2008 Ford Expedition Problems and Recalls (141 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Ford Expedition is Body / frame (21% of 141 owner reports). There are 4 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Body / frame — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 141 complaints · 4 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Ford Expedition?

30 of 141 filings named Body / frame (21% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Brakes (25 reports).

There are 4 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 197 reports on file; this year has 141. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2008 Ford Expedition

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 4 campaigns on file below.
  2. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  3. Brakes. Have a shop check pads, rotors, fluid and whether the pedal feels firm.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Body / frame. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Body / frame 30 complaints · 21.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 23
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 17
  • Deaths 2
All Ford Expedition years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Body / frame (STRUCTURE) appears in 30 of 141 owner complaints (21.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 30 complaints, 21.3% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 30 · 21.3% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 25 complaints, 17.7% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 4 crash reports 1 fire reports 25 · 17.7% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 11 complaints, 7.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 4 crash reports 11 · 7.8% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 11 complaints, 7.8% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 crash reports 1 fire reports 11 · 7.8% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 9 complaints, 6.4% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 9 · 6.4% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 8 complaints, 5.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 8 · 5.7% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 7 complaints, 5.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 7 · 5.0% Engine (ENGINE): 5 complaints, 3.6% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 5 · 3.6% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 3 complaints, 2.1% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 crash reports 3 · 2.1% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 74 complaints, 52.5% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 10 crash reports 1 fire reports 74 · 52.5% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 30 21.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 25 17.7% 4 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 11 7.8% 4 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 11 7.8% 5 crashes · 1 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 9 6.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 8 5.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 7 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 5 3.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 3 2.1% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 74 52.5% 10 crashes · 1 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2007; the first recall shown was reported in Nov 2007. 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2008-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2010-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2011-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2013-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2014-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2015-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2023-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 Owner reports Oct 2007 Jul 2025 Recall campaign 07V541000 ◆ Recall campaign 07V541000 Recall campaign 07E105000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E105000 Recall campaign 08V058000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V058000 Recall campaign 08V166000 ◆ Recall campaign 08V166000 Investigation PE08060 ● Investigation PE08060
  • Campaign 08V058000 was reported 113 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 3
2008-Q3 Owner reports 2
2008-Q4 Owner reports 2
2009-Q1 Owner reports 2
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q4 Owner reports 3
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 5
2010-Q3 Owner reports 4
2010-Q4 Owner reports 5
2011-Q1 Owner reports 2
2011-Q2 Owner reports 4
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 4
2012-Q1 Owner reports 2
2012-Q2 Owner reports 6
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 4
2013-Q2 Owner reports 1
2013-Q3 Owner reports 3
2013-Q4 Owner reports 3
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q3 Owner reports 8
2014-Q4 Owner reports 3
2015-Q1 Owner reports 2
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 5
2015-Q4 Owner reports 2
2016-Q1 Owner reports 3
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 4
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q1 Owner reports 2
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 4
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 2
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 2
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 3
2023-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q3 Owner reports 2
Recall campaign 1 07V541000
Recall campaign 1 07E105000
Recall campaign 1 08V058000
Recall campaign 1 08V166000
Defect investigation 1 PE08060
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (4)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Brakes, Airbags, and Tires.

  1. Recall campaign 07E105000

    Brakes

    Report date
    Component:
    Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
    Consequence:
    THE EXTRA CHECK BALLS CAN RESTRICT THE FLOW OF BRAKE FLUID THROUGH THE VALVE AND CAUSE REDUCTION OF BRAKE FORCE.
    Remedy:
    EACH VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WILL FILE A DEFECT REPORT AND REMEDY PLAN FOR THEIR VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDED THESE MODULES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. VEHICLES WILL BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. OWNERS CAN CONTACT EITHER THEIR VEHICLE MANUFACTURER OR CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE AT 248-393-5300 FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 07V541000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    THIS CONDITION MAY PREVENT THE DRIVER AIR BAG FROM PROPERLY DEPLOYING AND REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE YOUR DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 08V058000

    Safety recall 08V058000

    Report date
    Component:
    Unclassified NHTSA leftover
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A SIDE IMPACT CRASH, THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE MAY CAUSE THE DOOR LATCH TO OPEN INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO A VEHICLE OCCUPANT.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE INTERIOR HANDLE SPRING ON ALL SIDE DOORS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 08V166000

    Tires

    Report date
    Component:
    Tires (TIRES)
    Consequence:
    THE TPMS INDICATOR LIGHT WILL NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN A TIRE PRESSURE IS IS 25% BELOW THE 40 PSI VALUE STATED ON THE TIRE PLACARD LABEL OCCURS.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL RECONFIGURE THE TPMS THRESHOLDS TO THE APPROPRIATE PRESSURES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 9 of 141 complaints · page 1 of 6
2025-08-20Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11681964
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I purchased this vehicle in March 2023 from a private owner from Craigslist that was listed at 130,000 miles. I’m currently in the process of selling and found out through a car history report that my vehicle passed an emission inspection at 230,000 miles in February 2023 and was also purchased from an auction, a month before I purchased it. The owner did not give any of this information and tampered with the odometer. I ran a vehicle history report today August 20, 2025 and retrieved all of this information that was not presented to me during this transaction.
2025-07-23Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11675670
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The brake is so far left, it is unsafe to drive. It is in the position the clutch would in an a Manual transmission and my right foot has trouble moving that far over and its unsafe to use my left as i'm never braked with my left foot.
2023-02-20Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11508138
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Since I have owned this vehicle when ever you fill up with fuel when the gas pump clicks off fuel spews back out the filler tube. I have asked dealers if anyone else has this problem and am told no. I believe this is a safety hazzard when gasoline runs down the side of vehicle and onto the ground. Ford does not acknowlege and problem. I'm sure there are other vehicles with the same problem.
2022-05-05Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11463472
CrashFireInjuryDeath
When filling the gas tank, even at the slowest setting on the gas pump, when the pump clicks to indicate the tank is full, 5 seconds later the tank burps fuel everywhere and the tank is only 3/4 full. The fumes are a safety risk to people, the fuel on the ground is bad for the environment, and there have been instances when I have been sprayed with fuel. I took the vehicle to my local mechanic and they were not able to find anything wrong. I took the vehicle to the local Ford dealership and they indicated everything was working properly. I took the vehicle back to Ford again and I was told the only other possible thing to do would be to replace the fuel tank, but the fuel tank is not produced anymore and is obsolete. There are no warning indicators to this problem with the vehicle.
2022-04-25Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11462055
CrashFireInjuryDeath
One day, out of nowhere, my dash displayed “tire pressure sensor fault”.
2022-04-25Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11462044
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I received a 2008 Expedition Eddie Bauer edition as a birthday gift last October. By January, the passenger window completely quit working. One warm, sunny day, we decided to open the sunroof. We have never had issues with the sunroof malfunctions. A storm moved in and temperatures quickly dropped (we are on the TN/AL stateline, we get all four seasons in one day sometimes). The sunroof would NOT close. It would move forward maybe halfway and then back to completely open. We struggled for HOURS, had to purchase bags, duct tape, and several other items to close the opening. I had to purchase a hotel room for the night because there was no way it would stay in place for another 100 miles. The next day driving home, we stopped at a Co-Op and a gentleman helped us FORCE the sunroof closed. Since then, we have disconnected the button that cracks the rear two windows and sunroof. My truck interior was soaked. My twin girls were cold and miserable, as I was too. We could not afford that hotel room but had no other option.
2022-02-25Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11454106
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Expedition. The contact stated while driving approximately 25 MPH downhill, the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle spun out of control. The rear-end of the vehicle clipped a telephone pole and spun around in the other direction, the vehicle then went down an embankment and crashed into a rock wall. The contact stated that the air bags deployed as needed. The contact stated that she had a fractured ankle but was unsure whether the injury was from the crash or prior to the crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and then towed to the contact’s grandmother’s home. The vehicle was not repaired. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer had been notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 200,000.
2021-08-23SEAT BELTS
NHTSA ODI 11430090
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Front passenger seatbelt locks, and now it doesn’t allow the passenger to buckle up. In other words the passenger seat belt buckle does not work anymore. It is a safety hazard to my passenger.
2020-10-07Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES)
NHTSA ODI 11363240
CrashFireInjuryDeath
BRAKE PEDAL GOES SOFT; LOSS OF BRAKING FORCE; ANTI-LOCK CAPABILITY. BLEEDING THE BRAKES REMEDIES THE SITUATION FOR A TIME, THEN PROBLEM RECURS. POSSIBLE NHTSA REFERENCE NUMBER 07E105000

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2008 Ford Expedition?

Owners named Body / frame most often — 30 of 141 reports (21%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Ford Expedition?

NHTSA lists 4 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Brakes, Airbags, and Tires. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2008 Ford Expedition?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources