FaultScore

Worst years for a Ford F-250 SD

Owners have filed 9,504 complaints about the Ford F-250 SD with NHTSA across model years 1991 to 2026. More of them are about the steering than anything else.

Avoid

2018 Ford F-250 SD

639 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly steering.

Cleanest on record

2012 Ford F-250 SD

97 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Ford F-250 SD year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 B 13 3 3 Electrical System
2025 B 19 3 0 Brakes
2024 C 57 4 1 7,500 Electrical System
2023 C 76 4 4 2,750 Electrical System
2022 C 161 4 6 39,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2021 B 213 5 0 48,000 Fuel & Propulsion
2020 C 360 4 3 45,500 Transmission & Drivetrain
2019 D 1,938 25 16 20,000 Steering
2018 D 639 13 16 27,000 Steering
2017 D 1,837 18 24 29,800 Steering
2016 C 448 9 7 62,500 Steering
2015 C 459 8 9 67,800 Steering
2014 B 37 3 0 67,000 Suspension
2013 B 32 2 0 32,000 Engine & Cooling
2012 A 97 3 0 54,236 Engine & Cooling
2011 C 189 8 3 35,000 Steering
2010 B 48 2 0 43,163 Engine & Cooling
2009 B 33 1 1 48,000 Engine & Cooling
2008 C 175 8 4 43,910 Engine & Cooling
2007 B 85 2 1 35,000 Suspension
2006 C 353 5 4 40,000 Suspension
2005 C 381 9 7 43,000 Suspension
2004 C 345 17 14 58,000 Engine & Cooling
2003 C 229 6 14 46,000 Engine & Cooling
2002 C 282 13 21 75,000 Engine & Cooling
2001 C 331 12 26 75,000 Engine & Cooling
2000 C 277 19 28 77,100 Engine & Cooling
1999 C 304 21 16 96,000 Engine & Cooling
1998 1 0 0 Steering
1997 B 52 1 8 88,350 Engine & Cooling
1996 B 11 0 2 104,000 Engine & Cooling
1995 B 12 0 6 180,000 Engine & Cooling
1994 2 0 1 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1993 4 0 1 Fuel & Propulsion
1992 3 1 0 Engine & Cooling
1991 1 0 0 Tires

What breaks on a Ford F-250 SD

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Steering 2,487 26.2%

Worst in 2019

Suspension 2,238 23.5%

Worst in 2019

Engine & Cooling 1,053 11.1%

Worst in 2004

Worst in 2004

Worst in 2020

Worst in 2020

Worst in 2019

Brakes 296 3.1%

Worst in 1999

Wheels 283 3.0%

Worst in 2019

Tires 249 2.6%

Worst in 2000

Body & Structure 196 2.1%

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2004

Worst in 2019

Worst in 2021

Exactly what failed on a Ford F-250 SD

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Front 210 20.4%
Diesel 192 18.6%
Engine 163 15.8%
Body 145 14.1%
Automatic Transmission 90 8.7%
Tread/Belt 83 8.1%
Wiring 44 4.3%
Exhaust System 44 4.3%
Gasoline 32 3.1%
Manifold/Header/Muffler/Tail Pipe 27 2.6%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Ford F-250 SD, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Dec 1999 peak 330 Aug 2026

Ford F-250 SD problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Ford F-250 SD

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.