2008 Ford Explorer Exterior lighting Problems
- Complaints
- 12about this part
- Share
- 8%of 148 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 66,628miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 12 complaints about the exterior lighting of the 2008 Ford Explorer, 8% of the 148 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 66,628 miles.
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.
“When driving over a bump in the road my seats go back, the lights come on and the key comes partly out of the ignition. This has been going on for months now and luckily I haven't had an accident. I have to push the key back into the ignition while trying to keep my foot on the pedal because of the seat going back I am too far from the pedal.”
NHTSA complaint #10608953, filed 2014-07, 101,000 miles“I purchased this truck in sept 2014 about 2 months after I purchased it,as I was driving the dome lights go on and the seat moves back as it does when it lets you out. It will do this more so with one set of our keys then the other. It's continually getting worse. It will sometimes happen 1-15 times in a car trip.I have almost gotten into an accident a number of times because of this. I have visited my dealer who has estimated about $500 in repairs and was amazed when he seen this going on. …”
NHTSA complaint #10705096, filed 2015-04, 56,000 miles“Ran over a slight bump after which the dome lights came on and the driver's seat moved all the way back simultaneously. After a few minutes the lights went out but I had to manually move the seat back forward. This same situation happened again about 5 minutes later. Both the dealer and Ford customer care people said they had never heard of this problem before, although I see numerous complaints on the internet about the same problem and that they had reported it to the company.”
NHTSA complaint #10663130, filed 2014-12, 80,000 miles“The air bag indicator light is on and stays on. I took it to my Ford dealer and they are saying I need a new module in order for my airbag to deploy properly. After researching on line, I see hundreds of similar complaints with no results. I am concerned that this is an ongoing problem that Ford is turning a blind eye to. This is a safety concern that should be addressed and soon. There are complaints on models from 1999-2014, and the bottom line is that customers are having repairs made that are not fixing the problem. …”
NHTSA complaint #10714438, filed 2015-05, 70,000 miles“While driving, the driver power seat starts to move backwards and forward ,dome lights came on like if when I turn off the car . But the car is on and moving . And then two occasions while on the freeway driving the vehicle turned off. Pulled over and restarted the car and it turned on like if nothing happened. I had taken the vehicle to the dealer several times they have run diagnostic test and are not able to find any thing wrong.done some research on line and found more people with same issue. Extremely dangerous!!! Do not feel safe driving especially in traffic. …”
NHTSA complaint #10586357, filed 2014-05, 72,000 milesExterior lighting: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5 | 5% |
| 2023 | 2 | 2% |
| 2022 | 5 | 2% |
| 2021 | 8 | 2% |
| 2020 | 56 | 4% |
| 2018 | 4 | 1% |
| 2017 | 12 | 1% |
| 2016 | 6 | 0% |
| 2015 | 17 | 1% |
| 2014 | 25 | 1% |
| 2013 | 25 | 1% |
| 2012 | 6 | 1% |
| 2011 | 6 | 1% |
| 2010 | 2 | 2% |
| 2008 | 12 | 8% |
| 2007 | 3 | 1% |
| 2006 | 1 | 0% |
| 2005 | 5 | 1% |
| 2004 | 7 | 1% |
| 2003 | 6 | 1% |
| 2002 | 19 | 1% |
| 2001 | 9 | 2% |
| 2000 | 26 | 3% |
| 1999 | 46 | 3% |
| 1998 | 38 | 2% |
| 1997 | 20 | 1% |
| 1996 | 15 | 1% |
| 1995 | 16 | 2% |
| 1994 | 9 | 1% |
| 1993 | 7 | 1% |
| 1992 | 3 | 0% |
| 1991 | 6 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2008 Ford Explorer
38 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
36 complaintsSeats
27 complaintsEngine
21 complaintsSteering
13 complaintsOther or unknown
12 complaintsWheels
9 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsVehicle speed control
7 complaintsAir bags
4 complaintsEngine cooling
4 complaintsSeat belts
4 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2008 Ford Explorer
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 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