The Lemon Index
200720094th generation
23 owner complaints, first 3 years — combined, EPA
Similar cars, same year
When problems show up
Most problems on this year showed up between 4,500 and 42,000 miles (7,200–68,000 km) (the middle half of the 20 complaints, of all 23 filed so far, that listed a mileage).
- At 60K, 100K and 150K miles (97K, 161K and 241K km) Past the range where most problems showed up: it has likely had them or dodged them, so repair records matter most.
This is when owners who had a problem reported it, not the odds that one car will have it.
Questions to ask the seller
- Were recalls 16V350000 (equipment adaptive/mobility), 15V779000 (equipment adaptive/mobility) and 15V763000 (equipment adaptive/mobility) done? It has 34 recalls in all. Ask for the dealer printout, or check the VIN.
- Any steering noise, wander or power-steering warning? Has the steering rack or pump been replaced?
- Do the brakes feel even, with no ABS or brake warning light? When were the pads and brake fluid last done?
- Any clunks over bumps or uneven tire wear? Were struts, shocks or control arms replaced?
- Ford sent dealers 28 repair notes for this car. Was this one done: “Steering wander”?
From this year's own recalls, top problems, top repair bills and Ford's repair notes. Recall repairs are free at any dealer.
How serious. Out of all 23 owner complaints filed so far (every year since it was sold, not just the first 3), owners reported:
“Average car” = what the same number of complaints would include at the rate across every model year we track. Owners report these themselves; NHTSA doesn't confirm the cause.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
Check engine light on? Look up any code →
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 4K to 42K miles (7K to 68K km) on the car (20 of all 23 complaints filed so far listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
In owners' words
The rattle clips on the front brake pads/calipers on Ford e 450 series vibrate out of position while vehicle is being driven. We have 12 of these vehicles in a fleet and they are all doing this.
2008 Ford E-Series owner · NHTSA complaint 10258779
More owner reports
Checked driver's side brake pad for noise. Found broken pin/bolt. There had been no previous work done on this.appears to be fatigue. As a result, the caliper assembly was able to swing back away from the rotor.
NHTSA complaint 10434325
Excessive sway and dangerous to drive at highway speeds.
NHTSA complaint 10368045
Problems Ford told dealers about
Ford sent dealers 28 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Steering wander
- 6.0l diesel hard start/long crank/no start du to low injector control pressure (icp)
- Hard start/long crank or no start
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Recalls 34
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2016
If the platform side plates crack or the platform mounting fails from out-of-position bearings, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the vehicle's doors are …
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2015
If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when …
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2015
The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
Show all 34 recalls
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2015
If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when …
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
A wheelchair occupant may defeat or ride over the insufficiently latched roll stop. If this occurs when the lift platform is in an elevated position, the wheelchair's occupant could fall and sustain injury.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
Over time, and with frequent use, the roll stop latches on the outer barrier of the lifts in these vans may become bent or misaligned.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2014
A wheelchair occupant may defeat or ride over the insufficiently latched roll stop. If this occurs when the lift platform is in an elevated position, the wheelchair's occupant could fall and sustain injury.
- Equipment · recall issued 2013
The vehicles are equipped with certain Ricon S series and K Series wheelchair lifts with an optional armored pendant cable.
- Fuel system, gasoline · recall issued 2011
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN REPLACEMENT FUEL TANKS THAT COULD BE INSTALLED INTO MODEL YEAR 2004 THROUGH 2008 E-150, E-250, AND E-350 VANS AND WAGONS.
- Fuel system, other · recall issued 2011
ROUSH IS RECALLING CERTAIN AFTERMARKET ROUSH CLEAN TECH LIQUID PROPANE AUTOGAS FUEL SYSTEM KITS USED FOR INSTALLATION ON THE FOLLOWING VEHICLES: MODEL YEAR 2007 AND 2008 FORD E-350 (DUEL REAR WHEEL), MY 2009-2011 FORD E-…
- Suspension · recall issued 2011
FRONTLINE IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2006-2011 ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING (ENG) VEHICLES BUILT ON A FORD E-350 CHASSIS WITH AN AFTERMARKET REAR ANTI-SWAY BAR AND MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 31, 2006, THROUGH JULY 12, 2…
- Equipment · recall issued 2011
BRAUN IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2005 THROUGH 2011 PARATRANSIT VANS BUILT ON FORD E-350 CHASSIS FROM APRIL 27, 2005, THROUGH JULY 29, 2010, EQUIPPED WITH CARRIER GENV EM-1 EVAPORATOR UNITS (EM-1) MANUFACTURED FROM J…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION (MTS) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2009 CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CHASSIS FROM SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 THROUGH APRIL 15, 2009 AND FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE L…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
MOBILITY TRANSPORTATION (MTS) IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007 THROUGH 2009 CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CHASSIS FROM SEPTEMBER 16, 2008 THROUGH APRIL 15, 2009 AND FITTED WITH CERTAIN RICON S SE…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
MOBILITY WORKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 AND 2009 CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CHASSIS AFTER NOVEMBER 2007 AND FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
MOBILITY WORKS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 AND 2009 CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CHASSIS AND CHEVROLET 2500 CHASSIS AFTER NOVEMBER 2007 AND FITTED WITH CERTAIN RICON S SERIES AND K SERIES L…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
COMM-TRANS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 ADA CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E-150, E-250, AND E-350 CHASSIS BETWEEN DECEMBER 7, 2007 AND DECEMBER 23, 2009 AND FITTED WITH CERTAIN RICON S SERIES AND K SERIES L-…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
COMM-TRANS IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 ADA CONVERSION VANS BUILT ON FORD E-150, E-250, AND E-350 CHASSIS BETWEEN DECEMBER 7, 2007 AND DECEMBER 23, 2009 AND FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
ELKHART COACH HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA OF A DEFECT IN CERTAIN TRANSIT BUSES FITTED WITH RICON PUBLIC USE LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2010
ELKHART COACH HAS NOTIFIED NHTSA ABOUT A DEFECT IN CERTAIN TRANSIT BUSES EQUIPPED WITH CERTAIN RICON S SERIES AND K SERIES L-MODEL WHEELCHAIR LIFTS, DUE TO A PROBLEM IN THE SOFTWARE THAT CONTROLS THE LIFT'S "UP" FUNCTION…
- Equipment · recall issued 2009
E-N-G MOBILE SYSTEM IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2008 CHEVROLET W5500, MODEL YEAR 2007-2009 DODGE 3500, MODEL YEAR 2009 MIGHTY MOVER, MODEL YEAR 2006-2009 FORD E-250, E-350 AND E-450, MODEL YEAR 2008-2009 GMC W4500, M…
- Fuel system, gasoline · recall issued 2009
FORD IS RECALLING 65 MY 2008-2009 E-350 AND MY 2009 E450 CUTAWAY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH SCHOOL BUS PREP PACKAGES FOR FAILING TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 301, "FUEL SYSTEM …
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
COLONIAL IS RECALLING 50 MY 2006-2008 FORD E350, E450, AND CHEVROLET G-VAN CUTAWAY CHASSIS VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
COLONIAL IS RECALLING 50 MY 2006-2008 FORD E350, E450, AND CHEVROLET G-VAN CUTAWAY CHASSIS VEHICLES AND EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
CUMMINGS IS RECALLING 42 MY 2006-2008 FORD E150, E350, CHEVROLET EXPRESS, MY 2006 FORD E250, GMC SAVANNA, DODGE SPRINTER CONVERSION VANS, AND MY 2007 NEWMAR DUTCHSTAR MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELC…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
CUMMINGS IS RECALLING 42 MY 2006-2008 FORD E150, E350, CHEVROLET EXPRESS, MY 2006 FORD E250, GMC SAVANNA, DODGE SPRINTER CONVERSION VANS, AND MY 2007 NEWMAR DUTCHSTAR MOTOR HOMES EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELC…
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
ACCUBUILT IS RECALLING 890 MY 2006-2008 FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CARGO VANS EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
ACCUBUILT IS RECALLING 890 MY 2006-2008 FORD E150, E250, AND E350 CARGO VANS EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STYLE WHEELCHAIR LIFTS.
- Equipment adaptive/mobility · recall issued 2008
MOBILITYWORKS IS RECALLING 224 MY 2007-2008 FORD E150, MY 2006-2008 E250, MY 2004-2007 E350, MY 2006 E450, MY 2005-2007 CHEVROLET 2500, MY 2007 CHEVROLET 1500, AND MY 2006 DODGE 2500 VANS EQUIPPED WITH RICON PLATFORM STY…
- Transmission & drivetrain · recall issued 2008
FORD IS RECALLING 3,331 MY 2008 E-350 VEHICLES BUILT WITH A 138 INCH WHEEL BASE.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Canada? See recalls at Transport Canada
Government investigations
- ClosedHvac switch failures2010–2012
- ClosedHvac switch failures2009–2010
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Every Ford E-Series year. 2008 is highlighted. Lower is better.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average, too new (2023+: a partial score, marked “partial”) or too few complaints to score.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/ford-e-series/?y=2008" title="Ford E-Series reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="698" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/ford-e-series/2008/">Lemon Index</a> (2008 Ford E-Series reliability)</p>Quick answers
Is the 2008 Ford E-Series reliable?
Yes, it is one of the most reliable by government complaints. It drew about a fifth as many complaints as the average car filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 19; 100 is average, lower is better). The Ford E-Series year with the fewest complaints per car sold since 2010 is 2010.
What are the most common 2008 Ford E-Series problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are steering (35%), brakes (17%) and suspension (13%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford E-Series have?
34 safety recalls (latest: equipment adaptive/mobility). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
At what mileage do 2008 Ford E-Series problems show up?
Most problems on this year showed up between 4,500 and 42,000 miles (7,200–68,000 km) (the middle half of the 20 complaints, of all 23 filed so far, that listed a mileage). At 60K, 100K and 150K miles, a 2008 is past the range where most problems showed up: it has likely had them or dodged them, so repair records matter most. This is when owners who had a problem reported it, not a prediction for one car.
Does the 2008 Ford E-Series have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
What Ford E-Series year is better than the 2008?
Nearby, the 2010 drew fewer owner complaints per car sold (less than a sixth as many complaints as the average car).
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works