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2018 Ford Expedition: stuck in gear or won't shift

12 of the 384 complaints about the 2018 Ford Expedition describe stuck in gear or won't shift.

owner complaints
12
of this car's complaints
3%
recalls
3
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls and 27 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Stuck in gear or won't shift by model year

What owners say

Filed Jul 25, 2026 · Transmission · FL

Failing Transmission, does not shift into the gear just hear grinding noise, after few seconds of it, transmission makes very hard shift. This takes place in all phases or driving leading to potentially very dangerous situation of the car not moving or stopping while crossing a street with upcoming traffic, crossing intersection or any other phase of driving. Visited few shops and was advised that Ford has a major problem with 10R80 Transmission and failing CDF Drum.

Filed Dec 15, 2025 · Transmission · WA

My vehicle has started to have problems shifting in some gears(3rd & 7th). I have been doing research, and this seems to be a recurring problem for vehicles with the 10r80 transmission. Where this has caused a big safety risk, is that a few times, the vehicle wouldn't move when pushing on the gas after having the foot on the brake after I had already left and been driving it for 5-10 minutes. This has put me at risk of getting hit by oncoming cars since I couldn't get the vehicle to go as it should to cross a road or intersection. My vehicle shows no dashboard warnings that anything is wrong. I have had all regular maintenance done, don't use the vehicle for towing, and I only have 70k miles on the car. Over the years I have had it where it just feels like the vehicle won't shift, but it has gone away pretty quickly. It's only been since this summer that it is now a persistent issue. I have brought it up over the years to the ford service department, and nothing was shared with me that there was an issue with the vehicle transmission. It is now that it's been consistent(only when the transmission is cold) that this happens on every drive. All Ford wants to do is charge me to rebuild the transmission conveniently now that I am out of warranty!

Filed Aug 12, 2025 · Transmission · AL

As I was driving yesterday, my transmission began making a strange noise and did a hard shift. About 1/2 mile later it made the noise again and downshifted to first and would not shift up. I was able to turn off the main road I was on to a side street where I put the car in park and shut it off to look under and around it. Not seeing anything I got back in and started it. I wanted to try to get it into a nearby parking lot, but after being shut off it began shifting again and I was able to get it home. It has had hard shift issues before and lagging response issues, but this is the first time it has done the downshift and noise. I went to some online forums and found multiple people with a similar issue, one of which suggested reporting it.

Filed Jul 21, 2025 · Transmission · FL

2 instances have occured while driving. Stored codes are P0562 Charging system voltage low and P07E6 Stuck in Park (6/6/2025) and P07E6 Stuck in Park (7/12/2025). I believe the issue may be related to TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN - Momentary Neutral-Out Condition In Drive - 23-2120 Upon acceleration to pass a car, I heard a loud knock, lost power, let off the gas, an Engine failure error flashed on my screen, regained power and was then able to accelerate again. The potential cost could be $5,600 and potentially higher due to labor. Ford's have been plagued by transmission issues year after year. How many vehicles need to be affected before a formal defect investigation focused on the 10R80 transmission can be made.

Filed Jun 6, 2025 · Transmission · 130,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode with the maintenance warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Apr 3, 2025 · Transmission · OH

Transmission issue: Vehicle will sometimes not go into gear. When I pull out into traffic sometimes vehicle will not go into gear. Mostly occurs with 2nd and 4th gear but has happened with other gears as well. Also when shifting g into gear sometimes it takes a while and sometimes he vehicle jerks during shifting.

Filed Jul 3, 2024 · Transmission · 41,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds, the transmission slipped and became stuck in gear. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was released and depressed, and the transmission shifted to the next gear very rough. The power train warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 MPH, the vehicle started shaking and lost motive power. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was pumped for the vehicle to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the mechanic was unable to replicate the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 41,000.

Filed Jun 28, 2024 · Transmission · NJ

My 2018 Ford Expedition started having transmission issues around 49600+ miles. The warranty was 5 years or 60,000 miles. I was out of the 5 years and they will not fix it. I have researched the issue and it seems Ford knew the transmission used in the 2018 models was defective but never notified me. There are class action lawsuits in California on the same issue as well as many disgruntled consumers on the internet. My truck doesn't shift properly and I have almost been in accidents because it stalls and doesn't shift into gear. I have tried everything with Ford to help cover the replacement cost which is $8,000 but they only offered me $4,000. This is a verified issue that they know about in several of their vehicles but they have not notified their customers or did anything with a recall. I am asking for a complete investigation and recall on this issue and hope that you can assist me and all the other consumers who are driving unsafe Ford vehicles.

Filed Feb 18, 2023 · Transmission · IL

10 speed transmission is eratic and can cause sudden loss of power or stuck in gear and slamming in and out of gears.

Filed Aug 29, 2022 · Transmission · AR

Vehicle with 80k miles. Transmission stuck in 2nd gear resulted in safety issue when merging with traffic. When this occurs the engine revs and then the transmission jumps into 8th gear. Once in 8th gear it is very slow to accelerate. If there’s any reason I need to decelerate, the transmission remains in 8th gear and will not shift back to 1st gear even if at a complete stop. Have been stopped at a traffic light and had to place the vehicle back in park and shut the engine off so the transmission will reset back to 1st.

Filed Aug 2, 2022 · Transmission · NH

Transmission seems to get stuck in 2nd and 8-9 gear when driving and I have lost all ability to accelerate at both slow and high speeds. I am able to see the gear it gets stuck in since there is a visual on what gear the vehicle is in on the dashboard. When it appears to be stuck in a gear, if you hit the gas it does not respond and you lose your speed. RPMs increase. After a delay which there is no acceleration, it then kicks into the next gear with a large jolt that shakes the whole vehicle pretty harshly. I have expressed to Ford Corporation my concerns on safety and no one was behind me during the times this has happened. If there was someone behind me I feel that I could have easily get hit from behind especially at the higher rates of speed. SUV is currently at the dealer since the first 2 service bulletins have not corrected the issue. I have been dealing with this for almost 3 months.

Filed Apr 23, 2020 · Electrical, Transmission · 29,375 miles · OH

Upon startup, the dashboard monitor will not light up and the transmission will not go into gear. This includes no backup cameras, radio, mapping feature, or hands free bluetooth on the monitor, while the dashboard (directly in front of the steering wheel area) flashes on/off that "transmission not in park", or "oil needs to be changed", yet the transmission is stuck in park. After trying several times to manually put the car into "drive" it will finally start moving forward with a grinding sound, before coming to an abrupt stop. This sequence occurs several times, until I turn the car off and try again. It sometimes takes 4-5 attempts over 5-10 minutes to get the car moving with all items working properly. It seems electrical, since it always involves both the dash monitor and the transmission at the same time.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmissionReported June 24, 2026 · 741,195 vehicles affected
What is wrong
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 on June 26, 2026.

Recall number 26V402000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmissionReported April 4, 2018 · 142 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-150 and 2018 Ford Expedition and Mustang and Lincoln Navigator vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions. A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
Risk
Despite the transmission shift lever being placed in 'Park' and the instrument panel display indicating 'Park,' the vehicle may roll away after it has been exited if the parking brake has not been applied, increasing the risk of injury or a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the transmission to make sure it has the roll pin, installing one if it is missing, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S09.

Recall number 18V213000 · Recall details

Power train: automatic transmission: gear position indication (PRNDL)Reported April 4, 2018 · 292,909 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018 F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6-speed automatic transmissions and 2018 Ford F-150 and Expedition vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions (excluding Expedition vehicles with a Rotary Gear Shift Dial on the console). The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.
Risk
If the gear shift cable clip becomes unseated or dislodged, the gear shift lever position may indicate that the transmission is in 'Park' when it may be in a different gear. Additionally, despite selecting 'Park', if the parking brake is not applied before the vehicle is exited, the vehicle may roll. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the shift cable locking clip and properly seat it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on April 13, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for the recall is 18S10.

Recall number 18V214000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2018 Ford Expedition won't shift

Is stuck in gear or won't shift a common problem on the 2018 Ford Expedition?

12 of 384 owner complaints about the 2018 Ford Expedition (3%) mention stuck in gear or won't shift. The model year with the most reports is 2020.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2018 Ford Expedition?

There are 3 recalls and 27 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2018 Ford Expedition

Check engine light 32Jerking 29Transmission failure 27Loss of power 26Harsh shifting 20Slipping 19Stalling 17Knocking 12Headlights 12Grinding brakes 11Overheating 11Hesitation 9Door locks 8Backup camera 7Engine failure 7Shudder 7Seat belt 6Start-stop 5

All model years of the Ford Expedition

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