Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 72 safety complaints
about the 2014 Ford Expedition with the US government. Of those, 10 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 9 people were injured and no death is recorded. No recall campaign has been matched to this year, make and model.
The most complained-about system is the power train,
named in 34 complaints, 47% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 90,000 miles,
the median across the 42
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers March 2014 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
72 complaints on file
72
Complaints
10
Describe a crash
2
Mention fire
9
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
Complaints fell 40% year on year: 6 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 10 in the twelve before.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not
the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production
ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 34 · 47%
34 47%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13 · 18%
13 18%
ENGINE 10 · 14%
10 14%
AIR BAGS 7 · 10%
7 10%
STRUCTURE 6 · 8%
6 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 6%
4 6%
SEAT BELTS 3 · 4%
3 4%
SUSPENSION 3 · 4%
3 4%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 3 · 4%
3 4%
VISIBILITY 3 · 4%
3 4%
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) 2 · 3%
2 3%
SEATS 2 · 3%
2 3%
01531
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 72.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2023 at 11.
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2014 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2014 Ford EXPEDITION, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
EXTENDED SUV 4x2
EXTENDED SUV 4x4
SUV 4x2
SUV 4x4
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover
21.2%
19.8%
21.2%
19.8%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed.
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · towed · 140,000 miles
TRAVELING APROX 45-50 MPH ON HIGHWAY WHEN A SUBURBAN PULL OUT IN FRONT OF WITH ABOUT 55 FEET AND I HIT THE TRAILER THEY WERE PULLING HEAD ON AND THEN IT SPUN ME SIDEWAYS AND INTO A 5 FT DEEP DITCH AND CAME TO ABRUPT STOP FROM THE FRONT NOSE DOWN. NONE OF OUR AIRBAGS DEPLOYED, FOR EITHER MYSELF OR MY PASSENGER. WE WERE BOTH TAKEN BY AMBULANCE AND SUSTAIN CONTUSIONS, BACK AND NECK INJURIES.BOTH VEHICLES WER EIN MOTION AND IT OCCURED ON A HIGHWAY WITH A SPEED LIMIT OF 55 AND I HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY, THEY PULLED OUT FROM A SIDE ROAD.
NHTSA complaint 11390865. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
2 injured · crash · 70,000 miles
TRAFFIC ON HWY CAME TO A SUDDEN STOP FROM AROUND 60 MPH. I APPLIED THE BRAKES VERY HARD AND CAME TO A SAFE STOP. THE VEHICLE BEHIND ME DID NOT STOP AND REAR ENDED ME AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED. THERE WERE 3 PASSENGERS IN MY VEHICLE, ALL WEARING SEATBELTS, AND NOT A SINGLE AIRBAG WENT OFF!!! THE SENSORS TO PREVENT CAR FROM STARTING AFTER AN ACCIDENT ACTIVATED AND CAR WOULD NOT START. BECAUSE MY FOOT WAS FIRMLY ON THE BRAKE STILL AT TIME OF IMPACT, THERE WERE NO LIFE THREATENING INJURIES, BUT WERE SOME INJURY. THE NYS POLICE AT THE SCENE WERE SURPRISED THE AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF.
NHTSA complaint 11270942. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
1 injured · fire
Air conditioner stopped working; we pulled to side of street and shut engine off. Restarted engine and smoke started coming out of air conditioner vent on passenger side then out of front dash. Shut engine off again and called AAA for tow truck. Tow truck came about an hour and a half later. Tow truck driver turned ignition key to put car in neutral and began pulling it up onto flat bed. Smoke started coming from front area of dash and out through vents at bottom of windshield. Tow truck driver rolled car back down onto street. Smoke got extremely thick. My husband opened front passenger door and saw fire in the floor under the glove box. He tried to pick up this piece of equipment to throw …
NHTSA complaint 11490337, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
AIR BAGS
1 injured · crash · towed · 16,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2014 FORD EXPEDITION. WHILE AT A STOP, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE CONTACT CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE AND THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED SHOULDER INJURIES AND A CONCUSSION THAT REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 16,000.
NHTSA complaint 10786612. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES
162,749 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Discoverer AT, Tire Size: 275/55/R20, DOT Number: UTV11R9 4221. The contact purchased four new tires. The contact called Walmart for assistance. The contact became aware that there were large blisters on the sidewalls of the tires. The tire was 80 percent worn. The second and third tires were at 50 and 80 percent worn. The blister was about six inches long. The blister was located on the passenger’s side rear tire; the driver’s side rear tire and the driver’s side front tires had blisters. The contact was able to stick a finger between the blister and the ball joint. The contact was concerned about a blowout. An …
NHTSA complaint 11761579, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
I bought this 2014 ford expedition. I didn't know at the time the Triton 5.4 had a transmission Lead Frame defect. I asked them to cover it under NHTSA 26V237 but they refused because they dsaid it wasn't part of the recall although this vehicle shares the same exact components. I also asked them to cover it under Safety Recall 26S28. I ended up having to pay $1842.00 to get this fixed.
NHTSA complaint 11747325. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
While driving on interstate at highway speeds (70mph), the transmission experienced sudden downshift, which increased the engine RPMs to redline and rapidly decelerated the vehicle. Occupant safety was put at risk while other drivers were forced to quickly avoid collision due to our much slower speed. Transmission would not select proper gear which made it difficult to proceed to a safe pull-off point. After restarting the vehicle, the situation repeated itself several times while attempting to drive home. Reoccurring problems include rapid deceleration and high engine revs when transmission suddenly shifts at high speeds, or stalling & lack of acceleration when transmission shifts …
NHTSA complaint 11733946, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
POWER TRAIN
While driving the truck will shift into 1st gear. It will also shift back and forth between gears randomly. When this happens, the wheels may lock up or just skid. The service engine light will come on, the speedometer will drop to zero while still moving and the "miles to empty" will show at zero miles. Sometime the tire indicator will turn on as well. This may/may not reset when the vehicle turns off and back on. Other times the vehicle will stick in first gear when leaving from a stop. It will also stick in 3rd or 4th gear as well. There have been times where it seems to stick like it was on cruise control but will disengage when the brake it tapped. This all occurs anywhere between a …
NHTSA complaint 11726391, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
crash
Minor side impact. All repairs were make and no issues noted
NHTSA complaint 11695111. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ENGINE
Was driving 80MPH down the highway when instantly the rear wheels locked up, green wrench came on dashboard and my car came to a screeching halt. Complete loss of power, and am VERY lucky it did not create a major pile up on the highway! Had to "bunny" hop it over 4 lanes of traffic and barely survived the most terrifying experience of my life. Had it towed and the mechanic shop said the throttle body/actuator had magnetic problem which is VERY common, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! But there are no recalls on it, and they had to replace the entire unit, and now I am scared to death to drive the vehicle ever again. I am also very lucky it did not happen on snow, ice, or rain!!!!! SO DANGEROUS and SO …
NHTSA complaint 11687286, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's
lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, no campaign on file for this vehicle.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by
us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that
sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst