2021 Ford Expedition transmission and drivetrain problems
111 of the 235 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Expedition name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 42 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. 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 transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 111 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 2 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 9 · 2023: 16 · 2024: 18 · 2025: 32 · 2026: 35
Half of the 19 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 20,000 and 89,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
235 complaints in all about the 2021 Ford Expedition, 35 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 “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Ford Expedition transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Daily the automatic transmission will erratically and forcefully downshift at highway speed. When changing Driving Modes the transmission display on the dash has numbers disappear and the transmission downshifts with great force which has lead to injuries.
I purchased this 2021 Ford Expedition brand new from Ford of Kirkland in WA and discover there's a hard shift or pause when downshifting especially on an uphill. Often time it made a loud metal snapping sound from under the hood when that happened.
We just purchased this vehicle and started to notice a hard down shift when slowing down from 6th gear. I drove it Saturday January 21st and when I shifted the vehicle into reverse to back into a parking space it threw the transmission into a fault and had no reverse. Still drove forward. Took the vehicle in for service on 1/25/23.
Front differential failed. I was driving to the mountains and when I reached snow level it was about 38 degrees F and I slowed to less than 20 mph and switched to 4A. Within a few moments I heard and felt a grinding sound from the front.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The transmission slams down into gear from 9th to 8th gear. It also slams in stop and go traffic from 4-5, 5-6. It is available for inspection. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 26V402000 HighJun 24, 2026 · 741,195 vehicles
- 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.
42 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SSM 54719 Service bulletinApr 2, 2026
- For 20212026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). This test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (PVT) when available. When referred to a specific clutch (A-F) test by a pinpoint test in Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing, the Clutch Assembl
- SSM 54674 Service bulletinMar 19, 2026
- For 2021-2026 vehicles equipped with the 10R80 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak Test has been introduced in the Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS). This test utilizes the pressure and vacuum transducer (PVT) when available. The Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated under Section 307-01 > Diagnosis and Testing to include this procedure. The new test improves the accurac
The 2 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
P07F7 P0729 P0731 P0732 P0733 P0734 P0735 P0736
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Ford Expedition names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2021 Ford Expedition
Source: the same files- engine problems 59 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2021 Ford Expedition?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 111 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (47% of everything owners filed about it), and 42 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall 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 transmission and drivetrain on the 2021 Ford Expedition?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 26V402000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2021 Ford Expedition?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 65,000 miles; half of them between 20,000 and 89,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.