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1999 Ford F-250 SDProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 249 owner complaints about the 1999 Ford F-250 SD, most often about the engine and engine cooling. It is covered by 2 safety recalls.

48
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.1× the F-250 SD median · #10 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls2Free fix at dealersOwner complaints24937 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage100kEngine and engine cooling, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 22, 2016. Updated daily.

Complaints by system

Where the 1999 Ford F-250 SD has problems

249 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine and engine cooling954
Electrical system346
Tires293
Service brakes, hydraulic243
Power train232
Steering145
Parking brake101
Suspension100
Vehicle speed control84
14 other systems366

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

2 recalls

1999 Ford F-250 SD recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.

Mileage at failure

When do engine and engine cooling problems start?

100kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 83 engine and engine cooling complaints. 47% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
4under 30k miles39under 100k miles44100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine and engine cooling

15 owners mentioned a cost

$1,500median

Middle half: $375 – $4,011

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

1999 vs. every other F-250 SD year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the F-250 SD median. How we score

'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
5 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 1999 Ford F-250 SD, and the recalls they led to.

  1. SPARK PLUG EJECTION FROM CYLINDER HEADDP05005 · closed Jan 4, 2006
    No recall
  2. SECTOR SHAFT FRACTURESEA01009 · closed Aug 19, 2003
    No recall
  3. ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRESEA05005 · closed Aug 2, 2006
    Led to recall 07V-347
  4. ENGINE STALLINGEA06012 · closed Dec 7, 2007
    Led to recall 07V-553
  5. ENGINE STALLINGPE06011 · closed Jun 23, 2006
    No recall
In owners' words

What F-250 SD owners report

Recent engine and engine cooling complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH THE VEHICLE STARTED OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHO STATED THE RADIATOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE…
Complaint 10408485 · Jun 22, 2011 · 167,000 miles
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 FORD F250 SD. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR MAINTENANCE WHERE THEY DETECTED THAT THE ENGINE HEAD GASKET FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. UPDATED 05/04/11 *BF THE HEAD GASKET WAS LEAKING OIL. UPDATED 12/19/11
Complaint 10393515 · Mar 28, 2011 · 45,000 miles
FORD 1999 F250 5.4L TRITON V-8 BLEW SPARK PLUG. LOST POWER, CREATED ROAD HAZARD AND SCARED THE CRAP OUTTA ME WHEN IT BLEW. MADE IT TO SIDE OF ROAD SAFELY AND GOT TOWED. WENT ONLINE TO FIND OUT THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM WITH THIS ENGINE AS WELL AS OTHER TRITONS. SPARK PLUG THREADS ARE VERY SHORT…
Complaint 10392266 · Mar 20, 2011 · 145,000 miles

Own a 1999 F-250 SD?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.