Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Power train8
- Engine7
- Electrical system4
- Vehicle speed control2
- Service brakes2
- Engine and engine cooling2
- Service brakes, electric1
- Traction control system1
- Tires1
- Fuel system, gasoline1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Fatal crashes in the US
From 2020 to 2023, 7 2008 Explorer Sport Trac vehicles were involved in crashes on US public roads in which someone died; 4 people died inside them, and 1 of the vehicles rolled over. This is a count, not a crash rate: it grows with the number of cars on the road.
NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), crash years 2020–2023 (public domain)
New York safety inspections
At its first New York inspection the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac failed the safety check 2.84% of the time — 15% more often than the average 2008 passenger car (2.48%). Median odometer at inspection: 136,107 miles.
NY DMV Vehicle Inspections (vezn-fmmk), initial inspections since Aug 2021 · how we count
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 4 variants: combined 15.2–15.8 L/100 km (about 15 mpg US), CO₂ 350–363 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| Explorer Sport Trac · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 17.4 | 12.5 | 15.2 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 17.7 | 12.7 | 15.4 |
| Explorer Sport Trac · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 18.2 | 12.2 | 15.5 |
| Explorer Sport Trac 4X4 · Pickup truck: Standard · Regular gasoline | 18.4 | 12.6 | 15.8 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls in Canada
1 Transport Canada recall for the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac.
| 2007287 5 Sept 2007 | Powertrain On certain vehicles, the bolt securing the transmission oil cooler line fittings at the transmission may not have been sufficiently torqued during vehicle assem… |
Transport Canada Vehicle Recalls Database · Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH THE 4.6L ENGINE AND 6R TRANSMISSION, THE BOLT SECURING THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINE FITTINGS AT THE TRANSMISSION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN SUFFICIENTLY TORQUED DURING VEHICLE ASSEMBLY. AS A RESULT, THE BOLT MAY LOOSEN AND THE TRANSMISSION OIL COOLER LINES MAY DISENGAGE FROM THE TRANSMISSION, CAUSING A TRANSMISSION FLUID LEAK.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Ford told its dealers about the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10254138 | All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool. If the wallet card for an accessory keypad is lost, follow these steps to recover the code. Dealer Key Code access is granted through the Dealer Program Enrollment System (DPES); dealership managemen |
| 10148819 | This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the ball joint assembly may cause a perceptible increase in steering effort. |
| 10143079 | Various vehicles equipped with a 4.6L, 5.4L, 6.8L modular 3 valve engine built on or before 8-Jan-2016 may exhibit symptoms that may include upper end engine noise, rough running, misfire and/or engine damage. If diagnosis leads to only camshaft/camshaft roller follower(s) requiring replacement, replace all of the camshaft roller followers on both banks/cylinder heads with part number 3L3Z-6564-A, not just the faulty roller follower(s). When replacing the camshaft roller followers, refer to Workshop Manual (WSM), Section 303-01. |
| 10137113 | Replacing the original equipment SYNC/Navigation system with either an aftermarket SYNC/Navigation kit or modifying original SYNC/Navigation parts to provide additional features is not recommended nor supported on any Ford, Mercury or Lincoln vehicle. Only approved Genuine Ford accessories or originally installed systems are supported and certified to function correctly with other vehicle systems. If you suspect a system has been modified, the following resources can be used to verify original equipment: Monroney Label (Window Sticker), Professional Technician Society (PTS) OASIS tab select |
| 10091151 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10090681 | SOME 2008-2017 FORD/MERCURY/LINCOLN VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SYNC MAY GENERATE A VHR THAT IDENTIFIES A CONCERN WITH THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION CATEGORY INDICATING SERVICE IS REQUIRED DUE TO A BRAKE SYSTEM WARNING LAMP BEING ILLUMINATED. IF THE PARK BRAKE WAS APPLIED WHEN THE VHR WAS GATHERING DATA FROM THE MAJOR VEHICLE SYSTEMS, THE BRAKES AND SUSPENSION MESSAGE WILL BE REPORTED AS THE VHR LOOKS FOR ANY WARNING LAMPS ILLUMINATED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. RERUN THE VHR WITH THE ENGINE ON AND VEHICLE IN PARK, AND ENSURE THE PARK BRAKE IS DISENGAGED. IF THE SYNC VHR IS STILL REPORTING A CONCERN TO |
| 10055318 | FORD/MERCURY: TO PREVENT HARNESS DAMAGE, ON SOME VEHICLES, RESULTING IN CONTACT WITH TIRE OR SUSPENSION COMPONENTS, PROPER ROUTING OF WIRING HARNESS FOR WHEEL SPEED SENSOR IS KEY. 2006-2010 EXPLORER, MOUNTAINEER, EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. *PE |
| 10039053 | FORD: IF THERE IS AN INTERMITTENT LACK OF POWER, SURGE, OR HESITATION WHILE DRIVING THE BRAKES WILL OVERRIDE ACCELERATION. *RM |
| 10029565 | FORD/MERCURY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT A NO CRANK, CRANK NO START, DRIVEABILITY SYMPTOM, OR IDLE CONCERN WITH OR WITHOUT MIL ILLUMINATION/DTC'S DUE TO THE PCM ENGINE HARNESS CHAFFING AGAINST THE PCM MOUNTING BRACKET. *PE |
| 10029167 | FORD/MERCURY: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT VARIOUS SYMPTOMS SUCH AS DRIVABILITY SYMPTOMS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO NO CRANK WITH/WITHOUT BLOWN FUSE, AND ILLUMINATION OF MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LAMP. *PE |
| 10028736 | FORD: SOME VEHICLES MAY EXHIBIT OIL SEPARATION FROM THE INTERNAL LUBE FOUND IN THE UNITIZED CARTRIDGE SEAL. OIL SEPARATION APPEARS TO BE AND IS OFTEN MISDIAGNOSED, AS AN AXLE LUBE LEAK. *PE |
| 10026385 | FORD/MERCURY: 4.0L/4.6L HARD START/ROUGH RUNNING; AFTER LONG HOT SOAK/DIP IN RPM WHEN COMING TO A STOP; BUILT ON OR BEFORE 4/2/08. MAY EXHIBIT A DIP IN RPM BELOW NORMAL IDLE LEVEL OF 600 RPM ON DECELERATION. *PE |
| 10024323 | IMPROVED BRAKE PEDAL FEEL AND FIRMNESS. *NJ |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
TIRE VALVE CRACKING
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation