"How reliable is the 2008 Ford F-150?"

"Based on 455 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Ford F-150 has a median complaint mileage of 60346 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Ford F-150?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Ford F-150 is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 455 total complaints filed."

2008 Ford F-150: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 455 complaints

455

Total Complaints

60,346mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

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

24,235 25th Percentile

60,346 Median Mileage

98,750 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

Steering

Power Train

Vehicle Speed Control

Electrical System

Air Bags

Service Brakes

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine And Engine Cooling

Unknown Or Other

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-150. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE BRAKE PEDAL EXTENDED BELOW THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL WHEN IT WAS DEPRESSED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO SURGE WHEN ATTEMPTING TO STOP. THE DEALER STATED THAT NOTHING COULD BE DONE AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS UNABLE TO ASSIST. THE CU..."

"TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD F-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE STEERING COLUMN WOULD NOT RAISE UP OR DOWN. THE STEERING COLUMN WAS REPLACED, BUT THE TILT FEATURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL STILL WOULD NOT WORK. THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO RECEIVE THE PARTS FOR THE REMEDY AND STATED THAT THERE WERE NO..."

"RE: 2008 FORD F-150 I PICKED UP A NEW FORD F-150 YESTERDAY AND HAD AN EVENT OCCUR WHILE SLOWING IN PREPARATION FOR STOPPING BEHIND A LINE OF STOPPED VEHICLES AT A RED TRAFFIC SIGNAL. INSTEAD OF SLOWING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE BRAKE WAS GENTLY APPLIED, THE VEHICLE ACTED LIKE IT WAS ON A SHE..."

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.

Engine 53 complaints

25th: 62,000 mi Median: 105,000 mi 75th: 131,000 mi

Steering 50 complaints

25th: 44,000 mi Median: 64,660 mi 75th: 88,000 mi

Power Train 38 complaints

25th: 29,366 mi Median: 62,000 mi 75th: 92,500 mi

Vehicle Speed Control 36 complaints

25th: 8,225 mi Median: 31,000 mi 75th: 61,519 mi

Electrical System 29 complaints

25th: 48,000 mi Median: 82,350 mi 75th: 113,988 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

TX: 52 OH: 39 PA: 28 MI: 25 FL: 23 IN: 17 CA: 16 MA: 16 NY: 13 VA: 13

Who Files Complaints?

4.4%

Original Owners

95.6%

Second+ Owners

Ford F-150 — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1990	25	76,696	Fuel/Propulsion System	0
1991	357	110,000	Tank Assembly	12
1992	553	130,325	Selector Devices	25
1993	753	140,000	Tank Assembly	32
1994	908	130,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	79
1995	788	117,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	61
1996	383	113,250	Cruise Control	22
1997	3285	108,000	Engine	205
1998	1624	112,337	Fuel System, Gasoline	96
1999	1322	98,000	Engine	116
2000	1269	91,032	Fuel System, Gasoline	102
2001	1451	98,000	Vehicle Speed Control	113
2002	963	90,000	Engine And Engine Cooling	63
2003	520	64,266	Electrical System	57
2004	2429	59,312	Power Window Devices And Controls	99
2005	1363	62,000	Power Window Devices And Controls	66
2006	735	62,000	Engine	72
2007	623	60,000	Engine	51
2009	397	53,500	Vehicle Speed Control	34
2010	1131	56,183	Electrical System	33
2011	2938	68,500	Power Train	70
2012	2422	59,000	Power Train	57
2013	3849	72,000	Power Train	102
2014	1859	64,000	Power Train	56
2015	2036	48,000	Service Brakes	64
2016	2373	42,000	Power Train	67
2017	1595	46,500	Power Train	47
2018	2627	38,000	Power Train	104
2019	1532	59,142	Power Train	30
2020	797	33,000	Power Train	30
2021	1138	40,000	Power Train	19
2022	702	25,000	Power Train	29
2023	494	18,614	Power Train	25
2024	195	3,700	Exterior Lighting	25
2025	112	6,500	Power Train	7

Active Recalls (1)

Federal safety recalls issued for this vehicle.

Engine And Engine Cooling

Campaign 08V523000 | 08/10/2008

THIS FAILURE MAY RESULT IN A LOSS OF PERFORMANCE, ILLUMINATION OF THE MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP (MIL) AND, IN EXTREME CASES, A STALLING OF THE VEHICLE DURING OPERATION WITHOUT NOTICE, WHICH COULD RESULT IN A CRASH.

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE AIRBOX LID WITH A NEW ONE THAT INCLUDES THE HYDRO-CARBON PAPER WHICH HAS BEEN AFFIXED USING AN ADHESIVE PROMOTER AND GREATER PRESSURE AS RECOMMENDED BY THE MANUFACTURER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON OCTOBER 21, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT ROUSH AT 1-866-307-6788.

Extend Your Engine Life

Based on the most common issues reported for this vehicle.

Change oil on schedule — this is the single most important thing you can do
Use the manufacturer-recommended oil weight and type
Replace the air filter every 15,000-30,000 miles
Don't ignore the check engine light — small issues become expensive fast
Let the engine warm up for 30 seconds before driving hard in cold weather
Address coolant leaks immediately to prevent overheating damage

Compare Ford F-150

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Vehicle Rankings

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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