Ford Expedition 2003–2006
2nd generation · U222
NHTSA data through 13 August 20262,028 complaints, 1,632 with mileageMethod
- Reports with mileage
- 1,632
- Median of reported failures
- 80,000 mi
- Most-reported system
- Engine and its cooling system (13.9%)
- Recalls
- 0
Before-you-buy checklist ↓Check this VIN — NHTSA ↗
On this generation, failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 42,000 and 118,000 miles.
Figure 1 · Ford Expedition 2003–2006 · 1,632 reports with mileage
Mileage at failure
Complaints per 5,000-mile bin, 0 to 200,000 miles, equal bins on a linear scale. Tallest bar = 103 complaints.
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 61 complaints (3.7%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 10,756
- 25%
- 42,000
- Median
- 80,000
- 75%
- 118,000
- 90%
- 158,612
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–5,000 | 103 | 6.3% |
| 5,000–10,000 | 43 | 2.6% |
| 10,000–15,000 | 51 | 3.1% |
| 15,000–20,000 | 40 | 2.5% |
| 20,000–25,000 | 40 | 2.5% |
| 25,000–30,000 | 30 | 1.8% |
| 30,000–35,000 | 34 | 2.1% |
| 35,000–40,000 | 46 | 2.8% |
| 40,000–45,000 | 35 | 2.1% |
| 45,000–50,000 | 46 | 2.8% |
| 50,000–55,000 | 45 | 2.8% |
| 55,000–60,000 | 50 | 3.1% |
| 60,000–65,000 | 72 | 4.4% |
| 65,000–70,000 | 58 | 3.6% |
| 70,000–75,000 | 59 | 3.6% |
| 75,000–80,000 | 61 | 3.7% |
| 80,000–85,000 | 85 | 5.2% |
| 85,000–90,000 | 56 | 3.4% |
| 90,000–95,000 | 55 | 3.4% |
| 95,000–100,000 | 47 | 2.9% |
| 100,000–105,000 | 57 | 3.5% |
| 105,000–110,000 | 40 | 2.5% |
| 110,000–115,000 | 43 | 2.6% |
| 115,000–120,000 | 36 | 2.2% |
| 120,000–125,000 | 49 | 3.0% |
| 125,000–130,000 | 36 | 2.2% |
| 130,000–135,000 | 34 | 2.1% |
| 135,000–140,000 | 33 | 2.0% |
| 140,000–145,000 | 25 | 1.5% |
| 145,000–150,000 | 19 | 1.2% |
| 150,000–155,000 | 23 | 1.4% |
| 155,000–160,000 | 19 | 1.2% |
| 160,000–165,000 | 26 | 1.6% |
| 165,000–170,000 | 6 | 0.4% |
| 170,000–175,000 | 10 | 0.6% |
| 175,000–180,000 | 9 | 0.6% |
| 180,000–185,000 | 9 | 0.6% |
| 185,000–190,000 | 19 | 1.2% |
| 190,000–195,000 | 11 | 0.7% |
| 195,000–200,000 | 11 | 0.7% |
| 200,000+ | 61 | 3.7% |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain. Complaint counts reflect what owners reported and are not a measure of failure rate per vehicle sold.
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 2,028 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003–2006 Ford Expedition, and 1,632 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 42,000 and 118,000 miles. The median is 80,000 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine and its cooling system (13.9% of complaints, typically around 81,000 miles), the electrical system (12.3% of complaints, typically around 83,000 miles), the engine (10.7% of complaints, typically around 120,000 miles).
If you arrived asking “is it reliable?” — this page answers the version of that question the data can support: which problems owners reported, and at what mileage.
How many miles does a 2003–2006 Ford Expedition last?
Half of the failure reports on the 2003–2006 Ford Expedition were filed by 80,000 miles and 90% by 159,000 miles — figures drawn from 1,632 NHTSA complaints that record an odometer reading, so they time reported failures, not the cars whose owners never filed one.
61 reports (3.7%) came in past 200,000 miles — each one proof a Expedition reached that mileage, not that it died there.
Before you buy a 2003–2006 Expedition: the 3-minute check
Generated from 1,632 mileage-tagged complaints, 3 documented problem areas. Print this page — the checklist survives print.
- Check engine on 2005–2006 cars. Three-valve 5.4L two-piece spark plug design: the lower ground-shield section seizes in the head from carbon buildup and snaps off during removal, requiring specialized extraction and often head damage.
- Check engine on 2005–2006 cars. Variable cam timing phaser rattle. Oil-fed cam phasers lose control authority when hot idle oil pressure or oil condition degrades, producing a diesel-like rattle at cold start and idle, and can progress to timing chain…
- Check suspension. Rear air suspension air spring and compressor failure (independent rear suspension introduced this generation).
- End with a pre-purchase inspection of this car. Aggregate data describes the population; the example in front of you has its own history.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 42,000 and 118,000 miles, with a median of 80,000. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and its cooling system and the electrical system are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. The engine and its cooling system in particular shows a median failure mileage of 81,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
What fails, and when
Figure 2 · Ford Expedition 2003–2006
When each system fails
Bar spans the middle half of reports; the notch inside each bar is the median. Miles at failure on a proportional scale — equal distances are equal ratios, not equal miles.
- Hydraulic brake circuit120 reports19,0008,000–35,000Hydraulic brake circuit: 120 reports, median 19,000 miles, middle half 8,000 to 35,000 miles.
- Transmission and driveline145 reports62,00017,000–107,000Transmission and driveline: 145 reports, median 62,000 miles, middle half 17,000 to 107,000 miles.
- Throttle and speed control136 reports75,00050,000–92,000Throttle and speed control: 136 reports, median 75,000 miles, middle half 50,000 to 92,000 miles.
- Engine and its cooling system281 reports81,00059,000–100,000Engine and its cooling system: 281 reports, median 81,000 miles, middle half 59,000 to 100,000 miles.
- Electrical system250 reports83,00055,000–130,000Electrical system: 250 reports, median 83,000 miles, middle half 55,000 to 130,000 miles.
- Airbag system134 reports84,00044,000–128,000Airbag system: 134 reports, median 84,000 miles, middle half 44,000 to 128,000 miles.
- Engine217 reports120,00090,000–150,000Engine: 217 reports, median 120,000 miles, middle half 90,000 to 150,000 miles.
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it in “Where your car sits”
Ordered by median mileage, earliest first. The first 12,000 miles are shaded: that is the boundary this site uses between a manufacturing defect and ordinary wear, not a property of the world.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and its cooling system | 281 | 13.9% | 81,000 | 59,000–100,000 |
| Electrical system | 250 | 12.3% | 83,000 | 55,000–130,000 |
| Engine | 217 | 10.7% | 120,000 | 90,000–150,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 145 | 7.1% | 62,000 | 17,000–107,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 136 | 6.7% | 75,000 | 50,000–92,000 |
| Airbag system | 134 | 6.6% | 84,000 | 44,000–128,000 |
| Hydraulic brake circuit | 120 | 5.9% | 19,000 | 8,000–35,000 |
| Tyres | 98 | 4.8% | 38,000 | 8,000–69,000 |
| Body structure | 91 | 4.5% | 68,000 | 38,000–100,000 |
| Fuel system | 72 | 3.6% | 70,000 | 57,000–108,000 |
Where your car sits
Failure reports by the odometer reading they were filed at. Pick the anchor nearest your car — or type the exact mileage: your marker lands on this curve and on the timing chart above.
Figure 3 · Ford Expedition 2003–2006 · 1,632 reports with mileage
Share of reports below each mileage
Share of mileage-tagged reports filed at or below each odometer reading. Steps rise only at bin edges, by exact counted shares.
- 60,000 mi — 34% of reports below
- 90,000 mi — 58% of reports below
- 120,000 mi — 75% of reports below
- Median — the staircase crosses the 50% line here
- Your odometer — appears after you enter it below
The staircase tops out at 96%: the remaining 3.7% of reports (61) came above 200,000 miles.
Nothing is smoothed or interpolated. Linear axis, same as Figure 1.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, public domain.
At 60,000 miles
34% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 19,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 59,000–100,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 55,000–130,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 17,000–107,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 50,000–92,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 44,000–128,000 mi
Mostly reported later
- Engine — middle half 90,000–150,000 mi
At 90,000 miles
58% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 19,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Engine and its cooling system — middle half 59,000–100,000 mi
- Electrical system — middle half 55,000–130,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 90,000–150,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — middle half 17,000–107,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — middle half 50,000–92,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 44,000–128,000 mi
At 120,000 miles
75% of the failure reports on this generation came below this mileage. That describes reports, not your odds.
Reported earlier than this mileage — ask for repair records
- Engine and its cooling system — median 81,000 mi
- Transmission and driveline — median 62,000 mi
- Throttle and speed control — median 75,000 mi
- Hydraulic brake circuit — median 19,000 mi
In the reporting window
- Electrical system — middle half 55,000–130,000 mi
- Engine — middle half 90,000–150,000 mi
- Airbag system — middle half 44,000–128,000 mi
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 80,000 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine and its cooling system accounts for 13.9% of complaints (281 reports, 249 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 81,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 59,000 and 100,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 12.3% of complaints (250 reports, 205 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 83,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 55,000 and 130,000 miles.
The engine accounts for 10.7% of complaints (217 reports, 191 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails late — a median of 120,000 miles, considerably beyond the vehicle's overall median. That pattern is consistent with normal service life rather than a defect, though it matters for anyone buying an example already near that mileage. The middle half of these reports falls between 90,000 and 150,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 7.1% of complaints (145 reports, 118 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 62,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 17,000 and 107,000 miles.
Throttle and speed control accounts for 6.7% of complaints (136 reports, 124 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 75,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 50,000 and 92,000 miles.
The airbag system accounts for 6.6% of complaints (134 reports, 106 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 84,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 44,000 and 128,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2003 model year drew the most — 800 complaints — while 2004 drew the fewest at 381. The median year sits at 423.
The first year of the generation, 2003, sits above the median. That is a common pattern — early production of a redesigned vehicle tends to surface problems that later years do not repeat — and it is worth weighing when choosing between years.
Recalls and what they cover
No recall campaigns covering this generation appear in NHTSA's post-2010 recall file. That is not the same as an absence of problems — recalls address safety defects specifically, and many of the complaints above concern faults that are expensive or annoying without meeting that threshold.
Reported severity
What owners reported alongside the failure itself, out of 2,028 complaints against this generation:
- Crashes
- 188 (9.3%)
- Fires
- 71
- Injury reports
- 131
- Fatality reports
- 7
These flags are self-reported by complainants and unverified by NHTSA; one report can carry several flags, so the counts overlap and do not sum to a total. They are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. No chart is drawn here on purpose: overlapping counts spanning very different magnitudes cannot be honestly encoded as lengths.
Documented problems
Engine 2005–2006
Three-valve 5.4L two-piece spark plug design: the lower ground-shield section seizes in the head from carbon buildup and snaps off during removal, requiring specialized extraction and often head damage.
Engine 2005–2006
Variable cam timing phaser rattle. Oil-fed cam phasers lose control authority when hot idle oil pressure or oil condition degrades, producing a diesel-like rattle at cold start and idle, and can progress to timing chain and cam damage.
Suspension
Rear air suspension air spring and compressor failure (independent rear suspension introduced this generation).
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 800 | 592 |
| 2004 | 381 | 287 |
| 2005 | 452 | 407 |
| 2006 | 395 | 346 |
What owners reported
We just bought a new 2003 Expedition eddie bauer 4x4. The same night we drove it home it started to rain and we noticed a leak at the driver's grab handle. We took it back to the dealer and they replaced the front windshield stating it was not sealed correctly to the car's body. The next night it rained again and…
2003 · 25 miles · Body structure
the contact owns a 2003 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH the vehicle failed to absorb impact from driving over a pot hole. The contact believed the failure may be caused by the upper and lower control arm bushing and ball joints prematurely wearing out. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer…
2003 · 45 miles · Suspension
2003 Ford Expedition headlights are too dim to drive safely. Husband has returned vehicle to Ford dealer and had them checked, not long after we bought it new. Service dept says headlights are fine. Both my husband and i feel that it is a safety hazard to drive with the dims on, because we can't see far enough in…
2003 · 100 miles · Exterior lighting
2003 Ford Expedition eddie bauer edition. Side rear view mirrors with backup assist will malfunction at anytime causing you to constantly be aware that the mirrors are never going to be reset to the drivers desired setting. This is a road hazard that needs to be recalled. If the drivers of these particular vehicles…
2003 · 125 miles · Visibility equipment
Built from 1,632 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-18 · open data · reproduce this page