2016 Ford Expedition: what breaks, and at what mileage
What breaks on the 2016 Ford Expedition
On the 2016 Ford Expedition, the failure owners report most often is other engine problem, and the reports cluster around 60,000 miles. The earliest to appear is loss of braking, reported by a median of 55,000 miles. Overall it scores 70 out of 100, high risk for a 2016.
High risk for a 2016 — 167th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. 279 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.
What breaks on the 2016 Ford Expedition
Owners have reported 52 named failure modes on the 2016 Ford Expedition, and the three most-reported carry 30% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.
Other engine problem leads with 34 reports, about 1.0 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 50k to 70,000 miles.
Other powertrain problem follows with 28 reports, usually reported between 53k to 95,000 miles.
Master cylinder or brake booster failure follows with 21 reports, usually reported between 55k to 110,000 miles.
By system, the reports fall mostly into brakes (55), engine (44) and transmission (29).
When these failures get reported
162 of the reports on the 2016 Ford Expedition came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 63,000 miles.
Cumulatively, 28% by 50,000 miles, 75% by 100,000 miles and 98% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed.
The busiest stretch is between 60,000 and 70,000 miles, which alone holds 15% of the dated reports.
16% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.
In the order they tend to show up: loss of braking around 56k, other engine problem around 58k, other fuel system problem around 58k and other speed control problem around 60k.
Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens
Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 52. The full list is in the table below.
How reports accumulate
Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.
- Line share of reports filed by that mileage
- Dashed the median reported mileage
What happens when these parts fail
Across the named modes, 11 mention a crash, 9 a fire and 6 an injury. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.
The average severity weight across every report on this year is 4.78, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.
What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other engine problem at $300–$4,000, other powertrain problem at $400–$4,500, master cylinder or brake booster failure at $450–$2,200 and other speed control problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.
29% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.
Every reported failure mode
| Failure mode | System | Reports | With reading | 25th | Median | 75th | Per 1,000 | Typical repair | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other engine problem | engine | 34 | 22 | 50k | 58k | 70k | 1.0 | $300–$4,000 | High |
| Other powertrain problem | transmission | 28 | 21 | 53k | 74k | 95k | 0.8 | $400–$4,500 | High |
| Master cylinder or brake booster failure | brakes | 21 | 17 | 55k | 75k | 110k | 0.6 | $450–$2,200 | Critical |
| Other speed control problem | adas | 20 | 19 | 39k | 60k | 75k | 0.6 | $250–$2,000 | Critical |
| Other fuel system problem | fuel | 15 | 10 | 45k | 58k | 76k | 0.5 | $300–$2,200 | High |
| Other brake problem | brakes | 15 | 6 | — | 43k | — | 0.5 | $300–$1,800 | High |
| Loss of braking | brakes | 13 | 13 | 49k | 56k | 61k | 0.4 | $400–$3,000 | Critical |
| Other electrical problem | electrical | 12 | 4 | — | 96k | — | 0.4 | $250–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Backup camera failure | infotainment | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Blower motor or climate control failure | hvac | 8 | 4 | — | 117k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Differential or transfer case failure | drivetrain | 6 | 4 | — | 86k | — | 0.2 | $900–$4,200 | High |
| Other body or interior problem | body | 6 | 4 | — | 79k | — | 0.2 | $200–$2,000 | Moderate |
| Other driver assistance problem | adas | 5 | 1 | — | 53k | — | 0.2 | $250–$1,800 | High |
| Wiring harness or short circuit | electrical | 4 | 2 | — | 133k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Cruise control failure | adas | 4 | 1 | — | 180k | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,400 | High |
| Other steering problem | steering | 4 | 2 | — | 52k | — | 0.1 | $350–$2,400 | High |
| Other visibility problem | glass | 4 | 3 | — | 7k | — | 0.1 | $150–$1,400 | Moderate |
| Misfire or rough idle | engine | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,600 | Moderate |
| Alternator or charging system failure | electrical | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $450–$1,600 | High |
| Engine sensor failure | electrical | 3 | 3 | — | 67k | — | 0.1 | $180–$900 | Moderate |
| ABS module or sensor failure | brakes | 3 | 3 | — | 60k | — | 0.1 | $500–$2,400 | High |
| Airbag warning light or occupant sensor fault | airbag | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $300–$1,600 | High |
| Exhaust leak or fumes in the cabin | emissions | 3 | 1 | — | 23k | — | 0.1 | $250–$2,000 | High |
| Stalling while driving | engine | 2 | 2 | — | 77k | — | 0.1 | $300–$2,500 | Critical |
| Overheating | cooling | 2 | 2 | — | 140k | — | 0.1 | $400–$3,500 | High |
| Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure | electrical | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $700–$3,000 | High |
| Infotainment screen failure | infotainment | 2 | 1 | — | 88k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,600 | Low |
| Parking brake failure | brakes | 2 | 2 | — | 81k | — | 0.1 | $250–$1,300 | Moderate |
| Steering rack, gear or tie rod failure | steering | 2 | 1 | — | 150k | — | 0.1 | $700–$2,600 | High |
| Steering column or shaft failure | steering | 2 | 1 | — | 5k | — | 0.1 | $600–$2,500 | Critical |
| Air conditioning failure | hvac | 2 | 1 | — | 137k | — | 0.1 | $400–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Other wheel or tire problem | wheels | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.1 | $200–$1,500 | High |
| Timing chain, belt or tensioner failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,200–$4,500 | Critical |
| Head gasket failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $1,400–$4,000 | Critical |
| Oil leak | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 125k | — | 0.0 | $250–$2,200 | Moderate |
| No-start or intermittent start failure | engine | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Turbocharger or supercharger failure | engine | 1 | 1 | — | 120k | — | 0.0 | $1,500–$4,500 | High |
| Radiator or coolant leak | cooling | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $350–$1,900 | High |
| CVT failure | transmission | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $3,000–$8,500 | Critical |
| Fuel pump failure | fuel | 1 | 1 | — | 84k | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,600 | High |
| Fuel injector failure | fuel | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $450–$2,800 | Moderate |
| Brake line, hose or caliper failure | brakes | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $250–$1,600 | Critical |
| Seat belt or retractor failure | airbag | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Loss of power steering | steering | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $600–$2,800 | Critical |
| Tire blowout or tread separation | wheels | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $200–$1,500 | Critical |
| Rust or structural corrosion | body | 1 | 1 | — | 39k | — | 0.0 | $500–$6,000 | High |
| Sunroof failure or glass breakage | body | 1 | 1 | — | 15k | — | 0.0 | $700–$4,500 | High |
| Headlight failure or clouding | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $150–$1,800 | Moderate |
| Tail light, brake light or signal failure | lighting | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 0.0 | $100–$900 | Moderate |
| Software fault or failed update | software | 1 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 0.0 | $0–$600 | Moderate |
| Other seat belt problem | airbag | 1 | 1 | — | 70k | — | 0.0 | $200–$900 | High |
| Other lighting problem | lighting | 1 | 1 | — | 12k | — | 0.0 | $120–$1,200 | Moderate |
| Unclassified problem | other | 16 | 4 | — | 83k | — | 0.5 | — | Moderate |
Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.
How often, against how many were built
Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2016 Ford Expedition draws about 8.4 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 88th percentile of complaint rates among 2016 vehicles we can rate.
That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.
The working figure is 33,080 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2016 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.
What owners wrote
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.
Other engine problem
My 2016 ford expedition el ltd v-6 3.5l with 354 odometer miles produced 4 minor prelude engine surges within a couple hours on the roadways before it went full throttle 5 times within a couple minutes. It suddenly, and without warning, ran down my wife after squishing her against the garage-bedroom wall (which was destroyed) in reverse, placed me in traffic danger when it raced out of the driveway, placed a witness driving in the street in danger as it backed up, and while turning into my driveway forward, plowed half its length into a neighbors house, and destroyed most of its exterior as a result of the forward and reverse collisions. The brakes were absolutely useless and could not begin to overpower the individual engine full power surges. The air bags never deployed despite the frontal impact exceeding 15 MPH. The full throttle engine surge durations approximated 6 seconds each; and, the temporary returns to idle lasted 2-4 seconds. My wife is quite injured; but, could easily have been killed. I was planning a head-on large oak tree ramming to stop the vehicle once-and-for-all. Other people and ford need to be advised of…
While driving on a city street I lost power and control to the engine. Control of the engine is lost when without warning acceleration is lost. The car will slow until about 5 miles an hour speed. The rpms will fluctuate up and down and stepping on the accelerator does nothing. No warning is given, and I almost got into an accident. The diagnostic was completed at a ford dealership and it turn out to be the throttle body. This seems to be a known issues with ford cars. This is very dangerous as it can happen at any time. Losing control of acceleration can be deadly depending on the circumstances. Once the vehicle is turned off and started up again the problem goes away until it happens again, once you have it, the problem will be there until it is repaired and hope that the issues never returns.
Other powertrain problem
On 11-30-2016 with clear weather at about 3 pm traveling at traffic speed of 70 MPH on i610 south loop east harris county tx (city of houston) in the 3rd lane right from the right side shoulder of 4 lanes, a "wrench" icon come on the display and said to contact the dealer. Immediately at the same time the expedition lost all accelerator power. The pedal went limp. A hazardous, perilous drift across the oncoming 2 right lanes to the shoulder was terrifying . By the grace of god we made it to the shoulder without being hit and/or causing a multi car wreck and probable fatalities. The car motor continued running, but there was no acceleration, no power to move the car. The car was towed to the ford dealer where the throttle body identified as the failure and was replaced. The original part throttle body replaced was part # bl3z*9e9268a. The new throttle body is part # bl3z*9e926*b. I have had this ford expedition for 11 months. I learned many throttle body parts on ford explorers have been replaced by searching the internet for information. There was no listings of 2016 expeditions having this life threatening failure. I do hope and…
Started car left my home and pulled out onto the road. I began to accelerate. I reach a speed of approximately 40 MPH and I felt a slight shutter and saw a warning indicator wrench light up on the car. I depressed the throttle and found that the vehicle was unresponsive to throttle input. I had to coast along to a stop thankfully I was in a safe area when this occurred. If this event were to occur in certain scenarios the outcome could be fatal. I was able to turn off the car and restart and I now had normal functionally. The vehicle was taken to the local ford dealership where the informed that this was caused by a faulty throttle body control. From doing some online research this problem appears to have been very prevalent on other ford models.
Master cylinder or brake booster failure
Whie driving 2016 expedition el the light came on saying that the brake fluid was low shortly after the brakes went out completely ,pedal went to floor.thankfully used the emergency brake and down shifting to get car stopped .was very fortunate.my mechanic checked car -no leaks of brake fluid even thou the system was completely empty.his diagnosis was that the brake booster had failed and that all of the brake fluid was syphoned out and in to the engine. Very scary little warning just complete failure
Brake fluid warning light came on while taking daughter to school, stopped at gas station to check. Was almost completely empty. No visible sign of leaks in engine compartment, under vehicle or on wheels/tires. Refilled. Warning light came on mile later. Stopped at another gas station, almost completely empty again. Bought more fluid, refilled and attempted to drive home. About a mile later warning light appeared again. Once home, brake fluid level was empty again. Looked on-line and noticed there was a recall on 2015 f-150 trucks for the exact same issue (master cylinder failure, leaking fluid to brake booster). Refilled then attempted to drive to dealership. Stopped once to refill after warning light came on again. Got to dealership and as pulling into service bay brake pedal had no pressure, went to floor and vehicle would not stop. Luckily, was just rolling slow and was able to but vehicle in park to stop. Very dangerous if this had occurred on street! Ford dealership confirmed suspicion, master cylinder leaking in brake booster. Same issue as 2015 f150 recall, but there is no recall for 2016 ford expeditions even though they…
Recalls on the 2016 model year
NHTSA has issued 3 recall campaigns covering the 2016 Ford Expedition, affecting an estimated 89,617 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.
The campaigns cover back over prevention: sensing system: camera, electrical system:wiring:interior/under dash and service brakes, hydraulic:power assist. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.
One caution about reading these together: a recall usually raises the complaint count for the same part, because owners who read about it go and file. The mileages stay informative; the counts get noisy.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
1,456,417 vehicles 2025-09-03- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline, and 2019 Ranger vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
- Consequence
- A rearview camera that displays an inverted, distorted, or blank image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 13, 2026. Ford owners will receive letters in phases, beginning January 2026 and June 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S89. This recall expands previous NHTSA recall number 25V270. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning September 8, 2025.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
198,482 vehicles 2022-08-26- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator vehicles. The front blower motor located behind the glove box may fail.
- Consequence
- Front blower motor failure can increase the risk of a vehicle interior fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the front blower motor assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 4, 2023. Remedy parts are expected to become available in the second quarter of 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S56.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST
195,864 vehicles 2022-03-11- Defect
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016-2017 Ford Expedition, Lincoln Navigator, and 2016-2018 F-150 vehicles equipped with 3.5L Ecoboost engines. The brake master cylinder may allow brake fluid to leak from the front wheel circuit into the brake booster.
- Consequence
- A loss of brake fluid may result in a change in brake pedal travel, increased pedal effort and reduced front brake function, requiring greater effort and distance to stop the vehicle. These conditions can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder. If the master cylinder is leaking, the brake booster will also be replaced. Repairs will be performed free of charge. An interim owner notification letter notifying customers of the safety defect were mailed on April 29, 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed April 29, 2022. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 20V-332. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S11.
Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.
How it ranks in the 2016 field
The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.
Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.
- Left fewer and less serious reports
- Right more, or worse
- Marker this vehicle
Where 2016 sits in the model line
High risk for a 2016 — 167th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. Because the ranking is against the same model year only, age cancels out of it.
Across the 30 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2026 comes out best at 58 and 2003 worst at 78, with 2016 itself at 70.
If the model year is negotiable, 2026, 2014, 2013, 2000, 2002, 2001, 1999, 2010, 2025, 2011 and 1998 score lower than 2016 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.
Within the 2015–2017 generation specifically, 2015 is the strongest year at 69 and 2017 the weakest at 72.
Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.
Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.
Within the 2015-2017 generation, 2015 Ford Expedition scores best at 69 and 2017 Ford Expedition worst at 72.
What the numbers say to check
The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other speed control problem from about 39k, other fuel system problem from about 45k, loss of braking from about 49k and other engine problem from about 50k.
On a 2016 Ford Expedition with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other speed control problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.
Treat it as where to point the inspection, not as a prediction. A well-maintained example can sail past every mileage on this page, and a neglected one can fail well before the first of them.
The limits of complaint data
279 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.
Of those 279 reports, 162 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 58% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".
The failure modes are assigned by software reading the owner's own words, which is accurate in bulk and wrong in individual cases. A mode with a handful of reports may contain a misfiled one.
And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.
Questions this page answers
What are the most common problems with the 2016 Ford Expedition?
The most-reported failures are other engine problem (34 reports, median 60,000 miles), other powertrain problem (28 reports, median 75,000 miles) and master cylinder or brake booster failure (21 reports, median 75,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.
At what mileage do 2016 Ford Expedition problems start?
Loss of braking is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 55,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 50,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 63,000 miles.
Is the 2016 Ford Expedition reliable?
It scores 70 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 167th riskiest of the 255 2016 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2016 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.
Which year of the Ford Expedition is best?
Within the 2015–2017 generation, 2015 scores best at 69 out of 100 and 2017 worst at 72. Same body, same engines, different luck.
Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.
What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car
Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed