Ford Motor Co. officially kicked off shipments of the 2025 Ford Expedition SUV on April 30, after unveiling the vehicle just six months ago at the Texas State Fair. The SUV is being assembled at the Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville, which recently underwent a $500 million upgrade to support production and quality improvements.
The launch event brought together Ford CEO Jim Farley, Kentucky state and city leaders, and hundreds of plant workers to celebrate the rollout. Ford is positioning the new SUV as both a product of American manufacturing strength and a symbol of its continued investment in U.S.-based production.
“Imagine, if the companies who import all the vehicles in the U.S. treated American manufacturing like Ford,” said Farley during the event. “That would be the equivalent of producing 15 new auto plants in the U.S. That's the difference.”
Ford emphasized its commitment to U.S. jobs, noting that its Kentucky operations -- comprising the Kentucky Truck Plant and Louisville Assembly Plant -- represent about 20% of its total hourly workforce. Combined, the plants assembled more than 700,000 vehicles in 2023.
With its new “From Kentucky, For America” and “Built for America” campaigns, the automaker is doubling down on its domestic manufacturing message during a period of shifting trade policies and economic uncertainty.
The 2025 Expedition’s production also marks a renewed focus on quality, following previous years of costly recalls and warranty expenses. According to Farley, quality remains a top priority: “We will never be done with quality. It is a game of inches and millimeters.”
To back that claim, Ford introduced advanced quality control measures at the Kentucky Truck Plant. These include a Mobile Artificial Intelligence Vision System -- expanded from 20 machines in 2023 to over 100 for the Expedition launch -- used to scan vehicles for electrical and trim issues. Additionally, 20 trained drivers and 72 finished vehicle audits were implemented to inspect every unit before shipment.
Claire Yarmak, quality manager at the plant, called the new protocols a “relentless” effort to ensure vehicles meet expectations.
As for the SUV itself, the 2025 Expedition features refreshed exterior styling, a redesigned interior with an updated touchscreen display, and a new “squircle”-shaped steering wheel for improved ergonomics. One of the model’s standout innovations is a split power tailgate for flexible cargo access. It comes in seven trims, with prices ranging from $62,000 to $86,655 for the top-tier Expedition Max King Ranch.
To date, 16,000 units have already been produced and are headed to dealerships nationwide.
