2008 Ford Explorer power train problems
36 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2008 Ford Explorer — 24% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2008 Ford Explorer. The contact stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted into park, and the vehicle rolled backwards about an inch. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the parking brake was enabled to stop the vehicle…”
filed Jul 10, 2026
“An orange wrench light comes on on my dashboard and I can't pick up speed. I've had it looked at a few times and no one can figure out the problem. There's been many people on youtube complaining of the samething. This is very dangerous and should be investigated immediately, luckily the interstate…”
filed Feb 1, 2021
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE AND 6R TRANSMISSION, THE…Campaign 07V453000 · Sep 26, 2007
Related service bulletins
When performing any transmission fluid changes or topoffs involving MERCON SP, MERCON LV has replaced all versions of MERCON SP and can be used going forward. Mixing MERCON LV and MERCON SP in the same transmission is…
SSM 51909 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 7, 2023
Power Train problems in other Explorer years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Explorer | 2 | 9% |
| 2025 Explorer | 15 | 17% |
| 2024 Explorer | 1 | 5% |
| 2023 Explorer | 11 | 11% |
| 2022 Explorer | 59 | 23% |
| 2021 Explorer | 112 | 28% |
| 2020 Explorer | 465 | 39% |
| 2019 Explorer | 34 | 12% |
| 2018 Explorer | 46 | 6% |
| 2017 Explorer | 123 | 7% |
| 2016 Explorer | 214 | 9% |
| 2015 Explorer | 84 | 5% |
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.