Reliability & cost of ownership
Ford F-450 Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Ford F-450? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Ford F-450 problems by model year
21 recall entries and 114 owner complaints on file across 10 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 F-450 | 1 | 24 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2019 F-450 | 4 | 19 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 F-450 | 3 | 10 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 F-450 | 4 | 20 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 F-450 | 0 | 4 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 F-450 | 2 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 F-450 | 0 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2013 F-450 | 1 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2012 F-450 | 4 | 14 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2011 F-450 | 2 | 9 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Ford F-450, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine24 complaints
- power train19 complaints
- steering16 complaints
- unknown or other14 complaints
- structure13 complaints
- electrical system11 complaints
- suspension11 complaints
- fuel system10 complaints