2011 Ford Expedition Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe transmission behaviour: abrupt downshifts or momentary wheel lock-up at highway speed, and shuddering or harsh shifts at low speed. Cosmetic corrosion on the aluminum hood and liftgate, front head restraints that sit far forward, and upper-engine ticking are the other repeated themes. Several transmission reports involve the vehicle refusing to move until it is restarted.

1. 1
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission downshifts and wheels lock up

   • 8 complaints (11%)
   • median 121,500 mi at 7.6 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2011–2019

   Owners describe the vehicle abruptly dropping to a lower gear or the rear wheels briefly locking while cruising at highway speed, sometimes with the wrench indicator lit and no response from the throttle. Several say the vehicle would not move in any gear until it was shut off and restarted, and a few report the stability system applying the brakes at the same moment. Complaints mention dealers replacing or reprogramming a transmission control module in some cases, and rebuilding or replacing the transmission in others. Reported from delivery mileage up to about 150,000 miles, with a number of occurrences below 40,000 miles, usually while driving at highway speed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a test drive, pay attention to any harsh downshift, delayed engagement or wrench light, and ask whether the transmission control module, leadframe or valve body has been replaced or reprogrammed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 complaint #11128038, filed 2018-09, 150,000 miles

   “I was traveling at about 70 MPH with cruise control on when the vehicle suddenly downshift twice (from 6th gear to I think 3rd then 1st gear) and the rpms red lined causing the vehicle to jerk and slow down rapidly. I lost all acceleration power and was barely able to make it to the shoulder of the highway. I could not get any acceleration in any gear once I was pulled over. I turned the vehicle off and back on and it work like nothing ever happened.”

   NHTSA complaint #11101084, filed 2018-06, 131,000 miles
2. 2
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Harsh shifts, shudder and transmission failure

   • 9 complaints (13%)
   • median 24,000 mi at 1.9 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2012–2018

   Owners describe shuddering or revs hunting up and down at light throttle, a stutter or clunk when slowing from second to first, and delayed engagement after the vehicle has sat. Some complaints report losing forward or reverse drive entirely and needing a rebuild or replacement, and one describes a shop tracing a stuck gear to the leadframe inside the unit. Dealers in these complaints reprogrammed the transmission in some cases and replaced solenoids, valve body components or the whole unit in others. Mostly reported below about 85,000 miles, several under 25,000 miles and a few within the first few thousand miles.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive at light throttle between 30 and 45 mph to feel for shudder or hunting, and watch for a pause when shifting from park into drive or reverse; ask for transmission service records and whether the leadframe or valve body has been worked on.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “After the vehicle hit 5,000 miles, we started noticing a decrease in our fuel efficiency. Around that same time is when we also began having problems with our transmission. When driving at low speeds, between 30 MPH and 40 MPH, the rpms oscillate up to +/- 250 rpms. Between those speeds, the engine is constantly revving up and down while driving. We have had our vehicle serviced by Ford on six different occasions, the problem was recorded and documented on their computer systems, but has not been fixed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10472389, filed 2012-08, 5,000 miles

   “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. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10475306, filed 2012-09, 25,000 miles
3. 3
   Seats

   Front head restraints tilt too far forward

   • 9 complaints (13%)
   • median 300 mi at 1.1 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2011–2015

   Owners report the front head restraints angle forward enough that they cannot sit back against the seat, producing neck and upper back discomfort on longer drives. Complaints say the restraints do not adjust, and that dealers offered no fix, with some owners told to turn the restraints around or remove them. Several describe noticing it within the first days or weeks of ownership. Reported mostly on new and very low-mileage vehicles, typically under about 15,000 miles.

   What to check: Sit in both front seats and check whether the head restraint can be positioned comfortably for your height, and ask whether the seats or restraints have been modified.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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.”

   NHTSA complaint #10512019, filed 2013-05, 11,800 miles

   “The headrest on the 2011 Ford Expedition are horrendous and uncomfortable. I work for the fire dept. And I use this vehicle 12 to 16 hours a day, along with other employee's. The angle of the new headrest is very uncomfortable and there is no possible adjustment to get into a comfortable position. I have tried to raise/lower the seat and change the position of the seat to no avail. Thanks to this new design on the headrest I am taking ibuprofen daily at work. My chevy tahoe is more comfortable. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10421425, filed 2011-08
4. 4
   Body and structure

   Paint bubbling and peeling on aluminum panels

   • 5 complaints (7%)
   • median 44,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe bubbling, cracking and peeling paint on the hood, liftgate and tailgate, with white material visible under the finish and flaking around the rear handle. Some had panels repainted and say the bubbling came back within months. Complaints describe the dealer declining or not covering the repair once the vehicle was outside warranty. Noted from roughly 15,000 to 76,000 miles, often on vehicles several years old.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the hood and liftgate edges, seams and the area around the rear handle for bubbles, lifting paint or white powder, and ask whether any panels have been repainted.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When washing my vehicle, I notice on the back door (the back end of the vehicle) paint missing. It is right where the handle to open the door. I can see the white material under the paint.. It is like it peeled right off or flaked off. This is in a couple other spots around the handle. I am looking for a recall but have not been sent one. Very disappointing.”

   NHTSA complaint #10561856, filed 2014-01, 40,000 miles

   “Aluminum lift gate paint is cracking and peeling simiar to all other years of Expedition. Previous and post years continue to have the same issue. Not a fluke or one off in paint preparation defects.”

   NHTSA complaint #11195274, filed 2019-04, 76,000 miles
5. 5
   Engine

   Engine tick and camshaft roller wear

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe a ticking or rattle from the upper engine that was called normal at first and later traced to worn or seized camshaft roller bearings. Some complaints report scoring on the camshaft and a top-end repair or engine replacement. Others describe rough running, shaking or an engine that stopped despite regular dealer maintenance. Mostly reported past 90,000 miles, though several owners say the noise began much earlier and was dismissed at the time.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Listen for a tick or rattle at idle and just off idle with the engine cold, and ask for service records noting any upper-engine noise or camshaft work.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The engine is blown at 125k miles when all servicing and maintenance was done at the dealership. Somewhere around 50k to 60k miles, I complained to the dealership about a ticking noise from the engine and was told multiple times it was normal with this engine . Well this engine blew while I was on my way to take the kids to school. I was on the interstate/bypass and was by some miracle able to get the 7-11. I was driving and all of a sudden, it sounded like there was squirrel under the hood. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11518155, filed 2023-04

   “Camshaft roller bearings seized and scored the camshaft, requiring a top end replacement. The vehicle had less than 95000 miles. This the second Expedition requiring this engine work. My first Expedition required a complete engine replacement due to the same issue”

   NHTSA complaint #11300000, filed 2020-01, 92,807 miles

Buying note. The transmission reports are the most useful thing to weigh on this model year: check shift behaviour on a proper test drive and ask for transmission service history. Beyond that, inspect paint on the aluminum panels and listen for upper-engine noise before committing.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.