Brake, tailgate, and tire issues are among the top complaints received by the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Ford’s F-series pickup trucks, first launched after World War II, are an important part of America’s vehicle history. As technology has improved, so too have all the components that go into more modern models.
The rugged Super Duty (SD) truck line revolutionized the American truck market when it launched in early 1998. Everything was bigger and better than ever before, appealing particularly to anyone needing to tow big. The 1½-ton, heavy-duty F-450 followed hot on the heels of the F-250 and F-350, raising the bar even higher, and becoming the largest pickup truck available on the North American market. It’s not just a workhorse, it’s luxurious too.
It was nothing like its predecessor, the 1991 Ford F-450 SD, which was a single cab, medium-duty truck.
But improvements in technology have also increased the potential for problems. There are mounting complaints on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) as well as 3 recalls issued between March and May 2022.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2021
Brakes are the biggest problem for 2022 Ford F-450 owners. Most of the initial complaints filed with the NHTSA are about dangerous trailer brake functionality problems. A recall has been initiated to try and resolve the problem but consumers are finding that the suggested fix doesn’t work.
Another problem relates to tires that appear to contribute to a steering problem. Although not related to this specific problem, one of the other three recalls is due to missing information on tires. What’s missing is data on the safety certification labels for the tire size, rim type, and tire pressure values for the front and rear axles.
This might not seem like a big deal, but it can lead to incorrect tire pressure or an incorrect tire or rim being installed. As the NHTSA recall notice points out, this can increase the risk of a crash.
There is also a complaint from an owner in Indiana about the F-450 tailgate coming down without warning. We highlighted this problem with the 2021 Ford F-450 in an earlier article. But Ford does not appear to have acknowledged that it is a problem. This particular complainant is “troubled that this problem is not a safety recall. Ford is only fixing the problem AFTER an incident has occurred.” But are they?
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Service Brakes | |
| Electrical System: Integrated Trailer Brake Control | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Firerelated | |
| Structure:body | |
| Wheels |
The trailer brake recall issued on March 25, 2022, states that the truck’s trailer brakes may fail. This, they say, is due to a software error that affects towed trailers equipped with electric or electric-over hydraulic brake systems. The subsequent loss of trailer brake functionality could extend the stopping distance and increase the risk of a crash.
Eight Ford models are affected, including the 2022 F-450 SD. In all, the potential units at risk total 391,836.
Dealers are instructed to update the integrated trailer brake control module software, free of charge. One of the brake-related complaints issued to the NHTSA states that the dealership has not been able to fix the problem with the software update specified by Ford. A Florida owner warns that the issue is “a lawsuit waiting to happen.” His reasoning is that purchasers of new F-450 trucks aren’t warned of the issue when they buy.
He goes on to say that while towing, the truck disconnects the trailer brakes. “This is risking somebody’s life… if this is an active recall why aren’t we being notified about it when we are purchasing a brand new truck to haul?”
An Owner from California States:
“The trailer brakes fail after a random period of time. Though the trailer works fine with other controllers, the entire trailer was rewired with new brakes and a new 7-pin connector.” But nothing changed and there were no obvious or intermittent problems like “shorts, grounds, opens in the brake circuit.”
However, the trailer brakes start off working, but stop working at random times. Often they fail shortly after sitting in traffic. “After the failure, I remove and reinstall fuse #62 in the under-hood fuse box, and the trailer brake operation will be restored for a while.”
Even though it is a common topic on groups and forums, he says the dealers have been no help. So, the owner manually tests trailer brake operation regularly, especially before going down hills. But sometimes it happens shortly after confirming a proper operation.
“After the failure, I will pull over, then again confirm that they’re not working, then R&R the fuse without disturbing any other circuits or connectors, and the trailer brakes will resume operation. Turning the truck off and on does not fix the problem even temporarily.”
This truck had about 2,500 miles on the clock at the time of the complaint. And the owner had experienced the problem about every 100 miles of driving. He noticed the problem at about 1,100 miles, during the first tow, and says he’s experienced the trailer brake failure about 7 times.
An Owner from Georgia States:
“2022 F-450 King Ranch will not recognize an electric-over-hydraulic brake system on the trailer. It will recognize it if you connect while running. Once you shut the engine off and turn it back on it disconnects and will not recognize the trailer until you get out and go back to the plug and unplug and plug it in again.”
Even though the 2021 F450 works with the trailer, when a dealer tried hooking up four different 2022 F series vehicles, they all did the same thing. Eventually, a field service engineer went to investigate the issue but couldn’t figure it out.
Then they tried updating the software in terms of the recall. That didn’t work either. They also tried hooking up 2022 F-150, F-250, and other F-450s to the trailer “and none of them would recognize an electric-over-hydraulic brake trailer system.”
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An owner of an F-450 from South Dakota complains that he has been experiencing a steering issue that requires constant steering wheel correction.
“This seems to be caused by the tires reacting to any roadway surface anomaly (the tires seem to catch an edge which causes the vehicle to abruptly steer to one side or the other). I tow a 5th wheel RV and the abrupt steering change causes a severe lateral back and forth movement of the trailer when it occurs. This has caused the trailer to leave my traffic lane. I have ensured the air pressure is per the Ford vehicle specification.”
The truck came with Conti Hybrid HD3 Continental tires installed on all six dual rear wheels. But the owner’s concern is that Ford’s tire specification says the tire is designed for installation on the drive (rear) axle.
When he asked if the installation of drive axle tires on the steering axle was intentional, Ford said it was, and confirmed that there were the same tires on all six wheels of the truck.
His further concern is that “the tire may be contributing to the steering issue I am having and may be indicative of a steering safety issue.”
It’s been a constant issue since purchased on March 21, 2022.
The owner from Indiana who maintains this should be a safety recall states; “These vehicles are designed for hauling and towing, not just driving around town. As such, when the tailgate comes down, the payload could fall out and cause an accident. Also, what is being towed could be significantly damaged. In my case, I tow a large, custom 5th wheel. If I turn with the tailgate down, it’s going to create a significant amount of damage and cause debris to scatter on the roadway, creating a hazard for other vehicles.”
If you have a 2022 Ford F-450 SD truck that has problems that won’t go away, you may have a lemon. In general terms, a lemon has faults or malfunctions that impair its use and negatively affect the value of your vehicle.
You may have tried to have defects fixed by your dealership and you even have tried to negotiate a settlement with Ford. The team of lemon lawyers at Lemberg Law can help you and relieve your stress. We’ve negotiated many settlement deals for our clients and, if you’ve got a lemon, we can do the same for you.
You can call us or fill in our contact form so that we know who you are and what problems you are facing. We will assess your situation free of charge because the law says Ford has to pay the legal fees of lemon law cases.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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