"How reliable is the 2008 Ford Explorer?"

"Based on 215 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Ford Explorer has a median complaint mileage of 78000 miles. The most common issue is Electrical System."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Ford Explorer?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Ford Explorer is Electrical System, accounting for a significant portion of the 215 total complaints filed."

2008 Ford Explorer: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 215 complaints

215

Total Complaints

78,000mi

Median Mileage

Electrical System

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

55,000 25th Percentile

78,000 Median Mileage

102,350 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Electrical System

Power Train

Seats

Engine

Steering

Unknown Or Other

Exterior Lighting

Wheels

Vehicle Speed Control

Service Brakes

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE HEADLIGHTS WERE SHINING SIDEWAYS INSTEAD OF FORWARD. THE FAILURE RESULTED IN POOR LIGHTING. THE DEALER IS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,030 AND FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120. THE CONSUME..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ACTIVATED, THE LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AT AN ANGLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE IS NO SETTING ON THE VEHICLE TO ADJUST THE LIGHTS HORIZONTALLY. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE OTHER THAN ADJUST ..."

"THE GEAR SHIFT LEVER BROKE AWAY FROM THE STEERING COLUMN WHEN I TRIED TO PUT IT IN PARK FROM DRIVE. IT SNAPPED AT THE BASE CONNECTING TO THE COLUMN. *TR"

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Electrical System 37 complaints

25th: 55,143 mi Median: 72,000 mi 75th: 100,616 mi

Power Train 31 complaints

25th: 65,000 mi Median: 89,500 mi 75th: 126,404 mi

Seats 27 complaints

25th: 48,000 mi Median: 71,000 mi 75th: 83,000 mi

Engine 20 complaints

25th: 72,698 mi Median: 85,500 mi 75th: 120,356 mi

Steering 12 complaints

25th: 48,203 mi Median: 91,620 mi 75th: 112,500 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 21 MI: 21 NY: 20 FL: 15 PA: 13 VA: 13 CA: 11 MD: 10 IL: 10 MA: 9

Who Files Complaints?

2.8%

Original Owners

97.2%

Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1991	764	113,804	Tread/Belt	70
1992	848	125,000	Tread/Belt	54
1993	1151	107,248	Tread/Belt	98
1994	1531	97,541	Tread/Belt	124
1995	1048	125,000	Tread/Belt	107
1996	1818	127,000	Tread/Belt	248
1997	2149	100,000	Tread/Belt	180
1998	2374	100,000	Tread/Belt	219
1999	1737	80,000	Tires	143
2000	1203	77,938	Tires	115
2001	500	90,500	Tires	82
2002	4095	79,000	Automatic Transmission	178
2003	1368	74,000	Automatic Transmission	70
2004	1647	65,000	Automatic Transmission	69
2005	604	70,000	Body	30
2006	788	60,000	Power Train	18
2007	271	69,000	Power Train	14
2009	49	67,000	Vehicle Speed Control	8
2010	155	48,000	Power Train	13
2011	1481	65,000	Steering	48
2012	1013	62,000	Steering	14
2013	2757	74,000	Steering	61
2014	2011	64,000	Steering	48
2015	2138	54,600	Unknown Or Other	52
2016	2940	45,647	Steering	56
2017	1927	45,000	Structure	53
2018	819	42,000	Structure	23
2019	306	50,000	Structure	2
2020	1544	12,600	Power Train	50
2021	492	38,400	Power Train	21
2022	308	28,000	Power Train	25
2023	126	8,500	Unknown Or Other	11
2024	21	5,080	Unknown Or Other	0
2025	111	2,289	Electrical System	11

Active Recalls (3)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Glass, Side/Rear

Campaign 07E104000 | 11/12/2007

IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE OCCUPANT(S) MAY BE SERIOUSLY INJURED BY SHATTERED GLASS.

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

Equipment

Campaign 10E043000 | 03/09/2010

AN IMPROPERLY DEPLOYED AIRBAG COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY.

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.

Cooling Unit And Lines

Campaign 07V453000 | 26/09/2007

IF LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTACTS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT MAY POSE A RISK OF FIRE.

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.

Maintain Your Electrical System

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Clean battery terminals annually with baking soda and water
Replace the battery every 3-5 years before it leaves you stranded
Don't leave accessories running with the engine off
Check for corroded ground connections if you have intermittent electrical issues
Replace dim headlights promptly — they're a safety issue and a wiring symptom

Compare Ford Explorer

vs Chevrolet Tahoe → vs Jeep Grand Cherokee →

Vehicle Rankings

Most complained Worst transmissions Worst engines Worst brakes Most crashes Compare vehicles

Looking for a replacement?

Based on the data above, here are relevant options.

2008 Ford Explorer parts on Amazon

→

Affiliate link

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28