YearToAvoid

2008 Ford Ranger Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Avoid

Complaint Index

88/100

#3 most-complained of 17 Ranger years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2008 Ford Ranger has 326 owner complaints and 5 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 88 out of 100 — #3 highest of 17 Ranger model years (verdict: Avoid). The most reported problem area is airbags (295 complaints, 90% of the total). Complaints report 9 crashes, 1 fire, 8 injuries, and 1 death.

Complaints
326
Recalls
5
incl. Do Not Drive
Crashes / fires
9 / 1
Injuries / deaths
8 / 1
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
17
15 city / 20 hwy

Top 2008 Ford Ranger problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Airbags295 (90%)
  2. Structure & Body12 (4%)
  3. Electrical System8 (2%)
  4. Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (2%)
  5. Engine6 (2%)
  6. Other5 (2%)
  7. Brakes2 (1%)
  8. Fuel System2 (1%)
  9. Seat Belts1 (0%)
  10. Steering1 (0%)
2008 Ford Ranger complaints: complaints filed per quarter1202008 Q22011 Q32014 Q22017 Q22018 Q32019 Q42021 Q32023 Q2
340 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2008 Q2 to 2026 Q3; peak 2017 Q4 (120).

2008 Ford Ranger recalls

5 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 21V158000Mar 10, 2021Airbags2,602,668 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal:driver side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2007-2011 Ranger, 2006-2012 Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr, Lincoln MKZ, 2006-2011 Mercury Milan, 2007-2010 Ford Edge, and Lincoln MKX vehicles. The driver's side air bag inflator may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, high temperatures, and high temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants, resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver-side airbag inflator or module with an alternate one, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 9, 2021 for the passenger side, and November 14, 2022 for the driver side. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S12.

  2. NHTSA 21V081000Feb 16, 2021Airbags1,067 vehicles

    Air bags:frontal

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2005-2014 Mustang, 2004-2011 Ranger, 2009-2011 Mercury Milan, 2006 Ford GT, 2008-2012 Fusion, 2007-2010 Edge and Lincoln MKX, and 2009-2010 Lincoln MKZ vehicles. These vehicles may be equipped with a driver or passenger frontal air bag inflator used as a replacement service part, that may explode due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to high absolute humidity, temperature and temperature cycling.

    Risk: In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the frontal air bag, an inflator explosion may result in sharp metal fragments striking the driver or other occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver and passenger air bag module, and replace either the module or the inflator, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 17, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S05.

  3. NHTSA 17V024000Jan 10, 2017Airbags654,695 vehiclesDo Not Drive

    Air bags:frontal:passenger side:inflator module

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2012 Ford Fusion and Mustang and Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands (Saipan), and the U.S. Virgin Islands, or "Zone A." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" above, Ford is recalling certain 2009 Ford Ranger, Edge, Fusion and Mustang, Lincoln MKX, MKZ and Zephyr and Mercury Milan vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, or "Zone B." Additionally, unless included in "Zone A" or "Zone B" above, Ford is recalling certain 2007-2008 Ford Ranger, Edge and Lincoln MKX, 2006-2008 Ford Fusion, Mercury Milan, Lincoln Zephyr and MKZ, 2005-2008 Ford Mustang and 2005-2006 Ford GT vehicles originally sold, or ever registered, in the states of Alaska, Colorado, Connecticut, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming. These vehicles are equipped with certain air bag inflators assembled as part of the passenger frontal air bag modules used as original equipment or replacement equipment. In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the passenger frontal air bag, these inflators may rupture due to propellant degradation occurring after long-term exposure to absolute humidity and temperature cycling.

    Risk: An inflator rupture may result in metal fragments striking the vehicle occupants resulting in serious injury or death.

    Remedy: Owners are advised not to drive their vehicles until the repair has been performed. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger frontal air bag inflator, free of charge. Interim letters informing owners of the recall and that parts are not yet available began mailing March 1, 2017. Owners will receive a second notice when remedy parts become available. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S01.

See all 5 recalls for the 2008 Ford Ranger →

2008 Ford Ranger fuel economy and fuel cost

City
15 MPG
Highway
20 MPG
Combined
17 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,800
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2008 compared with other Ranger years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’14’16’17’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2006Caution5027112 !17
2007Good442705 !17
2008Avoid883265 !17
2009Caution631697 !17.5
2010Good311568 !17.5

All Ford Ranger years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2008 Ford Ranger a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Ford Ranger ranks #3 of 17 among Ranger model years (Complaint Index 88/100, verdict: Avoid). It has 326 complaints and 5 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford Ranger?
The most reported problem areas are airbags (295 complaints), structure & body (12 complaints), and electrical system (8 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 65,000 miles.
Does the 2008 Ford Ranger have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaigns for the 2008 Ford Ranger, most recently reported 2021, covering airbags and electrical system. At least one carries a Do Not Drive advisory.
What is the fuel economy of the 2008 Ford Ranger?
EPA rates the 2008 Ford Ranger at 17 MPG combined (15 city / 20 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,800. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.