FORD EXPEDITION · model year

2011 FORD EXPEDITION

90 NHTSA complaints, 3 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2011FORDEXPEDITION carries 90 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 1 fire, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall Not Rated/5 rating, with Not Rated/5 front crash, Not Rated/5 side crash, and 4/5 rollover scores derived from standardized barrier and dynamic tests.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2011 EXPEDITION is power train with 20 filings, followed by engine (11) and structure:body (9). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 2011 EXPEDITION. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page, a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

90
Complaints
3
Crashes
1
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

90 filings

Crashes Reported

3 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

NHTSA NCAP overall: Not Rated/5 - Not rated · Front: Not Rated/5 · Side: Not Rated/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN20
ENGINE11
STRUCTURE:BODY9
SEATS8
UNKNOWN OR OTHER8
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM6
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM4
WHEELS3
VISIBILITY/WIPER2
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
AIR BAGS1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN1
POWER TRAIN:TRANSFER CASE (4-WHEEL DRIVE)1

Recent Complaints

20251205UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I bought this vehicle early 2023. From the moment I bought it I’ve had a loud ticking sound come from the dash or the motor when I start the car also when it’s really hot out. It also didn’t blow cold air. So I had to save up enough money to replace the AC components in my 2011 expedition. After I got it “repaired” It only lasted about six months and that’s being conservative. $2000 later and it’s blowing hot air and still making you loud ticking sound. I pretty much replaced all the components that deal with the AC and the blower. I don’t know what to do anymore, but it makes a loud ticking sound when I’m driving, when I start the car, anytime. And I also don’t have cold air anymore.

20251205ENGINE

I bought this vehicle early 2023. From the moment I bought it I’ve had a loud ticking sound come from the dash or the motor when I start the car also when it’s really hot out. It also didn’t blow cold air. So I had to save up enough money to replace the AC components in my 2011 expedition. After I got it “repaired” It only lasted about six months and that’s being conservative. $2000 later and it’s blowing hot air and still making you loud ticking sound. I pretty much replaced all the components that deal with the AC and the blower. I don’t know what to do anymore, but it makes a loud ticking sound when I’m driving, when I start the car, anytime. And I also don’t have cold air anymore.

20241002VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:COMPRESSOR

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front blower system was seized. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed HVAC blower motor. The contact was informed that the HVAC blower motor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed of Technical Service Bulletin: 10163573; however, the contact was informed that the vehicle repair was not covered under the bulletin. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 153,000.

Mileage: 153,000

20240508POWER TRAIN

So my 2011 expedition has a lead frame problem it is stuck in 4th gear and all the warning lights are on associating the lead frame. The shop I left told me it Is the lead frame. The problem is the ford f150 with the exact same transmission as mine has a recall for that exact part. But no recall on the expiration with the exact same transmission as mine. This is a safety problem as it is stuck in fourth gear and completely unsafe to drive. This is a ford factory problem and needs to be addressed before it gets someone gravely injured of killed I talked with ford and they sY since there is no recall there is nothing they can do I've beennout a vehicle for 2 weeks already and now they say they have no clue when they can find the part. So I'm just out a vehicle that I payed thousands of dollars for. This is Unacceptable as I need the vehicle to get to work I don't know if this will help but I have to try something. There should be a recall on the expeditions as well

20240119LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES

The contact owns a 2011 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the locking assembly on the driver’s side door was frozen and failed to operate as designed. Due to the issue, the contact was unable to enter the vehicle without using a hair dryer to warm up the lock. However, once the door was opened, the door was unable to close until the lock was heated up again. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

Mileage: 115,000

20230420ENGINE

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. I had to have it towed to the dealership because it was not driveable and they told me the engine was no longer good and was blown. They said it would cost me $10k and I would be better off buying a new vehicle. There was no engine light or anything that came on until it blew. The only "warning" I had was the slight ticking noise that came from the engine, but when mentioned to the dealership, I was told that it was normal with this engine.

20220404WHEELS

While getting tires replaced (Discount Tire), the representative pointed out that the aluminum-shelled lug nuts had swollen and become so deformed that the correctly sized socket could not be used. FUrthermore they could not be accurately torqued. The lug nuts had to be replaced, which cost $175.

20220316WHEELS

2 piece lug nuts swelled creating a dangerous situation where the lugs were extremely difficult to remove. If the vehicle experienced a flat tire, they would be difficult if not impossible to remove on the road.

20220222FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2011 FORD Expedition. The contact stated that while driving, there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated at the time she did not see any smoke coming from her vehicle, so she assumed it was the outside. The contact stated that once she parked her vehicle, she sat inside the vehicle for approximately one hour before she exited the vehicle. The contact stated that when she came back to her vehicle, it was filled with smoke. The contact stated that the wires from the rear, middle row, passengers seat, on the driver's side of the vehicle had been burning. The contact stated that it did not cause a fire, however, it did melt the foam inside the seat. The contact stated the wires inside the seat were also melted. The dealer nor the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 177,000

Mileage: 177,000

20210504EXTERIOR LIGHTING

NO REVERSE LIGHTS, NO BACK UP LIGHTS, NO POWER TO THE REVERSE LIGHT BULBS.

20201013VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY SHUT-OFF AND WENT INTO LIMP MODE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT CONTINUED DRIVING TO HIS DESTINATION. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO A CERTIFIED MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE THROTTLE BODY POSITIONING SENSOR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT FAILURE RECURRED WHILE ACCELERATING AT APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE SAME MECHANIC BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 179,000.

Mileage: 179,000

20200814STEERING

LLOSS OF STEERING CONTROL WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY

Mileage: 66,000

20200616FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND IT READS CHECK FUEL FILL INLET? IF I CAN FIND SOMEONE TO TURN IT OFF THEY WILL CLEAR IT BUT WITHIN A WEEK IT IS BACK ON. *TR

Mileage: 19,499

20200616UNKNOWN OR OTHER

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON AND IT READS CHECK FUEL FILL INLET? IF I CAN FIND SOMEONE TO TURN IT OFF THEY WILL CLEAR IT BUT WITHIN A WEEK IT IS BACK ON. *TR

Mileage: 19,499

20200609STRUCTURE:BODY

DRIVERS RETRACTABLE RUNNING BOARD MALFUNCTIONS GOING UP AND EXTENDING. THE RUNNING BOARD HAS STOPPED MIDWAY DURING EXTENSION AND HAVE CAUSED OCCUPANTS TO FALL DUE TO THE RUNNING BOARD SUDDENLY COLLAPSING TO NORMAL HEIGHT WITH WEIGHT OF THE OCCUPANT ON THE RUNNING BOARD. RETRACTION OF THE RUNNING BOARDS IS ROUGH AND MAY TAKE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE IS WELL MAINTAINED BY THE DEALERSHIP. THERE ARE NO LUBRICATION POINTS TO ENABLE MAINTENANCE OF THE RUNNING BOARDS. AT THIS TIME THE RUNNING BOARDS ARE TURNED OFF AND ARE IN THE RETRACTED POSITION. THIS HAPPENS WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY ON A STREET OR PARKING LOT AND THE DRIVER AND LEFT PASSENGER DOORS ARE OPENED/CLOSED FOR ENTERING OR EXITING THE VEHICLE. THIS ONLY HAPPENS TO DRIVER SIDE RUNNING BOARD. THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN ON-GOING FOR THE PAST YEAR. THE DEALERSHIP HAS USED A SPRAY LUBRICANT ON THE HINGES OF THE RUNNING BOARD BUT IT IS A SHORT TERM FIX FOR A LONG TERM ISSUE. THERE HAS BEEN NO DAMAGE TO THE RUNNING BOA

Mileage: 65,000

20200116ENGINE

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

Mileage: 92,807

20191210STRUCTURE:BODY

WINTER 2019, PASSENGER SIDE DOOR WOULD NOT STAY CLOSED. APPEARS TO ONLY HAPPEN WHEN TEMPERATURES ARE BELOW FREEZING. STARTED TO HAPPEN ON DRIVERS SIDE A DAY LATER. I'VE NOTICED WATER INSIDE ON THE SILL PLATE OF THE VEHICLE AFTER IT RAINS. I SUSPECT WATER IS MAKING IT'S WAY INTO THE DOOR. THE ISSUE HAS RETURNED. TRIED TO GET WARRANTY REPAIRS FROM ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP BUT HAS GONE UNANSWERED. APPEARS THIS IS A KNOW ISSUE AND REPAIRS ARE COVERED BY AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. WHICH I DID NOT GET. WORKING WITH BBB AND FORD CORPORATE ON THAT ISSUE. THE PASSENGER DOOR WAS NOT FIXED EITHER.

Mileage: 55,000

20191210ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DOOR CLOSED SENSOR IS FAULTY AND SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH FORD BUT A RECALL WON'T HAPPEN TILL MORE PEOPLE COMPLAIN. I AM MAKING MY COMPLAINT OFFICIAL. ALSO SEEKING WARRANTY REPAIRS FROM THE ORIGINAL DEALERSHIP SINCE THE ISSUE HAS RETURNED.

Mileage: 55,000

20190516UNKNOWN OR OTHER

THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ON AN EXIT RAMP AND THE SUNROOF SHATTERED.

Mileage: 252,000

20190413ENGINE

UPON ENGAGING THE CRUISE CONTROL WHILE IN MOTION AT 65MPH (HIGHWAY) AND GOING UP A BRIDGE THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED WITH ACCELERATOR BEING STUCK ON THE FLOOR (BOTTOMED OUT) BRAKING BECAME INEFFECTIVE AT THAT SPEED. AFTER A MAJOR EFFORT WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER. PUTTING IN NEUTRAL MADE THE VEHICLE IDLE AT VERY HIGH RPM, DID NOT DISENGAGE THE ACCELERATOR. ONLY AFTER SHUTTING THE ENGINE OFF IN N AND PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN P FOLLOWED BY RESTARTING SOLVED THE ISSUE. SECOND TIME THIS OCCURRED WAS AT 55MPH (LOCAL HIGHWAY) FLAT ROAD, SAME OBSERVATIONS. BRIEFLY DISCONNECTING AND RECONNECTING CONTACT DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. VERY HIGH IDLE IN N AND ONLY AFTER PUTTING THE VEHICLE IN P AFTER SHUTTING DOWN, THE PHENOMENON WAS RESOLVED. ONLY OBSERVED WHILE USING CRUISE CONTROL. IN BOTH CONDITIONS ROAD WAS DRY WITH NO PRECIPITATION

Mileage: 279,500

Compare 2011FORDEXPEDITION to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 FORD EXPEDITION have?
The 2011 FORD EXPEDITION has 90 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 1 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2011 FORD EXPEDITION?
The 2011 FORD EXPEDITION received an overall NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5, front crash rating of Not Rated/5, side crash rating of Not Rated/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 FORD EXPEDITION?
The most-complained component for the 2011 FORD EXPEDITION is POWER TRAIN with 20 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and STRUCTURE:BODY.
Is the 2011 FORD EXPEDITION safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. The 2011 FORD EXPEDITION has an NHTSA safety rating of Not Rated/5. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.