What breaks most · 1991 to 2019 model years
FORD F-250 SD problems by year
Owners have filed 2,979 safety complaints with NHTSA about the FORD F-250 SD across model years 1991 to 2019. Three years stand out: 2005 for suspension complaints, 2001 for engine and cooling complaints and 2006 for suspension complaints. The quietest years are 1991, 1998 and 1994.
- Years to check closely: 2005, 2001, 2006
- Fewest complaints: 1991, 1998, 1994
- Complaints on file
- 29791991 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 2005295 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 117139 fires · 111 injuries · 10 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 51kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 98Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Tires (1) | |
| 3 | 1 | 0 | Engine and cooling (1) | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Speed control and throttle (1) | |
| 9 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (2) | |
| 11 | 0 | 1 | Engine and cooling (4) | |
| 39 | 1 | 2 | Engine and cooling (11) | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | Steering (1) | |
| 249 | 15 | 5 | Engine and cooling (95) | |
| 232 | 15 | 4 | Engine and cooling (69) | |
| 287 | 10 | 4 | Engine and cooling (91) | |
| 245 | 12 | 5 | Engine and cooling (101) | |
| 177 | 6 | 6 | Engine and cooling (72) | |
| 252 | 13 | 4 | Engine and cooling (101) | |
| 295 | 6 | 5 | Suspension (118) | |
| 274 | 5 | 3 | Suspension (144) | |
| 54 | 2 | 3 | Suspension (30) | |
| 139 | 6 | 2 | Steering (39) | |
| 23 | 1 | 1 | Steering (7) | |
| 32 | 2 | 1 | Steering (13) | |
| 120 | 6 | 1 | Steering (46) | |
| 54 | 1 | 1 | Engine (15) | |
| 18 | 1 | 1 | Engine (6) | |
| 21 | 3 | 1 | Suspension (6) | |
| 68 | 4 | 3 | Engine (23) | |
| 34 | 1 | 4 | Engine (7) | |
| 270 | 3 | 15 | Steering (167) | |
| 58 | 2 | 10 | Steering (36) | |
| 7 | 1 | 12 | Body and structure (3) |
What fails on the 2005 FORD F-250 SD
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 40% |
118 | 2 | Shop suspension parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 23% |
67 | 3 | Shop steering parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 13% |
37 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 11% |
32 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 5% |
16 | 0 | Shop powertrain and transmission parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 5% |
15 | 0 | — |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 4% |
12 | 0 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 3% |
10 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2005 FORD F-250 SD |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
On my 2005 FORD f250 superduty truck with only 31000 miles, the four cab energy suspension mounts are deteriorating. One lower part of the rear driver side mount is gone causing the cab to bounce.
-
While driving my 2001 FORD f250 5.4 l v8 engine powered truck the second (2nd) spark plug on the passenger side of the engine blew out (was ejected) from the head. This was an original spark plug on the 2001 f250 truck with 75300 original miles on it. *kb
-
Front end wobble at speeds between 40-50 mph after driving over bumps. No repairs help the condition, front end alignment, wheel balancing/totation or new tires. Proper tire inflation. FORD dealer is aware of conditon and repairs but wont provide any other assistance.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which FORD F-250 SD years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2005, 2001, 2006 carry the most filings on the FORD F-250 SD. The 2005 alone has 295 complaints, led by suspension.
What is the most common FORD F-250 SD problem?
On the 2005 model year, the most-reported component is suspension with 118 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do FORD F-250 SD problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all FORD F-250 SD complaints that include mileage is about 51,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.