2008 Ford F-350 Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2008 Ford F-350 report two problems most often: a violent front-end shake known among owners as the death wobble, usually triggered by bumps at highway speed, and loss of power steering assist or steering gearbox trouble. Cooling-system complaints, mainly leaking radiators, and 6.4L diesel fuel-system and exhaust-smoke symptoms also appear regularly, with complaints spread from near-new mileage up past 150,000 miles.

1. 1
   Steering

   Power steering loss / steering gearbox failure

   • 37 complaints (28%)
   • median 88,000 mi at 7.3 yrs old (34 state mileage)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners describe the power steering pump going noisy, the reservoir running dry, then heavy steering play and eventual complete loss of assist. In other complaints the wheel seized or the truck steered itself left and right, and some dealers replaced the gearbox, at times with a remanufactured unit that repeated the problem. Several owners report the loss happened while driving at 35-65 mph. Reported from about 38,000 miles up to 211,000 miles, with many between 55,000 and 140,000; no clear weather pattern in the complaints.

   What to check: Check power steering fluid level and color, listen for pump whine at idle, and feel for play or binding through the full steering range with the engine running. Ask whether the gearbox or pump has ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The power steering pump started making a noise. The reservoir was empty. I filled it up about 100 miles later. Steering wheel started having a lot of play in it before turning the wheels. On the way to the dealer to have it checked out, lost all power steering. I had to call a rollback to carry it to dealer. This is a 2008 f350 with approximately 38,000 miles on it. Dealer informed me it will cost me $1500 to replace the gear box plus $75 towing. I feel like this is a factory defect and Ford motor co. Should pay for all repairs. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11064280, filed 2018-01, 38,000 miles

   “My wife drove the truck to work. She said it was acting weird. It had slack going to the right. It was hard to turn to the left. When she got home it was worse. I opened the hood to check it for fluid.the fluid was good. I got inside to check out the steering. It had a lot of slack both directions. After a few turns the horn went off and I had to disconnect the battery in order to get it to go off. I then tried to turn the steering again. I could hear some grinding from the gear box. I disconnected the horn and reconnected the battery. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10887997, filed 2016-07, 91,000 miles
2. 2
   Suspension

   Death wobble (violent front-end shake)

   • 20 complaints (15%)
   • median 80,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2021

   Complaints describe a sudden violent shaking of the front end and steering wheel after hitting a bump, pothole or dip, often at highway speeds. Owners say the only way to settle it is to slow well below 40 mph, and several report the truck pulled toward the median or the opposite lane. Dealers frequently could not duplicate the shake; where repairs were tried, the track bar ball joint or front-end parts were replaced and the symptom returned. Mostly reported between about 50,000 and 140,000 miles, though one complaint lists it at roughly 22,000 miles; almost always tied to bumps at highway speed.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Drive the truck over expansion joints and rough pavement at 55-70 mph before buying. Ask whether the track bar, ball joints and steering stabilizer have been inspected or replaced, and whether a dealer has addressed the wobble.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On interstate passing in left lane hit a rough patch trucks starts shaking so bad I thought it was going to flip. Could not get to shoulder so had to go in the mediam it was not a flat spot it was a hill so I went straight and not at an angle if I had I would of flipped. This is not the first time. Ifrist time I had approx $3000.00 of front in work done trying to fix the problem, but it did not.”

   NHTSA complaint #11416426, filed 2021-05, 200,000 miles

   “After hitting a bump in the road, the truck will shake violently and attempt to get out of control. The only way to correct this is bring the vehicle speed down to under 20 MPH. This problem began occurring sporadically about one year ago and has gotten consistently worse. It is so sever that I have decided to park the vehicle out of a concern for safety. I had the vehicle inspected at the local Ford dealership approximately 3-4 months ago and they said everything was fine. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11067094, filed 2018-02, 126,000 miles
3. 3
   Engine

   White smoke, rough running and fuel-system trouble (6.4L

   • 22 complaints (17%)
   • median 60,624 mi at 4.5 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2008–2026

   Owners of diesel trucks describe heavy white smoke from the exhaust, rough idling, hesitation and stalling, with dealers pointing to the exhaust filter, high- and low-pressure fuel pumps, or contaminated fuel. Several report the engine dropping into a reduced-power mode with a wrench light and a drive-to-clean-exhaust message that would not clear. In some complaints dealers declined warranty coverage, citing fuel contamination, with repair estimates in the thousands of dollars. Spread from about 4,000 miles to 180,000 miles, appearing both in the first few thousand miles and again at higher mileage.

   Recall 07V139000Recall 08V2830002 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a diesel, ask for fuel-filter service history, look for smoke at cold start and under acceleration, and check for any stored codes or reduced-power messages. A service bulletin describes injector O-ring wear allowing fuel into the crankcase, so check the oil level and smell for fuel.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “3 times in the last 6 months my Ford f350 has shut down while I am driving, it locks me out so I can't even turn the engine over and I have to try to coast to a safe place out of traffic. All 3 times the fuel gauge reads over 50 miles to empty, the last time it read 140 miles to empty. The fuel lines are sucking in air, I get high and low pressure codes, I add more fuel(deisel) and then have to bleed all of the lines of air and prime the pumps. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10310085, filed 2010-02, 43,250 miles

   “I recently purchased a 2008 Ford f350 diesel crew cab pickup from hayford Ford in isanti mn. I have driven the vehicle a total of 1500 miles since I purchased it. The vehicle has been in the shop more than 20 days since I purchased it. They now say I will have a bill of $8000 dollars to repair the contaminated diesel fuel system. I understand that there has been a fuel tank delamination issue on these vehicles that causes this problem. That can lead to a stalling of the engine if not detected prior to total failure. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10901936, filed 2016-08, 91,500 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Radiator and coolant leaks

   • 17 complaints (13%)
   • median 63,807 mi at 2.4 yrs old (16 state mileage)
   • filed 2008–2014

   Complaints describe coolant leaking from the radiator, sometimes from both tanks, and in some cases repeat radiator replacement on the same truck. One owner of a small fleet reported radiator failures across several trucks and said warranty coverage was refused. Others mention a coolant leak reportedly tied to a customer satisfaction program that had already expired, and owners linking temperature rise with reduced engine power. Reported from roughly 15,000 to 138,000 miles, with several failures noted in the 30,000-60,000 mile range and repeat leaks later in life.

   What to check: Look for coolant residue at the radiator tanks and hoses, check the reservoir level cold, and ask for service records showing whether the radiator has been replaced and how many times.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “This vehicle has had two radiator failures. We had the dealer diagnose and repair both times. Every truck in our fleet of 7 F-350's has had at least two radiator failures and Ford refuses to warrant the repairs. On this vehicle the first radiator was replaced at 27,229 miles on 5-27-08; the second radiator was replaced at 138,005 miles on 4-30-10.”

   NHTSA complaint #10378564, filed 2011-01, 138,005 miles

   “This vehicle has had two radiator failures. We had the dealer diagnose and repair both times. Every truck in our fleet of 7 F-350's has had at least two radiator failures and Ford refuses to warrant the repairs. On this vehicle the first radiator was replaced at 60,083 miles on 7-8-09; the second radiator was replaced at 119,551 miles on 11-18-10.”

   NHTSA complaint #10378568, filed 2011-01, 60,083 miles
5. 5
   Brakes

   Brakes dragging, overheating or losing pedal

   • 9 complaints (7%)
   • median 35,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2010–2023

   Complaints describe a brake caliper or rotor overheating on one side, smoke from a wheel, and the truck pulling hard to that side; some owners had to stop and let the wheel cool before continuing. Other reports mention the brake pedal going to the floor after a speed-control switch on the master cylinder came apart and lost fluid, and difficulty stopping that owners linked to pedal spacing. Reported between about 11,000 and 104,000 miles, with caliper and heat complaints appearing in the 18,000-55,000 mile range.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: After a test drive, feel each wheel for uneven heat and look for brake dust or fluid at the calipers and master cylinder. Ask whether calipers, hoses or the speed-control switch on the master cylinder have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving on interstate 75 when the truck and steering wheel started vibrating violently, as I applied the brakes to slow the vehicle it pulled sharp to the left taking the vehicle onto the median. Once the vehicle stopped, facing in the opposite direction I got out and checked the left front wheel, it was too hot to touch. I let it cool and then proceeded to the nearest exit. I had the left front wheel inspected, but no problem was discovered. I continued on my trip from tennessee to florida. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10640673, filed 2014-10, 102,000 miles

   “Monday, january 3, 2011, we were driving on a rural road in route to sharps chapel, tennessee when the right side front passenger caliper/rotor assembly failed causing smoking and burning smell of the brake shoes forcing me to pull to the side of the road. After allowing the brakes to cool, I contacted and drove to morristown Ford in tennessee and they to attempted to repair the brakes by disassembling and cleaning the caliper/rotor since they did not have the parts available to appropriately rectify the situation. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10490117, filed 2012-12, 18,000 miles

Buying note. These trucks are commonly reported with front-end shake and steering-assist problems at highway speed, so a thorough highway test drive over rough pavement matters more than a parking-lot check. Cooling, brake and diesel fuel-system service records are worth asking for, since owners report repeat radiator replacements and expensive fuel-system repairs.

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.