1996 Ford F-350
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Ford › F-350 › 1996
These records cover every 1996 Ford F-350. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
4 recalls name the 1996 Ford F-350. Newest first.
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk and remedy
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)
Certain ck motorsports combination headlights, clear corner, bumper, and side marker lights sold as replacement lamps for use on the passenger vehicles listed above. some combination lamps that are not equipped with amber side reflectors fail to conform to federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 108, lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.
Risk and remedy
Risk
Without the amber reflectors, the vehicle will be poorly illuminated, possibly resulting in a vehicle crash without warning.
Remedy
Ck motorsport will notify owners and replace the noncompliant lamps free of charge. the recall began on july 1, 2006. owners may contact ck motorsport at 1-909-610-7211.
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 and remedy
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.
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 and remedy
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).
Owner complaints
130 complaints9 involved a crash15 involved a fire5 injuries
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Wheels › Rim
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.
- Fuel system, diesel
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…
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. *tr
- Tires
Cracking sidewalls causing blowout while driving both drivers side and pass. Side. *tr
- Fuel system, diesel
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. *Tr
- Vehicle speed control
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…
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. *Tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
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. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling
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…
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. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
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…
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. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Diesel
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.*lj
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford F350. the contact was displeased because the part for nhtsa campaign ID number 07v336000 (vehicle speed control) was unavailable. there had been no failure to date. the current mileage was 56,000.
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford F-350. while parked, the vehicle burst into flames. the fire department arrived and stated that the fire originated in the engine compartment. a police report was filed. in january of 2006, after the fire occurred, the contact received her first recall notice for the vehicle speed control. the recall number was unavailable. the current and failure mileages were 140,000.
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Drum › Shoes/linings
1/07 squeak in front left wheel, took to sears as brakes/bearings under warranty. Ended up w/ complete brake job front & rear. Picked up vehicle, poor pedal pressure, no e-brake. Took back to sears they adjusted. In april had rear brakes fail to stop vehicle while pulling horse trailer. Only front…
1/07 squeak in front left wheel, took to sears as brakes/bearings under warranty. Ended up w/ complete brake job front & rear. Picked up vehicle, poor pedal pressure, no e-brake. Took back to sears they adjusted. In april had rear brakes fail to stop vehicle while pulling horse trailer. Only front brakes engaged. Took back couldn't find a problem. Took to another shop they found only pads replaced on rt rear not on left. They did complete brake job on rear (new drums and pads) took in 2 weeks later still not correct and had vibration when braking. Ended up with re-surface of front rotors and new pads. 7/29/07 pulling horse trailer rear ended vehicle on 19TH ave in sf due to rear brakes not engaging at all. Only fronts engaged. Rear brakes not working at all. *Jb
- Vehicle speed control
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford F-350. he stated that he started his vehicle and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. he also noticed flames coming from under the hood when he opened it. the contact was able to put the fire out without contacting the fire department. there IS a recall for…
Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford F-350. he stated that he started his vehicle and noticed smoke coming from under the hood. he also noticed flames coming from under the hood when he opened it. the contact was able to put the fire out without contacting the fire department. there IS a recall for the vehicle speed control (recall #06v286000) which stated there could be smoke and fire coming from under the hood. the manufacturer stated that his vehicle was not included as part of the recall. the current and failure mileage was 106,000. the vehicle purchase date was unknown.
- Vehicle speed control
Dt*: the contact stated the vehicle speed control sensor caught on fire. the manufacturer stated the vin number was not included in the vehicle speed sensor recall (06v286000) because the vehicle had a diesel engine. the vehicle caught fire five minutes after the vehicle was parked and the service dealer determined this was the same symptoms that led to the recall.
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Dt: the contact states there IS a nhtsa recall campaign 05v388000 concerning the vehicle speed control deactivation switch. this vehicle has the same problems as indicated in the recall, but it IS not included in the recall due to vin and model. the vehicle has not been repaired. *ak
- Service brakes, hydraulic › Foundation components › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Dt: the contact complained about a brake problem. the brake fluid caused corrosion on the brake fittings. on august 7, 2003 the front brakes failed while the vehicle was going up hill. the ford dealer replaced the tubing and fittings. on may 24, 2004 the rear brakes failed while he in a…
Dt: the contact complained about a brake problem. the brake fluid caused corrosion on the brake fittings. on august 7, 2003 the front brakes failed while the vehicle was going up hill. the ford dealer replaced the tubing and fittings. on may 24, 2004 the rear brakes failed while he in a parking lot. again the ford dealer replaced the tubing and fittings. on november 1, 2005 the master cylinder experienced corrosion at the brake fittings, causing the brakes to fail. there was brake fluid pouring out of the front driver side wheel. another dealership drained the brake system and replaced the line. the problem has not recurred. *ak updated 11/29/2004 - *nm
- Engine and engine cooling
Intermittent shut down of the engine. Nearly re-ended when vehicle just stopped while going through an intersection. The camshaft posotion sensor (cps) failed. This IS a well known problem that ford has done nothing about. It's dangerous. *Jb
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Cruise control recall list does not include the ford F350 truck. my cruise control quit working during a routine service at 60,000 miles. service personnel at bobby jones ford, augusta, georgia, had apparently disconnected the cruise control because of a fluid leak from the switch. after…
Cruise control recall list does not include the ford F350 truck. my cruise control quit working during a routine service at 60,000 miles. service personnel at bobby jones ford, augusta, georgia, had apparently disconnected the cruise control because of a fluid leak from the switch. after complaining, this vehicle had other switch failures (turn signal and ignition switches) these switches were replaced at my expense, also the cruise control switch was also replaced at this time (at my expense of $20.88 part and $40.00 labor). this vehicle should have been included in the recall of the other ford vehicles with this cruise control problem, resulting in the possibility of the vehicle catching on fire. *Jb
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Cruise control failed to engage while driving at 65 mph. consumer inspected the vehicle and noticed that the wiring connected to the speed control deactivation switch was burnt. Consumer went to the dealer and purchased a switch and installed it himself. Consumer expressed concern that this could cause the cruise control to fail disengaging instead of engaging. *ak
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Vehicle was parked for a few minutes when all of sudden the owner noticed that there was smoke coming out of the hood. He then approached the vehicle and put the fire out before it became worse. Results indicated that there was a short within the cruise control switch.*ak
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Cruise control failed to work when trying to set the speed. Dealership was notified, but did not resolve the problem.*ak
- Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
While the consumer was parking the vehicle, it caught on fire. Upon inspection, it was determined that the cruise control was the cause. *jb
- Electrical system › Wiring
While driving approximately 20 mph vehicle caught on fire. The cause of this was still undetermined.*ak
- Tires
Blow out. *la
- Tires › Tread/belt
While driving 70 mph rear passenger side tire tread separated. As a result, consumer pulled over on the side of the road, where he found severe damage to the body of the vehicle. *Ak
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Engine compartment fires
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…
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 nhtsa 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.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 10008580Lamp-brake-invadvertent disabling of brake shift interlock.
- 10008134Malfunction indicator lamp (mil) on with diagnostic trouble codes p0603 (powertrain control module keep alive memory error) or p0605 ( powertrain control module read only memory error).
- 10004842Rough idle and engine miss due to injector bore scuffing at green engine break-in.
- 10004839Coolant may leak at the rear oil header.
- 10004837Moaning noise during 1500-2000 rpm on neutral engine run-up, or while driving under load.
- 10004836Aftermarket wiring alterations - service tip.
- 10004834Low rpm, no start, runs poorly, stall. 7.3L dit engine.
- 10004832A high number of high pressure rexroth pumps and injection pressure regulators (ipr) are being replaced due to oil leaking, when all that IS required IS a new gasket or seal on either the pump or ipr.
- 10004830An engine vibration and/or moaning noise at 2600-3000 rpm.
- 10004829Driveline resonance/vibration between 1400 and 2000 rpm with the torque converter clutch engaged on vehicles with transmissions built prior to 11/13/95 (5L13).
- 10004828The air cleaner element may allow dust to bypass due to the air cleaner element collapsing/distorting under severe dust conditions.
- 10004827Some 7.3L diesel E40D equipped vehicles built between 5/15/96 and 7/8/96 may exhibit harsh upshifts.
- 10004825The front end accessory drive (fead) belt may wear, shred and/or come off during deceleration.
- 10004824Engine noise similar t a rod knock.
- 10004823On vehicles with transmission build dates prior to 9/20/95, the overdrive cancel lamp may be illuminating and diagnostic trouble code (dtc) p1728 present and/or engine stall when reverse and/or manual low IS selected.
- 10004822No start/hard start and/or long crank time for vehicles with 7.3L di turbo diesel.
- 10004820Availability of new sealant for servicing 7.3L di turbo engine.
- 10004819The water-in-fuel lamp may stay on and the fuel may be slow to drain or not drain at all when the fuel drain valve IS opened.
- 10004814A no-start or reduced power condition may occur intermittently.
- 10004812Loss of power and malfunction indicator lamp may also illuminate with diagnostic trouble codes 128 and 845 or p0236 and p0238 stored in memory.
- 10003748New transmission cooler flusher - service tips. 2003 escort and super duty f series included.
- 6090873Locks failed. Yd
- 6090143Subject regarding 4r100 transmission flexplate replacement for vehicles with 7.3L diesel engine.
- 6090087Information on identifying non-approved / alternate refrigerants which could cause safety, and performance concerns if installed in ford a/c systems.
- 6089681Subject on a wire harness terminal repair kit available for repairing electrical wiring harnesses.
- 3055148Unknown
- 630515Engine oil system priming procedures, service tips for reports of premature engine failure.
- 625715Brake shift interlock.*jb
- 623988Information regarding transmission fluid usage charts. *Slc
- 623944Some vehicles may exhibit heater core leaks. *Slc
- 616551Oil leak from the front or rear cylinder head oil supply rail end plugs.
- 616522Subject regarding contamination from prior transmission concerns or excess wear may be trapped in the transmission fluid cooling system.
- 615386Service information for vehicles exhibiting stall on deceleration condition.
- 615371Information on super duty 7.3 dit diesel engine vehicles exhibiti lack of power.
- 615368Some super duty vehicles with 7.3L dit diesel engines may exhibit 4X4 lights on, 4X4 inoperative and / or multiple gem codes.
- 615367Information on super duty models with 7.3L diesel engines exhibiting rough idle / miss condition.
- 615171Rear brake drag or excessive wear on rear brakes.
- 615165Brief information concern vehicles exhbiting external oil leaks.
- 615162Brief information on vehicles exhibiting a stall on deceleration condition.
- 615155Brief information on vehicles exhibiting lack of power condition.
Every Ford F-350 model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.