2008 Ford Expedition Problems, Recalls & Reliability
179 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Ford Expedition, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 15/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Brakes & stability leads the reports, typically around 60,000 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2008 Ford Expedition has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2008 sits among all Expedition years
What owners report
“Start out driving, then emergency brake, abs, and skid control warning lights all come on. Also says, check brake system. This appears to be a very common problem with this vehicle ford really needs to take care of this.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Expedition
“The paint is peeling and bubbling on the hood and trunk. The paint is peeling and bubbling also under hood and trunk.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Expedition
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 138 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 64,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 38,700 and 97,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
FORD IS RECALLING 158 MY 2008 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH A TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM (TPMS) AND THE LIMO BUILDERS PACKAGE FOR FAILING TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 138, Z"TIRE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL RECONFIGURE THE TPMS THRESHOLDS TO THE APPROPRIATE PRESSURES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 23, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
FORD IS RECALLING 123,632 MY 2007-2008 EXPEDITION AND LINCOLN NAVIGATOR VEHICLES. THE DOOR HANDLE HOUSING EMBOSSMENT RETAINING THE BOTTOM OF THE INTERIOR DOOR HANDLE SPRING ON ALL SIDE DOORS MAY FRACTURE DURING NORMAL CUSTOMER USAGE. THIS CAN RESULT IN…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE INTERIOR HANDLE SPRING ON ALL SIDE DOORS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MARCH 5, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
CERTAIN CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE ABS AND ESC CONTROL MODULES SOLD FOR INSTALLATION ON THE VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME OF THE HYDRAULIC VALVES IN THE ESC MODULE WERE BUILT WITH EXTRA CHECK BALLS.
Fix: EACH VEHICLE MANUFACTURER WILL FILE A DEFECT REPORT AND REMEDY PLAN FOR THEIR VEHICLES WHICH INCLUDED THESE MODULES AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. VEHICLES WILL BE REPAIRED AT NO COST TO THE OWNER. OWNERS…
CERTAIN VEHICLES FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED IN FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 208, 'OCCUPANT CRASH PROTECTION.' THE DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY ASSEMBLED.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE YOUR DRIVER AIR BAG MODULE FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON NOVEMBER 20, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and body & structure — are on file for the 2008 Ford Expedition. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Expedition TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2008 Ford Expedition reliable?
The 2008 Ford Expedition drew 179 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 15/100, scored against the model's worst year (2000).
What are the most common 2008 Ford Expedition problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Ford Expedition are brakes & stability (35 complaints), body & structure (34), and other (23).
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Expedition problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Ford Expedition problems around 64,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 38,700 and 97,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Ford Expedition have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Ford Expedition. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.