trailer brake, steering, powertrain, and exploding sunroof issues problems were found to be the most common problems
The 2022 Ford F-350 doesn’t just look tough. It’s designed to get every job done quickly. The automaker emphasizes its “levels of work capability” and “ingenious new technology,” claiming it provides “more power and more capability than ever before. But many owners are unhappy. They report serious issues with trailer brakes, the powertrain, steering problems, and sunroofs and windows that explode.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2019
The most common problems owners of the 2022 Ford F-350 are reporting to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relate to trailer brakes. But there are also issues relating to steering, sunroofs and windshields, and faulty tailgates.
With a total of 33 complaints lodged with the NHTSA by the end of September 2023, 17 component and system categories are affected. They are the electrical system, engine, engine and engine cooling, forward collision avoidance, the diesel fuel system, fuel/propulsion system, latches/locks/linkages, powertrain, service brakes, steering, structure, suspension, vehicle speed control, visibility and visibility/wiper, and the wheels of the Ford F-350.
Undoubtedly the most common problem relates to trailer brake malfunctions. Another significant issue is due to steering problems that some owners call the “death wobble.” Exploding sunroofs and rear windows, as well as faulty windshields, are also common. While the number of powertrain complaints is quite high, apart from those that focus on trailer brakes, the issues are varied.
There are also 7 recalls that relate to airbags, the electrical system (trailer brakes), equipment (head restraints and tires), powertrain and structure (driveshaft), and visibility (wipers). All warn of the risk of a crash and/or injury.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Steering | |
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Electrical System | |
| Electrical System: Integrated Trailer Brake Control | |
| Power Train | |
| Engine | |
| Structure | |
| Structure:body | |
| Suspension |
There are multiple NHTSA complaints that report problems with trailer brakes not working. These are posted as brake and sometimes powertrain problems. In some cases, there is no obvious link to the trailer brakes.
The issue is also evident from discussions on the Ford Truck Enthusiasts forum.
There is a recall that was introduced in March 2022 because of the possibility that trailer brakes may fail. NHTSA Campaign Number 22V193000 warns that because of a software error, a towed trailer that is equipped with an electric or electric-over hydraulic brake system may not brake. This loss of trailer brake functionality can result in an extended stopping distance, which increases the risk of a crash. A total of 391,836 Ford vehicles, including the 2022 F-350, are at risk. Dealers will update the integrated trailer brake control module software, free of charge to solve the problem.
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Complaints to the NHTSA are filed as electrical system, powertrain, and/or service brake issues.
An owner from New York states that the trailer brake control module shorts out intermittently resulting in the trailer brakes not working. The dealer confirmed that this is an issue that results in the vehicle and trailer not being able to stop over a short distance. The error messages are “trailer wiring fault” and “trailer disconnected.”
According to an owner in California, after nearly two weeks, a Ford dealership couldn’t figure out the problems. The owner did his own research and decided “the factory-installed brake controller cannot discriminate between trailers using electric brakes and trailers using electric/hydraulic brakes.” He thought the fix would be to “install an actuator on the trailer to provide resistance that will allow the factory-installed controller to recognize the trailer/hydraulic brakes. A technician advised that a workaround would be to wire in small magnets to the trailer to provide the resistance.”
An owner from Michigan states that “the transmission shifted rough” while hauling a trailer. A dealer said, “the transmission was failing and needed to be repaired.” It wasn’t repaired. Then a second dealer said it was the transmission control module that needed to be rebooted. This repair, which appears to be the electrical system recall, was done, but the failure recurred. Thereafter, (the) dealer was unable to find anything wrong. However, the manufacturer said, “the failure might be due to the trailer that was being towed.”
While driving at 65 mph with a trailer hitched to the Ford F-350, an owner from Texas says “the vehicle downshifted suddenly to 37 mph.” The trailer went sideways and blocked the roadway. This time, the dealer identified the problem as per the recall and updated the software.
If you aren’t able to steer your vehicle you’re going to be in trouble. But this is a serious issue that 2022 Ford F-350 owners are reporting to the NHTSA. Sometimes it happens spontaneously, other times it happens after hitting or knocking something.
An owner from Kansas describes how, when towing a camper, the truck began “to drift in the lane.” He kept trying to slop the vehicle down, but the steering wheel was tilted to the right. The dealership said “the vehicle needed an alignment and (the) tires needed to be replaced.” The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred.
Another owner describes the steering malfunction as steering wander. “Take your eyes off the road for a second and it’s scary. You are assured you will be in a different location than expected, either off the road or on the wrong side of the yellow line. I pray I don’t hit a pedestrian or cross over the yellow line into another vehicle.”
One driver states he “Hit a bump and the truck shook out of control.” He identifies this as the well-known “death wobble.” He was driving a fully loaded 38-foot, 8-ton, gooseneck trailer at the time. “There was nowhere to pull over and (I) had to literally stop in the middle of the road to regain control.”
An owner from Massachusetts tells how after hitting a medium-sized pothole at 65 mph, the front end of the truck started to shake violently, “causing me to lose control of my vehicle. I was able to brake and the shaking stopped around 20 mph while I was on the highway. This has happened to me once before almost causing an accident. Neither time was I speeding, overloaded, or driving erratically.”
Explosive sunroofs are nothing new, but manufacturers still refuse to fix them under warranty. An owner whose sunroof suddenly exploded while on an interstate road states that there wasn’t anything near the 2022 F-350 when it happened. “The cloth sunroof cover shows no damage.” But the dealer maintains that “something the size of a basketball hit my sunroof,” and refused to cover the damage under warranty.
“This is a known issue with Ford and Lincoln and (they) have thousands of complaints concerning this issue.”
An owner from Utah states that his sunroof exploded while he was driving down the road. There were no vehicles nearby or trees along the road. “Thankfully no passengers were in the back seat, or they would have been injured by the shattered glass.”
In a related incident, an owner from Texas states that the rear window of a brand new 2022 F-350 Lariat exploded while driving down the highway “There were no cars on the highway at night to have thrown a rock at the truck and caused the damage. The temperature was about 55-60 deg F.”
An owner from Washington states in a complaint dated November 23, 2022, that he was preparing to blow snow out of his driveway when his parked truck rolled backward about 3-4 feet. It stopped by itself but set off the alarm system. The owner states that the truck is “normally parked at a slight incline where putting it in Park is usually sufficient and have never needed to use a parking brake.” Clearly, on that day it wasn’t sufficient.
One of the seven recalls, NHTSA Campaign Number 22V087000, dated February 16, 2022, warns that 247,445 Ford vehicles, including 2017-2022 F-350 Super Duty trucks, may have damaged driveshafts that could fracture. If this happens, the vehicle would probably lose driver power. If the driveshaft makes contact with the ground, it could cause a loss of vehicle control. There is also a risk of unintended movement while parked if the parking brake isn’t engaged. There is a risk of crashing in all these scenarios. All the affected vehicles have gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts.
While the Washington owner reports “a safety issue,” there is no mention in the complaint about the recall. But the incident does correspond with the unintended movement while parked scenario.
Some other powertrain complaints report faulty transmissions.
If you have recurring problems and think you’ve bought a lemon, you need a lemon law firm to help you. The law makes Ford pay legal fees, and every year, auto manufacturers buy back, replace, or pay cash settlements to thousands of ‘lemon’ owners.
If you need our help, call the Lemberg Law Helpline or fill out a contact form. We are ready to assess your case free of charge.
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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