Most common 2005 Ford Expedition problems
Share of the 315 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford Expedition complaints by model year
Best Expedition years: 2014, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2019, 2020, 2024, 2017, 2018. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2005 Ford Expedition:
Steel wheel fracture
Ford special service vehicle (ssv) expeditions use a steel full face wheel design similar to that investigated in pe03009, rq04007, ea04034 (crown victoria police interceptor) and pe03026 (GM pickups and suvs).a total of 8,251 ssvs (2.2% of total production) were produced within model years 2004-2006 and sold primarily for use by state, federal, and municipal law enforcement (le) agencies.Ford stipulates that the…
What 2005 Ford Expedition owners say
Engine & cooling all 104 →
The contact owns a 2005 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal sound. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was notified of an engine misfire. The spark plugs were replaced. Additionally, the contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the brake pedal became stiff, and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. Additionally, the vehicle made an abnormal sound and stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the spark plugs, and the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.
Since purchasing the Expedition in December 2014, I've had several incidents of "check engine throttle" warnings and the engine shut down, suddenly. This seems to also have a secondary issue of the truck hesitating/sputtering around 40-50mph. The vehicle has shut down on me in city traffic quite a few times and once on an exit ramp of the highway. This is a very dangerous situation to experience. The dealer mentioned possible spark plug issues. When the "check engine" icon finally came on, I had it read by the dealer and an independent mechanic. The code is a p2104. The dealer never got back to me on a remedy for this. The mechanic says the electronic throttle control must be replaced and could be the cause of both issues. Both have been reported to the dealer before their warranty expired. I'm finding the repair could cost about $700. …
Electrical system all 76 →
Same as everyone else driving normally and truck completely shuts off 4 different times all differently I changed the fuel pump driver module had fuel tank dropped and changed fuel filter and pump I'm not going to lie I love my baby she's been good to me besides this I have 250,000 plus miles on her and counting and never faced probs till now I've recently this year (technically) rebuilt her motor and that's it . Also passanger over head lightstart have been acting funny some work some don't and ac in the 3rd row sometimes goes out or makes a clicking noise and heater don't work at all on the 2nd or 3rd row I am a single female with 3 young kids id love to keep my baby running so please help and I've had one other prob one time on high way I had a fender bender I repeatedly stopped over n over on breaks and never managed to stop until I slammed into other driver in fronthe of me me and …
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that the air conditioning unit failed and emitted hot air from the vents when activated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic several times where the blender door actuator, compressor, and control panel were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The mechanic stated that the failure could not be remedied. The manufacturer stated that there were no recalls for the vehicle. The contact was also advised that the failure could have been attributed to the control head that was located behind the control panel. The vehicle was not repaired. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 118,000.
Speed control & acceleration all 66 →
Red light up ahead. Driver slowing down giving plenty of space. Engine started revving and vehicle started speeding up. Driver pushed brake as hard as she could. Vehicle was almost stopped before acceleration but accelerated to about 10 MPH at the time of impact. 2005 Ford Expedition struck rear of car which was stopped at the red light. Driver took vehicle to mechanic at gas station to check for mechanical problem- no defect found.
I was approaching an intersection at craig and I-15. This is known to have a green light, yet the traffic will suddenly stop instead of a steady flow. I was driving my Ford Expedition that I purchased less than 2 weeks before. Suddenly the traffic stopped, I slammed on the brakes to avoid hitting the vehicle in front of me. I noticed that my vehicle did not stop. I ended up hitting the vehicle in front of me. I got cited for going too fast for the condition of the traffic. At that time I did not notice a problem with the pedals, accelerator and brake have a conflict. Since the vehicle was new to me, I did not notice the problem until a month later, although I questioned how I could have this collision after slamming on the brakes as I did. After the vehicle got out of the shop, I was driving in a residential area. I applied the brake to slow down and noticed the acceleration increasing. …
2005 Ford Expedition engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | RWD | 13 / 18 / 14 |
| 5.4L 8-cyl | 4-speed automatic | 4WD/AWD | 13 / 17 / 14 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2005 Ford Expedition a good car?
Based on 315 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2005 Expedition rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Expedition at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2005 Ford Expedition?
The engine & cooling — 104 complaints, 33% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the electrical system (76) and speed control & acceleration (66).
How many recalls does the 2005 Ford Expedition have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2005 Ford Expedition. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford Expedition?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2019, 2020, 2024, 2017 and 2018. See the full Ford Expedition years comparison.
At what mileage do 2005 Ford Expedition problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 75,000 miles; 23% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.