2020 FORD EXPEDITION Power Train Problems

TRANSMISSION CLUCKS WHEN CHANGING GEARS

Component/System Failure: The vehicle is experiencing a catastrophic transmission failure (specifically the 10R80 transmission) beyond what is described in Ford TSB 24-2101. The transmission slips significantly and loses all power transmission while in motion. Safety Risk: My safety and the safety of other motorists are at extreme risk. While driving at highway speeds (approx. 65-70 MPH), the vehicle suddenly loses the ability to maintain speed or accelerate. This causes an immediate, unexpected deceleration in high-speed traffic, nearly resulting in rear-end collisions. The system takes several seconds to "reset" or catch a gear, during which time I have zero control over the vehicle's propulsion. This is an intermittent but recurring failure that makes the vehicle unpredictable and life-threatening to operate in traffic. Confirmation/Inspection: The problem has been confirmed by a Ford dealership service center and a secondary certified independent mechanic. Both confirmed the transmission is failing and cited TSB 24-2101 as...

While driving my 2020 Ford Expedition at approximately 50-60 mph, the vehicle experienced a sudden, unintended downshift without driver input. The dashboard gear indicator abruptly dropped to "1st gear." This caused rapid deceleration and a mechanical "chattering/popcorn" noise as the transmission struggled to find a gear. The loss of power in traffic created an immediate safety hazard and risk of a rear-end collision. A certified Ford dealership (River View Ford - Oswego, IL) has diagnosed this as an internal Transmission failure.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2020 Ford Expedition, which is currently subject to Recall (24E13) related to the Powertrain Control Module (PCM)> Despite multiple repair attempts, the vehicle continues to experience dangerous transmission and drivability issues. While driving , the vehicle: Loses gears unexpectedly Engine RPMs rev excessively high before the transmission finally engages Hesitates and has delayed acceleration Randomly makes loud clunking noises during shifting Emits a noticeable burning smell during acceleration These issues create serious safety concerns, particularly when merging into traffic, crossing intersections, or accelerating from a stop. The delayed acceleration and gear loss place me and my passengers at risk of collision. The vehicle has been brought in multiple times for the same recall-related issue, yet the problem persists. The repair attempts have not resolved the unsafe condition. I am requesting immediate corrective action to ensure the vehicle is safe to operate. This...

My Ford Expedition (2-wheel drive) is experiencing jerking at variety of speeds, (changing gears, slowing down) and will sometimes get stuck in gear when I press the gas. Today, as I was entering the freeway, I pressed the accelerator and the transmission did not engage—there was no power at all until I released the gas pedal and pressed it again, at which point it finally engaged. This issue happens intermittently and is a serious safety concern, especially because I cannot predict whether the vehicle will hesitate or fail to respond when accelerating.

Transmission will randomly jump while accelerating and downshift to the point that we have to get to the interstate shoulder. This has happened many times.

We bought this truck new. When accelerating in “normal” transmission, mode, it would downshift and the turbos would kick in at the same time giving an unwanted surge of power. I found that driving in “sports” mode would give me more normal acceleration. Another issue I had as it got older was getting a big clank from the transmission when putting it in gear, especially in the morning when cold. I described it as hitting an anvil with a hammer. I took it to our local Ford dealer in Carthage, Missouri in early January 2025. The Service Rep said this was normal and I should let the truck warm up before shifting into gear. I told him I parked in the garage and that was not possible. He did not schedule an appointment to check it. About two weeks later on February 5, 2025 with 57,796 miles I returned to...

2020 Ford Expedition with 38,094 miles started having delayed and rough shifting a few days after my warranty was out on December 12th. 2024. I had looked up the issue before I took it in and found all these complaints and was worried mine was having this same issue. Took to our ford dealer and it was confirmed that my 10R80 transmission had failed and my CDF drum is worn and quoted 5600 to fix! They refuse to cover the cost knowing I and 1000's of others have had this same issue. FORD refuses to acknowledge it and the consumer is left with bill. I have owned 2 ford Explorers and 2 Expeditions in my driving life and feel like they have screwed me over. This needs to be resolved. They need to be held accountable! I am at a loss here and cant afford this fix so does a...

I am suggesting an investigation into the 2020 model Ford expedition relating to the 10 speed automatic transmission in this vehicle and others in previous and newer models. The problem is known and has been well documented that the transmission often fails and pops out of gear especially when accelerating and is extremely dangerous for obvious reasons while passing or climbing hills. There is not a recall for repair or replacement of these transmissions. The recommended service for this transmission occurs at 150000 miles according to the owners manual however failure often begins well before the first recommended service interval. The cost to repair or replace the equipment often exceeds $10000 and service managers are well aware of the issue.

My transmission started jumping gears and slipping at 65k miles. I had it checked out then and the mechanic said that these transmissions shifted rough, but they were not really sure why and that they reprogrammed the computer and that should fix it. It went on intermittently for the next 6 months to a year and I took it in again and was told they couldn't get the transmission to shift rough or skip so I would have to come back once it got worse. The longer I drove it, the worse it got until I would regularly lose all power to the wheels even at high speeds as the transmission failed to find a gear to engage. I finally took it back to the dealer again and this time they found that the front differential had failed and was full of metal shavings, the transmission was shifting really hard...

The incident occurred while traveling at 75 mph on the interstate. The car felt like it tried to put itself in park and slammed forward violently, at that time it came up with a shift fault light on the display, it shifted to neutral so there was no movement of the vehicle it was free wheeling, then it slammed itself back in a low gear where the vehicle slammed hard and the car engine was redlined. The transmission then proceeded to shift back up into a higher gear. All this while traveling at 75 mph. My concern, if one of my kids were driving it, or the road conditions would have been wet or snowy we would of had a very different outcome. The vehicle was sent to a Ford dealer where they found a park shift failure and shift issues recommending a new transmission. Ford was not willing to...

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25E070000 (Power Train); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that he lived near a School Zone and was concerned that the failure could occur, causing the vehicle to strike and injure children on the road. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and advised the contact that the vehicle was safe to drive because the recall was not a safety recall. The contact had not experienced a failure.

I got a brand new transmission put in at the beginning of the year but my whole car spits and sputters and shakes going 45 and when I am backing up it throws me forward(almost in the car in front of me) instead of reversing and making a loud clinking noise

My 2020 Ford Expedition Platinum VIN [XXX] miles suddenly began harsh shifting violent kicking/jerking and lunging between gears while driving at highway speeds 65-80mph. The vehicle slams into gear unexpectedly and has nearly caused loss of control on multiple occasions. Dealership diagnosed CDF drum failure in the 10R80 automatic transmission requiring full transmission replacement at a cost of 8,057 (TSB 25-2132 and prior TSBs). This is a known widespread safety defect affecting thousands of 2018-2022 Ford vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission. Ford has issued multiple TSBs and is currently facing class-action litigation over this exact failure. Despite the clear safety implications and identical cases being approved for 100% goodwill coverage, ford is refusing full repair coverage in my case. This defect presents an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Transmission stalls, shifts hard, shutters,. Had the transmission rebuilt about four months agoand similar issues are already starting with the rebuilt transmission.

The transmission failed. It is being rebuilt when the dealership can get to it. So it's available until then. The transmission would slip, lag shifting or slam into gear sporadically and unpredictably. This caused inconvenience at best and erratic vehicle behavior that endangered myself and other drivers at worst. This has been confirmed by the dealer who recommended a rebuild with improved parts to correct this know condition/failure. Yes the Ford dealer inspected the transmission. There we never any warnings or messages to indicate anything is wrong. The symptoms progressed for a couple days before I brought it to Ford.

2020 Ford Expedition FX4. Towing a four wheeler and motorcycle on the expressway. The suv was in tow / haul mode and on cruise. The car downshifted to go up a incline and made a booming noise and then composed its self. Shortly after, I tried to pass a car, and the trans downshifted, made a couple of loud clunks, shuddered, lost all power. After a couple terrifying seconds it composed itself, found gear and maintained speed, acceleration was not possible as the trans would go out of gear. Further down the road, it did the same thing, clunk, clunk out of gear, no power. There were NO warning lights. I took it out of tow mode and tried both sport and standard settings, both had similar issues. This was the scariest situation I have ever been in with a car mechanical issue. Note: We were ~120 miles into the...

While overtaking another vehicle on the interstate at 75 mph, a loud clunk was heard and drive power was temporarily lost as the car slowed by 20 mph. The transmission subsequently reengaged, enabling the vehicle to regain speed. At that time, there was no traffic behind. No warning lights appeared, and the dashboard gauge indicated normal transmission temperature. The transmission fluid had been changed approximately 5,000 miles earlier during the 100,000-mile service. Since this event occurred late Friday afternoon, I was unable to contact the dealer.

I am writing to bring attention to what I believe is a serious and ongoing issue related to the design of my vehicle’s transmission system. I recently contacted Ford Motor Corp. regarding this matter and was assigned a case number; however, the case was open and closed within a 5-minute conversation. I was informed that there are currently no known issues or recalls related to the transmission in my vehicle. Despite this, there is a problem I continue to experience recurring transmission problems that raise significant safety concerns while operating the vehicle at various speeds. Erratic and unreliable shifting, the transmission often feels like it is “floating” between gears, shifting abruptly, or sometimes not shifting at all. Slipping gear, there are frequent instances many of which I would consider close calls where the transmission slips during acceleration, causing a sudden and unexpected loss of power. These issues make it extremely...

Transmission losing power while driving. This is a known safety hazard with this 10R80 10 speed transmission with a poorly designed CDF drum. Ford chooses to wait and hope for power train warranty to expire so can be fixed at customer’s expense. This is a safety issue. If I was entering a roadway and needed to accelerate and car had no power, a terrible accident could happen.

Transmission exhibits harsh shifting and slippage. One scary example is when accelerating at highway speeds, transmission will occasionally and suddenly drop into first gear causing complete loss of power to the wheels. On occasion will also display transmission warning on dash and lock into 4th gear, causing vehicle to exhibit downshift breaking and rapidly slow vehicle when in traffic at highway speeds.

While driving on the interstate (I-35) and attempting to pass a vehicle, the transmission went out of gear and felt like it was in neutral for a few seconds and then ‘clunked” back into gear finally. This happened 4 times that day. This happens almost every time we go on a trip with this vehicle and is extremely dangerous to my family as well as other drivers. This seems to be a common issue with this model/year. It’s been reported to our dealer multiple times and they attempt to reprogram but doesn’t change anything. They said there’s no other fix. I have extended warranty.

Transmission has exhibited harsh/delayed engagement and/or harsh/delayed shift during lane changes, almost causing me to crash on two occasions.

Recall issue with Catalytic converters causing check engine light to come on. I took in for recall to reset check engine light. Repair did not do anything to vehicle as check engine light comes on for a few days and goes away for a few days and the cycle repeats up until this day it continues to happen. When they did the reset Ford let me know that they reset the check engine issue for recall but I would have to pay about $5k for getting new converters if I wanted to because light would still be one since it was diagnosed that converters were bad.

Ongoing problem already had 2 repairs done to transmission. Gears o not shift properly when the gears go from 3-4 and 6-7. If I am not careful when I press on the gas and try to accelerate it does not shift gears and gets stuck on and my truck will not move more than 5-10 mph while I am trying to get on the highway at times with trailers coming full speed ahead behind me. I have reported this issue many times. There has been no remedy. The gears get stuck and make a jerking motion and movement causing truck to slow and barely move. It is not just a one time thing so I cant give a specific date as it happens often.

We own a Ford Expedition 2020. In 2023, we started noticing jerky, harsh, and aggressive “slips” when the vehicle was trying to change gears - upon multiple occasions. But, in 2024, we experienced three, major, different instances - all were extremely scary and it was miraculous they didn’t cause accidents, car pile ups, or worse! The first instance, the vehicle jerked and sputtered just as I was pulling out into a busy intersection. I thought it was going to die in the middle of the road. The second instance, several weeks later, it happened, again, as our family was driving in pouring rain down the interstate; it jerked so hard it felt like we hit a small wall. The third and final instance, we were on our way to vacation - 9 hours away with our family. It sputtered, jerked, and laid in 1st gear. Thank God, we were right...

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended and the vehicle lost power. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was not provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified on the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 106,000.

Driving and transmission gear bumping hard when shifting gears. Have pulled out twice to pass and transmission made hard bump and I could not go anywhere. The last time this happened was 7/29/25 and it made a lot of clanking noise and the faulty light came on. I let off the gas and it went back in gear and I made it home and have not drove it since. Ford dealership said there was no recall on transmission but I have read alot of complaints from other 2020 Expedition owners about this problem I have 70,000. plus miles and have taken extreme care of this vehicle.

Failure of transmission, leading to unsafe operation on roadway.

Info sent to Ford in working with cust service w/o action: Our 2020 Expedition had 4 separate instances of slipping out of gear during a road trip (2 instances on 7/11 and 2 on 7/19). During each incident, the vehicle slipped gear at highway speed, RPMs maxed out on the dial, lost all acceleration and significant speed, and the vehicle remained unresponsive for several (3-5) seconds until finally accelerating after the unresponsive period. It goes without saying that completely losing gear at highway speed while navigating traffic is a serious life and safety issue. Having that occur four times on a single round trip presents unreasonable risk. We documented the mileage and engine conditions by taking a picture of the dash after recovering from each occurrence. Those details were shared with the Krieger Ford service center on 7/22. That Ford service team was not able to recover fault codes from...

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle failed to accelerate properly while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the dealer failed to duplicate the failure. The contact stated that after several visits to the dealer, the dealer acknowledged the failure, and a valve body replacement was performed. The contact stated that the failure returned, and the failure became more frequent. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the ignition coils and spark plugs were replaced. The vehicle was valeted back to the residence, and the valet informed the contact that the failure was still present. The valet brought the vehicle back to the dealer, where it remained. The vehicle was diagnosed with a defective transmission, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was no longer...

Hard downshift, loss of power.

See attached document for complaint.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition The contact stated while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the gear shifter operated independently. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and transferred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.

On several occasions the engine has slipped/stalled. Vehicle has only 27k miles on it, single owner. When moving from a stoplight the engine "slipped", all lights came on "service alert" or something similar. Vehicle recovered but I am very uneasy as I am a [XXX] female usually [XXX] and often on a very busy section of [XXX]. (This has occurred multiple times) When increasing speed, as to pass a vehicle or otherwise, vehicle is unresponsive or lags. To be clear this happens at speeds of 40-50 mph. It is unpredictable when this will occur nor why. I will likely sell this vehicle due to this safety issue. I spoke with a service rep at the local ford dealership who was able to look into the vehicle computer remotely but there was no record of the "Alert" or otherwise. I took the vehicle to my local mechanic who drove it and...

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The Powertrain Control Module (PCM), which manages engine-transmission communication and regulates cooling system performance, malfunctioned, resulting in a cascade of related failures: Transmission system: Delayed shifting, hesitation, and eventually a “transmission stuck in park” code. Cooling system: Repeated overheating that led to a ruptured radiator. These issues stem from the faulty PCM referenced in Ford Recall 24E13, issued on April 25, 2025. Yes, the failed components remain in the possession of Harbin Motor Company in Scottsboro, AL, where the vehicle is still located. The vehicle has not been repaired and is available for inspection upon request. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This vehicle was operated while exhibiting documented powertrain and overheating symptoms—including while transporting children. Harbin Ford repeatedly instructed continued use despite: Diagnostic scans on April 10, 2025...

I’ve owned my 2020 Ford Expedition for just over a year. Initially, the transmission performed flawlessly. However, over time I’ve noticed a few concerning issues: At low speeds, the transmission shifts very hard. While accelerating at interstate speeds, it feels like the transmission is slipping. When I shift the vehicle into gear, it makes a loud clicking or knocking sound.

I was driving pulling off an exit incoming to a highway that needed me to speed up to catch a 65 MPH traffic while I was going 35MPH the car while on D for drive somehow engine REV went up to 5500 RPM no power to drive vehicle slow down to 30MPH and all of the sudden a Violent engine and all the body clunk as if another gear or Park all of the sudden! Tires stop spinning as you can hear tires screeching and this lasted a second and then transmission caught up again and started to accelerate again normally. We were almost hit from a moving truck behind us with 3 small kids in the car! This already happened 3 separate times while we are out traveling out of our hometown. 98 degrees outside dry conditions flat surface in Florida Got it all on Dash Camera on VIDEO...

The transmission is consistently hesitating to switch gears, very jerky gear shift, and will sometimes completely fall out of gear. You could so easily lose control if this happened on the highway. Thank goodness we weren’t on a busy street. This isn’t the first reporting according to a simple search online and there should be a recall for safety reasons. This could be life or death for someone driving on the highway.

Transmission hesitated when entering traffic almost causing accident. This is not the first time this has happened. After the first incident I addressed the issue with the service manager. He said it’s common that this model transmission shifts rough, and has some hick ups but, nothing to worry about. It also randomly shifts into neutral randomly.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH and attempting to overtake a semi-truck, the vehicle shuddered, lost motive power, and made an abnormal clunking and winding sound. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal and while driving from a complete stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to Krapohl Ford (1415 E Pickard St, Mt Pleasant, MI 48858), where the transmission shifter cables were reset through a computer update; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the cause of the failure could not be determined; however, the dealer recommended the transmission be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not...

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission shifted hard between gears. The contact stated an unknown warning light was illuminated and then went off. In addition, the contact stated that the transmission hesitated while shifting between gear and then unexpectedly downshifted. The contact stated that the transmission seemed not to identify the intended gear. The contact stated that the failure had become persistent. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The vehicle was scheduled for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that when the failure started, the vehicle was taken to the dealer several times, however the failure was not duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.

i bought a 2020 ford expedition with the 10r80 transmission last july. They have used this transmission since 2017 and continue to put it in vehicles depite having many issues with them. When i was sold this vehicle i was told it had a new transmission just put in it (by another dealership than who i was buying it from) and the carfax (that i still have) shows that the transmission had been replaced. In the last month or so ive been having a hard shift at 4th and 8th gear. i figured it would be covered under warranty so i take it back to the dealership that did the work. They said it didnt have a new transmission only the cdf clutch was replaced. now when i look at the carfax it only shows the tranmission was rebuilt. Thats Fraud. a dealership shouldnt be able to change a entry....

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. While the contact's wife was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the transmission unexpectedly downshifted from tenth gear to first gear. The contact's wife drove the vehicle to the shoulder of the road. The contact's wife was almost rear-ended by a tractor trailer. The vehicle was driven to the residence with the hazard lights activated. The contact test drove the vehicle and the failure reoccurred. 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. In addition, the contact stated that in 2024, two transmission software updates were performed by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact...

My check engine lights comes on and off reading that it is a failure with the catalytic converter. Check engine light had been on for 2 weeks I had already called Ford to set up appt. The evening before taking truck in check engine light went off. I called Ford 5/13/25 that light had gone off do I still take truck in. Since I received letter for recall, I took truck in for service . They say they only need to reprogram the PCM but now they are saying that the Catalytic Converter is bad and needs to be replaced costing $5000. What is Ford thinking this truck has been nothing but problems. I told tech that truck has been running accelerated for a few weeks when driving. Problem with check engine light could not be reproduced since it turned off the day before I had appt set. Rep told...

Transmission has extremely hard downshifting which has required the tea be replaced. Vehicle will downshift so hard it feels like you have been rear ended. Vehicle has to be put into neutral and then back into drive. This is very hazardous.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated the transmission was slipping while driving at an undisclosed speed. The contact stated that on one occasion, while her daughter was driving 60 MPH, the transmission started slipping and the vehicle failed to accelerate above 60 MPH. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was related to TSB: 23-2120. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle needed to be test-driven. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

This suv has 10 speed transmission that has faulty harsh shifting hesitation, acceleration problem when shifting on highway or in situations when you need to slow down and or accelerate. This has happened many times while trying to get on the highway and switching lanes. I have almost been run over because it stalled someone is going to get killed. I have had the Powertrain control module pcm reprogramed twice and it keeps happening. Ford is aware of this. They need to get this trucks off of the road!

At highway speed 70mph, I accelerated and the vehicle downshifted to 1st, followed by loss of gear with a loud clunk. Then alarming for transmission. After coasting to about 30mph the teansmission clunked again and powere cane back. Happened while passing a semi truck. This was reproduced multiple times, on demand and I have video documentation. Dealer eventually rehauled the transmission. But now its starting to miss gears / have hard shifts. This transmission is a Huge safety risk.

The contact owns a 2020 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle turned off and downshifted independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed by a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V197000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 88,000.