1999 Ford F-250 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
1,006 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Ford F-250, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 7 defect investigations. It scores 69/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 123,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1999 Ford F-250 sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1991–1996, 1998, 2007, 2009–2010, 2013–2014, 2020–2022.
Avoid
Where 1999 sits among all F-250 years
What owners report
“Spark plug blew out of head while driving. Engine has 92000 miles and original spark plugs.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
“Soft brake pedal at times, not all the time, sometimes when stopping the pedal goes almost to the floor causing longer stopping distances, on more than one occasion i have went to far in a interstate due to the brakes.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
“Tires have flat spots in them and the tread is coming off. (tiresize: 245/75r/16)( dot number: tire size: 245/75r/16 )”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
“Throwout bearing making loud noise. Was in for service and dealer suggested a $1500 clutch replacement. Truck has 54,000 and has been making noise for about 3,000 miles. Ford says that the bearing is not lubricatable and needs replacement. No assistance was offered.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
“Last march of 2004 one of my employees was driving our companys truck 1999 ford f-250. When smoke rised from the hood and the truck burst into flames. His dog was trapped in the backseat and was passed out from smoke. Fortunately the dog was rescued by aaron m foster my son and employee who was…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
“Loss of control caused by steering sector shaft failure, body damage to the vehicle due to loss of control. Cj”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 F-250
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 359 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 96,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 65,387 and 147,086 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
FORD IS RECALLING MODEL YEARS 1995-2003 WINDSTAR, 2000-2003 EXCURSION DIESEL, 1993-1997 AND 1999-2003 F-250 SD THROUGH F-550 SD DIESEL, 1992-2003 E-150 THROUGH E-550, 1995-2002 EXPLORER, 1997 AND 2002 MERCURY MOUNTAINEER, 1995-1997 AND 2001-2003 RANGER, AND…
Fix: FORD WILL NOTIFY OWNERS THAT DEALERS WILL INSTALL A FUSED WIRING HARNESS IN LINE WITH THE SCDS. ON 1999-2003 WINDSTAR VEHICLES WITH A LEAKING SCDS, DEALERS WILL ALSO INSPECT THE ABS CONTROL MODULE…
CERTAIN FEDERAL-MOGUL REPLACEMENT WHEEL HUB ASSEMBLIES WITH THE BRAND NAMES: NATIONAL, CARQUEST P/NOS. 515020, 515021, 515025, 515053, 515054, 515059, AND 515060, SHIPPED BETWEEN JANUARY 23, 2006, AND DECEMBER 20, 2007, SOLD FOR LIGHT DUTY AND MEDIUM DUTY…
Fix: FEDERAL-MOGUL WILL NOTIFY CUSTOMERS AND WILL REPLACE THE HUB ASSEMBLY FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7, 2008. OWNERS CAN CONTACT FEDERAL-MOGUL TOLL-FREE AT 877-489-6659.
ON CERTAIN HEAVY DUTY TRUCKS EQUIPPED WITH 7.3L DIESEL ENGINES, THE CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR LOCATED ON THE ENGINE OF THE VEHICLE MAY FUNCTION INTERMITTENTLY, POSSIBLY RESULTING IN AN ENGINE STALL.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE SENSOR AND REPLACE IT WITH AN IMPROVED CAMSHAFT POSITION SENSOR FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON DECEMBER 29, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-866-436-7332.
CERTAIN AFTERMARKET FUEL FILTERS SOLD UNDER THE PUROLATOR BRAND NAME, P/N F65277, SHIPPED FROM JANUARY 16 THROUGH JUNE 2, 2006, FOR USE ON THE ABOVE LISTED PASSENGER VEHICLES. DUE TO INCORRECT DESIGN, THE QUICK CONNECTORS MAY NOT FULLY SEAT WITH THE TUBE…
Fix: UFI WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND REPLACE THE FILTERS FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 4, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT UFI FILTERS USA AT 800-230-5876.
CERTAIN PRO-A MOTORS CORNER LAMPS, TURN SIGNALS, AND HEADLIGHTS SOLD AS REPLACEMENT LAMPS FOR USE ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES LISTED ABOVE. SOME COMBINATION LAMPS THAT ARE NOT EQUIPPED WITH AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS FAIL TO CONFORM TO FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE…
Fix: PRO-A MOTORS WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER TO REPURCHASE THE LAMPS. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 3, 2006. OWNERS MAY CONTACT PRO-A MOTORS AT 323-838-2988.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V553000.
Led to recall campaign 05V388000.
Led to recall campaign 98V101000.
Technical service bulletins
344 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on transmission & drivetrain and engine — are on file for the 1999 Ford F-250. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1999 Ford F-250 reliable?
The 1999 Ford F-250 drew 1,006 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 69/100, scored against the model's worst year (2019).
What are the most common 1999 Ford F-250 problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Ford F-250 are engine (185 complaints), brakes & stability (160), and wheels & tires (153).
At what mileage do 1999 Ford F-250 problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Ford F-250 problems around 96,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 65,387 and 147,086 miles.
Does the 1999 Ford F-250 have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 Ford F-250. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.