Selling a junk Ford E-450
Any E-450 sells for scrap or parts, running or not. Below: what owners report most often for each model year, the recalls on file, and which of those change the offer. Enter your ZIP for a buyer near you.
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What owners report about the Ford E-450
NHTSA has 522 owner complaints on file for the Ford E-450, model years 1996 to 2022, the 387th-most of the 423 models in our data. The most-reported components are tires (120, 23%), brakes (67, 13%), transmission and drivetrain (33, 6%). 13 complaints involved a crash, 30 a fire, and 17 say the vehicle had to be towed. The median mileage when the problem was reported is 24,536 miles. The 1999 model year has the most complaints (83). Data as of 2026-10-12.
The guides below explain how each kind of fault changes what a buyer pays.
Ford E-450 by model year
| Year | Complaints | Most reported | Crash | Fire | Recalls | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 1 | Fuel system | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1997 | 18 | Body and structure | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1998 | 6 | Tires | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 1999 | 83 | Tires | 0 | 4 | 2 | — |
| 2000 | 45 | Tires | 0 | 2 | 2 | — |
| 2001 | 20 | Tires | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2002 | 16 | Tires | 0 | 1 | 3 | — |
| 2003 | 22 | Speed control | 0 | 4 | 5 | — |
| 2004 | 45 | Engine and cooling | 0 | 5 | 4 | 28,385 |
| 2005 | 41 | Electrical system | 5 | 3 | 7 | 45,000 |
| 2006 | 26 | Engine and cooling | 0 | 6 | 12 | 36,500 |
| 2007 | 15 | Fuel system | 2 | 2 | 11 | — |
| 2008 | 10 | Tires | 0 | 0 | 8 | — |
| 2009 | 2 | Engine | 1 | 0 | 10 | — |
| 2010 | 6 | Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 7 | — |
| 2011 | 10 | Fuel system | 0 | 2 | 10 | — |
| 2012 | 6 | Wheels | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2013 | 16 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2014 | 5 | Other | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
| 2015 | 8 | Transmission and drivetrain | 0 | 0 | 1 | — |
| 2016 | 22 | Body and structure | 4 | 1 | 4 | — |
| 2017 | 16 | Visibility and wipers | 0 | 0 | 2 | — |
| 2018 | 5 | Other | 0 | 0 | 4 | — |
| 2019 | 5 | Body and structure | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2021 | 51 | Brakes | 0 | 0 | 6 | — |
| 2022 | 22 | Steering | 0 | 0 | 3 | — |
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not confirmed defects. Median miles is the odometer reading owners gave when they reported a problem, shown only where 20 or more reports include it.
Ford E-450 recalls
NHTSA lists 50 recall campaigns across these model years, most often for other (19), equipment (6), fuel system (4). Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer. Before you sell, check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a buyer who plans to resell the car will.
- 2021 model year, engine (campaign 25V793000, Nov 2025): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 E-350 and E-450 vehicles that received an incomplete software update under recall 20V795. The engine cover may become excessively hot.
- 2021 model year, steering (campaign 24V097000, Feb 2024): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 E-350 and E-450 vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels. An inadequate connection between the power steering pressure line and the brake hydroboost unit may result…
- 2022 model year, fuel system (campaign 22V925000, Dec 2022): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2022-2023 E-350, E-450, and 2021-2022 F-59 vehicles. The paint along the weld seam of the fuel tank may peel and lead to corrosion of the exposed metal, which can result in …
- 2021 model year, steering (campaign 22V089000, Feb 2022): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021-2022 E-350 and E-450 vehicles equipped with dual rear wheels. An inadequate connection between the power steering pressure line and the brake Hydroboost unit may result…
- 2021 model year, engine (campaign 20V795000, Dec 2020): Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2021 E-350 and E-450 vehicles. The underside of the engine cover may have mispositioned insulation, allowing the cover to get excessively hot.
What a Ford E-450 is worth as a junk car
Buyers price a junk E-450 on four things: its weight at today's scrap steel price (the floor), the parts still on it that can be resold, whether it starts and drives, and how far they have to tow it. None of those come from a complaint database, so use this page to describe the car accurately and our junk car value guide to work out a ceiling for the metal. Then get more than one offer.
Guides for selling this car
How to sell a car that doesn't run 
How much is my junk car worth? 
How junkyards price cars 
Catalytic converters and junk cars 
How to prepare your car for the junkyard 
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Questions people ask
- What is a junk Ford E-450 worth?
- What a yard can recover: the car's weight at the current scrap steel price, plus parts it can resell (the catalytic converter, engine, transmission and wheels if they're good), minus towing and processing. The same E-450 gets different offers from different buyers, so compare at least two. Our value guide shows the public benchmark.
- Will a junkyard buy a Ford E-450 that doesn't run?
- Yes. Junkyards and junk car buyers take cars that don't start, and most arrange the tow. Tell them honestly whether it starts, whether the engine and transmission are still in it, and whether the catalytic converter is on; those are what change the price.
- Should I fix an open recall before selling a Ford E-450?
- Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer for as long as the car exists. If the car is going for scrap, the repair won't change the scrap price. If a buyer might resell it or pull parts, a completed recall can help. Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup first.
- Where do these Ford E-450 numbers come from?
- From the complaint and recall data NHTSA publishes for every make and model, counted by model year on 2026-10-12. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and the count rises with how many of the model were sold.