YearToAvoid

2013 Ford E-450 Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Good

Complaint Index

42/100

#12 most-complained of 20 E-450 years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2013 Ford E-450 has 12 owner complaints and 2 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 42 out of 100 — #12 highest of 20 E-450 model years (verdict: Good). The most reported problem area is transmission & powertrain (4 complaints, 33% of the total).

Complaints
12
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
0 / 0
Injuries / deaths
0 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
—

Top 2013 Ford E-450 problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Transmission & Powertrain4 (33%)
  2. Suspension, Wheels & Tires3 (25%)
  3. Brakes2 (17%)
  4. Other2 (17%)
  5. Steering2 (17%)
  6. Electrical System1 (8%)
  7. Structure & Body1 (8%)
2013 Ford E-450 complaints: complaints filed per month4Jan 2014Jun 2014Oct 2015Feb 2018Aug 2018
15 complaints filed with NHTSA from Jan 2014 to Aug 2018; peak Feb 2018 (4).

2013 Ford E-450 recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 15V112000Feb 25, 2015Other117 vehicles

    Equipment adaptive/mobility

    Farber Specialty Vehicles (Farber) is recalling various specialty vehicles modified by Farber and equipped with 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.

    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.

    Remedy: Farber 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 March 24, 2015. Owners may contact Farber customer service at 1-800-331-3188, or Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Farber's number for this recall is 14E-041.

  2. NHTSA 14V595000Sep 24, 2014Other437 vehicles

    Equipment adaptive/mobility

    Elkhart Coach (Elkhart) is recalling certain model year 2006-2014 Ford E-350 and Ford E-450 vehicles manufactured January 1, 2006, to May 1, 2014 and 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.

    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.

    Remedy: Elkhart will notify owners to take the 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 October 1, 2014. Owners may contact Ricon customer service at 1-800-322-2884. Owners may also contact Elkhart customer service at 1-574-264-5179. This recall has been superseded by campaign 15V-768.

2013 compared with other E-450 years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2011Good3778—
2012No verdict044—
2013Good42122—
2014Best553—
2015Best2161—

All Ford E-450 years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Ford E-450 a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2013 Ford E-450 ranks #12 of 20 among E-450 model years (Complaint Index 42/100, verdict: Good). It has 12 complaints and 2 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford E-450?
The most reported problem areas are transmission & powertrain (4 complaints), suspension, wheels & tires (3 complaints), and brakes (2 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 25,900 miles.
Does the 2013 Ford E-450 have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2013 Ford E-450, most recently reported 2015, covering other.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.