AI Damage2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac filed 23 complaints with NHTSA, most often about powertrain and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 23
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Powertrain 35% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 30% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 17% of all complaints
- 5 Engine and cooling 9% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 9% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 4% of all complaints
- Powertrain: 8 complaints (35% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 7 complaints (30% of all).
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (17% of all).
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (9% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 23 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Powertrain | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 130,018.
Upon inspecting the vehicle, it was noticed that there was a small fire near the transmission area, fluid had leaked onto the catalytic converter as the fire progressed to destroying the vehicle with the fire becoming extensive which had erupted all the way to the fuel system to the fuel tank.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford explorer. While driving various speeds and attempting to stop, the brake pedal was depressed and traveled to the floorboard. The brakes eventually stopped the vehicle. There were no warning indicators illuminated.
Very dangerous, with no time to pull over when engine light came on. Repeat, this happens to all ford sport tracs with plastic radiator housing. There are some class action lawsuits across the usa. Ford has known about this condition since 2002, but only notified government vehicles for the fixes.
Driving on highway check engine light came on and engine started missing and car shaking; pulled in to ford dealer in next town; diagnosis said could be this or that they could not figure it out but got car running smother; we went another 300 miles to our destination; took car to local ford dealer; replaced spark…
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford explorer sport trac. While driving approximately 15 mph, the steering wheel became loose and fractured. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The contact was made aware of nhtsa campaign number: 17v181000 (steering); however, the vin was not included.
The contact stated that the check engine light and wrench icon illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer for a diagnostic test, who stated that the torque converter would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.
Truck cut off 4 times in middle traffic would not stay on. No warning light change tried to pull off truck just kept cutting off.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 7,386 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Explorer Sport Trac has 55 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 23, below average.
What to check before buying
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Other years of this model
- Explorer Sport Trac 19976 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 19985 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 20003 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 2001167 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 2002144 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 200378 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 200486 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 200566 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 20065 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 2007100 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 20096 sources
- Explorer Sport Trac 201031 sources
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: powertrain, engine, electrical system. Total complaints: 23. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (26%), stalls while driving (9%), airbag warning light (4%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2008 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.