Problem Lookup › Ford › Expedition EL › 2017
Car problem report
2017 Ford Expedition EL problems, recalls and owner complaints
What the 2017 Ford Expedition EL has been recalled for and what owners report, from official government data. Updated November 2, 2026.
- 0safety recalls
- 272owner complaints
- 20crash reports
- 7fire reports
- 27injuries reported
272 complaints, against an average of 181 for the other 8 Ford Expedition EL model years.
Every Ford Expedition EL model year with its number of owner complaints. Pick a year to compare.
Buying a 2017 Ford Expedition EL? Get the pre-purchase checklist →
What goes wrong with the 2017 Ford Expedition EL?
The components named most often in the 272 owner complaints. One complaint can name several, so the shares can add up to more than 100%.
What symptoms do 2017 Ford Expedition EL owners describe?
Found by reading the text of all 272 owner complaints. Tap a symptom for the answer, a real owner quote and any related recall.
- Why does my 2017 Ford Expedition EL stall, lose power or shut off while driving?34 owners · 12.5%
- Why do the brakes feel soft, fail or make noise on my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?17 owners · 6.3%
- Why is the check engine light on in my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?14 owners · 5.1%
- Why is the air conditioning not blowing cold in my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?11 owners · 4%
- Why does my 2017 Ford Expedition EL smell of burning or smoke?11 owners · 4%
Fault codes 2017 Ford Expedition EL owners mention
Diagnostic trouble codes owners wrote in their complaints. Open a code to see what it meant on other cars and whether a recall names it.
Has the 2017 Ford Expedition EL been recalled?
NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL as of November 2, 2026. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN before you rely on this.
What do 2017 Ford Expedition EL owners report?
12 of the 272 complaints, the most recent for the most-reported components, as the owners wrote them. NHTSA removes names and VINs; long reports are trimmed. CarHooq has not verified individual claims.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that a warning light indicating that the brake fluid reservoir was empty had illuminated within 10 minutes of adding brake fluid to the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and depressing the brake pedal, the contact noticed that the brake pedal…
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the braking distance had extended. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the local dealer however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact's husband, who is a mechanic, inspected the brakes and informed the contact that the…
Rear blower motor caught on fire, causing smoke to cover the inside of the vehicle. Part had to then be removed from the car. Melted plastic around the inside of the fan and motor. Also we have replaced the blower motive in the front of the vehicle that was under recall and it has continued to let's burn wires underneath the dash whete it plugs in so i dont believe the blower motor in front was the issue!
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000(Visibility, Electrical System), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the recall repair was completed; however, the defroster failed to function as intended after the recall repair. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with blower motor failure, but the dealer declined to repair the vehicle free of charge. The contact stated that the vehicle had not experienced a blower motor failure prior to the recall…
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brake pedal felt loose. A message regard the brake fluid level was displayed on the instrument panel. In addition, upon further notice, an abnormal oil consumption was noticed, and white smoke was coming from the exhaust when the vehicle was started. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had…
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the blower motor assembly was abnormally loud. There was no warning light illuminated. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The contact stated that the fan was already replaced under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V648000 (VISIBILITY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford Expedition. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V236000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). However, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving 55 MPH, a deer crossed the road. The brake pedal was depressed down to the floorboard; the brake pedal felt soft. The contact was unsure whether there was a warning light illuminated. The vehicle came to a stop after a short distance. The driver’s and passenger’s side air bags did not deploy. The contact was not injured. No police report was filed. The…
BACK UP COMPUTER SCREEN NOT WORKING EVERY TIME VEHICLE IS PUT IN REVERSE. TALKED WITH SERVICE MANAGER -ABOUT 6MONTHS AGO TOLD IF UNIT DOES NOT MALFUNCTION WHEN BEING TESTED CANNOT CHECK PROBLEM.BUT IF I WOULD LEAVE CAR FOR A DAY THEY WOULD TRY AT VERIOUS TIMES TO SEE IT NOT WORKING.NO WARNING ONLY SCREEN TELLING US BACK UP SCREEN NOT WORKING OR SCREEN GOES TO BLUE SCREEN WITH NOTHING ON IT.
TSB 23-2143, citing cold-start cam phaser rattle as a manufacturing defect that impacts reliability and safety (loss of power, premature wear, noise).
For 1.5+ years, the transmission will unexpectedly and suddenly downshift into 1st gear without warning. Which causes a sudden deceleration. No warning lights before it happens. It occurs randomly and at different speeds. It has happened over 20 times. I've experienced it happening at speed ranging from 35mph to 65mph. The gear shifter was in the drive position each time this issue occurred. The suv is the 2017 ford expedition EL with the 3.5L ecoboost engine with 6 speed automatic transmission. No check engine light before or after the issue (so no OBD2 code to read) a big yellow warning…
My engine in my expedition overheated on dec 14,2024. It is being repaired now. I was left Stranded on a busy highway for 2hrs waiting on a wrecker. The whole engine is bad. Everything is full of oil. Itis being replaced right now at a total of 11,000$,by an independent ford mechanic . I know of three other people with this engine in my area that the same thing has happened to. There were no lights or warning signs ofany trouble. I have a receipt for the engine but the replacement cost wont be ready until next week. Ive contacted Ford and had a feedback case sent to them and plan to write a…
We were out of town driving to a baseball tournament going 80 miles an hour when the car completely lost power and a wrench came up. My husband barely coasted us to a shoulder. The car would not reset or restart unless it was in park. Happens twice. Took it for code read they said it is a throttle body issue but that instead of check engine light it shuts the whole car down until reset. Very scary on the interstate. Could have easily been in a bad collision.
2017 Ford Expedition EL: questions owners ask
Is the 2017 Ford Expedition EL reliable?
NHTSA data alone cannot rate reliability, but it shows what owners reported. Owners filed 272 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford Expedition EL; the most common categories were electrical system (70, 25.7%), service brakes (65, 23.9%), power train (38, 14%). There are no safety recalls listed for this model year. 20 complaints mention a crash, 7 mention a fire, 27 injuries were reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2017 Ford Expedition EL?
Across 272 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the categories mentioned most often are electrical system (25.7% of complaints), service brakes (23.9% of complaints), power train (14% of complaints), engine (12.1% of complaints), hydraulic (11.4% of complaints). One complaint can name several components.
Does the 2017 Ford Expedition EL have any recalls?
As of November 2026, NHTSA lists no safety recalls for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL. Recalls can be issued at any time, so check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Why does my 2017 Ford Expedition EL stall, lose power or shut off while driving?
34 of the 272 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL (12.5%) describe the engine stalling, losing power or shutting off while driving. One owner wrote: "TSB 23-2143, citing cold-start cam phaser rattle as a manufacturing defect that impacts reliability and safety (loss of power, premature wear, noise)." (NHTSA complaint 11672884, July 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why do the brakes feel soft, fail or make noise on my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?
17 of the 272 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL (6.3%) describe brakes feeling soft, failing, grinding or squealing. One owner wrote: "Near total loss of brakes. Pulled in to a parking spot and brakes very squishy, upon returning brake light was on. No indication of brake fluid on ground." (NHTSA complaint 11540887, August 2023). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the check engine light on in my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?
14 of the 272 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL (5.1%) describe the check engine light coming on. One owner wrote: "Driving vehicle on road and car lost all acceleration power. The check engine light appeared and the problem was diagnosed as a faulty throttle body." (NHTSA complaint 11649087, March 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why is the air conditioning not blowing cold in my 2017 Ford Expedition EL?
11 of the 272 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL (4%) describe the air conditioning not cooling or failing. One owner wrote: "2024 Front A/C blower cutting in and out without warning. Called Dealership and had Fords recall #22S56, item affected: electrical system, wiring, interior/ under dash. This involved the front A/C blower failing." (NHTSA complaint 11651867, March 2025). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Why does my 2017 Ford Expedition EL smell of burning or smoke?
11 of the 272 owner complaints NHTSA has on file for the 2017 Ford Expedition EL (4%) describe a burning smell or smoke. One owner wrote: "My vehicle is a 2017 Expedition that had the blower motor recall performed in October 2023. Prior to the recall being performed, we would often have burning smells coming from the blower, so it made sense that the recall was to fix a fire hazard with the…" (NHTSA complaint 11585253, April 2024). If it happens to your car, check your VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov/recalls and report the problem to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations.
Check your own Expedition EL
Counts are a starting point, not a verdict: popular models collect more complaints because more of them are on the road, and NHTSA does not verify individual reports. To see whether a recall is still open on your car, enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls (U.S.) or your registration at check-vehicle-recalls.service.gov.uk (UK). Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA; complaints are what trigger investigations and recalls.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation recall and complaint databases (public domain), retrieved November 2, 2026. Model year 2017 only. How these reports are made.