2002 Ford F-350 SD Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often report diesel engine stalling traced to the camshaft position sensor, and tire tread separation or blowouts on the original equipment tires. Reports also cover rusted oil pans and fuel tanks, charging/electrical problems, and steering vibration over bumps. Many complaints involve diesel trucks, and several describe failures at highway speed with power steering and brakes lost when the engine cut out.

1. 1
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and blowouts

   • 21 complaints (17%)
   • median 32,962 mi at 4.5 yrs old (18 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2016

   Complaints describe original-equipment tires separating or bursting at highway speed, often with a loud bang and violent shaking, and in some cases damaging fenders, wheel wells and wiring. Owners report the tread peeling away with the tires still at apparently good tread depth, and several mention load-carrying or towing when it happened. Tire dealers and the manufacturer variously attributed failures to impact or inflation pressure, and some owners were offered partial discounts on replacements. Reported from under 10,000 miles up to about 154,000 miles, frequently on highway trips and sometimes while towing or carrying a camper.

   What to check: Inspect tire date codes, sidewalls and tread for cracks or separation, and ask about load range and inflation practice if the truck was used for towing or hauling. Replace aged tires regardless of tread depth.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 2002 f350 dually truck with general grabber aw m + s lt235/85r16 tires with 21,700 miles on them. I had a tread seperation and blow out on highway. I am very unhappy with this tire. The tread on tires is good not sure why it seperated/blew out.”

   NHTSA complaint #10114432, filed 2005-03, 21,700 miles

   “While driving my f-350 on I-95, there was a sudden explosion and caused the truck to swerve violently and as I slowed to veer into the emergency lane a loud hammering sound came from under truck. After stopping and checking I found the right inner dually wheel had come apart and over half the tread was missing from the tire. The tread separation ripped the plastic wheel well housing out and ripped two 6 and 8 tears in the bed of the truck. The fiberglass wheel well had large cracks and the supports were torn loose. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10131630, filed 2005-08, 18,000 miles
2. 2
   Engine cooling

   Diesel engine stalls; camshaft position sensor

   • 20 complaints (16%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 5.1 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • filed 2005–2008

   Owners describe the 7.3L diesel shutting off without warning while driving, sometimes at highway speed or while turning across traffic, and then restarting after a wait. Many say a scan pointed to the camshaft position sensor and that replacing it restored normal running; some carried a spare. Complaints note that when the engine dies, power steering and power brakes are lost. Dealers reportedly replaced the sensor, and some owners said warranty coverage was denied once the vehicle was past the engine warranty. Mostly reported between roughly 24,000 and 99,000 miles, with a few at higher mileage.

   Recall 07V553000

   What to check: Ask whether the camshaft position sensor has been replaced and when; on a diesel, note the part number and keep a record. A scan for stored sensor codes before purchase is worthwhile.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle stalled without warning and would not restart. Fortunately, failure happened just before I pulled out of a parking lot otherwise I would have been stuck lengthwise across road in the middle of a left turn. Part that failed was the camshaft position sensor. Don't know if I still have the original part. After part was replaced vehicle started without problem.”

   NHTSA complaint #10192268, filed 2007-06, 86,400 miles

   “Camshsft position sensor (cps) failed on my Ford f-350, 2002 model, 7.3 liter diesel engine. The failure occurred gradually, with six unintended engine shutdowns. Three shutdowns were at highway speeds, three while parked. Date is approximated; odometer reading approximately 60000 miles. I will update when I get home.”

   NHTSA complaint #10193934, filed 2007-06, 60,000 miles
3. 3
   Fuel system

   Rusted oil pan and fuel tank

   • 18 complaints (15%)
   • median 80,500 mi at 7.0 yrs old (14 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $2,399 (median of 5 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2018

   Owners report the engine oil pan rusting and pitting through, with quotes for replacement running into the thousands of dollars on diesel trucks. Related complaints describe rust inside the fuel tank sending debris into the fuel system, leading to loss of power, stalling and replacement of pumps, filters and injectors. Dealers are described as calling the oil pan corrosion a common problem on these trucks, while one owner was told the fuel tank issue followed from not keeping the tank full. Generally reported from about 39,000 miles upward, often on trucks several years old in wet or road-salt climates.

   3 related service bulletins

   What to check: Look underneath at the oil pan and fuel tank for rust, flaking or seepage, and ask whether either has been replaced. A fuel filter cut open can show whether debris is reaching the system.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “2002 f350 diesel, I bought this vehicle new in august 2003 and have presently 93,000 miles. The oil pan to the motor has rusted through. I feel this item should last the life of the vehicle. I have been in touch with a couple of Ford dealers and they both said this is a common problem with this truck. I was quoted $1600.00 to have this problem taken care of. There has been no recalls as of yet to take care of this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10140472, filed 2005-10, 93,000 miles

   “I have been stranded on two occasions with fuel flow problems. At highway speeds of 50mph to 65 MPH the truck begins to bog down and loose speed. It is imperative that you attempt to get to the sholder becouse the trucks engine is starved for fuel and will compleatly stall if you attempt to continue. I was stranded on the lie limped truck to the cross island parkway, limped over throgs neck bridge, choked and stalled on the cross bronx, finally towed from harlem back to nj at 4am. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10389777, filed 2011-03, 200,000 miles
4. 4
   Steering

   Steering vibration and wander over bumps

   • 18 complaints (15%)
   • median 60,400 mi at 4.5 yrs old (17 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2014

   Owners describe the front end darting or oscillating after hitting a bump or dip, requiring hard corrections to stay in lane, and in some cases a shimmy at around 40 to 45 mph. Others report loss of power steering when a hose ruptured and a tie rod end separating at the pitman arm, and some attribute loose steering to wear in the steering gear and front suspension. Repairs described include replacing hoses, joints and front end parts, sometimes without fully resolving the vibration. Reported across a wide range, from very low mileage up to about 198,000 miles.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Drive over uneven pavement at highway speed and note any shimmy or wandering, then have the front end inspected for play in the tie rod ends, ball joints, steering gear and hoses.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving down the highway and my truck died going 55 MPH and it is hard to steer and stop and f-350 when the motor is dead. The fix was replace the cam shaft position sensor. I know of three other friends the same thing happen to, luckily no one got hurt when there truck died going down the highway.”

   NHTSA complaint #10188554, filed 2007-04, 99,673 miles

   “I hit a bump with a 2002 Ford f-350 you could barely keep the truck on the road, darting back and forth, very dangerous had to pull over several times till it straight out this has happen a few times. I have seen many complaint about this Ford should do something before someone gets killed.”

   NHTSA complaint #10283049, filed 2009-09, 80,000 miles
5. 5
   Electrical system

   Alternator and charging/wiring faults

   • 8 complaints (6%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 6.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2007–2011

   Complaints describe repeated alternator failures with no warning, leaving the truck unable to start, and in one case wiring at the alternator burned with smoke and flames from under the hood that recurred after dealer repairs. Others report inoperative brake lights, turn signals, dome lamps and door locks, blown fuses and instrument panel problems, with dealers sometimes unable to reproduce or diagnose the fault. Spread from about 41,000 to 189,000 miles, with several reports in the 80,000 to 90,000 mile range.

   Recall 11V3520002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Test all lights, locks and gauges, check battery charging voltage and look for scorched or repaired wiring near the alternator. Ask whether the brake light recall service was performed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Shifting the transmission, fuse blown, every time truck was driven,loose instrument panel, tack, speedometer, gas pedal vehicle will not move, replaced shift lever and wiring harness. I asked for the old parts, they had thrown them away.”

   NHTSA complaint #10250806, filed 2008-12, 41,385 miles

   “The contact owns a 2002 Ford f350 super duty. The contact stated that smoke and flames billowed from the hood of the vehicle. The wiring from the alternator was completely burnt. The dealer stated that the wiring failed and they made repairs, however, the fire recurred. The current and failure mileages were 80,000. *updated 12/12/07”

   NHTSA complaint #10204792, filed 2007-10, 80,000 miles

Buying note. Check the diesel sensor history, tire age and condition, and the underside for rust before buying, and budget for front-end inspection on higher-mileage trucks. Ask for service records showing what has already been replaced.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 80 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.