Used car safety, rank #105 of 181
Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD Safety Rating (2017-20)
Real IIHS driver death rates for the 2017-20 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD, a very large pickup, compared with its class and with the current model.
IIHS 2023 edition Β· 2018β2021 crashes. Results apply only to the model years and drivetrain shown. This is the historical edition. See the July 2026 release for newer used cars.
The 2017-20 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD has an IIHS driver death rate of 32 per million registered vehicle years against a very large pickups average of 37.1, which is 14% below the class average. That places it #105 of 181 used vehicles with a safety score of 46.5/100.
What the Ford F-250 Crew Cab death rate means
At 32 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD beats the very large pickups average of 37.1 by 14%. The 95% confidence interval is 22 to 42, so the upper end of the range overlaps the class average and the advantage is not certain.
The other-driver death rate of 120 measures the opposite risk: how many drivers of other vehicles died in crashes with a Ford F-250 Crew Cab. It is higher than the Ford F-250 Crew Cab's own driver death rate, the usual pattern for heavier vehicles. Remember that death rates describe vehicles and their drivers together: IIHS adjusts for driver age and gender, but not for where or how carefully people drive. Our score weights this model's own rate at 70% and its class at 30%; see how we rank used cars.
Compared with similar used pickups
The safest very large pickups in the IIHS study, by our score, with the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD highlighted. It ranks 3 of the 7 shown; the class leader is the Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD at a death rate of 22.
| Vehicle | Years | Death rate | Score | Reliability | Used price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD | 2017-20 | 22 (2 to 41) | 60.9 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford F-350 Crew Cab 4WD | 2017-20 | 29 (16 to 42) | 50.8 | n/a | n/a |
| Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD (this page) | 2017-20 | 32 (22 to 42) | 46.5 | n/a | n/a |
| Ram 2500 Crew Cab short bed 4WD | 2017-20 | 33 (21 to 46) | 45.7 | n/a | n/a |
| Ram 3500 Crew Cab long bed 4WD | 2017-20 | 37 (16 to 57) | 41.4 | n/a | n/a |
| Ram 2500 Crew Cab long bed 4WD | 2017-20 | 42 (7 to 76) | 37.6 | n/a | n/a |
| Ram 2500 Mega Cab 4WD | 2017-20 | 65 (22 to 108) | 22.0 | n/a | n/a |
Class average for very large pickups: 37.1 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years.
The new Ford F-250 Crew Cab
Death rates lag the market by several years. For the current Ford F-250 Crew Cab we score IIHS crash tests instead; here is how the latest model years rate on our new-car scale.
| Model year | Model | IIHS award | New-car score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Ford F 150 (Extended cab) | No award | 83.9 (provisional) |
| 2026 | Ford F 150 (Crew cab) | No award | 66.1 |
| 2026 | Ford F 150 Lightning | No award | 32.2 (provisional) |
New-car scores use a different scale (crash tests, not death rates) and are not directly comparable with the 46.5 used-car score above.
Safety recalls for the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD
We do not have a verified NHTSA recall lookup for this nameplate and model year. Check by VIN rather than treating that as a clean record.
Recall campaigns from the NHTSA recalls database, retrieved 2026-09-16. A campaign covers a range of build dates, not every car of the model year, and IIHS reports this nameplate across several years while these results are for one year. Confirm against the VIN. Recalls do not affect the death rate on this page.
Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD: Common Questions
Is the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD a safe car?
Yes, by the measure that matters most. IIHS recorded a driver death rate of 32 per million registered vehicle years for the 2017-20 Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD, 14% below the class average (37.1 for very large pickups). That earns a used-car safety score of 46.5 out of 100 and rank #105 of 181 used vehicles.
What is the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD driver death rate?
32 driver deaths per million registered vehicle years, with a 95% confidence interval of 22 to 42. Drivers of other vehicles that collided with a Ford F-250 Crew Cab died at a rate of 120 per million. Source: IIHS driver death rates by make and model, covering 2017-20 models.
How does the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD compare with other very large pickups?
The very large pickups class averages 37.1 driver deaths per million; the Ford F-250 Crew Cab 4WD sits at 32. Among the 7 very large pickups compared above it ranks 3 by safety score; the top of that group is the Ford F-250 SuperCab 4WD with a death rate of 22.