U.S. public vehicle records

2002 Ford F-350 SD problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

124 owner complaints analyzed

3 distinct recall campaigns

64,000 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2002 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 109 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel is the most frequently named component, appearing in 24 of 124 complaints (19.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Engine operation	16	12.9%
Braking behavior	14	11.3%
Steering behavior	10	8.1%
Electrical and battery issues	9	7.3%
Fuel system concerns	6	4.8%
Transmission and shifting	5	4.0%

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.

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel

Tires

Electrical System

Tires:Tread/Belt

Engine And Engine Cooling

Fuel System, Diesel

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Steering

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel	24
Tires	13
Electrical System	11
Tires:Tread/Belt	9
Engine And Engine Cooling	8
Fuel System, Diesel	8
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	7
Steering	5

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel: 24; Tires: 13; Electrical System: 11; Tires:Tread/Belt: 9; Engine And Engine Cooling: 8; Fuel System, Diesel: 8; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 7; Steering: 5

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: 13; 25,000 to 49,999: 27; 50,000 to 74,999: 21; 75,000 to 99,999: 16; 100,000 to 149,999: 15; 150,000 and above: 17

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (27). 15 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.

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2003: 16; 2004: 6; 2005: 11; 2006: 11; 2007: 28; 2008: 16; 2009: 6; 2010: 8; 2011: 8; 2012: 2; 2013: 4; 2014: 2; 2015: 1; 2016: 2; 2017: 2; 2018: 1

Pattern summary

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Diesel leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 16 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 10 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 10008273 · 2003-02-28 (February 28, 2003)

LOSS OF POWER MOTOR TO GAS PEDAL, WILL NOT WORK WHEN DRIVING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 16,519 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008273 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10008274 · 2003-02-28 (February 28, 2003)

LOSS OF POWER MOTOR TO GAS PEDAL, WILL NOT WORK WHEN DRIVING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 16,519 miles reported. Look up ODI 10008274 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10009439 · 2003-03-10 (March 10, 2003)

THE STEERING WAS HARD TO TURN WHEN THE BRAKES WERE APPLIED. THERE WAS PLAY IN STEERING WHEEL. CAN BE MOVED UP AND DOWN. DEALER FOUND SOME PLAY IN THE TILT LATCH AND ADJUSTED THE FLUID LEVEL. HOWEVER NO PROBLEM FOUND. CONSUMER WAS AFRAID CAMPER COULD BE KNOCKED OFF JACKS WHEN BACKING TRUCK UP TO 3,000 POUND CAMPER. HEADLAMPS DIM/DISCOLORED. MELTED CONNECTORS AND HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY REPLACED. *TT *JB

Owner-reported narrative. 12,072 miles reported. Look up ODI 10009439 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10014128 · 2003-04-08 (April 8, 2003)

READ BOTTOM TO GET SAFETY CONCERN: CALLED FORD THIS MORNING, AND VERBALLY INFORMED THEM OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE ROTORS ON MY F350, AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD CALL BACK THE NEXT DAY. RECEIVED A CALL IN 2 HOURS AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE ONLY THING THAT FORD CAN DO IS RESURFACE WARPED ROTORS UNLESS THE ROTORS DO NOT MEET FORD??S SPECIFICATION. I AM SURE THAT THE ONLY SPECIFICATION IS ON THICKNESS, AND I AM SURE THAT SINCE THE PADS STILL HAVE 10MM THE ROTORS ARE GOING TO BE THICK ENOUGH TO BE TURNED OR RESURFACED. WHEN THE SURFACE OF THE ROT…

Owner-reported narrative. 16,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10014128 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10130352 · 2005-07-27 (July 27, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING THE 2002 F350 SUPER DUTY PICK-UP TRUCK WE PURCHASED ON 7/15/05, WITH ONLY 26,000 MILES ON IT, THE THROTTLE QUITS WORKING. THE ENGINE STAYS RUNNING, SO WE DO NOT LOOSE THE POWER STEERING ETC, BUT WHEN TURNING LEFT IT WENT OUT & WE COULD NOT GET OUT OF THE WAY OF THE ONCOMING TRAFFIC. THANK GOODNESS THE CARS WERE GOING SLOW ENOUGH THAT THEY COULD STOP. IT HAPPENED 7/24/5, 5 TIMES IN 1 HR. WE CONTACTED THE FORD DEALER & THEY SAID WE WERE OUT OF LUCK. TO PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER THEY WANTED TO CHARGE US $90.00. WE ONLY HAD THE VEHICLE 9…

Owner-reported narrative. 26,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10130352 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10130905 · 2005-08-01 (August 1, 2005)

COMING HOME FROM SHAWNEE ABOUT 40 MILES FROM HOME,AND AT ABOUT 20 MILES FROM BEING HOME FELT A BAD VIBRATION IN STEERING WHEEL PULLED OVER TO CHECK TIRES,FELT ALL AROUND THEM NOTICED THAT THERE WHERE INDENTATIONS IN SIDE WALLS,LATER FOUND OUT THAT THESE ARE CALLED LEMMONING MARKS,GOT BACK IN TRUCK AND CONTINUED ON AT A SLOWER SPEED OF ABOUT 60 MPH,AND ABOUT 3 TO 4 MILES DOWN THE ROAD A SEVERE VIBRATION STARTED AND THEN THE LEFT FRONT BLEW OUT BAD CAUSING TO ME BE SWEPT OFF ROAD TO LEFT SEVERELY INTO THE MEDIAN,THESE TIRES ONLY HAVE 29096 MILES…

Owner-reported narrative. 29,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 10130905 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10131630 · 2005-08-04 (August 4, 2005)

WHILE DRIVING MY F-350 ON I-95, THERE WAS A SUDDEN EXPLOSION AND CAUSED THE TRUCK TO SWERVE VIOLENTLY AND AS I SLOWED TO VEER INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE A LOUD HAMMERING SOUND CAME FROM UNDER TRUCK. AFTER STOPPING AND CHECKING I FOUND THE RIGHT INNER DUALLY WHEEL HAD COME APART AND OVER HALF THE TREAD WAS MISSING FROM THE TIRE. THE TREAD SEPARATION RIPPED THE PLASTIC WHEEL WELL HOUSING OUT AND RIPPED TWO 6" AND 8" TEARS IN THE BED OF THE TRUCK. THE FIBERGLASS WHEEL WELL HAD LARGE CRACKS AND THE SUPPORTS WERE TORN LOOSE. SOME ELECTRICAL WIRING WAS …

Owner-reported narrative. 18,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10131630 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10252228 · 2008-12-18 (December 18, 2008)

MY FORD F350 POWERSTROKE DIESEL TRUCK BEGAN HAVING PROBLEMS IN MARCH 2008. THERE WAS LOSS OF POWER, HESITATION AND STALLING. FUEL FILTER WAS REPLACED TWICE AND FUEL PUMP WAS REPLACED. FUEL PUMP STILL SCREAMS LIKE IT IS STARVING FOR FUEL WHEN THIS PROBLEM OCCURS. THE TRUCK LETS OUT THICK WHITE SMOKE BEFORE IT STALLS. I JUST RECENTLY LOOKED IN TANK AND NOTICED SILVER FLAKES CLOGGED IN SENDING UNIT WHICH I BELIEVE IS DELAMINATION OF INTERIOR OF TANK AS OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBED. I HAVE CLEANED IT OUT TWICE NOW IN 2 WEEKS. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 68,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10252228 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10347610 · 2010-08-06 (August 6, 2010)

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 FORD F350 SD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO LOSE POWER. THE CONTACT SHUT OFF THE VEHICLE AND RESTARTED. AFTER DRIVING A VERY SHORT DISTANCE, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT ACCELERATE PAST 5 MPH. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FUEL PUMP, FILTERS, FUEL TANK AND EIGHT FUEL INJECTORS WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE THE FUEL TANK WAS RUSTED. THE CONTACT REPAIRED THE VEHICLE HIMSELF. THE MANUFACTURER ADVISED THE FAILURE OCCURRED BE…

Owner-reported narrative. 39,246 miles reported. Look up ODI 10347610 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10025407 · 2003-07-04 (July 4, 2003)

WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR SHIFTING THE CLUTCH WILL NOT DISENGAGE, AND PEDAL STAYS ON THE FLOOR. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 37,525 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025407 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10025408 · 2003-07-04 (July 4, 2003)

WHEN COMING TO A STOP OR SHIFTING THE CLUTCH WILL NOT DISENGAGE, AND THE PEDAL STAYS ON THE FLOOR -- MULTIPLE INCIDENTS. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. 38,341 miles reported. Look up ODI 10025408 at NHTSA ↗