2012 Ford EXPEDITION: complaints, problems and recalls

AFTER PURCHASING A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION, WE DISCOVERED THAT, WHEN RUNNING THE SEAT A/C, THE MOTOR INSIDE THE SEAT OVERHEATS. THIS CAUSES THE UPPER SECTION OF THE SEAT TO BECOME HOT, AND THE SEAT POCKET BEHIND THE SEAT TO BECOME VERY HOT. WE WERE ADVISED THAT THE SYSTEM WAS BUILT WITHOUT PROPER VENTILATION FOR THE MOTOR, AND THERE WAS NO FIX. NOT JUST FOR OUR VEHICLE BUT FOR ALL 2012 EXPEDITIONS....ALL HAVE THIS PROBLEM. THE ADVICE GIVEN BY FORD WAS "DON'T USE THE SEAT A/C DURING THE SUMMER." I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE OKAY TO USE THE SEAT HE…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10455859 at NHTSA ↗

STOPPED AT 0MPH. WITNESS IN CAR BEHIND. FOOT ON BRAKE. TOUCHED ACCELERATOR NORMALLY. HEARD NOISE. CAR TOOK OFF AT HIGH SPEED. HIT WALL APPROX TWENTY FEET AWAY. BOTH FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. NO ONE IN PASSENGER SEAT. SEAT BELT ON, PER DRIVER, WITNESS WHO HELPED DRIVER THRU WINDOW, AND EXAMINATION OF SEAT BELT BY INSPECTOR. HOWEVER EDR READ SEAT BELT AS NOT ENGAGED. BRAKE READ AS NOT ENGAGED, HOWEVER EDR ALSO READ VEHICLE AT 0MPH. ACCELERATOR 0% AT 3.5 SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT, INITIAL ACCELERATION 23% THREE SECONDS PRIOR TO IMPACT, 99% 1.…

Owner-reported narrative. 7,581 miles reported. Look up ODI 10487785 at NHTSA ↗

THE HEADRESTS FOR THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEATS ARE QUITE UNCOMFORTABLE. WE DID NOT NOTICE WHILE TEST DRIVING, SINCE NEITHER OF US SAT IN THE PASSENGER SEAT, BUT ON THE DRIVE HOME I WAS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT TRYING TO REST MY HEAD AGAINST THE HEADREST AND FOUND IT UNCOMFORTABLE. IN THE DAYS TO COME, MY WIFE FOUND IT MORE SO. OUR WORKAROUND HAS BEEN TO INSERT A NECK PILLOW AT THE BASE OF THE HEADREST. WE CONTACTED FORD 800#, AND THE RESPONSE WAS THAT THE HEADREST WAS DESIGNED WITH THE ANGLE FORWARD LIKE THAT FOR SAFETY, AND THEY COULD DO …

Owner-reported narrative. 50 miles reported. Look up ODI 10489194 at NHTSA ↗

MY 2012 FORD EXPEDITION SUFFERED A CATASTROPHIC TIRE FAILURE WHILE TRAVELLING AT 65MPH ON THE FREEWAY. THE TIRE WAS ONLY 11 MONTHS OLD WITH APPROXIMATELY 9000 MILES. THE TIRE WAS INFLATED PROPERLY AND HAD NO EXTERNAL SIGNS OF WEAR. SLIGHTLY BEFORE THE TIRE SIDEWALL SEPARATED I HEARD A SLAPPING SOUND FROM THE LEFT FRONT AND EASED OFF THE GAS. THE TIRE THEN POPPED LOUDLY AND CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME HARD TO CONTROL. I WAS ABLE TO SLOW DOWN AND GET TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO REPLACE IT WITH THE SPARE. THE TIRE WAS A GOODYEAR WRANGLER SR…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10498264 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 FORD EXPEDITION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR MOVED IRREGULARLY, MAKING IT DIFFICULT FOR PASSENGERS TO EXIT THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AND THE ALERT SYSTEM STATED THAT THE DOOR WAS AJAR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND DISPATCHED AN INSPECTOR. THE INSPECTOR, WHO EXAMINED THE VEHICLE, DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS A GAP BETWEEN THE DOOR AND THE FRAME, BUT STATED THAT IT WAS NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT …

Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10510389 at NHTSA ↗

A STRONG GAS SMELL/FUMES HAS FILLED THE PASSENGER CABIN ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS WHILE UNDERWAY AND CANNOT DETERMINE WHY (NOT NEAR GAS STATION, NOT RECENT REFUELING, JUST REGULAR HIGHWAY DRIVING). SAW TODAY (6/4/13) THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MANY FORD MODELS FOR THE GAS SMELL/FUMES, BUT DID NOT INCLUDE EXPEDITION MODELS. LAST DATE OCCURRENCE OF THIS INCIDENT WAS 6/2/13. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 20,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10515039 at NHTSA ↗

ON MANY OCCASIONS FROM AROUND MAY OR JUNE OF 2013, WHEN THE CAR IS ACCELERATING FROM FIRST TO SECOND GEAR IT "JUMPS". IT FEELS AS IF SOMEONE HAS HIT THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP 3 TIMES. EACH TIME THEY HAVE UPDATED THE SOFTWARE AND SUPPOSEDLY SOLVED THE PROBLEM. AFTER EACH RETURN OF THE VEHICLE THE PROBLEM HAD ONLY GOTTEN WORSE. THE SECOND TIME AFTER BEING "FIXED" BY THE DEALERSHIP THE VERY NEXT DAY SOMEONE ALMOST REAR ENDED THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE "JUMP" WAS SO IMPACTFUL THAT I SUDDENLY APPLIED MY …

Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10549904 at NHTSA ↗

AFTER ENGAGING THE 4X4 VIA THE DASHBOARD CONTROL KNOB THE "SERVICE ADVANCE TRACK" MESSAGE WAS SHOWN IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE 4X4 WAS DISENGAGED AND THE VEHICLE WAS THEN STOPPED. THE INDICATOR LIGHTS FOR THE ABS, STABILITY CONTROL AND 4X4 WERE THEN ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND AT THIS POINT ALL STABILITY CONTROL, ANTI-LOCK BRAKES AND OTHER POWERTRAIN SAFETY FEATURES WERE COMPLETELY INOPERABLE AND/OR DISABLED. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED AND A FAILURE OF THE WHEEL SPEED SENSOR WAS NOTED. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 20,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10559602 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2012-02-02 (February 2, 2012)

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES, MANUFACTURED FROM NOVEMBER 19, 2011, THROUGH DECEMBER 2, 2011, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 202, "HEAD RESTRAINTS." THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE INADEQUATE WELDS ON THE HEAD RESTRAINT SUPPORT BRACKETS FOR THE SECOND ROW, RIGHT-HAND SEAT.

Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT HEAD RESTRAINT MAY NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED STRENGTH, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY.

Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE HEAD RESTRAINTS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 21, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Reported: 2012-05-03 (May 3, 2012)

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011-2012 FORD F-150, 2012 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR, AND 2012-2013 MUSTANG VEHICLES, FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NOS. 102, "TRANSMISSION SHIFT LEVER SEQUENCE, STARTER INTERLOCK, AND TRANSMISSION BRAKING EFFECT" AND 108 “LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT.” THESE VEHICLES MAY HAVE A TRANSMISSION RANGE SENSOR (TRS) THAT WAS CALIBRATED OUT OF SPECIFICATION FOR REVERSE GEAR.

Consequence: IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS, THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT GO INTO REVERSE OR WHEN THE DRIVER PUSHES THE SHIFT LEVER IN THE REVERSE “R” POSITION AND THE VEHICLE’S TRANSMISSION DOES GO IN REVERSE, THE “R” MAY NOT ILLUMINATE ON THE DASHBOARD OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, OR NAVIGATOR MODELS AND/OR THE BACKUP LAMP ON THE REAR OF THE F-150, EXPEDITION, NAVIGATOR, OR MUSTANG VEHICLES MAY NOT ILLUMINATE. THESE CONDITIONS INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH OR A PEDESTRIAN BEING STRUCK DUE TO THE VEHICLE’S NOT SIGNALING IT IS IN REVERSE.

Remedy: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE TRS AS NECESSARY, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.

Reported: 2016-04-27 (April 27, 2016)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles. The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.

Consequence: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.