What are the Ford-250 years to avoid? First, you need to understand the true history of the F-250. Many people assume the Ford F-150 came before the F-250. And while you look for the specific models “F-150” and “F-250”, you’d see the latest F-250 wasn’t released until 1998. However, that’s because the Ford F-Series is broken up into two generations.
In the first generation, the model was literally called “The Ford F-Series,” and the F-250 was a specific configuration that came as an option. In 1948-1952, the F Series was separated by weight ratings. There was an F-1, F-2, etc. However, in 1953, the F-1 and F-2 were combined to create the 3/4-ton F-Series F-250. The F-150 wouldn’t see its release until 1975. If you think fuel economy is bad now, think again – these old Ford trucks got very poor gas mileage – but they had plenty of power.
The current version of the F-250 (and everything above it) is known as the Super Duty model of the F-Series from Ford. This incarnation of the Super Duty Ford F-250 trucks was released in 1998. These Super Duty trucks were available as heavy-duty trucks compared to the more consumer-oriented F-150.
We went down memory lane looking at the model years of Ford F-250 trucks, rifling through different F-250 generations to come up with this list of which years to avoid. These are the worst years for Ford F-250 trucks.
2001 to 2003 Model Year Ford F-250 (1st Generation)
These Ford F-250 years were marred by problems with the gasoline engines and a recall on a specific diesel engine as well. The diesel issues weren’t nearly as severe as the mechanical problems with the primary engine. Before we get into the mechanical issues, let’s take a look at the specs of this F-250:
Specs
- 5.4L V8 Engine
- 260 Horsepower
- 350 lb-ft of torque
- 6-Speed manual transmission
Problems
The issues with these model years are pretty clear. They’re also pretty dangerous.
- Engine problems. The motor problems with these model year F-250s were extremely dangerous and unpredictable. Engine ejecting spark plugs would randomly shoot through the blower motor and anything else that stood in its way, exiting through the hood of the vehicle. This spark plug ejection problem was extremely widespread, sometimes even causing damage to the cylinder head. While there’s no blanket price for the fix, it’s almost a guarantee the total was into the thousands since damage to the block typically required changing the motor entirely.
- Diesel motor recall. The diesel motor recall may not have been as serious as the spark plugs flying on the standard edition, but it was still enough to leave motorists stranded if they didn’t take advantage of the courtesy repair. The camshaft sensor continuously went bad on these motors, costing owners around $300 each time. However, the recall solved the problem, and at no cost to the owners.
2006 Model Year Ford F-250 (2nd Generation)
One of the best things about this model year is that it didn’t include the same engine as the previous generation. This version of the F-250 had slightly more towing capacity thanks to the additional power from the upgraded motor options. However, suspension issues would plague this version of the Ford truck.
Specs
- 5.4L V8 Engine
- 300 Horsepower
- 365 lb-ft of torque
- 6-Speed manual transmission
Problems
- Suspension issues. The suspension problems with this model year caused what was known as the dreaded death wobble. This is when without warning, the truck would begin rapidly losing control, causing the owner to lose control in some cases. Widespread reports of this problem happened around 120,000 miles. While this was the most serious problem with this model, it potentially was one of the most severe because of the accidents it caused.
2008 Model Year Ford F-250 (2nd Generation)
There were no major changes made between the few years that passed since 2006. The problems, however, are similar. There was still the sudden loss of control as reported with the ’06, along with additional steering column problems.
Specs
- 5.4L V8 Engine
- 300 Horsepower
- 365 lb-ft of torque
- 6-Speed manual transmission
Problems
- Suspension problems. The same exact scenario as 2006 continued with the 2008 – the uncontrollable wobble at high speeds or after hitting bumps. More fatalities were reported with this model.
- Steering column. In what can only be attributed to the above issues, many owners experienced the failure of their steering column because of violent shaking. Some reported the shaking so bad that it ripped their dashboard apart.
2011 Model Year Ford F-250 (3rd Generation)
The 20111 model received additional power upgrades, in addition to body and interior changes, making the F250 a more stylish truck.
Specs
- 6.2L V8 Engine
- 385 Horsepower
- 405 lb-torque
- 6-speed shiftable automatic
Problems
- More Shaking. Almost unbelievably, the shaking persists from the two prior models mentioned above. It’s attributed to either the suspension system or a steering wheel issue.
- Engine Cooling/Failure. Multiple issues manifested with the engine cooling system along with widespread engine failure. Injectors would come loose and lead to combustion leaks from the cylinder and injectors, leading to tire in some cases. There were also many reports of the truck just randomly dying for no apparent reason, resulting in engine failure. This is easily a $2,000 to $3,000 fix.
2017 Model Year Ford F-250 (4th Generation)
The 2017 Ford F-250 marked the start of the 4th generation of Super Duty trucks. It promised to have better performance, styling, and features compared to previous generations. For the most part, it did deliver with best-in-class towing and hauling figures and swankier amenities. However, some of its predecessor’s problems remained, which is disappointing.
Specs
- 6.2L V8 Engine
- 385 Horsepower
- 430 lb-torque
- 6-speed shiftable automatic
Problems
Somehow the wobble continues in the 2017 – more steering and more suspension issues abound. However, this year had higher reported issues than any model year prior. Otherwise, the 2017 was actually a solid truck, as this was the only trouble area – albeit a significant one.
Ford F-250 Common Problems
Judging by this list, it’s not difficult to label the most common problems with the F-250. Perhaps the most serious issue is the “death wobble issue.” Suspension and steering issues plague the F-250. While Ford has created some great engines, there were some pretty terrible ones too, especially select Triton (gas) and Powerstroke (diesel) motors that can suffer from major faults, leading to failure.
Opt for the Better Model Years
With the long line of repetitive issues, it makes you question the design and mechanical team at Ford, and why the problem wasn’t rectified after the first year of challenges. There are just some Ford F-250 years to avoid. Besides these years, the F-250 was a decent, and fairly powerful truck, especially for towing and hauling needs.
