2008 Ford E-150 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2008 Ford E-150, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine433.3%
- Seat belts216.7%
- Tires & wheels216.7%
- Suspension18.3%
- Powertrain (other)18.3%
- Driver assistance18.3%
- Brakes18.3%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
BURNT CAM FROM LACK OF OILING. DEALER UNABLE TO REPAIR, SAID NEW ENGINE ONLY OPTION. FORD WOULD NOT PAY FOR NEW ENGINE. WARRANTY STATED DRIVETRAIN WARRANTY GOOD FOR 60,000 MILES OR FIVE YEARS.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD E-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, A RATTLING NOISE EMITTED FROM THE UNDER CARRIAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC WHO FOUND THAT THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER WELDING HAD FAILED AND CAUSED THE PIPES TO FRACTURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 89,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 93,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
AIR BAG CODE 33 FLASHING ON DASH . FORD STATES DRIVER SIDE SEAT BELT BUCKLE TO BE REPLACED AT $ 527.00 . IS THIS NOT A SAFETY ISSUE BY THAT FORD SHOULD ADDRESS AT NO COST TO THE CONSUMER ? PLEASE HELP .
MY AGENCY OPERATES 7D VEHICLES THAT TRANSPORT YOUNG CHILDREN. THE SEATS IN WHICH WE MUST PLACE REAR-FACING INFANT CAR SEATS DO NOT ALLOW US TO PROPERLY SECURE THE CAR SEAT. THERE IS ONE TETHER INSTALLED ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT AND 2 INSTALLED WHERE THE CUSHIONS MEET. THE STRAP THAT IS SUPPOSED TO CLIP TO THE TETHER ON THE BACK OF THE SEAT IS TOO SHORT FOR REAR FACING CAR SEATS. THE CAR SEAT CAN BE SECURED USING THE SIDE TETHERS, BUT THE INABILITY TO SECURE TO THE REAR TETHER RESULTS IN THE CAR SEAT MOVING FORWARD & BACKWARD. IF THERE WERE A FRONT-ON COLLISION, THE INFANT'S HEAD WOULD THRUST FORWARD. I AM NOT SURE IF THIS IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE DESIGN OR THE CAR SEAT. (RELATED VEHICLE INFORMATION: MODEL YEAR=2008, MAKE=FORD, MODEL=ECONOVAN E150). *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD E-150 EQUIPPED WITH MICHELIN LTX M/S TIRES, SIZE: LT225/75R16. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONTACT COASTED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NOTICED BUBBLES ON THE SIDEWALLS AND TREAD SEPARATION ON THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE TIRES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND ALL FOUR TIRES WERE REPLACED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13T012000 (TIRES). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE VEHICLE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000. THE TIRE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
I HAD TO REPLACE ALL 5 TIRES WITHIN 2 YEARS OF MY VEHICLE PURCHASE. THE NEW TIRES ARE NOW JUST OVER 2 1/2 YEARS OLD. ONE BLEW OUT ON A RESIDENTIAL STREET WHILE GOING 35 MILES/HOUR. THE 2ND TIRE REPLACED WAS ALSO SEPARATING AND CAUSING THE VAN TO VIBRATE JUST AS THE FIRST ONE SO I TOOK IT IN 6 WEEKS AFTER THE FIRST BLOWOUT. LEAVING THE TIRE STORE MY VAN IS STILL VIBRATING AND NOW I NOTICE THE 3RD TIRE IS BUCKLING ON THE OUTSIDE WALL. THE 4TH TIRE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE ANY MAJOR ISSUE YET. THE 5TH IS MY SPARE-NEVER USED. DISCOUNT SAID THEY WOULDN'T REPLACE THE 2 FRONT TIRES UNTIL THEY HAD THE SAME ISSUE AS THE REAR TIRES, WITHOUT COST TO ME. THESE TIRES ARE FROM THE SAME LOT #S. THEY SHOULD ALL BE REPLACED BEFORE ACCIDENTS, OR WORSE, OCCURS. ALL TIRES WERE MICHELIN LTX M/S LT225/75 R16. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD E-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE RODE ROUGHLY AS IF IT WERE BEING DRIVEN OVER ROCKY TERRAIN. IN ADDITION, THE AIR PRESSURE INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, BUT IT COULD NOT BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 90,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD E-150. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE FAILED TO SHIFT FROM REVERSE INTO DRIVE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD E-150 VAN. THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING 45 MPH WHEN THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND THE VEHICLE PROCEEDED TO STALL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER SIX TIMES REGARDING THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 98,452 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE 101,600. UPDATED 04/25/12 *BF UPDATED 06/07/12 *JS
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
WHILE APPLYING THE BRAKES TO PARK THE CAR THE WAS A LOUD RIFLE SHOT SOUND, FLASH AND VEHICLE JOLT FROM UNDER THE HOOD. AND THE BREAK WARNING LIGHT CAME ON. DURING REPAIR THE MECHANIC FOUND THAT THE PROBLEM WAS THE WITH THE MASTER CYLINDER CRUSE CONTROL CANCELLING SWITCH. THE SWITCH BLEW APART AND IGNITED THE ATOMIZED BREAK FLUID THAT WAS EXPELLED FROM THE MASTER CYLINDER. FORTUNATELY THE EXPLODING BREAK FLUID SELF EXTINGUISHED AVOIDING AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. SINCE THE TRIGGERING OF THIS EVENT WAS THE ACT OF APPLYING THE BRAKES IT WAS ONLY BY CHANCE THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE EVENT TOTALLY DISABLED THE FRONT BRAKES AND AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS THE BRAKE FLUID MIST WOULD HAVE LIKELY IGNITED FURTHER BACK IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER THE CHASSIS. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS RECALLS OF FORD PRODUCTS OVER A 20+ YEAR PERIOD FOR THIS SWITCH COMPONENT CAUSING BOTH FIRES AND DEATHS BUT THIS VEHICLE'S S/N WAS NOT ON THE LIST FOR GETTING NOTIFIED. LOOKS LIKE SOMEONE DIDN'T DO THEIR "HOMEWORK" ON THIS ONE, I AM NOT SURE THIS VEHICLE IS SAFE TO DRIVE. I HAVE THE REPAIR BILL FOR THE REPLACEMENT WORK AND THE GENTLEMAN SHOWED ME THE BLOWN OUT SHELL OF THE SWITCH. I PICKED UP ONE OF THE PARTS FROM OUR PARKING SLAB. I HAVE NOTIFIED FORD BY EMAIL.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .