2019 Ford F-350 Problems and Top Complaints – Is Your Car A Lemon?

Electrical, engine, headlights and transmission issues among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners

Updated on November 15th, 2023 Author: Brian Jones

2019 Ford F-350

The 2019 Ford F-350 is a truck that makes up the Super Duty lineup. This particular model is hailed as offering “heavy-duty muscle for any task at hand,” but most owners are scared to have it do anything of substance. This pickup suffers from a defective steering system, multiple suspension complaints, a poorly-built structure and defective engine.

Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022

Problems with the Steering

When it comes to doing heavy-duty jobs, it’s imperative that owners have control over the steering, especially while towing or hauling cargo. However, this Ford truck can’t handle the load.

Here is one NHTSA comment illustrating the problems. “Violent front end shaking upon contact with road bumps or applying brakes at highway speeds over 50 mph. Must reduce speed below 40 mph to regain control. The more brakes applied the more shaking intensifies. Started at 10k miles when applying the brakes.Progressed to contact with bumps/bounces and uneven payment.Reported immediately to Ford dealership. They checked at 13,756 miles (took that long to get appointment) and claims steering damper bad. TSB #19-2392 from Ford (use new part#) part backordered for 7 weeks.Continued to drive vehicle during this wait time as they could not provide a comparable vehicle as a loaner.Finally replaced at approximately 19k miles. Alignment checked by dealership. Dealership claims all other parts are still good. Violent shaking returned at 19,867 miles when applying the brakes. Upon hitting rough road and/or bumps in the road the front end feels loose again. Notified dealership again. Response was ‘We did what Ford told us to do.’ I asked for a manager and am still waiting for a call back.”

Unfortunately, this seems to be the main complaint with the newer lineup of Super Duty trucks, yet nothing is being done by Ford to resolve the situation. It probably won’t be much longer that the F-Series trucks remain America’s best-seller as a result.

2019 Ford F-350 Complaint Summary

Problems with Suspension

Because the “death wobble” situation affects both the steering and suspension, it’s not hard to find similar complaints among the suspension category.

Here is another NHTSA complaint worth reading. “I was driving my truck down Interstate 95 in the center lane at about 75 miles an hour with about 2,000 pounds of tile in the back. All of a sudden I hit a bumpy patch in the road and the front end started vibrating like a tuning fork. It was vibrating so fast and so bad that we had to pull off the highway (in three lanes of heavy traffic) in order to get it to stop. It continued until we could get off the highway for a good ten or fifteen seconds, maybe even longer to get off the road. I had two pallets of tile in the back and was worried it was going to vibrate them onto the road. After the truck stopped the vibrating stopped of course. I walked around looking for a flat tire or other issue, but nothing. Then we got on the highway again and the problem was no longer there. I have had the problem in must less severe cases many times where a vibration happened after hitting a rough spot but nothing like this. I called the service manager at [dealership] and they said unless we could duplicate the problem they can’t really do much about the problem. Tonight I searched on the Internet and understand that it’s been a problem with Ford for a while and there’s even a class action lawsuit involving the issue.”

While there have been class action lawsuits, there is no recall. This dangerous situation isn’t being remedied as of now. Instead, owners are left dealing with the crazy pickup that seems to have a mind of its own. It creates the feeling of being in a demolition derby, not trying to get heavy-duty work accomplished. Maybe that’s why many of these models will soon be making their way to the junkyard as owners switch brands entirely.

Problems with the Vehicle Structure

The 2019 Ford F-350 is not a cheap truck, so it shouldn’t be made as such. However, many drivers feel there are structure-related concerns that prove how cheaply made it actually is.

Here’s one Edmunds review to consider. “I have had this truck since September and I’ve had it to the shop three separate times with its scheduled to go back January 6th for undetermined amount of time… Until it’s fixed haha. This truck has a massive leak in the cab and after doing a little research I have found that this is a well-documented issue with all Ford’s f-series pickups. I would have thought as an uneducated contractor that Ford had engineers bright enough to figure this out. I mean don’t those people get paid the big bucks don’t we all aspire to be them? Additionally this truck squeaks like an elk hunting call after I fill the truck with fuel. And after doing a little research I find this isn’t such a uncommon issue to experience as well. I am completely shocked that Ford Will roll these trucks off the production line in this condition.”

On top of that statement, there is also a recall that illustrates the point further. NHTSA Campaign Number 19V633000 affects nearly 640,000 vehicles. It states that the rear seats might have a recliner mechanism that features reduced strength and could fail to restrain occupants during an accident. Aside from this, the NHTSA has an open investigation into the power tailgate that seems to open on its own, during travel or while parked. NHTSA Action Number PE18011 states that the electric tailgate has a habit of opening itself. It could be caused by a wiring system short, but more investigation is needed to determine the best course of action. Hopefully, owners don’t have 2,000 pounds of tile in the bed when it occurs. That could get messy.

Problems with the Engine

“Heavy-duty muscle” requires potent power that can’t be stopped. The previous Ford lineup is known for its strong engines, but not the 2019 Ford F-350.

Instead, here’s what an Edmunds user had to say. “6.7 diesel is better than the last two built  in house  diesel motors,but it is nowhere as reliable as the 7.3  diesel. There are just too many problems with the cooling of non ironheads, this engine is not going start a million mile fan club.”

Again, the company is facing a massive recall related to the engine. NHTSA Campaign Number 18V894000 affects over 400,000 models equipped with the diesel engine and a block heater. It states that the cable splice connector can corrode over time, leading to a short. When this occurs, there’s a higher instance of fire. Dealerships are supposed to fix the problem, but many people find out later that they simply disconnected the block heater. That’s not what a leader would do; just pretend that the problem is fixed when they simply used a short cut to move on. With all the defects present, it’s clear that this Super Duty isn’t meant for every “task at hand.” Instead, it should be dropped off at the salvage yard before it leads to further injuries or death.

Your Lemon Law Legal Rights

Think you have a lemon? Sit back and let the experts work out your lemon case at no cost to you. The law makes Ford pay legal fees. You may be able to get your lemon out of your life. Every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners like you.

About the Author:

Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.

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