FaultScore

Worst years for a Ford Econoline

Owners have filed 1,154 complaints about the Ford Econoline with NHTSA across model years 1979 to 2019. More of them are about the brakes than anything else.

Avoid

1994 Ford Econoline

164 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly brakes.

Cleanest on record

2001 Ford Econoline

31 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every Ford Econoline year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row 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
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2019 1 0 0 Electrical System
2017 7 1 0 Engine & Cooling
2016 3 0 0 Electrical System
2012 2 0 0 Transmission & Drivetrain
2010 1 0 0 Fuel & Propulsion
2009 1 1 0 Airbags
2003 C 27 0 3 35,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2002 B 25 0 3 96,517 Engine & Cooling
2001 B 31 1 2 80,633 Acceleration & Cruise Control
2000 C 46 4 5 50,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1999 D 102 13 5 76,589 Brakes
1998 B 61 0 1 79,000 Brakes
1997 D 100 12 2 85,700 Brakes
1996 D 96 8 13 87,500 Brakes
1995 D 98 3 7 21,000 Brakes
1994 F 164 10 14 93,000 Brakes
1993 C 71 4 7 103,000 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1992 113 13 12 151,500 Acceleration & Cruise Control
1991 37 11 1 Fuel & Propulsion
1990 38 2 6 Brakes
1989 41 0 4 Engine & Cooling
1988 33 1 4 Electrical System
1987 19 0 2 Brakes
1986 7 1 3 Electrical System
1985 15 1 4 Electrical System
1984 10 1 2 Engine & Cooling
1983 2 0 0 Tires
1982 1 0 0 Seat Belts
1980 1 0 1 Engine & Cooling
1979 1 0 1 Electrical System

What breaks on a Ford Econoline

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Brakes 211 18.3%

Worst in 1994

Engine & Cooling 139 12.0%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1992

Worst in 1992

Worst in 1992

Tires 81 7.0%

Worst in 1996

Suspension 55 4.8%

Worst in 1992

Steering 54 4.7%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1994

Wheels 35 3.0%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1997

Seat Belts 31 2.7%

Worst in 1994

Worst in 1992

Exactly what failed on a Ford Econoline

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip 93 26.1%
Gasoline 44 12.4%
Engine 42 11.8%
Foundation Components 35 9.8%
Tread/Belt 29 8.1%
Tank Assembly 28 7.9%
Cruise Control 26 7.3%
Automatic Transmission 23 6.5%
Front 18 5.1%
Frontal 18 5.1%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every Ford Econoline, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Jan 1995 peak 31 Sep 2025

Ford Econoline problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the Ford Econoline

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.