1999 Ford E-150 Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe fuel leaking from the top of the mid-ship fuel tank while refueling, sometimes together with rusted tank straps, and several say the dealer told them their van was excluded from the fuel tank recall. A second recurring theme is steering: the bolts holding the steering box to the frame shear off, usually while parking or turning at low speed, and some complaints describe steering linkage or tie rod separation. Owners also report brakes that grab or pull, and 5.4L V8 spark plugs blowing out of the cylinder head.

1. 1
   Fuel system

   Fuel tank cracks and leaks while refueling

   • 15 complaints (18%)
   • median 120,000 mi at 12.5 yrs old (15 state mileage)
   • filed 2003–2016

   Owners describe fuel spilling from the top of the mid-ship tank while filling up, leaving a puddle under the van, and in some cases leaking only when the tank is nearly full or the van is on a slope. Several say a shop found a crack or hole in the tank, and a few report the tank straps had rusted through so the tank was hanging or dragging. Multiple owners say they were told their VIN was not covered by the fuel tank recall even though the failure looked the same, and one was quoted a repair for a cracked filler neck. Complaints also credit the leak to corrosion on older, high-mileage vans, including conversion and ambulance-prep vehicles. Reported from roughly 41,000 miles to over 150,000 miles, mostly on vans well past ten years old and usually noticed while refueling.

   Recall 01V114000

   What to check: Fill the tank and look underneath for fuel running down the top or sides of the mid-ship tank, and inspect the tank and its straps for rust or cracks. Ask whether the van's VIN was covered by recall 01V114000.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “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 miles

   “I own a 1999 Ford e150 that appears to have been prepared for an upfitter when it left the Ford plant. An ambulance prep label is in the driver's side door jam, how ever it was finished by explorer van company, warsaw indiana. When refueling I noticed fuel spill on the ground. I stopped driving the vehicle and researched the problem. Ford service tells me that it fuel filler neck is the problem and it will cost about $600 to make the repair. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10277898, filed 2009-07, 155,000 miles
2. 2
   Steering

   Steering box bolts shear off, loss of steering

   • 12 complaints (14%)
   • median 67,800 mi at 5.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2000–2022

   Owners describe a loud pop or bang followed by total loss of steering, with the steering box left hanging from the frame, most often while parking or turning at low speed. A few report the steering linkage or a tie rod separating while driving, which pulled the van across lanes before it stopped. Other complaints describe ongoing front-end shaking, a clunk in the steering column during turns, or a steering pump noise that persisted after replacement; in several of these owners say the dealer called the condition normal or could not find the cause. Reported from a few thousand miles up to roughly 140,000 miles, with several bolt failures occurring while parking or maneuvering at low speed.

   What to check: Have the steering box mounting bolts and the frame around them inspected for cracks, looseness or previous repairs, and check the tie rod ends and linkage. Ask whether the steering box or its bolts have ever been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The steering linkage fell off my 1999 Ford e150 van nearly causing a severe accident. My wife was driving the van. My four children with her. She lost control of the van after the linkage fell off. She barely had time to stop before going through a fence. I am an engineer. It would seem that steering linkage would be comprised of components with an insignificant risk of failure. We do not trust the van anymore. It is hard to imagine what might have happened to my family if they were on the freeway when the linkage fell off.”

   NHTSA complaint #10020668, filed 2003-05, 72,161 miles

   “While turning into a parking space the bolts to the steering box sheared off with complete loss of steering. Further inspection showed severe cracking and loss of metal in the steering box area. After doing some searches I found that this is common issue in the E series vans. I did do a recall search and a CSA search to see about having this problem resolved safely by a certified shop. Unfortunately I haven't found any recall information on what is obviously a serious safety issue. Apparently the bolts shear off at low speeds while turning. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11448477, filed 2022-01
3. 3
   Brakes

   Brakes grab, pull, or fail to hold

   • 11 complaints (13%)
   • median 70,000 mi at 8.4 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 1999–2010

   Owners describe the van pulling left or right under braking, a pedal that pulses or bounces, and sometimes a pedal that goes down without slowing the van, leading to extended stopping distances. Several tie the grabbing to wet or humid weather, and a few report the brakes not holding at all at a light or on a hill. According to the complaints, dealers sometimes found nothing wrong, said the linings needed to be broken in, or replaced pitted rotors and worn pads without resolving the complaint. Mileage is often not listed; where given, problems appeared from about 48,000 miles, with several reports tied to rain or humid conditions.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Brake firmly from moderate speed, ideally after washing the van or in damp weather, and note any grabbing, pull or pedal kickback. Ask whether the brake booster service bulletin has been applied and when the rotors and pads were last replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “The brakes grab or pull left or right every now and then-mostly when its raining ,has rained recently or is humid .twice it pulled me on the shoulder-on the gravel---several times into the next lane --usually just momenterally -twice the van didn't stop--the first time I drove onto the shoulder to miss other cars --the second time I went through a red light--it pulled momenterrally to the right then the brake pedal kept bouncing--I kept hard pressure on the brake --stopped 25-30 yards past the red light---pulled left then right then stopped …”

   NHTSA complaint #761862, filed 2002-05

   “Vehicle veered off the road and into a tree. The air bags did not deploy during the accident. Nhtsa did some testing but could not pin point the problem. A recall was initiated which the consumer received august 24, 2003, 30 days prior to the accident. Since the vehicle was to be out of service for approximately two weeks the consumer was in the process of rearranging his schedule to comply when the failure occurred. Five days after the consumer purchased the vehicle the brake unit failed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10068580, filed 2004-04, 48,000 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Spark plug blows out of cylinder head

   • 6 complaints (7%)
   • median 137,800 mi at 9.0 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2003–2009

   Owners of vans with the 5.4L V8 describe a loud popping noise under the hood followed by a misfire and loss of power, with one spark plug ejected from the head and its threads stripped. Shops quoted thread repair with a heli-coil insert, and in at least one case a dealer quoted a cylinder head repair; some owners said mechanics described the event as common on these engines. A related complaint describes repeated spark plug, solenoid and EGR replacement that did not settle the problem. Mostly reported between about 75,000 and 170,000 miles on 5.4L V8 vans.

   What to check: Ask whether any spark plug holes have been repaired or fitted with thread inserts, and listen for a ticking or popping sound at startup. A shop can check plug torque and thread condition on the 5.4L before purchase.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “March 16, 2007. V8 (5.4l) I began to hear a loud popping sound under the hood. The back passenger side spark plug had blown out.my 1999 v8 5.4 had blown the spark plug ceramic portion out of the head. I made it home driving it like that (5 miles) and had a mechanic look at it. He said this was a common event for the fords. He is now going to try to heli-coil the plug hole to save me a head job, tho he's having problems due to the location of the plug. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10185382, filed 2007-03, 111,000 miles

   “Spark plug ejected from cylinder head of my 1999 Ford E-150 5.4l engine. The threads were stripped and the dealer says $4000+ total repair. The fuel and air leaking into the engine compartment with a convenient ignition source, the spark plug, fortunately did not lead to a fire but it's potentially enormous. After internet searching, this seems to be a very common problem. Although the Ford dealer does not acknowledge this.”

   NHTSA complaint #10043338, filed 2003-10

Buying note. On this model year, the items worth checking before purchase are the fuel tank and its straps, the steering box mounting bolts and frame area, and brake behavior in wet weather. Service records showing how the 5.4L V8 spark plugs have been maintained, and whether any recall or bulletin work was completed, are worth asking for.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.