The flow of viscoelastic liquids with constant shear viscosity through symmetric sudden expansions is studied by numerical means. The geometry considered is planar and the constitutive model follows the modified FENE-CR equation, valid for relative dilute solutions of polymeric fluids. For Newtonian liquids in a 1:3 expansion we predict the result that the flow becomes asymmetric for a Reynolds number (based on upstream mean velocity and channel height) of about 54, in agreement with previously published results. For the non-Newtonian case the transition depends on both the concentration and the extensibility parameters of the model, and the trend is for the pitch-fork bifurcation to occur at higher Reynolds numbers. Detailed simulations are carried out for increasing Reynolds number, at fixed concentration and Weissenberg number, and for increasing concentration at a fixed Reynolds number of 60. The results given comprise size and strength of the recirculation zones, bifurcation diagrams, and streamline plots. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.