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#BS-2008-FOREXP-33C9

2008 Ford Explorer

Based on reports from 215 owners and 3 recalls for this exact model.

Complaints
215
Crashes
8
Fires
4
Recalls
3
TSBs
23
🟡

Preliminary Verdict

Think Twice

Based on 215 complaints, 8 crashes, 4 fires, and 3 recalls.

See full verdict with buy/skip conditions

Top reported problems

1

transmission lurches

16 complaints • Severity 7.5/10

$X,XXX
2

transmission clunks when shifting gears

10 complaints • Severity 7.8/10

$X,XXX
3

transmission failure

7 complaints • Severity 10/10

$X,XXX

Preview: What's in your full report

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Mechanic Inspection Checklist

!Check the ElectricalHIGH

37 owners reported electrical issues — failures commonly reported around 78K miles.

!Inspect the DrivetrainMED
Look for symptoms of wear and premature failure
+ 6 more items in full checklistUnlock

Failure Timeline by Mileage

17
0–30K
33
30–60K
66
60–90K
36
90–120K
18
120–150K
15
150K+

Peak failure range: 60–90K miles (66 reports) • Median: 78K miles

Full report: which components fail at each mileageUnlock

30,000-Mile Cost Projection

Best Case

$X,XXX

Most Likely

$X,XXX

Worst Case

$X,XXX

Top cost driver: Electrical (37 reports).

Includes fuel costs, common repairs, and recall riskUnlock

Also in your report

Owner Intelligence

AI-synthesized themes from real complaints

Buyer Lot Checklist

Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers

Negotiation Talking Points

Data-backed dollar deductions

Buy / Skip Verdict

Final recommendation with conditions

10 sections total in the full reportUnlock all

Where the complaints fall

Electrical37 (17%)
Drivetrain31 (14%)
Seats27 (13%)
Engine23 (11%)
Lights13 (6%)
Steering12 (6%)
Other12 (6%)
Wheels & Tires8 (4%)

2008 Ford Explorer: Known Issues & Problem Areas

Electrical Issues

Electrical complaints account for 17% of all reports filed for the 2008 Ford Explorer, with 37 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 78,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 78K-mile mark.

Drivetrain Issues

Drivetrain complaints account for 14% of all reports filed for the 2008 Ford Explorer, with 31 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to drivetrain-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Seats Issues

Seats complaints account for 13% of all reports filed for the 2008 Ford Explorer, with 27 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to seats-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Engine Issues

Engine complaints account for 11% of all reports filed for the 2008 Ford Explorer, with 23 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to engine-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.

Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.

Complaint trend by year

2
07
4
08
8
09
12
10
7
11
25
12
13
13
38
14
35
15
15
16
21
17
13
18
9
19
3
20
4
21
4
24
2
25

Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2008 Ford Explorer. Recent trend: decreasing.

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Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict

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Recall History (3 recalls)

07E104000Jan 2008

VISIBILITY:GLASS, SIDE/REAR

CERTAIN CURVED TEMPERED REPLACEMENT GLASS MANUFACTURED BY HANGZHOU SAFETY GLASS LTD AND SUPPLIED TO SAFELITE BY AUTO TEMP INC., IDENTIFIED AS DOT-430, AND SOLD FOR USE ON CERTAIN DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN VEHICLES MAY NOT BREAK INTO SMALL PIECES AS EXPECTED OF TEMPERED GLASS AND FAILS TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 205, "GLAZING MATERIALS."

07V453000Aug 2007

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:COOLING UNIT AND LINES

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE AND 6R TRANSMISSION, THE BOLT SECURING THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE FITTINGS AT THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TORQUED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY LOOSEN AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK.

10E043000Sep 2010

EQUIPMENT

MARATHON IS RECALLING CERTAIN SEAT COVERS, BRAND SUPERHIDES WITH PART NUMBERS 593, 594, 578, 960, 228, 228-09, 267-08, 333, 625, AND 630, SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE SEAT COVERS ARE MADE OF HEAVIER THREAD AND ARE NOT COMPATIBLE WITH SEATS CONTAINING SIDE AIRBAGS. THE HEAVIER SEAT COVER COULD INTERFERE WITH FULL DEPLOYMENT OF THE AIRBAG IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.

Recall severity analysis & seller scripts

The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.

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The worst model year for the Ford Explorer is the 2006 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is transmission.

2008 Ford Explorer vs. Class Average (Standard Pickup Trucks 2WD)

This vehicle

215

Class avg

192

Complaint volume is roughly in line with other standard pickup trucks 2wd vehicles from 2008.

Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.

About this data

NHTSA Complaints

Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 215 records for this vehicle.

NHTSA Recalls

Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 3 recalls found for this vehicle.

Repair Cost Data

Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.

Other Ford Explorer Model Years

20262025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112010200920082007200620052004200320022001200019991998199719961995199419931992199119901989198819871986198519841983198219811980197919781977
View all Ford Explorer years →

2008 Ford Explorer: Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common problem with the 2008 Ford Explorer?
The most commonly reported issue with the 2008 Ford Explorer is related to the electrical, with 37 complaints filed with NHTSA.
Is the 2008 Ford Explorer reliable?
The 2008 Ford Explorer has 215 complaints, 8 crash reports, and 4 fire reports filed with NHTSA. The full report analyzes whether these numbers indicate real risk or are proportional to the vehicle’s popularity.
How much does it cost to fix 2008 Ford Explorer problems?
Repair costs vary by issue. The full BumperScan report includes detailed repair cost estimates (low/median/high) for every major issue, plus a 30,000-mile total cost of ownership projection.
Does the 2008 Ford Explorer have any recalls?
Yes, the 2008 Ford Explorer has 3 recalls on record. The full report includes recall severity analysis and scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
What mileage do Ford Explorer problems start?
Based on 185 complaints with mileage data, the median mileage at time of complaint is 78,000 miles. The highest concentration of reported issues occurs in the 60–90K mile range. The full report breaks down exactly which components fail at each mileage bracket.
What’s in the full report?
10 sections of AI analysis: severity-ranked issues, component scores (0-100), 30K-mile cost projection, failure timeline by mileage, recall details with seller scripts, owner sentiment analysis, mechanic checklist, buyer lot checklist, negotiation ammo with dollar figures, and a buy/skip verdict.
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
NHTSA gives you raw complaint text. BumperScan cross-references 2.1M+ complaints with community repair cost data, EPA fuel data, and recall records — then uses AI to synthesize it into actionable advice with dollar figures.
How is this different from Carfax?
Carfax is VIN-specific history ($45/report). BumperScan is model-level reliability intelligence — what problems this car is known for, what they cost, and whether you should buy it. Complementary, not competing.
What if the report isn’t useful?
100% money-back guarantee. If the report doesn’t help you make a more informed decision, we’ll refund you — no questions asked.
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10 sections of AI analysis based on 215 owner reports. Know before you buy.

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