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2008 Ford F-150Problems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 369 owner complaints about the 2008 Ford F-150, most often about the steering. It is covered by 1 safety recall.

2008 Ford F-150
69
CarFlaw IndexOne of the best years56% below the F-150 median · #32 of 42 years by complaints
Safety recalls1Free fix at dealersOwner complaints36979 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage63kSteering, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through September 3, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Calreyn88, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2008 Ford F-150 has problems

369 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Steering531
Engine531
Power train504
Vehicle speed control4111
Air bags2921
Electrical system295
Structure233
Engine and engine cooling226
Fuel/propulsion system211
19 other systems11513

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

1 recall

2008 Ford F-150 recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

–no report yet

Engine and engine cooling

Recall 08V-523 · Oct 8, 2008 · 213 vehicles

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…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do steering problems start?

63kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 52 steering complaints. 77% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
7under 30k miles40under 100k miles12100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2008 vs. every other F-150 year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-150 median. How we score

'73'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26'27
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2008 Ford F-150 safety ratings

2008 Ford F-150 Supercab in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2008 Ford F-150 frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
  • Rollover: 4 stars (19.8% risk)
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2008 Ford F-150, and the recalls they led to.

  1. TIRE VALVE CRACKINGPE08060 · closed Apr 9, 2009
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-150 owners report

Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

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…
Complaint 11652736 · Apr 4, 2025
THREE MONTHS AGO I HEARD A POP NOISE UNDER THE HOOD THEN SHORTLY AFTER THE STEERING BEGAN TO FEEL STIFF EVEN ON THE RETURN AFTER TURNING I NEEDED TO HELP.UPON INSPECTION I FOUND THE LOWER INTERMEDIATE STEERING SHAFT JOINTS ARE EXTREMELY CORRODED AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED UPON CHECKING THIS SEEMS T…
Complaint 11307807 · Feb 7, 2020 · 119,000 miles
MY TRUCK HAS 80,000 MILES. I NOTICED THAT GRADUALLY THE STEERING WAS BECOMING STIFFER AND HARDER TO TURN FEELING AS IF IT WAS BINDING AT TIMES. IT GOT TO A POINT THAT WHEN MAKING A TURN THE WHEEL WOULD NOT RECOVER AND ACTUALLY HAD TO BE PULLED BACK MAKING IT DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. I TOOK IT TO MY…
Complaint 11218516 · Jun 7, 2019 · 80,000 miles

Own a 2008 F-150?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.