Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Ford F-150 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Vehicle caught on fire from the engine compartment while driving. Total loss, Fire Department responded to the scene. Two persons on board of the vehicle had to escape the fire, pulled over and jumped out.
The three rear brake lights stay on all the time, even after the truck is turned off and key removed. The malfunction is definitely available for inspection upon request. The safety of myself and others are put at risk, because vehicles behind me don't know when I'm actually applying the brake. This safety defect has been an issue (off and on} for the last 2 years. I'm apprehensive about taking my truck to a Ford Dealership, due to an expense that I shouldn't be responsible for. I have not been able to drive my truck for the last 3 months, due to this safety defect. My truck hasn't been inspected by police or insurance representatives, because I haven't been in a fatal accident yet. I'm the original owner.
I experienced a loss in power while driving and not driving, as well as locking my keys in the vehicle once It would not unlock. The gear shifting knob stopped due to what seemed like resistance an the damaged caused by sales man to the top plunger cap just after i paid. Recently the battery and the alternator are not working and when power is ran through the vehicle, an obvious sound of a live cable buzzing in the rear cab exterior light and seemed to be spliced in a n unsafe way.
On April 5, 2016, while driving my 2008, f150, triton, 4.6, about 45 MPH, on a two lane, back country road, a sudden rattling and popping noise occurred. I immediately pulled over, popped the hood, whereas smoke and the rattling noise continued. I turned off the engine and had the vehicle towed to the Ford dealership 5 miles away. I have 113,600 miles on my vehicle and purchased it from a carmax dealer in December 2013, with 81,160 miles, having experienced (no problems thus far). I was told by the Ford dealership that my #3 sparkplug had caused the mechanical issue and all plugs needed replacing. Additionally replacement of right side engine issues resulted from not having done the 100000 mile tune up (bull). It had been tuned up previous to being sold. …
On Tuesday, April 5, 2016, while driving 45 miles per hour, on a 2 lane, back country, road my Ford f150, that had 114,376 miles began to clank and rumble up under the hood. The noise made the vehicle vibrate as the noise got louder so I pulled off of the road and popped the hood. There was smoke, clicking and clanking on top of the right side of the engine so I turned the vehicle off. I called my insurance and asked to be towed to a Ford dealership 5 miles away. The truck was still drive-able but smoking and clanking. The next morning I learned #2 spark plug had loose stripping threads in the cylinder head and the coil cracked from the plug blowing out. The plug and boots had to be replaced. Replaced the #2 coil and the dealer had to extract the broken spark plug cylinder #2. The parts, supply, and labor cost was $1292.24. …
Recently driving along a county road; vehicle warning tone sounds and I see the following. Battery, check engine, brakes, ABS and TPMS lights on. Speedometer and tachometer inoperative, engine temperature gauge inoperative. Vehicle information display showed titles, I.e. Trip a, mileage etc., but there were no values. Oil pressure and charging system and fuel gauges working normally. Engine performance unaffected. Drove 15+ miles to hometown and my mechanic. After a day of diagnosis, he stated the instrument cluster was the problem, and also that it was a known but not acknowledged issue by Ford. New clusters are $700 to $900 which is outrageous. After a quick search online, there and a lot; and I mean a lot of people selling 2008 f-150 lariat instrument clusters. …
The instrument cluster on mine is starting to fail, the gauges aren't always accurate, the brake light stays on most of the time even though there is no problem in the brake system the parking brake sensor is good already checked it, and the fluid level is full and the sensor in the master cylinder is good. Due to the cluster malfunction especially at night the interior light will come on and stay on while driving leading to a glare on the windshield and side windows witch makes seeing where your going very difficult, and above the cluster on the dashboard it begins to get hot while driving seems to be a safety issue. While the truck is parked the interior light will come on for no reason. …
My motor had started ticking a bit back in September 2018 I added some oil and it went away. Then, in January 2019 I had engine codes. Plugged my scan tool in and said I needed both camshaft sensors, misfire on cylinders 1, 3, & 7. Replaced all 8 plugs and coils, motor had 123xxx miles. Drove another 4000 miles and the same problems persisted and got worse. I took it to a mechanic for a diagnosis on the misfires and engine tick, come to find out it is a 'lifter tap', shavings of aluminum in my oil and plugging up the lifters. Mechanic said to get a new motor, don't both trying to fix it. I bought it used with 119xxx and truck ran fine in August of 2018.
Faulty circuitry in the rear of the instrument cluster causes red emergency brake warning light to stay on. The only fix from Ford is to replace the instrument cluster at a cost of 900 dollars. There is nothing wrong with anything else on the truck except a light that will not go off. This light will cause my truck to fail inspection. Multiple Ford mechanics I have spoken with state that this is a known issue, one stated he has replaced 12 clusters in just this past year. To spend 900 dollars to turn off a light bulb is insane Ford dealer and Ford corporate were asked and they would not assist in this cost to resolve this issue.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-150. The contact stated that while parked, the headlights failed, the air bag activated independently and the air bags deployed erroneously. Additionally, smoke billowed from under the dashboard area as the floorboard became engulfed in flames. The contact was able to extinguish the fire. A fire or police report was not filed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was found that the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure and current mileage was 111,383.
Electrical complaints in other F-150 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2008 Ford F-150?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the electrical system of the 2008 Ford F-150, 8% of the model year's 369 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford F-150 electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2008 Ford F-150, 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 F-150 electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 5 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.