Ford E-150 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 1,052 consumer complaints across the 31 model years of the Ford E-150 (1986–2016) that have at least 5 complaints. 1994 has the most, with 121. Across all years, the part named most often is brakes (179 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All E-150 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 8 | 6,500 | 1 | 14 | — | Not enough data |
| 2015 | 8 | 18,000 | 1 | 14 | — | Not enough data |
| 2014 | 6 | 16,738 | 6 | 20 | — | Not enough data |
| 2013 | 19 | 82,800 | 6 | 21 | — | Stable |
| 2012 | 12 | 60,000 | 8 | 21 | — | Not enough data |
| 2011 | 23 | 37,500 | 11 | 26 | — | Falling |
| 2010 | 10 | 42,500 | 7 | 30 | — | Not enough data |
| 2009 | 7 | 83,000 | 12 | 21 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 11 | 66,325 | 17 | 15 | — | Not enough data |
| 2007 | 12 | 49,000 | 18 | 12 | — | Not enough data |
| 2006 | 17 | 44,373 | 14 | 46 | — | Stable |
| 2005 | 16 | 52,879 | 2 | 48 | — | Rising |
| 2004 | 33 | 65,000 | 5 | 41 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2003 | 21 | 16,354 | 5 | 7 | — | Stable |
| 2002 | 28 | 86,000 | 3 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 2001 | 37 | 73,000 | 4 | 5 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 2000 | 50 | 104,602 | 6 | 4 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1999 | 83 | 96,000 | 6 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1998 | 60 | 89,146 | 5 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1997 | 102 | 103,000 | 6 | 2 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1996 | 59 | 120,000 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1995 | 71 | 95,000 | 3 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1994 | 121 | 129,500 | 7 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1993 | 71 | 135,000 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Falling |
| 1992 | 64 | 100,000 | 4 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Stable |
| 1991 | 15 | 75,000 | 1 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1990 | 17 | 126,000 | 3 | 0 | — | Falling |
| 1989 | 31 | 94,000 | 2 | 0 | Not compared (before 2008) | Rising |
| 1988 | 14 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
| 1987 | 17 | 70,000 | 0 | 0 | — | Stable |
| 1986 | 9 | — | 0 | 0 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Brakes179 19%
- Fuel system155 17%
- Engine cooling127 14%
- Electrical system125 13%
- Steering97 10%
- Vehicle speed control92 9.9%
- Transmission and drivetrain82 8.8%
- Tires76 8.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
1997: “My husband had just started up his e150 econoline van pulling out of the driveway and the airbag just deployed. There was no reason he was not in any accident he did not run over anything he didn't hit anything. And no one can tell me why this happened. If he had been on the interstate that he drives every day he could have died or killed someone.”
NHTSA complaint #11176181, filed 2019-02, 200,000 miles2015: “On or about oct.26 my husband was driving to our pharmacy to pick up meds. He was driving alone. Thankfully our grandchildren were not with him. He told me the back window just exploded he told me at first he thought it was a gun shot. He pulled over and there was glass everywhere. Ford has known about this problem for quite sometime.”
NHTSA complaint #11044110, filed 2017-11, 18,000 miles1999: “My mark iii conversion van has a fuel leaking from the mid-ship tank. I noticed that there is a recall from Ford, but when I went to my local dealer enfield Ford in enfield ct they ran the VIN and stated my van was excluded. The only time it leaks is when I am pumping gas, if I pump slowly there is less fuel spilling on the ground”
NHTSA complaint #10905028, filed 2016-09, 86,000 milesOther Ford models
38,897 complaintsFord Explorer
34,624 complaintsFord Escape
27,530 complaintsFord Fusion
22,441 complaintsFord Focus
22,107 complaintsFord Taurus
18,162 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology