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Ford E-350Model year report

2005 Ford E-350 Problems

Complaints
55filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
67,294miles, 43 complaints with mileage
Recalls
16campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2005 Ford E-350 (complaints, recalls, investigations). Report an error

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine stalling, shutting off, or losing power while driving, and many say the stall came without warning. Fuel tank lining flaking or corrosion, electrical faults such as alternator, battery, or wiring problems, and injector or high-pressure pump problems also come up often, and several reports come from ambulance fleets. Mileage varies widely, but most fuel tank reports fall between about 80,000 and 115,000 miles, while electrical reports range from a few thousand to over 150,000 miles.

  1. Engine

    Engine stalls, shuts off, or loses power while driving

    • 26 complaints (47%)
    • median 67,294 mi at 5.4 yrs old (21 state mileage)
    • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2016

    Owners describe the engine stalling or shutting off while driving at moderate speeds, sometimes without any warning light, and some report a loss of power on hills or highways before the engine died. Reports from ambulance fleets describe total engine failures on the road, and the dealer reportedly replaced an oil pump or wiring harness under warranty. According to complaints, some vehicles restarted only after a wait or repeated attempts, and others were towed. Where repairs are described, they include fuel system, injection, sensor, and alternator work, and some owners say the failure came back after a repair. Mileage is recorded for most of these, from about 5,000 to 160,000 miles, and the speeds mentioned range from about 10 to 60 mph.

    Recall 05V2700002 related service bulletins

    What to check: During a test drive, ask whether the engine has been scanned for stored codes and whether the stalling recall for 6.0L diesel engines has been completed on the vehicle. Ask the dealer to confirm any repairs made for stalls or power loss, and whether oil pump, wiring harness, fuel system, or sensor work was documented.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While drive on highway,vehicle began to lose power when I encountered a hill. It bogged down and struggled to make it to top of hill and lost speed down to 30 MPH or less and then died. It would not start right away, but after letting it sit for 15 minutes, it started and had regained power and I drove it till I got to the nest hill and did the same thing several times till I made it home 3 hours later for a 10 mile trip. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10659991, filed 2014-11, 141,008 miles

    “I had an issue with the vehicle having a sudden miss from the engine while on the freeway. Saturday the sparkplugs and one coil pack was replaced. The vehicle was next driven on sunday evening where approx. 1/2 mile from the home the vehicle shut off without any power to the steering and brakes. Instruments lights were still working but dropped to the off position. I opened the hood and smelled electrical fumes, not being able to see what was wrong, I disconnected the battery with a pair of channelocks. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10487385, filed 2012-12, 155,000 miles
  2. Electrical system

    Electrical faults such as alternator, battery, or wiring

    • 21 complaints (38%)
    • median 35,000 mi at 3.6 yrs old (15 state mileage)
    • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2005–2016

    Owners report electrical faults, including a damaged alternator, a battery connection problem, a camshaft sensor replacement, and an engine wiring harness fault. Vehicles are described as stalling while driving, failing to restart, or cranking without starting, and some owners say the problem returned after repairs. According to complaints, the dealer often could not determine the cause during a first visit, and some vehicles were towed more than once. Mileage is recorded for most of these, from about 5,000 to 155,000 miles, and the earliest recorded failure is at about 5,000 miles.

    Recall 05V270000

    What to check: Ask whether the charging system, battery connections, and engine wiring harness have been inspected, and whether the stalling recall for 6.0L diesel engines applies to the vehicle. During a test drive, watch for battery or charging warnings and ask the dealer to scan for stored codes and check voltage readings.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Ford 2005 e350 diesel both new still under warranty breakdown over a dozen times wouldn't start sometimes after 20 min. Trying it starts roadside assistance. Tow it 5 times to difference Ford certified technician they change parts but same problem it stall once my dad hit a parked truck damage hood and fender I can contacted Ford many times I got two letters from (we are not doing anything for you ) I paid $35 k w/extended warranty and still making payments I am vary upset.”

    NHTSA complaint #10207884, filed 2007-11, 23,000 miles

    “This bus is owned by first baptist church of grant, al. About one year ago we started having times when the bus would crank but not start. Our mechanic has checked it four different tlimes, however, every time except this time (5th time) it started when he went to check it. This time we were taking our seniors on a trip, but when we went to crank it, it cranked but would not start. We had it towed to woody anderson Ford in huntsville, al. I spoke with the truck service manager today and he told me the engine wiring harness was bad. …”

    NHTSA complaint #10553482, filed 2013-11, 30,000 miles
  3. Fuel system

    Fuel tank lining flaking or corroding into fuel system

    • 11 complaints (20%)
    • median 87,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (11 state mileage)
    • filed 2007–2020

    Owners describe the inside of the fuel tank flaking, delaminating, or corroding, with flakes or debris reaching the filters, pump, and injectors. Reported symptoms include clogged filters, rough running, loss of power on hills or highways, and in some cases sudden stalling. According to complaints, dealers diagnosed tank delamination or rust, and the repairs described include replacing the tank, filters, pump, or injectors, while some owners say a dealer declined warranty repair. Mileage is recorded for all of these, ranging from about 35,000 to 132,000 miles, with most falling between about 80,000 and 115,000 miles.

    2 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the fuel tank has been inspected for lining flakes or corrosion, and whether the filters and pump were replaced along with the tank. Related service bulletins link a loss of power to low fuel pressure from a separating tank liner, so check the service history for those bulletins.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “In january 2009, engine began running rough. Took to Ford dealer, and they tested fuel system. Diagnosed rust in fuel due to fuel tank rusting and replaced fuel tank and filters. December 2010, the engine began running rough again. Took vehicle to non Ford repair, and was diagnosed that fuel tank was delaminating and had clogged filters, and injectors. Will need to replace fuel tank, fuel filters, and injectors.”

    NHTSA complaint #10372715, filed 2010-12, 82,574 miles

    “Silver flakes in fuel filters caused by known delamination of fuel tank causing failure of fuel pump and transmission trouble. Ford had known of problem for over 4 years and has not made it know to owners of these vehicles. Request recall!”

    NHTSA complaint #10318044, filed 2010-03, 132,000 miles
  4. Fuel system

    Injector or high-pressure pump faults

    • 12 complaints (22%)
    • median 73,147 mi at 5.6 yrs old (12 state mileage)
    • filed 2006–2014

    Owners report injector, high-pressure pump, and injection-control faults, with repeated repairs to injectors and fuel rails. Reported symptoms include stalling while driving, failing to start, rough running, and fuel leaking from injectors or rails. According to complaints, the dealer replaced injectors several times in some cases, and a fleet report describes high-pressure pump and injector repairs that led to extended downtime. Mileage is recorded for all of these, ranging from about 21,000 to 83,000 miles, and most describe diesel engines.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether the high-pressure fuel system and injectors have been checked, and whether any bulletins on injection pressure or injector circuit codes apply to the vehicle. During a test drive, watch for rough running or hesitation, and ask the dealer to scan for injector circuit codes.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Carter county emergency ambulance service has a total of 10 Ford e350 Ford ambulances. Three of the 2005 that we purchased last july been nothing but problems. High pressure pump and injectors, three ambulances and a total of 220 days of down time on this problem. (tried to get help from Ford but to no vain.) all ten of our ambulances are fords but the three 2005 models are the only ones that have given us any trouble.”

    NHTSA complaint #10168268, filed 2006-09, 37,000 miles

    “2005 Ford e350 with several problems. Consumer would like reimbursement for the following repairs. Engine would not start, fuel leak on the passenger side, fuel leaking from the injectors and fuel rail leak on several occasions. The fuel pump also failed.”

    NHTSA complaint #10218289, filed 2008-02, 31,681 miles
  5. Brakes

    Brake vacuum pump failures leading to lost braking

    • 7 complaints (13%)
    • median 83,000 mi at 4.0 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2006–2010

    Owners report that the vacuum pump supporting the brakes failed, leaving the brake pedal hard to press or unresponsive. Some describe losing braking while slowing for an exit or pulling into a parking lot, and others describe a collision or a near crash at an intersection. Complaints say there was no warning light before the failure. Dealers replaced the vacuum pump in some cases, and brake failures were reported again on the same vehicle. Mileage is recorded for most of these, from about 69,000 to 113,000 miles, and the failures happened while driving or braking.

    What to check: Ask whether the brake vacuum pump and brake assist system have been inspected, and whether any repairs were documented. During a test drive, check brake pedal feel and any brake warning lights, since the complaints describe no warning before the failure.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While on a trip to nc the brake vacuum pump on my 2005 E-350 diesel van failed without any warning. Luckily I had slowed down to get off an exit but when I applied the brakes to stop they were hard and would not stop. I was pulling a trailer at the time. I had to use the parking brake to stop. If I had been traveling at 70+ miles per hour and had to stop suddenly it would have been disastrous. There was no dash lights or alarms that came on previous to the failure. My van only has 113000 miles on it, (I travel a lot). …”

    NHTSA complaint #10159501, filed 2006-06, 113,033 miles

    “Vacumm pump failed on 05 Ford e350 van and lost brakes van has 69000 miles. Almost crashed if it would have happened at intersection lose of life quite possible.”

    NHTSA complaint #10305993, filed 2010-02, 69,000 miles

Buying note. For someone considering this model year, the complaints point to asking whether the stall-related recall and the bulletins on fuel tank liners and injectors have been checked, reviewing the electrical and charging-system repair history, and testing the brakes and engine on a test drive. Mileage and dealer records help show whether a symptom returned after a repair.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 46 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 55 consumer complaints for the 2005 Ford E-350. 43 of the complaints include a mileage, and 47% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 67,294 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 2 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns and 73 technical service bulletins for this model year.

Not compared (before 2008). Model years 2008–2023 of the same vehicle that have at least 25 complaints are compared, and a model needs at least 3 of them.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Electrical system: “Dt: the vehicle is new and it completely shut off in the middle of the road. Contacted Ford , and the vehicle is at the dealership now. They have not communicated what iwaswrong with the vehicle. This happened on august 15, 2005. There was no noise or lights that came ion n the vehicle before it shut off.”

NHTSA complaint #10134010, filed 2005-08, 5,000 miles

Fuel system: “Only 87000 miles and the fuel tank is shedding silver paint flakes, into the fuel system.. Have now replaced all the filters twice, pump once.. And the tank pre filter has to be clogged as no fuel will even come out.. Had been a very good truck, but this engineering causes the van to just die!! On the road. This is apparently a common problem and one that Ford and their engineers are not being responsible for.. Really... Paint inside at fuel tank? Wtf are they thinking...”

NHTSA complaint #11355011, filed 2020-09, 87,000 miles

Engine cooling: “2005 Ford E-350 ambulance was driving with lights and sirens to a 911 call when the engine died. The crew was barely able to control the vehicle to a stop. This has happened 2 times before, both times the vehicle was sent to a Ford dealership service center and they have been unable to find a solution to the problem. They are unwilling to replace the engine and all drivetrain systems.”

NHTSA complaint #10131423, filed 2005-08, 27,215 miles

Brakes: “The contact owns a 2005 Ford e350. The contact was driving approximately 40 MPH on normal road condition. When the brakes were applied the vehicle began to shake. The failure occurred whenever the vehicle was in operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer for inspection. The rotors were cracked and the brake pads were in satisfactory conditions. The vehicle was repaired for the malfunction. The failure mileage was 60,000.”

NHTSA complaint #10319890, filed 2010-03, 60,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

47% of the 43 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 28,305 and 103,000 miles.

5%0–1016%10–2526%25–509%50–7516%75–10021%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (43 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 67,294 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

’0613’08’10’12’14’16’23
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Recalls and investigations

See all 16 recalls for the 2005 Ford E-350 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 73 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 73 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford E-350

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20221411,0003———Not enough data
20212212,2346———Rising
20171320,5564———Not enough data
201654,0003———Not enough data
2015720,9782———Not enough data
20141716,50011—13—Rising
2013136,0009—13—Not enough data
20121669,75012—13—Stable
20111976,00018—13—Falling
20101769,90016———Falling
20091020,00025———Not enough data
20083951,00030——Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years)Rising
20071851,05135———Falling
20065373,00038——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20055567,29416——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20044650,00010——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20034685,5097——Not compared (before 2008)Rising
20025380,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
20015289,0004——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20005999,7838——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19997287,0009——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199863113,6148——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19977970,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Falling
19965038,9343——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19956980,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199451137,0005——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19934385,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19924145,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199119—1———Stable
19902389,0002———Stable
19892664,0003——Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19881172,0001———Not enough data
198714—8———Not enough data
19861160,00011———Not enough data
1983573,0008———Not enough data

All Ford E-350 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2005 Ford E-350?

Owners of this model year most often describe the engine stalling, shutting off, or losing power while driving, and many say the stall came without warning. The issues reported most often: Engine stalls, shuts off, or loses power while driving; Electrical faults such as alternator, battery, or wiring; Fuel tank lining flaking or corroding into fuel system.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2005 Ford E-350 have?

NHTSA recorded 55 consumer complaints for the 2005 Ford E-350 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2005 Ford E-350 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 17 complaints (31% of the total), followed by fuel system with 17.

Has the 2005 Ford E-350 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 16 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

At what mileage are problems with the 2005 Ford E-350 reported?

Among the 43 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 67,294 miles and the middle half falls between 28,305 and 103,000 miles; 47% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.