FORD F 350 Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used FORD F 350 options? We analyzed 10 model years (2017–2026) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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Model-year trends show patterns — they can't tell you whether this car was crashed, flooded, or rolled back. A VIN check can.
- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD F 350 has 487 owner complaints and 29 safety recalls across model years 2017–2026. The most reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. 2021 drew the most complaints; 2020 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- F 350
- Model years analyzed
- 2017–2026 (10 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 487
- Safety recall campaigns
- 29
- Crash-related complaints
- 26
- Fire-related complaints
- 17
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2021 (187 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2020 (0 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
- Reliability signal
- Poor
By model year
FORD F 350: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
PoorThe FORD F 350 has 487 NHTSA complaints and 29 recalls on record. 26 complaints involve crash-related incidents. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 487 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 29 federal recall campaigns
- 26 crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Aug 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
29 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
STEERING
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKE CONTROL
ENGINE
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
ENGINE
EQUIPMENT
ENGINE
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD:CRITICAL FASTENERS
FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
POWER TRAIN:AXLE HUBS
POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
TRAILER HITCHES:FIFTH WHEEL ASSEMBLY
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2017–2026. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 487 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
487 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The driveshaft separated resulting in a loss of motive power while we were driving on the highway at around 65-70mph. We heard/felt vibrations, and a harsh noise then a loud popping noise right before/ during the failure. Then heard dragging as we came toward the guard rail. It caused a loss of control of the vehicle almost causing us to crash. We were able to pull to the side of the road while traffic went around us. One vehicle pulled over in front of us checking their car stating they saw something fly out from under ours but then they left. We looked under and the rear driveshaft was hanging down and the vehicle was unable to drive forward or back. When trying to pull it on a tow vehicle the bearings came out. It is available for inspection. We are waiting for paperwork from a dealer to see all the damages that occurred but they told us the cost was $20,500 to repair. A day before we heard a vibration sound when letting off the accelerator but all the systems checked out and we didn't see anything, that was Saturday. This failure happened on Sunday with no warning systems alerting until after everything happened and the vehicle was no longer able to drive. We just saw there is an active recall and that our vehicle matches date, factory and part damage but our VIN is not included.
Trailer Braking System on Vehicle when hooked to trailer will intermittenly fail to recognize connection and not apply brakes to trailer while stopping. Dealership has acknowledged problem exist and cannot isolate cause nor resolve safety issue and returned vehicle unrepaird. First appeared after purchase of new vehicle, dealership continued to claim it was my new trailer. Problem has been ongoing and there was a recall by Ford Motors acknowleding issues with trailer brake system and still unable to repair and returned unfixed.
When putting truck in reverse the rear cameras pop on the 12 inch screen, as I was backing up the screen flashed couple times and froze. Not knowing with no beeping, no real time video or even the collision control braking did not work causing me to back into a concrete light post causing damage to the rear bumper and side panel. This has flickered couple times before but not like this. The truck only has 2502 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) level reading became inoperable with the message “500 Miles to Empty - Refill Soon” displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the DEF gauge had been replaced by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,512.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side wiper arm failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a front passenger's side wiper assembly failure. The contact was informed that the front passenger's side wiper assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the part was on back order. The contact stated that after forty days, the parts were still not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the delivery date for parts was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 2,700.
Front end collision at 57 mph impact with another vehicle and air bags did not deploy
Read 14 more owner reports
My vehicles turn signal audio indicator is extremely quiet and cannot be heard at speeds above 45MPH creating a safety issue. I have checked the vehicle audio settings in addition to the vehicle owner manual and there is no user setting to adjust audio. I asked the dealer where i purchased my vehicle (Northtown Ford, Menomonie, WI) about the issue and they did not have a solution.
After a few hundred mile trip we stopped at a gas station, put it in park but left the vehicle running. After about 5 minutes of idling put it in reverse and everything acted as normal. Shifted into drive and there was no power to the engine. Was able to get the truck moving before seeing that the transmission was stuck in 7th gear. Shortly after the check engine light came on. Pulled over and stopped and turned the truck off for about 10 minutes and then started it to see the check engine light went off and the truck was acting normal. Got back on the freeway and proceeded the last several hundred miles home and when I pulled off the freeway the transmission was stuck in 7th again. Was able to limp it to the dealership and ended up needing a new transmission with only 2,200 miles.
After using manual mode and brakes to slow down I went back to automatic mode without coming to a stop. I was turning left and it felt like I had let off the gas completely but I was pressing harder and harder but my truck wouldn't do anything and the gas pedal did nothing. Then a second later it aggressively accelerated and went back to normal. It did it once 2 weeks ago also when I was turning right and I thought it was just the proximity sensor or something thinking I was too close to a car or something and cut power but there was no beeping. I have it on the dash camera if that helps.
The contact owned a 2025 Ford F SD-350. The contact stated that while driving back to the residence, after picking up the vehicle from the dealer, a burnt odor was emitting from the vehicle. The burnt odor was emitting from the A/C vents. Smoke was emitting from underneath the dashboard where the driver-side windshield was located. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact called the dealer and advised them that the vehicle was on fire. The contact was not injured. No police report was filed. The contact returned to the dealer; flames were visible, and some of the employees used water to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was diagnosed with the speaker located on the driver's side having melted and damaged the curtain side air bag located above the driver's side door. The contact stated that this was the second time the vehicle had caught fire due to the speaker on the driver's door. The contact stated that the vehicle was bought this year after he sold the first vehicle when multiple messages were displayed: hill assist not available, limited parking brake function not required, and unknown collision not available. The infotainment system screen displayed a dark screen or would fail to turn on. The contact bought a 2025 Ford F350 in April 2025. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the ignition failed to function as intended. It would take several attempts to start the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, multiple messages were displayed on the dashboard. The contact stated that after a stop, the vehicle failed to switch gears independently, the vehicle went into limp mode, and the contact had to switch to manual mode. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact sold the vehicle and purchased the new vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that someone would be contacting them back. The manufacturer asked that the contact not take the vehicle to the dealer until further notice. The contact was pending to hear from the manufacturer. The contact notified her insurance company and informed them that it was a warranty issue. The failure mileage was unknown.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that the transmission independently shifted from first gear. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable. The contact turned the vehicle off, shifted into neutral, and parked the vehicle in the nearest driveway. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was restarted, and the vehicle was driven to the intended destination. The contact stated that the failure had not reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle drove normally after the initial failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The contact stated that several attempts were made to contact the manufacturer. The failure mileage was approximately 1,400.
2025 E-350 Safety Recalls* Main control valve body or transmission replacement Recall incomplete As transmission controls highway speed at 60mph and higher. RECOMMENDED FOR ALL 2025 E-350 to be reported as UNDRIVABLE and brought in IMMEDIATELY for Safety Recall, and highway safety international. Please BROADCAST as amber alert and/or new cast notifications.
Consistently shutting off when truck starts. Happens every 5-7 startups and says have advanced traction control serviced at same time.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350SD. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "499 Miles remaining of DEF" was displayed. The contact indicated that the message was displayed even though the DEF was 75% FULL. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 100.
The driveshaft separated resulting in a loss of motive power while we were driving on the highway at around 65-70mph. We heard/felt vibrations, and a harsh noise then a loud popping noise right before/ during the failure. Then heard dragging as we came toward the guard rail. It caused a loss of control of the vehicle almost causing us to crash. We were able to pull to the side of the road while traffic went around us. One vehicle pulled over in front of us checking their car stating they saw something fly out from under ours but then they left. We looked under and the rear driveshaft was hanging down and the vehicle was unable to drive forward or back. When trying to pull it on a tow vehicle the bearings came out. It is available for inspection. We are waiting for paperwork from a dealer to see all the damages that occurred but they told us the cost was $20,500 to repair. A day before we heard a vibration sound when letting off the accelerator but all the systems checked out and we didn't see anything, that was Saturday. This failure happened on Sunday with no warning systems alerting until after everything happened and the vehicle was no longer able to drive. We just saw there is an active recall and that our vehicle matches date, factory and part damage but our VIN is not included.
Trailer Braking System on Vehicle when hooked to trailer will intermittenly fail to recognize connection and not apply brakes to trailer while stopping. Dealership has acknowledged problem exist and cannot isolate cause nor resolve safety issue and returned vehicle unrepaird. First appeared after purchase of new vehicle, dealership continued to claim it was my new trailer. Problem has been ongoing and there was a recall by Ford Motors acknowleding issues with trailer brake system and still unable to repair and returned unfixed.
When putting truck in reverse the rear cameras pop on the 12 inch screen, as I was backing up the screen flashed couple times and froze. Not knowing with no beeping, no real time video or even the collision control braking did not work causing me to back into a concrete light post causing damage to the rear bumper and side panel. This has flickered couple times before but not like this. The truck only has 2502 miles on it.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) level reading became inoperable with the message “500 Miles to Empty - Refill Soon” displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the DEF gauge had been replaced by the dealer. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,512.
The contact owns a 2025 Ford F-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front passenger's side wiper arm failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a front passenger's side wiper assembly failure. The contact was informed that the front passenger's side wiper assembly needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the part was on back order. The contact stated that after forty days, the parts were still not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the delivery date for parts was unavailable. The failure mileage was approximately 2,700.
Front end collision at 57 mph impact with another vehicle and air bags did not deploy
Showing 20 of 487 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact FORD F 350
These pages show model-year patterns across 10 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FORD F 350, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD F 350 has 487 complaints on record across 10 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD F 350 has 29 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 26 of the FORD F 350's 487 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Poor) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD F 350 vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD F 350 vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD F 350 has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Check a FORD F 350 by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD F 350.
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FORD F 350 reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the FORD F 350 reliable?
Poor. The FORD F 350 has 487 NHTSA owner complaints and 29 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which FORD F 350 years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2021 (187 complaints), 2024 (132 complaints), 2023 (120 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common FORD F 350 problems?
Top reported issues: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (131 complaints); POWER TRAIN (68 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (63 complaints).
Does the FORD F 350 have recalls?
Yes — 29 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FORD F 350. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.