Total Complaints
5 filings
Ford F-450 SD · model year
1996 Ford F-450 SD
5 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
- 5
- Recalls
- 0
The verdict
The 1996 Ford F-450 SD posts below-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
- Top 44%
- fewest complaints, own model years
- 0
- recall campaigns
The 1996FordF-450 SD carries 5 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 1996 F-450 SD is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum (1) and steering:hydraulic power assist system (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 1996 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.
5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
1996 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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM | 1 |
| STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20001010TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TREAD LOSS 10/29/1999, ONE TIRE, TREAD LOSS 7/28/2000, TWO TIRES. *AK (TIRESIZE: LT23585R16)( DOT NUMBER: TIRE SIZE: LT23585R16 )
19980702SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WITH A LOAD ON THE TRUCK, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE REAR BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE. DEALER HAS SEEN 3 TIMES. DEALER ADJUSTED BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO MAXIMUM SETTING AND REMOVED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TOGGLE WHICH PARTIALLY ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT COOPERATE. ALSO, FRONT BRAKES PRONE TO LOCK UP WHEN APPLY BRAKES ON WET OR SOFT FOOTTING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A COLD START EXHUAST MANIFOLD LEAK. *AK *TT
19980702SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WITH A LOAD ON THE TRUCK, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE REAR BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE. DEALER HAS SEEN 3 TIMES. DEALER ADJUSTED BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO MAXIMUM SETTING AND REMOVED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TOGGLE WHICH PARTIALLY ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT COOPERATE. ALSO, FRONT BRAKES PRONE TO LOCK UP WHEN APPLY BRAKES ON WET OR SOFT FOOTTING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A COLD START EXHUAST MANIFOLD LEAK. *AK *TT
19980702STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WITH A LOAD ON THE TRUCK, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE REAR BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE. DEALER HAS SEEN 3 TIMES. DEALER ADJUSTED BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO MAXIMUM SETTING AND REMOVED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TOGGLE WHICH PARTIALLY ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT COOPERATE. ALSO, FRONT BRAKES PRONE TO LOCK UP WHEN APPLY BRAKES ON WET OR SOFT FOOTTING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A COLD START EXHUAST MANIFOLD LEAK. *AK *TT
19980702ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
WHEN APPLYING THE BRAKES WITH A LOAD ON THE TRUCK, THE FRONT BRAKES LOCKED UP AND THE REAR BRAKES ARE INEFFECTIVE. DEALER HAS SEEN 3 TIMES. DEALER ADJUSTED BRAKE PROPORTIONING VALVE TO MAXIMUM SETTING AND REMOVED THE FACTORY INSTALLED TOGGLE WHICH PARTIALLY ALLEVIATED THE PROBLEM, CONSUMER STATED THAT FORD MOTOR COMPANY WOULD NOT COOPERATE. ALSO, FRONT BRAKES PRONE TO LOCK UP WHEN APPLY BRAKES ON WET OR SOFT FOOTTING UNDER NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS, CONSUMER STATES THAT THERE IS A COLD START EXHUAST MANIFOLD LEAK. *AK *TT
Compare 1996FordF-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 1996 Ford F-450 SD have?▼
The 1996 Ford F-450 SD has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 Ford F-450 SD?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 Ford F-450 SD is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM and STEERING:HYDRAULIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM.
Is the 1996 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 1996 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.