Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Ford Explorer owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Report #1 - My grandma brought this 08' Explorer back in 2014, and after she passed, my mom drove it for the next 2 years. It started having general maintenance issues, then the cats were stolen, but then, one night my mother was coming home from a relative's house, when she was trying to keep up with the flow of traffic on [redacted] , and she noticed that the vehicle was not accelerating at all and the vehicle stalled out. She had it towed home and it sat on the streetside for some time. After digging through the internet, I figured that Ford designed the throttle-body wiring to settle next to the cooling hoses, and after time, the wires rot from the hot temperatures of the hoses and crack/snap causing the vehicle to either stall, or possibly have unintended acceleration. Ford never recalled this issue! …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. While driving approximately 55 MPH, a strong burning odor emitted inside the cabin. The vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road. The contact inspected underneath the hood and noticed that coolant leaked continuously onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the thermostat housing was replaced. In 2014, the thermostat and thermostat housing were both replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 76,194.
The passenger seat in our 2008 Ford Explorer started on fire, likely from the seat heater. This resulted in massive fire damage to the car, and fortunately there was no one in the vehicle and it was parked in the driveway. Please look into faulty seat heating elements.
I purchased this truck in sept 2014 about 2 months after I purchased it,as I was driving the dome lights go on and the seat moves back as it does when it lets you out. It will do this more so with one set of our keys then the other. It's continually getting worse. It will sometimes happen 1-15 times in a car trip.I have almost gotten into an accident a number of times because of this. I have visited my dealer who has estimated about $500 in repairs and was amazed when he seen this going on. He stated he never seen anything like this and probably wouldn't have believed me if he didn't see it with his own eyes.it also happens every time you hit a bump and now I fear my car shutting off because it thinks I'm getting out by moving my seat back and turning the lights on which my dealer says is a good possibility.I drive with 2 small children in this vehicle daily. …
When moving the interior lights come on. Went to Ford dealer where purchased recently to see if there was recall for ignition switch problems. Test drove with a tech to show problem of ignition switch causing the interior lights to come on while car is being driven. While test driving and moving the ignition switch, the interior lights did come on. On the third example, the car cut off. The car did not lock up, but the car had to be shifted into neutral and restarted. The lights coming on is a problem when driving at night and all of a sudden the interior is lighted and exterior and roads are dark. My brother had a 2008 Explorer that he had recently traded in on a new car. When talking with him, he said he had a similar problem with the lights, but only had 80,000 miles on his 2008 Explorer. Before someone gets hurt as in other car types recently, I think this should be investigated. …
Key cylinder has loosened inside ignition housing. This condition while driving is a major safety concern for shorter individuals as when a bump or certain motions cause the automatic seats to retract to "off position" creating a 4-6" gap between foot and pedal for my wife is she were willing to drive the vehicle. This has become more frequent and dealer servicing knows of the problem as well as a local locksmith I had contacted for possible repair options. It has become more evident in the past 2 years from their knowledge. No current recall exists as no major injury has resulted. This occurs in stationary position or in motion of the vehicle adding to concerns. I will have this repaired at local Ford in the next week. Seat retracts on its own and if any bumps are hit May engage or disengage at will. And has been occurring over the past 3 years. …
In my 2008 Ford Explorer eddie bauer, while driving, stopped or backing at any time if the keys in the ignition get jiggled, if by bump in road or by knee, the power driver seat moves backwards. There is a feature called easy entry where the seat moves completely back to allow you to exit the vehicle easier, the problem is with the ignition area the area where the key is inserted to start the vehicle it becomes loose over time and as a result the sensor in there for the easy entry is compromised. When the keys get jiggled, on accident or on purpose the seats move, it is very dangerous for it to happen while driving. The seat moves back so far that no one can reach the petals to operate the vehicle. This should be on recall it is very dangerous for short or tall people. It could cause many many accidents and many many injuries. If needed I can provide video of this happening.
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 to steer at all almost causing me to wreck on the freeway. I lost all power and control at the gas pedal and then the check charging system icon came on also. I had to completely pull over to the shoulder and put it in park then shut off the car. I then had to restart the car which started right away and started to drive fine again. This happens more than once a day, my friend has checked the charging system and cleaned the battery cables and has over 14 volts charging from alternator to battery and still happens. The DTC code was pulled and was a p0607. Control module failure or corrupt.
While in operation, vehicle seat goes back and forth, interior lights come on and go off and pedal heights move. Upon some trial and error investigation, trying to replicate the problem, I found that it was directly related to key chain movement. Any bumps, moderate braking or hard braking resulted in the seat being thrown back and the interior lights coming on. ( this is a huge safety hazard, and could easily cause a crash, especially at night ) the ignition tumbler is faulty. Once the ignition tumbler was replaced at the dealer, the problems have not reoccurred. I waited a number of months to report this so that I would be sure the solution worked and did not re-ocur. I contacted Ford motor company, who refused to assist. This repair cost approximately 300.00
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. At any given moment, whether the vehicle was idling or moving, the service engine warning indicator illuminated and the vehicle lost all power. The contact would have to wait until the vehicle's computer system rebuilt itself in order for the power to return so the vehicle could be functional. The contact's husband, a certified mechanic, rebuilt the transmission and reconfigured the wiring on the vehicle, but the failure recurred. A certified mechanic diagnosed that the vehicle's PCM needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 156,000.
Electrical complaints in other Explorer years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 Ford Explorer?
NHTSA has 38 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Ford Explorer, 26% of the model year's 148 complaints. The component named most often is ignition (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford Explorer electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2008 Ford Explorer, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Explorer electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 72,000 miles, and 9% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.