RoadVitals

2017 North Central Emergency Ford E-450

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
5
Latest Apr 23, 2022
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Apr 10, 2019
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 5 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2017 North Central Emergency Ford E-450, most frequently naming the powertrain (other) category. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 1 manufacturer communication is on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Powertrain (other)5100.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS

Apr 10, 2019
5 units potentially affected
The defect: North Central Emergency Vehicles (North Central) is recalling certain 2016-2018 Ambulances remounted on Ford E-350 and E-450 and Chevrolet G4500 chassis equipped with Whelen brake lights. Depending on the specific wiring of the vehicle, these brake lights may illuminate when the brake pedal has not been pressed.
The risk: If the brake lights incorrectly illuminate, it can confuse other drivers, possibly increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy: North Central will notify owners and dealers will replace the brake lights, free of charge. The recall began May 20, 2019. Owners may contact North Central Emergency Vehicles customer service at 1-320-395-2529.
North Central Emergency VehiclesView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 23, 2022

Second time that the torque converter in the transmission has failed on this vehicle. Is currently at diamond Ford in lancaster, ca. Fedex branded delivery vehicle. Both times when it failed the vehicle hard stopped causing packages to misplace and driver to hurriedly avoid being stuck in the middle of the road.

NHTSA ID
11461874
Incident
Feb 12, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 21, 2022

2017 FORD E-450 SD WITH THE 6.2L V8 GAS ENGINE PAIRED WITH 6SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS PREMATURELY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE VAN DISABLED IN ROAD WAY OR INTERSECTIONS. THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WOULD SLAM AND JERK THE DRIVER FOWARD AND SOMETIMES MAKE THE VAN FEEL LIKE THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED EXTREMLY HARD WHILE MOVING THROUGH TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES!! VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON HILL WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED THE SECOND TIME THE VHEICLED STALLED OUT IN TRAFFIC 3 TIMES THEN AGAIN WHEN ON A HILL THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT AND STARTED JERKING THE VAN BACK AND FOURST THEN STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 4 OF MY FLEET VEHICLES SOME OF THEM TWO TIMES. SOME HAVE FAILED AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES. THIS HAS PUT MYSELF AND EMPLOYEES AT EXTREME RISK AND CAN CAUSE NECK INJURY. FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES INFORMED ME THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF HOW OFTER THESE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTERS ARE GOING OUT. EXAMPLE: DRIVER DRIVING 55MPH WHEN ON FREEWAY AND TORQUE CONVERTER UNLOCKED THEN LOCKED CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK BACK AND FOURTH AND SLOW DOWN TREMLY FAST WHILE MOVING ON THE FREEWAY. LOSS OF BRAKES POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ID
11461715
Incident
Apr 20, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 21, 2022

2017 FORD E-450 SD WITH THE 6.2L V8 GAS ENGINE PAIRED WITH 6SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS PREMATURELY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE VAN DISABLED IN ROAD WAY OR INTERSECTIONS. THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WOULD SLAM AND JERK THE DRIVER FOWARD AND SOMETIMES MAKE THE VAN FEEL LIKE THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED EXTREMLY HARD WHILE MOVING THROUGH TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES!! VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON HILL WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED THE SECOND TIME THE VHEICLED STALLED OUT IN TRAFFIC 3 TIMES THEN AGAIN WHEN ON A HILL THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT AND STARTED JERKING THE VAN BACK AND FOURST THEN STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 4 OF MY FLEET VEHICLES SOME OF THEM TWO TIMES. SOME HAVE FAILED AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES. THIS HAS PUT MYSELF AND EMPLOYEES AT EXTREME RISK AND CAN CAUSE NECK INJURY. FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES INFORMED ME THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF HOW OFTER THESE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTERS ARE GOING OUT. EXAMPLE: DRIVER DRIVING 55MPH WHEN ON FREEWAY AND TORQUE CONVERTER UNLOCKED THEN LOCKED CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK BACK AND FOURTH AND SLOW DOWN TREMLY FAST WHILE MOVING ON THE FREEWAY. LOSS OF BRAKES POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ID
11461714
Incident
Jan 23, 2022
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 21, 2022

2017 FORD E-450 SD WITH THE 6.2L V8 GAS ENGINE PAIRED WITH 6SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS PREMATURELY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE VAN DISABLED IN ROAD WAY OR INTERSECTIONS. THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WOULD SLAM AND JERK THE DRIVER FOWARD AND SOMETIMES MAKE THE VAN FEEL LIKE THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED EXTREMLY HARD WHILE MOVING THROUGH TRAFFIC. WHEN THIS HAPPENS THE VEHICLE WOULD STALL AND THE DRIVER WOULD HAVE NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES!! VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON HILL WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED THE SECOND TIME THE VHEICLED STALLED OUT IN TRAFFIC 3 TIMES THEN AGAIN WHEN ON A HILL THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT AND STARTED JERKING THE VAN BACK AND FOURST THEN STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 4 OF MY FLEET VEHICLES SOME OF THEM TWO TIMES. SOME HAVE FAILED AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES. THIS HAS PUT MYSELF AND EMPLOYEES AT EXTREME RISK AND CAN CAUSE NECK INJURY. FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES INFORMED ME THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF HOW OFTER THESE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTERS ARE GOING OUT. EXAMPLE: DRIVER DRIVING 55MPH WHEN ON FREEWAY AND TORQUE CONVERTER UNLOCKED THEN LOCKED CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK BACK AND FOURTH AND SLOW DOWN TREMLY FAST WHILE MOVING ON THE FREEWAY. LOSS OF BRAKES POWER STEERING.

NHTSA ID
11461713
Incident
Apr 12, 2021
Powertrain (other)
Filed Apr 21, 2022

2017 FORD E-450 SD WITH THE 6.2L V8 GAS ENGINE PAIRED WITH 6SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION. TRANSMISSION SPECIFICALLY THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILS PREMATURELY CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO STALL WHILE DRIVING MAKING THE VAN DISABLED IN ROAD WAY OR INTERSECTIONS. THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED WOULD SLAM AND JERK THE DRIVER FOWARD AND SOMETIMES MAKE THE VAN FEEL LIKE THE BREAKS WERE APPLIED EXTREMLY HARD WHILE MOVING THROUGH TRAFFIC. VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON HILL WHEN THE TORQUE CONVERTER FAILED THE SECOND TIME THE VHEICLED STALLED OUT IN TRAFFIC 3 TIMES THEN AGAIN WHEN ON A HILL THE TORQUE CONVERTER WENT OUT AND STARTED JERKING THE VAN BACK AND FOURST THEN STARTED TO ROLL BACKWARDS. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO 4 OF MY FLEET VEHICLES SOME OF THEM TWO TIMES. SOME HAVE FAILED AS LOW AS 20,000 MILES. THIS HAS PUT MYSELF AND EMPLOYEES AT EXTREME RISK AND CAN CAUSE NECK INJURY. FORD DEALERSHIP SERVICE DEPARTMENT EMPLOYEES INFORMED ME THIS SHOULD BE A RECALL BECAUSE OF HOW OFTER THESE TRANSMISSION TORQUE CONVERTERS ARE GOING OUT. EXAMPLE: DRIVER DRIVING 55MPH WHEN ON FREEWAY AND TORQUE CONVERTER UNLOCKED THEN LOCKED CAUSING THE VAN TO JERK BACK AND FOURTH AND SLOW DOWN TREMLY FAST WHILE MOVING ON THE FREEWAY.

NHTSA ID
11461711
Incident
Apr 3, 2019

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

SAN-Vol1 I1

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL

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 warranty, technical service tips and other service information.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

North Central Emergency Ford E-450 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2021110
2018110
2017Viewing510
2016110

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.