2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 35%of 23 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 45,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 35% of the 23 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 45,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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. …”
NHTSA complaint #10311971, filed 2010-02, 15,000 miles“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 to start it. …”
NHTSA complaint #10512492, filed 2013-05, 45,000 miles“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.”
NHTSA complaint #10392184, filed 2011-03, 24,000 miles“Radiator started leaking at bottom gasket /o ring seal of tank. Also interior light goes off and on when hit bumps. Found it is tied into the ignition switch. If light comes on after hitting bump all I have to do is giggle the ignition switch to get it to go back off.”
NHTSA complaint #10428943, filed 2011-10, 48,000 miles“2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac, 5 speed automatic, v6. Transmission fails to engage; truck has difficulty accelerating from a stop and will roll backwards from a stop if on an incline. Transmission also 'slams' gears and feels like the vehicle has been hit from behind. Dealership has failed to repair and has worked on the vehicle for over four weeks with no permanent resolution. Fixes last a couple weeks and then it fails again. Transmission has been removed and many parts replaced, but it still does not work properly. …”
NHTSA complaint #10347441, filed 2010-08, 28,000 milesRelated recalls
- 07V453000Sep 26, 2007On certain sport utility vehicles equipped with the 4.6l engine and 6r transmission, the bolt securing the transmission oil cooler line fittings at the…Covers: Ford Explorer Sport Trac 2008, Explorer 2008, Mercury Mountaineer 2008
Related service bulletins
- 10039053Mar 1, 2011Ford: if there is an intermittent lack of power, surge, or hesitation while driving the brakes will override acceleration.
- 10028736May 1, 2009Ford: some vehicles may exhibit oil separation from the internal lube found in the unitized cartridge seal. Oil separation appears to be and is often misdiagnosed, as an axle…
- 10029167Dec 1, 2008Ford/mercury: some vehicles may exhibit various symptoms such as drivability symptoms, including but not limited to no crank with/without blown fuse, and illumination of…
- 10026385Oct 23, 2008Ford/mercury: 4.0l/4.6l hard start/rough running; after long hot soak/dip in rpm when coming to a stop; built on or before 4/2/08. May exhibit a dip in rpm below normal idle…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 7 | 23% |
| 2009 | 2 | 33% |
| 2008 | 8 | 35% |
| 2007 | 23 | 23% |
| 2006 | 5 | 100% |
| 2005 | 3 | 5% |
| 2004 | 13 | 15% |
| 2003 | 8 | 10% |
| 2002 | 32 | 22% |
| 2001 | 36 | 22% |
| 1997 | 1 | 17% |
Other parts of the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
7 complaintsBrakes
4 complaintsElectrical system
4 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaintsFuel system
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsOther or unknown
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaintsTires
1 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Nov 1, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology