2018 Ford expedition tire sizes & fitment
Approved tire and wheel sizes for the 2018 Ford Expedition, sourced from manufacturer fitment data and refreshed monthly.
Approved fitments
| Tire size | Rim size | PCD (bolt pattern) | Offset | Load index | Speed rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 275/65R18 OEM | R18 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 275/55R20 OEM | R20 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Best by use case
Four tires, four jobs
Best all-season
BFGoodrich
All-Terrain T/A KO2
all-season touring, 50,000-mi warranty
Best budget
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S
Lowest cost per mile in this size; UTQG 800
Best quiet
Michelin
Defender LTX M/S2
71 dB cabin noise (EU label); quietest in this size
Best winter
Kelly
Edge MT
Dedicated winter; ice/snow grip
See the best tires for the Ford Expedition, ranked by category →
Tire recalls & safety complaints for the Ford Expedition →
Compatible alternative sizes for 275/65R18
Sizes within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter safe-fit tolerance. Each row links to the size's own page.
| Alternative size | %Δ OD | Category | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
255/80R16 |
-0.04% | alternative | Safe |
255/75R17 |
-0.05% | winter narrower | Safe |
255/70R18 |
-0.06% | winter narrower | Safe |
295/65R17 |
0.07% | alternative | Safe |
255/65R19 |
-0.07% | plus 1 | Safe |
For the full list of alternatives with comfort/handling impact, see 275/65R18 upsize options. To check an arbitrary size pair, use the tire compatibility calculator.
Check a different size against this vehicle
Type any tire size below; we'll compute its overall-diameter delta against the OEM 275/65R18 and verdict using the ETRTO ±3% rule.
Common upgrade paths
- Plus-1: 255/65R19; one rim size up, -0.07% OD change. Sharper steering, mild ride penalty, modest cost premium.
- Plus-2: 255/60R20; two rim sizes up, -0.09% OD change. Noticeable ride penalty, higher pothole risk, meaningful tire-cost premium.
Use the plus-size calculator to evaluate any rim step against the OEM size.
How to choose tires for the 2018 ford expedition xlt-max
The 2018 Ford Expedition XLT-Max ships from the factory on 275/65R18 tires mounted on R18 wheels. 2 approved fitments are documented for this model year, allowing some flexibility between performance, comfort, and winter compounds. The Compatible alternative sizes table above lists every safe substitution within the ETRTO ±3% overall-diameter tolerance.
Tire choice on the Ford Expedition comes down to three trade-offs that matter more than brand loyalty: load index (must equal or exceed the OEM number), speed rating (must match or exceed the placard), and UTQG treadwear (higher means longer life, lower usually means stickier rubber). Owners replacing factory tires with the same compound class, for example all-season for all-season, generally see no change in ride characteristics or fuel economy. Switching categories (performance summer to all-season touring, for example) is where the trade-offs show up at the contact patch.
For 2018 Ford Expedition XLT-Max owners considering a plus-size upgrade, the safer option is a Plus-1 step (one rim size up with a 10-point aspect drop and ~10 mm of additional section width). Plus-2 is technically viable on this chassis if the alternative-sizes table lists a Plus-2 candidate within tolerance, but expect a meaningful ride-harshness penalty and a tire-cost premium of 30–60% per tire relative to the OEM fitment. For winter use the recommended pattern is one width step down (e.g. from a 235 to a 225) with the aspect ratio bumped up to preserve overall diameter; narrower tires apply higher contact pressure per square inch on snow, which translates directly into shorter braking distances. The plus-size calculator evaluates any specific rim step against this OEM size.
Before purchasing, verify the tire size on the driver-door placard of your specific 2018 Ford Expedition XLT-Max, since trim levels and option packages can shift the original fitment from what is documented here. The placard reading is the authoritative source per FMVSS 110, and dealers will reference the placard rather than aftermarket catalogs when validating warranty claims.
NHTSA-reported issues for 2018 ford expedition
Top issue category: Tires (General)
Most reported: Tires (General) (379) · Tread / Belt (213) · Sidewall (49) · Spare Tire (31) · TPMS (19)
Reported across: 1993 – 2024 (22 years)
What owners described
Tread or belt separation is the most common description, in 20% of these reports. Percentages are shares of the 459 reports covering every model year of the Ford Expedition that include a written account; a single report can describe more than one problem, so they do not total 100%.
| Reported problem | This subject | All tire complaints | Relative |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tread or belt separation | 20% | 13% | 1.5× |
| Blowout or sudden deflation | 20% | 20% | 1.0× |
| Sidewall failure | 17% | 15% | 1.1× |
| Cracking or dry rot | 11% | 9% | 1.2× |
| Loss of control, rollover or collision | 10% | 8% | 1.2× |
| Bubble or bulge in the tire | 4% | 6% | 0.6× |
Mileage at failure
133 of these reports state an odometer reading. The middle report is at 25,000 miles, with 8 in 10 falling between 3,000 and 89,000 miles.
In owners' own words
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA about Ford Expedition. Reports are published by NHTSA as filed and are lightly cleaned here only to remove intake codes.
WHILE TRAVELING S/B AT APPROX 70 MPH ON I5 IN ORANGE COUNTY CA, RR TIRE OF 97 FORD EXPEDITION SUFFERED 360 DEGREE TREAD SEPARATION. LOSS OF CONTROL, ROLL. FRONT PASSENGER DIED. DRIVER LOST THREE FINGERS. DEFINITY DAKOTA H/T, DOT UPCU PA7 1508 (COOPER, FINDLEY PLANT). DOA 9/5/13.
BOUGHT TRUCK USED,WITH PIRELLI SCORPION TIRES. THEY CRACKED 360 DEGREES, 1 INCH FROM THE RIM, INSIDE SURFACE, ON ALL 4 TIRES! THIS WAS NOTED ON A OIL CHANGE.. DEALER AGREED TO CHANGE ALL TIRES. *JS THESE TIRES (NEW) AFTER A SHORT TIME, FAILED IN A SIMILAR MANNER, AGAIN ALL 4 TIRES.
CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO TIRE DEFECT ISSUES PURCHASED AT A RETAIL STORE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED HE BELIEVED HE PURCHASED UNSAFE TIRES FROM A LOCAL RETAILER. A TECHNICIAN INFORMED HIM, THE TIRES WERE SHOWING SIGNS OF PREMATURE WEAR.
THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 FORD EXPEDITION EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LATITUDE TOUR, SIZE: P265/60/R18 (NA). THE CONTACT STATED THAT ALL FOUR TIRES DISPLAYED PERFORATIONS IN THE SIDEWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER, WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THERE WERE PERFORATIONS ON THE SIDEWALL OF THE TIRES AND, AS A RESULT, THE TIRES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE TIRES WERE NOT REPLACED. THE DOT NUMBER WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13T006000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000 AND THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
Complaints are voluntarily submitted to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation and are not verified by NHTSA; they represent owner-reported problems, not proven defects. Counts can be useful as a relative quality signal across comparable tires or vehicles.
Frequently asked questions
What size tires fit a 2018 Ford Expedition?
Can I run a different tire size on my 2018 Ford Expedition?
Where can I buy tires for my 2018 Ford Expedition?
What is the recommended tire pressure for the 2018 Ford Expedition?
Can I fit winter tires in a different size on my 2018 Ford Expedition?
How often should I rotate the tires on my 2018 Ford Expedition?
For broader tire questions; replacement timing, UTQG, EV-specific tires, winter swaps; see the tire FAQ.
Sources for this page
- Vehicle owner's manual tire & wheel placard; door-jamb placard on the Ford Expedition is the authoritative source for OEM tire size, load index, and cold-inflation pressure for your specific trim.
- NHTSA SaferCar; recall lookup for the 2018 Ford Expedition.
- ETRTO 2024 Standards Manual §2.3; overall-diameter math used for the alternative-size verdicts above.
- Tire & Rim Association 2025 Yearbook; load-index to maximum-load reference.
Last verified 2026-09-02.