no report yet
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Risk. A LIFT OCCUPANT CAN BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT BEGIN TO STOW UNINTENTIONALLY.
2008 Ford F-250Problems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 197 owner complaints about the 2008 Ford F-250, most often about the steering. It is covered by 7 safety recalls.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through October 21, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.
Complaints by system
Where the 2008 Ford F-250 has problems
197 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
80Steering5 crash/fire/injury
35Suspension1 crash/fire/injury
19Engine2 crash/fire/injury
16Tires2 crash/fire/injury
15Engine and engine cooling1 crash/fire/injury
14Power train
12Electrical system
11Service brakes
8Vehicle speed control
3714 other systems3 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Steering | 80 | 5 |
| Suspension | 35 | 1 |
| Engine | 19 | 2 |
| Tires | 16 | 2 |
| Engine and engine cooling | 15 | 1 |
| Power train | 14 | 2 |
| Electrical system | 12 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 11 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 0 |
| 14 other systems | 37 | 3 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2008 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. THE USER OF THE LIFT COULD BE INJURED SHOULD THE LIFT MOVE UNINTENTIONALLY.
no report yet
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery
Risk. FUEL SPILLAGE, IN THE PRESENCE OF AN IGNITION SOURCE, COULD RESULT IN A FIRE.
no report yet
Seats
Risk. IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT SIDE PIVOT BRACKET MAY CRACK OR BREAK, INCREASING THE RISK OF INJURY TO THE SEAT OCCUPANT.
Show 3 more recalls
no report yet
Driver side: inflator module
Risk. THIS CONDITION MAY PREVENT THE DRIVER AIR BAG FROM PROPERLY DEPLOYING AND REDUCE OCCUPANT PROTECTION IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
no report yet
Automatic transmission: control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Risk. LACK OF POWER OR ROUGH OPERATION, UNUSUAL NOISES FROM THE ENGINE OR EXHAUST, WHITE SMOKE FROM THE EXHAUST, AND POTENTIALLY A VISIBLE FLAME OUT THE TAILPIPE CAN…
no report yet
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
Risk. LONG TERM CONTACT COULD CAUSE WIRE CHAFE, RESULTING IN COPPER WIRE BEING EXPOSED.
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?
77kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 70 steering complaints. 56% were reported before 100,000 miles.
9under 30k miles39under 100k miles31100k miles or more
Best & worst years
2008 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
NHTSA crash tests
2008 Ford F-250 safety ratings
2008 Ford F-250 Supercrew 4-DR. in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
- Stability control: No
- Forward collision warning: No
- Lane departure warning: No
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2008 Ford F-250, and the recalls they led to.
- Alleged Loss of SteeringNo recall
In owners' words
What F-250 owners report
Recent steering complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Clock spring frayed and uncoiled. Unknown steering issue till clockspring checked. Airbag inflator is unoperational. Current clockspring recall for Ford does not cover this vehicle. Widen your recall. Most owners would believe it to be a power steering issue with pump and fluid, like we did.
The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH on a bridge, the vehicle drove over potholes and the vehicle experienced the death wobble, causing the steering wheel to shake uncontrollably. The contact firmly gripped the steering wheel and decelerated to 30 MPH to…
Several times steering has been lost while making a turn. Thusfar accidents have been narrowly avoided. I have worked with the Ford dealer and replaced all major components in 2022. But the problem has started again. Most times the steering wheel is difficult to turn in parking situations; other…
Own a 2008 F-250?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.