2008 Ford F-350 SD problems & reliability
101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Ford F-350 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 (2 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 25 | 25% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 21% |
| Suspension | 13 | 13% |
| Power Train | 11 | 11% |
| Tires | 11 | 11% |
| Engine | 10 | 10% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 9% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 8 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 8% |
| Wheels | 6 | 6% |
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 40,000 miles (middle 50% between 19,499 and 75,000 miles), based on 93 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Tl* the contact owns a 2019 ford f-350 sd, equipped with michelin tires, tire line: ltx ms/2, tire size: 245/75/r17, dot number: b74345 (partial). The contact stated while driving 75 mph, the front driver's side tire went flat and the steering ceased. The contact depressed the brake pedal and pulled over to the side…”
Tires · filed Apr 5, 2021
“Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-350 sd. While driving approximately 12 mph, the steering failed without warning. The contact stated that the steering wheel became detached from the steering box. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the steering box needed to be replaced. The…”
Steering · filed Feb 11, 2019
“The 2008, as well as other years of the ford f-350 are known to have a problem with a front-end shimmy or "death wobble". I have had several thousand dollars of work done to my f-350 in order to resolve the death wobble problem. The repairs work for a time and then, without warning, the death wobble returns. The fact…”
Steering · filed Jul 25, 2018
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
94 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 Ford F-350 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-350 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-350 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 40,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.