FaultScore

FaultScore report

2015 Ford E-350 problems

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2015 Ford E-350 with NHTSA between 2015 and 2024. The largest single group is the transmission & drivetrain. Across this model's run it ranks 26 of 26 worst.

A

FaultScore 25/100

Higher is worse. Measured against the other years of the Ford E-350.

How this is worked out

The numbers

10

Complaints

0

Crashes reported

0

Fires reported

0

Injuries reported

12,000 mi

Median mileage at failure

Half of reported failures happened before this

67%

Failed under 36,000 miles

Inside a typical bumper-to-bumper warranty

What kind of bad

The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.

Complaint volume 10 vs 50 Severity 0 vs 50 Early failure 100 vs 50
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 10
Against the median year of the Ford E-350. 50 means typical for this model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of 9.7%.
Early failure — 100
67% of failures with a mileage on record happened under 36,000 miles, against a national rate of 29%.

How 2015 compares with every other Ford E-350

Click any bar to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded

What breaks on a 2015 Ford E-350

Every complaint is filed against a part. Follow any row for the complaints about that part alone.

Fuel & Propulsion 2 20.0%

Median failure at 6,028 miles

Suspension 2 20.0%

Median failure at 49,528 miles

Transmission & Drivetrain 2 20.0%

Median failure at 52,737 miles

Other & Unspecified 1 10.0%
Windows, Mirrors & Wipers 1 10.0%

Median failure at 11,000 miles

Body & Structure 1 10.0%

Median failure at 57 miles

Steering 1 10.0%

Median failure at 99,000 miles

When it fails

Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all complaints include one.

Under 1,000 miles 3 33.3%
10,000 – 24,999 miles 2 22.2%
25,000 – 49,999 miles 1 11.1%
75,000 – 99,999 miles 3 33.3%

When owners complained

A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single owner can see from inside their own car.

Jul 2015 peak 3 Jul 2024

NHTSA investigations into the 2015 Ford E-350

An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.

PE18010 Opened 21 Aug 2018 Closed 16 Jul 2019 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

Internal transmission failure

By letter dated June 10, 2019, Ford Motor Company notified the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) of a safety defect that may exist in certain model year (MY) 2009 through 2016 Ford Econoline vehicles equipped with a 5R110W transmission. Following the receipt of consumer complaints alleging transmission failures in vehicles built with a 5R110W transmission, NHTSA opened this investigation to assess the manufacturer's data including warranty claims, field reports, design changes, etc.Vehicles equipped with a 5R110W transmission contain a capacitive discharge weld within a coast clutch compon...

The most recent complaints

In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.

at 99,000 miles Maysville, KY

STEERING

The contact owns a 2015 Ford E-350. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the front end of the vehicle started to wobble and sway erratically, after which the steering wheel began to vibrate, making it difficult for the contact to maintain control of the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 99,000.

NHTSA complaint #11605464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 99,000 miles Maysville, KY

SUSPENSION

The contact owns a 2015 Ford E-350. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the front end of the vehicle started to wobble and sway erratically, after which the steering wheel began to vibrate, making it difficult for the contact to maintain control of the vehicle. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 99,000.

NHTSA complaint #11605464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Aguanga, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

We have a 2015 Coachmen Freelander 21R RV (with a Ford F-350). Recently, while driving on the freeway a car near us kicked up some debris. This went under the RV and within 30-60 seconds after we heard a loud explosion/boom. My husband immediately pulled over and we were thinking it was blown front tire but just as he pulled over we noticed a large cloud of white "smoke." The "smoke" turned out to be propane coming from our propane tank. Later he crawled under the RV and found a large hole in the tank. It appears that whatever hit it was hard enough to create a large hole in it and therefore causing the explosion. Fortunately, that was the only damage and no injuries were sustained. The reason for my email is that we were very surprised to see that there was no protective cage/rock guard around the propane tank to keep debris from damaging the tank. I personally think it's a design flaw and that any propane tank accessible from the side and but located under the RV should have some sort of protection around it. If that "cage" had existed, we wouldn't have experienced such a close call with a fire and possibly more. Thank you for your consideration.

NHTSA complaint #11426157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 75,518 miles SAN Jose, CA

POWER TRAIN

SCHOOL BUS WAS STOPPED AT A RAILROAD GRADE CROSSING, TRANSMISSION WAS IN DRIVE, WHEN DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO MOVE THE SCHOOL BUS FORWARD IT WOULD NOT MOVE, THE TRANSMISSION WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN ANY FORWARD OR REVERSE GEAR. SCHOOL BUS WAS TOWED TO THE FORD DEALERSHIP FOR REPAIR.

NHTSA complaint #11166090 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 29,956 miles SAN Jose, CA

POWER TRAIN

THIS IS A SCHOOL BUS CARRYING STUDENTS WITH 29956 MILES. WHEN STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT AT A BUSY INTERSECTION THE BUS WOULD NOT MOVE FORWARD. DRIVER ATTEMPTED TO SELECT DIFFERENT GEARS FROM THE DRIVE GEAR, 3,2,1 AND REVERSE. THE SCHOOL BUS WOULD NOT SHIFT INTO ANY GEAR. ANOTHER BUS WAS DISPATCHED AND STUDENTS TRANSFERRED. THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION AT A BUSY INTERSECTION. FORD FOUND THAT THE COAST CLUTCH SPRING AND SNAP RING BROKEN. THIS IS THE 3RD BUS WE OWN THAT HAS HAD THIS ISSUE.

NHTSA complaint #11102981 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 11,000 miles Fountain Hills, AZ

VISIBILITY/WIPER

THE WINDSHIELD HAS STARTED TO CRACK ON THE LEFT (DRIVER'S) SIDE. THERE IS NO INDICATION OF IMPACT. THE CRACK STARTS ABOUT 2 FEET UP AT THE EDGE OF THE GLASS, EXTENDS ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD A FEW INCHES AND THEN TURNS DOWN. IT HAS CONTINUED TO SLOWLY GROW. I BELIEVE THIS IS A DEFECT - POSSIBLY STRESS RELATED. I HAVE SEEN DOZENS OF OTHERS REPORTING THE SAME PROBLEM.

NHTSA complaint #10970579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 57 miles Sacramento, CA

SUSPENSION:REAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MODIFICATIONS DESIGN OF THE MOTOR HOME WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE REAR AXLE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SWAYED SIDE TO SIDE INDEPENDENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS OVERWEIGHT AND NEEDED AIR SHOCKS AND THE WHEEL FLAPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE FUEL CAP AND CHECK ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER WAS FRACTURED AND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57.

NHTSA complaint #10790650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 57 miles Sacramento, CA

STRUCTURE:BODY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MODIFICATIONS DESIGN OF THE MOTOR HOME WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE REAR AXLE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SWAYED SIDE TO SIDE INDEPENDENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS OVERWEIGHT AND NEEDED AIR SHOCKS AND THE WHEEL FLAPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE FUEL CAP AND CHECK ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER WAS FRACTURED AND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57.

NHTSA complaint #10790650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 57 miles Sacramento, CA

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD E-350. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MODIFICATIONS DESIGN OF THE MOTOR HOME WAS OVERWEIGHT ON THE REAR AXLE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE SWAYED SIDE TO SIDE INDEPENDENTLY AND THE STEERING WHEEL WAS DIFFICULT TO MANEUVER WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE REAR AXLE WAS OVERWEIGHT AND NEEDED AIR SHOCKS AND THE WHEEL FLAPS NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE FUEL CAP AND CHECK ENGINE SOON WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL NOZZLE HOLDER WAS FRACTURED AND THE FUEL FILLER PIPE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57.

NHTSA complaint #10790650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,000 miles Hilo, HI

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

ON 6/23/15 ONE OF OUR VANS HAD THE REAR STRAP HOLDING THE FUEL TANK BREAK AND DROP THE REAR OF THE TANK TO THE ROAD. THE VAN IS CONVERTED TO 4X4 BY QUADVAN IN PORTLAND BUT NO MODIFICATION IS MADE TO THE FUEL SYSTEM AND IT WAS SOLD BY A FORD DEALER BRAND NEW. OUR LOCAL FORD DEALER HERE FIXED THE STRAP BUT PROBABLY WITH THE SAME PART. YESTERDAY 7/27/15 OUR SECOND OF TWO VANS WE BOUGHT AT THE SAME TIME HAD THE SAME THING HAPPEN. THE FIRST TIME WAS ON A WASHBOARD SECTION OF MAUNA KEA MOUNTAIN WHERE WE RUN TOURS AT APPROX 15MPH, THE SECOND INCIDENT WAS ON HIGHWAY AT APPROX 35 MPH ON THE WAY TO MAUNA KEA MOUNTAIN. WE ARE VERY EXPERIENCED MECHANICALLY AND NOTE THAT UNIQUELY FORD IS USING AN ALLOY FINAL ATTACHMENT TO THE FRAME WHEREAS OUR PREVIOS DOZENS OF FORD VANS HAVE ALL USED A STEEL FINAL ATTACHMENT. IN 25 YEARS WE HAVE HAD NO SUCH PROBLEM WITH OUR MANY MANY FORD VANS. AS ANY LATEST MODEL FORD VAN IN THE NOW DISCONTINUED E350 SERIES COULD HAVE THIS PROBLEM IF DRIVEN ON ROUGH ROADS WE FEEL IT IS AN INHERENT FAULT AND SHOULD BE SUBJECT OF A RECALL. A WORST CASE SCENARIO IS THAT THE FRONT OF THE TANK DROPS AND CONTACTS THE ROAD CAUSING A FIREBALL AND IMMOLATION OF ALL ONBOARD..!! WE HAVE CONTACTED NEWBERG FORD IN PORTLAND OREGON AND ARE IN CORRESPONDENCE WITH THEM TO LET FORD KNOW.

NHTSA complaint #10744202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.