Ford F-250 Super Duty Years to Avoid — Worst & Best Years to Buy
Every Ford F-250 Super Duty model year (1967–2026) ranked by recall count, complaint volume, deaths, and injuries. Data sourced directly from NHTSA.
Ford F-250 Super Duty Years to Avoid
13 recalls · 885 complaints
7 reported injuries
Top issue: STEERING
Problem score: 938
10 recalls · 888 complaints
9 reported injuries
Top issue: STEERING
Problem score: 936
17 recalls · 543 complaints
32 reported injuries
Top issue: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Problem score: 658
Best Ford F-250 Super Duty Years to Buy
0 recalls · 1 complaint
Main area: TIRES
Problem score: 1
1 recall · 0 complaints
Main area: No significant complaints
Problem score: 3
1 recall · 1 complaint
Main area: TIRES
Problem score: 4
Found the right year? Verify that specific F-250 Super Duty with a free VIN report.
Ford F-250 Super Duty — Year-by-Year Problem Report
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | Injuries | Deaths | Problem Score | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 9 | Excellent |
| 2025 | 3 | 5 | — | — | 14 | Excellent |
| 2024 | 0 | 11 | 2 | — | 15 | Excellent |
| 2023 | 11 | 39 | — | — | 72 | Excellent |
| 2022 | 13 | 65 | 4 | — | 112 | Good |
| 2021 | 10 | 91 | — | — | 121 | Good |
| 2020 | 12 | 166 | 5 | — | 212 | Good |
| 2019 | 10 | 888 | 9 | — | 936 | Avoid |
| 2018 | 7 | 299 | 5 | — | 330 | Caution |
| 2017 | 13 | 885 | 7 | — | 938 | Avoid |
| 2016 | 4 | 228 | 4 | — | 248 | Good |
| 2015 | 2 | 231 | 5 | — | 247 | Good |
| 2014 | 1 | 136 | 2 | — | 143 | Good |
| 2013 | 1 | 96 | — | — | 99 | Good |
| 2012 | 2 | 250 | 2 | — | 260 | Good |
| 2011 | 3 | 302 | 3 | — | 317 | Good |
| 2010 | 1 | 85 | 4 | — | 96 | Good |
| 2009 | 2 | 62 | — | — | 68 | Excellent |
| 2008 | 10 | 225 | 1 | — | 257 | Good |
| 2007 | 6 | 84 | 2 | — | 106 | Good |
| 2006 | 8 | 342 | 11 | — | 388 | Caution |
| 2005 | 7 | 299 | 8 | — | 336 | Caution |
| 2004 | 8 | 270 | 9 | — | 312 | Good |
| 2003 | 10 | 188 | 4 | 1 | 231 | Good |
| 2002 | 10 | 221 | 10 | 1 | 276 | Good |
| 2001 | 12 | 306 | 18 | 5 | 403 | Caution |
| 2000 | 12 | 336 | 24 | 3 | 435 | Caution |
| 1999 | 17 | 543 | 32 | — | 658 | Avoid |
| 1998 | 5 | 40 | — | — | 55 | Excellent |
| 1997 | 9 | 212 | 9 | — | 257 | Good |
| 1996 | 3 | 113 | — | — | 122 | Good |
| 1995 | 3 | 139 | 4 | — | 156 | Good |
| 1994 | 7 | 76 | 3 | — | 103 | Good |
| 1993 | 7 | 113 | 4 | — | 142 | Good |
| 1992 | 6 | 86 | 3 | — | 110 | Good |
| 1991 | 4 | 78 | 3 | — | 96 | Good |
| 1990 | 4 | 76 | — | — | 88 | Excellent |
| 1989 | 5 | 70 | 1 | — | 87 | Excellent |
| 1988 | 2 | 53 | 3 | — | 65 | Excellent |
| 1987 | 2 | 27 | 1 | — | 35 | Excellent |
| 1986 | 2 | 24 | — | — | 30 | Excellent |
| 1985 | 1 | 26 | 5 | — | 39 | Excellent |
| 1984 | 2 | 4 | — | — | 10 | Excellent |
| 1983 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 14 | Excellent |
| 1982 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 9 | Excellent |
| 1981 | 4 | 1 | — | 1 | 18 | Excellent |
| 1980 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | Excellent |
| 1979 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 25 | Excellent |
| 1978 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 14 | Excellent |
| 1977 | 0 | 3 | 2 | — | 7 | Excellent |
| 1976 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | Excellent |
| 1975 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 12 | Excellent |
| 1974 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 6 | Excellent |
| 1973 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 15 | Excellent |
| 1972 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 9 | Excellent |
| 1971 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | Excellent |
| 1970 | 0 | 1 | — | — | 1 | Excellent |
| 1969 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | Excellent |
| 1968 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 4 | Excellent |
| 1967 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 9 | Excellent |
All 60 model years shown. Deaths and injuries from NHTSA complaint filings. Higher problem scores indicate more reported safety issues.
Ford F-250 Super Duty Shopping Guide by Era
2018–Present
Best: 2026Recent F-250 Super Duty models benefit from updated safety systems and revised engineering. The 2026 stands out with just 9 problem points. Always request a pre-purchase inspection and VIN history report.
2013–2017
Best: 2013Mid-decade F-250 Super Duty units are entering high-mileage territory. Inspect carefully for powertrain wear and verify recall completion status. The 2013 shows the lowest problem count for this era.
Pre-2013
Proceed with CautionOlder F-250 Super Duty models have more accumulated wear and a larger recall history. These are higher-risk purchases without documented maintenance records and a clean VIN history report.
Frequently Asked Questions
What year F-250 Super Duty should I avoid?+
Avoid the 2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty if possible. It has 13 recalls, 885 owner complaints. The overall problem score is 938 — the highest in our dataset.
What is the best year F-250 Super Duty to buy?+
The 1970 Ford F-250 Super Duty is the lowest-risk year in our analysis, with a problem score of 1. It has only 0 recalls and 1 complaint on record with NHTSA.
Which F-250 Super Duty has the fewest problems?+
The 1970, 1969, 1968 model years have the fewest documented problems. Even for low-problem years, verifying a specific vehicle's history via its VIN is always recommended before purchase.
More Ford F-250 Super Duty Research
Check a Specific Ford F-250 Super Duty VIN
Model-year rankings show statistical risk. A VIN-specific report reveals the individual vehicle's full history — accidents, odometer rollbacks, auction records, and open recall status.
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