YearToAvoid

2017 Ford F-250 Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 80 Structure & Body complaints for the 2017 Ford F-250, 7% of all 1,155 complaints filed for the year. Median mileage at failure was 32,500. Five related recalls cover door latches, seat belts, tailgate wiring, and driveshaft insulators.

Structure & Body complaints
80
7% of 1,155
Crashes reported
0
Fires reported
2
Injuries reported
2
Median mileage
32,500 mi
Related recalls
5

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Power tailgate opens on its own while driving, sometimes while towing a trailer, causing damage to the tailgate and trailer.
  • Driver's door fails to latch in cold weather, requiring repeated slamming to close.
  • Hood rear edge pops up an inch or more in crosswinds or when passed by semi trucks.
  • Cup holder area is not sealed, letting liquid reach the console and causing smoke and light failures.
  • Tailgate detachment incidents occur across a wide mileage range, from near-new to 50,000 miles.

When 2017 Ford F-250 body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Nov 30, 2017, latest Apr 8, 2025.

2017 Ford F-250 structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month8Nov 2017Dec 2018Sep 2019Jul 2020Aug 2021May 2022Jan 2024
80 complaints filed with NHTSA from Nov 2017 to Apr 2025; peak Jan 2019 (8).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2017 Ford F-250

  1. NHTSA 22V087000Feb 16, 2022Structure & Body247,445 vehicles

    Structure:frame and members:underbody shields

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2022 F-250 and F-350 Super Duty vehicles equipped with gasoline engines and aluminum driveshafts. Underbody heat and noise insulators may loosen and contact the aluminum driveshaft, which could damage the driveshaft and cause it to fracture.

    Risk: A fractured driveshaft can cause a loss of drive power, or a loss of vehicle control if the driveshaft contacts the ground. Additionally, unintended movement could occur while parked if the parking brake is not engaged. Any of these scenarios can increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair the driveshaft as necessary, and properly attach the underbody insulators, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on April 7, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S09.

  2. NHTSA 19V864000Dec 4, 2019Structure & Body231,664 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:tailgate:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017-2019 Super Duty F-250, F-350, and F-450 trucks equipped with an electric tailgate latch release switch mounted in the tailgate handle. Water may enter the electrical wiring system and cause a short circuit, activating the switch and releasing the tailgate latches.

    Risk: Unintended tailgate opening may allow unrestrained cargo to fall out of the truck bed and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will modify the tailgate/frame wiring harnesses by adding jumper pigtails to isolate the tailgate release control circuits and will install a new tailgate handle release switch, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin January 20, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19S48.

  3. NHTSA 17V652000Oct 16, 2017Structure & Body1,101,107 vehicles

    Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 Ford F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty trucks. The doors on these vehicles may have a bent or kinked actuation cable or the door latches may freeze after water gets into the latch. Either condition can result in the doors opening while driving although they appear to be closed.

    Risk: A door that opens while driving can increase the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the door latch actuation cables and repair if necessary, and install water shields over the door latches, free of charge. The recall began October 12, 2018. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S33.

  4. NHTSA 17V599000Sep 25, 2017Structure & Body504 vehicles

    Seats

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks with manually-adjusted front passenger seats. The seat belt anchor may not be adequately welded to the seat cushion frame. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 210, "Seat Belt Assembly Anchorages," and 207, "Seating Systems."

    Risk: The seat belt buckle weld may fail, preventing the occupants from being properly restrained in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger manual seat track, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C17.

  5. NHTSA 17V332000May 22, 2017Structure & Body2,204 vehicles

    Seats:front assembly:recliner

    Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2017 Ford Explorer, F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles equipped with a manual driver's seat back recliner mechanism. In the event of a crash, the seat back frame may not restrain the occupant due to having inadequate welds. As such, these vehicles may not meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202a, "Head Restraints" and 207, "Seating Systems."

    Risk: If the occupant is not adequately restrained in the event of a crash, they have an increased risk of injury.

    Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the seat back frame, free of charge. The recall began on June 7, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17C08.

Structure & Body complaints by F-250 model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20103 (3%)
  2. 201114 (4%)
  3. 201213 (4%)
  4. 20136 (5%)
  5. 20145 (3%)
  6. 20157 (2%)
  7. 20165 (2%)
  8. 201780 (7%)
  9. 201817 (4%)
  10. 201929 (2%)
  11. 202015 (6%)
  12. 202113 (8%)
  13. 20227 (6%)
  14. 20232 (5%)
  15. 20243 (8%)
  16. 20250 (0%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Structure & Body complaints does NHTSA have for the 2017 Ford F-250?
NHTSA lists 80 Structure & Body complaints for the 2017 F-250, which is 7% of the 1,155 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall related to Structure & Body issues on the 2017 F-250?
Yes. Five recalls tied to Structure & Body are on file, covering door latch cables, seat belt anchor welds, seat back recliners, tailgate wiring, and driveshaft insulators.
At what mileage do these structure and body problems typically show up?
The median mileage at failure reported to NHTSA for this problem area is 32,500 miles.
Are the tailgate openings linked to crashes or injuries?
NHTSA records 0 crashes tied to this problem area for the 2017 F-250, but it does list 2 fires and 2 injuries.
How does the 2017 F-250 compare to other years for this problem area?
2017 has the highest complaint count of any year listed, 80, well above 2018's 17 and 2019's 29, and its 7% share is among the higher shares in the range shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.