Most common 2002 Ford F-350 problems
Share of the 116 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-350 complaints by model year
Best F-350 years: 2009, 2007, 2013. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1997. Compare all years →
2002 Ford F-350 recalls (2)
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
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch May overheat.
Remedy: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on August 7, 2006. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05V017 and 05V388)
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2002 Ford F-350:
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…
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 owners say
Engine & cooling all 22 →
My husband was driving his Ford f350 truck down the road when he smelled smoke at first he wasn't sure where it was coming from then he looked down and saw fire coming out of the fire wall and up his leg, he immediately stopped the vehicle and got out. He could not extinguish it and the fire department was called to put it out. He had no warning and heard no noise just smelled the smoke.
I have a 2002 Ford f 350 with v10 engine. The manifold bolts keep rusting off and breaking. I only have about 11,000 miles on the truck now. Ford fixed the bolts on the right side on May 8, 2007 as I had purchased the extended warranty. They should have fixed both sides at the same time as this is an obvious problem. The truck only had 8500 miles on it then. They actually brought a rep in from Ford on May 2, 2007 to photograph my truck during the repair at whited truck center in bangor, maine. Now the warranty has run out and I noticed the bolts on the left side of the engine are rusted off and completely gone. Obviously this is a big ongoing problem with the v10 engines as there are many complaints posted on the internet about it. This is a safety problem as there are exhaust fumes leaking into the vehicle from these failed bolts. …
Wheels & tires all 22 →
[redacted] tire on passenger's rear began to have significant vibration while towing 16,000 lb. fifth-wheel RV. Stopped and visually/tactilely determined unusual wear pattern so went to commercial tire shop in Pahrump, NV. Their inspection determined tread separation rendering the tire unusable so we replaced it with a different brand. This is the third of three tires installed at the same time that have suffered tread separation failure. The first was in July 2023 and was not reported to NHTSA, but when two more tires failed at the same time, I decided to report. Because this type of failure does not produce TPMS warnings, it could have been a catastrophic failure that might have resulted in damage to our vehicles and/or a crash with significant injury to us or other motorists. …
[redacted] tire on driver's rear began to have significant vibration while towing 16,000 lb. fifth-wheel RV. Stopped and visually/tactilely determined unusual wear pattern so went to commercial tire shop in Pahrump, NV. Their inspection determined tread separation rendering the tire unusable so we replaced it with a different brand. This is the second of three tires installed at the same time that have suffered tread separation failure. The first was in July 2023 and was not reported to NHTSA, but when two more tires failed at the same time, I decided to report. Because this type of failure does not produce TPMS warnings, it could have been a catastrophic failure that might have resulted in damage to our vehicles and/or a crash with significant injury to us or other motorists. …
Steering
While driving at any speed vehicle intermittently stalled in drive or in reverse. Vehicle had been to the dealer eight times for this problem. Each time dealer examines the vehicle, but the problem was not resolved. When vehicle stalled, this caused consumer to loose power steering and subsequently causing an accident to take place. Consumer suffered sever pain in neck and back. Expert's automotive report from nextech evaluated that vehicle has execessive effort required to turn steering wheel. Condition occurs when the engine is at idle speed, with accessories operating and vehicle is in gear, forward or reverse. Problem appeared to lessen when engine's RPM increased. Also, the stalling of the vehicle was caused by a fault in the power steering system.
October 5, 2004 a fairfax county vehicle # 6382, 2002 Ford f350 was involved in a vehicle accident that resulted in the possible injury of a pregnant female. The female driver stopped for a fast tran bus and the driver of the county vehicle attempted to stop and as he turned the steering wheel to the left the vehicle kept going straight and struck the car in front. The steering shaft broke and it was later confirmed that it was the steering shaft sector that broke.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2002 Ford F-350 a good car?
Based on 116 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2002 F-350 rates average: 23% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-350 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?
The engine & cooling — 22 complaints, 19% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine. Next are the wheels & tires (22) and steering (16).
How many recalls does the 2002 Ford F-350 have?
There are 2 recalls for the 2002 Ford F-350, 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?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2007 and 2013. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000 and 1997. See the full Ford F-350 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2002 Ford F-350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 66,000 miles; 34% 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.