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2008 Ford Explorer Seats Problems

12 owner-reported seats complaints from NHTSA data

12
Complaints
Feb 2012Dec 2016
Date Range

Data sourced from NHTSA public database. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified mechanic.

Owner Complaints (12)

mediumSEATS
Filed: Dec 2016

WHILE I AM DRIVING THE DRIVERS SEAT AUTOMATICALLY SLIDES AS FAR BACK AS IT CAN, AND THE OVERHEAD LIGHTS COME ON. THIS IS AN ACTION THAT WOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE VEHICLE IS TURNED OFF AND THE KEY IS PULLED FROM THE IGNITION. HOWEVER THIS IS HAPPEN WHILE I AM DRIVING PULLING ME AWAY FROM THE GAS, BRAKES AND STEERING WHEEL. THE ONLY IMMEDIATE FIX I CAN DO IS JIGGLE THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION TO GET THE SEAT TO COME BACK. I FEEL THIS IS INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, AS TURNING INTERIOR LIGHTS ON WHILE DARK CAN BE DISTRACTING AND MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO SEE OUTSIDE, NOT TO MENTION BEING PULLED AWAY FROM THE STEERING WHEEL AND BRAKES CAN CAUSE THE VEHICLE GO OUT OF CONTROL. I HAVE REACHED OUT TO FORD AND THEY SAID IT WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE AND NOT CONSIDERED ANYTHING ELSE SUCH AS A RECALL. *TR

NHTSA #: 10937886
mediumSEATS
Filed: Nov 2016

IF I HIT A BUMP WHILE DRIVING OR THE KEYS JIGGLE IN THE IGNITION THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT WILL MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARD AND THE DOME LIGHTS COME ON. I HAD THIS PROBLEM THREE MONTHS AFTER I PURCHASED MY 2008 FORD EXPLORER EDDIE BAUER EDITION IN 2010 AND WAS ABLE TO GET IT REPAIRED AT NO COST. HOWEVER, THE PROBLEM IS BACK ONLY THIS TIME I'M TOLD THAT IT WOULD BE AN OUT OF POCKET EXPENSE WHICH I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK SO BECAUSE IT'S NOT A WEAR AND TEAR ISSUE.

NHTSA #: 10924554
mediumSEATS
Filed: Jul 2016

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SEAT MOVED OUT OF POSITION WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION. THE ELECTRONIC FUNCTION WORKED TO MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD AND BACKWARD, BUT THE SEAT FAILED TO REMAIN STATIONARY WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000. ....UPDATED 08/29/16 *BF UPDATED 08/30/16.*JB

NHTSA #: 10882152
mediumSEATS
Filed: Mar 2016

SOMETIMES WHILE DRIVING, DRIVER'S POWERED SEAT MOVES BACK.

NHTSA #: 10850463
mediumSEATS
Filed: Nov 2015

WHILE STATIONARY, WHEN THE KEY IS PUT IN THE IGNITION TO START THE VEHICLE, SOMETIMES THE POWER SEAT WILL GO BACKWARDS AND THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS GO ON. LAST NIGHT, WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 30 TO 50 MPH, THE SEAT MOVED BACKWARDS AND THE INTERIOR DOME LIGHTS CAME ON. THIS IS DANGEROUS AS I COULDN'T REACH THE PEDALS. I HAD TO MOVE THE SEAT FORWARD WITH THE SEAT ADJUSTER BUTTONS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION DOWN THE HIGHWAY. THIS CONTINUED ON AND OFF FOUR TIMES IN A SPAN OF 2 MILES. FINALLY, I PULLED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND SHUT THE ENGINE OFF. I RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND DROVE HOME WITHOUT THE SEAT MOVING AGAIN, BUT I KEPT MY HAND DOWN BY THE SEAT ADJUSTMENT BUTTON THE WHOLE WAY HOME. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS A LOT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST YEAR WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS MOVING. TWICE THIS VEHICLE WAS IN FOR REPAIR, BUT THE DEALERSHIP CAN'T FIND THE PROBLEM. THEY HAVE REPLACED THE SEAT MOTOR ONCE.

NHTSA #: 10789148
mediumSEATS
Filed: Oct 2015

SEVERAL TIMES, WHILE DRIVING, THE DRIVERS SEAT MOVED INDEPENDENTLY BACKWARDS AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE VEHICLE WAS STOPPED SAFELY. TWO DEALERSHIPS DIDN'T HAVE ANY REFERENCE TO THIS PROBLEM, WANTED TO PERFORM DIAGNOSTIC ANALYSIS AND REQUESTED THE NHTSA WEBSITE THAT WAS MENTIONED. THIS WEB SITE PROVIDED CLUES TO POSSIBLE REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE VEHICLES EASY ENTRY/EXIT FEATURE MOVES THE DRIVERS SEAT BACKWARDS TO ALLOW THE DRIVER EASY ENTRY/EXIT FROM THE VEHICLE. THIS FEATURE IS THE POSSIBLE FAULT AND WAS DISABLED. TO TEST THIS DISABLING CONCEPT AND STILL DRIVE THE VEHICLE SAFELY SEVERAL PIECES OF WOOD WAS PLACED ON THE FLOOR BETWEEN THE FRONT AND MIDDLE ROW SEATS. THE WOOD LIMITS BACKWARD MOVEMENT OF THE DRIVERS SEAT TO ONE HALF INCH FROM THE NORMAL DRIVING POSITION. VEHICLE CONTROL IS STILL MAINTAINED FROM THIS SLIGHTLY BACK POSITION SHOULD THE EASY ENTRY/EXIT FEATURE NOT BE THE CAUSE OF THE UNINTENDED SEAT MOVEMENT. A YEAR OF DRIVING, WITH THE EASY ENTRY/EXIT FEATURE DISABLED, THE SEAT HAS NOT MALFUNCTIONED. FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS DISABLING CONCEPT SOLVED THE PROBLEM. WILL STILL DRIVE WITH WOOD IN PLACE AS INSURANCE.

NHTSA #: 10785810
mediumSEATS
Filed: Mar 2015

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN DRIVING OVER A BUMP, THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE SEAT WAS UNSECURED AND WAS MOVING FROM SIDE TO SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRACK WAS OFFLINE AND THAT THE TRACK NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 66,000.

NHTSA #: 10701153
mediumSEATS
Filed: Sep 2013

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH, THE SEAT MOVED BACKWARD WITHOUT MANUAL FORCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED AND THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 83,000.

NHTSA #: 10544478
mediumSEATS
Filed: Aug 2012

DRIVING AT SPEED, IN TRAFFIC, ANOTHER CAR CUT ME OFF, WHEN HIT THE HORN AND STARTED BRAKE - THE DRIVER SEAT SUDDENLY MOVED BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPEN AT LEAST 8 TIMES, THE DEALER SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THE SERIOUSNESS OF DRIVING AND THE DRIVER SEAT MOVING BACKWARDS TO WHERE I CAN BARELY TOUCH THE PEDALS. I PURCHASED THE VEHICLE IN MAY WITH APPROX 46K MILES. *TR

NHTSA #: 10470108
mediumSEATS
Filed: Feb 2012

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC ADJUSTER FOR THE DRIVER'S SEAT FAILED. THE DRIVER SIDE SEAT WOULD MOVE BACKWARD AND FORWARD INDEPENDENTLY WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING. IN ADDITION, THE INTERIOR OVERHEAD LIGHT FAILED AND CONSTANTLY REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 19,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 20,000.

NHTSA #: 10449668
mediumSEATS
Filed: Nov 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE SEAT SLID BACKWARD WHILE DRIVING 2 MPH OVER A ROAD BUMP. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE SEAT SLID BACKWARD ON A SEPARATE OCCASION UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO HAVE THE FAILURE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 74,523. UPDATED 12/16/11*LJ

NHTSA #: 10436081
mediumSEATS
Filed: Jun 2011

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 FORD EXPLORER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WOULD MOVE FORWARD OR BACKWARDS WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION AND HIS KNEE WOULD TOUCH THE IGNITION SWITCH. IN MARCH 2008, THE DEALER REPAIRED THE IGNITION SWITCH AND ASSURED THE CONTACT THAT THIS WOULD CORRECT THE FAILURE; HOWEVER, THE SEAT CONTINUED TO MOVE WHEN THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS TOUCHED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 67,524. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100. ... UPDATED 09/15/11 *BF UPDATED 09/21/11

NHTSA #: 10409257

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