1,053 of the
9,504 complaints filed about the Ford F-250 SD
are about the engine —
11% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2004.
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, while driving 40 MPH approximately two months later, the vehicle was running rough and stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with a high-pressure fuel pump failure, causing the fuel system to become contaminated. The dealer determined that the fuel system needed to be replaced. The dealer submitted a diagnostic report to the manufacturer. The contact notified the manufacturer of the failure, and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired and was pending the manufacturer's decision regarding the coverage of the repair. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000.
NHTSA complaint #11756201 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
At 5k miles there was an intermittent ticking/grinding noise. Dealer could not reproduce. At 10k it became more frequent. Dealer confirmed noise and found metal shavings in filter. Engine replaced per TSB. New engine failed after 100 miles. Blinking check engine light came on. Dealer inspected. Required Ford Engineer to review. More metal found in new engine. Engine replaced again.
NHTSA complaint #11751057 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I took a functional vehicle to Swant Graber Ford in Barron, WI in on [XXX] for Recall 24S78 and since then I have had numerous vehicle issues involving the PCM that they flashed. I have up to 16 different codes when the check engine light comes on including numerous communication U-codes indicating faulty software download causing no run/no start problems along with severe safety concerns while driving. I returned the vehicle to Swant Graber today July 1, 2026 after 2 weeks being this was their earliest appointment availability. They then deleted the codes and told me to drive it until there is more issues which is a severe safety concern considering the condition of the PCM of this vehicle they returned to now which is unfunctional and not road worthy INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11747789 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
10 day roundtrip from [XXX] to [XXX]. 5 incidents of catastrophic engine failure on interstates. Truck started to jerk, sputter, lost power at an alarming rate. No engine light until failure ocurred. Very dangerous with heavy holiday traffic. Lives were in danger, us and other vehicles around us. No one expects travel to go from 70 mph,to 50, 30, 15 in such a short period of time. Pulled over to "investigate" code failures we deemed as o2 sensors. Afterwards the truck started back up, no engine lights and drove as normal. Started using premium gasoline, hoping it would help. Started driving in right lane as much as possible but had a failure ocurr right in front of on ramp as well at interstate speeds. Had another family following us so they also witnessed and pulled over all incidents. Brought into Ford 7/18/24 upon return home. Paid $125 inspection fee, concern not present, come back if happens again. Makes no sense that codes not present to pull. 12/13/2024 engine light on, catalytic converter replaced. 06/19/25 truck had catastrophic failure returning from work on hwy. XXX on [XXX], just two miles from leaving home another failure with no warning lights in heavy Friday traffic in construction zone. Couldn't clear the traffic lane completely. Very scary. Waited for clearing and limped it to a nearby off ramp. Same jerking, loss of power. Vehicle towed to shop for 2 weeks, testing, fuel pump replaced. Picked up 07/07/25. Next day received recall notice 25S75 in the mail 7/08/25. Everything made sense. 1/24/26 - Battery failed inspection @ 40% during oil change. Replaced battery ourselves from Costco. 04/23/26- Warning light, P0420 pulled, shop recommended engine tune -up. Paid $175 inspection fee + $671.20 tune up. 5/29/26 engine light on, P0420 pulled, recommend catalytic convertor replaced but not under factory warranty anymore so wants us to pay $4000 bill. Escalated up through Ford. As of 6/5/26 - Ford will pay half. I refuse. Should be covered by recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF I
NHTSA complaint #11742882 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Vehicle experienced loss of power while in travel down a mountain. After inspection by a mechanic, CP4 pump had a catastrophic failure sending metal shards throughout the fuel system. This was less than a month after Fords SAFETY RECALL 24S78 that failed to remedy the problem, but before recall Number26V158 was issued.
NHTSA complaint #11728380 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
On September 3, 2023, the fuel pump failed while the truck was in the corner of an on-ramp for an interstate. The truck immediately lost power while in the corner causing a loss of control of steering. This resulted in a near collision with a concrete dividing wall while attempting to maintain control of the vehicle until the vehicle came to a stop. There were no warnings, check engine lights, or other issues with the truck prior to the incident. The truck was inspected by a diesel repair company where it was determined that the Bosch CP4 fuel pump failed resulting in a catastrophic fuel system failure with metal shavings contaminating the complete fuel system. This required a complete fuel system replacement.
NHTSA complaint #11727559 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2022 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle was driving sluggishly while accelerating, the RPM fell, and the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The spark plugs were replaced, and a tune-up was performed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that there was a misfire coming from the engine and that the ignition wires needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11722461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2021 f250 with the 7.3v8. 120000 miles and lifter has failed. We believe that we caught it early enough to where we have no more issues other than this. After reading up I have noticed where there has been several other customers with same issue on this engine. I run several f350 pickups with our business and have been very pleased and bought this pickup to run around in and keep from driving the work trucks. I would like to think that this should not be an issue with this amount of miles. I hope ford steps up and fixes this issue
NHTSA complaint #11722234 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2017 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 22 MPH and attempting to depress the brake pedal, the brake pedal was firm and difficult to depress. The brake pedal was depressed with both feet and the vehicle started slowing down. There was no warning light illuminated. After coming to a complete stop, the contact saw smoke coming from the grill underneath the windshield wipers and the lower windshield. The contact exited the vehicle and there was fire coming from the engine compartment and entering the cabin of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle, ran to the neighbor’s house and grabbed the garden hose and started spraying water on the hood; however, smoke and the fire increased and the fire was too hot for the house to put out the flames. The contact called 9-1-1 for assistance and the Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the Fire. The Police showed up on scene to direct traffic. There was no injuries sustained. A Police Report was filed, but the report number was not provided. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case and provided the contact with the case number. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
NHTSA complaint #11719482 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of motive power and became inoperable due to failure of the high-pressure fuel system. This VIN is subject to an active safety recall (NHTSA 24V957 / Ford 24S78) addressing high-pressure fuel pump failure that can result in loss of motive power while driving. Prior to failure, the vehicle exhibited reduced engine performance and drivability issues consistent with fuel system malfunction. No Water-In-Fuel warning or alert was displayed prior to the failure. The vehicle was inspected by an authorized Ford dealership. Ford and the dealership asserted “fuel contamination” as the cause and refused to repair the vehicle under the recall or warranty unless the customer paid for diagnostic teardown. The recall repair was not performed. The vehicle remains unrepaired and was removed from the dealership. The loss of motive power created a safety risk to the occupants and other motorists. We are concerned that a recalled safety defect affecting the fuel system is not being remedied and is being mischaracterized to avoid recall repair.
NHTSA complaint #11717653 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was on an overpass in the left hand lane doing 40-45mpg getting ready to make a left hand turn on an expressway on ramp. I coasted for just a bit and applied the brakes gently, then a little more. The truck was not slowing down like it should have so I applied alot more brake pedal pressure and it slowed down some then it down shifted several times and the engine was roaring, I'm guessing around 3K rpms or more and pulling me forwards. I put as much pressure as I could on the brake pedal and got it down to 4-5 mph and then as it was almost at a stop, still with the motor roaring, I slammed it into park and turned the key off. The motor turned off thank goodness. I sat there for about 20 seconds or so, luckily no one was behind me, then I turned it on again and it was idling just fine. I crept through the intersection and proceeded down the on ramp at 10mph or so and pulled over. Turned it off again and called the wife and a few friends about it. It ran ok, albeit I was super cautious, to my destination 25 minutes on down the highway. Something freaked out big time in the computer. Had there been traffic or someone in front of me it would have lead to a serious crash.
NHTSA complaint #11717225 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving cross country, my dash warning light came on and said " In 50 miles your vehicle will lose power and you won't be able to drive more than 5 mph. DEF problem". I spent $70,000 on this vehicle used with 50K miles on it. Recall from 2024, this is unacceptable. Now another recall for steering. The steering column disengagement. I am afraid to drive it. The dealer keeps telling me no fix yet. FORD has no email to complain. I am not sure what can be done. This is my first FORD, never again.
NHTSA complaint #11716649 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2026 F-250 diesel with 6K miles on it that caught fire about 3-5 minutes after using it to jumpstart a UTV. I ensured to cook all cables up correctly, as I've jumpstarted many times, but the first time with this vehicle, utilizing the drivers side battery. Jumping the UTV went just fine as expected, and I disconnected the cables and shut the truck hood with no sparks, smoke, or flames at the time. Within 3-5 minutes, I noticed there were flames coming from inside my truck at the center dashboard area. We attempted to extinguish the fire ourselves, but the fire department was ultimately called. If my son had not gotten out of the truck to get into the UTV with me, he would have been in the back seat when the fire started. The truck was pulled close to my barn when the fire started, which caused damage to the barn. A fire investigator hired by my insurance, and the fire marshal came out to my home to inspect the truck, and both determined it was not my fault the truck caught fire. There were no warning labels indicating the drivers side battery should not be used to jump start vehicles. The fire investigator stopped at a local ford house, and none of the employees were aware the drivers side battery should not be used to jumpstart vehicles either. I found information online that mentions fires occurring in 2025 & 2026 due to cracked fuel return lines, and engine heater block problems. The fire investigator stated if I was able to find that information online, that the manufacturer likely knows there are problems, and chose to sell the vehicles anyways. My truck is currently waiting to be inspected by a Ford Engineer to try and determine the cause. This fire put myself, my son, barn, and animals at risk. If Ford knows about any potential fire hazards, they should have never released the truck for sale. Due to the fire, I had smoke inhalation, and visited my PCP a few days after. I'm still waiting for the fire departments report.
NHTSA complaint #11715611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2020 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, he smelled a burning odor, but assumed it was coming from outside. Two minutes later, smoke filled the cabin. No warning light was illuminated. The contact heard flames coming from the dashboard. The contact pulled over and safely exited the vehicle. The contact saw that the engine compartment had caught on fire before the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. A police officer was driving behind the vehicle and witnessed the fire. A police report was filed. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the fire. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report had been filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it was deemed totaled by the insurance company. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.
NHTSA complaint #11713646 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. While driving at approximately 20 MPH, there was an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle, and the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the dealer stated that the cause of the abnormal sound and the illuminated check engine warning light was unknown. The contact was notified of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to have the VIN added to the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 205,000.
NHTSA complaint #11709901 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
driving on two lane road with low visibility - car lost power and stopped in road- ford refused to cover repairs /tow for over one year vehicle sat - they compromised with us paying half for new engine -
NHTSA complaint #11708366 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Subject: Safety Recall 24V-957 – Loss of Power Risk – Dealer Mishandling I am filing a complaint regarding Ford recall 24V-957 (Ford reference 24S78) for my vehicle. The recall states the defect can cause: “Loss of driving power, increasing the risk of a crash” “Engine stall” “Loss of motive power while driving” My vehicle has shown symptoms consistent with these safety risks. When I brought the vehicle to the dealership: 1. They claimed fuel contamination but provided a fuel sample with a Dec 3 timestamp, even though they originally claimed the issue was discovered on Nov 26, raising chain-of-custody concerns. 2. They have refused to properly address the recall or escalate the matter. 3. They threatened to report my rental car as stolen, even though I have not refused to return it and the vehicle is still under an unresolved recall safety issue. 4. Ford Customer Care refuses to intervene and instructs me to deal only with the dealership, despite this being a manufacturer safety recall. This situation has left me without clear direction, without safe transportation, and with concerns about dealership misconduct and improper handling of a safety-critical recall. I am requesting NHTSA review this recall handling and ensure Ford properly manages recall repairs, towing, rental support, and dealer oversight.
NHTSA complaint #11703727 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.