What breaks most · 2011 to 2020 model years
FORD F-550 problems by year
Owners have filed 93 safety complaints with NHTSA about the FORD F-550 across model years 2011 to 2020. Three years stand out: 2020 for fuel system, diesel complaints, 2019 for engine complaints and 2012 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2014, 2013 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2020, 2019, 2012
- Fewest complaints: 2014, 2013, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 932011 to 2020, all trims
- Worst year
- 202017 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 610 fires · 1 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 61kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 33Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 1 | 5 | Engine (6) | |
| 13 | 1 | 5 | Engine (9) | |
| 6 | 0 | 1 | Engine (2) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Engine (1) | |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | Air bags (4) | |
| 12 | 2 | 5 | Brakes (2) | |
| 8 | 0 | 10 | Suspension (2) | |
| 14 | 1 | 4 | Engine (5) | |
| 17 | 0 | 2 | Fuel System, Diesel (6) |
What fails on the 2020 FORD F-550
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel System, Diesel | 35% |
6 | 0 | — |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 18% |
3 | 0 | Shop all suspension parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 18% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 18% |
3 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 12% |
2 | 0 | Shop all body and structure parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all brakes parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 6% |
1 | 0 | Shop all electrical system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
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.
-
While driving vehicle on trail it was noticed that smoke and fire were coming from the undercarriage. Driver attempted to put the fire out with the vehicle supplied fire extinguisher. After the extinguisher ran out the vehicle fire accelerated and totally engulfed the vehicle.*dt*jb
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which FORD F-550 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2020, 2019, 2012 carry the most filings on the FORD F-550. The 2020 alone has 17 complaints, led by fuel system, diesel.
What is the most common FORD F-550 problem?
On the 2020 model year, the most-reported component is fuel system, diesel with 6 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do FORD F-550 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all FORD F-550 complaints that include mileage is about 61,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.