Body complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2 | 5% | — |
| 2023 | 1 | 2% | 1,000 miles |
| 2022 | 8 | 6% | 37,000 miles |
| 2021 | 11 | 7% | 43,000 miles |
| 2020 | 12 | 4% | 3,000 miles |
| 2019 | 21 | 2% | 17,000 miles |
| 2018 | 16 | 4% | 19,000 miles |
| 2017 | 66 | 6% | 30,000 miles |
| 2016 | 4 | 1% | 23,000 miles |
| 2015 | 7 | 2% | 176,000 miles |
| 2014 | 1 | 4% | 57,000 miles |
| 2011 | 4 | 3% | 47,000 miles |
| 2008 | 7 | 5% | 33,000 miles |
| 2007 | 3 | 6% | 3,000 miles |
| 2006 | 3 | 1% | 38,000 miles |
| 2005 | 9 | 3% | 38,000 miles |
| 2004 | 7 | 3% | 105,000 miles |
| 2003 | 4 | 2% | 46,000 miles |
| 2002 | 3 | 1% | 55,000 miles |
| 2001 | 4 | 1% | 142,000 miles |
| 2000 | 4 | 2% | 233,000 miles |
| 1995 | 1 | 11% | 196,000 miles |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH the transmission would downshift. The transmission warning light illuminated the instrument panel. The contact stated the installation on the vehicle fell on the draft shaft and caught on fire and melted. The fire and smoke were on the rear of the vehicle. The fire was extinguished by the contact. There was no fire report. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer which did not diagnose a failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V087000 (STRUCTURE, POWER TRAIN). The approximate failure mileage was 700.
The second power door lock actuator has failed on this vehicle at only 24,500 miles. This time the RF door did not lock or unlock electronically. I replaced the failed actuator myself. The inside of the actuator had water in it that looks like it caused the small electric motor to fail. This was the same cause of failure last year when the LF door started not working in cold weather and later failed completely. I believe this is a safety concern as the doors no longer lock or unlock as expected. This opens the door to intruders getting in the vehicle and defeats the protection of an automatically locked door in roll over collisions. This is not an uncommon issue on this vehicle per my conversations with other owners. I have retained both failed lock actuators in the event someone would like to inspect them. …
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated there was an abnormal odor cat odor in the vehicle after a car wash or during inclement weather. The driver added an air freshener to the vehicle. The contact stated that the odor was stronger while using the A/C unit in the recycle air position. Additionally, the molding strip had detached from the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who added spray to the air filter and checked for dead animals. The vehicle was taken to an independent body shop, which replaced the weather strip. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 43,000.
On or about [redacted] I contacted Ford customer relations about the roof installed molding Rear mounting points had broken apart on my vehicle (both sides) and the molding is lifting up. Advised that if could become dislodged during operation. Received a Case # [redacted]. After several calls, I was told no action will be taken on their part because the vehicle over 3yrs old. I contacted the local Ford dealership (Lafayette Ford) and was told by one of the addon tech that it's a known issue and that Ford currently carries the newly designed replacement part. He spoke to manager in the service department . He then sttn that I would need to get a case number, I told him that I'd had one and provided it to him. More phone calls made and they will not change their position. On 11/1/2024 I was told that the case was closed almost immediately after it was opened. …
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while using the remote key fob to unlock the doors, the doors failed to unlock. The contact had to manually unlock the doors. The contact then stated that the electrical system started malfunctioning and the A/C unit, the radio, and the Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) light failed to operate as designed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician noticed that the rear passenger's side taillight was filled with 3-inches of water. Additionally, the bliss module was corroded due to the water intrusion. The contact was informed that the tail lamp seal and the taillight assembly needed to be replaced. The water was drained; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was advised to call the NHTSA Hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 51,997.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the sunroof had been leaking for approximately 2 years. The contact used rubber mats to cover the carpet, but the carpet was soaked. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer two times and the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle had been repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that recently the tailgate had an electrical short circuit following a period of heavy rain. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer. The vehicle was repaired. The contact informed the manufacturer of the failure and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
Tailgate has opened over 30 times while driving. Recall 19s48 was preformed but problem persists. Dealer has attemped to repair 7 times. Tailgate opened on freeway leaving dealership 5 minutes after tailgate recall rewiring service. A computer memory box was installed until tailgate opened again then dash mounted tailgate switch was replaced twice. Tailgate has been damaged and repaired by dealer when opened at highway speeds while towing and contacted my trailer turning to get off the road. Very unsafe condition since truck is used primarily for towing. When tailgate drops down on highway I cannot turn vehicle of will damage tailgate and/or trailer. This forces me to pull over in emergency lane and close tailgate while vehicles drive by at speed. …
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that after he had parked his vehicle at a campsite, he had noticed that the heat shield was hanging off his vehicle. The contact then called the dealer and made an appointment to have the heat shield replaced. The contact was also informed that the heat shield had rubbed against the driveshaft which resulted in minor damage; however, the dealer determined that the vehicle was safe to be driven. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been repaired. Recently, the contact discovered a recall for 2021 Ford F-150 vehicles which he linked to the failure; NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V986000 (Power Train, Structure) however, neither the VIN nor the Year/Make/Model were included. The failure mileage was 16,566.
Related recalls (2)
Structure › Body › Door
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2023 Super Duty F250, F350, F450, and F550 vehicles. If the driver and front passenger door module experiences a low power condition and resets while the window is moving, the anti-pinch function may not detect an obstacle near the top edge and may not automatically reverse…
Remedy: Dealers will update the software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 28, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23S37.
Structure › Frame and members › Underbody shields
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 7, 2022.
NHTSA investigations
Power Tailgate Release Systems
In January 2021, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Recall Query (RQ21-001) to assess allegations of post-recall remedy uncommanded tailgate openings in model year (MY) 2017-2019 F-250/350/450 Ford trucks. Besides the recall remedy launched in January 2020, Ford also implemented a production update in November 2019.
Frequently asked questions
Which Ford F-250 SD years have body problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2017 (66), 2019 (21), 2018 (16), 2020 (12) and 2021 (11) model years. Body complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2017.
Is there a recall for Ford F-250 SD body problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 23V-507 (door, Jul 21, 2023); 22V-087 (underbody shields, Feb 16, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Ford F-250 SD body problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 39,000 miles; 73% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the body (146 mentions), followed by the body › tailgate (8).
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.