2016 Ford Expedition EL: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
181 NHTSA owner complaints · 0 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 181 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 18.1
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The vehicle stops accelerating randomly it’s been in the shop (Ford dealer) a few times and they are unable to pinpoint the issue. The warning lamps would come on after the vehicle fails to accelerate. It would lose power at any interval and coast until it’s fully stopped.
The front AC stopped blowing and it got excessively warm in the cab. I thought it may be the blower motor and wanted to start with fuses. Under the hood was so hot that when I tried to pull our a fuse my nails melted. Since then, sometimes it blows sometimes it doesn't but it does seem to be emanating excess heat. I'm unsure of true date of occurrence as I just purchased the vehicle on
The contact owns a 2016 Ford Expedition. The contact stated that while driving approximately 35 MPH and hauling a trailer attached to the tow hitch, the trailer suddenly detached from the vehicle. The trailer hitch had fractured due to extensive rust. The dealer was contacted and informed about the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The …
Recalls: 0 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
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What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 17 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,600
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Service Brakes51 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Engine36 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train33 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Electrical System23 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Vehicle Speed Control20 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
- Hydraulic17 complaints · typical job: Brake master cylinder or ABS module replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,520
Other Ford Expedition EL years
Ford Expedition EL years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2016 Ford Expedition EL?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Service Brakes (51 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2016 Ford Expedition EL a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 90/100, computed from 181 NHTSA complaints and 0 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2016 Ford Expedition EL's most common problem?
51 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2016 Ford Expedition EL sit in the Service Brakes group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $580–$1,140 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2016 Ford Expedition EL cost to run per year?
About $6,013 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $30,068 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2016 Ford Expedition EL really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 181 complaints, 0 recalls on record
- 181 NHTSA complaints on record (18.1/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (24.2/yr)
- 0 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems