2012 Ford Expedition Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 108,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

Over a period of time this problem is occurring more often. The vehicle will downshift into first gear. I pull over check engine light is on. I turn off wait turn back on and no problem for awhile. Within the last month this has occurred many times . Each time the check engine light comes on but also now the advance track light. Each…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Transmission failed to engage after startup, and while driving will slip out like its in neutral without warning. There was a series of messages that rolled over and over as the vehicle slowed. When we first took it to have it serviced for this problem June of 2024, they optioned to flush, change the filter, and put in new transmission…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 92,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 ford expedition. While driving 50 MPH, the instrument cluster failed and went blank without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (johnson brothers ford lincoln, 7455 south general bruce dr, temple, tx 75505) where it was diagnosed that the molar lead frame needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 95,000 miles

Our 2012 expedition speedometer has repeatedly dropped to zero and stopped functioning while driving on the highway. We bought the truck last month as a ford certified vehicle. It has 30k original miles. This is a major safety issue. We have also submitted a complaint regarding intermittent loss of transmission output.Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 30,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 72,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The speedometer will quit working and the vehicle will not shift out of 1st gear, if you can work through it it will start throwing error messages such as zero miles to empty, tire moniter system fault, etc. This is a very dangerous situation especially in high traffic areas. There was a customer satisfaction program on it but only up to…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns 2012 ford expedition. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH and attempting to engage the brakes, the vehicle suddenly [VIN] without any warning. The contact stated that the failure occurred on a different occasion but since she was not driving there was a sudden increase in engines rpms. The vehicle was taken to the…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 10,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (15).

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

I just bought this vehicle used. The paint on the tailgate of my truck has bubbled up in several locations and started to peel. After talking to the local dealership and the [VIN], they stated that it's a cosmetic problem, not covered by the corrosion warranty. After much research, I have realized that this is a very common problem. I…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 75,000 miles

Paint is bubbling on tailgate. Common problem. Ford dealer knows about it, ford knows about it. Ford will not repair as there is no metal perforation. Aluminum tailgate is corroding under paint. This should not happen on a 3 -4 year old vehicle.Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 70,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 96,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle independently slowed to approximately 2 MPH. The contact observed that the check engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the speedometer went blank. The contact stated that when she depressed the accelerator, the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 150,000 miles

Car was driving fine and then it stopped accelerating, wouldn't change gears or go over 20mph. We brought it to our local repair shop who thought it was the timing chain. We then had it towed to the ford dealer (koons in falls church, va) they said that it is a problem with low oil pressure and the engine has been affected. They gave us…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 89,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

My wife backed my vehicle out of the garage and began her drive to work. She stopped a few times at stop light through town before she got to the freeway. Driving on the highway she notice/got a message on the dash that stated Low Brake Fluid. She wasn't sure what that meant as the brakes were working fine. On her drive to work she has 2…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Multiple times replacing brake pads, rotors and calipers in under a year and 7,000 miles. Mechanics says it's a known defect of ford that is not admitted. There is no hard braking, no odd driving, no real reasons for any brake issues to happen let alone requiring multiple [VIN] within a year. When I went to dealer, I was told they…Owner complaint, filed 2017

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

Neck problems due to angle of head rest while breaking, I am 6'5'. The existing headrest is a dangerous design and needs to be fixed.Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 30,515 miles

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…Owner complaint, filed 2012, at 50 miles

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

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…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 20,500 miles

Customer complained of the vehicle stalling. Testing found an electrical issue with the fuel supply and delivery system. Removal and inspection of the fuel pump found the internal power wire to the pump rubbed through on the pressure regulator ground spade causing a short circuit inside the fuel tank - this short circuit blows fuse 44 in…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 89,335 miles

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rear suspension failed, and the rear dropped going 45 MPH down the road. Changed relays, but the rear is still sagging. The air suspension won't kick on. Car is undriveable.Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 73,009 miles

While driving the rear air suspension failed abruptly causing the rear of the vehicle to bottom out. The vehicle lost handling ability, could not be driven and had to be towed to the dealer for warranty repair. This is a serious safety issue in that I use the vehicle to tow boats and snowmobile trailers often at highway speed. If the air…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 17,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was involved in a traffic collision today, may 15, 2015, going southbound the speed of 45mph on a city street in rancho cucamonga ca. Another car going westbound didn't wait at stop sign, went through the intersection, I slammed on the brakes and turned wheel to the right to avoid hitting her but we collided, I was spun around, she…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 68,200 miles

The contact owns a 2012 ford expedition. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was continuously illuminated and heard a sound when the wheels were turning. The failure recurred multiple times. The dealer diagnosed that the air bag harness and shocks failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the…Owner complaint, filed 2015, at 9,311 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the image displayed on the back over prevention screen was either upside down, distorted, static only, or completely black. The failure was intermittent. During the failure, the contact was able to restart the vehicle to fix the image; however, the fix was intermittent. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 78,000 miles

Metal corrosion on the back liftgate is allowing water to leech into the electrical connections to the back camera, causing it to intermittently not work leading to complete failure eventually. The service techs at the ford dealership have described this common problem with this year model expeditions and is due to a chemical problem…Owner complaint, filed 2023

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Letter from congressman king on behalf of constituent re 2012 ford expedition. *smd the consumer stated the rims were replaced in april 2015. However, the new are missing the clear coat in certain areas and the surface of those areas were rough.Owner complaint, filed 2016

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…Owner complaint, filed 2013, at 9,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

Smelled a burning plastic smell from the rear of the vehicle . After searching I discovered the 3rd brake light housing had overheated and has melted in the frame from the heat of the lighting. This is a stock housing from ford with ford installed lights.Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 60,000 miles