2002 Ford Expedition: Reliability Data

415
Total Complaints
84,200mi
Median Mileage
Engine And Engine Cooling
Top Issue
25
Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

48,095 25th Percentile
84,200 Median Mileage
121,925 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine And Engine Cooling
50
Vehicle Speed Control
45
Engine
37
Electrical System
33
Engine
27
Seat Belts
15
Tread/Belt
12
Tires
10
Frontal
10
Cruise Control
9

Severity Assessment

25
Crashes
87
Fires
36
Injuries
4
Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"WHILE DRIVING 30-40 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND THEY LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION, CONSUMER SUFFERED BRUISES. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. *JG *AK"
"WHILE DRIVING 30-40 MPH IN RAINY WEATHER CONSUMER APPLIED BRAKES AND THEY LOCKED UP, RESULTING IN A REAR END COLLISION, CONSUMER SUFFERED BRUISES. AIR BAGS NEVER DEPLOYED. *JG *AK"
"WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE AT 30-40 MPH,HAD REARENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, DRIVER'S AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. CONSUMER SUFFERED BRUISES.*AK"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine And Engine Cooling 50 complaints
25th: 78,419 mi Median: 107,000 mi 75th: 130,000 mi
Vehicle Speed Control 45 complaints
25th: 31,300 mi Median: 58,123 mi 75th: 140,000 mi
Engine 37 complaints
25th: 64,250 mi Median: 83,949 mi 75th: 112,875 mi
Electrical System 33 complaints
25th: 63,500 mi Median: 87,080 mi 75th: 133,767 mi
Engine 27 complaints
25th: 110,000 mi Median: 129,000 mi 75th: 150,000 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

CA: 79 TX: 67 FL: 40 GA: 33 IL: 15 AZ: 13 AL: 11 MA: 10 NC: 10 MI: 9

Who Files Complaints?

28.4%
Original Owners
71.6%
Second+ Owners

Ford Expedition — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

YearComplaintsCrashes
1997106573
1998102154
1999113764
2000113467
200173949
200380081
200438157
200545222
200639528
20072679
200817931
2009425
20107412
2011913
201216014
20131133
20149311
201522712
201626711
201744928
201843313
20195359
20204417
20212427
20221427
2023817
20248910
2025325

Active Recalls (4)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Campaign 06E056000 | 13/06/2006
FAILURE OF THIS CONNECTION COULD LEAD TO FUEL SPILLAGE AND, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, A FIRE COULD OCCUR.
UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
Headlights
Campaign 06E067000 | 01/08/2006
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
MAXZONE WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER REIMBURSEMENT FOR ANY NONCOMPLIANT HEADLIGHTS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MAXZONE AT 909-822-3288.
Vehicle Speed Control
Campaign 05V388000 | 07/09/2005
A FIRE AT THE SWITCH COULD OCCUR.
BY LETTER DATED SEPTEMBER 12, 2005, OWNERS WERE INSTRUCTED TO RETURN THEIR VEHICLES TO THEIR DEALERS TO HAVE THE SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATION SWITCH DISCONNECTED. OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THEIR SPEED CONTROL DEACTIVATED ARE BEING NOTIFIED THAT PARTS WILL BE AVAILABLE AND ADVISED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO
Structure
Campaign 03V094000 | 07/03/2003
THIS OVERHEATING CONDITION CAN CAUSE THE RUNNING BOARD TO MELT OR CAUSE A FIRE.
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE WIRING HARNESS ON THESE RUNNING BOARDS. OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN MARCH 7, 2003. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT SOUTHERN COMFORT AT 1-800-745-60

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

  • Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
  • Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
  • Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
  • Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
  • Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
  • Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

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Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28