Ford F-250 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 4,644 consumer complaints across the 31 model years of the Ford F-250 (1984–2014) that have at least 5 complaints. 1999 has the most, with 581. Across all years, the part named most often is steering (844 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All F-250 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 142 | 81,000 | 0 | 10 | 43 · Typical | Falling |
| 2013 | 95 | 77,000 | 0 | 15 | 50 · Typical | Falling |
| 2012 | 266 | 78,750 | 1 | 15 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2011 | 248 | 70,000 | 2 | 24 | 100 · More | Falling |
| 2010 | 73 | 75,666 | 0 | 3 | 29 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2009 | 54 | 67,703 | 0 | 13 | 28 · Fewer | Falling |
| 2008 | 197 | 70,000 | 7 | 12 | 100 · More | Stable |
| 2007 | 60 | 42,000 | 4 | 10 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2006 | 221 | 60,000 | 4 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2005 | 144 | 65,000 | 3 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2004 | 154 | 39,000 | 2 | 16 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2003 | 116 | 75,000 | 2 | 9 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2002 | 156 | 89,000 | 2 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 220 | 65,000 | 4 | 7 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 2000 | 326 | 75,768 | 5 | 6 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1999 | 581 | 99,000 | 14 | 11 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 56 | 115,738 | 6 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 304 | 115,604 | 10 | 8 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 176 | 125,940 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 184 | 129,000 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1994 | 123 | 103,000 | 8 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1993 | 130 | 160,000 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1992 | 119 | 91,000 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 107 | 102,000 | 5 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1990 | 111 | 119,052 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1989 | 112 | 98,000 | 6 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1988 | 62 | 144,000 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1987 | 38 | 135,000 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1986 | 38 | 377,089 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1985 | 21 | — | 2 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1984 | 10 | 208,000 | 3 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Steering844 19%
- Suspension806 18%
- Brakes561 12%
- Tires516 11%
- Engine cooling491 11%
- Fuel system479 11%
- Transmission and drivetrain431 9.5%
- Electrical system386 8.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2011: “Almost killed me and my family from death wobble on the highway. Truck violently shakes when bumps are hit going over 50mph. Extreme safety hazard. Hit a bump on I-25 and shook across 3 lanes of traffic. This is about 6 times since I bought the vehicle and the dealer says there are no issues with the truck. I know 8 Ford owners with the exact same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11398145, filed 2021-02, 18,000 miles2006: “I was traveling straight on the interstate just below the speed limit. I heard an odd noise felt the truck feel unstable. I slowly coasted to a halt to find that my rear passenger tire had blown out. The entire sidewall was disintegrated and the tire was detached from the rim. It bent in my the rear quarter panel of my bed causing an estimated $1200 in damage.”
NHTSA complaint #11398709, filed 2021-03, 180,000 miles2012: “It has happened twice and now I am too scared to drive it. It shakes violently at 65 to 75 miles an hour. Truely a death sentence to drive it.feels like both front tires blow out. I slow and pull to shoulder and nothing visually is wrong. I just recently took to Ford dealer ship, they have had it for a week with no answers. So have you heard of this?”
NHTSA complaint #11349730, filed 2020-08, 90,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology