Most common 2008 Ford F-350 problems
Share of the 131 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 →
2008 Ford F-350 recalls (6)
Trailer hitches
Knapheide is recalling 108 my 2006-2008 pro series truck beds equipped with an icc bumper which included a provision for a ball hitch. There May be an insufficient weld attaching the hitch channel to the supporting structure.
Remedy: Knapheide will offer two remedies to its customers: (1) for those customers who do not use the hitch, the hitch will be removed from the truck bed and replaced with an icc bumper; or (2) for those customers who need a…
Fuel system, gasoline › Delivery
Ford is recalling 64,754 my 2008 f-250 and f-350 single rear wheel, 4x4, 156 inch wheel base pick up trucks equipped with a two piece drive shaft for failing to conform to the fuel spillage requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no.
Remedy: Dealers will install a bracket on the affected vehicles free of charge. The recall began on May 23, 2008. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Seats
Ford is recalling 87,515 my 2008 f250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 vehicles for failing to comply with all the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." some 40% split and captain's chair driver's seats, equipped with lumbar supports, May have improper welds at the joint of the seat back…
Remedy: Dealers will add a reinforcement to the driver's seat back frame on the 40% split or captain's chair seat equipped with lumbar support or, if necessary, the seat back frame will be replaced.
Air bags › Frontal › Driver side › Inflator module
Certain vehicles fail to conform to the requirements specified in federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 208, 'occupant crash protection.' the driver air bag module May not have been properly assembled.
Remedy: Dealers will replace your driver air bag module free of charge. The recall began on November 20, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
On certain trucks equipped with a 6.4l diesel engine, excessive temperatures in the diesel particulate filter in the exhaust system May result from excess hydrocarbons in the exhaust.
Remedy: Dealers will reprogram the power train control module. The recall began on April 3, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Electrical system › 12V/24V/48V battery
On certain trucks equipped with a 6.4l diesel engine, insufficient clearance of the battery positive (b+) wire to the right hand splash shield bolt May result in the battery b+ wire contacting the splash shield bolt.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the battery b+ wire location and, if necessary, reposition the wire. The recall began on April 3, 2007. Owners May contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Ford F-350:
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 owners say
Engine & cooling all 47 →
Items in my bed and liner caught on fire. Engine regeneration for emissions got so hot melted all of the bed liner and caught a new large tv on fire. Ford has a glue on heat shield under bed which fell off. Exhaust gets so hot it caught on fire. They should have put a metal fixed plate or something fixed no a cheap glue on piece of foil. I inspected other trucks all missing!
Vehicle died while driving on the freeway. Towed to the local Ford who did a diagnostic and test they found that the engine is completely done with as there was an engine oil overfill, and it filled the CAC system and melted cylinder eight piston. they're saying that they will need to replace the entire engine and HP fuel pump in order to repair and I see many others have experienced this same problem.
Steering all 47 →
Death wobble and learned about class action after I had front end repaired with complete overhaul ball joints etc in January 2018 ($2100 plus dollars) by my mechanic. May 16, 2021 experienced 3 incidents of death wobble in Oklahoma City enroute toTulsa, Oklahoma. See my mechanic on June 1, 2021.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Ford f-350. While driving 25 MPH, the steering ability failed on the vehicle. The contact lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the wall of a bridge. The crash occurred on January 11, 2018. A police report was filed. The contact was injured and required medical attention. There were no warnings indicators illuminated before the failure. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer or independent mechanic. The vehicle was destroyed and towed. The contact received an unknown recall notice from Ford motor company a week after the crash. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The VIN was invalid. The failure mileage was 125,000.
Suspension
After hitting a bump in the road, the truck will shake violently and attempt to get out of control. The only way to correct this is bring the vehicle speed down to under 20 MPH. This problem began occurring sporadically about one year ago and has gotten consistently worse. It is so sever that I have decided to park the vehicle out of a concern for safety. I had the vehicle inspected at the local Ford dealership approximately 3-4 months ago and they said everything was fine. Today, I received in the mail a notice marked "special field action 09l02" that says the problem is due to tire inflation. I have the proper size tires and I keep them properly inflated. After researching this, I have noticed that this problem dates back to 2005 and Ford has sent this same notice out many times. It is not a tire problem. I believe it is a known suspension problem and it is dangerous. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350. While driving over a bump in the road, the vehicle shook, bounced, and made a squeaking noise. The contact called schultz Ford Lincoln (located at 80 nu-304, nanuet, ny 10954, [phone]) and was informed to contact the manufacturer to see if the vehicle was covered under warranty or recalls. In addition, when the contact check under the vehicle, he noticed that the rubber bushing disintegrated from the cab and chassis. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer and was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The contact was informed that the vehicle was out of warranty and there were no recalls associated with the VIN. The approximate failure mileage was 48,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Ford F-350 a good car?
Based on 131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 F-350 rates average: about as many complaints as 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 2008 Ford F-350?
The engine & cooling — 47 complaints, 36% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the steering (47) and suspension (15).
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford F-350 have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2008 Ford F-350, the most recent from July 28, 2008 (trailer hitches). 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 2008 Ford F-350 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 68,000 miles; 32% 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.