2008 Ford Explorer engine problems
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine on the 2008 Ford Explorer — 14% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Stalling in mid traffic. I was told it is poor quality of timing components. The vehicle has less than 200,000 miles and has had routine maintenance as it was a police investigation car”
filed Jun 7, 2026
“I got the car from my landlord, my husband never checked the oil or fluids even though I was on him, it died 2 months after we got it, the guy said before we purchased it that it still was under warranty for transmission, so when it died I thought ok it's covered, so the landlord said it was the…”
filed Apr 27, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Engine problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 5 | 23% |
| 2025 Explorer | 7 | 8% |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% |
| 2023 Explorer | 10 | 10% |
| 2022 Explorer | 26 | 10% |
| 2021 Explorer | 44 | 11% |
| 2020 Explorer | 112 | 9% |
| 2019 Explorer | 18 | 6% |
| 2018 Explorer | 94 | 13% |
| 2017 Explorer | 235 | 14% |
| 2016 Explorer | 380 | 16% |
| 2015 Explorer | 226 | 13% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2008 Ford Explorer
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.