Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (wheels, lug nuts, original-equipment tires, TPMS).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2002 Ford F-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
After experiencing tire failure / tread separation on lr tire, inspection of remaining tires performed for signs of tread separation. Cracks noted in tire on rr which was purchased at the same time as lr between tread and sidewall.
I had just pulled onto the the interstate after filling up with gas. I was driving my 2002 f-350 and pulling an 18 foot featherlite horse trailure. The trailure was empty. At the time I was traveling about 65 MPH. All of a sudden I heard an extremely load roar. At the time I thought it was the engine so I let my foot off the gas and began to slow down. At between 40 to 45 MPH I felt a violent jerk on my steerng wheel. I started to move off the freeway and could feel a violent vibration as if going over a wash board (it was not the ridges boundering the freeway). Of course when I hit those the vibration was even worse. I slowly applied my breaks and got the vehile under control and came to a stop. When I got out I could smell rubber smoking. When I went around to inspect the rig the right rear tire was compltey shreaded. …
I have a 2002 Ford f-350 super duty with dual rears. The truck came with seven general tires, 23585r16. Of the seven tires, four have failed suddenly and unexpectedly with tread/ply separation and blowouts. The most serious was a left front that suddenly blew out in very heavy traffic on I-35 just south of the twin cities and at 70 MPH. That failure was a very near accident, but other drivers were able to get out of my way as I fought to retain control and get the vehicle stopped. The other three blowouts were on the rear and the dual wheels saved me from a serious loss of control. Two other original tires showed evidence of similar problems and were removed from service before failure. Only one of the seven original tires has not failed and that one has spent most of its life as a spare. …
While driving my f-350 on I-95, there was a sudden explosion and caused the truck to swerve violently and as I slowed to veer into the emergency lane a loud hammering sound came from under truck. After stopping and checking I found the right inner dually wheel had come apart and over half the tread was missing from the tire. The tread separation ripped the plastic wheel well housing out and ripped two 6" and 8" tears in the bed of the truck. The fiberglass wheel well had large cracks and the supports were torn loose. Some electrical wiring was also torn loose and in the bed of truck, behind the well, the metal was bent upward about 4" in a sq. Ft. Area. The tail pipe chrome end piece was knocked off and the tail pipe was smashed flat. I replaced the tire with the spare. Two weeks later the same thing happened on the opposite side with slightly less damage. …
I now have bought 2 sets of parnelli jones dirt grip tires. I have had 2 inside sidewall blowouts with these tires in the last year. Both times, I have had a large load on the tires, carrying a camper and driving at highway speeds. Both times it has been a rear tire. The first time the manufacture told me it was tire pressure, or I hit something. The first time, I was sure I did not hit something and had proper pressure. The second time I am sure I did not hit anything and had correct tire pressure. This truck has never been used off road, these tires were purchased for the looks only. This is a very dangerous situation if anyone with large loads uses these tires. I do not think the load rating on these tires is correct. Someone might get killed.
Left for trip from phoenix to texas. Stop to fuel for the trip. Check tire air pressure and fueld up. Drove to texas. Left for phoenix and stopped for fuel and checked tire pressure. Around 11 pm just outside tucson I heard a loud thump and my front end started shaking violantly. I was travelling 75mph and released my foot off the gas and hung on the strearing wheel. I slowed to a stop and pulled of the interstate. Got out and inspected the right front tire of my f350 dually and found the tread had sperated from the tire. Due to saftey reasons, I deciede to limp to the nearest station about a mile away. The tire still had some pressure in it. I change the tire, inspected the damage, and decided to continue the 150 miles home at a much slower pace.
On June 12, 2008 we were driving up route 301 north just after the rt. 50 split when there was a blow out on the left front tire on our truck. It was frightening and I was barely able to control the truck and get to the break down lane. I observed a portion of the tire flying off to my left. We called the md state highway patrol and an officer responded and examined the wheel and remainder of the tire. This was a classic case of tread separation and there was over $2000 of damage to the left front fender, bumper and running board of the truck. Geico handled the insurance claim and the truck has been repaired. All of the tires on the truck at that time were general grabber tr, lt 235/85r16, dk-6559 32628
My right front tire ruptured while traveling north, on I-15 about 5 to 10 miles south of payson, utah. The truck was a 2002 Ford f350 superduty and these were the original tires. I was going about 65-70 MPH when the tire burst and was lucky to keep control of the vehicle. The tire tore apart and caused about $2800 worth of body damage to the front end. It has now been repaired by greiner Ford in casper, wyo. While the truck was a 2002, it had less than 10,000 miles on the truck and the tires. The tread depth was still excellent. The factory equipped tires are the Firestone steeltex a/t size lt265, 75r16. If the truck had rolled over this accident could have been fatal.
Wheel & Tire complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are wheel & tire problems on the 2002 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the wheels & tires of the 2002 Ford F-350 SD, 23% of the model year's 124 complaints. The component named most often is tread/belt (9 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2002 Ford F-350 SD wheel & tire problems?
No. NHTSA lists no wheels & tires recall for the 2002 Ford F-350 SD, though it has 3 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 2002 Ford F-350 SD wheel & tire problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 42,000 miles, and 22% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 1 injury to wheels & tires 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.