Owners have filed 83 complaints on the Ford F-550, covering 2011–2020. The system named most often is Engine (18 reports). Worst years by volume: 2020, 2019, 2012; cleanest: 2014, 2013, 2017. 5 reports describe a crash, 10 a fire. On average the car was 4.9 years old when the problem happened.
What breaks on Ford F-550
Grouped by the system owners named — percentages are shares of all 83 F-550 complaints. Open any row for the full reports in owners' own words.
Engine 18 Read
My truck exploded on the expressway on 11-21-24 due to a manufacturer default
The contact owned a 2019 Ford F-550. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, turned on, and unoccupied, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the front of the engine compartment had caught fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed however,…
While driving down the road a passerby got our drivers attention to tell them the truck was on fire. When he pulled over and got out the truck went up in flames fast from under the hood. Due to the heavy damage we are unsure where the fire started. It has not been inspected by anyone yet. It was towed to our shop. The…
Fuel System 9 Read
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-550. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the fuel injector became inoperable. The check engine warning light became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the fuel injectors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-550. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (Fuel System, Diesel); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the remedy was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-550. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V957000 (FUEL SYSTEM, DIESEL); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…
Structure 8 Read
See attached document for complaint
Purchased truck used and discovered frame was cracked shortly after I had taken it in to Ford several times because alignment wouldn’t keep vehicle from feeling bouncy (hopping) going down the road. At no point did anyone tell me of a customer satisfaction program that was in place for my vehicle for a frame…
The contact's company owns a 2019 Ford F-550. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary, an employee noticed that the cab and chassis was in a V-shape. The contact stated that a mechanic arrived at the location; upon inspection, the mechanic stated that the frame rail was fractured. The vehicle was not…
Power Train 7 Read
The contact owns a 2012 ford f-550. While the contact was hauling sand and reground gravel up a hill, the emergency brake was engaged and the gear shifter was placed into park. The engine was running and the contact exited the vehicle. When the contact re-entered the vehicle, shifted gears, and released the emergency…
At ~93,000 miles, my 2020 Ford F-550 (7.3L “Godzilla” V8) suffered catastrophic engine failure due to a roller lifter bearing failure, causing internal valvetrain damage and requiring full engine replacement. Ford dealer stated they recommended 90% coverage of the repair under goodwill through corporate, but later…
The contact owns a 2020 Ford F-550. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the vehicle unintentionally rolled away while the transmission was in park(P). No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle jerked while driving uphill. The vehicle also jerked violently while downshifting from third…
Engine And Engine Cooling 7 Read
The contact owns a 2019 Ford F-550. The contact stated that two to three minutes after the engine was revved, a ticking noise was heard in the engine. The sound would stop then a rattling noise was heard. The contact stated that he works as an independent mechanic and diagnosed the vehicle and stated that the #3…
The contact's company owns a 2018 Ford F-550. The contact stated while an employee was driving at 55 MPH, the service vehicle soon warning light illuminated intermittently. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the turbocharger to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired…
The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-550. The contact stated that after two to three minutes after the engine was idled, a ticking noise was heard in the engine. The noise would dissipate however, a rattling noise was heard next. The contact stated works as an independent mechanic and diagnosed the vehicle and stated that…
Steering 6 Read
Vehicle was being driven at 50MPH when truck encountered pothole in road. Steering wheel began to shake back and forth violently and vehicle was uncontrollable. Truck veered to left and crashed into guardrail while being slowed to a stop
The contact owns a 2018 ford f-550. The contact stated while driving 45 mph, the vehcile started to shake violently from front end of vehicle. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to heartland ford (5979 west, us hwy 136, covington, in 47932, (765)793-2233) where it was diagnosed…
The contact owns a 2018 ford f-550. The contact stated that when driving their vehicle, the vehicle would veer left or right on it's own without warning. The vehicle's steering would not be able to straighten itself. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer (dorsch ford lincoln kia 2641 eaton rd, green bay, wi…
Suspension 6 Read
Ford Motor Company has had a known issue with the truck frames cracking on the F-550 chassis. They acknowledged it by doing a recall, which either replaced or repaired the chassis frame or installed reinforcement braces if no cracks were visible. The recall expired in September of 2023. In October 2023 we noticed a…
The contact owns a 2021 Forest River Georgetown constructed on a 2020 Ford F53 chassis. The contact stated that the weight of the motorhome was falsely advertised and that the motorhome was over the weight limit for the chassis it was built. The contact stated that the motorhome OCCC (Occupant Carrying Capacity…
Frame crack right behind cab. Have two trucks with the same issue second vin ends in [XXX]. Ford had a safety program 21B04 that expired which means they are aware of this issue and should issue a recall for it. Ford has repeatedly refused to help with this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF…
Electrical System 5 Read
A clogged fuel filter caused an engine fire. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms prior to the failure. The fuel filter has been known to be problematic for these trucks, in yet there has been no recall. A simple google search shows these fires are common. The vehicle has been in for service at the…
Unknown issue causes the fuse box to over heat melting the harness and fuse box killing the fule pump and engine. Truck turned of and immediately restarted on the highway
Trailer connection wiring fault causes dash board to flash multiple times indicating trailer disconnected or trailer light bulbs are not working and will repeatedly flash on dash making dinging sounds. This is happening without a trailer connected as well. (take not previous years of ford vehicles have had the same…
F-550 years to avoid — and the clean ones
Complaints per model year. More reports usually means more cars on the road as well as more trouble, so read the crash and fire columns alongside the count.
| Model year | Complaints | Top system | Crashes | Fires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Engine,fuel/propulsion System | — | 1 | |
| 2019 | Electrical System | 1 | 3 | |
| 2018 | Air Bags | — | — | |
| 2017 | Engine | 2 | 1 | |
| 2016 | Air Bags | 1 | 2 | |
| 2014 | Engine | — | 1 | |
| 2013 | Engine | — | 1 | |
| 2012 | Electrical System,engine,fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1 | |
| 2011 | Engine | — | — |
The same model year, different builds
Every complaint carries the first 11 characters of the VIN — plant, year, body and engine. That is a production series, and complaints are spread across them very unevenly.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Distinct production series | 76 |
| Average complaints per series | 1.1 |
| Worst single series | 3 complaints |
| Average age at failure | 4.9 years |
A model average of 1.1 hides a worst series at 3. Enter a VIN above to see the numbers for that exact build instead of the model as a whole.
Owners reported these. Find out if yours is one of them.
- Complaints matched to the exact production run, not just the model
- What the car is worth given what tends to fail on it
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How we count
Every figure here comes from complaints owners filed with NHTSA — 1,100,006 of them, covering 1,982 models built between 1981 and 2026.
A complaint is an unverified report: someone wrote down what happened to their car. It is not a confirmed defect and not a recall. What makes the volume useful is the pattern — when thousands of owners of the same build describe the same failure, that is a signal no marketing brochure will give you.
Two things we do that the source does not. First, we compute the age of the car at the moment of failure from the incident date and the model year. Second, we group complaints by the first 11 characters of the VIN — the production series — so a bad plant run does not disappear into a model-wide average.
Frequently asked questions
What are the worst years for the F-550?
By complaint volume, 2020, 2019, 2012 drew the most owner reports. Bear in mind that popular years put more cars on the road, so check the crash and fire columns too.
Which F-550 years are the cleanest?
2014, 2013, 2017 have the fewest complaints on file. For recent years that can simply mean the cars are young.
How many complaints does the Ford F-550 have?
83 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, covering 2011–2020. Of those, 5 describe a crash and 10 a fire.
Are these complaints verified?
No. They are unverified reports from owners. NHTSA publishes them as filed and investigates only a fraction. The value is in the pattern, not in any single report.
Can I check complaints for one specific car?
Yes — enter its VIN above. We match the first 11 characters, which identify the plant, year, body and engine, so you get complaints on that exact production series rather than the whole model.