2011 Ford E-350 Problems, Recalls & Reliability
Verdict
AvoidComplaint Index
87/100
#3 most-complained of 16 E-350 years
The 2011 Ford E-350 has a Complaint Index of 87 and ranks 3rd worst of 16 model years, with 19 complaints and 18 recalls. Suspension, wheels and tires lead the problem areas at 26% of complaints, making this year a relative Avoid compared to other E-350 years.
- Complaints
- 19
- Recalls
- 18
- Crashes / fires
- 3 / 0
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 12.5
- 10.5 city / 14.5 hwy
Top 2011 Ford E-350 problems
NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (26%)
- Brakes3 (16%)
- Transmission & Powertrain3 (16%)
- Airbags2 (11%)
- Other2 (11%)
- Steering2 (11%)
- Electrical System1 (5%)
- Engine1 (5%)
- Structure & Body1 (5%)
What owners report
- Steering wheel bolts loosened and control was lost at low speed in a driveway situation, near 85,000 miles.
- Tire tread separated and caused violent bouncing at the rear driver-side wheel around 100,000 miles.
- Vehicle jerked into gear and fell out of third gear, later needing a transmission overhaul near 8,500 miles and again around 18,000 miles.
- A metal grinding noise from the subframe area was traced to a faulty planetary transmission assembly around 87,000 miles.
- Owners reported tire recall parts were delayed or unavailable, and some dealers declined to honor the tire recall reimbursement.
- Airbags failed to deploy in a head-on crash and in a tree-collision crash involving front-end damage.
2011 Ford E-350 recalls
18 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 16V350000May 24, 2016Other2 vehicles
Equipment adaptive/mobility
New England Wheels (New England) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-250, E-350, and 2015 Ford Transit vans equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts by Ricon. The platform side plate of the affected wheelchair lifts may crack. Additionally, the lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
Risk: If the platform side plates crack or the platform mounting fails from out-of-position bearings, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the vehicle's doors are opened, the platform may fall onto the lift operator, increasing their risk of injury.
Remedy: New England will notify owners, and Ricon dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on June 29, 2016. Owners may contact New England customer service at 1-800-886-9247. New England's number for this recall is 16E-020.
- NHTSA 15V779000Nov 20, 2015Other278 vehicles
Equipment adaptive/mobility
New England Wheels is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-250, and E-350 cargo vans modified to be equipped with certain model S2005, S2010, S5005, S5010, S5505, and S5510 wheelchair lifts built by the Ricon Corporation. The affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
Risk: If the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.
Remedy: New England Wheels will notify owners, and Ricon dealers will inspect the link arms for damage or for displaced bearings. The platform will be inspected for cracks. Any damaged parts will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on January 5, 2016. Owners may contact New England Wheels customer service at 1-800-866-9247, or Ricon Customer Service at 1-800-322-2884. New England Wheels' number for this recall is 15E-068. Note: These vans and wheelchair lifts were subject to a similar recall in 2014. All vehicles that received that recall remedy are still affected by this recall as well.
- NHTSA 15V763000Nov 17, 2015Other285 vehicles
Equipment adaptive/mobility
Mobility Specialists, Inc. (Mobility Specialists) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-250, and E-350 vehicles modified to be equipped with certain 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. Additionally, the affected lifts are equipped with folding link arms that may have pivot holes that are too big, allowing the bearings to move out of position.
Risk: If the platform side plates crack, the lift platform can separate from the lift and come to rest against the vehicle's lift door. When the doors are opened, the platform may fall out, increasing the risk of injury to the lift operator. Additionally, if the bearings move out of position, the stowed platform may have excessive movement resulting in failure of the platform mounting. This failure could cause the wheel chair lift platform to fall out of the vehicle when the doors are opened, increasing the risk of injury for the lift operator.
Remedy: Mobility Specialists will notify owners to take their vehicles to a Ricon dealer or service center who will install supplemental platform support bumpers. Any platform that has already started cracking will be replaced, free of charge. The recall began on November 13, 2015. Owners may contact Mobility Specialists customer service at 1-877-777-5438, or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884.
2011 Ford E-350 fuel economy and fuel cost
- City
- 10.5 MPG
- Highway
- 14.5 MPG
- Combined
- 12.5 MPG
- Annual fuel cost (EPA)
- $5,200
- 15,000 mi/yr
- Fuel
- Regular
- Current regular gas
- $4.32/gal
- national avg.
EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.
2011 compared with other E-350 years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2011 Ford E-350 a bad year?
- Compared to other E-350 model years, 2011 ranks 3rd worst out of 16 years tracked, with a Complaint Index of 87 and 18 recalls, so NHTSA data supports treating it as an Avoid year relative to the rest of the lineup.
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Ford E-350?
- Suspension, wheels and tires make up 26% of complaints, followed by brakes at 16% and transmission and powertrain at 16%, based on NHTSA owner complaints.
- Does the 2011 Ford E-350 have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 18 recalls for the 2011 E-350, most involving wheelchair lift link arms and platform supports from various mobility conversion companies.
- How does the 2011 E-350 compare to the 2016 E-350?
- The 2016 E-350 has a Complaint Index of just 7 and is rated Best, while the 2011 E-350 has a Complaint Index of 87 and is rated Avoid, making 2016 the far stronger choice among these two years.