2008 Ford F-250 SD problems & reliability
141 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Ford F-250 SD. 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.
2 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 39 | 28% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 33 | 23% |
| Tires | 12 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 10 | 7% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 6% |
| Engine | 9 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 6% |
| Power Train | 7 | 5% |
| Structure | 7 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 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 45,000 miles (middle 50% between 21,000 and 88,000 miles), based on 121 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Have had numerous problems with the cooling system on this vehicle. Had the air charge cooler replaced under warranty at around 70,000 miles. The radiator was leaking as well but dealer refused to replace it and wanted 1400.00 to replace. Was losing coolant at a rate of about 1 gallon a week going thru the air charge…”
Engine and Engine Cooling · filed Aug 6, 2019
“We own a 2008 ford f-250 super duty truck with bf goodrich rugged terrain t/a tires. On or about 7/5/15, the passenger side rear tire developed tread failure as a portion of the tire tread began peeling off while travelling on I-75. A spare tire was put on and the tire was replaced and a warranty claim was submitted…”
Tires · filed Jul 31, 2019
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250 sd. Within less than a year of owning the vehicle, the vehicle shimmied and experienced a death wobble. The dealer (ray's ford, inc., 385 by pass rd, brandenburg, ky 40108, (270) 422-4901) was notified of the failure and indicated that an appointment may need to be scheduled. It…”
Steering · filed Feb 5, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Alleged Loss of Steering
Preliminary Evaluation PE13014 · opened May 7, 2013 · closed Jan 31, 2014
Technical service bulletins
84 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Ford F-250 SD. The 10 most recent:
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated…
SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the…
SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2024
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
Some 2005-2021 F-Super Duty 4x4 vehicles operated in extreme dust, mud or tar sand conditions may exhibit accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions. A knuckle…
SSM 49495 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 27, 2021
Some 2005-2020 F-Super Duty 4x4 vehicles operated in extreme dust, mud or tar sand conditions may exhibit accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions. A knuckle…
SSM 48494 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 29, 2020
Some 2002-2008 F-Super Duty, F-150 and Mark LT vehicles may exhibit concern during or after programing the VSM. The programming may fail or vehicle symptoms such as inoperative door locks, dome lamps, door ajar…
SSM 48157 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 2, 2019
Some 2005-2019 F-Super Duty 4x4 vehicles operated in extreme dust, mud or tar sand conditions may exhibit accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions. A knuckle…
SSM 47979 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 14, 2019
This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly. Excessive friction in the…
DOR-B8H4Z-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2018
The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with Remote Keyless Entry (RKE). The master code for the Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can be retrieved…
SSM 47009 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 10, 2018
Some 2005-2017 f-super duty 4x4 vehicles operated in extreme dust, mud or tar sand conditions may exhibit accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions. A knuckle…
SSM 46345 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 27, 2017
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
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2008 Ford F-250 SD in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
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 2008 Ford F-250 SD?
- · 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 45,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.