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1988 problems

FaultScore report

1988 Ford E350 problems

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 1988 Ford E350 with NHTSA between 1995 and 2008. The largest single group is the brakes.

Read the complaints What breaks Worst years for the Ford E350

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Not graded

Too few complaints, or too short a model run, to compare fairly.

How this is worked out

The numbers

Complaints

Crashes reported

Fires reported

Injuries reported

How 1988 compares with every other Ford E350

Click any bar to open that year's report.

4 6 3 13 15 15 36 28 1 1 1

83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 09 10 11

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

What breaks on a 1988 Ford E350

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

Brakes 7 46.7%

Acceleration & Cruise Control 2 13.3%

Suspension 2 13.3%

1 crashes, 1 fires · median 110,000 mi

Electrical System 2 13.3%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Fuel & Propulsion 1 6.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires

Engine & Cooling 1 6.7%

0 crashes, 1 fires · median 31,545 mi

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.

Dec 1995 peak 7 Aug 2008

NHTSA investigations into the 1988 Ford E350

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.

SQ99005 Opened 10 Feb 1999 Closed 21 Sep 2001 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

FRONT BRAKE FADE

FRONT BRAKES CAN FADE

EA93014 Opened 4 Jun 1993 Closed 29 Jul 1994 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

ALTERNATOR BELT FAILURE

EA91044 Opened 30 Oct 1991 Closed 30 Oct 1992 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES

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PE91077 Opened 23 May 1991 Closed 31 Oct 1991 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

LOSS OF BRAKE EFFECTIVENES

Recalls on the 1988 Ford E350

A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous enough to fix for free — however old the car is.

Canada — Transport Canada

Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not always mirror the American ones.

Recall 1991125 11 Sep 1991 1,470 units in Canada

Structure

THE AIR DEFLECTOR MAY BE INADEQUATELY BONDED TO THE TRUCK BODY AND MAY SEPARATE AT HIGH SPEED. A DETACHED DEFLECTOR COULD BE HAZARDOUS TO OTHER VEHICLES. CORRECTION: AIR DEFLECTORS WILL BE INSPECTED FOR SIGNS OF SEPARATION. IF SIGNS OF SEPARATION ARE FOUND, THE DEFLECTOR WILL BE REFASTENED USING RIVETS.

Recall 1990093 20 Jun 1990 72 units in Canada

Emissions

NOTE: VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH 7.5 LITRE ENGINES. THESE VEHICLES DO NOT COMPLY WITH C.M.V.S.S. 1103 - EXHAUST EMISSIONS. INCORRECT EGR VALVE. CORRECTION: EGR VALVE WILL BE REPLACED.

Recalls cover specific build ranges, so check your own vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or, in Canada, Transport Canada.

Complaints that involved harm

Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.

Filed 28 Jan 2005 at 31,545 miles Livingston, TX Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A 1988 ESCAPER 26FT C CLASS MOTORHOME ON A FORD E350 CHASSIS. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 30,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN CALIFORNIA. I WAS RETURNING WITH IT TO MY HOME IN TEXAS WHEN JUST OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX A FIRE BROKE OUT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, BUT EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OCCURRED. IT APPEARS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAD MELTED THE INSULATION ON THE FLOORBOARD AND THE FIRE STARTED THERE. THE INSPECTOR WHO PERFORMED THE INITIAL INSPECTION AND INFORMED ME THAT THE FORD MOTORHOMES THAT YEAR AND THE NEXT WERE PROWN TO EXHAUST FIRES BECAUSE THEY HAD NO SECONDARY HEAT SHIELDS AROUND THE CONVERTER/MUFFLER, AND THAT THE LATER YEAR MODELS WERE EQUIPPED WITH THEM. CAN THIS BE TRUE? AND IS THERE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER? THANK YOU.

NHTSA complaint #10108187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 23 Sep 1996 Bothell, WA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #508008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 13 Feb 1996 Station Isla, NY Fire

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

THE CAR WAS PARKED AND A NEIGHBOR CALLED THE OWNER AND TOLD HIM HIS CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS IN FRONT BY THE STEERING. TT

NHTSA complaint #979136 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 15 Dec 1995 Armonk, NY Crash Fire 2 injured

SUSPENSION:FRONT

THE DRIVER SKID OFF THE ROAD AND BUMPED A TREE. THEN THE VAN WENT UP IN FLAMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT

NHTSA complaint #976672 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

The most recent complaints

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

Filed 14 Aug 2008 at 110,000 miles Hartford, CT

SUSPENSION

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 FORD E350. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE STEERING COMPONENTS. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 88V015000 (SUSPENSION). THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000.

NHTSA complaint #10238138 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 28 Jan 2005 at 31,545 miles Livingston, TX Fire

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE

NHTSA complaint #10108187 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 16 Nov 1999 Santa Clara, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES

WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE CABLE POPPED OUT OF THE PLASTIC BRACKET,(WHICH THERE WASNO PART HOLDING DOWN THE THROTTLE CABLE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO IDLE AND LOSS OF POWER. THS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. SAME INCIDENT HAPPEN TO A FORD BRONCO. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION.

NHTSA complaint #852929 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 26 Sep 1999 Santa Clara, CA

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

THROTTLE FAILURE RESULTING IMMEDIATE DROP TO FAST IDLE SPEED.

NHTSA complaint #712124 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 24 Mar 1997 Fond DU LAC, WI

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

UPON APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND BRAKES FADING AWAY. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONING.

NHTSA complaint #809470 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 23 Sep 1996 Bothell, WA Fire

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD

WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE.

NHTSA complaint #508008 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Filed 29 May 1996 Bountiful, UT

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER

REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER.