Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Ford F-350 owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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.
I have had multiple incidents of my truck shutting off completely while driving. The latest incident resulted in a "catastrophic engine failure". In the latest incident occurring in April 2025, I was driving on [redacted] . [redacted] is a two-lane highway with no divider, navigating through mountainous terrain. I was driving up a hilly area when my truck shut off, and I lost all power steering. There is no shoulder on this part of the freeway, with an approximate 40-foot embankment. I was able to navigate the vehicle to the side of the road and position it just before the beginning of a guard rail beginning allowing me some grace. Due to no shoulder space, I was effectively parked on the white containment line of the road. I had my [redacted] daughter and wife in the car. …
We were hauling a load of logs about an hour away everything was fine when all of the sudden the truck down shifted and white smoke started pouring out from under the passenger side of the hood followed by flames. We had to try to get off the road where we were there was no where to pull off and finally could swing into a state gamesland and someone called the fire dept. I am now out of a truck I just purchased 2 months ago and my VIN number isn't even showing up
June 25, 2007, we were in montana and had just come down from approx. 14,000 ft. Pass, closed sun roof on our 2008 Ford f350 crewcab diesel, all 4 occupants (3 adults & 1 child) fell asleep @ 2:00 pm in the afternoon. Passenger woke as we were going off the pavement, tried to put truck back on pavement but front of truck would not get under control, hit mail boxes and veered to left (still unable to control) not speeding, hit head on into trees, rolled to roof. Air bags did not deploy on either side, driver side (front and back) roof crushed to top and into front drivers seat and almost to frame of window in the back seat. Why or what caused us all to fall asleep after closing sun roof, why were we not able to control front of truck (too heavy?), why did air bags not deploy and why did roof crush so far on a roll to roof, we did not roll completely over. Truck was totaled. …
After parking my Ford f-350 crew cab 4x4 with a v-10 engine, I exited the vehicle and circled around to the passenger side where I noticed from the corner of my eye flames in the r front wheel well. Behind the tire. I immediately went inside the building and summoned help and a fire extinguisher (abc) . Myself and security personnel did not open the hood. We directed the fire ext. Into the wheel well and there was a sort of backlash and with seconds a paint bubbling hot spot appeared on the hood. We immediately contacted the fire department who responded. Within minutes the engine compartment was completely engulfed in flames and there was flaming under the engine as well. We cleared the area of onlookers as fireman fought the blaze. There were no injuries to myself, the security guard who responded, firemen or onlookers.
Tl contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350. On June 4, 2008, while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly shut down without warning. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and they stated that the exhaust filter failed. The dealer replaced the exhaust filter. On June 22, 2008, the contact's father was transporting a trailer and the vehicle suddenly shut off while attempting to park. The trailer slammed into the vehicle. His father lost control and sustained injuries to his neck and back. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, but they were unable to diagnose the cause of the failure. The manufacturer stated that they were not responsible for any of the damages. The failure mileage was 60,624 and current mileage was 69,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-350. The contact stated that the vehicle shook violently after going over a speed bump. The vehicle was taken to beach Ford located at (2717 virginia beach blvd, virginia beach, va 23452) however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact the failure was known as the death wobble. An unknown repair was performed however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to beach Ford to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the turbo charger needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Excessive white smoke out of exhaust, especially with acceleration. Smoke has a foul odor also. Can hear a knocking sound in engine on deceleration (similar to bad wheel bearing hums), only does it if turbo is over 150-200 psi, but will do it every single time. 'drive to clean exhaust' displayed on dash. Completed recommended drive cycle (over 30mph for at least 20 minutes, I drove for 45 mins) and message still appears. "wrench" symbol displayed on dash. Per owner's guide the rtt displays when engine has defaulted to "limp-home" operation or when transmission problem has been detected.. The light comes on every time vehicle is driving now, and stays on entire time.
Ford should be held accountable for the 6.4 diesel as much as these trucks cost hard working americans, pay close to 30 thousand dollars for a pickup truck then have to pay another 15 thousand to fix the motor due to it not being built correctly, junk rods, head bolts, heads, turbos, oil level being raised by 2 to 3 gallons per oil change, due to fuel being pumped back into the engine, causing severe internal engine problems, it's not if it will blow but when it will, as per Ford master mechanic. This is a dangerous situation, to know at any giving minute while driving you're motor could blow causing loss of control of the vehicle.
Engine complaints in other F-350 years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Ford F-350?
NHTSA has 47 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Ford F-350, 36% of the model year's 131 complaints. The component named most often is engine › diesel (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford F-350 engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Ford F-350, though it has 6 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 2008 Ford F-350 engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 53,000 miles, and 21% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 5 fires and 3 injuries to engine & cooling 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.