Ford E-250Model year report

1996 Ford E-250 Problems

Complaints: 20filed with NHTSA
Median mileage: 94,500miles, 4 complaints with mileage
Recalls: 3campaigns on record
Trend: StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating: —overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy: 12 mpgcombined, 4.9L 6-cyl RWD · 11 city / 13 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 1996 Ford E-250 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 1996 Ford E-250. The part named most often is tires, with 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by brakes (4) and engine cooling (4). 4 of the complaints include a mileage, and 0% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 94,500 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, 1 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 1 technical service bulletin for this model year.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Tires: “The first incident r-r tire blew out /replaced with spare tire. Bought a new replacement, and rotated the r-f tire to the r-r; stowed the (r-r) spare tire ; in the second incident, the r-r tire separated while driving on I-10 from phoenix, az to la, ca (tiresize: 225/75r16d)( DOT number: tire size: 225/75r16d )”

NHTSA complaint #733964, filed 2000-10

Brakes: “When applying the brakes in a panic stop, consumer's foot hit the brake pedal and accelerator pedal because the brake pedal and accelerator pedal are too close together, causing the vehicle not to stop, once resulting in a collision.”

NHTSA complaint #819146, filed 1997-12

Engine cooling: “While waiting at stop light or sign vehicle would idle roughly. Would jerk forward with foot on brake. Sometimes would almost stall out when at a stop. Been to dealer, and nothing could be found. It was an intermittent problem.”

NHTSA complaint #895637, filed 2001-08

Transmission and drivetrain: “I was stopped at an intersection with truck in gear and clutch pedal down, all of a sudden the clutch released with the pedal still down causing the truck to lurch into the street about 15 ft before I could stop with the brakes. The cars in the street were able to avoid me but I was very shaken. I found the problem was the clutch rod end plastic bushing and retainer had failed allowing the clutch to release without the pedal. This was replaced but failed again 6 months later. Fortunately I always keep the truck in neutral when stopped now so it was only an inconvenience. …”

NHTSA complaint #10243923, filed 2008-09, 76,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

0% of the 4 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 89,000 and 100,000 miles.

Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (4 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 94,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 1996 Ford E-250 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

Version	Engine	Transmission	City	Hwy	Comb.	Fuel / yr
E250 Econoline 2WD	4.9L 6-cyl	3-speed automatic	11	13	12	$5,600
E250 Econoline 2WD	4.9L 6-cyl	4-speed automatic	11	15	12	$5,600
E250 Econoline 2WD	5.8L 8-cyl	4-speed automatic	11	16	13	$5,150

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

09V399000Oct 13, 2009
Vehicle speed control
Covers: Ford E-250 1992–2003, E-150 1992–2003, E-350 1992–2003 +12 more
Ford is recalling model years 1995-2003 windstar, 2000-2003 excursion diesel, 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 f-250 sd through f-550 sd diesel, 1992-2003 e-150 through e-550, 1995-2002 explorer, 1997 and 2002 mercury mountaineer, 1995-1997 and 2001-2003 ranger, and…
08V051000Feb 4, 2008
Vehicle speed control › Cruise control
Covers: Ford E-250 1992–2003, E-150 1992–2003, Econoline 1992–2003 +10 more
Ford is recalling 225,000 my 1992-2003 econoline, my 1993-1995 taurus sho, my 1992-1998 crown victoria, my 1993 bronco, f-series, my 1995-1997 f-series super duty stripped chassis, my 1992-1998 mercury grand marquis, and my 1992-1995 lincoln town car…
06V286000Aug 1, 2006
Vehicle speed control
Covers: Ford E-250 1994–1996, F-250 1994–2002, F-350 1994–2002 +10 more
On certain trucks equipped with speed control, gasoline or natural gas engines, the speed control deactivation switch may overheat.

Recall details for the 1996 Ford E-250 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 1 on record; the latest 1 are shown.

10148820Apr 6, 2018Steering. This SKU is a front upper ball joint. The Customer communication requested return of unsold inventory to inspect for ball studs with excessive rotational friction in the ball joint assembly…

Other model years of the Ford E-250

Year	Complaints	Median mi	Recalls	Crash ★	MPG	Score (50 = typical)	Trend
2014	7	59,830	11	—	15	—	Not enough data
2013	11	40,000	11	—	15	—	Not enough data
2012	8	53,500	12	—	15	—	Not enough data
2011	6	27,746	16	—	15	—	Not enough data
2010	9	81,427	11	—	—	—	Not enough data
2008	6	76,000	21	—	—	—	Not enough data
2007	6	21,500	26	—	—	—	Not enough data
2006	12	5,600	29	—	—	—	Not enough data
2005	11	57,300	9	—	15	—	Not enough data
2004	8	89,500	16	—	15	—	Not enough data
2003	17	50,103	7	—	14	—	Stable
2002	17	40,000	5	—	14	—	Falling
2001	18	120,000	3	—	14	—	Stable
2000	18	43,519	5	—	14	—	Stable
1999	31	59,555	6	—	13	Not compared (before 2008)	Stable
1998	16	92,300	5	—	13	—	Stable
1997	24	98,500	4	—	14	—	Stable
1996	20	94,500	3	—	12	—	Stable
1995	15	115,000	3	—	12	—	Stable
1994	11	90,012	3	—	12	—	Not enough data
1993	7	162,792	3	—	13	—	Not enough data
1992	14	25,000	3	—	13	—	Not enough data
1991	8	150,000	1	—	13	—	Not enough data
1989	7	41,000	2	—	13	—	Not enough data

All Ford E-250 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 1996 Ford E-250 have?

NHTSA recorded 20 consumer complaints for the 1996 Ford E-250 as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 1996 Ford E-250 is reported most often?

Tires is named most often, in 5 complaints (25% of the total), followed by brakes with 4.

Has the 1996 Ford E-250 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 1996 Ford E-250 get?

The EPA rates the 1996 Ford E-250 (E250 Econoline 2WD, 4.9L 6-cyl) at 12 mpg combined, 11 city and 13 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $5,600 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 1996 Ford E-250 reported?

Among the 4 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 94,500 miles and the middle half falls between 89,000 and 100,000 miles; 0% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.