Most common 2011 Ford F-450 SD problems
Share of the 6 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Ford F-450 SD complaints by model year
Best F-450 SD years: 2018, 2020, 2014. Years to avoid: 2022, 2021, 2008, 1999, 2000. Compare all years →
2011 Ford F-450 SD recalls (8)
Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2011-2015 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks manufactured February 22, 2010, to January 30, 2015, and equipped with ambulance or fire engine preparation packages.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the Powertrain Control Module (PCM) software, free of charge. The recall began on April 22, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332.
Equipment
Palfleet Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Palfleet) is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 super duty vehicles modified by Palfleet and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Palfleet will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 29, 2014.
Equipment
Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners and dealers to inspect the Muncie PTO pressure switch to determine if it is from the range of defective switches and if required, remove the pressure switch assembly and put a plug in the port where the PTO switch had been installed. This switch was never being utilized.
Remedy: Iowa Mold Tooling Co., Inc. will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began on July 28, 2014.
Equipment
Stahl is recalling certain model year 2009-2014 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Stahl and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies. In the affected vehicles, oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust.
Remedy: Stahl will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge.
Equipment
Somerset Welding & Steel, doing business as J&J Truck equipment (J&J), is recalling certain model year 2009-2013 Ford F-350, F-450, and F-550 Super Duty chassis with 6.8L gasoline engines modified by J&J to be equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
Remedy: Somerset will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began August 2014.
Equipment
Utility Truck Equipment Company, LLC (Utility Truck) is recalling certain model year 2010-2013 UTLI41A, 2011 UTLN41, and 2012 UTLN46 aerial trucks manufactured December 2010 to September 2013 equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies installed on 2010-2013 Ford F-350, F-450 and F-550 vehicles.
Remedy: Utility Truck will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. The recall began in June 2014.
Show 2 more recalls
Electrical system › Software
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 Ford f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, edge, and Lincoln mkx trucks manufactured from October 25, 2010, through November 20, 2010. These vehicles were inspected using integrated diagnostic system (ids) that had a custom software routine to read the suspect body control module (BCM)…
Remedy: Dealer will inspect the body control module and if necessary replace it free of charge. The safety recall began on March 7, 2011. Owners May contact Ford motor company customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332.
Structure › Body
Ford is recalling certain model year 2011 f-150, f-250, f-350, f-450, f-550, edge and Lincoln mkx vehicles. During a six-day production period, the supplier of the body control module manufactured modules that May have the potential for an internal short.
Remedy: Dealer will replace the body control module if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on January 11, 2011. Owners May contact Ford at 1-866-436-7332.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2011 Ford F-450 SD:
Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this RQ to investigate allegations that the scope and remedy of safety recall 13V-535 were inadequate. Recall 13V-535 was limited to a relatively small population of Ambulance Package vehicles and ODI received complaints of pickup trucks and Fire Engine Prep Package vehicles being affected by the same defect.
What 2011 Ford F-450 SD owners say
Engine & cooling
When traveling down the hiway,sometimes you will lose power. You will feel a jerk. The engine is still running but no power to the wheels. Pretty scary when you are trying to pass a vehicle on the interstate. You try to pull over to the side of the road. You have no means of movement. You can now turn off the vehicle and put it in neutral and restart the engine,you can now continue down the hiway until it happens again. This has happened multiple times. We have driven with our horse trailer down to arizona 3 times and this has happened 3-4 times each way. Ford dealer where purchased has no clue what is causing this. This vehicle was purchased brand new. We have had this problem since new.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Ford f-450 SD. While driving at any speed, the vehicle stalled without warning and the service engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart. The failure recurred numerous times. The dealer diagnosed that the turbo needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred a week later. The vehicle was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 10V659000 (structure). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 77,000.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Ford F-450 SD a good car?
Based on 6 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 F-450 SD rates average: 1.5× as many complaints as a typical year of the F-450 SD 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 F-450 SD?
The engine & cooling — 4 complaints, 67% of all complaints for this model year, most often about engine › diesel. Next are the fuel & propulsion system (2) and brakes (1).
How many recalls does the 2011 Ford F-450 SD have?
There are 8 recalls for the 2011 Ford F-450 SD, the most recent from March 25, 2015 (control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)). 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 F-450 SD?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2018, 2020 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2022, 2021, 2008, 1999 and 2000. See the full Ford F-450 SD years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Ford F-450 SD problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 77,000 miles; 50% 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.