2008 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability
344 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2008 Ford Ranger, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 27/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 78,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2008 sits among all Ranger years
What owners report
“Takata recall. My vehicle has not been repaired yet. No contact from ford or dealerships”— owner report to NHTSA, 2008 Ranger
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 82 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 57,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 35,000 and 98,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or…
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17,…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain air bag inflator and/or module replacement service parts that may have been used as part of a collision repair. The parts include certain driver-side air bag inflators and/or modules, designed to fit 2005-2014…
Fix: Ford will notify dealers that purchased the affected parts, and dealers will provide replacement parts to purchasers, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico,…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim…
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2007-2011 Ford Ranger vehicles, 2006-2011 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan and Lincoln Zephyr/MKZ vehicles, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX vehicles, 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles, and 2005-2011 Ford Mustang…
Fix: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Ford…
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
16 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on airbags and engine — are on file for the 2008 Ford Ranger. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2008 Ranger 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 Ranger reliable?
The 2008 Ford Ranger drew 344 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 27/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2008 Ford Ranger problems?
The top reported problems for the 2008 Ford Ranger are airbags (295 complaints), body & structure (11), and electrical (10).
At what mileage do 2008 Ford Ranger problems show up?
Owners most often report 2008 Ford Ranger problems around 57,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 35,000 and 98,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Ford Ranger have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2008 Ford Ranger. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.