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VEHICLE BUYER'S GUIDE

Ford F-350 Super Duty1967–2026

Year-by-year buyer intelligence from NHTSA safety data — reliability, value, and which years to target or avoid.

🚛 TRUCK
Ford F-350 Super Duty
1967–2026
C−
Defect Risk
Recall intensity
5.7/yr · seg. median 4.0
Safety
Moderate
18 inj.
Open Federal Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation: fuel system, diesel
30% of PE investigations historically become recalls
215
Recalls
4,725
Complaints
2021
Best Yr
137
Injuries
Top issue: STEERINGAvoid 2017
60
Years Analyzed
215
Total Recalls
4725
Total Complaints
137
Reported Injuries
11
Reported Deaths

Best Years to Buy a Ford F-350 Super Duty

Buyer Score combines reliability (65%) and depreciation value (35%) — higher is better.

#1 PICK5yr old
2021
Good Buy · 62/100
Reliability53/100
Value window80/100
Recalls8
Complaints71
Top issue: FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL
#2 PICK3yr old
2023
Good Buy · 60/100
Reliability55/100
Value window70/100
Recalls12
Complaints34
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
#3 PICK4yr old
2022
Good Buy · 58/100
Reliability47/100
Value window77/100
Recalls10
Complaints103
Top issue: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Ford F-350 Super Duty Years to Avoid

#1 WORST
2017

8 recalls · 422 complaints

1 reported injury

Top issue: STEERING

#2 WORST
2019

7 recalls · 391 complaints

2 reported injuries

Top issue: STEERING

#3 WORST
2000

7 recalls · 289 complaints

21 reported injuries

Top issue: TIRES

Federal Defect Investigations

NHTSA investigations are the stage that precedes a recall. 13 past investigations into the F-350 Super Duty became recalls.

OPEN · PEPreliminary Evaluationopened May 2024NHTSA #PE24014
sogefi secondary diesel fuel filter leak
Component: fuel system, diesel · affects 2015–2021
⚠ Historically, 30% of PE investigations became recalls — a Preliminary Evaluation of a potential safety defect.
Recently concluded investigations
RQ21001 · structure · closed Jan 2024Closed, no recall

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Data current as of October 28, 2026.

Ford F-350 Super Duty — Year-by-Year Comparison

Every model year ranked by Buyer Score. Click any year for its detailed problem report.

YearRecallsComplaintsInjuriesDeathsReliabilityValueBuyer ScoreVerdict
202625——
57
32
48
Excellent
20254131—
57
47
54
Excellent
20243371—
57
60
58
Good
202312344—
55
70
60
Good
202210103——
47
77
58
Good
2021871——
53
80
62
Good
2020101361—
42
79
55
Caution
201973912—
32
75
47
Avoid
201871522—
41
69
51
Caution
201784221—
32
62
43
Avoid
201611513—
43
55
47
Caution
20151172——
41
48
43
Caution
20141863—
53
42
49
Good
20134681—
55
37
49
Good
20126155——
41
33
38
Caution
201151525—
41
30
37
Caution
20104413—
57
30
48
Good
20093431—
57
30
48
Good
200871416—
41
30
37
Caution
20073492—
57
30
48
Good
200632014—
34
30
33
Caution
2005519821
34
30
33
Caution
2004417731
37
30
35
Caution
200361485—
41
30
37
Caution
2002414611—
40
30
37
Caution
2001820251
32
30
31
Caution
2000728921—
32
30
31
Avoid
19999341201
32
30
31
Avoid
1998210—2
57
30
48
Excellent
199731082—
49
30
42
Good
19963924—
51
30
44
Good
1995210572
47
30
41
Good
19943673—
55
30
46
Good
19934682—
54
30
46
Good
1992238—1
57
30
48
Good
1991219——
57
30
48
Excellent
199043361
57
30
48
Good
198953431
57
30
48
Good
19884153—
57
30
48
Excellent
198723——
57
30
48
Excellent
198624——
57
30
48
Excellent
198511——
57
30
48
Excellent
198421——
57
30
48
Excellent
198330——
57
30
48
Excellent
198210——
57
30
48
Excellent
198121——
57
30
48
Excellent
198020——
57
30
48
Excellent
197910——
57
30
48
Excellent
197840——
57
30
48
Excellent
197720——
57
30
48
Excellent
197610——
57
30
48
Excellent
197532——
57
30
48
Excellent
197410——
57
30
48
Excellent
197300——
57
30
48
Excellent
197210——
57
30
48
Excellent
197100——
57
30
48
Excellent
197000——
57
30
48
Excellent
196900——
57
30
48
Excellent
196800——
57
30
48
Excellent
196710——
57
30
48
Excellent

Buyer Score = Reliability (65%) + Value window (35%). Deaths and injuries sourced from NHTSA complaint filings. Year links open full NHTSA problem reports.

Known Ford F-350 Super Duty Problems

Most frequently reported components across all model years, from NHTSA owner complaints.

STEERING
754
SUSPENSION
542
TIRES
210
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
180
ENGINE
179
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
173
WHEELS
144
POWER TRAIN
125

Complaint counts across all model years. Numbers indicate frequency, not severity.

Shopping by Era

How each generation of the F-350 Super Duty compares — best year within each era shown.

2018–Present

Modern safety tech, refreshed platforms, updated powertrains. Higher purchase price but lower reliability risk. Best pick in this era: 2021 (Buyer Score 62).

Best: 2021
2021 · 622023 · 602022 · 582024 · 582020 · 552025 · 542018 · 512026 · 482019 · 47

2013–2017

Mid-decade models in the depreciation sweet spot — typically 35–55% below original MSRP. Inspect carefully for powertrain wear and recall completion. Best: 2013 (Buyer Score 49).

Best: 2013
2013 · 492014 · 492016 · 472015 · 432017 · 43

Pre-2013

Older F-350 Super Duty models are deeply depreciated but carry higher wear and repair risk. High mileage is common. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and verify full recall history.

Proceed with Caution
1967 · 481968 · 481969 · 481970 · 481971 · 481972 · 481973 · 481974 · 48

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best year F-350 Super Duty to buy?+

The 2021 Ford F-350 Super Duty scores highest on our Buyer Score (62/100) — combining a reliability score of 53/100 with a value score of 80/100. It has 8 recalls and 71 NHTSA complaints on record.

Which F-350 Super Duty years have the most problems?+

The 2017, 2019, 2000 model years have the highest problem scores in our analysis. The 2017 F-350 Super Duty leads with 8 recalls and 422 owner complaints.

What is the Buyer Score?+

The Buyer Score is a composite metric that combines reliability (65% weight) and depreciation value (35% weight). Reliability reflects recall and complaint severity. Value reflects how much of the vehicle's depreciation has already been absorbed by prior owners — a 4–6 year old vehicle typically sits in the sweet spot.

What are the most common F-350 Super Duty problems?+

The most frequently reported Ford F-350 Super Duty issues involve: STEERING, SUSPENSION, TIRES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. These are aggregated across all model years from NHTSA owner complaint filings. Frequency of complaints does not necessarily indicate severity.

Deep-Dive Research

Common Problems

Full year-by-year breakdown of every documented defect for the Ford F-350 Super Duty.

Reliability Score

Reliability rating and score breakdown compared to similar truck vehicles.

Years to Avoid

Every F-350 Super Duty year ranked by problem score — worst years listed with full reasoning.

Found the right year? Verify the specific car.

A buyer's guide shows model-level risk. A VIN report shows the individual vehicle — accidents, odometer history, open recalls, and auction records.

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