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-450 SD owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Have had acceleration issues with this Ford f-450 since April of 2010, the first time the driver was able to stop the vehicle without incident but the engine blew up when he put it in neutral to stop the vehicle. It was at the Ford dealership for 6 weeks, I retrieved the vehicle, while on the way home the engine failed again, it was towed back to the dealership. 1 week later I retrieved the vehicle again, 2 days after that the accelerator stuck once again while hauling a trailer loaded with a rental trencher. This time the result was a traffic accident that sent one of my employees to the hospital and caused major property damage, the vehicle was towed back to the dealership and has been there ever since. They have replaced the short block, injectors, and other various engine components.
I was making a left hand turn afyer stoping at a traffic light and loss power. The engine light came on and the turbo pressure gauge dropped. I took the truck into the dealer and the dealer told me that a manafold bolt had broken which caused a bad exhuast leak. Repair cost was $3500. I drove the truck less than 50 miles over the next two days and the problem happened again with loss of power and engine light on. I took the truck back the dealer and was informed that the high pressure fuel pump had exploded and sent metal debris through out the fuel system. I was then told the repair cost were going to $7500 ($6000 for parts and $1500 for labor). This is a bad Ford engineering design problem and should be paid for by Ford as well as a recall on all models using the same hpfp assembly.
Investigation needs to be done on 2008 Ford f450sd 6.4l trucks on the bolts that are used in the engine compartment for the exhausts. Have a bolt that broke that is now causing a whistling sound under acceleration and exhaust fumes to escape. On the driver side four other bolts have broken off in the head unit that will require for the engine or cab to be removed in order to replace the bolts. The repair facility my truck is located has four other 6.4l Ford super duty trucks sitting their for the same repairs. Seems to me there is an issue with the type of studs and bolts the manufacturer used. Recall needs to be issued to fix this issue. The other trucks were f250, f350, and f450 super duty 6.4l turbo diesel. The exhaust fumes is definitely a safety hazard.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-450 SD. The contact stated while driving at 65 MPH, the throttle control warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the engine rpms gauge started to fluctuate abnormally and the exhaust system started to smoke. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic. The technician diagnosed that there was an issue with the engine coolant temperature and engine oil temperature. As a result, the engine cooler, coolant, thermostat, as well as the oil and oil filters needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 68,000. Updated 09/02/15 the consumer stated the turbo boost brake system was slowly leaking. Updated 12/7/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Ford f-450 SD. After water was added to the radiator, the contact noticed that water leaked out of the hose. The vehicle leaked radiator fluid from the hose. In addition, the EGR cooler malfunctioned and caused the air conditioner to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the EGR cooler, radiator, and hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
Ford needs to issue a recall for faulty bolts in the engine compartment. One bolt broken off on the passenger side that deals with the exhaust causing a whistling sound under acceleration. Four bolts broke off on the driver side that go into the head of the engine block. Impossible to gain access to these bolts unless you pull the engine out in order to replace. Ford needs to held accountable for these faulty hardware and replace this at no cost to the owner of the vehicle.
Driving as normal on fwy heard a loud noise thought I got a flat. Stopped vehicle on shoulder, braking was difficult and white smoke was around the car. I got out and did not see any flat tires but I saw smoke between the cab and bed of the truck. I ran back to the driver door and saw a small fire on the floor next to the 4x4 shifter for the transfer case. I immediately grabbed my 3 year old daughter from her car seat as the cab filled with smoke and ran approximately 300 feet away and told my daughter to stay. I jumped into the back of the truck grabbed a large fire extinguisher and discharged it into the hole in the floorboard next to the transfer case it went out and immediately came started up again. I then called 911. Some people stopped and helped me remove a few possessions from the truck bed. …
2008 Ford f-450 SD diesel engine and radiator failure. Throughout ownership I have consistently had the notice of "cleaning exhaust" come up. I made Ford aware of it and they would tell me that they fixed the problem, but it would continue to happen. I was pulling a 5 horse trailer (approximately 18,000 pounds empty) within which I had only 3 horses. It was a warm, but not hot day and I was driving at approximately 70 MPH on fairly flat terrain. The water temp light came on and the temperature gauge suddenly went to hot. I began to lose power. I pulled over immediately. I discovered that there was a Ford dealership approximately 2 miles away. I waited for a bit and I drove 20 MPH to dealership. Thank god I was going to meet some people who have a 5th wheel and could come pick up the horses. Thank god I was near a small town. …
Probably around 30,000 miles my Ford f450 started having the water in fuel light come on constantly. I would attempt to drain and there would be no water. Right around the same mileage that my f250's water in fuel sensor went bad (at 35,000 miles), the computer in my f450 had been "re-calibrated" at the dealership while in for service. The re-calibration caused the truck to go into "limp home" mode everytime the water in fuel sensor came on. This is a major safety issue as these diesel trucks are used to haul heavy equipment and sometimes on the interstate at high rates of speed. The limp home mode suddenly and without warning takes the throttle away and the truck won't go over about 30 MPH which could cause very serious wrecks with that kind of weight just stopping in front of other vehicles going 50-80 MPH. …
Entered on 10/04/2016 at 2:45:07 pm edt (gmt-0400) by [email]: sender name: sender email: subject: Ford f-450 cooling system failure and engine problems comments: I purchased this truck new in 2008 and drove it cross country towing my 5th wheel. At 4,544 miles the radiator blew apart. (driving highway/towing) this was replaced under warranty after fighting with Ford. At 6,065 miles I had another cooling system leak.(driving local) they had to replace the "small" radiator, the "fuel and turbo" cooler. At 21432 miles the power steering pump went and had to be replaced.(driving/towing/local) shop stated that "fluid was contaminated" (this truck has only been serviced by Ford) at 22215 miles I had to have the left rear axle seal, brake pads and lower cac hose for turbo replaced.( driving highway/towing) now at 29,017 miles the radiator tanks have separated from the core and need to be …
Engine complaints in other F-450 SD years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Ford F-450 SD?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Ford F-450 SD, 57% of the model year's 68 complaints. The component named most often is engine › diesel (6 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Ford F-450 SD engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Ford F-450 SD, though it has 3 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-450 SD engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 32,000 miles, and 41% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 1 fire 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.