2008 Ford Explorer Problems and Recalls (147 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2008 Ford Explorer is Transmission / driveline (19% of 147 owner reports). There are 3 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 147 complaints · 3 recalls

What problems show up on the 2008 Ford Explorer?

28 of 147 filings named Transmission / driveline (19% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (19 reports).

There are 3 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2007 has 193 reports on file; this year has 147. 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 Explorer

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 3 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. 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: Transmission / driveline 28 complaints · 19.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 6
  • Fires 3
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
All Ford Explorer 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 Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 28 of 147 owner complaints (19.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 28 complaints, 19.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 1 crash reports 28 · 19.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 19 complaints, 12.9% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 fire reports 19 · 12.9% Engine (ENGINE): 13 complaints, 8.8% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 13 · 8.8% Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING): 12 complaints, 8.2% of reports Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 12 · 8.2% Steering (STEERING): 10 complaints, 6.8% of reports Steering (STEERING) 10 · 6.8% Wheels (WHEELS): 10 complaints, 6.8% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 10 · 6.8% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 5 complaints, 3.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 1 crash reports 5 · 3.4% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 4 complaints, 2.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 · 2.7% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 3 complaints, 2.0% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 · 2.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 52 complaints, 35.4% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 1 fire reports 52 · 35.4% 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)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 28 19.1% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 19 12.9% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 13 8.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) 12 8.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Steering (STEERING) 10 6.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 10 6.8% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 5 3.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 2.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 3 2.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 52 35.4% 0 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 Sep 2007. 2007-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2008-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2008-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2009-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2009-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q1: 4 owner reports 4 2010-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2010-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2011-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2011-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2012-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2012-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2012-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2012-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2013-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2013-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2014-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2014-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2014-Q3: 6 owner reports 6 2014-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2015-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2015-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2017-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2017-Q3: 4 owner reports 4 2018-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2024-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Sep 2007 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 07V453000 ◆ Recall campaign 07V453000 Recall campaign 07E104000 ◆ Recall campaign 07E104000 Recall campaign 10E043000 ◆ Recall campaign 10E043000 Investigation PE08060 ● Investigation PE08060
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2007-Q4 Owner reports 2
2008-Q2 Owner reports 2
2008-Q3 Owner reports 1
2008-Q4 Owner reports 1
2009-Q1 Owner reports 1
2009-Q2 Owner reports 2
2009-Q3 Owner reports 1
2009-Q4 Owner reports 1
2010-Q1 Owner reports 4
2010-Q2 Owner reports 1
2010-Q3 Owner reports 1
2010-Q4 Owner reports 2
2011-Q1 Owner reports 3
2011-Q2 Owner reports 2
2011-Q3 Owner reports 1
2011-Q4 Owner reports 1
2012-Q1 Owner reports 9
2012-Q2 Owner reports 3
2012-Q3 Owner reports 2
2012-Q4 Owner reports 6
2013-Q1 Owner reports 1
2013-Q2 Owner reports 4
2013-Q3 Owner reports 6
2013-Q4 Owner reports 1
2014-Q1 Owner reports 3
2014-Q2 Owner reports 8
2014-Q3 Owner reports 6
2014-Q4 Owner reports 4
2015-Q1 Owner reports 9
2015-Q2 Owner reports 5
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2015-Q4 Owner reports 7
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 4
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 5
2017-Q1 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 4
2017-Q3 Owner reports 4
2018-Q1 Owner reports 3
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q3 Owner reports 3
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 1
2019-Q3 Owner reports 3
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2024-Q1 Owner reports 1
2024-Q2 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q2 Owner reports 1
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 07V453000
Recall campaign 1 07E104000
Recall campaign 1 10E043000
Defect investigation 1 PE08060
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (3)

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

In short, these campaigns were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Transmission / driveline.

  1. Recall campaign 07E104000

    Glass / wipers / cameras

    Report date
    Component:
    Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
    Consequence:
    IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.
    Remedy:
    SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS RETAIL CUSTOMERS AND REPLACE THE GLASS FREE OF CHARGE. RETAIL CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE TOLL FREE AT 1-888-843-2906. SAFELITE WILL NOTIFY ITS WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS AND REIMBURSE WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS FOR CURRENT INVENTORY AND AT A SPECIFIED RATE FOR REPLACING THEIR CUSTOMER'S GLASS. WHOLESALE CUSTOMERS CAN CONTACT SAFELITE'S WHOLESALE DIVISION, SERVICE AUTOGLASS TOLL FREE AT 1-888-246-6298. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JANUARY 15, 2008.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 07V453000

    Transmission / driveline

    Report date
    Component:
    Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
    Consequence:
    IF LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTACTS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT MAY POSE A RISK OF FIRE.
    Remedy:
    DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND HAVE THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE ATTACHMENT BOLT TIGHTENED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 10E043000

    Safety recall 10E043000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.
    Remedy:
    MARATHON WILL NOTIFY OWNERS OF RECORD AND REPLACE THE SEAT COVER FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2010. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MARATHON AT 1-800-735-2769.
    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 7 of 147 complaints · page 1 of 6
2026-07-10Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11749575
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park, and the vehicle rolled backwards about an inch. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the parking brake was enabled to stop the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with possible transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 165,000.
2026-06-07Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11742561
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Stalling in mid traffic. I was told it is poor quality of timing components. The vehicle has less than 200,000 miles and has had routine maintenance as it was a police investigation car
2025-04-27Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11657069
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I got the car from my landlord, my husband never checked the oil or fluids even though I was on him, it died 2 months after we got it, the guy said before we purchased it that it still was under warranty for transmission, so when it died I thought ok it's covered, so the landlord said it was the motor it seized he said had no coolant and was 2qts of oil over I said well he never added anything & I said it never overheated, he said I don't know how it was done but it will cost $3800 to fix, so I was hoping that there might be a recall that can fix this or also he puts new rear in the car a week after I got it, does any of this sound like it is his side that is reliable to fix it?
2024-05-31Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11591846
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The stickers are not on properly. My childs safety wasnt put at risk. I asked a CPST to help with a fit and intall check and we noticed the defected stickers.
2024-01-10Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11564588
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Report #1 - My grandma brought this 08' Explorer back in 2014, and after she passed, my mom drove it for the next 2 years. It started having general maintenance issues, then the cats were stolen, but then, one night my mother was coming home from a relative's house, when she was trying to keep up with the flow of traffic on [XXX] , and she noticed that the vehicle was not accelerating at all and the vehicle stalled out. She had it towed home and it sat on the streetside for some time. After digging through the internet, I figured that Ford designed the throttle-body wiring to settle next to the cooling hoses, and after time, the wires rot from the hot temperatures of the hoses and crack/snap causing the vehicle to either stall, or possibly have unintended acceleration. Ford never recalled this issue! Also, it had a massive coolant leak, from which was believed to be the cheap plastic T-Stat housings that Ford never recalled, and to top it all off: the right rear turn-indicator failed from the faulty wiring harnesses... As a result, we ended up having it scrapped/junked. It was sad to see her go, but obviously Ford doesn't care about their customers safety and will find any loophole to avoid recalling a vehicle... Ford needs to get their stuff together or they need to be shut down!... INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2021-08-27Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL)
NHTSA ODI 11430807
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The wiring harness going into the back of what I believe is the throttle position sensor has a 180° turn in the wiring in a very short distance. There are four wires involved in that portion of the wiring harness. The wiring is also next to the hot, cooling system hoses coming out of the firewall. These factors caused the wiring to crack prematurely creating surges in the idle and the vehicle speed to be uncontrollable due to shorts/arcing in the electrical wiring. An extremely dangerous situation. My daughter ran into a bullard because she started the vehicle, put it in drive, and it took off on her. Vehicle would drive at 20 to 25 miles per hour on its own without stepping on the gas pedal. After two or three attempts, I was able to satisfactorily fix the wiring. Please note that the attached pictures do not show the original condition of the wiring. I attempted to use liquid electrical tape on one of my first attempts but that soon cracked as well. You will see that in one of the photos. I may have original pictures of the electrical wiring on my desktop computer and will gladly submit those at a later time if I can find them. This failure in the wiring should be easy to identify in any 2008 Ford Explorer.
2021-02-01BACK OVER PREVENTIONUnclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11391058
CrashFireInjuryDeath
AN ORANGE WRENCH LIGHT COMES ON ON MY DASHBOARD AND I CAN'T PICK UP SPEED. I'VE HAD IT LOOKED AT A FEW TIMES AND NO ONE CAN FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEM. THERE'S BEEN MANY PEOPLE ON YOUTUBE COMPLAINING OF THE SAMETHING. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IMMEDIATELY, LUCKILY THE INTERSTATE WASN'T BUSY WHEN MY TRUCK LOST ITS ABILITY TO ACCELERATE. I COULD'VE CAUSE A CAR PILE UP AND THERE COULD'VE BEEN MANY LIVES LOST

Ford Explorer Complaints by Year

Frequently asked questions

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

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 28 of 147 reports (19%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2008 Ford Explorer?

NHTSA lists 3 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Glass / wipers / cameras and Transmission / driveline. 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 Explorer?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. 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