Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford F-250 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that upon utilizing the snowplow mounted on the vehicle, the instrument panel lights would turn off and the vehicle would experience other electrical failures. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred consistently at times of high electrical system usage. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that an unknown software update needed to be completed on the vehicle. The dealer informed the contact that if the software update failed to resolve the issue, a large battery and a large alternator would need to be installed on the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under Ford Technical Service Bulletin Numbers: 17-0018 and 19-2373. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the key failed to turn in the ignition. After several attempts, the contact was not able to turn the ignition and contacted a locks smith and had the ignition replaced. On another occasion, while the contact was turning off the vehicle, the contact was unable to pull the key out of the ignition. The ignition was replaced again. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed awareness of the failure however, there was no recall for the failure. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was 85,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that rainwater was leaking from the passenger's side windshield seal into the cabin of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the windshield seal was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact stated that the body control module was previously replaced due to water intrusion caused by the faulty windshield seal. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The local dealer was not contacted. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the front passenger's side seat heater module would reach an abnormally hot temperature level. No warning light was illuminated. The contact was mechanically inclined and diagnosed the vehicle as needing of a heated seat module connector wire and a control module replacement. The local dealer was not contacted. In addition, parts had been ordered to perform the repair at the owner's expense. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that several attempts were needed to start the vehicle. The failure occurred intermittently. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact learned that it was a known failure; however, there was no recall for the failure. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not under recall. The manufacturer had referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 140,000.
1 .Driver's side door will not close in cold weather due to frozen actuator. TSB has been issued on this problem; Ford will not repair due to vehicle being out of warranty. 2. Backup/vehicle camera's do not always work when truck is in reverse. TSB has been issued on this problem; Ford will not repair due to vehicle being out of warranty. 3. Ford inadvertently installed a substantially smaller fuel tank on my specific vehicle. TSB has been issued on this problem; Ford will not repair due to vehicle being out of warranty.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at unknown speeds, the alarm system warning light was illuminated. The hood ajar message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the knock sensor and wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
On Tues Nov 16, 2021 evening we discovered our Ford f-250 super duty diesel 6.7L on fire. Fire department was dispatched. They extinguished the fire and they determined that it was most likely the engine block heater (It was plugged in because of 0 degree temps that evening). The GFCI breaker was tripped. Upon later research, I found the NHTSA safety recall report 18v-894 dated Dec 18, 2018 found that the vehicle's engine block heater cable is susceptible to moisture accumulation and subsequent fire because of these factors: a female connector angled upwards at 45 degree or greater angle, a low mounting position in the vehicle, and an unshielded or exposed mounting location. On 5/30/2019 we took the vehicle into our local Ford service dealer because of recall #18s45 and they disabled the block heater. …
On Tuesday, [redacted], at approximately [redacted] PM, I was driving southbound on [redacted] near Coalinga, CA, when my truck suddenly experienced a failure. I noticed smoke in the side mirror and asked my passenger to confirm. Moments later, a "Low Fuel Pressure" message appeared on the dashboard, and smoke began coming from the hood. I immediately pulled over and attempted to pop the hood, at which point flames erupted from the engine bay. The fire quickly spread, fully engulfing the vehicle within minutes. Emergency responders, including Cal-Fire and CHP, arrived on the scene. The truck was towed by Cal-State Towing Service in Huron, CA. The Fire Captain on site provided an incident card, but the full fire report is expected to take at least a week to obtain. …
On [redacted], I went to start my 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty (6.2L) and found that it would crank but not start. On [redacted], I had the truck towed to a local certified repair shop. They diagnosed that the fuel pump control module overheated and melted into the fuse box, causing extensive electrical damage and frying the main wire harness that connects to the fuse box. This is not something that should happen on a well-maintained vehicle with only 75,688 miles. I paid $2,600 for repairs out of pocket. The shop also informed me that this type of electrical failure could have easily caused a fire, especially since the truck was parked in my garage at the time of failure. This appears to be a serious electrical defect and a potential fire hazard. I'm requesting that Ford and NHTSA investigate this issue for possible recall or safety action.
NHTSA investigations
Power tailgate opens unintended
By letter dated December 4, 2019, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of a safety defect that may exist in model years (MY) 2017 through 2019 Ford Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450 vehicles equipped with an electric tailgate.
Electrical complaints in other F-250 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2017 Ford F-250 SD?
NHTSA has 54 complaints about the electrical system of the 2017 Ford F-250 SD, 5% of the model year's 1,155 complaints. The component named most often is wiring (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford F-250 SD electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2017 Ford F-250 SD, though it has 14 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2017 Ford F-250 SD electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 36,000 miles, and 29% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 6 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.