2014 Ford Expedition Problems

What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Expedition, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Ford Expedition, 2012 to 2017 model years
Photo: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Public domain
How the 2014 compares

One of the better Expedition years

Owners filed about 69% fewer complaints than a typical Expedition year. The area owners reported most is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 124,000 miles.

Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Expedition years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

Owners have filed 72 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Expedition. The most reported problem area is the transmission and drivetrain (34, 47% of complaints), followed by the electrical system and the engine and cooling. That ranks 12th of 13 Expedition years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 0 recalls.

Complaints72filed with NHTSA
Recalls0for this model year
Crashes109 injuries reported
Fires2reported in complaints

1 of these complaints came from Utah owners.

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Most reported problems

Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2014 Ford Expedition before you buy.

Transmission and drivetrain

34 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 124,000 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

I bought this 2014 ford expedition. I didn't know at the time the Triton 5.4 had a transmission Lead Frame defect. I asked them to cover it under NHTSA 26V237 but they refused because they dsaid it wasn't part of the recall although this vehicle shares the same exact components. I also asked them to cover it under Safety Recall 26S28. I…Owner complaint, filed 2026
While driving at highway speeds very quickly the speedometer went to 0 , the fuel low warning came on , the transmission locked up dragging the rear wheels and engine goes to high rpm , this has happened numerous times , I’ve checked with local ford dealership and they tell me there are no updates for my vehicle , when this situation…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Electrical system

13 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 85,000 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

Air conditioner stopped working; we pulled to side of street and shut engine off. Restarted engine and smoke started coming out of air conditioner vent on passenger side then out of front dash. Shut engine off again and called AAA for tow truck. Tow truck came about an hour and a half later. Tow truck driver turned ignition key to put…Owner complaint, filed 2022
Running boards only work sometimes. Sometimes they get stuck when they are half way out and won't go in and out like they are suppose to.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 65,000 miles

Engine and cooling

10 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 138,000 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

My A/C went out, but began coming on and shutting off. I drove from my home to work, approximately 6 miles, and parked in the parking lot. In the parking lot, I began to smell burning and my SUV began smoking. I turned my SUV off and got out of the car. As I got out, coolant was pouring onto the pavement. When the hood was popped, we…Owner complaint, filed 2023
Heater hose to rear compartment unit found damaged and leaking during routine inspection, posing threat of sudden massive cooling leak with no warning. Hose had to be replaced by a labor intensive process of 5 hours so job cost $1,143.Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 52,871 miles

Air bags

7 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 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

Traveling aprox 45-50 MPH on highway when a suburban pull out in front of with about 55 feet and I hit the trailer they were pulling head on and then it spun me sideways and into a 5 ft deep ditch and came to abrupt stop from the front nose down. None of our airbags deployed, for either myself or my passenger. We were both taken by…Owner complaint, filed 2021, at 140,000 miles
Traffic on hwy came to a sudden stop from around 60 MPH. I applied the brakes very hard and came to a safe stop. The vehicle behind me did not stop and rear ended me at a high rate of speed. There were 3 passengers in my vehicle, all wearing seatbelts, and not a single airbag went off!!! The sensors to prevent car from starting after an…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 70,000 miles

Body, doors and structure

6 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 97,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (5).

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

Paint bubbling on the rear lift gate. This issue is related to contamination of the aluminum before painting. Ford is aware of this issue, but is ignoring it, claiming it is no longer covered under the warranty and or the warranty does not apply. There are many people having the same issue on hood and tailgate on multiple ford models.…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 97,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while at the car wash, the running boards extended downward and fractured. The contact stated that the running boards failed to retract as intended. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the running boards were extending and retracting independently. The…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 90,000 miles

Seats and seat belts

5 complaintsBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy

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

Both my third row seat belts, driver and passenger side, have come unstitched. Luckily we were not needing them, my son was buckling up at the time of failure. I have an extended warranty on the car from Ford and was told they cover the second row seat belts but not the third row.Owner complaint, filed 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition. The contact stated the front passenger’s side seat belt sensor and rear seats seat belt sensors were inoperable. The contact stated that the seat belt warning light failed to illuminate with a passenger seated in the front passenger’s seat without the seat belt securely fastened. The driver's side…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 51,519 miles

Brakes and stability control

4 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy

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

Two incidents resulting in minor collision. No injuries. Approaching traffic light applying brakes and accelerator is also engaged. I could not stop the vehicle. Repair man denied it could happen after first incident. No inspections made as far as i know. There is usually no warning lights or indicators on with this vehicle. I am…Owner complaint, filed 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the RPM increased rapidly, and the contact became aware that the vehicle had downshifted unintendedly, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 106,000 miles

Cruise control and acceleration

4 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy

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

While driving on interstate at highway speeds (70mph), the transmission experienced sudden downshift, which increased the engine RPMs to redline and rapidly decelerated the vehicle. Occupant safety was put at risk while other drivers were forced to quickly avoid collision due to our much slower speed. Transmission would not select proper…Owner complaint, filed 2026
While driving the truck will shift into 1st gear. It will also shift back and forth between gears randomly. When this happens, the wheels may lock up or just skid. The service engine light will come on, the speedometer will drop to zero while still moving and the "miles to empty" will show at zero miles. Sometime the tire indicator will…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Suspension

3 complaintsClunks over bumps, broken springs, worn struts and uneven tire wear.What to check before you buy

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

In 2015 left front strut found to be leaking at 3/3/2015 at approx 10,00 miles replaced under warranty but only that strut.. In 2016 both rear struts found leaking at 25,000 miles. Both replaced under warranty. 3/3/2019 at 45,00 miles right front strut found leaking. Mechanic noted ok to go to next oil change. (/16/20 rt front strut…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 52,171 miles
Our 2014 ford expedition has defective shock absorbers which leak oil. On 4/21/17, with 21,132 miles on the odometer, the ford dealer replaced the left front shock absorber, which was leaking oil, under warranty. On 11/17/17 the ford dealer, with 27,000 miles on the odometer, replaced the right front and right rear shock absorbers which…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 21,132 miles

Lights, wipers and visibility

3 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy

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

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the passenger’s side windshield wiper seized in the upright position. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 166,000 miles
The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, the contact noticed an abnormal burning smell while the blower motor was engaged. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to a recall that did not include the year of the vehicle. The local dealer was…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 212,000 miles

Wheels and tires

3 complaintsTire failures, wheels and lug nuts, and tire pressure sensor faults.What to check before you buy

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

The contact owns a 2014 Ford Expedition equipped with Cooper Tires, Tire Line: Discoverer AT, Tire Size: 275/55/R20, DOT Number: UTV11R9 4221. The contact purchased four new tires. The contact called Walmart for assistance. The contact became aware that there were large blisters on the sidewalls of the tires. The tire was 80 percent…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 162,749 miles
Wheel nuts were swollen and had to be replaced. Just a week prior I had a flat tire and the nuts were removed without incidence. Had they been swollen at the time I would have been stranded on the side of the road out of town from family/friends alone. The tow company, due to covid, could not take me to where my car would have been…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 150,000 miles

Driver assist systems

1 complaintPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy

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

Ford Expedition complaints by year

Compare the 2014 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.

Compare with similar 2014 full-size SUVs

Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.

CarVs. its other yearsRecallsMost reported
2014 Ford ExpeditionOne of the better years0Transmission and drivetrain
2014 Chevrolet TahoeOne of the better years3Electrical system
2014 Toyota 4RunnerAbout average7Electrical system
2014 Dodge DurangoAmong the worst years11Lights, wipers and visibility
Compare side by side

2014 Ford Expedition recalls

NHTSA has no recalls on file for this model year.

2014 Ford Expedition questions

What are the most common problems with the 2014 Ford Expedition?

The most reported problem areas on the 2014 Ford Expedition are the transmission and drivetrain (34 complaints), the electrical system (13 complaints) and the engine and cooling (10 complaints).

Is the 2014 Ford Expedition a good year to buy?

One of the better Expedition years. Owners filed about 69% fewer complaints than a typical Expedition year. The area owners reported most is the transmission and drivetrain, which half of owners reported by about 124,000 miles. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Expedition years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

How many recalls does the 2014 Ford Expedition have?

NHTSA has no recalls on file for the 2014 Ford Expedition.

At what mileage do 2014 Ford Expedition problems start?

Half of the owners who reported a problem with the transmission and drivetrain gave a mileage of about 124,000 miles or less. Half of the owners who reported a problem with the electrical system gave a mileage of about 85,000 miles or less. Plenty of cars have these problems later or never, so ask for service records.

Which Ford Expedition years should I avoid?

The Expedition years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2019. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2012, 2013 and 2014. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.