1999 Ford F-550 SD Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other F-550 SD years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 32 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 8 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 61 complaints with NHTSA about the 1999 Ford F-550 SD. That ranks 2nd out of 32 F-550 SD model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is power train (23 complaints, 38%), typically at around 9,470 miles. Complaints mention 3 fires, 2 injuries. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
- 61owner complaints
- 8safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 0complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 1999 Ford F-550 SD problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 23 | 38% | 9,470 | — | — |
| Wheels | 11 | 18% | 82,864 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 10 | 16% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 8 | 13% | 50,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 8% | 93,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 7% | 26,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 5% | 22,235 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 3 | 5% | 45,500 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 5% | 120,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 3 | 5% | — | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 2 | 3% | 17,735 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 2% | 47,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 2% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
1999 Ford F-550 SD recalls (8)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and 1994 f53 vehicles equipped with the texas instruments speed control deactivation switch (scds). The scds may leak internally and then overheat, smoke, or burn.
Risk: A vehicle fire could occur with or without the engine running.
Fix: Ford will notify owners that dealers will install a fused wiring harness in line with the scds. On 1999-2003 windstar vehicles with a leaking scds, dealers will also inspect the abs control module connector and repair as necessary. Repairs will be completed free of charge. The safety recall began on october 27, 2009. Owners may contact ford at 1-888-222-2751.
Engine and engine cooling:engine:diesel
Problem: On certain heavy duty trucks equipped with 7.3l diesel engines, the camshaft position sensor located on the engine of the vehicle may function intermittently, possibly resulting in an engine stall.
Risk: In the event of an engine stall, a crash could result without warning.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the sensor and replace it with an improved camshaft position sensor free of charge. The recall began on december 29, 2007. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.
Risk: Overheating could result in smoke or burn and an underhood fire.
Fix: Dealers will install a fused wiring harness into the speed control system free of charge. The recall began on august 7, 2006. Owners may contact ford at 1-866-436-7332. (note: also see recalls 05v017 and 05v388)
Parking brake:conventional:mechanical:linkage and cable
Problem: On certain pickup trucks equipped with manual transmissions, failure of the front parking brake cable input button could result in failure of the parking brake system to hold the vehicle stationary.
Risk: This could result in unintended vehicle movement and a vehicle crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the front parking brake cable and the controller and verify the performance of the parking brake system. Owner notification began april 5, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-866-436-7332.
Tires:valve
Problem: Vehicle description: trucks equipped with commercial truck tires that have steel cords in the tire sidewall. The valve stems may have been torn or damaged during assembly and could leak causing sidewall damage.
Risk: If not maintained, could result in a sidewall zipper failure. A zipper failure during inflation of a damaged tire could result in injury to someone near the tire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the valve stems for leakage, and will replace both the valve stem and the tire if leakage is present. Owner notification began march 28, 2001. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact ford at 1-800-392-3673.
Vehicle speed control
Problem: Vehicle description: certain 1997-1999 rhd explorer equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc engines and cruise control built from may 29, 1996 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 explorer/mountaineers equipped with 4.0l ohv/sohc or 5.0l engines or 1998-1999 rangers equipped with 2.5l, 3.0l ffv/efi or 4.0l engines and cruise control built from january 5, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1998-1999 mustangs equipped with 3.8l, 4.6l 2-valve or 4-valve engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; 1999 f250/f350/f450/f550 (over 8,500 lbs.) trucks equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999; and 1999 f-53 stripped chassis equipped with 5.4l or 6.8l engines and cruise control built from march 2, 1998 through march 4, 1999. A cruise control cable can interfere with the speed control servo pulley and not allow the throttle to return to idle when disengaging the cruise control.
Risk: If the cruise control is used and this condition is present, a stuck throttle could result, which could potentially result in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cruise control cables. At the present time, the replacement cables are not available. Customers are being advised not to use the cruise control system until a replacement can be made.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Vehicle description: light duty trucks. The cast tow hooks changes the crash pulse of the vehicle in frontal barrier impacts and the air bag sensor was not calibrated to this new crash pulse which may cause the air bags to deploy in lower speed impacts than design intent.
Risk: Unexpected air bag deployment can result in personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the cast tow hooks with forged hooks.
Steering:gear box (other than rack and pinion)
Problem: Vehicle description: medium duty trucks and chassis-cabs. One or more of the four rivets on the lower steering shaft flex coupling may not have been crimped during the sub-assembly process.
Risk: If a rivet is not crimped, the flex joint can rotate on the shaft and there would be a reduction in or loss of steering control.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the lower steering shaft rivets and replace any shafts with uncrimped rivets.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Engine stalling (EA06012) — opened Jun 22, 2006, closed Dec 7, 2007, led to recall 07V553000.
- Engine compartment fires (EA05005) — opened Mar 22, 2005, closed Aug 2, 2006, led to recall 05V388000.
- Rapid tire deflation (EA02018) — opened Aug 19, 2002, closed Aug 22, 2003.
- Sector shaft fractures (EA01009) — opened Mar 2, 2001, closed Aug 19, 2003.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Fuel tank is rusting. I understand ford had a recall for this, but my vin does not show one. My vehicle only has 48,000 miles and i am having to replace my fuel filter every 1000 miles!
Tl* the contact owns a 1999 ford f-550 sd. While parked, the contact noticed that the frame was fractured where the shocks were located on the passenger side. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer for diagnostics or repairs. The vin was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.
1999 ford v10, winnebago chieftain 34y. Consumer has had several problems trying to get recall repair work done on the vehicle. *kb the consumer stated the engine light illuminated. The consumer took the rv to the dealer. They advised the consumer over a recall regarding the cruise control. The…
We have 4 f550 buses that have had the gas tank replaced twice on each bus do what we believe is coating failure. We now have an f450 that is experiencing the same conditions, we are forced to replace the gas tank on this vehicle as well. We take our vehicles to ford miramar truck center, and have…
Internal coating failure on fuel tanks on f550 super duty ford trucks.the fuel system becomes clogged with rust and the tank must be cleaned or replaced.we have four vehicles and have incurred 8 to 10 failures in past three years. We are unable to get ford to address the problem which i think is…
Other Ford F-550 SD years
← 1998 F-550 SD · 2000 F-550 SD →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 F-550 SD | 1 | 3 |
| 2025 F-550 SD | 1 | 3 |
| 2024 F-550 SD | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 F-550 SD | 1 | 9 |
| 2022 F-550 SD | 9 | 12 |
| 2021 F-550 SD | 12 | 9 |
| 2020 F-550 SD | 4 | 8 |
| 2019 F-550 SD | 4 | 5 |
| 2018 F-550 SD | 0 | 3 |
| 2017 F-550 SD | 2 | 8 |
| 2016 F-550 SD | 3 | 3 |
| 2015 F-550 SD | 11 | 3 |
| 2014 F-550 SD | 9 | 6 |
| 2013 F-550 SD | 2 | 9 |
| 2012 F-550 SD | 6 | 10 |
| 2011 F-550 SD | 3 | 12 |
| 2010 F-550 SD | 1 | 7 |
| 2009 F-550 SD | 1 | 5 |
| 2008 F-550 SD | 26 | 4 |
| 2007 F-550 SD | 23 | 1 |
| 2006 F-550 SD | 44 | 1 |
| 2005 F-550 SD | 32 | 4 |
| 2004 F-550 SD | 49 | 2 |
| 2003 F-550 SD | 33 | 5 |
| 2002 F-550 SD | 22 | 4 |
| 2001 F-550 SD | 29 | 6 |
| 2000 F-550 SD | 72 | 5 |
| 1999 | 61 | 8 |
| 1998 F-550 SD | 0 | 2 |
| 1997 F-550 SD | 2 | 3 |
| 1996 F-550 SD | 0 | 2 |
| 1995 F-550 SD | 0 | 2 |
See all Ford F-550 SD problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 1999 Ford F-550 SD?
Owners most often report power train, wheels, engine and engine cooling problems. The top one, power train, accounts for 23 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 1999 Ford F-550 SD?
Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 1999 Ford F-550 SD a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other F-550 SD model years, the 1999 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.