Ford F 350 Crew
Problems & Worst Years

For the Ford F-350 Crew, 2019 is the year that stands out — and not favorably. Its 369 reported occurrences are double the 2018 total of 182, and the file is dominated by front-end complaints: steering wheel shaking with loss of control (155 reports), suspension issues causing violent shaking (114), and death wobble (47). Those three account for the bulk of everything filed that year, and all were rated at safety severity.

2018 tells the same story at half the volume — steering wheel shaking at high speeds (55) and uncontrollable suspension shaking (53) lead the list — with a quirk alongside: 36 reports of the tailgate opening unexpectedly. Tailgate complaints recur in 2019 as well (21 reports of it opening inadvertently), so it's worth checking latch behavior on any example, especially if you'll be hauling. The remaining items are minor by count: back-over prevention system failure and fuel-system stalling complaints in 2018, rearview camera malfunction in 2019, all under 20 reports.

The buying guidance writes itself. Drive the truck at highway speed over imperfect pavement and pay attention to any oscillation that builds after a bump; have the steering and suspension components inspected underneath; cycle the tailgate and verify it latches securely; confirm the camera works. A truck with documented front-end service isn't necessarily one to avoid — it may be one where the known issue has already been addressed.

As always with NHTSA data, these are complaints owners chose to file, not measured failure rates, so the gap between 182 and 369 describes reporting volume rather than the odds any particular truck fails — and newer model years have had less time to accumulate reports in the first place. The individual vehicle's service history and a thorough pre-purchase inspection are worth more than the difference between these two model years.