Most common 2008 Ford F Super Duty problems
Share of the 31 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F Super Duty complaints by model year
Best F Super Duty years: 2004, 1996, 1995. Years to avoid: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2008. Compare all years →
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2008 Ford F Super Duty:
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 Super Duty owners say
Engine & cooling
2008 Ford f450 6.4l turbo diesel problems my wife truck broke down on her with 137000 miles on it coming back from south carolina in July 2016. Mechanics found metal shaving in the oil filter housing. Long story short, had to have the long block replaced on the truck. 15,000 dollars to fix this issue. Appears we are not the only ones who are having this issue. Three more people we know who just bought 2008 Ford f450 sd 6.4l trucks have had the same issue. One families truck broke down on them three weeks after buying it on there way home from a horse show. Same thing happen to the other family. Common factor in all three stories...metal shavings in oil filter housing. None of the trucks were low on fluid. Appears 6.4l engines having the same issues as 6.0l engines. …
My truck began cutting off on me while I was driving every now and then. Now it is doing it more and more. I had no idea what it was, so a couple of times I thought it might have been bad gas so I changed gas and starting using amoco gas and put fuel injector cleaner in my gas tank. That did not fix the problem. Now I am losing pressure while I am driving. I called Ford motors and they told me that my vehicle is not a part of the recall, but my vehicle is doing the same thing that is in the recall. I called the Ford dealership where I purchased the vehicle and was told that my vehicle was not a part of the recall and for $130.00 I could bring it in and get a diagnostic. There has been a malfunction indicator light on and the vehicle still stops on me on occasion. Please help before something tragic happens.
Steering
While travelling on a straight, slightly downhill, dry section of highway at a speed of approximately 40 miles per hour, an exaggerated shaking began on the passenger side front tire of the vehicle. This quickly became an almost uncontrollable bouncing of the truck. It became increasingly violent in jumping to the point it made it difficult to control the vehicle. I braked and slowed to under 20 MPH when it stopped. Pulled over, checked all, nothing out of sorts. No sign of mechanical failure or tire trouble. Felt like flat tire at first.
I purchased used in 2012 and it's always been very difficult to steer with a very wide turning radius. I've driven other fords at a local auction house same year/model that steer fine and turn tighter. I believe there is a defect in mine that's diminishing its safety and usability.
Electrical system
Randomly and without warning a green wrench light came on my dashboard while I was driving on a busy highway. Date was 12/1/2015. I lost power and had to pull over on the side of the highway. There was no power when I tried to accelerate. There was no response when I would step on the gas pedal. It was idling very rough, I turned off the truck waited a couple of minutes then tried to turn the truck on again and the wrench light cleared. It went back to "normal" and I was able to drive off the highway. I've read and also talked to other Ford owners and they have said the same thing, it is the (PCM) powertrain control module. This could be very dangerous when you are driving on a busy highway. Note: I had my whole family with me.
During the course of driving down the road the engine shut off and the truck lost all power. Required steering off the highway and stopping with the loss of all power steering and brake assist. In traffic. Truck would not restart once was pulled off onto side of highway. If truck had been towing down a steep grade it would have been impossible to stop. Upon having truck repaired it was diagnosed as a bad exhaust gas temperature sensor.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2008 Ford F Super Duty a good car?
Based on 31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2008 F Super Duty rates use caution: 1.6× as many complaints as a typical year of the F Super Duty at the same age. It is one of the F Super Duty years we suggest avoiding. 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 Super Duty?
The engine & cooling — 11 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year, most often about exhaust system. Next are the steering (10) and electrical system (5).
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford F Super Duty have?
NHTSA lists no recalls for the 2008 Ford F Super Duty. You can still confirm with your VIN using our VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Ford F Super Duty?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2004, 1996 and 1995. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2008. See the full Ford F Super Duty years comparison.
At what mileage do 2008 Ford F Super Duty problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 72,000 miles; 24% 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.