"How reliable is the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?"

"Based on 34 NHTSA complaints, the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac has a median complaint mileage of 62000 miles. The most common issue is Engine."

"What are common problems with the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac is Engine, accounting for a significant portion of the 34 total complaints filed."

2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 34 complaints

Total Complaints

62,000mi

Median Mileage

Engine

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

45,000 25th Percentile

62,000 Median Mileage

85,000 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Engine

Automatic Transmission

Power Train

Electrical System

Service Brakes

Vehicle Speed Control

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes, Electric

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Valve

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"2008 FORD SPORT TRAC HAS A PROBLEM WITH THE TRANSMISSION. *NJ THE CONSUMER NOTICED THAT AFTER COMING TO A STOP, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT MAKING A SMOOTH STOP, BUT RATHER LURCHING SEVERAL TIMES IN STOPPING. THE DEALER PERFORMED A PROGRAM ON THE TRANSMISSION, HOWEVER THE CONTINUED. *JB"

"ALL 4 TIRE STEMS/VALVES WERE FRACTURED ... FORD DENIES A RECALL ... INTERNAL MEMO ACKNOWLEDGES A PRODUCT WIDE PROBLEM WITH TIRE CALVES FROM THAT FACTORY. *TR"

"2008 SPORT TRAC V8 4 WHEEL DRIVE. I MUST WAIT APPROXIMATELY 30 SECONDS BEFORE BACKING TRUCK OUT OF MY GARAGE...ANY SOONER AND THE ENGINE JUST REVS BUT WILL SLOWLY MOVE AFTER REACHING 6,000 RPM. TRUCK ALSO ADVANCES SLOWLY FROM A STOP. 1ST DEALER ADVISED ME IT ACTUALLY WAS 21 SECONDS AND THAT I SHO..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Engine 7 complaints

25th: 64,830 mi Median: 81,000 mi 75th: 105,000 mi

Automatic Transmission 4 complaints

Median: 24,000 mi

Power Train 4 complaints

25th: 47,250 mi Median: 61,500 mi 75th: 76,250 mi

Electrical System 4 complaints

25th: 72,000 mi Median: 110,500 mi 75th: 148,734 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NC: 6 FL: 4 TX: 3 OH: 3 GA: 3 NY: 3 TN: 2 MA: 2 SC: 2 LA: 1

Who Files Complaints?

2.9%

Original Owners

97.1%

Second+ Owners

Ford Explorer Sport Trac — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
2001	229	71,760	Vehicle Speed Control	20
2002	190	42,302	Automatic Transmission	8
2003	91	48,600	Electrical System	5
2004	108	45,000	Automatic Transmission	21
2005	84	73,500	Fuel/Propulsion System	7
2007	122	40,000	Automatic Transmission	13
2010	38	30,000	Power Train	4

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28