What Ford confirmed about the 2018–2020 Expedition cam phaser
Table of Contents
Your Expedition rattles for a few seconds on a cold start
A cold start rattle lasting two to five seconds from the front of the engine is a noise Ford documented on the 3.5L EcoBoost in 2018–2020 Expedition and Navigator models built on or before November 30, 2019.
Start with the situation you’re in:
- You just heard it. The next section has Ford’s own description, down to the seconds.
- You’re holding a quote. Ford publishes the hours and the parts for your vehicle line.
- You want to know if anything still pays. Coverage closed in 2023, and the details matter.
- You own a Navigator. The Lincoln side was prorated on different terms than the Expedition.
- Built later than November 2019, or a different engine? Start with the same engine’s documented problem history.
ℹ️ Safety Note: This article covers an engine timing component, what Ford’s programs paid, and what the repair costs now. It is general information, not a coverage decision or a quote for your vehicle. Have the noise confirmed by a qualified technician before authorizing a repair that runs close to ten hours of labour.
The noise Ford describes, down to the seconds
Ford’s current bulletin puts specific numbers on this ticking noise, which is what separates it from every other startup sound.
Two to five seconds, after six hours of sitting
The bulletin describes a ticking, tapping or rattle from the top front cover area on the first start after a cold soak of six hours or more, lasting two to five seconds. Ford attributes it to a worn variable camshaft timing unit — the part owners call a cam phaser. Your engine has four of them.
The auto-start-stop symptom and P164C
The same bulletin lists a second symptom on the same worn units: an intermittent failure to auto-restart during auto-start-stop operation, with or without code P164C stored in the powertrain control module.
Owners chase batteries and start-stop modules for months without connecting it to the rattle.
Why it goes quiet once it’s warm
🔍 Why It Happens: Engine oil pressure is what holds a phaser in the position the computer commanded. After sitting overnight, oil has drained down and pressure takes a moment to build, so a worn unit has play in it until that pressure arrives. Once pressure comes up the unit is held firmly, which is why the noise disappears until the vehicle sits again.
Build dates decide this, not model year
Your model year is not the filter Ford uses. Every document in this set sorts by build date, and two of them draw the line in different places.
| Vehicle line | Model years | Build window | Document | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition | 2018–2020 | Mar 14, 2017 – Nov 30, 2019 (Kentucky Truck) | CSP 21N03 | 3.5L EcoBoost only |
| Navigator | 2018–2020 | Mar 16, 2017 – Dec 21, 2019 (Kentucky Truck) | CSP 21N03 | 3.5L EcoBoost only |
| Expedition and Navigator | 2018–2020 | On or before Nov 30, 2019 | TSB 23-2143 | 3.5L EcoBoost only |
Source: Ford CSP 21N03 Supplement #4 (25 March 2022) and TSB 23-2143 (4 May 2023), both filed with NHTSA. Build dates appear on the driver’s door jamb sticker.
The three-week Navigator gap
A Navigator built between December 1 and December 21, 2019 sat inside the expired program’s vehicle list but falls outside the current bulletin’s cutoff. It’s a documented difference between two Ford documents, not a loophole, and with the program closed it changes little in practice.
📋 On the Record: Ford TSB 23-2143, released 4 May 2023, supersedes 22-2200 and covers 2018–2020 Expedition and Navigator models with the 3.5L EcoBoost built on or before 30 November 2019. Status checked September 12, 2026: current.
What Ford authorises for an Expedition or Navigator
Ford allows 9.8 hours to replace all four units on either vehicle, and publishes the labour operation number behind it.
| Vehicle | Labour operation | Ford’s time | Applies To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2020 Expedition | 232143C | 9.8 hrs | 3.5L EcoBoost, built on or before Nov 30, 2019 |
| 2018–2020 Navigator | 232143D | 9.8 hrs | 3.5L EcoBoost, built on or before Nov 30, 2019 |
| 2017–2020 F-150 | 232143A | 9.6 hrs | Shown for comparison |
| 2017–2020 F-150 Raptor | 232143B | 9.7 hrs | Shown for comparison |
Source: Ford’s current cam phaser bulletin, TSB 23-2143, filed with NHTSA. These are Ford’s warranty allowances, not an independent shop’s book time.
All four units, nothing else
The bulletin calls for replacing all four VCT units per Workshop Manual Section 303-01, and instructs technicians not to replace additional VCT or engine timing components outside its parts list. The authorised intake and exhaust units are HL3Z-6256-CD and HL3Z-6C525-CD, two of each.
⚠️ Watch Out: The largest swing in these quotes is a full timing kit — chains, guides and tensioners — added to the phaser job. Ford’s bulletin does not authorise those parts. Ask what was inspected or measured to justify them, and get the answer written on the repair order.
Ford says this isn’t a DIY job
The bulletin states the procedure “should not be performed by do-it-yourselfers.” The F-150 version of this repair and its 9.6-hour allowance follows the same instruction.
What Ford covered, and why the Navigator’s terms were different
No Ford or Lincoln program is paying for this repair as of September 12, 2026. Program 21N03 closed January 1, 2023, and only ever applied where the 21B10 software update appeared on a repair order dated February 28, 2022 or earlier.
| Mileage on the repair order | Expedition — Ford covered | Navigator — Lincoln covered | What It Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 69,999 | 100% | 100% | Phaser replacement only |
| 70,000 – 79,999 | 66% | 100% | Phaser replacement only |
| 80,000 – 89,999 | 33% | 66% | Phaser replacement only |
| 90,000 – 99,999 | 0% | 33% | Phaser replacement only |
| 100,000 or higher | 0% | 0% | Phaser replacement only |
Source: Ford’s 21N03 program terms, Supplement #4, filed with NHTSA. Shown for context — the program is closed.
What the Lincoln side got that the Ford side didn’t
Same plant, same engine, same repair, and the Navigator’s table ran a full 10,000 miles more generous at every band. Lincoln’s bumper-to-bumper baseline also sat at four years or 50,000 miles against Ford’s three years or 36,000, and Navigator owners could request pickup and delivery with a loaner. The Lincoln owner letter Ford mailed Navigator owners set out the same reflash terms under Lincoln branding.
Why a TSB isn’t a promise to pay
Program 21B10, the software update, ended July 31, 2022. The separate shudder reflash program, 21N08, closed January 1, 2023. TSB 23-2143 remains current, but Ford states plainly that a bulletin does not alter warranty limits or policies — so out-of-warranty bulletin work is customer-pay.
✅ Do This: Ask a dealer to pull your VIN in OASIS and tell you whether 21B10, 21N03 and 21N08 show as completed, since coverage transferred with the vehicle and a previous owner may have used it. Then check your VIN for open recalls yourself — open safety recalls never expire and are repaired free. Our Recall & VIN Lookup Helper walks through both.
What 9.8 hours actually costs you
Start from Ford’s hours, because that figure is published and your shop’s labour rate is not.
💵 On these numbers: Costs shown are typical ranges, not quotes. Labour rates vary sharply by region and between dealer and independent shops, and parts pricing moves. Use these to judge whether a quote is in the right neighbourhood, not to predict your invoice.
💵 What It Costs: Take Ford’s 9.8-hour allowance and multiply by your shop’s posted rate. At $120 an hour that’s about $1,176 in labour; at $159 an hour it’s roughly $1,558 — the band nearly half of US shops charge, per a 2025 PartsTech report cited by AAA. That is labour alone, before parts, fluids, tax, diagnostic time, or anything found once the front of the engine is open. Lincoln dealer rates generally sit above Ford dealer rates in the same market, so Navigator owners should expect the upper end.
✅ Do This: Ask the shop which labour guide it bills from, how many hours it is charging, and whether operation 232143C or 232143D appears on the estimate. A quote materially above 9.8 hours needs an explanation on the repair order. Our Repair Cost Estimator will run the hours against your local rate.
Can you keep driving it?
Ford answered this twice, in two different documents, and the answers agree.
Ford’s position on the noise
In program 21N03, Ford states that a cam phaser which has developed an undesirable noise “does not affect the vehicle safety, performance, or emissions.” The current bulletin goes further in practice, telling dealers that customers should continue driving while parts are on backorder.
What changes the answer
That covers the noise. It does not cover a warning light, a misfire, or a vehicle that won’t restart in traffic.
✅ Do This: If a check-engine light appears alongside the rattle, ask the shop to record every stored code before anything is cleared, and to say specifically whether P164C is present. An active Ford Protect or Lincoln service contract is also worth checking, since coverage limits are read from the causal part.
Expedition and Navigator cam phaser questions
1. What causes the Expedition cold start rattle?
Ford ties the two-to-five-second Expedition cam phaser rattle to worn variable camshaft timing units in the 3.5L EcoBoost.
2. What does P164C mean on a 3.5L EcoBoost?
Ford lists P164C with intermittent auto-start-stop restart failures on vehicles with worn cam phasers, though the code may be absent.
3. Which build dates does TSB 23-2143 cover?
It covers 2018–2020 Expedition and Navigator models with the 3.5L EcoBoost built on or before November 30, 2019.
4. Is the Expedition cam phaser rattle dangerous?
Ford states the noise doesn’t affect vehicle safety, performance or emissions. Have any warning light diagnosed before towing or long trips.
5. How many hours does Ford allow for the repair?
Ford allows 9.8 hours for Expedition cam phaser replacement and 9.8 hours for the Navigator, under operations 232143C and 232143D.
6. Should the shop replace the timing chains too?
Ford’s bulletin doesn’t authorise additional timing components. Ask any shop quoting chains, guides or tensioners to justify it in writing.
7. Is CSP 21N03 still open for Expedition and Navigator?
No. It expired January 1, 2023 and required the 21B10 software update on a repair order dated February 28, 2022 or earlier.
8. Did the Navigator get better coverage than the Expedition?
Yes. Lincoln’s table paid 100% to 79,999 miles where Ford’s stopped at 69,999, with every later band 10,000 miles more generous.
9. Does a TSB mean Ford pays for the repair?
No. Ford states a bulletin doesn’t alter warranty limits or policies, so out-of-warranty cam phaser work is customer-pay.
10. Can I replace the cam phasers myself?
Ford’s bulletin states the procedure shouldn’t be attempted by do-it-yourselfers, and allows a trained technician nearly ten hours for it.
Where this leaves your Expedition
Find your build date on the door jamb sticker, then check it against November 30, 2019. Match your noise to the bulletin’s description — six-hour soak, two to five seconds, front cover. Then take TSB 23-2143 and the 9.8-hour allowance to whoever quotes the job, because with coverage closed, knowing exactly what Ford authorised is the only leverage left.
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