2006 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
145 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford F-350, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. 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 (10 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2006 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 67 fatal crashes with 20 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 51 | 35% |
| Suspension | 50 | 34% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 21 | 14% |
| Engine | 12 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 11 | 8% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 10 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 5% |
| Electrical System | 7 | 5% |
| Wheels | 7 | 5% |
| Tires | 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 60,000 miles (middle 50% between 30,000 and 110,000 miles), based on 129 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“2006F-350 super duty 5.4engine,,had to be replaced two and a half years ago the Ford dealer at cirroca of York,,told me that the new motor was improved that the new motors valve train was improved,,why wasn't it a recall,, if it would affect emissions and overall performance and reliability”
Engine · filed Nov 19, 2025
“The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the front passenger wheel drove over a small dip in the roadway and the vehicle started to shimmy. The contact stated that the vehicle was difficult to steer. The contact continued driving at a slower speed to allow the…”
Steering · filed Jul 21, 2025
“The contact owns a 2006 Ford F-350. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that fuel was leaking underneath the front driver's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the fuel pump block-off plate and plug. The manufacturer was made aware…”
Fuel System, Diesel · filed May 13, 2024
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATION
Engineering Analysis EA08007 · opened Mar 14, 2008 · closed Mar 31, 2009
- VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATION
Preliminary Evaluation PE07057 · opened Nov 15, 2007 · closed Mar 14, 2008
Technical service bulletins
16 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2006 Ford F-350. The 10 most recent:
In monitoring our technical service inquiries and technical service bulletins from Ford, there is the potential for moderate to severe steering wheel oscillation (wobble) to occur. After extensive testing and outside…
PC-01.12.2016 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 12, 2016
Ford truck: some trucks equipped with a 6.0l diesel engine may exhibit a hard start/long crank or no start condition due to low injection control pressure (icp). *pe
TSB-08-18-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 1, 2008
Slow fuel fill--mil on with dtc p0191. *nj
08-4-12 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2008
Water in the fuel tank behind rear axle - 6.0l, 6.4l and 7.3l diesel engine. *kb updated 2/29/08. *nj
07312 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2007
MISFIRE AND DTC P0300. *KB
19529 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2006
Brake line modification needed due to front wheels coming into contact with the brake lines. *kb
06007 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 1, 2006
Front suspension bottoming out (hitting the jounce bumpers) and/or making a banging/clunking noise when driving. *tt
0592 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2006
Diagnostic trouble code p2106, harsh drive engagements, transmission shudder - 5.4l 3v engine. *tt
05182 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Malfunction indicator lamp, diagnostic trouble codes p0172, p0175, p2106, hesitation, surge, harsh drive engagements. To include 2005-2006 f-53. *tt
05186 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
Service kit available for wiper motor wiring. *tt
05188 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 7, 2005
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 2006 Ford F-350 has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — 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 2006 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 60,000 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.