2005 Ford F-350 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
439 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2005 Ford F-350, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 51/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 60,483 miles.
Below average
Where 2005 sits among all F-350 years
What owners report
“Issue 1 - fuel spilling out of coolant system. Fuel spilling onto exhaust components and coating engine and underside of vehicle. Created a fire hazard. Created an environmental hazard. This could have resulted in severe injury or death if a fire had started.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
“Multiple times driving the truck at speed limit and hit small bump or a little bumpy part of road triggers the death wobble. Have to almost come to complete stop on highway to stop wobble.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
“Ficm and icp sensor. I would be driving down the road and my vehicle would cut off on me while on the street. It would take about fifteen minutes or more to start back up(hot start). I've only had the vehicle for a year.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
“When i'm driving at speeds of 65 to 70 and go over a bump in road the steering wheel shakes out of control. I had brought it back to dealer to have serviced and they told me "there is no problem, that's what you get from a heavy duty truck." what a load of crap! I have paper work documenting the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
“While driving down the highway(45-55mph) vehicle dash lights, radio, windows all stop working. They come back on randomly. No change to little change when re-starting. Vehicle also loses power and the engine seems to pause and go, over and over like it's struggling. I've taken it to several ford…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
“05 and 06 ford f350 ambulance brake caliber pistons break or crack and hold piston out making brakes unable to fully release, both our 05 have have done it one on all four wheel and the other just the fronts so far and now our 06 has the fronts on both sides tolal of three of the four pistons broke”— owner report to NHTSA, 2005 F-350
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 365 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 54,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 26,000 and 99,970 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Icon Vehicle Dynamics, LLC (Icon) is recalling all 05-UP FSD 2.5 Centerline Stabilizer Kits with part number 65050. The kits were sold as an accessory for certain 2005-2021 Ford F-250 4X4 and F-350 4X4 pickup trucks. The foam ring inside the stabilizer…
Fix: Icon will notify owners, and dealers will install a new shock assembly with a revised foam ring and steel support disc, free of charge. The recall began December 21, 2020. Owners may contact Icon…
FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 RANGER TRUCKS BUILT FROM JANUARY 25, 2011, THROUGH APRIL 25, 2011 AT THE TWIN CITIES ASSEMBLY PLANT, AND SERVICE PARTS DISTRIBUTED TO DEALERS FOR CERTAIN 2004 THROUGH 2011 MODEL YEAR RANGER TRUCKS, 2002 THROUGH 2005…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE SWITCHES FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 15, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD MOTOR COMPANY CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP CENTER AT 1-866-436-7332.
CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS, SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES AND VANS EQUIPPED WITH 6.0L DIESEL ENGINES MAY EXPERIENCE STALLING WITHOUT WARNING WHILE DRIVING AND MAY OR MAY NOT RESTART.
Fix: DEALERS WILL UPGRADE THE FUEL INJECTION CONTROL MODULE (FICM) WIRE HARNESS OR REPLACED, AND/OR HAVE A NEW INJECTION CONTROL PRESSURE (ICP)) SENSOR CONNECTOR INSTALLED FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL…
ON CERTAIN PICKUP TRUCKS AND CHASSIS CAB VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 5.4L OR 6.8L GASOLINE ENGINES, THE FUEL JUMPER LINE MAY HAVE AN INCORRECT END FORM.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL AN EXTERNAL RETENTION CLIP AT THE FUEL JUMPER LINE TO THE MAIN FUEL BUNDLE CONNECTION. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 20, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT FORD AT 1-800-392-3673.
Federal defect investigations
Technical service bulletins
149 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2005 Ford F-350. 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 2005 Ford F-350 reliable?
The 2005 Ford F-350 drew 439 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 51/100, scored against the model's worst year (1999).
What are the most common 2005 Ford F-350 problems?
The top reported problems for the 2005 Ford F-350 are engine (95 complaints), steering (67), and fuel system (65).
At what mileage do 2005 Ford F-350 problems show up?
Owners most often report 2005 Ford F-350 problems around 54,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 26,000 and 99,970 miles.
Does the 2005 Ford F-350 have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2005 Ford F-350. 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.