Check a VIN

1996 Ford F-350 problems

The most common problem on the 1996 Ford F-350 is tires. Its complaint count is close to a typical F-350 model year.

Typical yearClose to a typical year
Owner complaints
129
Recalls
3
Service bulletins
171
Worst area
Tires

The worst 1996 Ford F-350 problems

Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.

Problems by type

Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.

Specific symptoms reported on the 1996 Ford F-350

Fire or smoke 12Tire blowout 12ABS 8Brake failure 6Stalling 6Adaptive cruise 5

Recalls 3

Vehicle speed controlReported August 1, 2006 · 1,200,000 vehicles affected
What is wrong
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk
Overheating could result in smoke or burn and an underhood fire.
Remedy
Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1‑866‑436‑7332. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)

Recall number 06V286000 · Recall details

Equipment: other: labelsReported August 29, 1996 · 134,770 vehicles affected
What is wrong
The certification labels on the involved vehicles has incorrect rear tire inflation pressure designations. This does not comply with fmvss no. 120, "tire selection and rims for motor vehicles other than passenger cars."
Risk
Incorrect inflation pressures could cause premature wear of the rear tires. .
Remedy
Owners will be provided with correct certification labels and instructions for installing these labels. Dealers can install this label if the owner so desires.

Recall number 96V161000 · Recall details

Structure: frame and membersReported August 1, 1996 · 200 vehicles affected
What is wrong
The crossmember frame gussets were installed with undersized threaded fasteners following a breakdown of the production rivet gun that is generally used. This gusset is the attachment point for the rear strap of the mid-ship fuel tank.
Risk
The subject fasteners can separate causing in the rear strap of the affected fuel tank to become disconnected. A loose or disconnected rear strap allows the fuel tank to possibly contact the road surface increasing the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the crossmember gusset fasteners with the specified alternative fasteners (bolts).

Recall number 96V146000 · Recall details

See all 3 recalls for the 1996 Ford F-350

Defect investigations

Engine compartment firesOpened March 22, 2005, closed August 2, 2006

Ea05-005 is closed with ford?s actions in recalls 05v‑017, 05v‑388, and 06v‑286, recalling approximately 6.7 million vehicles equipped with texas instruments speed control deactivation switches (scds).the brake systems in these recalled vehicles generate a vacuum that can potentially cause the scds to fail and, in certain switch installation orientations, catch fire.ford is also including the entire population of 1998 explorers.ford has informed odi that testing to determine the cause of failures in the 1998 explorers will continue after this investigation is closed.odi believes that the vehicles exhibiting the factors causing scds failure described in this report correlate well with the observed failure rates on these vehicles by model and model year.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist in the non-recalled vehicles manufactured with scds that are not included in ford?s recalls.odi will continue to monitor the non-recalled population for incidence of engine compartment fires.the agency reserves the right to take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see attached closing report for details.

EA05005

Technical service bulletins for the 1996 Ford F-350 171

Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.

See all 171 bulletins for the 1996 Ford F-350

What 1996 Ford F-350 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Sep 25, 2014 · Wheels · 97,000 miles · MI

Tl* the contact owns a 1996 ford f-350. The contact stated that air was constantly leaking from the tires. The dealer stated that the rims were defective and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 97,000.

Filed Jul 20, 2012 · Fuel system · 157,000 miles · SC

I have a ford f-350 7.3l turbo diesel. While driving on the freeway at 70 MPH., the check engine light came on and the engine power was reduced by half. After I pulled over the light went out and the engine returned to normal. Two weeks later the same thing happened again. I took it to a mechanic who found the fuel filter, the fuel pump, and the fuel pickup screens clogged with residue from the liner of the fuel tanks.

Filed Oct 7, 2011 · Tires · 10,000 miles · MA

Cracking sidewalls causing blowout while driving both drivers side and pass. Side.

Filed Feb 27, 2010 · Fuel system · 47,000 miles · FL

1. Began smelling diesel fuel in cab. Then noticed drips on driveway. 2. Went to sawgrass ford on date below where I was told this is the fuel filter/water separator drain valve, and it is happening frequently and part is on back-order. They saw leak is almost a stream especially with engine running. 3. Two weeks and no call from dealer.

Filed Feb 2, 2009 · Acceleration · 202,000 miles · OH · fire · 1 injury

On 1/30/09 I experienced a fire in the engine compartment on my ford f-350 due to a faulty speed control deactivation switch. I just happened to walk out to the vehicle that was parked in my driveway, not running, to see a glow underneath the truck. I opened the hood and realized that there was a fire coming from the brake master cylinder. After extinguishing the fire, and burning my hands, I could see that the reservoir was melted and the speed control deactivation switch is where the fire was coming from.

Filed Jul 12, 2008 · Engine · 88,500 miles · FL

I had the cmp sensor (cam position sensor, f6tz-12k073-a) replaced at 83,733 miles and again at 88,500 miles. The engine runs rough for 3 seconds and dies. It will crank but not restart. Vehicle was towed to mechanic and cmp sensor was replaced.

Filed Mar 7, 2008 · Engine · 123,447 miles · FL

The existing recall 07v‑553 (camshaft position sensor on ford 1997-2003 f-super duty, e-series, and excursion vehicles with 7.3l diesel engines) seems to be incorrectly narrow in scope. I have a 1996 f-350 with the same 7.3l diesel engine noted in the recall, and had the exact failure described in this recall. I had it repaired at a ford dealership on sept 21, 2007, and can provide complete documented information from that repair. Why did ford not include f-series trucks that use the 7.3l engine (such as the f-350) in this recall? Why is it limited to 1997 and newer? There are other vehicles out there on the road (such as mine) that have a similar potential to fail. This is a difficult problem to diagnose; the dealer could not determine the problem the first time I brought it in (january 2007). My problem went on for more than a year (with momentary power losses and engine stalls shortly after startup) before it progressed to serious drivable issues that were frequent enough they could be diagnosed by the ford dealer. Camshaft sensor failure causes the engine computer to make the engine stall. Unfortunately, at that stage the drivable issues also become dangerous. I am seeking an expansion of this recall to cover all vehicles affected by the cam sensor failures, and reimbursement for the repair expenses I paid that should have been covered by this recall.

Filed Feb 1, 2008 · Engine · 168,000 miles · TX

I have a '96 ford f350 with a 7.3l powerstroke. My truck has been stalling intermittently while driving down the road. And on occasion, had cut out completely and not come right back which leaves me with no power brakes, or steering to stop the vehicle, or get it off the road. I stopped at bankston ford in frisco, tx today to ask if my truck was on the recall list, and was told that it was not. They would not fix the known problem, unless I was willing to pay $380 for the part, and another 4hours of labor. As I understand it, and even verified by their parts department, this part is a $194 part, or a $36 part. I was told my truck is that $194 special order part. There would be no refunds if I ordered it with them. Also, with talking to a friend of mine that is a mechanic at ford, this is less than a 30 minute job. I would like to know why my truck is not on the recall list, when this is a known ford problem.

Filed Jan 31, 2008 · Engine · 53,396 miles · HI

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford f350. While driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle shut off without warning and had to be restarted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and they stated that the cam position sensor needed to be replaced. The current mileage was 77,000 and failure mileage was 53,396. Updated 03/04/08.

Filed Oct 29, 2007 · Acceleration · FL

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford f350. The contact was displeased because the part for the federal safety agency campaign id number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) was unavailable. There had been no failure to date. The current mileage was 56,000.

Used buying checklistWhat to check on a 1996 Ford F-350 before you buy

Compare the 1996 Ford F-350

Other model years

199019911992199319941995199619971998199920002001200220032004200520062007200820092011201220132014

Questions about the 1996 Ford F-350

Is the 1996 Ford F-350 reliable?

Owners have filed 129 complaints about the 1996 Ford F-350, close to a typical F-350 model year.

What is the most common problem with the 1996 Ford F-350?

Tires, with 28 complaints. Next is brakes (27).

How many recalls does the 1996 Ford F-350 have?

3 recalls, covering vehicle speed control, equipment and structure.

What year does the Ford F-350 have bad tires?

The Ford F-350 model years with the most tires complaints are 2000 (114 complaints), 1999 (91 complaints) and 2001 (31 complaints).

Share your experience with the 1996 Ford F-350

Tell other buyers what went wrong and what it cost. We review every report before it appears, and we never publish names, emails or VINs.

No names, contact details or links. Reports about a dealer or a person are not published.

VIN decoder

See the problems and recalls for an exact car

Buying a used 1996 Ford F-350?

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

Check its history
Is this car on a recall?Check VIN