AI Damage1999 Ford Super Duty: common problems
Owners of the 1999 Ford Super Duty filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and tires. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 22% of all complaints
- 2 Tires 22% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 5 Air bags 6% of all complaints
- 6 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 7 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seat belts 6% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 4 complaints (22% of all).
- Tires: 4 complaints (22% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Suspension: 2 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 1 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 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.
While driving about 35 mph a vehicle in the left lane made a right turn in front of consumer's vehicle which resulted in a collision. The front left corner of the vehicle was damaged. Air bags did not deploy. Ford, 250 super duty, 1999.
While driving around a curve at 65mph, the vehicles lower steering shaft joint and tie rod end broke and the vehicle could not be controlled, consumer crashed into the wall in the center of the highway and the trailer that was being pulled came around and pinned the vehicle against the wall.
I noticed the driver seat belt buckle not completely latching and being able to yank the belt out of the buckle. There was nothing stuck in the buckle, it was just broken. Looking online, I saw a 2001 recall for what looks like the exact same buckle, and many complaints about these buckles breaking internally.
One morning leaving my driveway, the brake pedal sank to the floor. The steel brake line had rusted through at the site where it was supported by a metal clip on the frame. Online fora described this as a known flaw to ford for many years but which ford refuses to repair.
The consumer stated a spark plug blew out of the cylinder while driving on the highway. As the consumer continued to drive, raw gas was coming out of the cylinder and entering the engine compartment.
While driving 60 mph, the vehicles steering wheel wanders on it's own. A mechanic at a body shop informed the driver that the upper ball joints need to be replaced. The cause has not been determined. Please provide further details.
While driving 65 mph and without warning the left rear tire tread separated from the sidewall which caused the driver to be distracted.
The clutch had gone to the floor, and stayed there, while the consumer was shifting the gear(s). The clutch release lever had partially broken and bent away from the slave cylinder. The consumer is expecting ford to cover the repair costs. Mr scc
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,624 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Super Duty has 5 complaints (11 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford Super Duty?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, tires, powertrain. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: tires: bulges, blowouts (17%), brake failure (11%), airbags did not deploy (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1999 Ford Super Duty?
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 1999 Ford Super Duty 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 1999 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 2026-11-06.