2008 Ford F-350 problems & reliability
131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2008 Ford F-350, alongside 6 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.
8 complaints report injuries (8 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2008 Ford F-350 vehicles were involved in 65 fatal crashes with 27 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 | 47 | 36% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 31 | 24% |
| Engine | 18 | 14% |
| Suspension | 15 | 11% |
| Service Brakes | 9 | 7% |
| Structure | 7 | 5% |
| Wheels | 6 | 5% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 4% |
| Tires | 5 | 4% |
| Electrical System | 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 67,766 miles (middle 50% between 36,700 and 108,866 miles), based on 114 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Items in my bed and liner caught on fire. Engine regeneration for emissions got so hot melted all of the bed liner and caught a new large tv on fire. Ford has a glue on heat shield under bed which fell off. Exhaust gets so hot it caught on fire. They should have put a metal fixed plate or something fixed no a cheap…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Jan 17, 2026
“I have had multiple incidents of my truck shutting off completely while driving. The latest incident resulted in a "catastrophic engine failure". In the latest incident occurring in April 2025, I was driving on [XXX] . [XXX] is a two-lane highway with no divider, navigating through mountainous terrain. I was driving…”
Engine · filed Jan 13, 2026
“Vehicle died while driving on the freeway. Towed to the local Ford who did a diagnostic and test they found that the engine is completely done with as there was an engine oil overfill, and it filled the CAC system and melted cylinder eight piston. they’re saying that they will need to replace the entire engine and HP…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed May 14, 2025
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
16 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2008 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: the malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on and diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0713 and/or p0710 regarding torqshift transmission. Model 2008-2009 f-53 motorhome chassis, low cab forward, 2008-2010 f-250, f-350…
TSB-13-12-22 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 8, 2014
Ford service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Demonstration/delivery hol customer satisfaction program 08b03. Certain 2008 model f-350, 4x4, 10,001 lbs and over gvw, 156 wheel base vehicles…
08B03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 4, 2011
Ford: some ford super duty trucks may exhibit a lack of power with a diagnostic trouble code at full operating temperature during acceleration. *rm
TSB-11-4-15 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 19, 2011
Ford: some continental tires might have uneven wear, vibration, or the possible tread detachment. 2008-2009 f250/f350. *rm updated 8/3/11. *pe
CSP-11B24 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2011
Ford: if there is an intermittent lack of power, surge, or hesitation while driving the brakes will override acceleration. *rm
AS-21769 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 1, 2011
Ford service campaign: see document search button for owner letter. Catalyst y pipe warranty extension.. In some of the affected vehicles, certain vehicle operating conditions can cause the catalyst substrate to crack…
CSP-10M05 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 23, 2010
Ford: supply/return lines installation at high pressure pump-revised washer for trucks equipped with 6.4l engines. When installing supply or return lines at high pressure pump on diesel engines, do not use the bonded…
SB-21434 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2010
Ford: some trucks with 6.4l engine will run rough, smokes, or no start due to gasoline or alcohol in the fuel. Gasoline/alcohol lack the lubricity of diesel fuel and will cause fuel system failure. *pe
SB-21410 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 1, 2010
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
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 2008 Ford F-350 has 6 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 2008 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 67,766 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.