2006 Ford E-350 problems & reliability
53 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford E-350, alongside 36 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Ford E-350 vehicles were involved in 38 fatal crashes with 14 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 13 | 25% |
| Steering | 9 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 13% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 9% |
| Structure | 5 | 9% |
| Engine | 4 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 8% |
| Tires | 4 | 8% |
| Power Train | 3 | 6% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 75,000 miles (middle 50% between 34,000 and 107,000 miles), based on 45 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Brakes line rapture on front left line in driveway with foot on pedal had had feel of having brakes put van in drive started out of car port got on the down grade of the driveway pushed brake pedal and had no brakes to stop the vehicle I sideswiped a tree to keep from rolling In to to neighbors house”
Structure · filed Dec 23, 2024
“After many times at several dealerships explaining loss of power, shaking and bucking while on the highway, smoke when starting, rough running. Dealers not able to fix specific problem. I stated that when fuel filter was changed by my mechanic he tells me my tank is delaminating and needs to be replaced. I tell one…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 6, 2018
“Michelin tire blow out lt 225/75r16 ltx ms2 dot b3jh 009x 4413 inside rear passenger side blow out 35k miles on a 70k warranty 2006 ford rv cutaway e350 super duty 6.8 v10 phoenix cruiser 2400 vin 1fdwe35s2 6hb19410”
Tires · filed Jan 22, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- HVAC Switch Failures
Engineering Analysis EA10003 · opened Apr 13, 2010 · closed Mar 5, 2012
- HVAC Switch Failures
Preliminary Evaluation PE09055 · opened Dec 7, 2009 · closed Apr 21, 2010
Technical service bulletins
68 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford E-350. The 10 most recent:
When performing any transmission fluid changes or topoffs involving MERCON SP, MERCON LV has replaced all versions of MERCON SP and can be used going forward. Mixing MERCON LV and MERCON SP in the same transmission is…
SSM 51909 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 7, 2023
These SKUs are Trailer Brake Control Modules. The customer communication requested return of unsold inventory due to an internal software issue. The internal software issue leads to a false check trailer brake message…
DOR-T7F8K-08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 8, 2020
Ford: when shifting between park, reverse and/or during 2-3 shift, an intermittent clunk occurs with a torqshift transmission. Model 2003-2014 f-super duty, e series, excursion, f-53 motorhome chassis, low cab forward…
ASI-44534 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2014
Ford: on some trucks, there is a no crank situation and if voltage on transmission range sensor at pin 21, is less than 5 volts, disconnect the engine cooling fan clutch, electronically, and recheck voltage. Model…
ASI-44404 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2014
Ford: there may be a lack of rpm, hesitation, or rough running concerns when the vehicle is in idle. There may be two trouble codes stored. The problem may be caused by aftermarket generators installed or modifications…
TSB-10-23-5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 17, 2010
Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code…
TSB-10-12-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2010
Ford/mercury/lincoln: vehicles may exhibit one or more of the following symptoms: drive away hesitation, loss of rpm on deceleration, difficulty starting, and/or idle rpm less than desired. The f53 motorhome chassis is…
TSB-08-18-2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2009
Ford: some vehicles with diesel engines may experience no starts, hard starts or rough running when cold and may be accompanied with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0611, p1378 and/or all 8 injector circuit codes. *pe
TSB-08-26-3 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2009
Ford: some vehicles equipped with 6.0l diesel engine may exhibit any one or combination of the following concerns-lack of power, white/black smoke or a surge. *pe
TSB-08-16-13 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2009
Ford trucks: misfire, lack of power, buck/jerk, excessive smoke, crank/no start-diagnostics for fuel system. There are several potential causes for these symptoms. *pe
TSB-08-20-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 20, 2009
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2006 Ford E-350 has 36 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2006 Ford E-350?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 75,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.