NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls and 118 owner complaints for the 2012 Ford Expedition.
Recalled components: powertrain and seats. Most-described problem: gauge cluster or speedometer failures (17 complaints, 14%). Most-reported area: powertrain (64 complaints, 54%; median mileage when it happened: 108,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Expedition year
The 2012 drew 14 owner complaints in its first three years, against 45 for a typical Expedition year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
No Expedition year stands out enough to avoid; best year: 2019. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The affected vehicles are equipped with an automatic transmission that may unexpectedly downshift to first gear, regardless of vehicle speed.
Risk: An unexpected downshift into first gear can cause the vehicle to slow down suddenly without warning and the rear tires may slide or lock, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the powertrain control module with updated software, free of charge. The recall began on September 19, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S19.
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-150 trucks, 2012 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and Ford Mustang vehicles.
NHTSA listing: EXPEDITION. Ford campaign 16S19.
Powertrain
May 3, 2012
automatic transmission · control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
These vehicles may have a transmission range sensor (trs) that was calibrated out of specification for reverse gear.
Risk: If this condition exists, the transmission may not go into reverse or when the driver pushes the shift lever in the reverse "r" position and the vehicle's transmission does go in reverse, the "r" may not illuminate on the dashboard of the f-150, expedition, or navigator models and/or the backup lamp on the rear of the f-150, expedition, navigator, or mustang vehicles may not illuminate. These conditions increase the risk of a crash or a pedestrian being struck due to the vehicle's not signaling it is in reverse.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the trs as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on june 11, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Ford's recall campaign number is 12c23.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 ford f-150, 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator, and 2012-2013 mustang vehicles, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard nos. 102, "transmission shift lever sequence, starter interlock, and transmission braking effect" and 108 "lamps, reflective devices and associated equipment."
NHTSA listing: EXPEDITION. Components: Exterior lighting: back up lights; Powertrain: automatic transmission, control module (tcm/pcm/tecm). Ford campaign 12C23.
These vehicles may have inadequate welds on the head restraint support brackets for the second row, right-hand seat.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the seat head restraint may not provide the required strength, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the head restraints as necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on february 21, 2012. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Ford's recall campaign number is 12c22.customers may contact the national highway traffic safety administration's vehicle safety hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (tty: 1-800-424-9153); or go to http://www.safercar.gov.
Ford is recalling certain model year 2012 expedition and lincoln navigator vehicles, manufactured from november 19, 2011, through december 2, 2011, for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 202, "head restraints."
NHTSA listing: EXPEDITION. Ford campaign 12C22.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2012 Ford Expedition; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Unexpected transmission downshift
Recall query RQ17010Closed Oct 22, 2019 (opened Dec 25, 2017)
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened an investigation based on consumer allegations of transmissions unexpectedly downshifting to a lower gear without input from the driver on model year (MY) 2011-2013 Ford… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: EXPEDITION. Component: Powertrain (automatic transmission, control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)).
A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 118 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Expedition. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 108,000 miles at failure, from 47 reports with mileage
Electrical system20 · 17%
Speed control18 · 15%
Body structure15 · 13%
Most named: body (15)
Engine12 · 10%
Brakes6 · 5%
Fuel and propulsion system4 · 3%
Unknown or other9 · 8%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Ford Expedition recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2012 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Expedition drew the most (85) and the 2012 drew 14.
Owner complaints
2012: 118 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Ford Expedition
Model year
Complaints
2010
58
2011
71
2012
118
2013
92
2014
72
2015
164
2016
217
2017
357
2018
375
2019
505
2020
417
2021
235
2022
113
2023
65
2024
76
2025
36
2026
10
Safety recalls
2012: 3 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Ford Expedition
Model year
Recalls
2010
0
2011
0
2012
3
2013
0
2014
0
2015
3
2016
3
2017
4
2018
14
2019
11
2020
18
2021
12
2022
12
2023
8
2024
7
2025
6
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
What are the most common 2012 Expedition problems?
In the 118 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2012 Ford Expedition, the problems described most are gauge cluster or speedometer failures (17), jerking, lurching or harsh shifting (12), and rust or corrosion (10). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2012 Ford Expedition safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2012 Ford Expedition earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2012 Ford Expedition?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2012 Ford Expedition. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Oct 22, 2019.
How do I check if my Expedition has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Ford dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: EXPEDITION.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.