no report yet
Exterior lighting: brake lights
Risk. NON-FUNCTIONING LIGHTS COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.
2005 Ford F-250Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 144 owner complaints about the 2005 Ford F-250, most often about the steering. It is covered by 3 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 9, 2025. Updated daily. Photo: Bull-Doser, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2005 Ford F-250 has problems
144 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
39Steering2 crash/fire/injury
37Suspension
26Engine1 crash/fire/injury
17Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
14Power train
13Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
7Service brakes
7Fuel/propulsion system
7Structure
298 other systems2 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 39 | 2 |
| Suspension | 37 | 0 |
| Engine | 26 | 1 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 17 | 1 |
| Power train | 14 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 13 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 1 |
| Structure | 7 | 0 |
| 8 other systems | 29 | 2 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
3 recalls
2005 Ford F-250 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.
no report yet
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Risk. A LIFT OCCUPANT CAN BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT BEGIN TO STOW UNINTENTIONALLY.
no report yet
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Risk. THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE UNINTENTIONALLY.
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 steering problems start?
55kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 30 steering complaints. 73% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles22under 100k miles8100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2005 vs. every other F-250 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 median. How we score
'67'68'69'70'72'73'74'75'76'77'78'79'80'81'82'83'84'85'86'87'88'89'90'91'92'93'94'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2005 Ford F-250, and the recalls they led to.
- VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATIONNo recall
- VIOLENT FRONT END OSCILLATIONNo recall
In owners' words
What F-250 owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
While driving at 65 Mph, towing a fifth wheel camper, encountered a mildly rough section of highway when entire front end began to wobble and shake violently. Slowed the vehicle, maintaining control. When going back up to speed, the same shaking occured again. Also noted a less violent shaking at…
Wrench light comes on, but truck goes into limp loses power very dangerous don't know if it's going to cause me to be rear-ended, steering goes back and forth right to left can't hardly hold it in road
The back bed rails rot/rust very quickly and trying to buy new beds run 4500$ along with o2 sensors ir intake sensors go out of blue no reasoning let alone the power steering lines rusting very very quickly
Own a 2005 F-250?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.