2003 Ford Expedition: Reliability Data
Source: NHTSA — 800 complaints
800
Total Complaints
78,875mi
Median Mileage
Electrical System
Top Issue
81
Crash Reports
When Do Complaints Happen?
Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.
27,100
25th Percentile
78,875
Median Mileage
124,000
75th Percentile
What Fails?
Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.
Electrical System
85
Engine And Engine Cooling
70
Engine
44
Engine
43
Tires
33
Air Bags
32
Unknown Or Other
21
Fuel/Propulsion System
20
Exterior
19
Automatic Transmission
18
Severity Assessment
81
Crashes
43
Fires
94
Injuries
4
Deaths
Sample Complaint Reports
"WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH CONSUMER TRIED TO INCREASE SPEED, VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO DEALER, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TRANSFER CASE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED.*AK"
"WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ADVANCE TRACK SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS STARTED TO FLASH. HEARD A RATTLING NOISE, PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF ENGINE TO SEE WHAT PROBLEM WAS, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ..."
"WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ADVANCE TRACK SYSTEM LIGHT ILLUMINATED, THEN ALL ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS STARTED TO FLASH. HEARD A RATTLING NOISE, PULLED OVER, TURNED OFF ENGINE TO SEE WHAT PROBLEM WAS, AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND THEY STATED IT WAS THE ALTERNATOR. ..."
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.
Electrical System
85 complaints
25th: 55,900 mi
Median: 120,000 mi
75th: 158,000 mi
Engine And Engine Cooling
70 complaints
25th: 74,250 mi
Median: 96,000 mi
75th: 107,512 mi
Engine
44 complaints
25th: 130,000 mi
Median: 154,000 mi
75th: 198,000 mi
Engine
43 complaints
25th: 71,880 mi
Median: 87,628 mi
75th: 102,000 mi
Tires
33 complaints
25th: 3,932 mi
Median: 45,310 mi
75th: 89,157 mi
Where Are Complaints Coming From?
Top states by complaint count.
CA: 118
FL: 80
TX: 77
GA: 43
MD: 40
VA: 30
PA: 29
NY: 29
OH: 29
MA: 20
Who Files Complaints?
32.4%
Original Owners
67.6%
Second+ Owners
Ford Expedition — Other Years
See how this model compares across different model years.
Active Recalls (6)
Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E064000 | 17/07/2006
LACK OF AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS IN THE LAMPS WILL DECREASE LIGHTING VISIBILITY TO OTHER DRIVERS AND MAY POSSIBLY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
TRADESONIC WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE LAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TRADESONIC AT 626-934-8884.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 09E012000 | 07/04/2009
DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
Exterior Lighting
Campaign 06E026000 | 23/03/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Headlights
Campaign 06E023000 | 13/03/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH.
ANZO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE HEADLAMPS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN MAY 9, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ANZO USA AT 909-468-3688.
Headlights
Campaign 06E025000 | 21/03/2006
WITHOUT THE AMBER REFLECTORS, THE VEHICLE WILL BE POORLY ILLUMINATED, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN A VEHICLE CRASH WITHOUT WARNING.
POLI-AUTO WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE HEADLAMPS AT ITS ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE. THE RECALL IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING APRIL 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT POLI-AUTO AT 305-477-1356.
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
Maintain Your Electrical System
Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.
- Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
- Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
- Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
- Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
- Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom
Vehicle Rankings
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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