The Ford F-350 is a vehicle built from 1981 to 2026 over 9 generations. Most were assembled in the United States — 92.1% of those on record. Between 1988 and 2026 it grew 24 cm longer and gained 773 kg. Worth buying? It depends heavily on which year you buy at 3.5/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the F-350 is
The Ford F-350 is a vehicle that Ford built from 1981 to 2026 — 46 model years. Our measurements put it at 9 generations, the current one starting in 2017. Its closest siblings in the Ford range: F-150, Bronco, Mustang.
Where the F-350 is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 2,063 F-350s on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 1FT, 1FD, 1FP, 1FB | 1989-2013 | |
| Canada | 2FT, 2FD | 1991-2000 | |
| Mexico | 3FT, 3FC, 3FE | 1991-2003 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Ford VIN decide which of these 9 lines your F-350 belongs to. What every character in a F-350 VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Ford F-350 adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
F-350 generations, and what changed
These boundaries are not copied from a brochure — they fall out of the measurements. Where the F-350's length or wheelbase jumps between consecutive model years the platform changed: a facelift moves a bumper by centimetres, a new generation moves the whole car — for the F-350 that gives 9 distinct generations below.
| Generation | Length | Wheelbase | Weight | vs previous | Weight change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1981-1982 | 529 cm | 338 cm | - | - | - |
| 1987 | 619 cm | 428 cm | - | +90 cm | - |
| 1988 | 590 cm | 394 cm | 2148 kg | -29 cm | - |
| 1989-1995 | 607 cm | 411 cm | 2353 kg | +17 cm | +205 kg |
| 1996-1998 | 598 cm | 394 cm | 2344 kg | -9 cm | -9 kg |
| 1999-2001 | 613 cm | 397 cm | 2424 kg | +15 cm | +80 kg |
| 2002-2010 | 577 cm | 361 cm | 2617 kg | -36 cm | +193 kg |
| 2011-2016 | 599 cm | 381 cm | 2971 kg | +22 cm | +354 kg |
| 2017-2026 | 614 cm | 391 cm | 2921 kg | +15 cm | -50 kg |
Between 1988 and 2026 the F-350 gained 24 cm in length (+4.1%) and 773 kg in weight (+36.0%). Cars did not so much grow as thicken — crash structures, airbags and equipment weigh more than the metal they replaced, and on the F-350 that is 773 kg against 24 cm. Full dimensions by year →
Ford F-350 tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment F-350 owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Ford F-350 have? Power & range
Powertrain data warming… reload in a moment.
The F-350 by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Ford F-350. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | F-350 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 228 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 2,898 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 3.5 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Insurance | $1,148/yr | Estimated full coverage |
| Used value | 7,581 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Ford F-350?
The F-350 is a vehicle, built from 1981 to 2026 across 9 generations.
Where is the Ford F-350 made?
Across 2,063 cars in our records the split is: the United States (92.1%), Canada (6%), Mexico (1.8%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
How many generations does the F-350 have?
9 by our measurements, the latest starting in 2017. We draw the boundaries where length or wheelbase jumps between model years — a facelift moves a bumper, a new generation moves the whole car. Over its life the F-350 grew 24 cm longer and gained 773 kg.
What is the Ford F-350 warranty?
New models carry 3 years / 36,000 miles basic cover and 5 years / 60,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the F-350 reliable?
It scores 3.5/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific F-350?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Ford
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-150 | 1981–2026 | 462 | 72 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Bronco | 1981–2026 | 146 | 27 mpg | 3.5/5 |
| Ford Mustang | 1981–2026 | 240 | 26 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Explorer | 1991–2026 | 212 | 39 mpg | 4.0/5 |
| Ford Escape | 2001–2026 | 226 | 41 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Ford Ranger | 1982–2026 | 278 | 58 mpg | 3.5/5 |