2002 Ford F-250 SD Problems

What owners report

On this model year, owners most often describe two different kinds of trouble: a diesel engine that shuts off without warning (many trace it to the camshaft position sensor), and spark plugs ejecting from the cylinder head on gas V8/V10 trucks. Brake shudder, front-end shimmy after bumps, and tire tread separation are also common themes, and several items show up on trucks with low mileage as well as high.

1. 1
   Engine cooling

   Spark plug ejected from cylinder head (gas V8/V10)

   • 60 complaints (24%)
   • median 95,494 mi at 7.6 yrs old (56 state mileage)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,100 (median of 17 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2016

   Owners of 5.4L and V10 trucks describe a loud bang followed by sudden power loss, sometimes smoke or a small fire under the hood, and a plug found loose in the engine bay with the threads in the head stripped. Repairs described include a thread insert (Helicoil) or head work, with costs ranging widely, and some owners report more than one blowout. Complaints say dealers replaced the head or plug and coil and that a known repair exists, though it was not always covered outside warranty. Reported from roughly 42,000 to 152,000 miles, often at highway speed or when accelerating from a stop.

   What to check: Ask whether any cylinder has had a thread insert or head repair, and have a mechanic check plug torque and thread condition on gas engines before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On august 30, 2008 my 2002 f-250 blew the number 2 spark plug out of the cylinder head. Due to the holiday weekend I have to wait till tuesday to get an estimate on how much it will cost to repair it. I have searched this problem and found this to be common among Ford products. Ford needs to set this as a recall item. Ford back your product up you charge enough for them........”

   NHTSA complaint #10240481, filed 2008-08, 138,140 miles

   “Approximately 5 days before the failure, I began to hear an exhaust leak. I kept driving my truck assuming it was just a small leak in the exhaust system. On april 29, the spark plug blew out of the head of my v10 taking the last few threads with it. The dealer says, best case scenario I need a helicoil repair, costing around $600, worse case scenario, the failure could cost me my engine. $1000's of dollars.”

   NHTSA complaint #10267892, filed 2009-05, 102,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Diesel engine shuts off without warning (camshaft position

   • 72 complaints (29%)
   • median 77,200 mi at 5.4 yrs old (61 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2002–2017

   Owners of Power Stroke diesel trucks describe the engine quitting instantly at speed, at stop lights, or shortly after starting, with no warning and sometimes no restart until it cools. With the engine off, power steering and power brakes are lost, so drivers describe hard steering and a stiff pedal while coasting to the shoulder. Complaints state the camshaft position sensor was replaced, some owners reporting repeat failures and keeping a spare sensor in the truck; a Ford recall covers the speed control deactivation switch, and a separate recall addresses an intermittent camshaft position sensor on 7.3L diesel trucks. Reported from about 29,000 to 167,000 miles, with many between 45,000 and 80,000 miles, at highway and in-town speeds.

   Recall 09V399000Recall 07V553000

   What to check: Ask whether the camshaft position sensor has been replaced and when, and whether the truck has stalled or refused to restart; on a 7.3L diesel, confirm the speed control deactivation switch recall was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Cam position sensor failed on 2002 Ford f250 w. 7.3l diesel. When this sensor fails you loose all power assist and the steering becomes very hard and breaks are at best no existent. I was able to get the truck to the side of the highway and not become a hazard. Replace sensor with spare I had with me due to multiple failures over the years made me aware to keep an extra with me at all times.”

   NHTSA complaint #10202759, filed 2007-09, 133,450 miles

   “While driving my 2002 Ford f250 7.3 diesel truck, my truck lost all power. I restarted the truck and had traveled about 1/2 mile when the failure occurred again. I restarted the truck again and had traveled about 1/2 a mile when the failure occurred again. At this point I was in my driveway. After further research on the internet, I discovered that this failure is very common in this vehicle and happens with no warning and at any speed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10144993, filed 2005-12, 50,000 miles
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake pedal pulsing and front-end shudder when braking

   • 25 complaints (10%)
   • median 38,000 mi at 3.1 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2002–2014

   Owners describe the steering wheel or whole front end shaking when the brakes are applied, sometimes pulling to one side, with rotors and pads replaced or turned repeatedly. Some complaints mention calipers seizing and ruining a rotor, and one describes brake fluid reaching the floorboard with corrosion found on the frame. Owners report dealers either replaced rotors, pads and calipers or said nothing was wrong. Reported from very low mileage (under 1,000 miles in one case) up to about 106,000 miles, often recurring within 20,000-30,000 miles of a prior repair.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Test-drive and brake firmly from highway speed to feel for pulsation or pull, check rotor condition and caliper function, and inspect brake lines and the frame for corrosion and fluid seepage.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Unable to stop in a reasonable distance. While applying brakes and steadily applying more pressure to increase rate of decent, I get a hard pedal that you can't push any harder even with both feet. Brakes will not apply enough pressure to activate the ABS even on wet pavement, only on gravel or snow. I have paperwork from Ford stating they have had a number of complaints and are aware of the saftey concern but are unable to fix. Fords teck line advised technition to replace parts untill concern is fixed. I've been to 4 dealers. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10066014, filed 2004-04, 3,000 miles

   “On my Ford f-250 crew cab, all four brakes and rotors went bad and had to be replaced on 10-08-2009 with 81,125 miles on the vehicle. On 11-10-2009 (one month later) I had to replace a caliper on the left rear axle. On 5-16-2013 with 100030 miles (18,905 miles later) I had to install another new caliper and rotor on left rear axle and replace both brake pads. On 8-1-14 with 106,861 miles, (again with only 25,736 miles since last being replaced) both front calipers froze and ruined the left front rotor that will need to be replaced. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10618258, filed 2014-08, 81,125 miles
4. 4
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and sidewall cracking

   • 21 complaints (9%)
   • median 52,500 mi at 6.3 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2015

   Owners describe tread peeling away from the tire casing, sometimes with no loss of air, and damage to fenders and running boards as the separated tread flaps. Some report sidewall cracking on the remaining tires and blowouts while towing or at highway speed, with claims handled through the tire maker rather than the dealer. Reported from about 13,800 to 37,000 miles on the affected tires, often at highway speed and in hot weather.

   What to check: Check the tire date codes and look for sidewall cracks or uneven tread, and ask for the tire replacement history since tires may not be original.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Firestone tire failure, tire flew apart like a recap, and separated from the steel belt causeng twenty eight hundred dollars in damage to my 2002 Ford f250 crew cab lariet. The tire had lots of tread left on it, it was about half worn? The tire did not go flat, but the tread seperated and slaped around as I was trying to come to a stop and damage in driver side fender/hood/and runing board. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10086343, filed 2004-08, 63,000 miles

   “I-5 california 100 temp. 2002 Ford super duty truck, camper, trailer 60-65 MPH rear left tire tread came away from tire core no air loss. No accident firestone steeltex a/t 265/75r/16 change on side of road. Tire mileage 37,000. Body damage to rear of truck at fender well. I am now talking (filing claim) with firestone on covering truck damage and replacement of tire. Will keep tire until all is resolved.”

   NHTSA complaint #10086632, filed 2004-08, 37,000 miles
5. 5
   Steering

   Front-end shimmy and vibration after bumps

   Mentioned in 4 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners describe the front end shaking or shimmying violently after hitting a bump or pothole at highway speed, forcing them to slow well below the limit, and some report the same vibration while driving over uneven pavement. Complaints mention worn ball joints found at inspection, and others say shops could find nothing visibly loose. A Ford service bulletin for later Super Duty 4x4 trucks describes steering wheel and front wheel vibration and oscillation after a bump. Reported from about 36,800 to 166,000 miles, typically at 55-65 mph on the highway.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive it at highway speed over uneven pavement and feel for shimmy, and have front ball joints, tie rods and steering stabilizer inspected for play.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a Ford F-250 SD 4x4 truck. When driving on the highway, if I hit any potholes or bumps in the road the front end shakes violently and causes me to have to slow to speeds well below the limit. This has nearly caused me to wreck my truck or have some rearend me on the highway 3 different times. At this point the truck just sits because I cant figure out what to do about it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10288644, filed 2009-10, 85,000 miles

   “My 2002 Ford f250 diesel truck shimmies terribly periodically. I never know when it will start, but when it does it gets violent and I have to slow down to almost a stop. I am getting more and more apprehensive about driving it, and especially pulling my horse trailer with it. I have had several people look at it to see if anything seemed out of place. They always report they do not see anything. I have noticed on line that there have been several off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10324116, filed 2010-04, 166,000 miles

Buying note. Have a mechanic inspect the front end and brake rotors, check tire age and condition, and on diesel trucks confirm the camshaft position sensor history and recall work. Gas trucks are worth checking for past spark plug thread repairs before purchase.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 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.