Ford F-350 Years to Avoid — and the Years to Buy
Every Ford F-350 model year from 1991 to 2026, benchmarked against each other with 8,977 federal complaints, 79 recall campaigns, and the odometer readings owners put in their reports.
Avoid: 1999–2000, 2017, 2019. These years top the F-350's complaint rankings by volume and severity.
Safer bets: 1991–1994, 2007, 2009–2010, 2013–2014, 2021–2022 — the quietest years with at least four years on the road.
The method in one line: every NHTSA complaint for this model is counted, weighted for crashes, fires, injuries, and deaths, and each year is measured against the F-350's own worst year — full methodology.
Under investigation. Federal regulators currently have 2 open defect investigations on the Ford F-350.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
The Office of Defect Investigations (ODI) has received 27 complaints alleging diesel fuel leaks due to a fracture in the secondary fuel filter housing in model year (MY) 2015-2021 Ford Motor Company (Ford) F-250, 350, 450, and 550 Super Duty vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. Of these…
Component: BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
On September 23, 2020, Ford Motor Company (Ford) filed a noncompliance recall report under 49 CFR Part 573 (NHTSA Recall No. 20V-575), recalling 620,246 Model Year (MY) 2020 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge, and Lincoln Nautilus…
Model years named: 2020
An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
The trouble strip
One cell per model year. The whole answer in one glance — click any year for the full report.
The defining problem
Steering tops the Ford F-350 file with 1,624 complaints, concentrated in the 2017, 2019 model years, most often reported around 63,424 miles. The year pages break down what fails and when.
Every year, ranked
| Year | Verdict | Complaints | Recalls | Top problem | Trouble index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Few reports | 13 | 4 | — | 1 |
| 2025 | Few reports | 24 | 6 | — | 3 |
| 2024 | Too early to call | 63 | 3 | Electrical | 8 |
| 2023 | Typical | 56 | 15 | Electrical | 7 |
| 2022 | Better year | 165 | 17 | Electrical | 16 |
| 2021 | Better year | 127 | 15 | Fuel system | 15 |
| 2020 | Typical | 241 | 16 | Transmission & drivetrain | 26 |
| 2019 | Avoid | 740 | 12 | Steering | 77 |
| 2018 | Typical | 311 | 10 | Steering | 33 |
| 2017 | Avoid | 854 | 14 | Steering | 84 |
| 2016 | Below average | 317 | 4 | Suspension | 35 |
| 2015 | Typical | 315 | 4 | Steering | 33 |
| 2014 | Better year | 162 | 5 | Steering | 18 |
| 2013 | Better year | 122 | 10 | Steering | 14 |
| 2012 | Typical | 302 | 10 | Suspension | 32 |
| 2011 | Typical | 267 | 8 | Steering | 28 |
| 2010 | Better year | 79 | 7 | Suspension | 9 |
| 2009 | Better year | 80 | 5 | Suspension | 8 |
| 2008 | Below average | 322 | 1 | Engine | 45 |
| 2007 | Better year | 91 | 2 | Suspension | 10 |
| 2006 | Below average | 398 | 2 | Steering | 48 |
| 2005 | Below average | 439 | 4 | Engine | 51 |
| 2004 | Below average | 375 | 3 | Engine | 48 |
| 2003 | Typical | 268 | 5 | Engine | 34 |
| 2002 | Below average | 285 | 4 | Engine | 45 |
| 2001 | Below average | 369 | 3 | Wheels & tires | 54 |
| 2000 | Avoid | 555 | 3 | Wheels & tires | 78 |
| 1999 | Avoid | 700 | 3 | Wheels & tires | 100 |
| 1998 | Few reports | 20 | 1 | — | 3 |
| 1997 | Typical | 191 | 2 | Brakes & stability | 25 |
| 1996 | Typical | 167 | 1 | Wheels & tires | 23 |
| 1995 | Typical | 196 | 1 | Brakes & stability | 28 |
| 1994 | Better year | 126 | 1 | Brakes & stability | 16 |
| 1993 | Better year | 129 | 1 | Brakes & stability | 15 |
| 1992 | Better year | 74 | 0 | Brakes & stability | 10 |
| 1991 | Better year | 34 | 0 | Brakes & stability | 5 |
Technical service bulletins
Beyond complaints and recalls, 5,202 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, service campaigns, warranty extensions — are on file for the Ford F-350. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
Browse the Ford F-350 TSB list by year →
Questions buyers ask
What Ford F-350 years should I avoid?
Federal complaint records point to 1999–2000, 2017, 2019 as the Ford F-350 years to avoid — they drew the highest volume of serious complaints relative to the model's other years.
What is the most common Ford F-350 problem?
Steering tops the Ford F-350 file with 1,624 complaints, concentrated in the 2017, 2019 model years, most often reported around 63,424 miles.
What are the best Ford F-350 years to buy used?
The quietest Ford F-350 years in federal records are 1991–1994, 2007, 2009–2010, 2013–2014, 2021–2022 — each with at least four years on the road and well-below-average complaint volume for this model.
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. Counts cover the Ford F-350 only, scored against this model's own worst year — not against other models. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.