Is the 2020 Ford Expedition a bad year?
430 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 270, 15× a quiet Expedition year.
Keep it, but watch the transmission
Half of the transmission complaints for this year were filed at 44k–93k miles, where you are now. Few of them say the car was towed: 4 of 270 filed since 2016.
The verdict moves with mileage: the same car reads differently at 30,000 and at 150,000 miles.
What 2020 Expedition owners report, by mileage
Each system owners named in five or more complaints, with the mileage range where the middle half of those complaints were filed. Read at 66,000 miles.
| SYSTEM | COMPLAINTS | MIDDLE HALF FILED AT | TYPICAL US REPAIR BILLS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transmission and drivetrainSTANDS OUT | 270 (63%) | 44k–93k miles · around this mileage | CV axle / CV joint replacement (one side) $300–$1,500 · Automatic transmission replacement $2,500–$7,000 |
| Seat beltsSTANDS OUT | 40 (9%) | 66k–108k miles · around this mileage | — |
| Engine | 56 (13%) | 60k–94k miles · around this mileage | Valve cover gasket replacement $110–$500 · Timing chain replacement $1,000–$4,000 |
| Electrical system | 35 (8%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Body structure | 22 (5%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Speed control | 15 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Visibility and wipers | 13 (3%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Brakes | 10 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Air bags | 9 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Backup camera | 8 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Collision avoidance | 7 (2%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Exterior lighting | 6 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
| Fuel system | 5 (1%) | too few with a mileage | — |
Bills are typical US ranges from the sources named in the tool (J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, CarParts.com and others), printed only for systems that stand out or sit at or ahead of 66,000 miles. Not a quote.
What owners reported alongside their complaints
Of 430 complaints: 5 mention a crash · 7 mention a fire · 22 report an injury · 11 say the car was towed.
122 complaints were filed in the last 12 months, the newest in Nov 2026.
Counts of what owners wrote in their complaints, not verified by anyone.
Recalls for the 2020 Ford Expedition: 18
The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage. Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
The chrome plating on the center console may bubble and peel, resulting in sharp edges. Vehicle occupants may contact the center console's sharp edges, increasing the risk of injury.
The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend. Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
A short circuit within the battery junction box can cause an engine fire while driving or parked. A vehicle fire increases the risk of injury.
A software error may cause the rearview camera to display a blank image, or the image may remain on the display after the backing event has ended. A rearview camera that displays a blank image can reduce the driver's view behind the vehicle. A rearview image that continues to be displayed after the vehicle is shifted out of reverse may distract the driver.
The Pre-Collision Assist features, such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, are not functional due to a software error. Inoperative pre-collision assist features that fail to perform as expected can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend. Seat belts that do not retract or extend can fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The air bag warning label may be missing from the dashboard. Without a label that shows the proper restraint usage guidelines, the occupants may have an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The seat belt pretensioner in the driver and/or front passenger seat may inadvertently deploy and lock the seat belt, which will not allow the belt to retract or extend. Seat belts that do not retract or extend may fail to restrain an occupant as intended, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail. Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.
Due to a poor electrical connection, the rearview camera may intermittently display a blank or distorted image. Reduced rearward visibility can increase the risk of a crash.
The seat belt tension sensor may incorrectly classify a child occupant as an adult. In the event of a crash, the incorrect classification would enable the passenger air bag to deploy instead of disabling it, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
The attachment bracket for the driver's side second-row seat headrest may not have been sufficiently welded to the seat frame. An improperly welded headrest bracket may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Vehicles built with the optional radar-plus-camera Pre-Collision Assist system are not affected. Due to incorrect coding of interfacing modules, the Pre-Collision Assist feature is not enabled, and the driver cannot access the menu functions necessary to enable the Pre-Collision Assist feature. If the driver is unaware that the Pre-Collision Assist feature is not enabled, they may rely on a system that is not functional, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The front passenger seatbelt buckle's Belt Tension Sensor (BTS) may malfunction and may result in the seat occupant being misclassified. In the event of a crash, the restraint system may not provide the intended level of protection, increasing the risk of injury.
The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver. If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
A recall may cover only some cars of a model year; the campaign size counts every model and year it lists. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls: dealers fix open recalls free.
Service bulletins from Ford: 174
Repair instructions Ford sent its dealers for symptoms seen in the shop on the 2020 Ford Expedition. Ask a dealer or mechanic for a bulletin by its number.
Some vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022…
Detected with the CDF clutch cylinder following this article, technicians should carefully inspect and replace other transmission components and flush…
Some vehicles may require an engine cooling system flush to be performed for various concerns
On your vehicle, the OBD monitoring system for the catalytic converter may not be operating as intended
NHTSA defect investigations: 2
Seat Belt Retractor Pretensioner Inadvertent Deployment
Rearview Camera FMVSS 111 Noncompliance
Neighbouring years
2019 Expedition: 530 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission · 2021 Expedition: 242 complaints, keep it, but watch the transmission.
Every Ford Expedition year
2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004 · 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013 · 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2017 · 2018 · 2019 · 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · All Expedition years side by side
Other Ford models: Ford 500 · Ford Bronco · Ford Bronco Sport · Ford C-Max · Ford Contour · Ford Crown Victoria · Ford E-150 · Ford E-250 · Ford E-350 · Ford E-450 · Ford EcoSport · Ford Edge · Ford Escape · Ford Escape Hybrid · Ford Escort · Ford Excursion · Ford Explorer · Ford Explorer Sport · Ford Explorer Sport Trac · Ford F SD · Ford F-150 · Ford F-150 Hybrid · Ford F-150 Lightning BEV · Ford F-250 SD · Ford F-350 SD · Ford F-450 SD · Ford F-550 SD · Ford Fiesta · Ford Five Hundred · Ford Flex · Ford Focus · Ford Focus Electric · Ford Ford · Ford Freestar · Ford Freestyle · Ford Fusion · Ford Fusion Energi · Ford Fusion Hybrid · Ford Maverick · Ford Maverick Hybrid · Ford Mustang · Ford Mustang GT · Ford Mustang Mach-E · Ford Ranger · Ford Taurus · Ford Taurus X · Ford Thunderbird · Ford Transit · Ford Transit Connect · Ford Windstar. All makes and models.
Questions
Is the 2020 Ford Expedition a bad year?
430 owner complaints to NHTSA. Transmission complaints: 270, 15× a quiet Expedition year. At 66,000 miles the tool says: Keep it, but watch the transmission. Half of the transmission complaints for this year were filed at 44k–93k miles, where you are now. Few of them say the car was towed: 4 of 270 filed since 2016.
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Ford Expedition?
By owner complaints to NHTSA: transmission and drivetrain (270), seat belts (40), engine (56), electrical system (35), body structure (22). Half of the transmission complaints were filed between 44k–93k miles.
How many recalls does the 2020 Ford Expedition have?
18 recall campaigns list this model year: Transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA 26V-402), Body structure (NHTSA 26V-368), Seat belts (NHTSA 26V-344), Engine (NHTSA 25V-628) and more. A recall may cover only some cars; check by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Method: counts of unverified owner complaints filed with NHTSA, compared only with other years of the same model (sales volumes are unknown, so no failure rate is computed). A system stands out at 40+ complaints and at least twice the model's quiet (lower-quartile) year, or twice the share across every vehicle of that model year. The mileage range is the 25th to 75th percentile of the mileages owners reported. Data received by NHTSA through November 5, 2026. Repair prices are typical US ranges from named sources, not quotes. Not a diagnosis and not financial advice. PulsCar is not affiliated with NHTSA. Check this car at your own mileage.