Most common 2009 Ford F-350 SD problems
Share of the 19 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 →
2009 Ford F-350 SD recalls (4)
Equipment
Palfleet Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Palfleet) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duty vehicles modified by Palfleet and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Palfleet will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 29, 2014.
Equipment
Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners and dealers to inspect the Muncie PTO pressure switch to determine if it is from the range of defective switches and if required, remove the pressure switch assembly and put a plug in the port where the PTO switch had been installed. This switch was never being utilized.
Remedy: Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014.
Equipment
Stahl is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Stahl and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.
Remedy: Stahl will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge.
Equipment
Somerset Welding & Steel, doing business as J&J Truck equipment (J&J), is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis with 6.8L gasoline engines modified by J&J to be equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Somerset will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began August 2014.
What 2009 Ford F-350 SD owners say
Wheels & tires
Hit road bump & the 'death wobble' occurred causing the truck to shake uncontrollably & force us to the side of the road. I took it to Ford dealership & they quoted me over $7K to fix virtually everything suspension related. I took it 2 local diesel mechanics who eventually fixed it after replacing apx $700 in parts. The part that fixed it was the track bar ball joint & track bar bushing. In searching online amongst Ford enthusiast as well as other diesel truck owners....this is a scary, dangerous & somewhat common problem. Fords response in a lot of instances is that tire pressure, tire wear, etc... Is their common response. All I know is with as many guys that I've seen had this, this is a design flaw that is dangerous. If someone hasn't been killed because of this already, I'd be shocked.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-350 SD equipped with continental conti pro (na) tires, size: 275/6518 (na). While the vehicle was being serviced for routine maintenance, the technician informed the contact that there was a bubble on the tread of the front driver side tire. There was little tread life left and the tire would need to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The tire and vehicle failure mileage was approximately 52,000. The dot number was not provided.
Engine & cooling
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f350 SD. While traveling at speeds of 55 MPH, the contact abruptly depressed the brakes to avoiding crashing into an animal in the roadway. When the contact tried to accelerate after stopping, the vehicle had no power. When the contact tried to accelerate the second time, he observed gray smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. The failure occurred on two additional occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where he was awaiting a diagnosis of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 15,050 and the current mileage was 19,000 updated 07/16/10 the consumer stated when he lost power, a large amount of smoke emitted from the exhaust. Updated 07/28/10
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-350 SD. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the driver heard a loud noise coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed that the engine rod failed, which made a hole in the side of the engine. As a result, the dealer stated that the engine needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and offered to provide financial assistance towards the cost of repairs. The current and failure mileage was 140,000.
Brakes
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 Ford f-350 SD. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle would hesitate slowly while stopping. The contact examined the vehicle and noticed that the brakes were rusted. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer, where they were unable to diagnose a failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not notifed. The failure mileage was 11,964 and the current mileage was 11,966. Updated 9/19/11 the consumer stated the caliper brackets were frozen. The caliper could not be pulled from the insisde pad against the rotors on the inside. Updated 01/19/12
Tl contact owns a 2009 Ford f-350 SD. While driving approximately 10 MPH, the contact applied pressure to the brakes but the vehicle failed to stop. The contact stated that there was severe resistance when the brake pedal was applied. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer to be examined. The failure recurred and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer twice. The vehicle was currently being repaired. The failure mileage was 14,152 and the current mileage was 14,740.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2009 Ford F-350 SD a good car?
Based on 19 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 F-350 SD rates better than average: 81% fewer complaints than 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 2009 Ford F-350 SD?
The wheels & tires — 4 complaints, 21% of all complaints for this model year, most often about tread/belt. Next are the engine & cooling (3) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2009 Ford F-350 SD have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2009 Ford F-350 SD, the most recent from June 23, 2014 (equipment). 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 2009 Ford F-350 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 15,000 miles; 61% 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.