Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
16 mpgcombined; city 14, highway 20; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$20,300U.S. average; Ohio $18,140 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2009 Expedition. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 28 complaints with NHTSA about the 2009 Expedition. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Structure
7
2
0
2
Electrical system
5
0
0
0
Power train
4
0
0
0
Visibility
4
0
0
0
Seats
3
0
0
0
Service brakes
3
0
0
0
Unknown or other
3
1
0
1
Engine
2
1
0
1
Fuel/propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Air bags
1
1
0
1
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
1
0
0
0
4 more parts
Service brakes, hydraulic
1
0
0
0
Steering
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2009 Expedition over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
FORD IS RECALLING 1,357 MY 2009 EXPEDITION AND NAVIGATOR VEHICLES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THE BRAKE STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY BE IMPROPERLY ADJUSTED. THIS MAY RESULT IN A DELAY IN BRAKE STOPLAMP ILLUMINATION WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED. IN SITUATIONS OF VERY MILD BRAKE APPLICATION, THE BRAKE STOPLAMPS MAY NOT ILLUMINATE.
Risk: DELAY OR LOSS OF BRAKE STOPLAMP FUNCTION MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL ADJUST THE BRAKE STOPLAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 6, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332 OR WWW.OWNERCONNECTION.COM.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 33 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2009 Expedition, the latest on Feb 24, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: equipment (10), electrical system (9), power train (8), engine and engine cooling (7), structure (5).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2009 Expedition.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: sport utility vehicle. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Expedition Rear-Wheel Drive
5.4 L, 8 cyl
Automatic 6-spd
Regular Gasoline or E85
14 / 20 / 16
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data