NHTSA (USA)Medium Risk
The 2012 Ford F-550 SD has 6 recalls, the most serious being a fire risk affecting trucks that have been upfitted with a power take-off assembly, where oil leaking from a pressure switch can saturate the exhaust's thermal blanket and ignite.
This fire risk appears across four separate recalls filed by different upfitting companies, covering aerial trucks and other specialty work vehicles built on the F-550 platform. The underlying problem is the same in each case: a Muncie Power Products power take-off pressure switch can leak oil onto the insulating blanket wrapped around the exhaust, and the heat from the exhaust can then cause that oil-soaked material to catch fire. Trucks modified by Utility Truck Equipment Company, Tactical Vehicle Outfitters, J&J Truck Equipment, and Dual-Tech are each covered by their own campaign, so whether a given vehicle is affected depends on which company performed the upfit work.
On the specialty equipment side, certain F-550 vehicles modified by Farber Specialty Vehicles and fitted with Ricon wheelchair lifts carry a separate concern: a side plate on the lift platform can crack, allowing the platform to break away from the lift mechanism and drop against the vehicle's lift door rather than operate as intended, which poses a risk to anyone using the lift.
The remaining recall covers trucks built with ambulance or fire engine preparation packages. A software condition in the powertrain control module can cause the engine to shut down unexpectedly, and the engine must cool before it will restart, potentially delaying a response vehicle from reaching someone who needs emergency assistance
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At a glance
What can fail
The exhaust gas temperature sensor may report a false overheating condition, causing the engine management system to shut down the engine and prevent immediate restart.
What the fix does
Dealers will update the engine control software at no cost to fix the sensor communication issue.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
The platform side plate on certain Ricon wheelchair lifts installed in Farber specialty vehicles may develop cracks.
What the fix does
Ricon dealers will install support bumpers to reinforce the platform. Cracked platforms will be replaced at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Oil can leak from the PTO pressure switch onto a thermal blanket covering the exhaust system in certain modified 2009-2014 Ford F-550 Super Duty trucks with Muncie Power Products PTO Assemblies.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that relocates the switch away from the exhaust system.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Oil can leak from the PTO pressure switch onto the thermal blanket covering the exhaust system in affected vehicles.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that relocates the switch away from the exhaust system at no cost.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Oil may leak from the PTO pressure switch onto the thermal blanket covering the exhaust system in certain aerial trucks.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a new pressure switch kit that repositions the switch away from the exhaust system.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
At a glance
What can fail
Oil can leak from the PTO pressure switch onto the exhaust thermal blanket in certain 2010-2014 Ford F-350 and F-550 vehicles modified by Tactical and equipped with Muncie Power Products PTO assemblies.
What the fix does
Dealers will install a new PTO pressure switch at no cost to address the oil leak.
Summarized — see the official notice for exact wording, dates, and contacts.
