Model year report

2008 Ford Expedition: what breaks, and at what mileage

What breaks on the 2008 Ford Expedition

On the 2008 Ford Expedition, the failure owners report most often is other body or interior problem, and the reports cluster around 75,000 miles. The earliest to appear is other brake problem, reported by a median of 60,000 miles. Overall it scores 68 out of 100, high risk for a 2008.

High risk for a 2008 — 172nd riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. 179 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork.

The failures owners actually file about

Owners have reported 39 named failure modes on the 2008 Ford Expedition, and the three most-reported carry 26% of everything filed, which is an unusually even spread for one model year.

Other body or interior problem leads with 20 reports, about 0.6 per 1,000 vehicles and with the middle half of reports between 40k to 95,000 miles.

Other brake problem follows with 15 reports, usually reported between 13k to 90,000 miles.

Paint peeling or clear coat failure follows with 12 reports, median 75,000 miles.

By system, the reports fall mostly into body (50), brakes (35) and adas (18).

When these failures get reported

142 of the reports on the 2008 Ford Expedition came with an odometer reading, and half of those were filed before 62,000 miles.

Cumulatively, 42% by 50,000 miles, 79% by 100,000 miles and 92% by 150,000 miles of the dated reports had been filed, with 3 filed above the top of the chart.

The busiest stretch is between 40,000 and 50,000 miles, which alone holds 13% of the dated reports.

27% of the dated reports were filed below 36,000 miles.

In the order they tend to show up: other brake problem around 60k, other body or interior problem around 73k and other speed control problem around 80k.

Median

Other body or interior problem

73k
Other brake problem

60k
Paint peeling or clear coat failure

74k
Other speed control problem

80k
Other powertrain problem

41k
Other engine problem

41k
Other visibility problem

30k
Loss of braking

73k
Rust or structural corrosion

73k
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure

37k
Other driver assistance problem

47k
ABS module or sensor failure

9k

Tick median reported mileage Solid middle half of reports Faint 10th to 90th percentile Colour how bad the failure is when it happens

Showing the 12 most-reported failure modes of 39. The full list is in the table below.

How reports accumulate

Share of reports filed by each mileage

half by 62k

Every report with an odometer reading, cumulative, from 0 to 200,000 miles. A further 3 reports came in above that, which is why the line stops short of the top. A curve that climbs early is a car with early problems, whatever its total.

Line share of reports filed by that mileage
Dashed the median reported mileage

Severity, and what it costs

Across the named modes, 25 mention a crash, 3 a fire, 12 an injury and 2 a fatality. Those are the words owners used in their own complaints, and NHTSA does not verify them, but they are the closest thing in this data to a measure of what a failure actually did.

The average severity weight across every report on this year is 5.07, where a stalled engine or a failed airbag weighs many times more than a rattling trim panel, and a figure this high means the reports are dominated by failures with safety consequences rather than annoyances. The weighting is set out in full on the methodology page.

What the top failures cost to put right, as editorial estimates for an independent US shop rather than figures from NHTSA: other body or interior problem at $200–$2,000, other brake problem at $300–$1,800, paint peeling or clear coat failure at $600–$6,000 and other speed control problem at $250–$2,000. Dealer labour, a seized bolt or a part that is no longer made can push any of these past the top of its range.

11% of the reports on this year sit in the engine, transmission, drivetrain or cooling systems — the four where a repair bill is usually four figures.

Every reported failure mode

Mileage figures are percentiles of owner-reported readings. Click a column to sort.
Failure mode	System	Reports	With reading	25th	Median	75th	Per 1,000	Typical repair	Severity
Other body or interior problem	body	20	15	40k	73k	96k	0.6	$200–$2,000	Moderate
Other brake problem	brakes	15	14	13k	60k	88k	0.5	$300–$1,800	High
Paint peeling or clear coat failure	body	12	5	—	74k	—	0.4	$600–$6,000	Low
Other speed control problem	adas	11	9	43k	80k	99k	0.4	$250–$2,000	Critical
Other powertrain problem	transmission	8	7	—	41k	—	0.3	$400–$4,500	High
Other engine problem	engine	7	5	—	41k	—	0.2	$300–$4,000	High
Other visibility problem	glass	7	5	—	30k	—	0.2	$150–$1,400	Moderate
Loss of braking	brakes	6	5	—	73k	—	0.2	$400–$3,000	Critical
Rust or structural corrosion	body	6	6	—	73k	—	0.2	$500–$6,000	High
Liftgate, tailgate or trunk failure	body	6	2	—	37k	—	0.2	$250–$1,500	Moderate
Other driver assistance problem	adas	6	6	—	47k	—	0.2	$250–$1,800	High
ABS module or sensor failure	brakes	5	4	—	9k	—	0.2	$500–$2,400	High
Parking brake failure	brakes	5	5	—	100k	—	0.2	$250–$1,300	Moderate
Seat belt or retractor failure	airbag	5	4	—	89k	—	0.2	$200–$900	High
Fuel pump failure	fuel	4	4	—	84k	—	0.1	$600–$2,600	High
Window regulator or power window failure	body	4	3	—	41k	—	0.1	$250–$900	Moderate
Other electrical problem	electrical	4	4	—	82k	—	0.1	$250–$2,000	Moderate
No-start or intermittent start failure	engine	3	3	—	65k	—	0.1	$200–$1,800	Moderate
Fuel tank, filler or EVAP failure	fuel	3	2	—	82k	—	0.1	$250–$1,800	Moderate
Control module (ECM/PCM/BCM) failure	electrical	3	3	—	44k	—	0.1	$700–$3,000	High
Master cylinder or brake booster failure	brakes	3	3	—	45k	—	0.1	$450–$2,200	Critical
Other suspension problem	suspension	3	3	—	96k	—	0.1	$350–$2,000	Moderate
Other wheel or tire problem	wheels	3	3	—	72k	—	0.1	$200–$1,500	High
Alignment fault and uneven tire wear	suspension	2	2	—	62k	—	0.1	$150–$1,200	Moderate
Tire pressure monitor failure	wheels	2	1	—	21k	—	0.1	$80–$600	Low
Wheel, stud or lug nut failure	wheels	2	2	—	120k	—	0.1	$150–$1,500	Critical
CV axle or driveshaft failure	drivetrain	1	1	—	40k	—	0.0	$450–$2,200	High
Engine sensor failure	electrical	1	1	—	60k	—	0.0	$180–$900	Moderate
Ignition switch, key fob or immobilizer failure	electrical	1	1	—	130k	—	0.0	$250–$1,500	High
Brake line, hose or caliper failure	brakes	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$250–$1,600	Critical
Cruise control failure	adas	1	1	—	42k	—	0.0	$200–$1,400	High
Strut, shock or spring failure	suspension	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$500–$2,000	Moderate
Air suspension failure	suspension	1	1	—	44k	—	0.0	$900–$4,500	High
Door latch or handle failure	body	1	1	—	63k	—	0.0	$250–$1,200	High
Sunroof failure or glass breakage	body	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$700–$4,500	High
Tail light, brake light or signal failure	lighting	1	1	—	94k	—	0.0	$100–$900	Moderate
Other fuel system problem	fuel	1	0	—	—	—	0.0	$300–$2,200	High
Other steering problem	steering	1	1	—	29k	—	0.0	$350–$2,400	High
Other seat belt problem	airbag	1	1	—	237	—	0.0	$200–$900	High
Unclassified problem	other	11	8	43k	98k	123k	0.4	—	Moderate

Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound. Repair costs are typical independent-shop ranges for the failure, not figures from these reports.

How often, against how many were built

Scaled by an estimate of how many of these cars exist, the 2008 Ford Expedition draws about 5.8 per 1,000 vehicles, which puts it in the 84th percentile of complaint rates among 2008 vehicles we can rate.

That denominator is the weakest number on the page and it is fair to say so plainly. Rate per 1,000 uses a fleet-size estimate derived from recall paperwork for this exact model year. It is a lower bound.

The working figure is 30,908 vehicles. If the true number is twice that, every rate on this page is half what it says; the ranking against other 2008 vehicles, which is what the risk score uses, is far more robust than the rate itself.

What owners wrote

Verbatim from NHTSA complaint narratives, trimmed for length. The odometer reading is the one the owner gave.

Paint peeling or clear coat failure

I have called ford about the paint peeling on the back hatch and front hood. They have told me that they do not have a recall or problems with the paint. I have told them that many ford expedition owners have stopped me on the road and that ford had repainted their vehicle for nothing. Any given day you can drive by one of these vehicles and you will see the exact locations are peeling paint. I would ask for you to check why some are covered and others are not. Thank you for your assistance. *tr

74,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1216287 filed 2015-09-06

Paint peeling off under front of hood and under rear lift gate. This is a known problem for ford, I am finding out. It has apparently been going on for over a decade. The paint flakes off on any aluminum body panels that have been contaminated with iron. I have taken my vehicle to the dealer and they refused to repair it free of charge. I also called ford directly to complain and was told that there is currently no recall for the paint since there are not enough complaints. *tr

50,000 miles NHTSA complaint 1029801 filed 2014-01-01

Recalls on the 2008 model year

NHTSA has issued 4 recall campaigns covering the 2008 Ford Expedition, affecting an estimated 36,238 vehicles. A recall is a different kind of evidence from a complaint: it is the regulator and the manufacturer agreeing that something has to be fixed, and the fix is free for as long as the car exists.

The campaigns cover tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems, latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch, service brakes, air:antilock:control unit/module and air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module. Whether the work was actually done on the car in front of you is a question only the VIN can answer, and the manufacturer or NHTSA will answer it free.

Recalls also distort complaint counts. Publicity about a campaign reminds owners that complaining is possible, so reports for a recalled component often spike after the recall rather than before it.

08V166000

TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

158 vehicles 2008-04-11

Defect: 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 pressure monitoring systems." the tire pressure was increased from 35 psi to 40 psi without a commensurate update to the TPMS calibrations.
Consequence: The TPMS indicator light will not illuminate when a tire pressure is is 25% below the 40 psi value stated on the tire placard label occurs.
Remedy: 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.

08V058000

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH

123,632 vehicles 2008-02-05

Defect: 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 insufficient spring force to return the handle to the fully closed position. The handle may be loose causing a rattle or noise and the handle may not return to the fully closed position. This condition may also provide a delayed resistance when actuating the handle prior to opening the door.
Consequence: In the event of a side impact crash, the interior door handle may cause the door latch to open increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Remedy: 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.

07E105000

SERVICE BRAKES, AIR:ANTILOCK:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

10,481 vehicles 2007-12-13

Defect: 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.
Consequence: The extra check balls can restrict the flow of brake fluid through the valve and cause reduction of brake force.
Remedy: 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 can contact either their vehicle manufacturer or continental automotive at 248-393-5300 for further information.

07V541000

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

45 vehicles 2007-11-21

Defect: 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.
Consequence: This condition may prevent the driver air bag from properly deploying and reduce occupant protection in the event of a crash.
Remedy: 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.

Recall work is free at a franchised dealer regardless of the car's age. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before assuming it was done.

How it ranks in the 2008 field

The score at the top of the page, placed among its peers. The zones are the same thresholds the scorer applies, read out of the scorer itself, so the picture and the band word cannot disagree.

Risk score against the rest of the 2008 field

Scores are ranked within the model year, never across years, because an older car has had longer to accumulate reports.

Left fewer and less serious reports
Right more, or worse
Marker this vehicle

How 2008 compares with the other years

High risk for a 2008 — 172nd riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. Every score on this site is a rank inside its own model year, which is what makes a 2004 and a 2019 comparable at all.

Across the 30 model years of this car that carry enough reports to score, 2026 comes out best at 58 and 2003 worst at 78, with 2008 itself at 68.

If the model year is negotiable, 2026, 2014, 2013, 2000, 2002, 2001 and 1999 score lower than 2008 by a margin worth acting on. Same body, same engines, different luck — usually a supplier change or a mid-cycle fix, which the complaint data can show but never explain.

Within the 2003–2008 generation specifically, 2007 is the strongest year at 68 and 2003 the weakest at 78.

Scores compare each year against other cars of the same model year, so a low number on an older car is a real result and not an artefact of age.

Risk score by model year, out of 100

Shorter is better. Years with too few reports to score are shown without a bar rather than as a zero, because no data is not good news.

Within the 2003-2008 generation, 2007 Ford Expedition scores best at 68 and 2003 Ford Expedition worst at 78.

What the numbers say to check

The mileages below are where the first quarter of reports for each mode had already been filed, which makes them the point at which a fault is worth looking for rather than the point at which it happens: other brake problem from about 13k, other body or interior problem from about 40k and other speed control problem from about 43k.

On a 2008 Ford Expedition with more miles than that on it, the useful question to put to a seller or a mechanic is whether other brake problem has been dealt with, and if so with what parts and at whose expense. A car that has already had the repair is in a different position from one that has not.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a list of what other owners of the same model year reported, ordered by when they reported it, which is a good place to point an inspection and a poor place to stop.

Where these figures stop being useful

179 owner reports; fleet size estimated from this year's own recall paperwork. Every count on this page is therefore a floor: it is the number of owners who went to the trouble of filing with a federal agency, which is a small and self-selected fraction of the owners who had the fault.

Of those 179 reports, 142 carried an odometer reading, so the mileages here describe 79% of the sample rather than all of it. Owners also round: readings pile up on multiples of ten thousand, which is why this site publishes "about 90,000 miles" and not "91,438".

Named failure modes come from matching phrases in the complaint text, so a badly worded complaint can land in the wrong bucket. The effect washes out across hundreds of reports and does not wash out across five.

And nothing here predicts what one car will do. These are other people's complaints, filed years apart, on cars maintained by strangers. Read the page as a map of where this model year has previously gone wrong, then have the specific car in front of you inspected.

Questions this page answers

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Expedition?

The most-reported failures are other body or interior problem (20 reports, median 75,000 miles), other brake problem (15 reports, median 60,000 miles) and paint peeling or clear coat failure (12 reports, median 75,000 miles). Counts come from owner complaints filed with NHTSA, which are voluntary, so they show what owners bothered to report rather than every fault that occurred.

At what mileage do 2008 Ford Expedition problems start?

Other brake problem is the earliest failure mode to show up, with a median reported mileage of 60,000 miles and a quarter of reports before 15,000 miles. Across all failure modes on this year, the median report sits at 62,000 miles.

Is the 2008 Ford Expedition reliable?

It scores 68 out of 100 on our risk index, which is high — 172nd riskiest of the 356 2008 vehicles we can rate. The score is a comparison against other 2008 vehicles, not a prediction about any individual car, and it is built from complaint rates, severity and how early failures appear.

Which year of the Ford Expedition is best?

Within the 2003–2008 generation, 2007 scores best at 68 out of 100 and 2003 worst at 78. Same body, same engines, different luck.

Where this comes from. Every figure above is computed from NHTSA owner complaints and recall records for this exact make, model and year. Complaints are voluntary and self-selected, so treat counts as a floor. The methodology page writes out each formula, and the same numbers are available as JSON.

What breaks at my mileage Compare with another car

Source Owner complaints and recall records published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, model years 1996–2027 Figures rebuilt 30 August 2026 Published by AtWhatMileage How every figure is computed