Electrical System. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Power Train. Review the 36 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
Seats. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports3 fire reports2 injury reports

Engine And Engine Cooling complaints

4 reports

Clear category filter

80,416 miles · Apr 30, 2015

Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingSeats

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH OVER A BUMP, THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS APPLIED AND THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE POWER SEAT INDEPENDENTLY MOVED BACKWARDS. THE VEHICLE WAS MANEUVERED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD WITH CAUTION. THE FAILURE RECURRED WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP OR AN UNEVEN ROAD SURFACE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER, WHO STATED THAT THE IGNITION SWITCH WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. IN ADDITION, THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WOULD ALSO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS SCHEDULE TO BE REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,416.

NHTSA ODI #10713915

Mileage unknown · Mar 1, 2012

Engine And Engine CoolingService Brakes, HydraulicSteering

Read full complaint

FRONT BRAKES HAS A RUBBING, SCREAMING SOUND, LOUDER WHEN TURNING OR APPLYING BRAKES, SOMETIMES THE STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING, NOT FOR SURE IF THE NOISE IS COMING FROM THE FRONT, MIDDLE OR THE BACK IT IS SO LOUD, WE HAVE 4 YEARS OF THE SOUND ON TAPES. THOUGHT THE TAPPING WOULD HELP FORD MOTOR COMPANY AT BLUEBONNET FIND THE PROBLEM, INSTEAD WE WERE LAUGHED AT AND TREATED RUDELY.THE GEAR SHIFT HAS BEEN REPLACED TWICE BY FORD AND STILL HAS STICKING PROBLEM, WE EVEN HAD THE FORD CORP INVOLVED, NO SOLUTION OF THE MATTER HAS BEEN RESOLVED AS OF TODAY, FORD CORP OFFICE OFFERED US A EMPLOYEE RATE, BUT WHEN SPEAKING WITH A SALESPERSON FROM BLUE BONNETT FORD, WE WOULD LOOSE THE $10,000.00 WE PUT DOWN, I HAVE A VEHICLE WE REFUSE TO DRIVE LONG DISTANCE, IN FACT WE RENT A VEHICLE TO GO OUT OF TOWN, BECAUSE FORD COULD NOT TELL ME IF IT IS SAFE OR UNSAFE, WE HAS OWNER FEEL IT IS DANGEROUS. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10449940

67,000 miles · Jan 7, 2011

Engine And Engine Cooling

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 30 MPH AND THE VEHICLE SUDDENLY STALLED. NO WARNING LIGHTS APPEARED ON THE INSTRUMENTAL PANEL PRIOR TO THE STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO A INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE ALTERNATOR HAD…

Read full complaint

NHTSA ODI #10375120

29,150 miles · Mar 19, 2010

Engine And Engine CoolingCrash

2008 FORD EXPLORER ACCELERATED OUT OF CONTROL BACKWARDS ON 1/11/10. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10320953

Official recalls

07V453000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission:cooling Unit And Lines

Sep 26, 2007

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.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: IF LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID CONTACTS THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER, IT MAY POSE A RISK OF FIRE.

Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND HAVE THE TRANSMISSION COOLER LINE ATTACHMENT BOLT TIGHTENED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

PE08060 · Tire Valve Cracking

Opened Oct 14, 2008 · Closed Apr 9, 2009

Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Tires:valve

ON OCTOBER 14, 2008, ODI OPENED PE08-060 TO INVESTIGATE ALLEGATIONS OF CRACKED AND LEAKING SNAP-IN TIRE VALVES IN MODEL YEAR (MY) 2007 VEHICLES MANUFACTURED BY FORD MOTOR COMPANY.THE VALVES WERE SUPPLIED TO FORD BY TOPSEAL AUTO-PARTS, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE SHANGHAI BAOLONG AUTOMOTIVE CORPORATION IN CHINA.VALVES MADE BY TOPSEAL FOR AFTERMARKET SALE WERE THE SUBJECT OF TWO RECENT SAFETY RECALLS BY TECH INTERNATIONAL (08T-018) AND DILL AIR CONTROLS (08T-028), THE LATTER OF WHICH WAS INVESTIGATED BY ODI IN PE08-036 AND EA08-022.THE DEFECT CONDITIONS ADDRESSED BY THE AFTERMARKET TIRE VALVE RECALLS BOTH INVOLVED INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE SUPPLY OF ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS TO TOPSEAL FOR A PERIOD FROM JULY TO MID-NOVEMBER 2006.THE AFTERMARKET VALVES WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A BLEND OF EPDM AND NATURAL RUBBER, USING A RELATIVELY LOW PERCENTAGE OF EPDM (EPDM PROVIDES INHERENT RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING).HENCE, THE NEED FOR ANTI-OZONANT CHEMICALS AND THE PROBLEMS WITH CRACKING WHEN THOSE CHEMICALS WERE MISSING OR OUT OF SPECIFICATION IN SOME LOTS OF VALVES.BOTH RECALL CAMPAIGNS INVOLVED INSPECTION PROGRAMS TO IDENTIFY AND REPLACE VALVES WITH VISIBLE SURFACE CRACKING.ALTHOUGH THE TOPSEAL VALVES SUPPLIED TO FORD ALSO APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY THE ANTI-OZONANT SUPPLY ISSUES IN MID TO LATE-2006, FORD INDICATED THAT ITS VALVES WERE MADE AT A DIFFERENT TOPSEAL PRODUCTION LINE AND WERE COMPOUNDED WITH A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF EPDM RUBBER TO MEET MORE STRINGENT SPECIFICATIONS FROM FORD.ODI'S ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY DATA PROVIDED BY FORD SHOWED THAT PROBLEMS WITH CRACKED TIRE VALVES WERE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER FOR MY 2007 VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007.FORD RESPONDED BY IMPLEMENTING CHANGES IN ITS MATERIAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SNAP-IN RUBBER TIRE VALVES AND ALSO INCREASING THE QUALITY AND ACCEPTANCE STANDARDS FOR VALVES IMPORTED FOR USE IN ITS VEHICLES.WHILE THE COMPLAINT AND WARRANTY CLAIM RATES ARE ELEVATED FOR SUBJECT VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM DECEMBER 2006 THROUGH MARCH 2007, THE RATES OF LEAKING VALVES ARE WELL BELOW ONE PERCENT OF PRODUCTION FOR EACH OF THE PEAK MONTHS FOR ALL OF THE AFFECTED MODELS.A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY OF THE SUBJECT VEHICLES ARE EQUIPPED WITH TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEMS (TPMS) WHICH WARN THE DRIVER WHEN ANY TIRE PRESSURES DROPS BELOW 25 PERCENT OF RECOMMENDED INFLATION PRESSURE. AS OUTLINED IN A LETTER TO ODI DATED APRIL 6, 2009, FORD HAS AGREED TO SEND LETTERS TO OWNERS OF CERTAIN MY 2007 AND 2008 FORD, LINCOLN AND MERCURY VEHICLES TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THE CRACKING CONCERN. LETTERS WILL BE SENT TO OWNERS OF VEHICLES BUILT FROM NOVEMBER 2006 THROUGH MAY 2007.OWNERS CAN OPT FOR A FREE DEALER INSPECTION.VALVES EXHIBITING SURFACE CRACKS OR AIR LEAKAGE RELATED TO OZONE ATTACK WILL BE REPLACED BY FORD UNDER ITS NORMAL WARRANTY TERMS.FORD EXPECTS TO SEND THE LETTER BY APPROXIMATELY MID-MAY 2009. BASED ON THE USE OF TPMS IN THE MAJORITY OF SUBJECT VEHICLES AND THE RELATIVELY LOW RATES OF REPAIRS ASSOCIATED WITH LEAKING VALVES AND RESULTANT TIRE DAMAGE, ODI BELIEVES THAT THE ACTIONS FORD HAS AGREED TO TAKE WILL PROVIDE EFFECTIVE AND EXPEDITIOUS RESOLUTION FOR VEHICLES THAT WERE BUILT DURING THE PERIOD WHEN VALVES WITH INADEQUATE RESISTANCE TO OZONE CRACKING WERE MOST LIKELY TO HAVE BEEN USED IN VEHICLE PRODUCTION.FURTHER INVESTIGATION OF THIS MATTER WOULD NOT BE AN EFFICIENT ALLOCATION OF AGENCY RESOURCES.ACCORDINGLY, THIS INVESTIGATION IS CLOSED.THE CLOSING OF THIS INVESTIGATION DOES NOT CONSTITUTE A FINDING BY NHTSA THAT A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT DOES NOT EXIST.THE AGENCY WILL CONTINUE TO

Go deeper into Ford Explorer problems

Ford Explorer electrical problems →Ford Explorer transmission problems →