acceleration, park engagement on a slight slope, and all power windows and wipers during a test drive. Looking at the hood and tailgate paint and asking for records of any engine, shifter, or electrical repairs can help show which of these issues a specific vehicle has had.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 54 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.