The Ford F-550 has 23 NHTSA recall campaigns on record covering 2007–2020. On average a defect was admitted 1.4 years after the car was built, the slowest took 5 years. The most recalled system is Exterior Lighting (7 campaigns). Owners also filed 83 complaints on this model — see what breaks.
What was recalled on the Ford F-550
Grouped by system. Open any row for the campaigns themselves — what failed, what it risks and how the dealer fixes it, straight from the NHTSA filing.
Exterior Lighting 7 Read
What's wrong. Watts Manufacturing, LLC (Watts Manufacturing) is recalling certain 2019 First responder vehicles built on Ford F-550 chassis and equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk. If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Watts Manufacturing will notify owners and Whelen dealers will replace the brake lights, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2019. Owners may contact Watts Manufacturing customer service at 1-785-404-6003
What's wrong. Unruh Fire, Inc. (Unruh Fire) is recalling certain 2017-2018 Ford F-550-based fire trucks equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed
Risk. If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Unruh Fire has notified owners and will replace the brake lights, free of charge. The recall began in May 20, 2019. Owners may contact Unruh Fire customer service at 1-800-856-7080
What's wrong. Weis Fire & Safety is recalling one 2018 Emergency vehicle built on a Ford F-550 4x4 Crew Cab chassis and equipped with Whelen brake lights recalled under 18E-063. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed
Risk. If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Weis Fire & Safety has already notified the owner, and replaced the brake lights, free of charge. The recall began October 1, 2018. Owners may contact Weis Fire & Safety customer service at 1-785-825-9526
Equipment 4 Read
What's wrong. LGE Coachworks, Inc. (LGE Coachworks) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ford E-450, F-550, and Freightliner M2-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager back-up camera displays. The displays may unexpectedly revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed
Risk. The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. ASA will notify LGE Coachworks owners, and dealers will replace the displays, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA customer service at 1-800-384-4400 or LGE Coachworks at 1-800-209-3985
What's wrong. Farber Specialty Vehicles (Farber) is recalling certain 2018 Ford F-550 vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager monitors used to display the back-up camera image. The affected monitors may revert back to the factory default settings which can cause the camera image to be reversed
Risk. The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Farber will notify owners, and dealers will add a harness relay capacitor module, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact Farber customer service at 1-800-331-3188 or ASA customer service at 1-800-384-4400
What's wrong. LGE Coachworks, Inc. (LGE Coachworks) is recalling certain 2018-2019 Ford E-450, F-550, and Freightliner M2-based vehicles equipped with ASA Electronics Voyager back-up camera displays. The displays may unexpectedly revert back to the factory default settings which may cause the camera image to be reversed
Risk. The driver may inadvertently turn the wrong direction to avoid an object behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. ASA will notify LGE Coachworks owners, and dealers will replace the displays, free of charge. The recall began May 9, 2019. Owners may contact ASA customer service at 1-800-384-4400 or LGE Coachworks at 1-800-209-3985
Engine And Engine Cooling 4 Read
What's wrong. HME, Inc. Is recalling certain emergency vehicles manufactured January 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015 and built on a model year 2014-2015 Ford F-550 chassis. The affected vehicles may detect an incorrect Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor (EGT) fault indicating that the vehicle is too hot, causing the engine management system to shut down the engine and prevent its immediate restart
Risk. Engine shut down and a subsequent cool down period may delay medical treatment or assistance to those needing it, increasing their risk of injury
Fix. HME will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2015. Owners may contact HME customer service at 1-616-261-2636
What's wrong. HME, Inc. Is recalling certain emergency vehicles manufactured January 1, 2014, to March 31, 2015 and built on a model year 2014-2015 Ford F-550 chassis. The affected vehicles may detect an incorrect Exhaust Gas Temperature Sensor (EGT) fault indicating that the vehicle is too hot, causing the engine management system to shut down the engine and prevent its immediate restart
Risk. Engine shut down and a subsequent cool down period may delay medical treatment or assistance to those needing it, increasing their risk of injury
Fix. HME will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2015. Owners may contact HME customer service at 1-616-261-2636
What's wrong. Manning Equipment Inc. LLC (Manning) is recalling certain model year 2012 Ford F-350, F-450 and F-550 gasoline engined dual rear wheel chassis vehicles manufactured October 2011 through June 2012. The tailpipe on the exhaust system does not extend out beyond the edge of the body, allowing heat to build up in rear curbside storage compartment
Risk. Excessive heat build up in rear compartment could result in fire
Fix. Manning Equipment has notified owners, and dealers will install tailpipe extensions free of charge. The recall has already begun. Owners may contact Manning Equipment at 1-502-426-5210
Power Train 2 Read
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2020 F-550 and 2021 E-350 and E-450 vehicles. The rear axle differential fluid may be below the minimum level, possibly resulting in a failure of the rear axle assembly and driveshaft separation
Risk. If the driveshaft separates, there may be a loss of drive, increasing the risk of crash. Additionally, if the parking brake is not applied, unintended vehicle movement can occur and increase the risk of injury or crash
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle differential fluid level and adjust it, or replace the rear axle as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 19, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S09
What's wrong. Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 f-150 vehicles manufactured from september 9, 2011, through september 22, 2011, and model year 2012 f-250, f-350, f-450 and f-550 heavy duty vehicles manufactured from september 12, 2011, through september 22, 2011. These vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard number 114, theft protection. the transmission can be shifted out of the park position without pressing the brake pedal due to brake shift interlock switch problem
Risk. This will allow the operator to inadvertently shift the vehicle into gear without the brake pedal being depressed, increasing the risk of a crash or injury to a nearby pedestrian
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake shift interlock switch function and replace the switch if necessary, free of charge. The safety recall began on december 22, 2011. Owners may contact the ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332
Engine 2 Read
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage
Risk. When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage
Risk. When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Ford F-150 and 2017-2019 Ford F-250 Super Duty, F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty pick-up trucks equipped with an engine block heater. Water and contaminants may get into the block heater cable's splice connector causing corrosion and damage
Risk. When the heater is plugged in, prolonged corrosion could cause a resistive short, increasing the risk of overheated or melted wiring which can increase the risk of a fire
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will disable the block heater cable, free of charge. Once parts are available, Dealers will replace the engine block heater cable, free of charge. The recall began June 3, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S45
Seats 1 Read
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head…
Risk. A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2018-2020 F-150 and 2019-2020 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty pickup trucks, and 2018-2019 Ford Explorer, 2019-2020 Expedition, and 2020 Escape vehicles equipped with driver and/or passenger's manual front seat back recliner mechanisms. Also included are certain 2020 Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator vehicles equipped with rear outboard seats and manual seat back recliner mechanisms. The recliner mechanisms may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, resulting in a loose seat back. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 202, "Head…
Risk. A seat back with an improperly assembled recliner mechanism may have reduced strength and may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and Ford and Lincoln dealers will inspect the seat structure and replace them, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 21, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 19C07
Latches/locks/linkages 1 Read
What's wrong. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2017 F-150, and 2017 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 vehicles originally produced with black or body colored exterior door handles that may have been subsequently equipped with a chrome exterior door handle cover accessory kit purchased from a Ford dealer. These accessory door handle covers may cause the doors to unlatch in a side impact collision. As such, these vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 206, "Door Locks and Door Retention Components."
Risk. If the doors unlatch and open in a side impact collision, the occupants have an increased risk of injury
Fix. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove the accessory covers and refund the purchase price. The recall began July 13, 2017. Owners may contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for the recall is 17C09
Fuel System, Other 1 Read
What's wrong. Almared, Inc., dba A-1 Alternative Fuel Systems, is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-550 transit buses manufactured May 2011 through April 2013, altered to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG). In the affected vehicles, the brackets securing the passenger side CNG fuel tank may break
Risk. If the brackets break, the CNG tank may separate from the vehicle frame increasing the risk of a crash or possible fire
Fix. Almared, Inc. Has notified owners and all affected vehicles have been remedied, free of charge. Owners may contact Almared at 1-559-485-4427
What's wrong. Almared, Inc., dba A-1 Alternative Fuel Systems, is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Ford F-550 transit buses manufactured May 2011 through April 2013, altered to operate on compressed natural gas (CNG). In the affected vehicles, the brackets securing the passenger side CNG fuel tank may break
Risk. If the brackets break, the CNG tank may separate from the vehicle frame increasing the risk of a crash or possible fire
Fix. Almared, Inc. Has notified owners and all affected vehicles have been remedied, free of charge. Owners may contact Almared at 1-559-485-4427
Trailer Hitches 1 Read
What's wrong. Knapheide is recalling 108 my 2006-2008 pro series truck beds equipped with an icc bumper which included a provision for a ball hitch. There may be an insufficient weld attaching the hitch channel to the supporting structure
Risk. This could result in bending of the hitch channel or the hitch could be pulled off the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Knapheide will offer two remedies to its customers: (1) for those customers who do not use the hitch, the hitch will be removed from the truck bed and replaced with an icc bumper; or (2) for those customers who need a hitch, a receiver hitch assembly will be added to the existing hitch assembly and all suspect weld…
What's wrong. Knapheide is recalling 108 my 2006-2008 pro series truck beds equipped with an icc bumper which included a provision for a ball hitch. There may be an insufficient weld attaching the hitch channel to the supporting structure
Risk. This could result in bending of the hitch channel or the hitch could be pulled off the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash
Fix. Knapheide will offer two remedies to its customers: (1) for those customers who do not use the hitch, the hitch will be removed from the truck bed and replaced with an icc bumper; or (2) for those customers who need a hitch, a receiver hitch assembly will be added to the existing hitch assembly and all suspect weld…
How long a defect stays unadmitted
Campaign numbers encode the year of the announcement, so each recall on this model can be dated against the car it applies to.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Average gap before admission | 1.4 years |
| Slowest campaign | 5 years |
| Admitted 5+ years later | 2.9% |
| Campaigns on record | 23 |
Which F-550 years were recalled most
Campaigns per model year. A year with more campaigns is not automatically worse — it may simply have sold in far greater numbers.
| Model year | Campaigns | Most recalled system |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Seats | |
| 2019 | Engine | |
| 2018 | Engine | |
| 2017 | Latches/locks/linkages | |
| 2015 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2014 | Engine And Engine Cooling | |
| 2013 | Equipment | |
| 2012 | Power Train | |
| 2011 | Engine | |
| 2010 | Equipment | |
| 2009 | Equipment | |
| 2008 | Trailer Hitches | |
| 2007 | Trailer Hitches |
Check your own car
A campaign applies to a range of production, not to every car of the model. The only way to know whether yours is affected — and whether the repair was already done — is by VIN.
| Step | What you get |
|---|---|
| Enter the VIN above | Open campaigns for that exact vehicle, straight from NHTSA |
| Check the repair status | Whether the free fix has already been carried out on this car |
| Book at any franchised dealer | Recall work is free regardless of age, mileage or owner |
Go deeper
A campaign covers a production range. Yours is one car.
- Check whether this exact VIN is affected — and whether the fix was done
- Alerts if a new campaign lands on a car in your garage
- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
- Decode a whole list of VINs at once
- No ads, on every page
- No ads, no tracking — and much more
Frequently asked questions
How many recalls does the Ford F-550 have?
23 NHTSA campaigns on record, covering 2007–2020. Not every campaign applies to every car — coverage is by production range, so check your VIN.
Is recall work free?
Yes. Safety recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer regardless of the car's age, mileage or how many owners it has had. That is a federal requirement, not a courtesy.
How do I know if my F-550 still has an open recall?
Enter its VIN above. We show campaigns that apply to that exact vehicle and whether the repair has already been recorded as done.
Why did a defect take years to be recalled?
On this model the average gap between the car being built and the defect being admitted is 1.4 years, and the slowest campaign came 5 years later. Defects usually surface as they accumulate in the field: complaints pile up, an investigation opens, and only then is a campaign issued.