2020 Ford Expedition transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

• Recall 26V402000Jun 24, 2026741,195 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Navigator, Expedition, 2020-2021 Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2021 F-150 vehicles. The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.

  Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.

  Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

• Recall 20V197000Apr 3, 202055,158 vehicles
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)

  Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. 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.

  Risk: 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.

  Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.

What owners say

1. Filed Oct 4, 2026MOBrakesAcceleration & Cruise ControlTransmission & Drivetrain

   Was trying to merge into traffic by accelerating but the transmission was not shifting properly or slipping which caused me to almost be in a wreck due to this problem. Took vehicle to dealer and was told the transmission needs replaced due to a cdf drum inside transmission. Said there is a tsb for the issue but no recall. Said it's a known issue but I have to pay for a new transmission. Also have issues with the park brake setting while still moving which will also damage…

   NHTSA complaint #11768814 · source
2. Filed Oct 1, 2026COTransmission & Drivetrain

   In 2025, our 2020 Ford Expedition had harsh, erratic shifting, then would lurch during shifts or lose power. Ford service replaced the valve body plate and reset the transmission software. This did not fix the harsh shifting; it only cleared the warning lights when the harsh shifting occurred. Now in 2026, shifting and gear sticking have continued to get worse, and now Ford says we need a new transmission, but it is now conveniently out of warranty. This is an issue the…

   NHTSA complaint #11768260 · source
3. Filed Sep 25, 2026LATransmission & Drivetrain

   Vehicle regularly shifts harshly, and on multiple occasions has completely lost power/forward movement as if the transmission completely disconnected from the vehicle. The vehicle would then reengage with a harsh lurch. Almost rear-ended a few times with children in car. Ford dealer states transmission needs replacement, but ford motor company refuses to financially assist with repair despite this seeming to be a manufacturer or engineering defect. Although I answered “no”…

   NHTSA complaint #11767001 · source
4. Filed Sep 16, 2026101,000 miUTBody & StructureSeats & Seat BeltsTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V344000 (Seat Belts), 26V368000 (Structure), and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts for the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the parts to be available. The contact stated that after pulling into the driveway and shifting into park(P), the parking brake engaged independently, causing…

   NHTSA complaint #11764650 · source
5. Filed Sep 16, 2026133,000 miTXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the transmission independently shifted into park(P), and the rear wheels locked up. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was confirmed that the failure was associated with a recall. The contact was informed that the vehicle was safe to drive with the unrepaired recall. The contact…

   NHTSA complaint #11764649 · source
6. Filed Sep 15, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   The transmission malfunctioned at highway speed on the highway. When traveling on the highway at approximately 45 mph in the middle lane, I accelerated moderately to reach 65 mph to safely change lanes. While accelerating to change lanes, the transmission dropped the gear and banged violently, causing temporary loss of forward drive and steering, causing excessive swerving. The collision warning system was beeping since the transmission surge was so violent. The vehicle has…

   NHTSA complaint #11764431 · source
7. Filed Sep 9, 2026GAOther / UnknownSteeringTransmission & Drivetrain

   Recurring dangerous transmission defect in my 2020 Ford Expedition (3.5L EcoBoost, 10-speed 10R80, ~136,826 mi). It has lost power and shifted violently multiple times, each a crash risk. 1) ~Aug 22, 2026: Accelerating to pass on the highway, the whole vehicle shut down. I lost all power INCLUDING power steering and had to coast off the road. It restarted after stopping. Losing power and steering while passing at speed is extremely dangerous. 2) Weekend of ~Aug 29-31, 2026:…

   NHTSA complaint #11763144 · source
8. Filed Sep 9, 2026TX1 injuredBody & StructureTransmission & Drivetrain

   My name is [XXX] [XXX] and i own a 2020 Ford Expedition Limited Max, there is a recall to inspect transmission recall#26S48/26V402. I contacted Ford dealer and stated there is no fix yet, I asked them what do i do in the meantime, stated i have to wait until Ford figures out the fix. So, in the meantime, we have to continue driving this vehicle with this known issue/safety concern and hope that it does not do it again and cause an accident or god forbid something happen to…

   NHTSA complaint #11763021 · source
9. Filed Sep 2, 202660,000 miILBody & StructureSeats & Seat BeltsTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the parking brake warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that parts were unavailable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to drive with the unrepaired seat belt recall. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V344000 (Seat Belts), 26V368000 (Structure), and 26V402000…

   NHTSA complaint #11761707 · source
10. Filed Sep 2, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered extremely while driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The dealer confirmed the failure and stated that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired.

    NHTSA complaint #11761683 · source
11. Filed Sep 1, 2026TXTransmission & Drivetrain

    The car will lose power when trying to accelerate on the highway. The car’s transmission will completely shift out of a high gear while traveling 50+ mph at a time when you are trying to accelerate onto the highway or speed up to avoid another vehicle. The car’s transmission will shift to first and slow way down and you cannot regain power or speed for several seconds. This has happened multiple times over the last several months, sometimes multiple times a day.

    NHTSA complaint #11761476 · source
12. Filed Aug 26, 2026MDTransmission & Drivetrain

    For the past month I have started noticing my ford expedition changing abruptly between certain gears. The problem progressively got more noticeable until last week while driving my Ford Expedition on the highway it lost power unexpectedly, feeling like it was about to stall while driving 65 mph and on the third lane while the car randomly downshifted from the 10th speed to the 6th. The person behind me almost rear ended me in the process. Just a couple of days after that…

    NHTSA complaint #11759863 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology