2011 Ford E-450 Problems & Complaints

Average38% fewer complaints than a typical year of the E-450 at the same age

Owners have filed 7 complaints about the 2011 Ford E-450 with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the E-450 at the same age. The most reported problem area is the fuel & propulsion system (3 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles). 8 recalls cover this model year.

7complaints
8recalls
0crashes
1fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2011 Ford E-450 problems

  • Fuel & propulsion system~60,000 miles
    343%
  • Wheels & tires~45,000 miles
    229%
  • Electrical system~23,000 miles
    229%
  • Speed control & acceleration~15,000 miles
    114%
  • Engine & cooling~65,000 miles
    114%

Share of the 7 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.

Ford E-450 complaints by model year

’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’21’22’23118573421613182734201262574125617115527132
Owner complaints per model year, Ford E-450. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best E-450 years: 2009, 2012, 2010. Years to avoid: 2021, 2022, 1999, 2000, 2005. Compare all years →

2011 Ford E-450 recalls (8)

Equipment adaptive/mobility

NHTSA recall 15V-112 · Feb 25, 2015 · 117 vehicles

Farber Specialty Vehicles (Farber) is recalling various specialty vehicles modified by Farber and equipped with model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack.

Remedy: Farber will notify owners to take their vehicles to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers.

Equipment adaptive/mobility

NHTSA recall 14V-595 · Sep 24, 2014 · 437 vehicles

Elkhart Coach (Elkhart) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-350 and Ford E-450 vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to May 1, 2014 and equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts manufactured by Ricon Corporation.

Remedy: Elkhart will notify owners to take the vehicles to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers.

Fuel system, other › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

NHTSA recall 14V-426 · Jul 10, 2014 · 36 vehicles

Roush Performance Products, Inc. (Roush) is recalling certain model year 2010-2012 Ford E-150 Wagons and Cargo Vans, E-250 Cargo Vans and Extended Cargo Vans, E-350 Wagons, Extended Wagons, Cargo Vans, and Extended Vans, and E-450 Cutaway models.

Remedy: Roush will notify owners and will replace the aluminum fuel line fittings with new stainless steel fittings, free of charge. The recall began on September 1, 2014.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 12V-584 · Dec 12, 2012 · 227 vehicles

Creative Bus Sales, Inc is recalling certain model year 2006-2011 Chevrolet and GMC C5500, and Ford E450, and Econoline 350 vehicles equipped with Braun wheelchair lifts. Over time, or with frequent use, the roll stop latches on the outer barrier of the lifts may become bent or misaligned.

Remedy: Braun is conducting this recall on behalf of Creative Bus Sales. Braun will notify owners, and dealers will repair the vehicles free of charge. The recall began on November 23, 2012.

Fuel system, other › Fuel injection system

NHTSA recall 11V-450 · Aug 31, 2011 · 101 vehicles

Roush is recalling certain model year 2009-2011 Ford e-150, e-250, and e-350 5.4l engin vans/wagons/cutaways, and model year 2010-2011 Ford e-450 6.8l engine cutaway vehicles altered by rouch to operate using the roush branded cleantech propane autogas fuel system.

Remedy: Roush will notify owners of the vehicles of which the kits were installed in order to arrange for free replacement of the injector retention clips. The safety recall began on September 26, 2011.

Visibility › Windshield

NHTSA recall 11V-445 · Aug 26, 2011 · 4,532 vehicles

Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011 Ford E-150, E-250, E-350, and E-450 vehicles built from May 12, 2011, through May 26, 2011. Due to improper manufacturing conditions, some of the windshields may form bubbles after an extended time in hot temperatures.

Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the windshield if bubbles are present, free of charge. The recall began in January 2014.

Show 2 more recalls

Fuel system, other › Delivery › Hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

NHTSA recall 11V-307 · May 31, 2011 · 15 vehicles

Roush performance products is recalling certain 2011 Ford e-series vans equipped with 5.4 or 6.8 liter engines that have been altered by roush to operate using the roush liquid propane autogas fuel system. A valve in the system May have been mismachined allowing a propane leak.

Remedy: Roush will replace the defective valve with a correctly machined one. All the affected vehicles have been repaired, therefore, an owner notification letter will not be issued for this campaign.

Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust

NHTSA recall 11V-246 · Apr 20, 2011 · 192 vehicles

Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 e-150, e-250, e-350 and e-450 trucks for failing to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard no. 207, "seating systems." it May be possible that under unusually high loads, such as during a crash, the driver power seat track worm gear May fracture.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect the driver's seat track assembly, and if necessary, replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on May 4, 2011.

What 2011 Ford E-450 owners say

Fuel & propulsion system

This vehicle was converted to an ambulance by wheeld coach. The ambulance caught fire and spread to the building in which it was parked and unoccupied. A paramedic smelled something coming from the bay, and, when he went to investigate, he saw smoke and fire dripping from underneath the ambulance. An investigator determined that the lug connection at the alternator was improperly installed by wheeled coach. The connection produced a high resistance connection, producing temperatures sufficient to ignite a competent fuel source and/or caused the battery cable insulation to fail, producing electrical arcing that provided a competent ignition source to cause the fire.

Jun 2013 · fire

My 2011 f450 with 60,000 miles on it, would not start after just running. It had never given any indications of any problems prior to not starting. The dealership where it was taken worked on it for 9 days hand in hand with Ford warranty dept and came up with failure of the fuel system. According to Ford inspectors, fuel was contaminated. Fuel pump had metal shavings in filter system. Fuel pump was rusted and had no lubricant. Bumper to bumper warranty did not cover this. We are out over $5,000 (don't have the final $$$$$ amount at this time). System failure warning lights did not indicate a problem with water or other contaminates in fuel lines. Fuel system has to be flushed to eliminate metal shavings throughout fuel lines and injectors. According to the mechanic, any diesel used in Ford diesel trucks should have a rating of 20...and not above (like 25). …

60,000 miles · Oct 2012

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2011 Ford E-450 a good car?

Based on 7 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 E-450 rates average: 38% fewer complaints than a typical year of the E-450 at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.

What is the most common problem with the 2011 Ford E-450?

The fuel & propulsion system — 3 complaints, 43% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the wheels & tires (2) and electrical system (2).

How many recalls does the 2011 Ford E-450 have?

There are 8 recalls for the 2011 Ford E-450, the most recent from February 25, 2015 (equipment adaptive/mobility). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.

What are the best and worst years of the Ford E-450?

The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2009, 2012 and 2010. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2021, 2022, 1999, 2000 and 2005. See the full Ford E-450 years comparison.

At what mileage do 2011 Ford E-450 problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 45,000 miles; 67% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.