Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2017 Ford F-350 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
I am filing this complaint regarding my Ford F-350, VIN [redacted], which caught fire on [redacted]. The truck had approximately 130,000 miles, which I consider low mileage for a properly maintained diesel Ford F-350. These trucks are known for long service life, and many Ford diesel trucks routinely remain in service for 20 years or more and exceed 250,000 miles when properly maintained. For that reason, I did not expect a sudden and catastrophic fire in a truck with only 130,000 miles. While driving, passing motorists alerted us the truck was on fire. The fire appeared to originate in the engine compartment and spread extremely rapidly. Within a very short period, the front of the truck was engulfed in flames and sustained catastrophic damage. …
Back-UP and 360 degree cameras have failed and are malfunctioning. They have been replaced twice and safety issue still exists. The cameras are foggy and especially at night and are not very clear. Safety hazard has occurred on several occasions where a child, person or object behind the vehicle are not clearly seen. There is a safety recall for 2019 super duty trucks but not for the 2017 models. This safety issue is very common according to internet searches and several vehicles all have the same issues and concerns. God forbid that a child or person is hurt because of the low visibility of these cameras. It is not only the back-up rearview camera but all of the cameras that are part of the 360 degree view of visibility. The side cameras as well as the forward facing camera all have the same issue. …
The door ajar light will come on and remain on after starting the engine and while driving. This happens while in park and while driving. Even after opening and reclosing the doors before moving the door adjar warning light will not go away. If i get up to 55 mph it'll finally go off. The cabin lights remain on while the display light is on distracting at night and beeps while driving. The doors will not automatically lock, whe I try to lock them, the unlock even at speeds of 45mph. This has been an on going issue since we bought the truck. How am i supposed to know if the door is secure if I've checked them all before driving but the light will not go away. Everything I get to the dealership the lights are gone and they say they are unable to troubleshoot without the issue happening in the moment. Videos do not help they say. …
There was a recall, NHTSA Recall 19V864, for an "unintended tailgate opening" when the electrical parts became wet. I had the recall performed, but the tailgate continues to fall when water gets in the tailgate. Ford needs to readdress this issue to replace the tailgate from an electrically operated to a manual tailgate. I had to start securing the tailgate with a device to keep it from falling down, especially when towing my RV. I am afraid it would have fallen down damaging it just like it did when I was towing my Son's RV causing over $600 damage to the RV cargo doors and damaging the Truck's tailgate. The tailgate has fallen down at least five (5) times since the recall repair. Last one was today during a thunderstorm. The truck was sitting still, other times driving down the road.
When my truck reaches 35 to 40 mph or hits a small bump it begins to shake violently in the steering wheel making it hard to control. I took it to a dealership who stated there was a recall part available, but after the repair the problem immediately began upon leaving their parking lot. My hill decent assist system now turns on and says there is a fault. The dealership was able to reproduce the problem, but stated I would need to pay for any further inspections and repairs out of pocket. I have not reported to my insurance as I didn't think it would be covered by them. The problem began this year in early July (2021) and has yet to be fixed.
The truck has multiple leaks when it rains and water is getting inside of the truck through the back window, the sunroof and other places. Water recently go into the radio after a big rain storm and now the radio touch screen is not working. It's making a crackling sound as if it's going to start on fire. There was recall for this on other fords but not this specific model but is having the same exact issue. Ford needs to cover this as this is safety hazard. Multiple owners of this specific model have complained and there's been no resolve.
The engine block heater cord is malfunctioning and it's also hanging down. I've tried over and over to get it to stay up and that is a problem. And also it's got a problem with a corroding and I plugged it in one time and it sparked so I need that fixed also. God I hope these people will finally do something. I've had a real problem with them and I spent a lot of money with them. This is the third vehicle I bought from Ford
The owners manual states I have a tank capacity of 36 gallons. On E I can only fit about 26 gallons. If I were to take my average MPG and use the advertised 36 gallons to figure out how far I would run out of fuel and this would cause the vehicle to stall while driving. Ford is aware of this issue and knows how to fix it but declined to take care of the safety repair.
Rear View Camera is very Cloudy Trucks with 360 camera are already included in a recall, my truck does not have 360 camera but has the same cloudy camera issues that has been getting progressively worse to the point rear view camera is useless.
I'm April of 2018 the electric tailgate on my 2017 Ford f-350 started opening on its own anytime and anywhere. It did not matter if the truck was in park or in gear but did not open at speeds above 10 MPH or so. After going to the Ford dealership in elkhart in. I was told there was nothing that could be done because if they unhooked the wiring l could not open the tailgate. I pull a 5th wheel trailer with the truck so this was not an option if l wanted a tailgate. I tried to watch the best l could before taking off to make sure the tailgate was closed when l would move the truck. I did not notice that it had come down again and made a turn with the trailer hooked to the truck. Needless to say the tailgate was crushed beyond use and broke a twilight lens at the same time. …
NHTSA investigations
Power tailgate opens unintended
By letter dated December 4, 2019, Ford Motor Company (Ford) notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of a safety defect that may exist in model years (MY) 2017 through 2019 Ford Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450 vehicles equipped with an electric tailgate.
Electrical complaints in other F-350 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2017 Ford F-350 SD?
NHTSA has 29 complaints about the electrical system of the 2017 Ford F-350 SD, 5% of the model year's 574 complaints. The component named most often is instrument panel › fuel gauge (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2017 Ford F-350 SD electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2017 Ford F-350 SD, though it has 13 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 2017 Ford F-350 SD electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 15,000 miles, and 70% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire and 0 injuries to electrical system 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.