2009 Ford F-350 Problems & Complaints

Better than average84% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-350 at the same age

Owners have filed 28 complaints about the 2009 Ford F-350 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is 84% fewer than a typical F-350 model year at the same age, making the 2009 one of the better F-350 years. The most reported problem area is the suspension (18 complaints, typically around 142,000 miles). 2 recalls cover this model year.

28complaints
2recalls
1crashes
0fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2009 Ford F-350 problems

  • Suspension~142,000 miles
    1864%
  • Steering~170,000 miles
    1450%
  • Wheels & tires~92,000 miles
    725%
  • Engine & cooling~86,000 miles
    414%
  • Brakes~180,000 miles
    27%
  • Fuel & propulsion system~156,000 miles
    27%
  • Other / not specified~170,000 miles
    27%
  • Transmission & drivetrain~45,000 miles
    14%
  • Air bags~53,000 miles
    14%
  • Body & structure~53,000 miles
    14%
  • Seat belts~53,000 miles
    14%
  • Speed control & acceleration~50,000 miles
    14%
  • Electrical system~180,000 miles
    14%

Share of the 28 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Ford F-350 complaints by model year

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’11’12’13’14134130155124133041601169015911414536131281361497691
Owner complaints per model year, Ford F-350. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best F-350 years: 2009, 2007, 2013. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 1997. Compare all years →

2009 Ford F-350 recalls (2)

Equipment

NHTSA recall 14V-498 · Aug 13, 2014 · 3 vehicles

PJ's Truck Bodies & Equipment Co., (PJ's) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis modified by PJ's 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: PJ's has notified 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 August 28, 2014.

Electrical system

NHTSA recall 14V-070 · Feb 11, 2014 · 22 vehicles

Monroe Truck Equipment (Monroe) is recalling certain model year 2006, 2008 and 2009 Chevrolet C7500 vehicles, 2005-2006 Chevrolet Tahoe vehicles, and 2009 Ford F-350, and F-450 vehicles, equipped with Sure Power-brand battery equalizers or DC-DC converters containing a particular epoxy sealing, aka 'potting', compound.

Remedy: Monroe will notify owners, and Sure Power will replace the equalizers or converters, free of charge. The recall began on March 24, 2014. Owners may contact Monroe at 1-608-328-8127.

What 2009 Ford F-350 owners say

Suspension

While traveling at 65 mph, the truck crossed a separator strip resulting in loss of steering control. Vehicle steering wheel began violently "shaking" left to right and began to swerve violently in an area of heavy traffic. The vehicle was towing a 37 ft. 5th wheel at the time of the incident and I had to use a combination of braking and defensive steering to slow/stop the vehicle in the right side ditch of the road. Incident resulted in extreme wear to braking components, and minor alighnment issues due to leaving the roadway. Upon inspection by a certified mechanic, the issue was determined to be, "death wobble" and multiple components were replaced with OEM parts. Parts, services, inspection all paid for by me, yet the vehicle continues to shake violelently at random. …

Jul 2022

Was operating vehicle on I-65 traveling at interstate speeds. Hit a bump and vehicle started shaking and violently vibrating. Had to slam on my breaks to get the vehicle to stop shaking and back under control. Feared for my life and my son from being rear ended due to it being a busy highway. The vehicle has done it several times and this is my second complaint due to not hearing anything back.

Nov 2021

Steering

While traveling at 65 mph, the truck crossed a separator strip resulting in loss of steering control. Vehicle steering wheel began violently "shaking" left to right and began to swerve violently in an area of heavy traffic. The vehicle was towing a 37 ft. 5th wheel at the time of the incident and I had to use a combination of braking and defensive steering to slow/stop the vehicle in the right side ditch of the road. Incident resulted in extreme wear to braking components, and minor alighnment issues due to leaving the roadway. Upon inspection by a certified mechanic, the issue was determined to be, "death wobble" and multiple components were replaced with OEM parts. Parts, services, inspection all paid for by me, yet the vehicle continues to shake violelently at random. …

Jul 2022

Was operating vehicle on I-65 traveling at interstate speeds. Hit a bump and vehicle started shaking and violently vibrating. Had to slam on my breaks to get the vehicle to stop shaking and back under control. Feared for my life and my son from being rear ended due to it being a busy highway. The vehicle has done it several times and this is my second complaint due to not hearing anything back.

Nov 2021

Wheels & tires

My truck has the death wobble for the second time. I took it to Red McCombs Ford in San Antonio, Texas and they charged me to fix what is an inherently bad design flaw in the F350 that I own. The wobble stopped and has now reappeared. The death wobble is real. I want it fixed for free or I want Ford to buy my truck for top dollar.

Nov 2024

On September 4th & 5th two separate occasions I was driving on US 85 in WY when I hit a bump in the road and my truck started shaking violently and was hard to control. I immediately pulled over and slowed down until the shaking stopped but was almost rear ended by the truck behind me on one occasion.

Sep 2021

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2009 Ford F-350 a good car?

Based on 28 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2009 F-350 rates better than average: 84% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-350 at the same age. It is one of the best F-350 years by this measure. 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?

The suspension — 18 complaints, 64% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the steering (14) and wheels & tires (7).

How many recalls does the 2009 Ford F-350 have?

There are 2 recalls for the 2009 Ford F-350, the most recent from August 13, 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?

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 2009 Ford F-350 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 116,000 miles; 20% 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.