Summary
The Ford F-350 carries 71 recalls spanning 1978 through 2020, with the most serious recent issue affecting 2008 models equipped with 6.4L diesel engines, where the positive battery wire can chafe against a splash shield bolt, short to ground, and start a fire.
The 2008 model year has several additional concerns. Trucks with the 6.4L diesel can also develop excessive heat in the diesel particulate filter, potentially producing a visible flame from the tailpipe. Single rear wheel 4x4 models with a two-piece driveshaft may not meet fuel system integrity standards in a crash, increasing fire risk. Some 2008 driver airbag modules were not properly assembled and may not deploy in a crash, and certain 40% split and captain's chair driver seats with lumbar supports have welds that can crack in a crash and fail to support the occupant. Replacement steering gears installed on 2008 diesel models after mid-2014 may not mount securely to the frame, and the retention bolts can fatigue over time. The 2009 model year has a tire recall covering certain Continental ContiTrac tires whose belt edges can separate and cause tread loss at speed.
Going back to the early 2000s, the 2003 model with a 6.0L diesel can develop a loose engine ground stud that causes the radio suppression strap to overheat and potentially ignite nearby components. On 2002 trucks with speed control and gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch can overheat and cause an underhood fire. The 2001 model year has a wiper motor switch that can overheat and ignite its plastic housing, a fuel filler pipe grounding defect on F-350 crew cab short wheelbase trucks with dual rear wheels that can cause an electrostatic spark during refueling, and front seat belt buckles that may not fully latch. The 2000 model year has two fuel system integrity issues on 8-foot bed trucks where crash forces can cut the tank or separate a vapor recovery valve, allowing fuel spillage.
The 1999 model year has the widest concentration of recalls in this range. Airbags on 1999 trucks with cast tow hooks were not calibrated for the altered crash pulse and can deploy unexpectedly at lower speeds. The parking brake on single rear wheel super duty pickups may not hold on a 20-degree grade, and manual-transmission models have a parking brake cable input button that can fatigue and fail. Steering shaft flex coupling rivets on 1999 medium duty and chassis-cab trucks may not have been crimped, allowing the joint to rotate and reduce or eliminate steering control. A throttle cable issue in cruise control and a positive battery cable routing problem that can contact the air conditioning compressor pulley and cause electrical failure or fire also affect 1999 trucks. Fuel tank integrity issues on 6-inch and 8-foot bed models built through early 1999 round out that year.
The 1997 model year has Firestone Wilderness tires that can shed tread at highway speeds, a separate recall for tires whose bead was cut during mounting and can lose air suddenly, and a missing master cylinder pushrod retainer clip that can cause complete brake failure. On 1996 trucks, undersized fasteners holding a frame crossmember gusset can separate and allow the mid-ship fuel tank strap to detach. The 1995 model has a driver seat wire harness routed beneath the cushion support wires, where contact can cause an electrical
