2021 Ford F-450 Sd recalls & complaints

1. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The front wheel hub extenders may be improperly attached to the front rotor hub assemblies, which could result in separation of the wheels and wheel extenders from the vehicle.

What could happen: A detached wheel and wheel extender can increase the risk of a crash.

The fix: Owners are instructed not to drive their vehicles until the torque of the wheel extender nuts can be verified. Dealers will inspect and tighten the front wheel hub extender nuts, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 18, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford…

What to do

1. Do not drive this vehicle until the recall repair is done. The manufacturer has told owners to park it.
2. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
3. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V390000 (manufacturer code 21S26).
4. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
5. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
6. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Visibility (wipers / glass)

What's wrong, in plain English: You may not be able to see the road clearly. During manufacturing, the windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 212, "Windshield Mounting."

What could happen: In the event of a crash, if the windshield separates from the vehicle, it can increase the risk of injury.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will remove and reinstall the windshield, free of charge. The recall began April 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21C06.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V090000 (manufacturer code 21C06).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Fuel system

What's wrong, in plain English: Fuel lines, tank or pump. Fuel problems usually mean a leak, and leaks mean fire risk. 7L diesel engines. A small void may be present in the top-center of the vehicle's underhood secondary fuel filter cap, which may progress to a pinhole over time, allowing fuel to leak from the top of the secondary fuel filter.

What could happen: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire or injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace the primary and secondary fuel filters, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 28, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S01.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V013000 (manufacturer code 22S01).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Trailer Hitches

What's wrong, in plain English: A vehicle part that may fail.

What could happen: A cracked mounting bracket could result in the fifth wheel detaching from the vehicle while towing, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the mounting bracket, and replace the bracket if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on June 16, 2021. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 21S23.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 21V379000 (manufacturer code 21S23).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

5. Visibility (wipers / glass)

What's wrong, in plain English: You may not be able to see the road clearly. The windshield wiper arms may break, causing the windshield wipers to fail.

What could happen: Inoperative windshield wipers can reduce visibility in certain driving conditions, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace both front windshield wiper arms, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed on May 24, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available 3rd Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed on October 21, 2022. Owners may contact For…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V250000 (manufacturer code 22S26).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

6. Equipment

What's wrong, in plain English: A part or accessory supplied with the vehicle. The owner's manual does not include instructions for adjusting or removing certain head restraints. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 202, "Head Restraints."

What could happen: Without instructions, the head restraints may be improperly adjusted, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.

The fix: Ford will mail the Owner's Manual addendums that describe how to adjust and remove the head restraints for the center seating positions, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 23C20.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 23V420000 (manufacturer code 23C20).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

7. Fuel system

What's wrong, in plain English: Fuel lines, tank or pump. Fuel problems usually mean a leak, and leaks mean fire risk. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.

What could happen: High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) and Transmission Control Module (TCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 24S78.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 24V957000 (manufacturer code 24S78).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

8. Backup camera

What's wrong, in plain English: The rear camera may not show an image when reversing. The rearview camera may display a blank or distorted image.

What could happen: Rearview camera failure can reduce the driver's view of what is behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 18, 2025. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S05.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V048000 (manufacturer code 25S05).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

9. Fuel system

What's wrong, in plain English: Fuel lines, tank or pump. Fuel problems usually mean a leak, and leaks mean fire risk. The low-pressure fuel pump may fail, which can result in an engine stall while driving.

What could happen: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will replace the low pressure fuel pump on super duty vehicles and update the powertrain control module (PCM) software on all other affected vehicles, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V455000 (manufacturer code 25S75).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

10. Steering

What's wrong, in plain English: If steering fails you can lose control of the car. The steering column upper shaft may detach from the steering column and result in a loss of steering control.

What could happen: A loss of steering control increases the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will inspect the steering column, and repair or replace the upper shaft as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 20, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25S94. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in t…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V626000 (manufacturer code 25S94).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

11. Backup camera

What's wrong, in plain English: The rear camera may not show an image when reversing. The 360-degree view camera system may not display a rearview image properly in certain lighting conditions.

What could happen: A rearview camera image that does not display properly can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will update the image processing module software, free of charge.This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 30, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the remedy is…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 25V686000 (manufacturer code 25SA8).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

12. Fuel system

What's wrong, in plain English: Fuel lines, tank or pump. Fuel problems usually mean a leak, and leaks mean fire risk. Biodiesel deposits may form on the pump drivetrain roller components, which could lead to failure of the high pressure fuel pump.

What could happen: High pressure fuel pump failure can cause a loss of drive power, increasing the risk of a crash.

The fix: Dealers will update the powertrain control module (PCM) software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed mailed April 7, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 26S17. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searcha…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2021 F-450 SD.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 26V158000 (manufacturer code 26S17).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Electrical system (5), Transmission / drivetrain (4), Brakes (3), Fuel system (3), Body / structure (3).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.