2009 Ford E-350: common problems

Owners of the 2009 Ford E-350 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electronic stability control and engine and cooling. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 10

What fails most often

1 Electronic stability control 20% of all complaints
2 Engine and cooling 20% of all complaints
3 Exterior lighting 20% of all complaints
4 Fuel system 10% of all complaints
5 Seat belts 10% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
7 Steering 10% of all complaints
8 Suspension 10% of all complaints

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

Electronic stability control: 2 complaints (20% of all).
Engine and cooling: 2 complaints (20% of all).
Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (20% of all).
Fuel system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Seat belts: 1 complaints (10% of all).

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 10 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

smoke, burning smell, fire3 · 30%
headlights and tail lights2 · 20%
fuel system, fuel smell1 · 10%
seat belts1 · 10%
tires: bulges, blowouts1 · 10%
warning lights, check engine1 · 10%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Electronic stability control	2	0	0
Engine and cooling	2	0	0
Exterior lighting	2	0	0
Fuel system	1	0	0
Seat belts	1	0	0
Service brakes	1	0	0
Steering	1	0	0
Suspension	1	0	0
Other	1	0	0

What owners report

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

Tl* the contact owns a 2009 ford e-350. While driving approximately 50 mph, the vehicle decelerated without warning. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and did not restart. The contact called the dealer and the technician stated that the fly wheel detached from the motto.
Suspension · 2017-01-24 · NHTSA complaint #10947392
The contact stated that while parked, the rear driver side tail light caught fire. The fire extinguished independently. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 35,000.
Exterior lighting · 2014-12-17 · NHTSA complaint #10664888
It was discovered during a pre-trip inspection that the right side, 3rd row passenger seatbelt that should be attached to the frame of the vehicle (above the passenger's shoulder) was disconnected.
Seat belts · 2014-07-30 · NHTSA complaint #10617498
Ford e-series vans. 2009-2012 e150, and e350 both as vans, and as passenger shuttles I am a commercial driver, I've spent my life with ford vans (have not driven 04-08) 09+ newer vans occasionally do not stop below 15mph abs over sensitive and easily confused by slight downgrades, potholes, sand, rr tracks, light snow…
Electronic stability control · 2012-12-11 · NHTSA complaint #10487935
On 03/15/11 spark plug #6 blew out of the head of engine causing a strong smell of gasoline. On 06/01/11 spark plug #3 blew out same odors resulted. Dealer rethreaded hole(s). Metal shavings could now be in the head of the engine causing more damage. Dealer says this is not a permanent repair and may happen again.
Engine and cooling · 2011-06-12 · NHTSA complaint #10406006
Subject:esc is not really standard on the ford e350 comments: I drive a 2009 e350 commuter van that does not have esc. But your web site safecar.gov indicates that esc has been standard on this van since 2006. In fact, ford sells conversion vans without esc and the nc dot specifies them for purchase.
Electronic stability control · 2010-02-25 · NHTSA complaint #10314080
Ford full size van when you open rear doors to load or unload , the doors block all lights, turn sig , tail lights,4-way flashers and break lights . The only light you have is dome. Somebody will get hurt or killed.
Exterior lighting · 2010-01-23 · NHTSA complaint #10301984
Suspicious fire determined by fire marshall as originating in the engine compartment/passenger side that traveled through the fire wall, along the wiring in the wall to the gas tank which then caught fire which spread to entire vehicle.
Engine and cooling · 2009-07-29 · NHTSA complaint #10278712

When owners complained

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

20092
20102
20111
20121
20142
20172

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).

On average one model year of the E-350 has 27 complaints (44 years in the data). This year has 10, below average.

What to check before buying

Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2009 Ford E-350?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electronic stability control, engine and cooling, exterior lighting. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: smoke, burning smell, fire (30%), headlights and tail lights (20%), fuel system, fuel smell (10%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 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 2009 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 2009 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.