Check a VIN

2008 Ford F-250 engine problems

34 complaints (17% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 68,000.

owner complaints
34
of this car's complaints
17%
typical mileage
68,000
crashes
0
recalls
0

Which part fails

  • Exhaust system
    3
  • Engine: diesel
    2
  • Cooling system: radiator assembly
    2
  • Exhaust system: manifold/header/muffler/tail pipe
    1
  • Engine
    1
  • Cooling system
    1

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Ford F-250 engine problems in other years

199019952000200520102014

Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Ford F-250 engine

Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.

Loss of power 11Check engine light 7

Related recalls

No recalls on record for this model year.

What 2008 Ford F-250 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 21, 2026 · Engine · NY

A very well taken care of engine has now produced a knocking diesel sound like so many other that are seen out there now at 93k mine is on the way out and unnessarly needs way tomuch work that exceedes the value of the vehicle this has been noted by thousands on line with the same issue with less milage and is so bad it is no worth fixing from what i have read and seen on line all due to a faulty oil pump and timing chaine tensioner gasket that is not able to be seen there somany issues withat year motor that once was aknow to be a good motor then changed to be catastrophic to upper engine damage that ford knows about and didnt correct from 2007 to 2014 .the 5.4 triton engine is the series of engines that have the issues seen nation wide ....ford needs to be found accoutable for manufactureing of a fault gasket that is not abile to be replaced with out a taking the the front of the engine apart

Filed Jun 23, 2025 · Engine · 185,000 miles · CO

The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-250. The contact stated that while driving uphill at approximately 40 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was HOT before the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was then allowed to cool down, and water was added to the radiator. The contact stated that when the vehicle was restarted, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred 12,000 miles later. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced again. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

Filed Nov 14, 2024 · Engine · 100,000 miles · NC

The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-250 The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed fluid leaking from the bottom of the vehicle. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the engine block of the vehicle had fractured. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine block had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the NHSTA Hotline for assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

Filed Dec 19, 2022 · Engine · 130,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-250. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the cabin began to fill up with diesel exhaust fumes and white smoke. The contact stated that "Drive Vehicle to Clean Exhaust Filter" warning light illuminated. The contact rolled down the window to relieve the cabin of exhaust fumes and smoke. The contact noticed that a rubber boot around the 4WD shift lever inside the vehicle was completely melted, and only a thick plastic ring around the shift lever opening where the rubber boot was attached remained. The contact replaced the rubber boot; however, the failure reoccurred within a week after replacement. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the exhaust pipes needed to be replaced and that the repair required the vehicle cabin to be removed. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

Filed Nov 1, 2021 · Electrical, Engine · FL

My truck is having the same issues as listed in the recalls but isn’t on the recall list. Running rough dash board turns off and loses power to the cab. Low voltage light comes on but batteries and alternator test fine. Factory installed lift blocks have cracked and caused can bushings to fail.

Filed Mar 16, 2020 · Engine · 130,000 miles · TX

I purchased my 2008 ford f250 in 2015 from a dealership in burkburnett, tx. The truck started loosing coolant from what seem to be the lower radiator hose. That leak stopped but continued leak coolant from but was not visible. Then the coolant filler bottle started collecting a black fluid and I was told that it was engine oil. So, I was getting oil in my antifreeze. The radiator was drained and refilled with coolant but I still found oil in the coolant filler bottle. Right around thanksgiving 2019, I decided to trade in the vehicle and drove it to a dealership 50 miles away. They test drove the vehicle and the engine locked up after the test drive and has not started since. We were given an estimate of $11,000 to clean out the oils in the engine. The pickup is not worth that much according to the lienholder. The vehicle is now sitting in front of my house and has been since the new year after we had it towed from the dealership 50 miles away to our home.

Filed Nov 15, 2019 · Engine · 135,000 miles · TX

The radiator is separating at the seal at the edge. We are losing approx 1 gallon of antifreeze a day. I have heard this complaint from several dealerships we have talked to and other customers.

Filed Sep 16, 2019 · Engine · 44,649 miles · CA

The check engine light turns on ad there is a lack of power at freeway speeds. There is also a coolant leak at the center of the engine. The vehicle has a surge hesitation feeling and alack of power on acceleration. There is a noise coming from the transmission that has an odd shift.

Filed Jun 24, 2019 · Engine · 240,000 miles · FL

Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-250. While driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost power, failed to accelerate, the engine made an abnormal noise, and white smoke was seen coming from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the federal safety agency. The approximate failure mileage was 240,000.

Filed Feb 5, 2019 · Engine · 80,000 miles · FL

Excessive blowby polluting engine. #8 and #6 cylinders, rings heavily worn or damaged due to diesel regen contaminating lubrication and getting in crankcase. This is a very well known and unacceptable issue causing scored engine blocks and failure of engine and dpf and egrs.

Questions about the 2008 Ford F-250 engine

Does the 2008 Ford F-250 have engine problems?

Owners have filed 34 complaints about the engine of the 2008 Ford F-250, 17% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2008 Ford F-250 engine problems start?

The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 68,000 miles.

Was there a recall on the 2008 Ford F-250 engine?

There is no recall for this problem on this model year.

What year does the Ford F-250 have bad engine?

The Ford F-250 model years with the most engine complaints are 1999 (82 complaints), 2004 (63 complaints) and 2000 (44 complaints).

Other 2008 Ford F-250 problems

Steering 80Suspension 35Brakes 19Tires 16Transmission 14Electrical 12Acceleration 8Fuel system 6Airbags 5Body 5Seat belts 4Driver assistance 3Wheels 3Lights 1Visibility 1

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 2008 Ford F-250?

Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.

Check its history