On two separate occasions—May 2025 and December 2025, approximately six months apart—I experienced fuel leaks from the upper fuel filter on my 2017 F-350 while driving. Both filters had previously been replaced with genuine Ford parts. I am deeply concerned that my safety was compromised during these incidents. In both cases, diesel fuel was leaking down the engine compartment without any warning indicators or alerts on the dashboard. The only indication of a problem was the smell of fuel, which I initially assumed was external. It wasn’t until I stopped the vehicle that I discovered a steady stream of fuel leaking. The most recent occurrence happened while I was on vacation, approximately 650 miles from home. There were no prior symptoms or warnings, making it extremely difficult to detect while driving, as the smell dissipates in the wind. In my opinion, this represents a significant safety hazard. Diesel fuel streaming down a hot engine could easily result in a fire, posing a serious risk to both the driver and passengers.
Ford F-350 SD fuel smell problems
11 of the 3,653 owner complaints about the Ford F-350 SD describe gas smell in the cabin, most of them for the 2005 model year.
- owner complaints
- 11
- worst model year
- 2005
- typical mileage
- 48,000
By model year
- 20191
- 20181
- 20172
- 20091
- 20081
- 20053
- 20031
- 20001
Often reported together
Fuel leak 2Misfire 1Loss of power 1Fire or smoke 1Engine failure 1Check engine light 1
What owners say
[XXX] my 2019 ford f350 extended cab 4x4 6.7 diesel engine caught fire while i was driving on [XXX] i was pulling a small gooseneck horse trailer with 2 live horses inside. I was traveling at 60mph. no modifications to the truck, everything stock. a car pulled along side me pointing to the front of the truck yelling your on fire. immediately got off on an exit ramp, the truck engine died and i lost all power . i tried to put it in park nothing happened. the truck and trailer started to roll backwards off an embankment. i got the emergency brake on. my wife and i exited the truck the whole front end was on fire 50 ft + flames . we got the horses out and away .according to parkhills mo. fire dept truck burned to the ground in less than 15 minutes. they stated it was a fuel fed fire. all the fire crew and responding police officers stated it was a common occurrence for that model ford to catch fire . this truck had 19,967 miles no modifications. no warnings ,no fuel smells .nothing to indicate any problems. truck went from running perfect to burned up in less than 15 minutes. total loss of the truck along with all my personal belongings. we were lucky ourselves and our horses escaped. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-350. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and a fuel leak was discovered in the secondary fuel filter. The vehicle was repaired under warranty. Recently, the same failure reoccurred, and the vehicle was taken back to the same dealer for repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
I developed a diesel fuel smell coming from under the hood. They traced it down to the engine fuel filter on top of the engine. The filter housing is made of plastic. The filter housing failed and the top came loose/cracked spewing fuel all down the drivers side of the engine. I was afraid it cause a fire and was able to get it in to the dealership. Because it's considered a " wear / replacement item " they charged me for it. My issue is if the housing failed with no distress from an outside source, why isn't Fird addresing this issue? Obviously the integrity of the top fuel filter is in question and should be considered a serious safety concern!
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-350 sd. The contact stated that exhaust fumes emitted inside of the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who indicated that the exhaust filter was poorly designed. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the defect. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000. Updated 07/03/14 ma the consumer stated the fumes in the vehicle can cause one to feel ill. Updated 07/11/2014
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford f-350 diesel. The contact stated the fuel fumes emitted into the vehicle whenever it was in the exhaust cleaning mode. On occasions, blue smoke also came out of the exhaust pipe. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 48,000 and the current mileage was 57,988.
The spark plug located at the rear of the right cylinder bank of a 6.8 liter gasoline engine was ejected. The spark plugs in this engine have never been changed to my knowledge so this is not a result of improper torquing procedures. The engine had been operating properly and very seldom has gone over 70 MPH. Acceleration at the time of failure was light and the vehicle was not towing. No fire ensued although there was a faint gasoline odor under the hood right after I shut the engine down. The failure was obvious because the spark plug and attached coil pack was lying on top of the cylinder head. The ford dealer acknowledged that this has been a problem in these engines.
When vehicle is not moving and the A/C,heater or defrost is on there is a very strong smell of exhaust coming thru the vents often times enough to make a person light headed and dizzy. I spoke to my local ford dealer and they said there is nothing they can do.
Heavy diesel exhaust odor enter interior/passenger compartment through ventalation system. This occurs everytime we use the truck and it continues no matter if the heater is on or windows rolled up or down, though strong odor when heater is one. Ford looked at truck on 2/4; said they reprogramed PCM. Brought the truck in again on 3/2 and dealer service says nothing is wrong. Truck doesn't even have 3000 miles yet.
2005 ford super duty f-350 6.0 diesel truck. Heavy exhaust smell enters the interior/passenger compartment through ventelation system. This symptom occurs on a daily basis and continues no matter if heater is on or windows rolled up or down. Ford motor co has declined to repair symptom.
Related recalls
Fuel system, diesel: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, 2021-2022 F600, and 2022 F750 vehicles previously repaired incorrectly under recall number 24V957. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
- Risk
- High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S17. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on on March 18, 2026.
Recall number 26V158000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Bronco, Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD, 2021-2022 Lincoln Navigator, Mustang, F-150, and 2022 Expedition vehicles. The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can result in an engine stall while driving.
- Risk
- An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump on super duty vehicles and update the powertrain control module (PCM) software on all other affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S75.
Recall number 25V455000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain F-250 and F-350 vehicles. Cracked fuel return line connectors may leak fuel into the engine compartment.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine components, can increase the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the fuel return lines, free of charge. All vehicles have been repaired. Owners may contact Ford Customer Service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S44.
Recall number 25V306000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel: delivery: fuel pump
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020-2022 F-Super Duty F250, F350, F450, F550, F600, and 2021-2022 F-650, F750 vehicles. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.
- Risk
- High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) and Transmission Control Module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S78.
Recall number 24V957000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 Super Duty F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600, and Medium Duty F-650 and F-750 vehicles equipped with 6.7L diesel engines. A small void may be present in the top-center of the vehicle's underhood secondary fuel filter cap, which may progress to a pinhole over time, allowing fuel to leak from the top of the secondary fuel filter.
- Risk
- A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the primary and secondary fuel filters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S01.
Recall number 22V013000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: storage: tank assembly: mounting
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford F-250 and F-350 Super Duty trucks manufactured August 10, 2016, to September 17, 2016. The frame reinforcement bracket may not have been attached to the front fuel tank strap, allowing the fuel tank strap to separate from the frame.
- Risk
- A fuel tank strap that separates and allows the fuel tank to contact the ground may cause a fuel leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, install the reinforcement bracket, free of charge. The recall began on February 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S45.
Recall number 16V945000 · Recall details
Fuel system, diesel
- What is wrong
- Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2017 Ford F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, and F-550 SD trucks manufactured March 21, 2016, to August 28, 2016. The protective shield on the fuel conditioning module may have inadequate adhesion, allowing the shield to become dislodged.
- Risk
- If the shield becomes dislodged, the drain valve may open resulting in a fuel leak. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, increases the risk of a fire. Under certain conditions, significant liquid fuel on the road surface may cause a slip hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the protective shield, free of charge. The recall began November 11, 2016. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1‑866‑436‑7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S39.
Recall number 16V778000 · Recall details
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- On certain pickup trucks and chassis cab vehicles equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l gasoline engines, the fuel jumper line may have an incorrect end form.
- Risk
- The fuel line may separate at the connection to the main fuel bundle. If the fuel line separates, an operator may notice a gasoline odor and/or fuel on the ground, loss of power, and the engine will eventually stall. Fuel leakage in the presence of an ignition source could result in a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install an external retention clip at the fuel jumper line to the main fuel bundle connection. The recall began on june 20, 2005. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 05V266000 · Recall details
Questions about the Ford F-350 SD fuel smell
Which Ford F-350 SD years have gas smell in the cabin problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2005 (3 complaints), 2017 (2 complaints) and 2000 (1 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Ford F-350 SD?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history