2017 Ford F-450 problems & reliability
20 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Ford F-450, alongside 4 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Ford F-450 vehicles were involved in 27 fatal crashes with 2 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | 9 | 45% |
| Power Train | 7 | 35% |
| Electrical System | 3 | 15% |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 5% |
| Engine | 1 | 5% |
| Exterior Lighting | 1 | 5% |
| Seats | 1 | 5% |
| Unknown OR Other | 1 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“tailgate opens while driving could cause jackknife of trailer and truck has recall, recall has been performed 3 times and still having issues midway ford inspected and said the tailgate is functioning as intended no warning or indicators this is 2nd time this has happened and recalls have been performed also have…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Apr 24, 2025
“The contact owns a 2017 Ford F-450. The contact stated that the vehicle had been diagnosed with an oil leak coming from the injector seals. The vehicle was serviced by the dealer and the contact picked up the vehicle after it was serviced. While driving from the dealer at approximately 40 MPH, the contact noticed…”
Engine · filed Jun 6, 2024
“Vibration at 70 mph. Safety concern as to possible vehicle damage/control due to excess vibration transmitted throughout vehicle. Problem has been acknowledged by Ford Motor Company by means of a Safety Recall Notice # 22S74. Correspondence from Ford dated December 2022 stated parts to repair the problem were expected…”
Power Train · filed May 5, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Power Tailgate Release Systems
Recall Query RQ21001 · opened Jan 15, 2021 · closed Jan 10, 2024
- Power tailgate opens unintended
Preliminary Evaluation PE18011 · opened Oct 12, 2018 · closed Dec 12, 2019 · led to recall 19V864000
Technical service bulletins
12 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Ford F-450. The 10 most recent:
Certain 2017-2025 F-450 – F-600 Chassis Cab Upfitted with an Aerial Bucket Frame Rail Crack
25N10S1 · Other · issued Jun 23, 2026
Some 2017-2020 F-150 and 2017-2019 F-Super Duty vehicles may not successfully complete the Transmission Characterization/Solenoid IDN procedure using the Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) scan tool. This may be due to…
SSM 52787 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 7, 2024
The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on…
SAN-Vol1 I1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 8, 2023
Some 2015-2019 Transit vehicles equipped with a 3.2L engine, 2018-2020 F-150 vehicles equipped with a 3.0L engine, 2017-2020 Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine built on or after 13-May-2017 may exhibit an…
TSB 20-2272 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2020
In some of the affected vehicles, customers may experience sustained steering wheel oscillation after hitting rough pavement or an expansion joint at speeds typically above 45 mph (72 Km/h).
20N04 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 30, 2020
Some 2017-2018 F-Super Duty vehicles equipped with a 6.7L engine may exhibit a concern where the DEF level indicator appears to be stuck in the full position. Follow the Service Procedure steps to correct the condition.
TSB 18-2278 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 14, 2018
When connecting the Vehicle Communication Module (VCM) and Integrated Diagnostic System (IDS) or Ford Diagnosis and Repair System (FDRS) to the DLC located on the driver side under the steering column at the GWM, make…
SSM 47070 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 9, 2018
Some 2015-2018 F-150, 2017-2018 F-Super Duty, 2018 Expedition/Navigator vehicles equipped with a vista roof opening panel may exhibit binding while opening or closing of the movable glass panel. The roof opening panel…
SSM 46946 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 29, 2017
Affected vehicle list fo 17B08 customer satisfaction program
17B08-1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2017
Ford Customer Satisfaction Program 17B08 concerning certain vehicles equipped with 6.8L engine. Notifying customers of potential loose crankshaft pulley bolt and recommending servce action by Ford dealer.
17B08 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 17, 2017
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Ford F-450 has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Ford F-450?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.