2018 Ford Expedition · symptom sheet
Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear
- 36owner reports
- 68,000median miles
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Jul 22, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
36 of the 57 reports of transmission shudder on the 2018 Expedition describe jerking or hard shifts.
Part of Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard (57 reports)
Tick what matches of 36 reports
Jerking or hard shifts on other Expedition years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2022, 2026.
What this problem usually is
This is the narrower sheet inside transmission shudder for shifts that jerk, lurch or bang. Where the wider sheet also takes in slipping and vibration, these reports are about a shift that arrives too hard: the car lunges forward, or a clunk comes through the floor as it drops into gear.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (5 reports) and the mounts (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
3 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2018 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The transmission park pawl may engage while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in park system damage.
A roll pin may not have been installed in the transmission, potentially causing a loss of the "Park" function.
The gear shift cable clip may not be properly seated, allowing the transmission to be in a different gear than indicated by the gear shift lever position.
All 14 recalls on the 2018 Ford Expedition, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Expedition
Unexpected transmission downshift. Closed oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V-075.
None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 35,000 and 103,000 miles, from the 15 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 1 service bulletin or notice for the 2018 Ford Expedition that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Some 2018-2020 Expedition/Navigator two-wheel drive (2WD) vehicles may exhibit a clunk noise from the driveshaft area when shifting from REVERSE to DRIVE or DRIVE to REVERSE and/or during coast down.
What owners wrote
“Transmission issue: Vehicle will sometimes not go into gear. When I pull out into traffic sometimes vehicle will not go into gear. Mostly occurs with 2nd and 4th gear but has happened with other gears as well. Also when shifting g into gear sometimes it takes a while and sometimes he vehicle jerks during shifting.”
Filed Apr 3, 2025
“Gears are slipping, vehicle loses power, clunking noises, ghost spanner icon on dashboard, jerks heavily sometimes when going from park to drive, shift system displays on dash after noises.”
Filed Dec 28, 2023
“Door locks donât unlock on 3 out of 4 doors. Transmission jerks and acts like losing power frequently. Engine tries to die at idle when stopping. Timing chains failed along with cam phasers yet symptoms still continue. Heater hoses leak to heater core. This caused high temps of 255 degrees to occur for engine.”
Filed Jun 19, 2023
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 36 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Timing chain or cam phaser rattles 72 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 42 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 38 reports
- Transmission fails or needs replacement 26 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 25 reports