The contact owns a 2008 Ford F-450. The contact stated while driving at approximately 65 MPH, the transfer case exploded, and the front windshield shattered. No injuries were sustained; however, several other vehicles sustained cosmetic damage. No warning light was illuminated. A Police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable and was towed to an independent mechanic for a diagnostic test. The contact was informed that the transfer case, drive shaft assembly, fuel injection pump, fuel lines, and transmission wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that there was no recall associated with the failure. The manufacturer referred the contact to the federal safety agency Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was 164,176.
The worst 2008 Ford F-450 SD 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.
- Engine39
- Fuel system19
- Transmission11
- Steering7
- Acceleration4
- Body3
- Brakes3
- Electrical3
- Visibility3
- Seat belts1
- Suspension1
- Tires1
Specific symptoms reported on the 2008 Ford F-450 SD
Recalls 3
Seats
- What is wrong
- Ford is recalling 87,515 my 2008 f250, f-350, f-450, and f-550 vehicles for failing to comply with all the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." some 40% split and captain's chair driver's seats, equipped with lumbar supports, may have improper welds at the joint of the seat back pivot bracket and the seat back frame.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat side pivot bracket may crack or break, increasing the risk of injury to the seat occupant.
- Remedy
- Dealers will add a reinforcement to the driver's seat back frame on the 40% split or captain's chair seat equipped with lumbar support or, if necessary, the seat back frame will be replaced. The recall began on march 28, 2008. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 08V096000 · Recall details
Power train: automatic transmission: control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with a 6.4l diesel engine, excessive temperatures in the diesel particulate filter in the exhaust system may result from excess hydrocarbons in the exhaust.
- Risk
- Lack of power or rough operation, unusual noises from the engine or exhaust, white smoke from the exhaust, and potentially a visible flame out the tailpipe can occur.
- Remedy
- Dealers will reprogram the power train control module. The recall began on april 3, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 07V139000 · Recall details
Electrical system: 12v/24v/48v battery
- What is wrong
- On certain trucks equipped with a 6.4l diesel engine, insufficient clearance of the battery positive (b+) wire to the right hand splash shield bolt may result in the battery b+ wire contacting the splash shield bolt.
- Risk
- Long term contact could cause wire chafe, resulting in copper wire being exposed. If this condition occurs, the battery b+ wire could short to ground increasing the risk of a fire.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the battery b+ wire location and, if necessary, reposition the wire. The recall began on april 3, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1‑800‑392‑3673.
Recall number 07V140000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2008 Ford F-450 SD 88
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
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- Accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions
- Accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions
- Concern during or after programing the VSM. The programming may fail or vehicle symptoms such as...
- Accelerated 4x4 vacuum hub seal and or wheel bearing wear as a result of harsh operating conditions
- The Accessory (Wireless) Keyless Entry Keypad can only be used with vehicles that are factory built with...
- Some 2005-2017 f-super duty 4X4 vehicles operated in extreme dust, mud or tar sand conditions may exhibit...
- Exterior Mirror
What 2008 Ford F-450 SD owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Fuel tank delamination leading to blown engine x2 and fuel pump replacement x2. I use no additives and buy only commercial fuel almost exclusively in northeast georgia.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-450 sd. While driving various speeds, the driver and rear passenger windows independently rolled down. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000. The VIN was not available.
Entered on 10/04/2016 at 2:45:07 pm edt (gmt-0400) by the federal safety [email protected]: sender name: sender email: subject: ford f-450 cooling system failure and engine problems comments: I purchased this truck new in 2008 and drove it cross country towing my 5th wheel. At 4,544 miles the radiator blew apart. (driving highway/towing) this was replaced under warranty after fighting with ford. At 6,065 miles I had another cooling system leak.(driving local) they had to replace the "small" radiator, the "fuel and turbo" cooler. At 21432 miles the power steering pump went and had to be replaced.(driving/towing/local) shop stated that "fluid was contaminated" (this truck has only been serviced by ford) at 22215 miles I had to have the left rear axle seal, brake pads and lower cac hose for turbo replaced.( driving highway/towing) now at 29,017 miles the radiator tanks have separated from the core and need to be replaced again along with the crank seal and another power steering pump.( combination, highway/local/towing? Not towing) I have checked with ford and their customer service department and they refuse to cover any of this, or any part, under warranty. I have also done research on these trucks having found many other owners having the same cooling system issues along with other issues that ford refused to cover. Please look into this issue, I think they need to have a recall on the cooling systems in their trucks. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I would appreciate a response. Check edmunds ford f-450 sd turbo diesel review, multiple complaints of cooling system failure, engine failure.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-450. While driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was able to be restarted after the contact removed and reconnected the battery. The failure recurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the exhaust fuel recirculation valve failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the remedy failed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-450 sd. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the rear driver's side door opened independently as the door ajar warning indicator illuminated. The contact maneuvered to the side of the road. However, the door failed to latch in a secured position. After numerous attempts, the door latched properly. The failure recurred ten times. In addition, the same failure occurred with the rear passenger side door on a separate occasion. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 ford f-450 sd. After water was added to the radiator, the contact noticed that water leaked out of the hose. The vehicle leaked radiator fluid from the hose. In addition, the egr cooler malfunctioned and caused the air conditioner to operate intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the egr cooler, radiator, and hoses needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 95,000.
I have 2008 ford f450 with 60 k miles and radiator start leaking at the bottom and it was building preassure on the top of atifreaze box and heat air stoped working and ford dealer that I bought from disnt cover the warranty I paid 1400$ to get problem fixed and it second radiator that I changed from my pocket !!!! I think ford needs to do something with that it should be a recall for all 2008-2014 power stroke diesel engines
Investigation needs to be done on 2008 ford f450sd 6.4l trucks on the bolts that are used in the engine compartment for the exhausts. Have a bolt that broke that is now causing a whistling sound under acceleration and exhaust fumes to escape. On the driver side four other bolts have broken off in the head unit that will require for the engine or cab to be removed in order to replace the bolts. The repair facility my truck is located has four other 6.4l ford super duty trucks sitting their for the same repairs. Seems to me there is an issue with the type of studs and bolts the manufacturer used. Recall needs to be issued to fix this issue. The other trucks were f250, f350, and f450 super duty 6.4l turbo diesel. The exhaust fumes is definitely a safety hazard.
Ford needs to issue a recall for faulty bolts in the engine compartment. One bolt broken off on the passenger side that deals with the exhaust causing a whistling sound under acceleration. Four bolts broke off on the driver side that go into the head of the engine block. Impossible to gain access to these bolts unless you pull the engine out in order to replace. Ford needs to held accountable for these faulty hardware and replace this at no cost to the owner of the vehicle.
Compare the 2008 Ford F-450 SD
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Questions about the 2008 Ford F-450 SD
Is the 2008 Ford F-450 SD reliable?
Owners have filed 68 complaints about the 2008 Ford F-450 SD, 11.3 times a typical F-450 SD model year. It is one of the years we flag to avoid.
What is the most common problem with the 2008 Ford F-450 SD?
Engine and cooling, with 39 complaints, typically around 30,000 miles. Next is fuel system (19).
How many recalls does the 2008 Ford F-450 SD have?
3 recalls, covering seats, power train and electrical system.
What year does the Ford F-450 SD have bad engine?
The Ford F-450 SD model years with the most engine complaints are 2008 (39 complaints) and 2006 (10 complaints).
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Check its historyFord F-450 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)
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- 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)