2008 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2008 Ford E-350 filed 39 complaints with NHTSA, most often about steering and suspension. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 39
involving a crash: 3

What fails most often

1 Steering 31% of all complaints
2 Suspension 18% of all complaints
3 Service brakes 15% of all complaints
4 Structure 15% of all complaints
5 Engine 8% of all complaints
6 Fuel/propulsion system 8% of all complaints
7 Tires 8% of all complaints
8 Electrical system 5% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Steering: 12 complaints (31% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Suspension: 7 complaints (18% of all).
Service brakes: 6 complaints (15% of all).
Structure: 6 complaints (15% of all).
Engine: 3 complaints (8% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 39 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

rust, corrosion6 · 15%
vibration2 · 5%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 3%
headlights and tail lights1 · 3%
won't start1 · 3%
knocking, grinding or other noise1 · 3%
oil leak or consumption1 · 3%
loss of power / limp mode1 · 3%
steering or power steering problems1 · 3%
warning lights, check engine1 · 3%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Steering	12	1
Suspension	7	0
Service brakes	6	0
Structure	6	0
Engine	3	0
Fuel/propulsion system	3	0
Tires	3	1
Electrical system	2	0
Latches, locks, linkages	2	0
Powertrain	2	0
Air bags	1	0
Electronic stability control	1	0
Engine and cooling	1	0
Exterior lighting	1	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

I was driving on i215 in salt lake city utah at 65mph when I hit a small bump in the road and the front end of the truck began shaking violently and I could not regain control before it ran me off the road into a ditch narrowly missing a concrete barrier and another vehicle.
Steering · crash · 2013-07-01 · NHTSA complaint #10522769
Traveling westbound in hwy 54 east of stratford, tx the left rear tire exploded on our 2008 pleasure-way rv. This rv is built on a ford e350 chassis. The vehicle immediately became uncontrollable and drifted into the path of an oncoming tractor-trailer.
Tires · crash · 2011-01-15 · NHTSA complaint #10376796
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2008 Ford E-350. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 78,325, and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the DMV listed the mileage as not the actual mileage.
Electrical system · 2026-08-11 · NHTSA complaint #11756198
When there is any dew or moisture of any kind on the road the truck wont stop without the front breaks locking up and wont stop, Also the spark plugs have blown out of the motor prior to this it starts to develop A misfire, And The rear sustention is so weak the rear of the truck drags the ground when there is A low…
Service brakes · 2025-06-20 · NHTSA complaint #11668112
The contact stated that when about to drive of, a thud or clunk was heard without warning. The vehicle was taken to the barber ford ventura dealer [phone], 3440 main st, ventura [ZIP]) where it was diagnosed that there was a "slip yoke" in the drive shaft.
Powertrain · 2018-10-30 · NHTSA complaint #11144229
Ford trucks 2008-10 are known to have turbo, emission and radiator problems. Causing the vehicles to stop running. They have a pipe before turbos that burns on the inside causing it not to clean out.
Engine · 2018-02-20 · NHTSA complaint #11073843
The contact stated while driving at approximately 55 mph, the headlights failed intermittently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The vin was not available.
Exterior lighting · 2017-03-23 · NHTSA complaint #10967934
We had a blow out with our fprd e350 14 passenger van and bf goodrich tires. No one was hurt, driving in a resedential neighborhood. Recall replaced, however same thing happening with replacement tires. They are cracking. Lt 254/75 r16 be11 jd11 4712, 4512, 4912, & 5112 is there a new recall for these tires?
Wheels · 2016-09-27 · NHTSA complaint #10909866

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20084
20091
20102
20117
20124
20134
20141
20153
20167
20172
20182
20251
20261

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 6,011 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 16% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 39, above average.

What to check before buying

Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2008 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: steering, suspension, service brakes. Total complaints: 39. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (15%), vibration (5%), fuel system, fuel smell (3%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2008 Ford E-350?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2008 Ford E-350 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2008 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.