2020 Ford Expedition · symptom sheet

Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard

143owner reports
60,000median miles
$5,000median quote
0involved a crash

Newest report Sep 2, 2026 · checked Sep 9, 2026

255 of the 405 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 143 of those describe transmission shudder, which makes it the most reported problem on the 2020 Expedition.

Tick what matches of 143 reports

shudders or vibrates at low speed

slips or revs without pulling

bangs or clunks into gear

hesitates when I accelerate

a dealer did a software update

fluid was changed or flushed

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the transmission (16 reports), the clutch (4 reports) and the valve body (3 reports).

Recalls and investigations

2 recalls on the transmission and drivetrain cover the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.

26V-402Jun 24, 2026

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

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.

Risk and remedy

Risk: Park system damage may result in a vehicle rollaway, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the powertrain control module software, and inspect and replace any damaged transmission components as necessary, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 10, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in April 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S48. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on June 26, 2026.

20V-197Apr 3, 2020

Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Gear Position Indication (Prndl)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 Ranger and F-150 vehicles equipped with 10-speed automatic transmissions and certain 2020 Expedition vehicles equipped with a "police" package. The transmission shift cable lock clip may not be fully seated, allowing the transmission to actually be in a different gear than the gear shift position selected by the driver.

Risk and remedy

Risk: If the transmission selection does not match the indicated gear selection, and the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur, increasing the risk of injury or crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and correct the shift cable locking clip installation, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began April 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S18.

NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Expedition

RQ17-010opened Dec 25, 2017

Transmission and drivetrain · model years 2011 to 2013

Unexpected transmission downshift. Closed oct 22, 2019, led to recall 19V-075.

NHTSA summary

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 F-150, Expedition and Navigator vehicles. ODI has received 455 unique reports related to the alleged problem that were not covered under a previous recall for this issue (16V-248).Expedition and Navigator complaint rates are lower than F-150 complaints. Of those 455 reports, 34.7% claimed that the rear wheels locked up when the transmission downshifted. There were 4 accident claims with no injuries. There are many instances where drivers report leaving their lane or the road because of this issue.In response to ODI's Information Request (IR) letter, Ford Motor Company (Ford) responded with 783 unique reports related to the alleged problem. There were 6 accident claims with 3 injuries. Ford also submitted 1206 warranty claims related to transmission downshifting failures. The failure can occur at any time, but typically at higher speed, and include symptoms such as sudden transmission downshifting, loss of speedometer, erratic shifting of transmission, and transmission stuck in one gear. The failures typically occur without warning and may result in the rear wheels momentarily locking up. The driver often had to fully stop the vehicle and restart it to get the vehicle to shift properly.On February 2nd, 2019 Ford notified ODI that it would conduct a safety recall

None of these investigations covers the 2020 model year.

What owners paid

8 of the 143 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,000 to $9,859.

$1,000$5,000$9,859

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

The middle half of failures fell between 35,000 and 80,000 miles, from the 44 reports that gave a mileage.

221

822

2923

4524

3825

2126

What owners wrote

“A 2020 vehicle with 80K miles is in need of a new transmission, after having hard shifting problems a few months previous. Rarely used for any towing. Appears to have a defective transmission.”
Filed Apr 14, 2025 · 80,000 miles

“I was driving on the highway and suddenly it felt like a hard shift and the vehicle was in what seemed to be neutral (I was pushing the gas, engine revving) but no forward motion. At 70 miles an hour in traffic, it was very dangerous. I have 70k miles so I would not expect problems of this nature. There was no warnings prior to this.”
Filed Mar 20, 2024 · 70,000 miles

“I was traveling on the interstate at a rate of 75 mph. I signaled a lane change and pressed the gas pedal. I heard the engine respond and the rpm surged. The drive train went dead. There was no power at all. I checked it was in drive and it was. The car began to slow and I began trying to get off the road. Suddenly with a bit of a jerk, it drove normal.”
Filed Mar 13, 2023

“The transmission in the car is not functioning properly. Shifting is not happening correctly and there is slippage. The shift between gears is significantly impacting the car while in motion. The lurch between gears skips the car ahead. Further, Ford Dealers are so backlogged with transmission issues that they are refusing to diagnose and service vehicles due to lack of technicians and parts.”
Filed Feb 3, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 0 of 143 reports involved a crash. 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.