Most common 2002 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 124 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 SD complaints by model year
Best F-350 SD years: 2014, 2013, 2012. Years to avoid: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018, 2022. Compare all years →
2002 Ford F-350 SD recalls (3)
Exterior lighting › Brake lights
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 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250,…
Remedy: 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.
Vehicle speed control
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 Mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control…
Remedy: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the ABS control module connector and repair…
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle May function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on December 29, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 4 possible defects involving the 2002 Ford F-350 SD:
Engine stalling
In a December 3, 2007 letter, Ford advised NHTSA that it will conduct a safety recall to replace the cam position sensor (cps) in approximately 1.2 million subject vehicles to address reports of engine stalling.a new design cps with improved performance and durability will be installed as a remedy.owner notifications will begin in December 2007.
Engine compartment fires
Ea05-005 is closed with Ford?s actions in recalls 05v-017, 05v-388, and 06v-286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.Ford is also including the entire population of…
Accelerator pedal sensor (etc)
Failure counts from odi?s analysis are stated above; see the additional problem experience discussion in the summary report.Ford data contained duplicative reports for 4 odi complaints and 1 crash.three crashes were allegedly due to intermittent operation of the electronic throttle control (etc) pedal, one crash occurred when an etc disabled vehicle was struck by another motorist, one report contained no detail.the…
Spark plug ejection from cylinder head
On September 6, 2005, odi received a petition requesting that the agency investigate allegations of engine spark plug ejection in certain model year 1997 through 2004 Ford vehicles with triton v-8 and v-10 engines.odi received a total of 474 non-duplicative complaints on the subject vehicles where the complainant, or the dealer repairing the vehicle, reported that a spark plug detached from the cylinder and/or…
What 2002 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Engine & cooling all 44 →
Improper protection of the oil pan to elements causes metal pan to rot prematurely gear box for steeering not designed properly for the weight class of truck constantly breaking causing sloppy steering and loss of control 2 leaf springs on front end are only rated to a weight of 1950lbs for a 1 ton truck that weighs almost 9,000 pounds causing springs to break or wear prematurely unless you pay Ford 2,000-5,000 dollars to our grade the suspension
Tl* the contact owns a 2002 Ford f-350 SD. The contact stated that he plugged an engine block warmer up for approximately 1.5 hours. The contact later heard a loud explosion and found that the vehicle caught on fire. The police and fire department were contacted. The vehicle was inspected by an independent mechanic and they deemed the vehicle destroyed. The manufacturer was contacted and offered no assistance to the contact. The failure and current mileages was approximately 150,000.
Wheels & tires all 28 →
Left front tire thread separated while traveling northbound on i75 at mile marker 311. Separation caused truck to veer left into the median guard rail at high rate of speed and continue along guard rail until stopped. 911 called which brought ems and fhp. Aaa called which brought wrecker. Driver and passenger shaken up with passenger being transported to hospital by ems for hypertension/high blood pressure. Fhp filed report, case #fhpc140ff039496. Wrecker removed truck front left wheel/tire from under guard rail and transported to impound lot. Damage to left front of truck and along left side to rear dual wheels; front bumper, front grill, broken steering rod, left fender, left wheel, left side of hood, driver's door, and rear passenger door. Unknown condition of front 4wd axle or frame.
Traveling westbound on interstate 8 just west of ca/az border at 3 pm pdt. Weather is sunny with amb temp approx 105 degrees. Without warning an explosion / complete tire failure. 2-3 seconds after explosion tread completely separates from tire. Damage to lr body panel, wheel well and associated parts. Tire replacement along with repair/replacement of damaged body parts done to correct problem.
Electrical system
I have a 2002 f350 Ford truck, I was driving along when I heard this big pop noise with shaking I stop and smelled gas ,I shut it off open the hood and the motor was starting to catch on fire,needless to say the spark plug blew out hit the coil and fuel line which ruptured it and caused the fire. If this had been my wife or one of my kids driving it they might have been killed. I think Ford should step up and recall there problems that they no they have and fix them before somebody gets hurt or worse killed,this isn't right that they can get away with this knowing what can happen,they said I caused it,how did I do that when hundreds if not thousands have had this same problem. I hope that you can do something about this before it's to late ! Thanks they fixed it and it done it again.
My Ford f350 superduty quad cab lariat le diesel had been sitting in my back yard for about 5 hours with the block heater plugged in. I heard an explosion and looked out the window. The front of my truck was on fire. The fire consumed the intercooler, air conditioner evaporator and all the headlights, grill, rubber on the bumper and all plastic, rubber parts, wiring, hoses under the hood including both batteries.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 124 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 F-350 SD rates average: about as many complaints as a typical year of the F-350 SD at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2002 Ford F-350 SD?
The engine & cooling — 44 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the wheels & tires (28) and electrical system (16).
How many recalls does the 2002 Ford F-350 SD have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2002 Ford F-350 SD, the most recent from July 13, 2011 (brake lights). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F-350 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2014, 2013 and 2012. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2017, 2019, 2020, 2018 and 2022. See the full Ford F-350 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 64,000 miles; 37% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.