Ford F-550 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 93 consumer complaints across the 8 model years of the Ford F-550 (2011–2020) that have at least 5 complaints. 2020 has the most, with 17. Across all years, the part named most often is engine (27 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All F-550 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 17 | 38,239 | 2 | 12 | — | Rising |
| 2019 | 14 | 108,282 | 4 | 15 | — | Not enough data |
| 2018 | 8 | 32,275 | 10 | 11 | — | Not enough data |
| 2017 | 14 | 80,000 | 5 | 16 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 9 | 85,000 | 0 | 2 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 6 | 8,000 | 1 | 8 | — | Not enough data |
| 2012 | 13 | 72,000 | 5 | 12 | — | Not enough data |
| 2011 | 12 | 21,094 | 5 | 4 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Engine27 27%
- Fuel system20 20%
- Body and structure14 14%
- Transmission and drivetrain8 8.0%
- Suspension8 8.0%
- Steering8 8.0%
- Engine cooling8 8.0%
- Electrical system7 7.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2012: “Diesel exhaust fluid system failed shutting down my vehicle while driving and I had to be towed to a Ford dealer. This is a safety issue and could have caused a major accident on the highway. I never got a recall notice about this major problem. Now I am told I would have to spend over $5000.00 to get this problem fixed. Ford had gotten many complaints about this issue. They should pay to have this repair done. I only had this vehicle for a short time and paid over $59,000 for it. I tried to contact several Ford executives over two weeks ago and heard back from none.”
NHTSA complaint #10966637, filed 2017-03, 102,000 miles2020: “Electronic stability control (ESC) light came on and stayed on during normal, straight and level highway driving at 60 MPH, indicating an ESC system malfunction. The light came on after about 20 miles of highway driving and remained on for the remaining 12 miles of my journey. After being parked overnight the ESC light operated normally when the engine was restarted while parked.”
NHTSA complaint #11413180, filed 2021-04, 2,393 miles2016: “Purchased new f550 2016 had 6736 miles on truck and aluminum wheels started to bubble and crack,Ford agreed to replace all 4 wheels,3215 miles and the wheels are doing the same thing,this truck has never been driven in the winter and barely in the rain,these wheels should all be recalled for safety concerns because sooner or later they will come apart on highway at high speeds.”
NHTSA complaint #11355568, filed 2020-09, 6,736 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology