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147 owner complaints and 2 active recall campaigns on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
We have a 2008 eddie bauer Ford explorer that we purchased from the dealership in 2008. Earlier this year when we went over a bump, the electronic drivers seat moved back and the interior lights turned on. It took a moment for the lights to turn off, but the seats did not move…
My 2008 Ford explorer has been having issues recently where it turns over and will not start, then will start. Today while driving on the freeway at 65 MPH my check engine light came on with the service wrench and the car lost all power and the steering stiffened up and was hard…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford explorer. While driving approximately 55 MPH, the front driver's side seat moved backward independently as the interior dome light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The technician stated that the key…
The driver safety seat belt does not easily lock in place even with a hard push and comes out of the retainer under pressure on the belt - only repeated hard pushes until a click sounds is effective! The locking mechanism appears to be locked when in fact it is not. The driver…
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
If leaking transmission fluid contacts the catalytic converter, it may pose a risk of fire.
In the event of a vehicle crash, the occupant(s) may be seriously injured by shattered glass.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.2 out of 10 based on 147 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 Ford Explorer is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2008 Ford Explorer is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Electrical system: 31 complaints, classified severe, failures cluster 42,000–100,000 mi; Reliability score 7.2/10 — around the segment average; 2 recall campaigns on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is powertrain, with 34 complaints filed. Typical failure occurs around 93,859 miles. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop.
The powertrain is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $2,500 at an independent shop. Typical failure occurs around 93,859 miles. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 147 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $2,500, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.