Ford Expedition Best and Worst Years

Counting owner complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Ford Expedition drew the most (85; most-reported area: powertrain) and the 2019 the fewest (27).

Data: US EPA and NHTSAUpdated Sep 27, 2026

Every model year since 2016 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 20 mpg combined, arrived in 2018. Includes the longer Expedition EL (2016 and 2017) and Expedition Max (from 2018).

Best and worst years, by owner complaints

Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.

Model year	First 3 years	All complaints	Recalls
2021 Expedition Most reported: powertrain	85	232	12
2018 Expedition Most reported: powertrain	53	375	14
2022 Expedition Most reported: electrical system	49	113	12
2023 Expedition Most reported: electrical system	48	64	8
2020 Expedition Most reported: powertrain	42	414	18
2017 Expedition Most reported: electrical system	41	357	4
2016 Expedition Most reported: brakes	37	216	3
2019 Expedition Most reported: powertrain	27	503	11

Year by year

Model year	Best rating	Recalls	Complaints
2026 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	1	9
2025 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	5	34
2024 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	7	76
2023 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	8	64
2022 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	12	113
2021 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	12	232
2020 MPG · Recalls and problems	19 mpg Gas	18	414
2019 MPG · Recalls and problems	20 mpg Gas	11	503
2018 MPG · Recalls and problems	20 mpg Gas	14	375
2017 MPG · Recalls and problems	18 mpg Gas	4	357
2016 MPG · Recalls and problems	18 mpg Gas	3	216

Owner complaints by model year

All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.

2021: 232 complaints

Show as a table

Owner complaints by model year, Ford Expedition
Model year	Complaints
2016	216
2017	357
2018	375
2019	503
2020	414
2021	232
2022	113
2023	64
2024	76
2025	34
2026	9

Best combined rating by model year

The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 18 to 20 mpg (every year from 2016 to 2026); highest in 2018.

2026: gas 19 mpg

Show as a table

Ford Expedition best combined mpg by model year
Model year	Best gas version
2016	18
2017	18
2018	20
2019	20
2020	19
2021	19
2022	19
2023	19
2024	19
2025	19
2026	19

Comparisons

Chevrolet Tahoe vs Ford ExpeditionMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests

Questions

Which Ford Expedition years have the most problems?

Counting owner complaints filed with NHTSA in each model year's first three years, the 2021 (85) drew the most, then the 2018 (53). Most-reported area for the 2021: powertrain.

Which Ford Expedition years have the fewest problems?

The 2019 (27) drew the fewest complaints in its first three years. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.

Which Ford Expedition years should you avoid?

Complaint counts can't tell you whether a particular car is sound, but they show where owners reported the most trouble: the 2021, against 45 complaints in a typical Ford Expedition year. Whatever the year, check the car's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers.

Which Ford Expedition years have the most recalls?

The 2020 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (18), then the 2018 (14). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. Two recalls tell owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 22V-346 (2021 models) and NHTSA 25V-628 (2020 models).

What are the most common Ford Expedition problems?

Of the 2,393 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2016 to 2026 models, the areas named most are powertrain (36%), engine (17%), and electrical system (12%). One complaint can name more than one area. The recalls and problems page for each year breaks this down further.

Which Ford Expedition year has the best MPG?

The best EPA fuel economy is 20 mpg combined, first reached by the 2018 gas version.

Sources and method

US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
NHTSA recall file dated Sep 27, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 26, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.

Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.