1999 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
413 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford F-350, alongside 2 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.
23 complaints report injuries (26 injured, 3 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 1999 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 70 fatal crashes with 29 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Tires | 93 | 23% |
| Power Train | 64 | 15% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 64 | 15% |
| Steering | 48 | 12% |
| Suspension | 37 | 9% |
| Air Bags | 25 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 22 | 5% |
| Wheels | 18 | 4% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 17 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 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 108,000 miles (middle 50% between 50,000 and 138,700 miles), based on 57 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 1999 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at speeds in excess of 40 MPH, after driving over a pothole in the roadway, the vehicle started shaking and vibrating violently. The contact stated that after slowing down the failure ceased. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local…”
Suspension · filed Jun 2, 2022
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford f-350. The contact stated that while the owner was operating the vehicle, the power steering assist malfunctioned. The contact indicated that the power steering assist was available while turing the steering wheel to the left however, was not available while turning the steering wheel…”
Steering · filed Oct 5, 2020
“Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford f-350. While the contact's father was driving 55 mph, he swerved to avoid striking another vehicle. When the brake pedal was depressed, the driver's side tires did not stop and the steering seized. As a result, the driver struck a tree and the vehicle rolled into a ditch. A police…”
Service Brakes · filed Nov 20, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEAD
Defect Petition DP05005 · opened Sep 22, 2005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
- ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRES
Engineering Analysis EA05005 · opened Mar 22, 2005 · closed Aug 2, 2006 · led to recall 08V025000
- RAPID TIRE DEFLATION
Engineering Analysis EA02018 · opened Aug 19, 2002 · closed Aug 22, 2003
- PARKING BRAKE FAILURE
Recall Query RQ00010 · opened Mar 13, 2000 · closed Jan 12, 2001 · led to recall 98V101000
Technical service bulletins
72 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1999 Ford F-350. The 10 most recent:
Service tips before arc welding on the frame or body of a unit. *tt
18406 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2005
A cold weather reverse engagement stall. *tt
18376 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2005
Vehicle lean sag when observed from rear of vehicle. *eh
04236 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2004
Vacuum pump inoperative or runs continuously - climate control defaults to defrost. Oasis. To also include 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, and f650/750. *tt
18223 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2004
Rear axle popping/chatter noise - dana 80 model dual rear wheel (drw). *ar
031603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 23, 2004
Excessive drive-away shudder or vibration under moderate to heavy acceleration from a stop. *tt
16915 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 1, 2004
Air bag light on with diagnostic trouble code (dtc) b1871 or b1935 following ecs/rcm replacement. *tt
17603 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2004
Oil/dust film at cac connections. *mj
17554 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 1, 2004
Steering wheel fight after riding over bumps/ruts. 2003, 2004 f450 and f550 models included. *tt
03174 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2003
Some vehicles equipped with the dual rear wheel (drw) rear axle may exhibit a tactile popping or audible chattering noise. This popping noise/feel results from the clutch plates and discs (in the limited slip…
03163 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 18, 2003
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 1999 Ford F-350 has 2 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 1999 Ford F-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 108,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.