2009 FORD F 250 SD

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    alignment and pull

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=8)

    • "I'M A LIFE TIME FORD TRUCK OWNER AND HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED IN MY LIFE AND READY TO PURCHASE FROM A COMPETITOR. THE TITLE "DEATH WOBBLE" IS VERY TRUE AND FORD REALLY NEEDS TO PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE IT WILL COST SOMEONE THEIR LIFE. IF I WASN'T 65 YEARS…"~118,000 mi, complaint #1016519
  2. #2

    steering rack mechanical

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=4)

    • "THE STEERING LOCKS UP AFTER MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS,CALLED THE DEALERSHIP THEY SAID THEY HAVEN'T HAD ANY OTHER COMPLAINTS OTHER THAN MINE. *TR"~70,000 mi, complaint #991070
    • "TOOK VEHICLE TO FORD DEALERSHIP FOR ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AND TO DIAGNOSE LOOSE STEERING ISSUE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH FAILED TRACK BAR BALL JOINTS, TRACK BAR BUSHINGS AND EXCESSIVE SIDE TO SIDE MOVEMENT. FRONT AXLE DUST SEALS WERE FAILED…"~76,017 mi, complaint #1003858
  3. #3

    suspension struts shocks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "HIT A SMALL BUMP AND TRUCK SHAKES VIOLENTLY. SHAKING DOES NOT STOP UNTIL VEHICLE IS SLOWED DOWN OR COMPLETELY STOPPED. IT HAS HAPPENED 14 TIMES AT SPEEDS RANGING FROM 40 MPH TO 75 MPH. ALIGNMENT IS FINE, TIRES BALANCED AND AT 50% LIFE, NEW SHOCKS, NEW STEER…"~151,500 mi, complaint #1164441
  4. #4

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "DURING WET WEATHER CONDITIONS (HUMIDITY AND RAIN ESPECIALLY) AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY 30-40 MINUTES OF STEADY STATE DRIVING ON AT FREEWAY SPEEDS; THE TRUCK WILL HESITATE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE ENGINE RPM WILL INCREASE WITH THE…"~30,000 mi, complaint #839393
  5. #5

    brake hydraulics

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "MY F-250 HAS HAD EVERY BRAKE CALIPER LOCK UP AND CAUSE TOTAL BRAKE SYSTEM FAILURE AND REPAIR. STARTING AT 40K MILES IT IS OUT OF WARRANTY BUT THERE IS AN OBVIOUS DEFECT IN THE DESIGN IF EVERY CALIPER HAS HAD THIS PROBLEM. MY SHOP DID A REPAIR HISTORY SEARCH AN…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1356867
  6. #6

    engine cooling

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "LEAKING RADIATOR HOSES CAUSING LOSS OF COOLANT FROM ENGINE. LEAK IS A HAZARD TO ENVIRONMENT AND WILDLIFE THAT MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH ETHYLENE GLYCOL. DEALER INDICATES A DESIGN ISSUE EXISTS WITH RADIATOR HOSE O-RINGS AND FORD HAS REDESIGNED THE HOSES TO USE…"~86,000 mi, complaint #891945
  7. #7

    engine internal

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F250 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A LOUD NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THAT THE NOISE WAS A NORMAL CHARACTERISTIC OF THE MOTOR BUT THEY DECIDED TO REPLACE THE CAM SHAFT AND…"~16,460 mi, complaint #850206
  8. #8

    engine stall or no start

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "2009 FORD SUPER DUTY: THIS VEHICLE COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN ENGINE ON (3) DIFFERENT OCCASIONS WHILE I WAS DRIVING IT. NO STEERING, BRAKES OR CONTROL OF VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY LOST. I HAVE TAKEN IT TO FORD DEALER ON EVERY OCCASION AND THEY SAID THEY CANNOT DUPLICAT…"~25,000 mi, complaint #822837
  9. #9

    exhaust system

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

  10. #10

    fuel tank and lines

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WHILE DRIVING WITH FUEL LEVEL BETWEEN 1/8 AND 1/4 TANK, TRUCK SHUT DOWN COMPLETELY. THE "50 MILES TO EMPTY" INDICATOR HAD ILLUMINATED APPROX. 2 MILES BEFORE FAILURE. HAD TRUCK TOWED TO DEALER AND WAS FORCED TO PAY APPROX. $250 FOR DIAGNOSTIC AND TOW. DEALER…"~21,000 mi, complaint #895885
  11. #11

    lighting exterior

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "ON 1/3/[REDACTED ADDRESS] AT NIGHT, HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF. A FEW SECONDS LATER THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON. AFTER DRIVING ABOUT 25 - 30 MILES THE LIGHTS DID THE SAME THING. IT WAS -50 DEGREES OUTSIDE AT THE TIME. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROBLEMS SINCE EXCEPT THE VEHICL…"~1,200 mi, complaint #706142
  12. #12

    other

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WE HAVE A 2009 FORD F250 SUPERDUTY TRUCK. IT HAS A FACTORY INSTALLED FORD CLASS FIVE HITCH. THE UNIT FAILED-- THE HITCH WELD SEPARATED AT THE RECEIVER AND CROSSMEMBER FRAME. YOU CAN SEE THE 3/8 INCH GAP FROM WHERE WELD DID NOT ADHERE AND WHERE THE BOTTOM AN…"~128,000 mi, complaint #876676
  13. #13

    seatbelt and pretensioner

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "THE FORD F250 WAS TURNING LEFT ON A TWO WAY UNDIVIDED HIGHWAY. IT WAS STRUCK IN THE DRIVER'S SIDE BY A PASSING SEMI-TRUCK/TRAILER. THE COLLISION WAS JUST BEHIND THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND BACK TOWARD THE BOX OF THE PICK-UP. IT SPUN THE PICK-UP INTO THE DITCH WHE…"~30,507 mi, complaint #953205
  14. #14

    timing belt or chain

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "WE OWN A 2009 FORD F250 SUPER DUTY 4X4, WITH LOW MILES (21478). THIS VEHICLE HAS RUN GREAT SINCE WE PURCHASED IT NEW. AS WE WERE DRIVING, THE ENGINE BEGAN TO RUN POORLY AND LOOSE POWER. THE ENGINE LIGHT THEN CAME ON. THE MECHANIC SCANNER THE ENGINE CODES P0012…"~21,478 mi, complaint #1170130
  15. #15

    tpms

    1 annoyance

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

  16. #16

    transmission automatic

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "APPROXIMATELY 3 DAYS AGO, AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION SLIPPED BRIEFLY, OCCURRED AGAIN ON 2/22/10. SELF-CORRECTED BOTH TIMES. VEHICLE WAS HAULING ENCLOSED CARGO TRAILER CONTAINING 3 ATV'S. PARKED VEHICLE AND SHUT OFF IGNITION, VEHICLE WAS IN PARK. APPROXIMATELY 3…"~9,880 mi, complaint #766066
  17. #17

    wheel or rim

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 FORD F250 SD. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CRACK IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE WHEEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR INSPECTION WHERE THEY PROVIDED NO ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTI…"~48,000 mi, complaint #939409

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for FORD F 250 SD directly.