FORD F-450 · model year

2013 FORD F-450

8 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2013FORDF-450 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2013 F-450 is wheels with 1 filings, followed by tires:pressure monitoring and regulating systems (1) and engine (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.

NHTSA currently has 177 investigation files overlapping the 2013 F-450, and 8 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

8
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
WHEELS1
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS1
ENGINE1
POWER TRAIN1
STRUCTURE:BODY1
SERVICE BRAKES1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recalls (1)

14V49800013/08/2014

EQUIPMENT

PJ's Truck Bodies & Equipment Co., (PJ's) is recalling certain 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis modified by PJ's and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket coveri

Recent Complaints

20211127UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving my truck down the highway it will violently shake until I brake below 40 MPH. This occurs when there is a change in surface on the roadway. An example is going over a bridge or rough pavement. It has happened several times in the past year, and most recently last weekend while my wife was with me. We were driving on a major interstate at 65 MPH, maintaining a single lane when the truck went into a "death wobble." The front end shook so violently, it became a safety risk for our lives as well as other drivers. It was extremely difficult to maintain the steering until the truck stopped shaking. My wife no longer feels safe driving the vehicle. In the past, we have taken it to a local mechanic and I was advised they were not able to find an issue. We have purchased new tires and taken them to the Ford dealership to balance and align. We check the tire pressure regulary, and had an alignment done, though the violent shaking is getting worse, rather than better, when it hap

20210129FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

2013 F-450 REGULAR PICKUP, FUEL SYSTEM FAILURE, MY VEHICLE ARE EQUIPPED WITH BOSCH-SUPPLIED CP4 HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL INJECTION PUMPS THAT WERE 'NEVER COMPATIBLE WITH AMERICAN FUEL STANDARDS. MY PU HAS 49,000 MILES I HAD PURCHASE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY FROM FORD THEY DENIED THE COVERAGE AS WELL, SAYING IT HAS WATER CONTAMINATION, CP4 PUMP IS SIMPLY NOT BUILT TO WITHSTAND U.S. SPECIFICATIONS FOR DIESEL FUEL WITH REGARD TO LUBRICATION OR WATER CONTENT AND STRUGGLES TO 'LIFT A VOLUME OF FUEL SUFFICIENT TO LUBRICATE ITSELF. FORD MOTOR COMPANY SURE RECAL THIS PROBLEM, THIS BILL IS OVER $16,000.00

Mileage: 49,000

20190529SERVICE BRAKES

I64 WESTBOUND SANDSTONE MOUNTAIN W VA 8 MILE 6% GRADE REALIZED INTEGRATED TRAILER BRAKES FAILED AND HAD 2 USE MANUAL BRAKE OPTION ON BRAKE CONTROL. WAS NEVER GIVEN ANY WARNING BY TRUCK THAT TRAILER BRAKE CONTROLLER HAD FAILED. I AM EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW TO MANUALLY OPERATE TRAILER BRAKES FROM THE CONTROLLER. INEXPERIENCED OPERATORS MAY NOT BE SO FORTUNATE.

Mileage: 117,000

20181130STRUCTURE:BODY

FORD F-450 2013 HORTON AMBULANCE HAD THE FUEL TANK FALL FROM THE FRAME ON TO THE ROAD ON EMERGENCY 911 CALL. FRAME HAS HUGH CRACK WITH RETAINING STRAPS. HAD TO TOW TO DEALERSHIP. WE HAVE 9 OF THESE EXTENDED CAB HORTON AMBULANCES WITH 7 HAVING CRACKS IN THE FRAME IN DANGER OF FALLING OFF. 2 ARE LEAKING DISEAL FUEL.

Mileage: 179,000

20160323ENGINE

CODE P2201 SETTING AND CAUSING TRUCK TO GO INTO LIMP MODE AND REDUCE POWER. VEHICLE IS USED A A BRUSHPUMPER FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT. HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS TO DEALER 12 TIMES WITH NO REPAIR THAT HAS LASTED. CODE SETS WHEN IN MOTION, DE-RATES POWER AND HAS TO LIMP BACK TO SHOP. CANNOT BE USED TO FIGHT FIRES AT THIS TIME.

Mileage: 7,804

20160323POWER TRAIN

CODE P2201 SETTING AND CAUSING TRUCK TO GO INTO LIMP MODE AND REDUCE POWER. VEHICLE IS USED A A BRUSHPUMPER FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT. HAS BEEN IN FOR REPAIRS TO DEALER 12 TIMES WITH NO REPAIR THAT HAS LASTED. CODE SETS WHEN IN MOTION, DE-RATES POWER AND HAS TO LIMP BACK TO SHOP. CANNOT BE USED TO FIGHT FIRES AT THIS TIME.

Mileage: 7,804

20140527WHEELS

THE ONLY WAY TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE INSIDE TIRE OF A DUALLY IS TO REMOVE THE OUTSIDE TIRE. *TR

20140527TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS

THE ONLY WAY TO CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE ON THE INSIDE TIRE OF A DUALLY IS TO REMOVE THE OUTSIDE TIRE. *TR

Compare 2013FORDF-450 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2013 FORD F-450 have?
The 2013 FORD F-450 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2013 FORD F-450?
Yes, the 2013 FORD F-450 has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is EQUIPMENT. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 FORD F-450?
The most-complained component for the 2013 FORD F-450 is WHEELS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS and ENGINE.
Is the 2013 FORD F-450 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.