1999 Ford F-350 Problems

What owners report

Complaints about this model year cluster around tires and front-end hardware rather than the drivetrain alone: owners describe tread separation and blowouts at highway speed, and repeated front-end shaking tied to brakes, ball joints, tie rods and rusted brackets. Many reports come from trucks with well over 100,000 miles, though some tire and brake complaints were filed at low mileage. Steering and fuel-tank mounting complaints also appear, the latter often involving corroded tank straps.

1. 1
   Tires

   Tire tread separation and blowouts

   • 75 complaints (18%)
   • median 100,000 mi at 7.4 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • 8 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2016

   Complaints describe tread or belt separating from the tire carcass at highway speeds, sometimes with a bulge or blister at the sidewall seam first, and in some cases a sudden blowout after vibration or thumping. Owners report the failure recurring on several tires of the same set, and that tire shops or dealers sometimes attributed the damage to road hazards or curb contact rather than the tire itself. Some owners note their vehicle was not covered by a tire recall campaign. Reported from roughly 10,000 to 220,000 vehicle miles, most often at highway speeds of 50-70 mph.

   What to check: Inspect all tires for bulges, cracks at the tread or sidewall seam and check the DOT date codes; ask whether any tire has been replaced for separation. A road-force balance or tire shop inspection is worth doing on a used set.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Less than a month after purchase and after about 3,000 miles, mostly on the highway, the side of my tire blew out while I was driving on my muddy driveway going at the blinding speed of 3-4 miles per hour.”

   NHTSA complaint #10038812, filed 2003-09, 114,124 miles

   “Here's what happened on 7-26-09 I was on my way back to fort worth from austin, tx from a trade show when about 3:00 pm on hwy I-35e 19 miles south of waco tx the I felt a sudden vibration and thumping in the front. I started to slow down to get off the road to check it out when front left tire blew out, causing the truck to severely veer to the left trying my best to keep the truck from rolling, then hitting the concrete guard rail which deflected the truck enough to slide down the barrier for about two hundred feet till it stopped. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10303339, filed 2010-01, 163,100 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Front-end shake and worn steering/suspension parts

   • 59 complaints (14%)
   • median 84,000 mi at 13.3 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 12 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2022

   Owners describe violent shaking or shimmy from the front end at highway speeds, sometimes triggered by a pothole or bump, and in some cases a loud pop followed by loss of control. Complaints mention worn ball joints, a rotted tie rod and sleeve, and a rusted front axle bracket; dealers and shops replaced ball joints, tie rods and brackets. One report describes a fractured steering shaft and another a loss of power steering assist in one direction. Mostly reported between roughly 30,000 and 170,000 miles, often at 40 mph and above.

   Recall 98V1160001 related service bulletin

   What to check: Ask for service records on ball joints, tie rods and steering linkage; have a shop check front-end play and inspect the axle brackets and steering shaft for rust or cracks before buying.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The consumer was informed the tie rod had rotted out and the sleeve was about to fall off. There was a recall regarding the issue, however consumer's vehicle was not affected.”

   NHTSA complaint #10014975, filed 2003-04, 84,000 miles

   “Consumer heard a growling noise while driving, dealer determined that front ball joints had to be replaced at 26700 miles. On 16 july 2002, consumer heard noise in front end again, ball joints were being replaced. The tie rod also failed and was replaced.”

   NHTSA complaint #8014036, filed 2002-07
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brake shudder, warped rotors and parking brake not holding

   • 60 complaints (15%)
   • median 77,500 mi at 8.8 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1998–2018

   Complaints describe the front end shaking hard under braking, with rotors and calipers replaced repeatedly and the problem returning; one owner said the dealer attributed it to driving style. Others report the parking brake failing to hold the truck on a grade or while in park, and dealers replacing the parking brake cable or assembly without a lasting fix. A few owners describe the vehicle bouncing or not stopping when the brakes were applied, with symptoms easing when ABS was disconnected. Reported from under 3,000 miles up to about 180,000 miles, with several reports in the 35,000-120,000 mile range.

   Recall 02V068000Recall 98V101000

   What to check: Test braking from highway speed for shudder and check for rotor scoring or recent replacement; on a grade, set the parking brake and confirm the truck holds. Ask whether the parking brake cable recall work was completed.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I have a 1999 Ford f350. I have the brakes worked on 4 separate times in the 5 years since the truck from my father in law. The front start to shake very hard and final slows down. I have had the rotors replace the calipers replaced and the rotors turned. I have only put 60,000 miles on this truck and my father in law had put 160,000. He was having the same problem with the brakes. I have taken it to the dealer each time and they say it is hard driving. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10269310, filed 2009-05

   “Dt: contact stated when stepping on the brakes the car jumped all over the road and it will not stop. It bounced around uncontrollably. Contact noticed this problem with less than 3,000 miles on it in 1999. The dealer told contact that it was the brakes on and he had brakes on the changed. But, problem recurred as long as brakes were on. When contact had the ABS brakes disconnected problem disappeared.”

   NHTSA complaint #10131714, filed 2005-08, 2,800 miles
4. 4
   Fuel system

   Fuel tank straps corroding or breaking

   Mentioned in 5 of 60 sampled complaints

   Owners report fuel tank straps rusting through and detaching, in some cases letting the tank drop and drag on the road while driving; one describes the tank held only by the fuel line. Complaints mention the dealer confirming both straps were rusted and needed replacement, and that the vehicle was not covered by the fuel tank recall campaign. Others describe corrosion found during chassis inspection or routine maintenance. Mostly reported between roughly 100,000 and 150,000 miles, often on trucks in salted-road or damp climates.

   Recall 99V311000Recall 99V219000Recall 99V093001Recall 99V093002

   What to check: Look at the fuel tank straps and mounts for rust or thinning, and ask whether any fuel-tank recall or strap replacement was performed; a mechanic can check strap condition from underneath in minutes.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Driving my 1999 Ford f350 diesel down the highway, approximately 50 MPH, heard a thump and loud scraping noise. Could not pull over due to traffic, pulled over when traffic cleared, around another 100 feet. I got out and looked around and under truck, to discover fuel tank was dragging along the highway. Rear fuel tank strap had broken.”

   NHTSA complaint #10630896, filed 2014-09, 99,887 miles

   “The truck was bought in canada and shipped to germany aprox. June 2000. Because of much corrosion at the chassis I decided to remove the cheap bitumen protection and to cover the chassis with special paints. Doing this, I discovered, that the iron belts of the fuel tank was completely attacked by corrosion. May be 20 % of iron had changed into feo. In this moment, the belt would not have broken, may be 3 or 5 years later. If my report is not 100 % clear it's because english is not my mother language.”

   NHTSA complaint #10418874, filed 2011-08, 53,000 miles
5. 5
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Clutch and manual-shift problems

   • 33 complaints (8%)
   • median 67,978 mi at 5.5 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
   • filed 1999–2015

   Owners of manual-transmission trucks describe the clutch failing or losing engagement so the vehicle would not stop or shift, with one report of a roll pin coming out and the hydraulic line dropping from the slave cylinder. Another describes inconsistent clutch pedal free play and grinding when shifting, tied to a rubber section in the hydraulic line expanding when warm. Some owners report the pilot bearing failing and the shaft damaging the bearing, with the repair repeated after a dealer replacement. Reported from about 30,000 to 68,000 miles, often during normal driving rather than towing.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: On a manual truck, check clutch pedal feel and engagement point, listen for grinding when shifting, and ask whether the clutch hydraulic line and pilot bearing have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Consumer has difficulty getting the transmission into gear and when shifting, when the transmission does shift gears, there is a grinding noise, the free play in the clutch is always different, sometimes the clutch would engage when the clutch pedal was near the top , other times the clutch would engage when the clutch pedal was pushed all the way. …”

   NHTSA complaint #8021542, filed 2002-10, 32,636 miles

   “The vehicle's clutch mechanism failed while driving. As a result the vehicle was unable to come to an complete stop. Please provide any additional information.”

   NHTSA complaint #10064832, filed 2004-03, 67,978 miles

Buying note. These trucks are old enough that condition matters more than the badge: have a shop inspect tires and date codes, front-end steering and suspension play, brake rotors and the parking brake, and the fuel tank straps for rust before purchase. Ask for service records and confirm which recall campaigns were completed on the specific vehicle.

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.