2013 Ford F-250 SD problems & reliability
21 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2013 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.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 7 | 33% |
| Suspension | 5 | 24% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 14% |
| Steering | 3 | 14% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 10% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 2 | 10% |
| Power Train | 2 | 10% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 5% |
| Equipment | 1 | 5% |
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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I am experiencing what is called the ford death wobble. Hitting a rough spot, or a tar line will cause violent steering wobble.must slow down below 40 mph to stop the problem.”
Suspension · filed Mar 17, 2020
“My vehicle has 'experienced the 'f250 death wobble' on several occasions and it is a scary feeling when it happens. Th death wobble usually happens when you are traveling at highway speeds any you hit a rough patch or bump in the road. During the 'death wobble the truck bounces all over the road and the front…”
Suspension · filed Jul 20, 2019
“Egr and egr cooler failed at 21,000 miles. Dealer fixed under warranty 3/22/16. Same parts have failed again at 46,000 miles and is out of warranty. Searching the web shows this is a common repeat failure for the 6.7 diesel and costs $2,000 for repair. Engine trouble code is p0401. The parts or design must be…”
Engine · filed Jul 13, 2019
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown
Recall Query RQ14005 · opened Jan 13, 2015 · closed Mar 15, 2016 · led to recall 15V175000
Technical service bulletins
158 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2013 Ford F-250 SD. The 10 most recent:
Some 2013-2016 Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L diesel engine and 2015-2019 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2L diesel engine may not pass a state smog test due to the exhaust gas system (EGS) monitor that…
SSM 54690 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 26, 2026
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
Certain 2011-2022 Model Year Super Duty Vehicles Equipped with 6.7L Engine - Emission Control Information Label Update for Qualified Vehicles
24L05 · Other · issued Aug 23, 2025
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024…
SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 10, 2024
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
2024 F-Super Duty vehicles are equipped with XL-22 (WSS-M2C184-A1) high temperature power steering fluid that looks like clear hydraulic fluid. This fluid is an improvement in high temperature and thermal oxidative…
SSM 52188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 18, 2024
Various 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. This DTC indicates that the engine…
SSM 51854 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 10, 2023
Various 2013-2019 vehicles may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) with diagnostic trouble code (DTC) P264F after powertrain control module (PCM) replacement. This DTC indicates that the engine…
SSM 51849 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 8, 2023
2011-2023 F-Super Duty and 2016-2024 F-650/F-750 vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine may exhibit an elevated idle condition. During prolonged idle time, vehicles may experience this elevated idle to reduce unburned…
SSM 51691 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2023
For 2000-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, swapping a module from a vehicle for diagnosis purposes is likely to cause errors and is not recommended. It is also not recommended to order a replacement module using a vehicle…
SSM 51536 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 4, 2023
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 2013 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 2013 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.