2002 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2002 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.
7 complaints report injuries (9 injured, 2 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2002 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 54 fatal crashes with 25 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 | 20 | 17% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 19 | 16% |
| Steering | 16 | 14% |
| Electrical System | 14 | 12% |
| Power Train | 10 | 9% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 9 | 8% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 7 | 6% |
| Structure | 6 | 5% |
| Suspension | 6 | 5% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 4 | 3% |
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 65,000 miles (middle 50% between 36,000 and 147,423 miles), based on 68 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“We were just driving when the truck started smoking and the brakes wouldn’t work. After a few minutes the truck completely caught on fire.”
Structure · filed Sep 8, 2025
“The frame at the leaf spring hangars has cracked apart at only 131,000 miles on the truck. This issue is becoming more and more common over the years it seems and comparable age trucks from other manufacturers are having this issue for the same age.”
Structure · filed Jun 23, 2025
“[XXX] tire on passenger’s rear began to have significant vibration while towing 16,000 lb. fifth-wheel RV. Stopped and visually/tactilely determined unusual wear pattern so went to commercial tire shop in Pahrump, NV. Their inspection determined tread separation rendering the tire unusable so we replaced it with a…”
Tires · filed Mar 21, 2024
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
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2002 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
Warning indicators-parking aid-reverse sensing system (rss) and forward sensing system (fss)-false activation of warning tone-service tips. *mj update. *tt
0471 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 31, 2004
Memontary return to idle during aggressive acceleration - diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p0123. *tt
042411 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 13, 2004
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
Multiple vehicles - fuel level indication concerns - service tip. Various models including 2005 super duty f-series, excursion, expedition, explorer, mountaineer and aviator. *tt
18217 · 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
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 2002 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 2002 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 65,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.