2018 FORD F 250 SD

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    alignment and pull

    218 unsafe

    218
    incidents
    Typical range: 16,000–38,000 mi

    Median 28,000 mi, based on 319 reports (17% had no usable mileage)

    • "DEATH WOBBLE AT ABOUT 3000MILES AFTER HITTING A POTHOLE ON A CITY STREET , THIS SEEMS TO BE A VERY COMMON PROBLEM , WHEN R U GOING TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM ? WHEN PEOPLE GET KILLED ! HOW MANY COMPLAINTS BEFORE U DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT????"~3,000 mi, complaint #1618265
    • "DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE AND HIT A SLIGHT VARIATION IN ROADWAY AND CAUSED THE TRUCK TO GO INTO WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. I HAD MY 7 IN HALF MONTH PREGNANT WIFE AND 4 YEAR OLD CHILD IN THE TRUCK WHEN IT HAPPENED. I NEARLY LOST CONTROL AND OVERTURNED THE…"~18,000 mi, complaint #1620571
    • "AT SPEEDS OF 65MPH AND ABOVE, WHEN HITTING BUMPS IN THE ROAD THE VEHICLE BEGINS TO SHAKE UNCONTROLLABLY UNTIL YOU SLOW DOWN TO AROUND 25MPH OR EVEN STOP COMPLETELY. WHEN THIS IS HAPPENING, THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES SO MUCH THAT IT IS HARD TO HOLD ON AND BRING…"~28,600 mi, complaint #1634012
    • "I WAS GOING DOWN THE ROAD AT 75 MPH AND WENT OVER A BRIDGE HITTING A SMALL BUMP AND THE TRUCK STARTED TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY LIKE A TIRE HAD BLOWN OUT OR SOMETHING. I SLOWED DOWN AND IT STOPPED. IT HAPPENED TWO MORE TIMES NOT QUITE AS HARD BUT MAKES THE TRUCK HARD…"~39,000 mi, complaint #1621085
    • "FORD F250 LARIAT [REDACTED ADDRESS] SPEEDS BETWEEN 50 AND 80 MPH VERY UNSAFE SCARES THE BJESUS OUT OF ME N MY FAMILY BOUGHT IT TO PULL A TRAILER BEHIND IT . DONOT WANT DO DO THAT IN FEAR OF SOMEONE GETTING SEVERLY INJURIED OR WORSE…"~370,000 mi, complaint #1624781
  2. #2

    suspension struts shocks

    43 unsafe

    43
    incidents
    Typical range: 13,000–36,000 mi

    Median 21,000 mi, based on 50 reports (36% had no usable mileage)

    • "WHILE TOWING AT SPEEDS ABOVE 55-60 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTS TO GO THROUGH A HARMONICS TYPE OF VIBRATION SHAKING THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S COMPARTMENT , STEERING WHEEL AND DASH. THIS VIBRATION CONTINUES REGARDLESS IF THE VEHICLE SPEED IS INCREASED AND DOESN'T STOP UNTI…"~5,850 mi, complaint #1525855
    • "WHILE DRIVING ON I90 EAST BOUND IN BURNS HARBOR INDIANA NEAR THE BURNS HARBOR EXIT DRIVING STRAIGHT AT 70MPH MY TRUCK BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY AND DANGEROUSLY. I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND SLOW DOWN BELOW 30MPH TO GET THE SHAKING TO SUBSIDE. ON MY RETURN T…"~14,850 mi, complaint #1648792
    • "WAS DRIVING DOWN HWY ABOUT 70 MPH WHEN I HIT A BUMP AND THE PICKUP BEGAN TO SHAKE SO BAD I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO ROLL IT. IT IS WAS AS KNOWN AS THE DEATH WOBBLE. EVERY TIME I HIT A BUMP IT HAPPENS. IT HAS HAPPENED MANY TIMES DRIVING ON A NORMAL HWY. IT ALSO…"~22,000 mi, complaint #1619775
    • "WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY, IN A STRAIGHT LINE, AT 64 MPH, I DROVE OVER A ROUGH BRIDGE AND MY STEERING WHEEL BEGAN TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE. I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN SLOWING DOWN BUT THE SHAKING DID NOT CEASE UNTIL I SLOWED TO NEARLY 40 MPH. 18 WHEELERS AND OTHER TRAFFI…"~35,850 mi, complaint #1638861
    • "OVER THE PERIOD OF A COUPLE OF MONTHS I'VE HAD 3 DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THAT WHEN I'M GOING OVER 60 AND HIT ANY KIND OF BUMP OR UNEVEN PATCH OF ROAD MY TRUCK STARTS VIOLENTLY SHAKING CAUSING ME TO LOSE CONTROL UNTIL MY VEHICLE IS BACK DOWN UNDER 45 MILES PER HOUR…"~97,000 mi, complaint #1723705
  3. #3

    steering rack mechanical

    20 unsafe

    20
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=20, median 24,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "SOON AFTER PURCHASE WOBBLE AND SHAKE STARTED IN STEERING?I REPORTED IT AT EVERY SERVICE AND SEVERAL TIMES BY PHONE AND EMAIL TO FORD CORPORATE. AFTER AWHILE IN SUMMER 2020 FORD SENT NOTICE THEY WOULD CHANGE STEERING LINK TO FIX PROBLEM? I HAD THE FIX DONE AT A…"~700 mi, complaint #1697438
    • "HIT SOME BUMPS ON A BRIDGE ON I-24 AND STEERING WHEEL SHOOK VIOLENTLY AND I ALMOST LOST CONTROL UNTIL TRUCK SLOWED BELOW 50MPH"~22,000 mi, complaint #1520197
    • "1ST INCIDENT 2/10/2019, WHEN THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP IN ROAD THE TRUCK STEERING WOULD SHAKE AND CAUSE VEHICLE TO BOUNCE TO THE RIGHT UNCONTROLLABLE, VEHICLE IN SHOP 2/12/19 TO REPLACE STEERING STRUT. VEHICLE MILEAGE 10,699 ON 11/15/2019 A TRIP FROM MD TO KY,…"~25,210 mi, complaint #1624149
    • "AT APPROX 60 MILES PER HOUR ON A PAVED ROAD, THE STEERING BEGAN TO SHAKE VIOLENTLY. I AGGRESSIVELY BRAKED TO MAINTAIN CONTROL AND WAS ABLE TO GET THE SHAKING TO STOP AS I SLOWED TO UNDER 10 MILES PER HOUR."~27,985 mi, complaint #1607493
    • "MY TRUCK IS EXPERIENCING THE " DEATH WOBBLE". TRUCK HITS A BUMP IN THE ROAD AT HIGH SPEEDS AND VIOLENTLY GOES OUT OF CONTROL STEERING. FEELS LIKE THE WHOLE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK IS FALLING OFF . BROUGHT IT TO THE FORD DEALER TO FIX. THEY CLAIMED IT IS THE RAG…"~57,500 mi, complaint #1694172
  4. #4

    steering electric assist

    10 unsafe

    10
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=15, median 44,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "I HAVE A 2018 F250 4WD UNDER 25K MILES. TWICE LAST WEEK THE TRUCK SHOOK SO HARD AT (70 MPH) IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY. I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO SPLIT IN HALF. THE TRUCK CAME TO AN ABRUPT HALT IN THE FREEWAY LAND AND NEARLY CAUSED TWO MAJOR ACCIDENTS. THE…"~24,360 mi, complaint #1612070
    • "WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE I STARTED HAVING VIOLENT SHAKING THAT RESULTED IN IT BEING HARD TO CONTROL THE VEHICLE. I THOUGHT I HAD A BLOW OUT AND QUICKLY PULLED OFF THE ROAD. AFTER CHECKING ALL TIRES AND SEEING THAT THEY WERE OK I RE-ENTERED THE VEHICLE AND DROV…"~29,000 mi, complaint #1598278
    • "MOVING ON I-25 NEAR FORT CARSON, CO ON NOV 3RD AT APPROXIMATELY 70MPH. EXPERIENCED VIOLENT SHAKING IN STEERING WHEEL SEVERALLY EFFECTING CONTROL OF TRUCK. WAS ABLE TO SLOW, AND CHECK VEHICLE FOR SUSPECTED FLAT TIRE. FOUND NO ISSUES, PROCEEDED WITH CAUTION B…"~33,200 mi, complaint #1629252
    • "WHILE DRIVING MY TRUCK AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. THE TRUCK STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE AND WAS UNABLE TO STEER THE TRUCK. I REACTED BY QUICKLY TAKING THE TRUCK TO A COMPLETE STOP."~44,200 mi, complaint #1622086
    • "WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE, AROUND 73 MPH, THE TOAD HAD A BUMP WHERE IT WENT TO ROAD CONSTRUCTION. AS SOON AS WE HIT THE BUMP, THE TRUCK STARTED SHAKING UNCONTROLLABLY. COULDN'T STEER, OR DO ANYTHING. KIDS IN THE BACK SCREAMING, MY HUSBAND HOLDING THE W…"~51,000 mi, complaint #1629038
  5. #5

    trunk or liftgate

    9 unsafe

    9
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=10, median 19,500 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "WHILE PUTTING MY F250 IN GEAR (DRIVE), THE TRUCK TAILGATE WAS AUTOMATICALLY OPENED, WHICH THEN CRUNCHED INTO MY GOOSE NECK TRAILER WHEN MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THE TAIL GATE HAS OPENED 3 TIME, WITHOUT USER INTERVENTION, IN THE FIRST 6 WEEKS I'VE OWNED THE VE…"~1,800 mi, complaint #1567657
    • "ON TWO DIFFERENT OCCASIONS, THE TAILGATE CAME DOWN UNEXPECTED WHILE DRIVING. ON THE FIRST OCCASION, WE OCCURRED DAMAGE TO THE TAILGATE AND THE 5TH WHEEL. PICTURES ARE ATTACHED. WE WERE TOWING OUR FIFTH WHEEL TRAILER IN MOTION, TURNING AND DRIVING. TWO OTHE…"~5,450 mi, complaint #1516948
    • "TRUCK HAS AUTO TAILGATE RELEASE. TRUCK WAS STATIONARY. THE TAILGATE HAS DROPPED / RELEASED TWICE BY ITSELF. TAILGATE RELEASED AND DROPPED WHILE TRUCK WAS NOT IN PARK. ONE TIME THIS OCCURED WHEN I RELEASED THE PARKING BRAKE. WHEN THIS HAPPENS I NEED TO EXIT AND…"~7,800 mi, complaint #1489671
    • "THE TAILGATE IS COMING DOWN WHILE DRIVING ALL BY ITS SELF. IT HAS ALREADY BEEN CRUSHED BY A TRAILER THAT WAS BEING PULLED AND FORD WILL NOT COVER THE COST OF THE REPLACEMENT"~19,000 mi, complaint #1583130
    • "MY TRUCK TAILGATE IS OPENING WITHOUT CAUSE. IT HAPPENED 3 TIMES BEFORE A RECALL WAS SUPPOSEDLY COMPLETED IN JANUARY AND HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE. TWICE WHEN PULLING A TRAILER JUST AFTER STARTING TO BACKUP. THAT LAST WAS WHEN MY CAR PLAY MALFUNCTIONED WITH TH…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1684737
  6. #6

    fuel pump

    2 stranded, 6 unsafe

    8
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=10, median 112,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "WHILE IN MOTION ON A SATURDAY NIGHT 10/19 ON A FARM TO MARKER ROAD, AS WE WENT OVER A RAILROAD TRACK THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND THE WARNING "REDUCED ENGINE POWER" SHOWED ON THE DASHBOARD SCREEN. THE TRUCK WAS STILL DRIVE-ABLE AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET…"~19,000 mi, complaint #1625231
  7. #7

    door latch and hinge

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "LAST WINTER I HAD ISSUES WITH THE FROZEN DOOR LOCKS. MY DOORS WOULD OPEN BUT NOT CLOSE AND A FEW TIMES THEY WOULD NOT OPEN. THIS WINTER IT HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES AND JUST RECENTLY THE DRIVERS SIDE DOOR HAS COME OPEN AS WAS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD. THERE WERE…"~11,250 mi, complaint #1621381
    • "FROZEN DOOR LATCH ISSUES, DOOR WILL OPEN BUT NOT CLOSE AFTER SITTING OUTSIDE ALL NIGHT IN THE FREEZING COLD WEATHER. 1/3 - TOOK VEHICLE IN FOR FROZEN DOOR LATCHES AND DEALER DID FORD'S RECOMMENDED FIX. 1/8 - ISSUE HAPPENED AGAIN TOLD TO BRING IT IN A FEW D…"~16,000 mi, complaint #1638202
    • "WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE DRIVERS DOOR OPENED UP UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE ENTERING AN INTERSTATE HIGHWAY. THE OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS 89 DEGREES F."~52,000 mi, complaint #1680612
  8. #8

    backup camera

    3 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "The contact owns a 2018 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while reversing, the rearview camera image was blank. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the rearview camera had failed and needed to be replaced. The v…"~85,000 mi, complaint #2098328
  9. #9

    airbag system

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "MY HUSBAND WAS DRIVING ON HWY 77 IN VA ON OCTOBER 25, 2018 WHEN HE ACCIDENTALLY RAN INTO THE BACK OF A TRI-AXLE DUMP TRUCK GOING AT A SLOWER SPEED. UPON IMPACT SOMETHING UNDER THE HOOD IMMEDIATELY BURST INTO FLAMES AND THE FIRE QUICKLY SPREAD. THE SIDE IMPAC…"~5,500 mi, complaint #1515026
    • "THE STEERING WHEEL AIRBAG COVER/HORN COVER IS CRACKING AT THE WEAK SPOTS"~57,770 mi, complaint #1679363
  10. #10

    fuel tank and lines

    3 unsafe, 1 broken

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "PROBLEM PERSISTING REGARDING EVAP SYSTEM AND FUEL PUMP. VEHICLE HAS AN EXTENDED CRANK TIME AND SPUTTERS AT OR AROUND 400 RPM FROM ANYWHERE BETWEEN TWO TO FOUR SECONDS DUE TO THE LOSS OF PRESSURE IN THE FUEL LINES DUE TO A FAULTY CHECK VALVE OR FAULTY EVAP PURG…"~58,000 mi, complaint #1724959
  11. #11

    unintended acceleration

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=6)

    • "BEFORE THE V8 GASOLINE ENGINE REACHES SOME PRESCRIBED OPERATING TEMPERATURE ( BEFORE THE ENGINE IS FULLY WARMED UP ), WHEN HEADED DOWNHILL, NO LOW GEARS FUNCTION IN ANY MODE AND THE ENGINE EXPERIENCES SUDDEN UNINTENDED ACCELERATION. THE TRUCK WAS PURCHASED NEW…"~527 mi, complaint #1615471
    • "2018 FORD F-250 4X4 WITH 6.2L GASOLINE ENGINE: UNDER CERTAIN SPECIFIC CONDITIONS, THE TRUCK WILL CONTINUE TO ACCELERATE AFTER DRIVER INPUT IS STOPPED. THE ENGINE WILL CONTINUE TO REV UP (ALL THE WAY TO RED-LINE) WHILE IN GEAR EVEN THOUGH THE ACCELERATOR PEDA…"~6,600 mi, complaint #1525827
  12. #12

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "METAL TYPE ENGINE NOISE ,SCRAPING ,TAPPING COULD HEAR LOUDER ONCE WARMED UP AND AT IDLE. SOUND PRESENT FORM DRIVER AND PASSENGER WHEEL WELL AREA.METAL FOUND IN OIL SAMPLE AND FORD DETERMINED IT WAS A MAIN BEARING FAILURE. COULD HEAR WHEN STATIONARY BUT LESS NO…"~1,500 mi, complaint #1545715
    • "WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDERNEATH THE HOOD. THERE WERE NO WANING SIGNS, LIGHTS OR ANY OTHER INDICATION THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM. THE CAB WAS MELTED TO THE FRAME IN LESS THAN FIVE MINUTES."~31,000 mi, complaint #1595305
  13. #13

    engine oil consumption

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "TRUCK IS A 2018 FORD F250 AND IS LEAKING OIL AT 28,000 MILES FROM THE UPPER OIL PAN FAULTY ROBOTIC SEAL. THIS HAS COATED MY TRUCKS UNDERSIDE IN OIL AND HAS BEEN SLOWLY LEAKING FOR SOME TIME NOW AS I JUST NOTICED YESTERDAY AFTER EXPERIENCING THE DEATH WOBBLE I…"~27,890 mi, complaint #1591592
    • "Below is what I'm experiencing with my vehicle and I want to see if there is anything I can do to get Ford to fix the problem. Is there anyway I can get my VIN on the affected list? The upper oil pan CSAT recall has affected a range of Ford F-250 models, prim…"~127,671 mi, complaint #2038381
  14. #14

    engine stall or no start

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "While on vacation, driving down a major interstate, our truck suddenly lost power. The driver slowly navigated to the side of the road and by the time we stopped flames were coming out from under the engine. We quickly got ourselves and three children out of t…"complaint #2023510
    • "Truck started loosing power And caught fire at the red light "complaint #2217249
  15. #15

    lighting exterior

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "NEW F250 PICKUP TRUCKS HAVE FOUR HEADLIGHTS SHOWING AT ALL TIMES WHEN OPERATED IN HIGH BEAM OR LOW BEAM. THIS GIVES OTHER DRIVERS THE IMPRESSION THAT HIGH BEAMS ARE BEING USED AT ALL TIMES, WHICH CAN LEAD TO OTHER DRIVERS FLASHING THEIR HIGH BEAMS AT F250 DR…"complaint #1443028
    • "I THINK THE NHTSA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THE HEADLIGHTS ON ALL NEW FORD SUPER DUTY PICKUPS. EVEN ON LOW BEAMS THEY HAVE AN EXTREMELY BRIGHT AND BLINDING DOUBLE STACK OF LIGHTS ON EACH SIDE. THESE LIGHTS ARE THE MOST BLINDING LIGHTS COMING AT YOU FROM THE FRONT O…"complaint #1453940
    • "THE HEADLIGHTS ON ALL THE NEW FORD F-250 TRUCKS ARE DANGEROUS TO EVERYONE THAT HAS TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH THESE BIG TRUCKS. I CAN SPOT ONE FROM A MILE AWAY BECAUSE I'M SUDDENLY BLINDED BY THE FOUR SUPER BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS AND THEN SOME IDIOT HAVE THERE FOG LIGH…"complaint #1559217
  16. #16

    other

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2018 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVER WAS DRIVING AT 60 MPH, SMOKE WAS PRESENT COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER PULLING OVER AND STOPPING THE VEHICLE, SMOKE AND FLAMES WERE PRESENT COMING FROM THE PASSENGER SID…"~110,000 mi, complaint #1742626
  17. #17

    suspension arms and bushings

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "THE FRONT SHOCK ABSORBER BUSHINGS ARE CRACKED AND DETERIORATING .. FORD WILL REPLACE THEM UNDER WARRANTY BECAUSE THEY STATE THAT THE CRACKED BUSHING CAN AFFECT STEERING, HANDLING AND BRAKING .. IF THE BUSHINGS FALL APART SUDDENLY THE DRIVER OF THE VEHICLE CAN…"~22,000 mi, complaint #1653818
    • "WHILE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE RUNNING 68 MPH I CROSSED A STRAIGHT BRIDGE AND ENCOUNTERED A SEVERE VIBRATION/LOSS OF CONTROL COMING FROM MY FRONT SUSPENSION. AFTER HITTING A SLIGHT BUMP AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BRIDGE THE VIBRATION WAS SO SEVERE AND WOULD NOT…"~30,000 mi, complaint #1619091
    • "OUR 2018 F-250 SUPER DUTY IS EXPERIENCING THE INFAMOUS "FORD DEATH WOBBLE" DUE TO PARTS USED BY FORD THAT THEY KNOW WERE NOT GOING TO HOLD UP AND WOULD WEAR PREMATURELY. THIS IS CAUSING AN EXTREMELY ROUGH AND EXTREMELY DANGEROUS WOBBLE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION…"~39,000 mi, complaint #1740356
  18. #18

    wheel bearing

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "AT SPEEDS OVER 50 MPH THE STEERING WHEEL STARTS TO SHAKE, SOMETIMES VIOLENTLY. I HAVE JUST OVER 23000 MILES ON THIS VEHICLE AND IT STARTED APPROXIMATELY 2 WEEKS AGO. I HAVE HAD THE TIRES ROTATED, AIR PRESSURE CHECKED AND ALIGNMENT. NOW ITS TIME TO GO TO THE FO…"~22,650 mi, complaint #1685555
    • "I WAS DRIVING 70 MPH AND HIT A BUMP ON THE HIGHWAY. THE PICKUP STARTED SHAKING AND IT TOOK ME ON TO THE SHOULDER UNTIL I WAS ABLE TO GET IT BACK UNDER CONTROL. IT DIDN'T STOP SHAKING UNTIL I SLOWED DOWN TO AROUND 20MPH."~42,000 mi, complaint #1610295
  19. #19

    brake hydraulics

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While driving the vehicle out of the garage the brakes locked up. The vehicle would travel only a couple feet in forward or reverse before it came to a halt. The vehicle needed to be towed to the dealership. Had this vehicle been on a highway the failure of th…"complaint #1864481
    • "With a 5th wheel plugged in and in tow the trailer brake module failed. There were no trailer brakes while pulling the trailer. This made driving extremely dangerous as the trailer weighs 15,000 lbs. and I only had the truck brakes working. "complaint #1937861
  20. #20

    glass and windshield

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "TRUCK HAD 12,000 MILES ON IT AND I HAD IT FOR 9 MONTHS, GOT A MUSTY SMELL COMING FROM SOMEWHERE COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT BROUGHT IT TO THE DEALER 2 TIMES, THEY SAID IT HAD NO WATER LEAK, SO I DIDN'T MY OWN TEST I NOTICED THE BACK CARPET WET, RIPPED THE BACKSEAT…"~12,000 mi, complaint #1551311
    • "FRONT WINDSHIELD CRACKED THE WHOLE WAY ACROSS AFTER USING DEFROSTER. THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED ON AND THE DEFROSTER WAS TURNED ON AS I WAITED FOR VEHICLE TO WARM UP I WENT BACK INSIDE THE HOUSE. WHEN I WENT BACK OUT AND GOT IN THE VEHICLE THE WINDOW WAS CRACKED A…"~1,330,000 mi, complaint #1537236
  21. #21

    sunroof

    1 unsafe, 1 broken

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Our 2108, Ford F-250, Lariat model with extended cab, the sunroof brackets (plastic) broke and the sunroof can not be opened or closed, and became loose. The brackets that hold the glass in place are made of plastic and they deteriorated to the point where the…"complaint #2031501
    • "My sunroof is broken and in operatable, and the glass will not close all the way keeping the inside of the vehicle open to the elements. The noise is also very loud when traveling on the freeways. Ford quoted me $5000 to repair the system. The service advisor…"complaint #2040104
  22. #22

    wheel or rim

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The lug nuts have decorative caps that are easily damaged during ordinary maintenance. Once damaged, the nuts cannot be properly torqued. This puts proper tightening at risk. This then increases the result of the nuts loosening, falling off, and losing cont…"complaint #2038561
  23. #23

    wiring harness

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=3)

    • "UPON STARTING THE ENGINE, NO DASH DISPLAYS CAME ON. I LEFT THE ENGINE RUNNING AND OPENED THE HOOD TO LOOK FOR WIRING ISSUES, FOUND NO DAMAGE. WENT BACK TO DRIVERS SEAT AND DASH LIGHTS WERE ALL ON ALONG WITH A "SERVICE REQUIRED" WARNING LIGHT. SHORTLY AFTER, T…"~33,000 mi, complaint #1738014
    • "THE AC LINE FITTING OVERHEATED CAUSING IT TO EXPLODE AND ARC WHICH IN TURN MELTED THE PRIMARY WIRING HARNESS FOR THE ENGINE. THIS ALSO RESULTED IN THE WIRE CATCHING FIRE AND CAUSING BURN DAMAGE TO THE FIREWALL. THE VEHICLE WAS GOING THROUGH A CAR WASH WHEN T…"~66,100 mi, complaint #1659322
  24. #24

    catalytic converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

  25. #25

    control module

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

  26. #26

    driveshaft axle cv

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I WAS DRIVING DOWN I-69 RUNNING ABROUND 75MPH. ALL OF THE SUDDEN, THE TRUCK STARTED TO VIOLENTLY SHAKE AS IF BOTH REAR TIRES BLEW OUT. I GENTLY PRESSED ON THE BRAKES TO NOT EXASERBATE THE ISSUE. IT WAS EVERYTHING I COULD DO TO KEEP THE TRUCK ON THE ROAD. SCARI…"~38,012 mi, complaint #1681736
  27. #27

    emissions aftertreatment

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I was sold this truck in November 2023 with the emissions deleted and without knowing this was removed/deleted. I did not become aware until 3 weeks ago when I brought my truck into service for a warranty issue with the fuel component. After some back and fo…"complaint #2016159
  28. #28

    engine turbo supercharger

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This is a turbo diesel F250 Ford Truck which caught on fire and was completely destroyed while on the interstate in VA. Our safely was very much at risk as the truck was fully engulfed in flames within minutes. We were able to pull off the side of the highwa…"complaint #1821271
  29. #29

    fluid leak unspecified

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WATER LEAKING TO THE INTERIOR THROUGH PASSENGER SIDE A PILLAR."~34,000 mi, complaint #1746547
  30. #30

    hv system fault reduced power

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "2018 F250 WITH SNOWPLOW PREP PACKAGE. LOSE OF POWER DURING PLOWING. DIMMING OF DASH LIGHTS, AND VOLTAGE ERRORS ON SALTER. THE WORST PART IS THAT THE TRUCK HAS LOST COMPLETE POWER TWICE! STALLING WHILE DRIVING IN PARKING LOTS LOSE OF STEERING, AND BREAKS!!! THE…"~3,000 mi, complaint #1634094
  31. #31

    parking brake

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

  32. #32

    seat mechanism

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "This particular truck has heated front seats. While I was driving today 2/18/2022 at about 2:35pm the passenger heated seat was on and the seat caught on fire. The seat was empty and nothing was on the seat. I looked over and there were flames coming from the…"complaint #1796052
  33. #33

    software or update

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "IN A FORD SOFTWARE UPDATE LATE IN 2019 THE PROFILE OF HOW THE IN CAR SYNC SYSTEM OPERATES WITH AN ANDROID PHONE HARD WIRED INTO THE SYNC SYSTEM USB PORT. WHEN THE PHONE AND THE SYNC SYSTEM ARE PAIRED SYNC USES THE GPS, PHONE AND OTHER APPS SO THEY CAN BE CONTR…"~18,000 mi, complaint #1641347
  34. #34

    throttle and pedal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "BOUGHT A 2018 FORD F250.. DROVER IT FOR ABOUT 1500 MILES. WENT ON A TRIP TO YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK , ON THE WAY BACK. WE WERE ON THE 5 FWY BACK TO LOS ANGELES WE ARE GOING 70 AND ALL THE SUDDEN LOST GAS PEDAL IN LINE ONE WITH A BUNCH OF RIGGS AROUND ME. TRYIN…"complaint #1500058
  35. #35

    transmission automatic

    1 stranded

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Transmission just went out no tell tale signs or anything. "complaint #2093465
  36. #36

    wiper and washer

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "I WAS CLEANING MY 2018 FORD F250 WINDSHIELD IN MY GARAGE WHEN I NOTICED THAT THE PASSENGER WIPER ARM FELT LOOSE. I WENT OVER TO CHECK THE DRIVERS SIDE AND GAVE IT A WIGGLE AND NOTICED THAT THE KEY WAY FELL OUT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE WIPER ARM WHERE IT CONNECT…"~6,000 mi, complaint #1496768

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for FORD F 250 SD directly.