Total Complaints
19 filings
Ford F-450 SD · model year
1991 Ford F-450 SD
19 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
- Complaints
- 19
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1991 Ford F-450 SD posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- 29th pctile
- complaint volume, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1991FordF-450 SD carries 19 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1991 F-450 SD is steering:hydraulic power assist:pump with 2 filings, followed by engine and engine cooling:engine (2) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline:belts and associated pulleys (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1991 F-450 SD, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
19
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1991 Ford F-450 SD
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
NHTSA Overall Rating N/A
Not rated
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program overall crash-test rating.
Front Crash N/A
Not rated
Frontal barrier crash-test rating.
Side Crash N/A
Not rated
Side barrier and pole crash-test rating.
Rollover Resistance N/A
Not rated
Static stability factor + dynamic rollover test rating.
Rollover Risk N/A
Not reported
NHTSA single-vehicle rollover probability, dynamic test.
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20010215TIRES
PE00 020; CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND FELT A TREMBLE.RIGHT REAR TIRE EXPLODED. HE WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER TO SHOULDER. FIRESTONE TIRE DOT VDOR1WTWT471. *AK
20000714POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. REAR AXLE/FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATES HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES EACH. DEALER SAYS IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A NATION WIDE PROBLEM, BUT ADMITTS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK
20000714ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
CONSUMER HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. REAR AXLE/FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATES HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES EACH. DEALER SAYS IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A NATION WIDE PROBLEM, BUT ADMITTS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK
20000714POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY:PEDAL/HAND LEVER(MOTORCYCLE)
CONSUMER HAS HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH VEHICLE. REAR AXLE/FLYWHEEL AND CLUTCH PRESSURE PLATES HAVE ALL BEEN REPLACED 3 TIMES EACH. DEALER SAYS IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE A NATION WIDE PROBLEM, BUT ADMITTS THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE.*AK
19990217ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ENGINE STARTED SMOKING, BUT NOT OVERHEATING. MIXING OIL & ANTIFREEZE DUE TO PINHOLE IN ENGINE BLOCK. TOOK TO DEALER ('96) & RE-MANUFACTURED ENGINE (NOT NEW) WAS PUT IN. PROBLEM TEMPORARILY SOLVED. HAS NOW REOCCURRED. MANUFACTURER SAID PINHOLE PROBLEM FIXED. *AK
19970110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS, CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO MELT AND A ELECTRICALFAILURE IN THE HEADLIGHTS, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT STAY ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON TWO OCCASION. *AK
19970110ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WIRING HARNESS, CAUSING THE WIRING HARNESS TO MELT AND A ELECTRICALFAILURE IN THE HEADLIGHTS, THE HEADLIGHTS WILL NOT STAY ILLUMINATED. CONSUMER HAS REPLACED THE HEADLIGHT SWITCH ON TWO OCCASION. *AK
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CATALYTIC CONVERTOR
CATALYTIC CONVERTER FAILURE.
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EXHAUST GASKETS REPLACED.
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
EXHAUST MANIFOLD WARPED.
19961114ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN
FAN CLUTCH REPLACED.
19961114STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
POWER STEERING PUMP FAILED.
19961114ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ALTERNATOR FAILED.
19961114POWER TRAIN
POTENTIOMETER FAILURE.
19961114POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY
CLUTCH CYLINDER REPLACED.
19961114ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
STARTER MOTOR REPLACED.
19961114STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP
BELT TENSIONER REPLACED.
19950104ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS
1990-91 DIESEL ENGINE DRIVE BELTS BREAK AND VEHICLE LOST CONTROL. TT
19950104SEATS
SEAT FRAME BREAKS. TT
Compare 1991FordF-450 SD to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Vehicle Safety Guides
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1991 Ford F-450 SD have?▼
The 1991 Ford F-450 SD has 19 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1991 Ford F-450 SD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1991 Ford F-450 SD is STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST:PUMP with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:BELTS AND ASSOCIATED PULLEYS.
Is the 1991 Ford F-450 SD 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.
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1991 Ford F-450 SD; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.