U.S. public vehicle records

1999 Ford F-350 SD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

142 owner complaints analyzed

2 distinct recall campaigns

99,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 1999 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 105 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Tires is the most frequently named component, appearing in 19 of 142 complaints (13.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Braking behavior	35	24.6%
Steering behavior	22	15.5%
Transmission and shifting	12	8.5%
Engine operation	7	4.9%
Electrical and battery issues	5	3.5%
Fuel system concerns	3	2.1%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Tires

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Wheels

Engine And Engine Cooling

Steering

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

Electrical System

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Tires	19
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	12
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	11
Wheels	9
Engine And Engine Cooling	8
Steering	8
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	7
Electrical System	6

Tires: 19; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 12; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 11; Wheels: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling: 8; Steering: 8; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 7; Electrical System: 6

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 9; 25,000 to 49,999: 15; 50,000 to 74,999: 18; 75,000 to 99,999: 11; 100,000 to 149,999: 31; 150,000 and above: 21

100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (31). 37 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2015

2000: 8; 2001: 1; 2002: 6; 2003: 19; 2004: 11; 2005: 16; 2006: 18; 2007: 17; 2008: 11; 2009: 12; 2010: 14; 2011: 3; 2012: 3; 2013: 2; 2015: 1

Pattern summary

Tires leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 35 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 22 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 12 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10003343 · 2003-01-24 (January 24, 2003)

TRUCK WAS PARKED IN GARAGE, FACING OUT OF GARAGE. TRUCK HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN FOR 4 DAYS. TRUCK HAD HANDBREAK SET WHEN PARKED. I STARTED TRUCK UP DUE TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS IT HAD NOT BEEN DRIVEN TO CHARGE BATTERY. VERFYED THAT HANDBRAKE WAS SET ( RED BRAKE LIGHT WAS ON) AND PLACE TRUCK IN NEUTERAL (5-SPEED). (GARAGE DOOR WAS OPEN DUE TO TRUCK RUNNING). I WENT INSIDE AND ABOUT 5 MIN PASSED LOOKED OUT KITCHEN WINDOW SAW TRUCK AT END OF DRIVE WAY. TRUCK WAS STOPPED BY TOW HOOK HITTING TREE. DRIVER SIDE MIRROW HIT TREE AND WAS FOLDED BACK.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10003343 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10003595 · 2003-01-28 (January 28, 2003)

I PURCHASED A 1999 F-350 SUPER DUTY DUALLY. FROM RECORDS FROM THE PERVIOUS OWNERS PROBLEMS AND THE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD WITH THIS TRUCK, I CAN NOT BELIVE SERVICE PROBLEMS I HAVE HAD. A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO THE PARKING BRAKE BLEW WHEN I WAS ON ALMOST LEVEL GROUND AND NEED LEAST TO SAY THE TRUCK ROLLED AND CRASHED, LUCKY NOT ONE WAS HURT.BUT IT DID QUIT A BIT OF DAMAGE TO THE TRUCK AND MY TRAILOR. NOW I KNOW THIS IS A PROBLEM ON THESE FORDS BUT NOT YET ON MY PERTICULARE TRUCK. ALSO IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS I HAVE PUT IN A NEW CLUTCH WITCH IS EXPEC…

Owner-reported narrative. 103,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10003595 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007816 · 2003-02-19 (February 19, 2003)

I HAVE A COMPLAINT ABOUT MY 99 FORD F350 SUPER DUTY 1 TON PICKUP. THE STEERING OF THIS TRUCK SUCKS! I HAVE HAD IT TO THE FORD GARAGE IN MISSOULA, MT AND THEY SAID THE STEERING HAD BEEN SET UP TOO TIGHT AND THAT IT WAS NOW SET TO FACTORY SPECS AND IT STILL ISN'T RIGHT. THE GARAGE SAID THAT THEY COULD REPLACE ALL PARTS IN THE STEERING AND IT STILL WOULDN'T MAKE THE TRUCK HANDLE GOOD. WHAT'S WITH THAT?

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007816 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10030233 · 2003-07-28 (July 28, 2003)

99 FORD F-350 SD 4X4 CONTINUOUS PROBLEMS WITH STEERING AND HANDLING, ENTIRE FRONT END REPLACED, (AT MY COST) BALL & U JOINTS,(2) STABILIZERS;(2) STEERING GEAR BOXES, 2 SETS TIRES,DRAG LINK, CASTOR/CAMBOR ETC. NUMEROUS ALIGNMENTS, MUCH WORSE PULLING A TRAILER, WANDERS ALL OVER THE ROAD. FORD DRAGGING THEIR FEET, WAS ACTUALLY TOLD THAT THIS MAY BE "JUST THE WAY" THIS TRUCK HANDLES AS WELL AS "WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSE TO DO ABOUT IT" DANGEROUS EMAIL ME [email removed] WITH ADVICE. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 45,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10030233 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10005133 · 2003-02-02 (February 2, 2003)

TRANSMISSION "PARK" FAILURE. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 47,382 miles reported. Look up ODI 10005133 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10013760 · 2003-04-01 (April 1, 2003)

THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT AND DESTROYED THE TRANSMISSION. HAD TO HAVE COMPLETE REPLACEMENT THAT FORD SAID WOULD NOT BE COVERED. VEHICLE HAD 75,000 MILES. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10013760 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10140048 · 2005-10-17 (October 17, 2005)

THE CAM POSITION SENSOR ON MY '99 FORD F-350 W/ 7.3L POWER STROKE IS FAILING INTERMITTENTLY. THESE FAILURES CAUSE THE ENGINE TO SHUT DOWN INSTANTLY WITH NO WARNING. WHEN THE ENGINE SHUTS DOWN THERE IS A LOSS OF POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN TRAFFIC ON INTERSTATE 283 IN PA CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO LOSS STEERING AND BRAKES IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC WITH NO WARNING. ON ONE OTHER OCCASION THIS OCCURRED IN A PARKING LOT CAUSING LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE WHILE TURNING DUE TO LOSS OF STEERING AND BRAKES WHEN THE VEHICLE STALLED, CAUSIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 193,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140048 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10140061 · 2005-10-18 (October 18, 2005)

I OWNED A 99.5 FORD F350 WITH THE 7.3L DIESEL AND MANUAL TRANSMISSION. AT AROUND 30K MILES, DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY AT 65 MPH WHILE TOWING A LOADED TRAILER, THE TRUCK SHUT OFF. THIS LEFT ME WITH NO POWER STEERING AND NO POWER BRAKES OR ABS BRAKES. HAD THE INCIDENT OCCURRED ON A STEEPER GRADE OR BUSIER TIME OF DAY, IT COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. AFTER PULLING OVER TO THE SHOULDER, THE TRUCK RESTARTED AND RAN BRIEFLY BEFORE SHUTTING DOWN AGAIN. IT HAD TO BE TOWED AT THAT POINT. THE TRUCK WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY. AFTER THE SECOND ATTEMPT AT FIXING T…

Owner-reported narrative. 30,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10140061 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10139172 · 2005-10-10 (October 10, 2005)

1. LEFT FRONT TIRE ON 1999 FORD F350 FOUR WHEEL DRIVE DUALLY WITH 18,800 ODOMETER MILES STARTED TO SHAKE AT HIGHWAY SPEED APPROXIMATELY 10 SECONDS BEFORE TIRE BLEW FROM CORD SEPARATION. TIRE HAS ALMOST FULL TREAD DEPTH AS NEW TIRE. IT IS A GENERAL GRABBER TR IN 235/85-R16 SIZE THAT WAS EQUIPPED AS ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT ON THIS VEHICLE. TIRE WAS INFLATED TO MANUFACTURERS SPECIFIED AIR PRESSURE OF 65 PSI. ALL SEVEN TIRES ON THIS VEHICLE HAD BEEN RECENTLY CHECKED (WITHIN THE LAST WEEK) FOR PROPER INFLATION AND ANY ABNORMALITIES. I WAS NOT TOWIN…

Owner-reported narrative. 18,800 miles reported. Look up ODI 10139172 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10116613 · 2005-04-08 (April 8, 2005)

THE FUEL PUMP ON 1999 F350 4X4 WITH 38800 MILES [XXX] STRANDED ME AND THE FAMILY AFTER TRAVELLING 80 MILES DRIVING AT 65MPH NEAR MORRIS, IL. REQUIRED A TOW TRUCK THAT TOOK OVER 2 HOURS TO GET US. I AM A DIABETIC AND AS A CONSEQUENCE OF BEING STRANDED MY BLOOD SUGAR WAS TOO LOW. TOWED TO THE FORD GARAGE AND TECHS REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP AT A COST OF $680, THE SERVICE MANAGER STATED THAT 7 OTHER FORD VEHICLES WERE TOWED IN WITH FUEL PUMP FAILURES. HE CALLED FORD TO REPORT THE PROBLEM AND WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS NOT FORDS FAULT BUT TOO HIGH OF A ALCOH…

Owner-reported narrative. 38,781 miles reported. Look up ODI 10116613 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10284202 · 2009-09-16 (September 16, 2009)

ROTTED OUT REAR BRAKE LINE BEHIND FUEL TANK. I WAS TOWING A TRAILER AND WENT TO STOP AT A LIGHT AND THE PETAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I SWERVED TO AVOID THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. MY RIGHT LANE WAS EMPTY ALLOWING ME TO USE IT AS A EMERGENCY LANE AND STOP BECAUSE THE TRAILER HAD BRAKES. I LIMPED HOME FOR REPAIRS. I REPLACED THE COMPLETE BRAKE LINE FROM FRONT TO REAR. IT HAD ROTTED OUT BEHIND THE FUEL TANK ON THE DRIVERS SIDE. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 121,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10284202 at NHTSA ↗