- Oil leak at 300 miles. - Oil loss can lead to catastrophic engine failure and loss of drivability. - Oil leak can be easily repeated after wiping down and driving as little as 6 miles. - Dealer changed the oil drain plug but that didn't correct the leak. Self inspection indicates the leak is coming from around the oil cooler, which the dealer was informed of. - Symptoms were noted by leakage on garage floor.
The worst 2026 Ford F-250 SD problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical4
- Brakes3
- Engine2
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical4
- Brakes3
- Engine2
- Driver assistance1
- Fuel system1
- Lights1
- Transmission1
Recalls 8
Structure: body: tailgate: hinge and attachments
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026-2027 F-150, 2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, and F-450 SD vehicles. The left-side tailgate cable may fail under certain heavy load conditions.
- Risk
- Tailgate cable failure may allow the tailgate to drop onto the rear bumper, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the left-side tailgate cable, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed December 14, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in January 2027. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S78. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning December 7, 2026.
Recall number 26V689000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, F-600, and 2026 F-150 vehicles. The analog cluster’s tachometer and speedometer may become stuck or move erratically, providing inaccurate readings to the driver. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 101, "Controls and Displays."
- Risk
- A speedometer that fails to display accurate vehicle speed can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the instrument cluster modules, free of charge. Interim letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, are expected to be mailed in October 26, 2026. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available, anticipated in December 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C46. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on October 7, 2026.
Recall number 26V653000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2027 Expedition, 2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, and F-550 SD vehicles. The headlight assemblies may contain a contaminated LED chip, which can result in a loss of daytime running lights, parking lights, high beams or low beams. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- A loss of exterior lighting can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the headlight assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed October 26, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C43. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning October 26, 2026.
Recall number 26V606000 · Recall details
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 F-150 and 2023-2026 F-250 SD vehicles equipped with 8-inch SYNC infotainment screens. A software error may cause the rearview camera image to be obstructed by the infotainment home screen menu when the vehicle is placed in reverse. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- An obstructed rearview camera image can reduce the driver's rear visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 9, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C37. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on July 31, 2026.
Recall number 26V489000 · Recall details
Power train: axle assembly: axle shaft
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026-2025 F-250 SD and F-350 SD vehicles. The driveshaft friction weld may fail, resulting in rear driveshaft separation and a sudden loss of drive power.
- Risk
- A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the driveshaft serial number and replace the driveshaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 6, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S13. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 4, 2026.
Recall number 26V119000 · Recall details
Electrical system: integrated trailer brake control
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2026 F-150, 2022-2026 F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, Maverick, 2024-2026 Ranger, 2023-2026 F-600 SD, 2022-2027 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, and 2026 E-Transit vehicles. When towing a trailer, the integrated trailer module (ITRM) may lose communication with the vehicle, possibly causing a loss of brake and turn signal lights, or a loss of brake function. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
- Risk
- Trailer lights or brakes that do not function can reduce the driver’s ability to control the trailer and decrease the trailers visibility to other road users, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The integrated trailer module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 25, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26C10. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on beginning March 17, 2026.
Recall number 26V104000 · Recall details
Power train: axle assembly: axle shaft
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2026 Super Duty F-250 and F-350 vehicles. The right rear axle shaft may have been improperly heat-treated during manufacturing and may break.
- Risk
- A broken rear axle shaft can result in a loss of drive power or vehicle rollaway when the vehicle is placed in park. Either of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the right rear axle shaft date code and replace the axle shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 15, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SD8. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on December 15, 2025.
Recall number 25V866000 · Recall details
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2025-2026 F-550 SD, F-450 SD, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, and 2025 F-150 vehicles. The Instrument Panel Cluster (IPC) may fail at startup.
- Risk
- An instrument panel display that does not show critical information, such as warning lights or vehicle speed, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The instrument panel cluster software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 5, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S88.
Recall number 25V540000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2026 Ford F-250 SD 57
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) and radio system turning off or radio may have no audio...
- Distorted or corrupted 360-degree camera image in the center display screen, but the rear-view camera...
- This bulletin supersedes 26-2297
- "Trailer Disconnected" message after cycling the ignition off and back on with a trailer connected
- For 20202026 vehicles equipped with the 10R140 transmission, a new Transmission Clutch Circuit Leak...
- 26C37 Recall remedy Prevents a potential rearview camera image obstruction caused by a menu displaying on...
- Diagnostic trouble code (DTC) U211B:43:48 stored in the body control module (BCM) when performing a Self-Test
- Quality improvements include: -Addresses a bug that may
- Quality improvements include: -ePrivacy enhancements
- At least one of the following conditions: Poor shift quality Illuminated powertrain malfunction...
What 2026 Ford F-250 SD owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
The contact owns a 2026 Ford F-250 SD. The contact stated that while driving at night on several occasions at various speeds, the LED headlights showed vertical lines projected from the headlight lenses that created blind spots. The vehicle was taken to a dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was informed that the vehicle operated as designed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12.
After the vehicle was jumpstarted the vehicle failed to correctly enter gear- when shifting into reverse it instead rolled forward downhill. The following systems also displayed failure warnings: ABS Traction Control Parking Brake ( Parking brake also showed as activated when it was not active- it would audibly disengage but the parking brake light stayed lit) Stability Control 4wd. The combination of the parking brake showing as active and the shifter showing the vehicle was in reverse while being able to roll forward freely is dangerous.
2k miles on a new 2026 ford transit. While in traffic there was sudden braking I had plenty of space in front of me (also reported by the driver in front of me) I was not able to stop in time which resulted in rear ending another driver. My abs acted extremely loose, as if I was on ice on a clear day 80 degrees. The driver behind me confirmed seeing my brake lights for a minute before impact. I'm a decent driver and leave plenty of room in case of emergency braking but was not able to stop in time due to the way the braking system acted. I also have a 2020 ford transit and the braking is much better than the 2026. I'm concerned someone is going to get hurt. Thank God no one got hurt during this accident.pre collision lights lit up on my dash prior and that's when the braking power went bad. Ford sent a technician to confirm my vehicle was not part of a cotter pin recall but that is not my concern, as I'm concern for when the pre collision came on, I had hardly any braking available. Insurance inspected the incident, but only place a fault not any other type of inspection. I will be calling on the morning to request a forensic inspection.
I leased a pickup truck from Enterprise truck rental on Dyer Blvd in Riviera Beach. The brakes slipped and I thought it was because I didn’t apply the parking brake. I googled the vin and found it to have an open recall on the right rear axle shaft.
Trailer Brake Control Module (TRM) Software update for Recall Notice 26C10 failed and caused module to fail. Replacement part attempt #2 also failed. Vehicle has been with dealership service department with no solution for 20 days. Vehicle is currently still at dealership service center. Vin: [XXX] 2026 Ford F250 3,878 miles Autonation Ford Margate [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Truck lost all electrical power while backing a trailer up. Engine died, no steering, no brakes, no power on dash, no emergence brakes, no power to door locks, no power to windows. If vehicle had been moving any faster no telling what could have been. Vehicle was towed to ford dealership and zero reasons for such a total loss of power. When vehicle was finely stopped and put in park the key was turned off and then when turned back on power was restored. Very disturbing to know a vehicle can lose total electrical power and have no control whatsoever and no one can tell you the cause
Put the vehicle in park, exited the vehicle, vehicle rolled away after walking away from the vehicle.
I have a 2026 F-250 diesel with 6K miles on it that caught fire about 3-5 minutes after using it to jumpstart a UTV. I ensured to cook all cables up correctly, as I've jumpstarted many times, but the first time with this vehicle, utilizing the drivers side battery. Jumping the UTV went just fine as expected, and I disconnected the cables and shut the truck hood with no sparks, smoke, or flames at the time. Within 3-5 minutes, I noticed there were flames coming from inside my truck at the center dashboard area. We attempted to extinguish the fire ourselves, but the fire department was ultimately called. If my son had not gotten out of the truck to get into the UTV with me, he would have been in the back seat when the fire started. The truck was pulled close to my barn when the fire started, which caused damage to the barn. A fire investigator hired by my insurance, and the fire marshal came out to my home to inspect the truck, and both determined it was not my fault the truck caught fire. There were no warning labels indicating the drivers side battery should not be used to jump start vehicles. The fire investigator stopped at a local ford house, and none of the employees were aware the drivers side battery should not be used to jumpstart vehicles either. I found information online that mentions fires occurring in 2025 & 2026 due to cracked fuel return lines, and engine heater block problems. The fire investigator stated if I was able to find that information online, that the manufacturer likely knows there are problems, and chose to sell the vehicles anyways. My truck is currently waiting to be inspected by a Ford Engineer to try and determine the cause. This fire put myself, my son, barn, and animals at risk. If Ford knows about any potential fire hazards, they should have never released the truck for sale. Due to the fire, I had smoke inhalation, and visited my PCP a few days after. I'm still waiting for the fire departments report.
Compare the 2026 Ford F-250 SD
F-250 SD vs Ram 2500F-250 SD vs Chevrolet Silverado 2500F-250 SD vs GMC Sierra 2500
Other model years
199119921993199419951996199719981999200020012002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017201820192020202120222023202420252026
Questions about the 2026 Ford F-250 SD
Is the 2026 Ford F-250 SD reliable?
Owners have filed 9 complaints about the 2026 Ford F-250 SD, fewer than a typical F-250 SD model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Ford F-250 SD?
Electrical system, with 4 complaints. Next is brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2026 Ford F-250 SD have?
8 recalls, covering structure, electrical system and exterior lighting.
Was there a recall on the 2026 Ford F-250 SD electrical?
Yes, 3 recalls: 26V653000, 26V104000, 25V540000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Ford F-250 SD have the most electrical problems?
The Ford F-250 SD model years with the most electrical complaints are 2004 (56 complaints), 2017 (54 complaints) and 2001 (39 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used 2026 Ford F-250 SD?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its historyFord F-250 SD in the news
- Ford recalls 2026-2027 F-150, 2026 F-250 SD and 2026 F-350 SD and other models over hinge and attachments problem (30,123 vehicles)
- Ford recalls 2026 F-150, 2025-2026 F-250 SD and 2025-2026 F-350 SD and other models over instrument cluster/panel problem (102,159 vehicles)
- Ford recalls 2025-2027 Expedition, 2026 F-250 SD and 2026 F-350 SD and other models over exterior lighting headlights problem (41,748 vehicles)