U.S. public vehicle records

2008 Ford EXPLORER SPORT TRAC problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

23 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

65,265 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2008 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 22 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 7 of 23 complaints (30.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Transmission and shifting	8	34.8%
Braking behavior	6	26.1%
Engine operation	2	8.7%
Electrical and battery issues	1	4.3%
Steering behavior	1	4.3%
Fuel system concerns	1	4.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine

Electrical System

Power Train

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Engine And Engine Cooling

Service Brakes

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags

Engine: 7; Electrical System: 4; Power Train: 4; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 4; Engine And Engine Cooling: 2; Service Brakes: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Air Bags: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 6; 50,000 to 74,999: 4; 75,000 to 99,999: 5; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (6). 1 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2008

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2019

2023

2008: 2; 2010: 3; 2011: 3; 2012: 2; 2013: 2; 2014: 2; 2015: 3; 2016: 1; 2017: 3; 2019: 1; 2023: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 8 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 6 complaint narratives. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10250290 · 2008-11-21 (November 21, 2008)

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

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10250290 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10311971 · 2010-02-19 (February 19, 2010)

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 SHOULD JUST WAIT THE 21 SECONDS BEFORE SHIFTING TO REVERSE. 2ND DEALER CANNOT DUPLICATE PROBLEM BECAUSE IT IS INTERMITTENT AND SEEMS WORSE WHEN WEATHER IS WARM AND HUMID. 1ST DEALER INDICATED THEY DID A REFLASH OF TRANSMISSION BUT 2ND DEALER CONFIRMED…

Owner-reported narrative. 15,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10311971 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10348409 · 2010-08-10 (August 10, 2010)

2008 FORD SPORT TRAC WHEN PULLING ONTO HIGHWAY TRACTION LIGHT CAME ON AND BRAKES LOCKED UP WOULD NOT GO OR ABLE TO STOP BRAKE PEDAL FELT LIKE A JACK HAMMER WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES THE ONLY WAY TO GET THE LIGHT OFF WAS TO SHUT THE TRUCK DOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD FORD HAS DONE NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM THEY KNOW IT IS A SENSOR BUT IT HAS 4 OF THEM AND THEY WILL NOT CHANGE ALL 4 TO FIX THE PROBLEM. THEY WOULD RATHER RISK MY LIFE AND ANYONE THAT MAYBE FOLLOWING ME. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 32,568 miles reported. Look up ODI 10348409 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10392184 · 2011-03-18 (March 18, 2011)

BRAKE OR TRANSMISSION IS MALFUNCTIONING, TRUCK WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE IN THE DRIVEWAY AND NOT RUNNING, IN PARK, LOCKED AND AFTER A BOUT AN HOUR THE TRUCK BEGAN ROLLING, AN WAS STOPPED MY A PIECE OF WROUGHT IRON FENCE, DAMAGING THE FRONT BUMPER. IT COULD HAVE BEEN WORSE HAD THE FENCE NOT BEEN THERE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 24,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10392184 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10451602 · 2012-03-14 (March 14, 2012)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WOULD LUNGE FORWARD WHEN ATTEMPTING TO SHIFT GEARS. THE VEHICLE WOULD ALSO STALL, SHIFT OUT OF NEUTRAL, SHIFT OUT OF OVER DRIVE OR WOULD SHIFT INTO VARIOUS GEARS ERRATICALLY. A LOCAL MECHANIC REPLACED THE TRANSMISSION, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER REQUESTED TO RECEIVE INFORMATION FROM THE DEALER BEFORE ASSISTING THE CONTACT WITH THE FAILURE. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED BUT DENIED ANY ASSISTANCE WITH REPAIR TO THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAG…

Owner-reported narrative. 75,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10451602 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10966329 · 2017-03-16 (March 16, 2017)

DRIVING ON HIGHWAY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND ENGINE STARTED MISSING AND CAR SHAKING; PULLED IN TO FORD DEALER IN NEXT TOWN; DIAGNOSIS SAID COULD BE THIS OR THAT THEY COULD NOT FIGURE IT OUT BUT GOT CAR RUNNING SMOTHER; WE WENT ANOTHER 300 MILES TO OUR DESTINATION; TOOK CAR TO LOCAL FORD DEALER; REPLACED SPARK PLUGS AND UPSTREAM O2 SENSOR; TOOK IT HOME; STILL RAN ROUGH SEEMS LIKE IT IS ABOUT TO STALL AN A LIGHT OR SITTING IN TRAFFIC; TOOK IT BACK; THEY HAD IT FOR 3 DAYS; MECHANIC DROVE IT; COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS WRONG AND SAID THEY T…

Owner-reported narrative. 68,530 miles reported. Look up ODI 10966329 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10512492 · 2013-05-17 (May 17, 2013)

PARKED VEHICLE. TURNED OFF IGNITION. KEY WOULD NOT RELEASE FROM THE IGNITION. CYCLED THE AUTO SHIFT LEVER TO MAKE SURE IN PARK. AT THIS POINT NOTED THAT I COULD SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT MY FOOT BEING ON THE BRAKE. VERY DANGEROUS. I WAS ABLE TO REMOVE THE KEY BY PULLING THE IGNITION FUSE. I PULLED THE FUSE AND REMOVED THE KEY. REINSTALLED THE FUSE. WAS STILL ABLE TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK WITHOUT MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. I LEFT THE CAR SITTING FOR A WHILE AND NOTED THAT THE BATTERY HAD COMPLETELY DRAINED DOWN. I WAS ABLE TO JUMP THE CAR OFF …

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10512492 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10787940 · 2015-11-03 (November 3, 2015)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME LOOSE AND FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE CONTACT WAS MADE AWARE OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V181000 (STEERING); HOWEVER, THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.

Owner-reported narrative. 100,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10787940 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11233315 · 2019-07-19 (July 19, 2019)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2008 FORD EXPLORER SPORT TRAC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH ON THE SAND IN A BEACH AREA THAT THERE WAS A FAILURE OF WHICH A STRONG BURNING ODOR STARTED, EXCESS HEAT WAS FELT BY THE DRIVER, FRONT PASSENGER AND 3 REAR PASSENGERS. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AS THEY EXITED THE VEHICLE. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, IT WAS NOTICED THAT THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE NEAR THE TRANSMISSION AREA, FLUID HAD LEAKED ONTO THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER AS THE FIRE PROGRESSED TO DESTROYING THE VEHICLE WITH THE FIRE BECOMING EXTENSIV…

Owner-reported narrative. 81,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11233315 at NHTSA ↗