Most common 2008 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 101 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 →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Ford F-350 SD:
Alleged Loss of Steering
The Office of DefectsInvestigation (ODI) opened PE13-014 after identifying five complaints alleging steering gear failure in model year (MY) 2008 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty pick-up trucks and to evaluate the relationship between the design history of the steering gear assembly and the alleged defect.As background, ODI investigated steering gear sector shaft fractures in approximately 1.3 million MY 1999 - 2001…
What 2008 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Engine & cooling all 31 →
Shortly after the truck is up to operating temperature a constant plume of white smoke continuously emits from the exhaust. Fuel economy has had a substantial loss. During lower levels (1/4 or lower levels of diesel) of fuel capacity the engine will stall and die upon take off. Attempting to restart afterwards was very difficult. During this process a "wrench" appears on the dash and that's about it. I have not checked "codes" yet and the check engine lite in on.
Sudden vehicle acceleration during slowing/braking. Registered over 4000 RPM at approximately 10 MPH with brakes fully depressed and was extremely difficult to stop which almost LED to a rear end collision. After coming to a complete stop, vehicle was put into park and engine slowly decreased from racing and went to normal RPM operating range at idle within seconds.
Steering all 25 →
The 2008, as well as other years of the Ford f-350 are known to have a problem with a front-end shimmy or "death wobble". I have had several thousand dollars of work done to my f-350 in order to resolve the death wobble problem. The repairs work for a time and then, without warning, the death wobble returns. The fact that this can occur without warning, at high speeds, by driving over a very small bump in the road, makes this an extraordinarily dangerous problem. I don't think I can adequately describe the extreme nature of the death wobble. The front-end of the truck is bouncing left and right, the entire vehicle is twisting and rolling, the steering wheel is barely controllable, anything loose in the passenger compartment goes flying and keeping the vehicle in its lane is not always possible. …
2008 Ford f-350 super duty truck. Consumer states vehicle is inherently unsafe because of a design flaw the consumer believed the front suspension and steering mechanisms were too light for the weight of the truck and for the type of load it was supposed to handle. The consumer stated the front end was rated to carry 5200lbs. However, when the truck was empty, there was already 4800lbs on the front end. The consumer stated the truck is supposed to be a super duty truck, but apparently it can't carry anything except a passenger or two before the front end is overloaded. The steering box broke suddenly for the time at 26,050 miles. Which caused the consumer to crash into a parked vehicle at about 20 MPH. The dealer replaced the steering box, but the new one failed at 29, 581 miles. The current steering box is feeling loose and the truck wanders. …
Wheels & tires
Nitto dura grappler 245/75r/17 front left tire blew causing vehicle to crash into guard railing on interstate. The vehicle was driving on I-75 sb near mm 181 approximately 72 MPH. I was not made aware of the recall. On March 6,2015 I had another tire blow and I filed a nitto claim number 804190 (through the tire dealership). I received from nitto the same tire in exchange. Even thought this type of tire was recalled on safercar.gov on November 4, 2015. Why was it replaced by nitto with another defective tire??? Now my vehicle is totaled!
Tl* the contact owns a 2019 Ford f-350 SD, equipped with Michelin tires, tire line: ltx ms/2, tire size: 245/75/r17, dot number: b74345 (partial). The contact stated while driving 75 MPH, the front driver's side tire went flat and the steering ceased. The contact depressed the brake pedal and pulled over to the side of the roadway. The tire was replaced with the spare tire. The contact stated that it was the second time the failure occurred. The first time, the front passenger side tire went flat while the contact was driving at an undisclosed speed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed that there was no recall and that the tire was over the warranty coverage period. The failure mileage was 54,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 101 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 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 2008 Ford F-350 SD?
The engine & cooling — 31 complaints, 31% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system. Next are the steering (25) and wheels & tires (16).
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford F-350 SD have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Ford F-350 SD. You can still confirm with your VIN using our 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 2008 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 40,000 miles; 62% 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.