Ford F-450 SD · model year

2011 Ford F-450 SD

11 NHTSA complaints, and 8 recall campaigns listed for this cohort. 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
11
Recalls
8

The verdict

The 2011 Ford F-450 SD posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.

44th pctile
complaint volume, own model years
8
recall campaigns

The 2011FordF-450 SD carries 11 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 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 2011 F-450 SD is fuel/propulsion system with 2 filings, followed by engine (2) and engine and engine cooling (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause. This cohort has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns listed below. Enter a VIN in NHTSA's official recall lookup to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 2011 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.

11
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
F
PlainCars Safety Score
0/100
2011 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.

Total Complaints

11 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
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM2
ENGINE2
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL1
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM1
SERVICE BRAKES1
STEERING1
POWER TRAIN1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recalls (8)

10V65900029/12/2010

STRUCTURE:BODY

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, EDGE AND LINCOLN MKX VEHICLES. DURING A SIX-DAY PRODUCTION PERIOD, THE SUPPLIER OF THE BODY CONTROL MODULE MANUFACTURED MODULES THAT MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR AN INTERNAL SHORT.

15V17500025/03/2015

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:CONTROL MODULE (TCM/PCM/TECM)

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks manufactured February 22, 2010, to January 30, 2015, and equipped with ambulance or fire engine preparation packages. The affected vehicles may detect an incorrect Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor

11V12800024/02/2011

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

FORD IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 FORD F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, EDGE, AND LINCOLN MKX TRUCKS MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 25, 2010, THROUGH NOVEMBER 20, 2010. THESE VEHICLES WERE INSPECTED USING INTEGRATED DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM (IDS) THAT HAD A CUSTOM SOFTWARE ROUTINE TO READ THE SUSPECT

14V36000023/06/2014

EQUIPMENT

Palfleet Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Palfleet) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duty vehicles modified by Palfleet and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a

14V32800013/06/2014

EQUIPMENT

Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners and dealers to inspect the Muncie PTO pressure switch to determine if it is from the range of defective switches and if required, remove the pressure switch assembly and put a plug in the port where the PTO switch had been installed. This switch was nev

14V32700012/06/2014

EQUIPMENT

Stahl is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Stahl 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 coverin

14V38200010/06/2014

EQUIPMENT

Somerset Welding & Steel, doing business as J&J Truck equipment (J&J), is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis with 6.8L gasoline engines modified by J&J to be equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil

14V37900010/06/2014

EQUIPMENT

Utility Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Utility Truck) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 UTLI41A, 2011 UTLN41, and 2012 UTLN46 aerial trucks manufactured December 2010 to September 2013 equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies installed on 2010-2013 Ford F-350, F-450 and F-55

Recent Complaints

20180518ENGINE

WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIWAY,SOMETIMES YOU WILL LOSE POWER. YOU WILL FEEL A JERK. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. PRETTY SCARY WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE. YOU TRY TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF MOVEMENT. YOU CAN NOW TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE,YOU CAN NOW CONTINUE DOWN THE HIWAY UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. WE HAVE DRIVEN WITH OUR HORSE TRAILER DOWN TO ARIZONA 3 TIMES AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES EACH WAY. FORD DEALER WHERE PURCHASED HAS NO CLUE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE NEW.

Mileage: 15,000

20180518POWER TRAIN

WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIWAY,SOMETIMES YOU WILL LOSE POWER. YOU WILL FEEL A JERK. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. PRETTY SCARY WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE. YOU TRY TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF MOVEMENT. YOU CAN NOW TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE,YOU CAN NOW CONTINUE DOWN THE HIWAY UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. WE HAVE DRIVEN WITH OUR HORSE TRAILER DOWN TO ARIZONA 3 TIMES AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES EACH WAY. FORD DEALER WHERE PURCHASED HAS NO CLUE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE NEW.

Mileage: 15,000

20180518VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHEN TRAVELING DOWN THE HIWAY,SOMETIMES YOU WILL LOSE POWER. YOU WILL FEEL A JERK. THE ENGINE IS STILL RUNNING BUT NO POWER TO THE WHEELS. PRETTY SCARY WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO PASS A VEHICLE ON THE INTERSTATE. YOU TRY TO PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. YOU HAVE NO MEANS OF MOVEMENT. YOU CAN NOW TURN OFF THE VEHICLE AND PUT IT IN NEUTRAL AND RESTART THE ENGINE,YOU CAN NOW CONTINUE DOWN THE HIWAY UNTIL IT HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES. WE HAVE DRIVEN WITH OUR HORSE TRAILER DOWN TO ARIZONA 3 TIMES AND THIS HAS HAPPENED 3-4 TIMES EACH WAY. FORD DEALER WHERE PURCHASED HAS NO CLUE WHAT IS CAUSING THIS. THIS VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED BRAND NEW. WE HAVE HAD THIS PROBLEM SINCE NEW.

Mileage: 15,000

20160916FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

6.7 DIESEL FUEL INJECTOR HOLD DOWN CLAMP BROKE AND FUEL INJECTOR BLEW OUT OF CYLINDER HEAD SPRAYING FUEL ALL OVER ENGINE COMPARTMENT. VEHICLE WAS ALWAYS SERVICED BY AUTHORIZED FORD DEALERS PER SCHEDULE. VEHICLE IN MOTION ON HIGHWAY. HAS 98,000 MILES ON IT, BUT IS A FEW MONTHS OVER THE 5 YEAR POWERTRAIN WARRANTY. LOCAL FORD TECH SAYS ITS A COMMON PROBLEM FOR THIS ENGINE, AND FORD HAS RECOGNIZED IT AND IS MAKING ENGINEERING CHANGES TO REPLACEMENT PARTS. THIS MAY BE, BUT HAVING A HIGH PRESSURE FUEL SYSTEM BLOW APART ON THE ROAD IS NOT COMMON FOR ME. AND OF COURSE NO WARRANTY COVERAGE SO I HAVE TO COVER ALL COSTS. I HAVE NO NOTIFICATION FROM ANYONE ABOUT RECALLS OR TSBS EFFECTING THE VEHICLE.

Mileage: 98,000

20150622ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-450 SD. WHILE DRIVING AT ANY SPEED, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING AND THE SERVICE ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS ABLE TO RESTART. THE FAILURE RECURRED NUMEROUS TIMES. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TURBO NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED A WEEK LATER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 10V659000 (STRUCTURE). THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 77,000.

Mileage: 77,000

20150222SERVICE BRAKES

TRUCK WAS PULLING MY 16K 5TH WHEEL CAMPER OVER THE PASSES BETWEEN MONTANA AND IDAHO IN TOW HAUL MODE UP AND DOWN. THESE ARE ONLY 4,200 FOOT PASSES BUT STEEP. USUALLY IN 6TH GEAR BUT SOMETIMES 4TH GOING 50-55; OIL TEMPS SHOW AS 220 TO 239 THEN THE BIG FAN KICKS IN TO COOL IT. ON ONE OF THE SMALLER PASSES, SHORTLY AFTER I CRESTED THE HILL THE TRUCK SHARPLY DOWN SHIFTED (I THINK IT SKIPPED 4TH AND WENT INTO 3RD. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, ?TOOL? EMBLEM SHOWED ON DASH, "LOW POWER" NOTICE SHOWED ON DASH, AND I BARELY HAD TIME TO GET HALFWAY OFF THE ROAD BEFORE I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DISASTER ON JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LOCATION, LET ALONE TWO LANE ROADS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR TRUCK/TRAILER. AS IT WAS, IT WAS ONE VERY SCARY TEN SECONDS. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. LATER I LEARNED THAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THAT I SHOULD KEEP IT ABOVE 5 MPH TO GET OFF ROAD AND LINED UP, THEN STOMP ON BRAKE

Mileage: 39,500

20150222FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TRUCK WAS PULLING MY 16K 5TH WHEEL CAMPER OVER THE PASSES BETWEEN MONTANA AND IDAHO IN TOW HAUL MODE UP AND DOWN. THESE ARE ONLY 4,200 FOOT PASSES BUT STEEP. USUALLY IN 6TH GEAR BUT SOMETIMES 4TH GOING 50-55; OIL TEMPS SHOW AS 220 TO 239 THEN THE BIG FAN KICKS IN TO COOL IT. ON ONE OF THE SMALLER PASSES, SHORTLY AFTER I CRESTED THE HILL THE TRUCK SHARPLY DOWN SHIFTED (I THINK IT SKIPPED 4TH AND WENT INTO 3RD. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, ?TOOL? EMBLEM SHOWED ON DASH, "LOW POWER" NOTICE SHOWED ON DASH, AND I BARELY HAD TIME TO GET HALFWAY OFF THE ROAD BEFORE I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DISASTER ON JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LOCATION, LET ALONE TWO LANE ROADS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR TRUCK/TRAILER. AS IT WAS, IT WAS ONE VERY SCARY TEN SECONDS. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. LATER I LEARNED THAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THAT I SHOULD KEEP IT ABOVE 5 MPH TO GET OFF ROAD AND LINED UP, THEN STOMP ON BRAKE

Mileage: 39,500

20150222STEERING

TRUCK WAS PULLING MY 16K 5TH WHEEL CAMPER OVER THE PASSES BETWEEN MONTANA AND IDAHO IN TOW HAUL MODE UP AND DOWN. THESE ARE ONLY 4,200 FOOT PASSES BUT STEEP. USUALLY IN 6TH GEAR BUT SOMETIMES 4TH GOING 50-55; OIL TEMPS SHOW AS 220 TO 239 THEN THE BIG FAN KICKS IN TO COOL IT. ON ONE OF THE SMALLER PASSES, SHORTLY AFTER I CRESTED THE HILL THE TRUCK SHARPLY DOWN SHIFTED (I THINK IT SKIPPED 4TH AND WENT INTO 3RD. IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT CAME ON, ?TOOL? EMBLEM SHOWED ON DASH, "LOW POWER" NOTICE SHOWED ON DASH, AND I BARELY HAD TIME TO GET HALFWAY OFF THE ROAD BEFORE I LOST POWER STEERING AND BRAKES. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN A HORRIFIC DISASTER ON JUST ABOUT ANY OTHER INTERSTATE HIGHWAY LOCATION, LET ALONE TWO LANE ROADS THAT WE HAVE BEEN WITH OUR TRUCK/TRAILER. AS IT WAS, IT WAS ONE VERY SCARY TEN SECONDS. I HAD NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES. LATER I LEARNED THAT IF IT HAPPENS AGAIN THAT I SHOULD KEEP IT ABOVE 5 MPH TO GET OFF ROAD AND LINED UP, THEN STOMP ON BRAKE

Mileage: 39,500

20140312ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:DIESEL

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-450 SD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITH AN ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY EGT EXHAUST TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,500. *TR

Mileage: 82,500

20140312ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 FORD F-450 SD. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH THE ENGINE STALLED WITH AN ILLUMINATION OF THE WARNING INDICATOR. THE VEHICLE FAILED TO RESTART AND WAS TOWED TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE FAILURE WAS CONTRIBUTED TO A FAULTY EGT EXHAUST TEMPERATURE SENSOR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,500. *TR

Mileage: 82,500

20120316FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

VEHICLE FIRE. THE VEHICLE AND ALL WARNING LIGHTS WERE OFF WHEN THE FIRE STARTED. UPDATED 03/21/12 *BF UPDATED 04/30/12*BF UPDATED 05/09/12 *BF UPDATED 05/12/2012 *JS

Mileage: 800

Compare 2011FordF-450 SD to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 6 Open

View all investigations

Vehicle Safety Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2011 Ford F-450 SD have?
The 2011 Ford F-450 SD has 11 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2011 Ford F-450 SD?
Yes, the 2011 Ford F-450 SD has 8 recall(s). The most common affected component is STRUCTURE:BODY. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 Ford F-450 SD?
The most-complained component for the 2011 Ford F-450 SD is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ENGINE and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2011 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 2011 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.