2008 Ford Escape Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 136 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2008 Ford Escape, 7% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 100,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “ignition switch” (15% of reports).
- 136electrical system complaints
- 100,000median miles at failure
- 4mention a crash
- 3mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- 20%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Ignition switch: mentioned in 20 of 136 complaints (15%)
- Steering column: mentioned in 11 of 136 complaints (8%)
- Torque sensor: mentioned in 8 of 136 complaints (6%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 115 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 136 complaints, 4 mention a crash, 5 a fire, 3 an injury.
Ford Escape electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Escape | 2 | 67% | — |
| 2025 Escape | 7 | 27% | 18,250 |
| 2024 Escape | 27 | 36% | 9,000 |
| 2023 Escape | 41 | 41% | 15,500 |
| 2022 Escape | 19 | 8% | 58,595 |
| 2021 Escape | 34 | 10% | 39,000 |
| 2020 Escape | 158 | 10% | 17,500 |
| 2019 Escape | 37 | 6% | 3,400 |
| 2018 Escape | 57 | 3% | 17,349 |
| 2017 Escape | 156 | 6% | 37,129 |
| 2016 Escape | 95 | 8% | 43,734 |
| 2015 Escape | 135 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2014 Escape | 216 | 10% | 62,000 |
| 2013 Escape | 339 | 12% | 61,000 |
| 2012 Escape | 42 | 7% | 58,600 |
| 2011 Escape | 117 | 9% | 53,000 |
| 2010 Escape | 216 | 10% | 58,000 |
| 2009 Escape | 143 | 8% | 85,500 |
| 2008 Escape | 136 | 7% | 100,000 |
| 2007 Escape | 30 | 12% | 75,000 |
| 2006 Escape | 34 | 7% | 93,000 |
| 2005 Escape | 153 | 11% | 104,000 |
| 2004 Escape | 31 | 6% | 77,500 |
| 2003 Escape | 39 | 7% | 90,000 |
| 2002 Escape | 123 | 12% | 60,000 |
| 2001 Escape | 136 | 14% | 89,250 |
| 2000 Escape | 1 | 20% | 55,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists electrical system for the 2008 Ford Escape. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Electronic power steering went out a couple times on me .
Check engine light keeps flashing, car vibration, bad head gasket, oil and fluid leak
driving down the road and out of nowhere all the dash light come on, the speedometer and rpm all go to zero. I am able to still control the car and drive down, the only thing that wonât work besides the dash cluster is the air conditioning. Hitting a bump or smacking the dash normally turns off…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2008 Ford Escapes have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 136 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2008 Ford Escape (7% of the 1,974 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2008 Ford Escape electrical system?
No recall currently lists electrical system for this vehicle.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 100,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2008 Ford Escape?
The most frequent phrase is “ignition switch”, in 20 of 136 complaints, followed by “steering column” (11).
Other 2008 Ford Escape problems
- Steering problems (1,127)
- Power Train problems (329)
- Vehicle Speed Control problems (175)
- Service Brakes problems (120)
- Engine problems (83)
See all 2008 Ford Escape problems or electrical system problems across all Escape years.