The driver side air bag went off while reversing out of my home. The air bag went off while my arm was across the steering wheel. Powder went in my eyes from it and my arm was bruised and burned from the impact. It hurt so bad that my I had someone pick me up from home and drive me to the hospital. I also had my ear drums ringing for a good while. No police has inspected it as it happened at my home and there were no warning lights for it on. I didn’t hit anything either. I was simply reversing when it went off.
The worst 2008 Ford F-150 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine75
- Steering53
- Transmission50
- Acceleration41
- Brakes39
- Airbags29
- Electrical29
- Fuel system27
- Body23
- Visibility12
- Seat belts11
- Suspension11
- Tires9
- Wheels7
- Lights6
- Locks3
- Driver assistance2
- Seats2
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Ford F-150
Engine failure 16Stalling 15Sudden acceleration 14No deployment 13Check engine light 12Fuel pump 11ABS 9Power steering loss 9Fire or smoke 8Jerking 8Airbag light 7Knocking 7Steering lock-up 7Tire blowout 7Transmission failure 7Adaptive cruise 6Hesitation 6Loss of power 6Won't start 6Fuel smell 5Misfire 5
Recalls 1
Engine and engine cooling
- What is wrong
- Roush is recalling 213 my 2007-2008 ford f-150 trucks altered to operate using liquid propane injection. The hydro-carbon paper affixed to the inside of the airbox lid with adhesive may become dislodged during operation.
- Risk
- This failure may result in a loss of performance, illumination of the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) and, in extreme cases, a stalling of the vehicle during operation without notice, which could result in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the airbox lid with a new one that includes the hydro-carbon paper which has been affixed using an adhesive promoter and greater pressure as recommended by the manufacturer free of charge. The recall began on october 21, 2008. Owners may contact roush at 1‑866‑307‑6788.
Recall number 08V523000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2008 Ford F-150
Defect investigations
Tire valve cracking
On october 14, 2008, odi opened pe08-060 to investigate allegations of cracked and leaking snap-in tire valves in model year (my) 2007 vehicles manufactured by ford motor company.the valves were supplied to ford by topseal auto-parts, a subsidiary of the shanghai baolong automotive corporation in china.valves made by topseal for aftermarket sale were the subject of two recent safety recalls by tech international (08t-018) and dill air controls (08t-028), the latter of which was investigated by odi in pe08-036 and ea08-022.the defect conditions addressed by the aftermarket tire valve recalls both involved inadequate resistance to ozone cracking due to issues with the supply of anti-ozonant chemicals to topseal for a period from july to mid-november 2006.the aftermarket valves were compounded with a blend of epdm and natural rubber, using a relatively low percentage of epdm (epdm provides inherent resistance to ozone cracking).hence, the need for anti-ozonant chemicals and the problems with cracking when those chemicals were missing or out of specification in some lots of valves.both recall campaigns involved inspection programs to identify and replace valves with visible surface cracking.although the topseal valves supplied to ford also appear to have been affected by the anti-ozonant supply issues in mid to late-2006, ford indicated that its valves were made at a different topseal production line and were compounded with a higher percentage of epdm rubber to meet more stringent specifications from ford.odi's analysis of complaint and warranty data provided by ford showed that problems with cracked tire valves were significantly higher for my 2007 vehicles produced from december 2006 through march 2007.ford responded by implementing changes in its material specifications for snap-in rubber tire valves and also increasing the quality and acceptance standards for valves imported for use in its vehicles.while the complaint and warranty claim rates are elevated for subject vehicles produced from december 2006 through march 2007, the rates of leaking valves are well below one percent of production for each of the peak months for all of the affected models.a substantial majority of the subject vehicles are equipped with tire pressure monitoring systems (TPMS) which warn the driver when any tire pressures drops below 25 percent of recommended inflation pressure. As outlined in a letter to odi dated april 6, 2009, ford has agreed to send letters to owners of certain my 2007 and 2008 ford, lincoln and mercury vehicles to provide information about the cracking concern. Letters will be sent to owners of vehicles built from november 2006 through may 2007.owners can opt for a free dealer inspection.valves exhibiting surface cracks or air leakage related to ozone attack will be replaced by ford under its normal warranty terms.ford expects to send the letter by approximately mid-may 2009. Based on the use of TPMS in the majority of subject vehicles and the relatively low rates of repairs associated with leaking valves and resultant tire damage, odi believes that the actions ford has agreed to take will provide effective and expeditious resolution for vehicles that were built during the period when valves with inadequate resistance to ozone cracking were most likely to have been used in vehicle production.further investigation of this matter would not be an efficient allocation of agency resources.accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will continue to
PE08060
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Ford F-150 39
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless...
- This article supersedes TSB 22-2219 to update the Parts List and Service Procedure to clarify applicable...
- All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code
- For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to
- Grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area
- Grinding/clicking/ratcheting noise from the front wheel area
- This article supersedes TSB 19-2026 to update the vehicle model years affected
- This SKU is an Oil Dipstick
- Concern during or after programing the VSM. The programming may fail or vehicle symptoms such as...
- This SKU is a Transmission Oil Cooler Line
2008 Ford F-150 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2L 6‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19-20 | 16 |
| 4.6L 8‑cyl | RWD | 14 | 19 | 16 |
| 5.4L 8‑cyl | RWD | 13-14 | 17-19 | 14-15 |
| 5.4L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 13 | 17 | 14-15 |
| 4.6L 8‑cyl | 4WD | 13 | 17 | 14 |
What 2008 Ford F-150 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The mirrors are not convex, the do not meet safety standards for viewable angles. Impossible to use to back up.
Walmart Auto Center installed the incorrect tire size 255/70R17 on my factory setup with factory wheels. Westlake SU318 All Season 255/70R17 112T SUV/crossover tires were installed in place of the correct size 245/70R17 tires. Walmart is refusing to fix my truck and I had the brake lines blow out 3 weeks after installing the tires. I am a current threat to the public and myself driving with these incorrect tires. Walmart will not replace the tires. Walmart is attempting to coverup this by not providing the information to carfax. I have submitted a carfax update case#XXX. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-150. The contact stated that after turning off the vehicle, the contact attempted to restart the vehicle and became aware that the gear shifter was not in park(P). The contact inspected the gear shift lever, and the gear shifter was in the park(P); however, the contact was unable to move the gear shift lever. The contact depressed the brake pedal, moved the gear shift lever, and was able to restart the vehicle. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence and replaced the shifter cable, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while arriving at her sister's residence, the failure reoccurred. The shift indicator displayed that the vehicle was not in park(P). However, the gear shifter lever was in park(P). A neighbor stopped by and assisted the contact by going underneath the vehicle and manually shifting the gear. The vehicle was restarted and driven to the residence. The failure had progressively worsened, and the vehicle was no longer driven. The vehicle was parked at the residence. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 135,000.
The grab handle on drivers side that is put there to assist the driver to enter the vehicle is the issue. On 4/17/2025 I was attempting to enter my truck. I am severely disabled. I grabbed the handle that is attached to the A pillar as I have hundreds of times since I bought the truck in 2008. I am the original owner. Vehicle only has about 36,000 miles on it. As I was pulling myself in the entire handle detached from the A pillar sending me into a bad fall onto my driveway. Luckily I was not seriously injured. I'm 6'4 190 pounds, so its not like I'm terribly heavy. The next day I went to see just what happened and removed the the handle assembly. I was shocked to find that it is not attached to the steel A pillar. A steel plate is attached to the pillar under the handle but the handle is anchored to that plate only by two plastic wells that the screws go through. Both of the bottoms of those wells broke clean off which then allowed the entire assembly to pull away from the A pillar. I did some research and there is like a 5 year period of this being a known issue. I found dozens of examples of the exact same failure online. There is no "better" replacement part available either. I'm shocked that Ford would not secure this handle into the frame. Something thats meant to assist people entering the vehicle that will be pulled on anchored with PLASTC?? Ford needs issue a recall for this and provide a fix. If i had been 4 inches closer to my brick wall corner of my house I would not be here now to report this. I have included pics. the red circled parts are the plastic that hold the handle to the pillar that broke.
The truck has a body frame that was cracked in several spots and welded back together in more then 5 different spots and the welding job is very poor. The truck has a power steering line leak, cvs axle leaks and a exhaust manifold leak. The dealership fixed upper ball joints when we agreed on lower and upper in the front. They added a exhaust but did not do the job correctly with completing the job and the welding of it. Ive made a complaint with the loan company and i as well have talked to the owner of the dealership and he fights that none of those things are wrong with the truck and im lying but i have had a inspection done on the truck. When i got the truck i looked it over and so did my brother i pointed the issues of what needed fixed that i could see and that was not done. I then started having issues with the truck and took it to a mechaninc and had an inspection done
Door fails to close and latch shut. Several other recalls on this issue but my vin was not included. I am currently not able to drive the car with out the door falling open Related recalls provided to me by Ford 17s33 19n06 18n03
See attached document for complaint.
My 5.4 v8 triton motor timing came phasers are bad the truck runs fine when cold when it gets warmer up it rattles and shakes and stalls air bag light stays on I had to pull the fuse bc it beeps and warning light so it's not active
Vehicle will not go into reverse. After research and reviews of this transmission in this year model, the reverse band is a known issue by Ford. Even the transmissions installed for replacement have bad reverse bands. There was a service advisory put out by ford but the advisory is no longer available. The reverse band is weak and the incorrect part was installed from factory.
Compare the 2008 Ford F-150
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Other model years
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Questions about the 2008 Ford F-150
Is the 2008 Ford F-150 reliable?
Owners have filed 369 complaints about the 2008 Ford F-150, fewer than a typical F-150 model year.
What is the 2008 Ford F-150 year score?
The 2008 Ford F-150 scores 81 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford F-150: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Ford F-150?
Engine and cooling, with 75 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles. Next is steering (53).
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford F-150 have?
1 recall, covering engine and engine cooling.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Ford F-150 engine?
Yes, 1 recall: 08V523000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford F-150 have bad engine?
The Ford F-150 model years with the most engine complaints are 2018 (591 complaints), 2013 (567 complaints) and 1997 (544 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2008 Ford F-150 get?
Official estimates for the 2008 Ford F-150 range from 14 to 16 mpg combined. The most efficient version (4.2L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 14 city and 19-20 highway.
VIN decoder
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Check its historyFord F-150 in the news
- Ford recalls 2026-2027 F-150, 2026 F-250 SD and 2026 F-350 SD and other models over hinge and attachments problem (30,123 vehicles)
- Ford recalls 2026 F-150, 2025-2026 F-250 SD and 2025-2026 F-350 SD and other models over instrument cluster/panel problem (102,159 vehicles)
- Ford recalls 2025-2027 F-150 over seats problem (2,276 vehicles)