2018 Ford Expedition engine problems
123 of the 375 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford Expedition name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 38 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 123 reports a crash · 1 a fire · 6 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 32 · 2024: 31 · 2025: 31 · 2026: 11
Half of the 56 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 50,000 and 108,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
375 complaints in all about the 2018 Ford Expedition, 11 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford Expedition engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while starting the vehicle to pull out of a parking lot, he heard an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to drive home safely. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed.
Ford had a recall on this vehicle for Powertrain Control Module (PCM) Reprogram For Cam Phaser Rattle. I returned this vehicle to the dealer on 1/19/20 (37,830 miles on vehicle) the "VCT phasers" were replaced when the parts came in (2/2020). Earlier this month the same "rattle" started again.
Ford has issued an extended warranty for an issue that is clearly a manufacturing issue within their 3.5 ecoboost engine, currently their program is for the replacement of the cam phasers, but they only replace them if the vehicle is under 70k miles on it, if it's pass that mileage the cost goes to the customer, which seems unfair…
The vehicle "chatters" when starting first thing in the morning and sometimes after it sits for a few hours(when engine has had time to cool down). It started about two months ago. We recently took our Expedition to an independent mechanic to have it checked over prior to a road trip.
2018 Expedition max limited with 91k miles overheated and blew a head gasket sitting in a home depot parking lot
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications38 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2018 Ford Expedition names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Ford Expedition
Source: the same files- transmission and drivetrain problems 148 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2018 Ford Expedition?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 123 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (33% of everything owners filed about it), and 38 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2018 Ford Expedition?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 14 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2018 Ford Expedition?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 80,000 miles; half of them between 50,000 and 108,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.