Ford F-250 Super Duty years to avoid— and the best years
8 F-250 Super Duty model years ranked on what NHTSA holds for each one: recalls and owner complaints per year on the road, with critical recalls and standing advisories ahead of everything else. The current model year is left out, as are the 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027: too new for a record. This ranks the paperwork, not the car in front of you — a specific car’s history and service record still decide it.
Every F-250 Super Duty model year, ranked
Source: NHTSA recalls, complaints and crash ratings; the arithmetic in each rowCleanest record first. /yr is the count divided by the years that model year has been on sale (2026 minus the model year, at least 1), because raw counts condemn the oldest year on the page for having been around longer.
| Year · rank | Safety Signal | Years on road | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 #1 | C | 10 | 3 · 0.3/yr | 289 · 29/yr | ★★★★☆ | |
| 2022 #2 | F | 4 | 17 · 4.2/yr | 123 · 31/yr | ★★★★★ | |
| 2020 #3 | F | 6 | 14 · 2.3/yr | 263 · 44/yr | ★★★★☆ | 1 critical |
| 2021 #4 | F | 5 | 12 · 2.4/yr | 165 · 33/yr | ★★★★★ | 1 critical |
| 2023 #5 | F | 3 | 16 · 5.3/yr | 43 · 14/yr | not rated | 1 critical |
| 2018 #6 | F | 8 | 9 · 1.1/yr | 397 · 50/yr | not rated | 2 critical |
| 2017 #7 | F | 9 | 14 · 1.6/yr | 1,155 · 128/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
| 2019 #8 | F | 7 | 11 · 1.6/yr | 1,164 · 166/yr | ★★★★★ | 2 critical |
The F-250 Super Duty years to check hardest
last 2 of 8 ranked years2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty
The 2019 F-250 Super Duty: 11 recalls in 7 years on the road (1.6 a year, 2 critical: structure, equipment) — also back over prevention ×3, power train ×2; 1,164 owner complaints to NHTSA, 166 a year (most often steering (776) and suspension (678)); owners reported 16 crashes, 11 fires, 12 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24014 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA investigation RQ21001 (closed, structure); NHTSA investigation PE18011 (became recall 19V864000, structure); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
2017 Ford F-250 Super Duty
The 2017 F-250 Super Duty: 14 recalls in 9 years on the road (1.6 a year, 2 critical: structure, equipment) — also power train ×3, back over prevention ×2, latches/locks/linkages ×2; 1,155 owner complaints to NHTSA, 128 a year (most often steering (717) and suspension (587)); owners reported 12 crashes, 13 fires, 13 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24014 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA investigation RQ21001 (closed, structure); NHTSA investigation PE18011 (became recall 19V864000, structure); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
The F-250 Super Duty years the record favours
first 2 of 82016 Ford F-250 Super Duty
The 2016 F-250 Super Duty: 3 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.3 a year) — back over prevention, air bags, tires; 289 owner complaints to NHTSA, 29 a year (most often steering (118) and suspension (112)); owners reported 6 crashes, 5 fires, 6 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24014 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars.
2022 Ford F-250 Super Duty
The 2022 F-250 Super Duty: 17 recalls in 4 years on the road (4.2 a year) — visibility/wiper ×3, fuel/propulsion system ×3, electrical system ×3; 123 owner complaints to NHTSA, 31 a year (most often fuel system (29) and electrical (22)); owners reported 2 crashes, 4 fires, 4 injured; NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars.
How this ranking is made
Source: the same rule the nameplate page has used since v0.28- For each model year, NHTSA’s recall campaigns and owner complaints filed against it are counted from the public files, as on its own page.
- Each count is divided by the years the model year has been on sale (2026 − model year, at least 1): a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings, a 2023 only 3.
- The years are then ordered: a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory first, then the number of critical recalls, then recalls per year, then complaints per year; a newer year wins a tie.
- The current model year and any year under 3 on the road are left out — a half-finished record should not win a ranking on a blank sheet.
What it cannot know: whether a given car had its recalls done (NHTSA’s VIN lookup and the maker’s own settle that), its mileage, its trim, or how it was kept. A recall is a repair at the maker’s expense, not a verdict on the design; a complaint is an owner’s unverified report. Every figure above links to the page that lists the filings behind it.
Common questions about F-250 Super Duty years
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhat Ford F-250 Super Duty years should I avoid?
On the filed record the 2017, 2019 rank lowest of the 8 F-250 Super Duty model years WhichTrim can rank (2016–2023): the 2019 — 11 recalls in 7 years (1.6 a year), 2 critical, 1,164 complaints (166 a year); the 2017 — 14 recalls in 9 years (1.6 a year), 2 critical, 1,155 complaints (128 a year). The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists.
What is the best Ford F-250 Super Duty year to buy used?
The 2016 Ford F-250 Super Duty has the cleanest record of the ranked years: Safety Signal C, 0.3 recalls a year on the road and 29 complaints a year. The 2016 F-250 Super Duty: 3 recalls in 10 years on the road (0.3 a year) — back over prevention, air bags, tires; 289 owner complaints to NHTSA, 29 a year (most often steering (118) and suspension (112)); owners reported 6 crashes, 5 fires, 6 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24014 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA overall crash rating 4 of 5 stars. That ranks paperwork, not condition.
Is the 2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty reliable?
WhichTrim does not score reliability; it counts what was filed. The 2019 F-250 Super Duty: 11 recalls in 7 years on the road (1.6 a year, 2 critical: structure, equipment) — also back over prevention ×3, power train ×2; 1,164 owner complaints to NHTSA, 166 a year (most often steering (776) and suspension (678)); owners reported 16 crashes, 11 fires, 12 injured; NHTSA investigation PE24014 (open, fuel/propulsion system); NHTSA investigation RQ21001 (closed, structure); NHTSA investigation PE18011 (became recall 19V864000, structure); NHTSA overall crash rating 5 of 5 stars. That is the weakest record on this page once the counts are put on a per-year footing. A specific car with its recalls done and a service history can be a sound buy; the record says what to check.
How many recalls does the Ford F-250 Super Duty have?
Across the 8 ranked model years (2016–2023) NHTSA has posted 96 recall campaigns against the Ford F-250 Super Duty, and owners filed 3,599 complaints. Across every model year on file (2016–2027) the nameplate page carries the full count.
Why divide by years on the road?
Recalls and complaints accumulate with time: a 2016 has had 10 years to collect filings and a 2023 only 3, so raw counts condemn the oldest year every time. Dividing by the years on sale puts them on one footing. A standing advisory and critical recalls still come first, because no rate makes those smaller.