2002 Ford F-350 SD Engine cooling Problems
- Complaints
- 41about this part
- Share
- 33%of 124 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 63,050miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 41 complaints about the engine cooling of the 2002 Ford F-350 SD, 33% of the 124 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 63,050 miles. 3 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“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“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“On the morning of saturday march 22, 2008. My 2002 Ford f350 super duty engine caught on fire while sitting in my driveway. It was sitting for roughly 10 hrs. When it started on fire. Vehicle is destroyed and did some damage to my house, but thankfully no one was hurt.”
NHTSA complaint #10222068, filed 2008-03, 60,000 miles“2002 Ford f350 super duty quad cab le 7.3l diesel parked in my back yard with the engine block heater plugged in. I heard an explosion and looked out the window. My truck was burning from under the hood. The whole front end was on fire. The grill, bumper rubber, headlights and intercooler burned away. When the fire department finally put it out you could see that all the rubber, plastic, wiring and batteries were completely burned away.”
NHTSA complaint #10238306, filed 2008-08, 43,000 milesRelated recalls
- 07V553000Dec 5, 2007On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently…Covers: Ford F-350 SD 1997–2003, F-450 SD 1997–2003, E Series 1997–2003 +3 more
Related service bulletins
- 10024865Apr 1, 20081999-2008 7.3l/6.0l/6.4l/4.5l diesel f-super duty - clean the charge air cooler (cac) system after certain turbo or engine failures - service tip.
- 10022243Apr 1, 2007Lack of power due to low fuel pressure - fuel tank liner seperation.
Engine cooling: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2 | 14% |
| 2024 | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% |
| 2022 | 3 | 3% |
| 2021 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 2 | 0% |
| 2018 | 3 | 1% |
| 2017 | 2 | 0% |
| 2016 | 3 | 1% |
| 2015 | 3 | 1% |
| 2012 | 5 | 17% |
| 2011 | 5 | 12% |
| 2010 | 2 | 4% |
| 2009 | 2 | 11% |
| 2008 | 21 | 21% |
| 2006 | 16 | 13% |
| 2005 | 48 | 22% |
| 2004 | 42 | 32% |
| 2003 | 51 | 39% |
| 2002 | 41 | 33% |
| 2001 | 40 | 25% |
| 2000 | 41 | 26% |
| 1999 | 32 | 23% |
Other parts of the 2002 Ford F-350 SD
27 complaintsElectrical system
16 complaintsFuel system
11 complaintsSteering
7 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
7 complaintsBrakes
5 complaintsOther or unknown
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
5 complaintsSuspension
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsExterior lighting
3 complaintsSeat belts
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2002 Ford F-350 SD
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.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology