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.
Mar 1995peak 5Jul 2003
NHTSA investigations into the 1987 Ford E150
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.
PE88054Opened 16 May 1988Closed 1 Mar 1989VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:LINKAGES
FUEL TANK OVERPRESSURIZATI
Complaints that involved harm
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Cleveland, OHFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
NHTSA complaint #553315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ipswich, MAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #801324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ipswich, MAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #801324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Artemas, PAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CLOSEST TO THE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #986338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wallingford, CTFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE VEHICLE HAS CAUGHT ON FIRE TWICE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #984997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tonawanea, NYFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, IGNITION SWITCH, WIRING STARTED TO BURN.
NHTSA complaint #984906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
at 70,000 milesBucyrus, OH
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD IS CRACKED ON THE RIGHT SIDE. THE EXHAUST FUMES LEAK. THE CONSUMER FEELS THIS A MANUFACTURER'S DEFECT. *AK
NHTSA complaint #10027148 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rochester, MN
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY TIME/ ANY SPEED. MECHANIC CANNOT FIND CAUSE.
NHTSA complaint #899526 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Enterprise, FL
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
TIRE TREAD SEPARATION WITH NEAR LOSS OF VEHICLE CONTROL AT 65 MPH IN A STRAIGHT LINE. TIRE PRESSURE ABOUT 30 PSI. VEHICLE WAS EMPTY EXCEPT FOR DRIVER. AN IDENTICAL TIRE ON THIS VEHICLE ALSO HAD TREAD SEPARATION, BUT FAILURE WAS NOT DRAMATIC.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VDHH1LH416 TIRESIZE: P225/75R15)
NHTSA complaint #744180 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Burnsville, MN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
VEHICLE STALLS AT ANY SPEED. MECHANIC REPLACED COIL, IGNITION MODULE AND OUTPUT WIRE.
NHTSA complaint #874725 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Portland, OR
STEERING:GEAR BOX (OTHER THAN RACK AND PINION)
CONSUMER WAS BACKING UP WHEN THE THREE BOLTS SECURING THE STEERING GEARBOX TO THE FRAME OF THE VEHICLE FRACTURES AT THE FACE OF THE GEARBOX RENDERING THE VEHICLE UNSTEERABLE. NLM
NHTSA complaint #553892 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cleveland, OHFire
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
VEHICLE EXPERIENCED ENGINE FIRE WHILE DRIVING (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). *MJS
NHTSA complaint #553315 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
PE88050, THE DUAL TANKS SELECTOR VALVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING THE TANKS TO GET OVERPRESSURIZED, WHICH CAUSED THE FUEL SPILL OVER. MAY CAUSE A FIRE. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.
NHTSA complaint #832108 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
EXPERIENCING AN OVERFILL IN ONE TANK, RESULTING IN AN OVERFLOW IN THE SECOND TANK, CAUSING A FUEL LEAK AT THE FILLER NECK. ALSO THERE IS A RECALL FOR THE PROBLEM 91V146000, MFR 91S39. VEHICLE NOT INCLUDED. PLEASE PROVIDE ANY FURTHER DETAILS.
NHTSA complaint #824327 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Phillipsburg, NJ
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD HAD CRACKED. STARTED TO LEAK CARBON MONOXIDE INTO PASSENGER'S COMPARMENT. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER & WAS INFORMED BY THE MECHANIC THAT THE COMPUTER IS NOT SHOWING ANYTHING WRONG WITH MANIFOLD.
NHTSA complaint #823579 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ipswich, MAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #801324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Ipswich, MAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ELECTRICAL SHORT, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO CATCH ON FIRE. *AK *SLC
NHTSA complaint #801324 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Artemas, PAFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
THE TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, CLOSEST TO THE WINDOW. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #986338 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Wallingford, CTFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE VEHICLE HAS CAUGHT ON FIRE TWICE DUE TO THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #984997 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tonawanea, NYFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, UNDER THE HOOD COMPARTMENT FIRE, ELECTRICAL SHORT, IGNITION SWITCH, WIRING STARTED TO BURN.
NHTSA complaint #984906 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mabank, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
HAD IGNITION SWITCH REPLACED BECAUSE IT STOP WWORKING. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #984085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Louiville, KY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE TRUCK WIRING SYSTEM BURNED UP WHILE ON THE FORD CAR DEALESHIP LOT. NOW IT IS POPPING AND CRACKING AND IS BURNING AGAIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #983973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Louiville, KY
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
THE TRUCK WIRING SYSTEM BURNED UP WHILE ON THE FORD CAR DEALESHIP LOT. NOW IT IS POPPING AND CRACKING AND IS BURNING AGAIN. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
NHTSA complaint #983973 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lincoln Park, MIFire
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC
ELECTRICAL WIRES BURNT ON (2) OCCASIONS.AK CONSUMER STATES EXHAUST LEAKED BUT DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE LEAK, CLAMP WAS MISSING , FRONT BRAKES WOLD VIBRATE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, RIGHT FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPER WAS REPLACED, ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE PROBLEM WAS THE PISTON IN CALIPER OT WOULD GRIND.
NHTSA complaint #983210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lincoln Park, MIFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
ELECTRICAL WIRES BURNT ON (2) OCCASIONS.AK CONSUMER STATES EXHAUST LEAKED BUT DEALER COULD NOT FIND THE LEAK, CLAMP WAS MISSING , FRONT BRAKES WOLD VIBRATE DEALER SAID THERE WAS NO PROBLEM, RIGHT FRONT ROTOR AND CALIPER WAS REPLACED, ON TWO OCCASIONS, THE PROBLEM WAS THE PISTON IN CALIPER OT WOULD GRIND.
NHTSA complaint #983210 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.