FORD EXPEDITION · model year

2013 FORD EXPEDITION

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

NHTSA overall rating

4 / 5 ★

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013FORDEXPEDITION carries 113 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 3 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 fatalities. For crash performance, NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave this cohort an overall 4/5 rating, with 4/5 front crash, 5/5 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 2013 EXPEDITION is power train with 38 filings, followed by unknown or other (11) and electrical system (10). 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 2013 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.

113
Complaints
3
Crashes
3
Fires
4
Injuries
0
Deaths
2013 FORD EXPEDITION - NHTSA crash-test profile NHTSA NCAP crash-test star ratings for the 2013 FORD EXPEDITION. Overall composite: 4.0 of 5 stars across 3 safety dimensions. Front CrashSide CrashRollover 4.0 NHTSA NCAP of 5 stars
  • Front Crash 4.0 ★
  • Side Crash 5.0 ★
  • Rollover 4.0 ★
NHTSA overall 4.0/5 stars, with front-crash, side-crash and rollover ratings from standardized NCAP barrier and dynamic tests.

Total Complaints

113 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: 4/5 - Strong NCAP rating · Front: 4/5 · Side: 5/5 · Rollover: 4/5

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
POWER TRAIN38
UNKNOWN OR OTHER11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM10
ENGINE10
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL7
SUSPENSION5
SERVICE BRAKES4
AIR BAGS3
SEAT BELTS2
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
SEATS2
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)2
WHEELS2
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL:NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM(GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM)1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING1

Recent Complaints

20260112POWER TRAIN

Was never notified of the recall pertaining to my vehicle. Upon research I contacted the dealership to have the recall fixed. First issue was they offere complimentary pickup and delivery which I scheduled and they did not show up, aswell as the call that was supposed to happen, and they tell me the recall is out of its extended warranty. I contacted Ford service department and they said the same as its out of extended warranty. This is a safety concern as Ford is aware of the failing component and will not let me get the recall fixed. At the moment the vehicle is in limp mode still runs just fine but due to the recall it is not and cannot get any help from the dealership nor Ford. I was never notified that the vehicle had any recalls as we where dealing with the known harmonic balancer issue which caused the dealership to replace the engine with a new and still had to replace that balancer 3 times until it was right. Besides that distraction there was no issues occuring from the Mol

20250823ENGINE

2013 Ford Expedition Limited 5.4 engine. The vehicle was purchased new with an extended warranty with all services performed by Ford dealer. On or about [XXX], with no warning or indication of problem the vehicle experienced what was determined to be a catastrophic internal engine failure, with only 93840 miles. The engine problems were known by Ford Motor Company as replacement engines had design changes and modifications. The engine failure resulted in an immediate stop, which occurred on a 4-lane state road with a fifty-five MPH limit. Fortunately, no vehicles were in close proximity at the time. Dense traffic, at speed, could have resulted in a multivehicle accident. The vehicle required flatbed towing to a service center. Ford Motor Company has not taken action (recall) to address the engine problems, nor has Ford offered reimbursement to customers for replacement engine cost. Ford Motor Company receives the defective engine back when a replacement engine is purchased. The cost wa

20250703POWER TRAIN

This has been a great vehicle. We were going down a road around 60 mph and with no warning or symptom the car downshifted from 6th to 1st gear. This caused the rear end to lock up causing the tires to squeal and spin the car around sideways in the road. Luckily nothing was coming. This could have easily been a deadly accident if something was coming. The dealer has said the lead frame was bad a needed to be replaced. They have quoted $1,200. The vehicle only has 117,000 miles on it and it still under the mileage for the extended coverage but not the years. There are tons of vehicles with this transmission and lead frame on the road, this is a major safety issue that should be addressed. A check engine light or no other warnings have ever come on. Having these lead frames out there are just an accident waiting to happen. Luckily, ther was no one coming when mine decided to fail.

20250311POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle downshifted with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also noticed that the instrument panel became inoperable and would not function properly when the contact attempted to shift gear. The vehicle was able to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the output speed sensor had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for further assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

Mileage: 117,000

20250228VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

2/13/19- Ford Issued Recall on 2013 Ford Expedition for OSS failure and downshift 2/20/19- I go to the Preston Ford Mazda dealership, Maryland. I view and test drive a 2013 Ford Expedition, during the test drive the RPMs ran high on the Expedition and it felt sluggish and “off” crossing a road, and at one point it jumped, and the wrench symbol came on as we were returning. My concern was shrugged off by my salesman, as he said ‘maybe Fords are just like that’. As we returned, and had the issue with the wrench symbol, salesman advised me “ well when you came and interrupted as they were just getting this thing checked out and tested.” 2/19/19 When I returned following days to purchase, the vehicle was not ready. It turned out the battery had died and they had some other issue with a “computer code”. They put in another battery on hand, and told me I should now be “good to go”, knowing that I was in desperate need of a vehicle, and would likely be trusting if th

20250102POWER TRAIN

Ford had a customer satisfaction recall (which should be a safety recall, honestly) - 19N01 - that was good for 10 years or 150K miles. My vehicle a 2013 is just outside of that 10 years but under the mileage and I am starting to have issues with the leadframe and main control. Unfortunately for me, I bought the vehicle in spring 2023, but am being told the warranty expired in 2019. Also unfortunately for me, the previous owner did not have the issue fixed. Ford is unwilling to assist with correcting the issue (even after the dealership confirmed this is the issue).

20250102UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Ford had a customer satisfaction recall (which should be a safety recall, honestly) - 19N01 - that was good for 10 years or 150K miles. My vehicle a 2013 is just outside of that 10 years but under the mileage and I am starting to have issues with the leadframe and main control. Unfortunately for me, I bought the vehicle in spring 2023, but am being told the warranty expired in 2019. Also unfortunately for me, the previous owner did not have the issue fixed. Ford is unwilling to assist with correcting the issue (even after the dealership confirmed this is the issue).

20241017POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the RMPS were fluctuating, and the vehicle unexpectedly downshifted to second or to third gear. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact pulled to the side of the road, and then the contact resumed driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the transmission molded lead frame had failed and needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the transmission molded lead frame several times; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic, where the transmission molded lead frame was replaced. The vehicle was temporarily repaired. Several unknown dealers were notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under Ford Campaign Number: 19N01 because the campaign had expired. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

Mileage: 180,000

20240625POWER TRAIN

When driving veh wrench light came on veh jerks and drops down to first gear rpm and speed gauges go out for second had to pull over cut veh off and cut it back on to get it home this happened several times took it to the closes shop they said it the transmission speed sensor loosing connection with the computer.

20240625ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

When driving veh wrench light came on veh jerks and drops down to first gear rpm and speed gauges go out for second had to pull over cut veh off and cut it back on to get it home this happened several times took it to the closes shop they said it the transmission speed sensor loosing connection with the computer.

20240328FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in the daughter's driveway, a mist was present coming from the vents, and moments later the horn activated and flames were seem coming from under the front passenger side dashboard. Flames quickly engulfed the vehicle and the fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. No injuries were reported. A fire and police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 60,000.

Mileage: 60,000

20240328CrashAIR BAGS

The contact owned a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the front passenger's side tire blew out, and she lost control of the vehicle. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle crashed into an embankment, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the front grill and the bumpers detached due to the impact. The contact stated that the driver's side and the passenger's side roof air bags were deployed; however, the front driver's side air bag failed to deploy, causing the contact to hit her face and her head against the steering wheel. The contact sustained black eyes, bruises on the forehead, a scratch on the scalp that extended to her nose, a swollen nose, a swollen forehead, and swollen eyes. The contact had not received medical assistance. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Mileage: 200,000

20240302POWER TRAIN

I have been having random transmission issues. Its wanting to start off in a high gear. Check engine light comes on. A wrench in the digital display. Speedometer quits working. Sometimes it wont shift, and idles way up by itself. At first turning the key off fixed it for a bit. Now its happening more and more. And now a few times it has downshifted HARD from a high gear to a low one causing us to be in danger on the highway, now fearing for our safety. Now turning off the key is not fixing the problem. It shows a code for output shaft speed sensor circuit fault.

20240302UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I have been having random transmission issues. Its wanting to start off in a high gear. Check engine light comes on. A wrench in the digital display. Speedometer quits working. Sometimes it wont shift, and idles way up by itself. At first turning the key off fixed it for a bit. Now its happening more and more. And now a few times it has downshifted HARD from a high gear to a low one causing us to be in danger on the highway, now fearing for our safety. Now turning off the key is not fixing the problem. It shows a code for output shaft speed sensor circuit fault.

20240229POWER TRAIN

Since more than 18 months, we have the known intermittent problem described in TSB [XXX], where all of a sudden the wrench appears, speedometer drops to zero and car can't change gear anymore. Sometimes going to manual gears works, sometimes car needs to be stopped, locked and completely shut down several times for the problem to go away. Before turning off, error P0720 appears (as described in TSB [XXX]). Car taken to garage in January 2023 where it was for 3 weeks. Technicians drove it for 11 miles (!) and could not reproduce the problem so could not do the required work ie changing the molded leadframe. Now, in January 2024 the problem happened again and this time the Check Engine light came on. The same error code P0720 was now permanently stored. Took the car to the garage, where they were able to diagnose the problem and ... replaced the molded leadframe. This at an out of pocket cost of $1,300. Contacted Ford and they say there is no program or financial assistance in place for

20240229VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Since more than 18 months, we have the known intermittent problem described in TSB [XXX], where all of a sudden the wrench appears, speedometer drops to zero and car can't change gear anymore. Sometimes going to manual gears works, sometimes car needs to be stopped, locked and completely shut down several times for the problem to go away. Before turning off, error P0720 appears (as described in TSB [XXX]). Car taken to garage in January 2023 where it was for 3 weeks. Technicians drove it for 11 miles (!) and could not reproduce the problem so could not do the required work ie changing the molded leadframe. Now, in January 2024 the problem happened again and this time the Check Engine light came on. The same error code P0720 was now permanently stored. Took the car to the garage, where they were able to diagnose the problem and ... replaced the molded leadframe. This at an out of pocket cost of $1,300. Contacted Ford and they say there is no program or financial assistance in place for

20240117POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission molded leadframe. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed the diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Customer Satisfaction Program: 19N01, but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 135,000.

Mileage: 135,000

20231120POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle independently decelerated to 0 MPH. The check engine warning light and the wrench symbol was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty main control valve body in the transmission. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,080

Mileage: 200,080

20231120POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

The contact owns a 2013 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle independently decelerated to 0 MPH. The check engine warning light and the wrench symbol was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the failure was due to a faulty main control valve body in the transmission. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 200,080

Mileage: 200,080

20231010POWER TRAIN

Transmission, is available for inspection upon request, trans will downshift to 1st gear causing rear wheels to lock up, speedometer to read zero mph, wrench to be displayed, and dashes across digital display on mph. called dealer and was told out of recall/warranty parameters, as well as ford corporate customer service. No inspection, only verbal verification from dealer. No advance warning before malfunction.

Compare 2013FORDEXPEDITION to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 FORD EXPEDITION have?
The 2013 FORD EXPEDITION has 113 NHTSA complaints, 3 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2013 FORD EXPEDITION?
The 2013 FORD EXPEDITION received an overall NHTSA safety rating of 4/5, front crash rating of 4/5, side crash rating of 5/5, and rollover rating of 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 FORD EXPEDITION?
The most-complained component for the 2013 FORD EXPEDITION is POWER TRAIN with 38 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2013 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 2013 FORD EXPEDITION has an NHTSA safety rating of 4/5. 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.