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.
Ford F-250 SD headlights problems
35 of the 6,553 owner complaints about the Ford F-250 SD describe headlights failing or too dim, most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 35
- worst model year
- 2019
- typical mileage
- 43,000
Is there a fix? There are 3 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20261
- 20251
- 20242
- 20221
- 20214
- 20203
- 20198
- 20183
- 20172
- 20161
- 20121
- 20111
- 20091
- 20041
- 20022
- 20001
- 19992
Often reported together
Wipers 3Fuel pump 2Loss of power 1Key fob 1Fuel smell 1Fire or smoke 1Door locks 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
For years FORD vehicles, especially pickup trucks, have blinded drivers with their improperly adjusted headlights; because FORD gives incorrect instructions to adjust them. I refer to page 474 of the 2025 Superduty owners manual as evidence. The instructions FORD gives are to set the low-beam LEVEL, shinning the beam onto a vertical surface 25 feet from the vehicle with the beam at the same height as the headlight on the truck. This is incorrect. There should be at least a 3 inch drop of the low-beam at 25 feet. If there is no drop of the tall truck's headlight (the F-250 stock ride height of the headlight is 44 inches above the ground) it will always blind other drivers of cars/sedans--especially via the outside mirrors. This problem has become acute now that the extra bright LED headlights are becoming the norm; making two-lane roads on a rainy night a truly blinding experience. Please require FORD to correct their dangerous mistake.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that the passenger’s side headlight bulb was blown, and the battery was not operating as needed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the headlight bulb was replaced; however, the bulb failed to illuminate. The vehicle was returned to the dealer two more times and the headlight bulb was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to another certified mechanic and the headlight bulbs were replaced. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle intermittently failed to start. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to replace the battery and filters. The contact replaced the battery and filters; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed that there were metal shavings inside the fuel. The filters were replaced; however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that a defective fuel pump had caused the failure and the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, all doors independently locked, and the front headlights independently illuminated. The contact stated that the Brake warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact disconnected the battery and lowered the windows to open the doors from outside as a temporary fix; however, the key was only able to unlock the front driver’s side door. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with water intrusion in the BCM (Body Control Module). The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.
Headlights are delaminating. They were replaced under warranty 2 years ago and now the replacements are delaminating. Ford has denied the claim for replacement
Headlights on new Platinum 2024 F250--when driving at night there are several issues. On low beam there is a black line that shows up across the upper view. On high beam the black line is even more prominent and shapes start showing up in the lights. Squares first then as you drive and turn they change to V, M and X shapes. (see pictures). The truck has 560 miles on it and it has been to the Ford dealership twice. They are saying that there is nothing wrong with the lights, and these lights are the new projector lights from Ford. They even pulled another Platinum 2024 F250 next to mine to compare the lights and they are the same (see pictures) I am not getting anywhere with Ford, our local dealership is trying, but Ford is not helping them. I even made a call to customer service on 8/22/24. They told me that I need to go to another dealership and get a second opinion. These lights are very distracting with shapes moving across your line of vision and could be distracting to other vehicles. Also, there are totally blacked out areas on the sides, we live in a high deer population area, being able to see in the ditches is imperative. I do not want to drive at night due to it being unsafe. Truck is available for inspection upon request. Its just parked for now until we can get the lights changed or Ford does a recall. This is my second complaint filed online. I never got a call back from the first complaint.
The headlights have failed multiple times causing bulbs to stop working or “blow”. Changed headlight bulbs approximately 4 times in the 18 months. Safety became an issue due to decreased lighting while driving. Also becomes a safety risk due to not being able to have the vehicle properly inspected by the state of WV. The problem has been discussed with the local ford dealer multiple times with no further progress other than discussions. No warning lamps or other problems prior.
The contact owns a 2021 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed at night, the headlights failed to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the headlights might have been damaged due to heat exposure or chemicals. In addition, upon inspection, the contact noticed an abnormal fuel consumption. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Headlights on new Platinum 2024 F250--when driving at night there are several issues. On low beam there is a black line that shows up across the upper view. On high beam the black line is even more prominent and shapes start showing up in the lights. Squares first then as you drive and turn they change to V, M and X shapes. (see pictures). The truck has 560 miles on it and it has been to the Ford dealership twice. They are saying that there is nothing wrong with the lights, and these lights are the new projector lights from Ford. They even pulled another Platinum 2024 F250 next to mine to compare the lights and they are the same (see pictures) I am not getting anywhere with Ford, our local dealership is trying, but Ford is not helping them. I even made a call to customer service on 8/22/24. They told me that I need to go to another dealership and get a second opinion. These lights are very distracting with shapes moving across your line of vision and could be distracting to other vehicles. Also, there are totally blacked out areas on the sides, we live in a high deer population area, being able to see in the ditches is imperative. I do not want to drive at night due to it being unsafe. Truck is available for inspection upon request. Its just parked for now until we can get the lights changed or Ford does a recall.
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the taillights failed to operate properly, and the radio stopped working. An unknown warning light illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact also stated that the headlights remained illuminated after the vehicle was turned off, and the doors failed to lock. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact to call the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 3.
Related recalls
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
Exterior lighting: headlights
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2019 F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty trucks. The Daytime Running Lights (DRL) may not dim when the headlight switch is moved into the "On" position. 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
- DRL that cannot dim may reduce the visibility of other drivers, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the Body Control Module (BCM) software, free of charge. The recall began November 25, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C10.
Recall number 19V808000 · Recall details
Exterior lighting: brake lights
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 ranger trucks built from january 25, 2011, through april 25, 2011 at the twin cities assembly plant, and service parts distributed to dealers for certain 2004 through 2011 model year ranger trucks, 2002 through 2005 model year excursion vehicles, and 2002 through 2007 model year f-250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, "lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment." the multi-function switch was shipped with a subcomponent (slider) that may experience deformation. A multi-function switch with a deformed slider may malfunction causing the turn signal, tail lights, hazard warning signal flashers and/or brake lights not to activate.
- Risk
- Non-functioning lights could increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the switches free of charge. The safety recall began on august 15, 2011. Owners may contact ford motor company customer relationship center at 1‑866‑436‑7332.
Recall number 11V352000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-250 SD headlights
Which Ford F-250 SD years have headlights failing or too dim problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (8 complaints), 2021 (4 complaints) and 2018 (3 complaints).
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