2013 Ford F-450 SD Problems & Complaints

Average43% fewer complaints than a typical year of the F-450 SD at the same age

Owners have filed 2 complaints about the 2013 Ford F-450 SD with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That is about average for the F-450 SD at the same age. The most reported problem area is the engine & cooling (1 complaint, typically around 43,000 miles). 8 recalls cover this model year.

2complaints
8recalls
0crashes
0fires
0injuries
0deaths

Most common 2013 Ford F-450 SD problems

  • Engine & cooling~43,000 miles
    150%
  • Body & structure~40,000 miles
    150%

Share of the 2 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

’95’96’97’98’99’00’01’02’03’04’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25’26224166432314163340351668336321111318245823
Owner complaints per model year, Ford F-450 SD. Colour = our verdict for that year (red: avoid, orange: caution, green: better than average, blue: too new).

Best F-450 SD years: 2018, 2020, 2014. Years to avoid: 2022, 2021, 2008, 1999, 2000. Compare all years →

2013 Ford F-450 SD recalls (8)

Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (TCM/PCM/tecm)

NHTSA recall 15V-175 · Mar 25, 2015 · 6,322 vehicles

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.

Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Gasoline

NHTSA recall 14V-411 · Jul 8, 2014 · 2 vehicles

J.C. Madigan, Inc. (J.C. Madigan) is recalling one model year 2011 Ford F-550, and one model year 2013 Ford F-450 chassis with a 6.8L gasoline engine dump trucks equipped with certain PTO Assembly Pressure Switches, part number 30T37594, manufactured June 2009 through June 2013, used in power take off (PTO) assemblies.

Remedy: J.C. Madigan 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 September 2014. Owners may contact J.C.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 14V-360 · Jun 23, 2014 · 10 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 14V-326 · Jun 13, 2014 · 10 vehicles

Manning Equipment Inc. LLC (Manning) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Ford F-350 Super Duty, F-450 Super Duty, and F-550 Super Duty vehicles modified by Manning and equipped with certain Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.

Remedy: Manning will notify owners, and dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that moves the switch away from the exhaust system, free of charge. This action is the same as the service campaign action.

Equipment

NHTSA recall 14V-328 · Jun 13, 2014 · 21 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 14V-327 · Jun 12, 2014 · 10 vehicles

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.

Show 2 more recalls

Equipment

NHTSA recall 14V-382 · Jun 10, 2014 · 4 vehicles

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

NHTSA recall 14V-379 · Jun 10, 2014 · 16 vehicles

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.

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2013 Ford F-450 SD:

Vehicle Commanded Engine Shutdown

NHTSA investigation RQ14005 · opened Jan 13, 2015 · closed Mar 15, 2016 · led to recall 15V-175

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford F-450 SD a good car?

Based on 2 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 F-450 SD rates average: 43% fewer complaints than 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 2013 Ford F-450 SD?

The engine & cooling — 1 complaint, 50% of all complaints for this model year. Next is the body & structure (1).

How many recalls does the 2013 Ford F-450 SD have?

There are 8 recalls for the 2013 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 2013 Ford F-450 SD problems happen?

The median mileage reported in complaints is about 43,000 miles; 100% 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.