2018 Ford Expedition acceleration problems

Filed Jul 16, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · KY

I noticed a loud rattle when starting my 2018 Ford Expedition, at first occasionally and then on every cold start. The Ford Dealer's service department diagnosed a cam phaser issue. There were no warning lights or messages available to me, but the service department's diagnosis showed several timing faults. I was told the cam phaser repair is $4000 - $5000 and continued use puts the engine and transmission at risk. I contacted Ford customer service and was told that my vehicle was not eligible for assistance with these repairs and that my level of loyalty also did not make me eligible for assistance. I have maintained this vehicle with oil changes, fluid changes, tire and brake maintenance for the life of the vehicle. I would like the federal safety agency to investigate Ford for a recall of the cam phasers and effected parts since this is a known and prominent issue that also impacts road safey.

Filed Mar 24, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · TX

"Verified internal hydraulic cross leak due to CDF drum bushing movement. Transmission has delayed engagement in 4th, 5th, and 6th gears. This is a known manufacturing defect in the 10R80 transmission."

Filed Jul 7, 2025 · Acceleration, Transmission · NC

Component/System That Failed: The 10R80 automatic transmission is malfunctioning. It causes harsh shifting, delayed acceleration, hesitation, and unpredictable surging. These issues have been confirmed as part of Ford’s internal TSB 23-2250, which directly references this transmission defect. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This transmission failure poses a serious safety risk. The hesitation and delay in acceleration occur during merging, turning, and highway driving, which can cause near misses and sudden loss of power. The delayed response time compromises my ability to move safely through traffic. Reproduced/Confirmed: Yes. The issue was confirmed by Liberty Ford in Fayetteville, NC, after I paid for a diagnostic. The service department acknowledged the symptoms but refused to cover the diagnosis or repair under warranty since no recall was showing under my VIN. Inspected by Others: The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer directly or by law enforcement or insurance. However, it was diagnosed and documented by an authorized Ford dealership (Liberty Ford in Fayetteville NC). Warning Lamps or Symptoms: There were no warning lamps or error codes. The symptoms began subtly but became consistent over time. The first noticeable event was approximately in “early 2025”, with increased severity since then. I submitted a written complaint to Ford on June 9, 2025, via USPS Priority Mail (Tracking #[XXX]) and also filed a certified safety complaint with the federal safety agency (Tracking #[XXX]) but have received no response. I am requesting formal investigation and recall action. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 14, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · MD

Since purchasing the vehicle we have had extensive issues with the driveability of the car. Leading up to the eventual full transmission replacement, we surfaced the issues below repeatedly for over a year and a half. Yet, we were always told "everything is fine" "we couldn't duplicate what you are describing" or "the vehicle has to learn how you drive". Biggest Issues: - Poor shifting of gears with sudden jerking and/or random accelerations - Vehicle not accelerating - acts stuck - Loss of 'power' vehicle does nothing - Eventually complete transmission failure in the middle of an intersection The transmission was completely replaced in Fall of 2023. Mind you this was only after I elevated my concerns to Ford Corporate who sent a specialist to investigate. Only then did Koons Ford acknowledge that yes there is a "big problem". Yet, since the repair the jerking and power issues have continued. When we followed up immediately after the repair we were told again "vehicle has to learn how you drive". So I waited 3000 miles and reached out again and was told I needed to go to the dealership and drive it with a technician in the car (yet again, not taking my word seriously). Then this summer the issues intensified and eventually the power boosters failed and needed to be replaced. This vehicle is NOT safe and Ford has misled me along the way. It has been a constant fight to get them to help us. Bottom line, this is our primary family vehicle as we have five children, four of whom I drive around daily. It is not safe or reliable. The vehicle has almost led to three major accidents, where I was stuck with cars honking at me. It's pretty pathetic when friends and coworkers frequently say "you don't have your car again?!? What's wrong with it now?" Please I kindly ask that you hold Ford fully accountable. I am now aware that when I inquired about a buy back in 2022, I should have not been told "no you are not eligible".

Filed Jul 2, 2024 · Acceleration, Engine · OK

My 2018 expedition has been repaired by Ford dealership three times. The vehicle started with a hesitancy to shift into reverse then eventually a hard jerk into gear. following that, it began to hesitate to accelerate and rattle and shake hard enough to shake the steering wheel. The powertrain loss warning came on ford pass. Ford dealership said it was transmission and rebuilt it. Three weeks following the repair the very same shaking, rattling and crunching sound started again with power loss. It was intermittent and dealership said with no codes they couldn’t recreate the issue and so no help. The following day on the highway, it started again. I was attempting to stop at a red light and with my foot on the brake, the vehicle attempted to lurch forward and try to go despite the brake. Thankfully, the light turned green and the car in front of me moved. As I continued to drive, I was left stranded with the codes showing actuator failure and cam shaft failure. The dealership then said it was the cam shaft and all actuators that needed to be replaced this time. The SAME rattling and shaking and power loss they said was caused by the transmission they rebuilt 3 weeks earlier but now it is caused by the cam shaft. So 2 repairs later and 4 weeks, it did it again and this time it caught on fire and burned a hole in my hood. The dealership called me the day after I had it towed into the dealership smoking staying it was the heater hoses that caused the shaking, rattling and power loss. Said they could have it fixed the next day. It is a disaster. It is a major safety issue and I am still paying payments on this car that ford cannot fix. This car needs to be recalled and they need to refund for cost of vehicle. This car is going to kill someone!

Filed Apr 15, 2024 · Acceleration, Transmission · MI

“Shift system fault” flashes on dash and car suddenly and violently shakes and loses power at higher speeds when trying to accelerate. Also heard a metallic grinding/metallic rattle noise under the car and could not accelerate. Has happened multiple times over the last year and a half.

Filed Jan 21, 2024 · Acceleration · TX

I am experiencing delays in transmission shifting when the vehicle is cold. This behavior has recently started at about 85k miles. I have taken to dealer and had the transmission oil changed and Ford recommended cleaning the solenoids (at my cost). The dealer also resets the controller to relearn as well. I experienced the issues while driving away after the work, but I have been asked to drive around for a week and see is the problem 'goes away'. We'll see.

Filed Sep 25, 2023 · Acceleration, Engine · TX

My vehicle has been making a very loud rattling sound upon starting. I reached out to the Ford service department about this and they said the cam phaser is failing but the customer satisfaction program has expired and they will no longer cover it. I never received a letter from Ford regarding this customer satisfaction program (I hadn't moved since buying the car, so it wasn't an address problem); they blamed the DMV and said they are the ones that mail out the letters and don't know why I didn't receive it. They quoted me $3,300 to fix it. I obviously can't afford that so I took my vehicle back and continued to drive it. Today the check engine light came on and I noticed my vehicle is sluggish to accelerate. Upon researching cam phasers failing I found this: "You could also lose power suddenly while you are driving. This problem puts you at risk of an accident and exposes others on the road to a dangerous situation. ". I believe the cam phaser problems in the 2018-2020 Expeditions should be a recall. It is a safety issue.

Filed May 15, 2023 · Acceleration, Brakes · OK · crash

No Brakes, Engine Racing, & ignition would not turn off, yes available for inspection at Seth Whatley Ford. Car crashed which was the only way it came to a stop, wheels were still turning when I got out of the car, if anyone one had been around they would have been hurt or killed. Towed to dealer, dealer was unable to find any evidence on their side. Insurance adjuster came out and assess the damage from crash. There was no warning lights or sensors that were working during this episode. Monday, March 27, 2023 at approximately 10am, I got into my Expedition to start my vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed as I pushed the button to start the car, and the engine was running smoothly. Foot was on the brake pedal when I put the car into reverse, the car shot out from the carport and engine was racing. I tried to pump the breaks and push the engine button, while guiding the car as it kept going faster and faster, until I hit a trailer that was attached to a truck. There was two witness that saw everything, that went on. I feel this car is DANGEROUS. If this had occurred when my family was around serious injuries could have occurred, or if I had been in a parking lot, there was no way to stop and I was not in control. Safety is the first issue. Special Note - I took my car in February 2022 for the recall.

Filed Feb 19, 2023 · Acceleration, Engine · WA

As the vehicle accelerates it experiences a loss of power randomly at both low speeds and high speeds (like it randomly shifted into neutral) then after letting off the accelerator the vehicles clunks into gear. I experienced this at roughly 60k miles in both 2WD and less frequently in 4WD. It’s absolutely a safety hazard while driving on the roads.