2011 Ford E-350 Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Avoid The 2011 Ford E-350 has a complaint index of 75, ranking 6th worst among 21 model years, with 19 complaints and 18 recall campaigns logged with NHTSA, earning an Avoid verdict compared to other E-350 years.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 75/100
- #6 of 21 E-350 years
- Verdict
- Avoid
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 19
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 18
- distinct NHTSA campaigns
- Crashes
- 3
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Top issue
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 12.5
- 10.5 city / 14.5 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 0 / 0
Top 2011 Ford E-350 problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA 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%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Steering wheel bolts or components have come loose, causing sudden loss of steering control at low speed.
- Tires have failed with tread separation or blistering, sometimes tied to a recall on Michelin or B.F. Goodrich tires.
- Transmission has jerked or slipped into gear from a stop and later needed an overhaul after low mileage.
- A metal grinding noise from the subframe area was traced to a faulty planetary transmission assembly.
- Airbags reportedly failed to deploy in frontal crashes despite significant vehicle 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 reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2011 E-350 has a complaint index of 75 and ranks 6th worst out of 21 model years, so it is rated Avoid relative to other E-350 years.
- What are the most common problems with the 2011 Ford E-350?
- Owners most often reported issues in Suspension, Wheels & Tires (26% of complaints), followed by Brakes and Transmission & Powertrain, each at 16%.
- Does the 2011 Ford E-350 have recalls?
- NHTSA lists 18 recall campaigns tied to the 2011 E-350, most involving Ricon wheelchair lift link arms and support bumpers installed by mobility conversion companies.
- At what mileage do 2011 E-350 problems typically show up?
- Median mileage at failure across all reported issues is 76,000 miles, though suspension complaints median at 100,000 miles and transmission complaints median at 50,209 miles.
- How does the 2011 E-350 compare to other years?
- Its complaint index of 75 is lower than 2006 (100) and 2005 (85) but worse than 2015 and 2016, which are rated Best with complaint indexes of 20 and 10.