IllustrationFRONT OF FRAME HAS DISINTEGRATED. THE FRAME WAS REPLACED BY AN INDEPENDENT GARAGE. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
1988 Ford F150
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all F150 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 9 of 139 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Electrical System. Review the 49 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Fuel System, Gasoline. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine And Engine Cooling. Review the 11 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
3 crash reports47 fire reports4 injury reports
What owners actually said
139 reportsTHE REAR BRAKES WHEN APPLIED IN POOR TRACTION CONDITIONS, OR WHEN TOWING A TRAILER, LOCK UP. THEN THE ABS LETS THE REAR WHEELS GO FREE WITHOUT REAPPLYING THE BRAKES. ALL BRAKING IS NOW ON THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY. THIS IS NO PROBLEM WHEN IN GOOD TRACTRION CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, IN POOR TRACTION CONDITION AS SOON AS ONE OF THE FRONT W…
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THE REAR BRAKES WHEN APPLIED IN POOR TRACTION CONDITIONS, OR WHEN TOWING A TRAILER, LOCK UP. THEN THE ABS LETS THE REAR WHEELS GO FREE WITHOUT REAPPLYING THE BRAKES. ALL BRAKING IS NOW ON THE FRONT WHEELS ONLY. THIS IS NO PROBLEM WHEN IN GOOD TRACTRION CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, IN POOR TRACTION CONDITION AS SOON AS ONE OF THE FRONT WHEELS BEGINS TO LOCK ALL BRAKING IS WITH ONE FRONT WHEEL ONLY. THE TRUCK GOES TOTALLY OUT OF BRAKING CONTROL AS THE TRUCK IS NOW SKIDDING ON ONE FRONT WHEEL AND NO REAR WHEELS. IT TOOK ME YEARS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. I TOOK IT TO THE FORD DEALER AND THEY COULD SEE NO PROBLEM. HOWEVER, I HAD COMPLAINED ABOUT THIS PROBLENM TO THE NHTSA SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH NO HELP. BUT REMEMBER, IT WASNT UTIL AFTER OWNING THE TRUCK FOR MANY YEARS AND SEEING THIS PROBLEM OCCUR WHEN TOWING MY BOAT IN THE RAIN THAT I BEGAN TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING AND WHY IT WAS
CONSUMER STARTED VEHICLE. THEN TOOK THE KEY OUT OF THE IGNITION, VEHICLE CUT OFF AND CAUGHT ON FIRE. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK
PICK-UP WAS DRIVEN LESS THAN 2 MILES THAT DAY PARKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THEN DRIVEN BACK HOME, AND PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON THE STREET I LOCKED IT AND WENT INSIDE . ABOUT 30 TO 45 MINUTES LATER MY NEIGHBOR INFORMED ME THAT MY PICK-UP WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE WITHIN MINUTES. MY PICK-UP W…
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PICK-UP WAS DRIVEN LESS THAN 2 MILES THAT DAY PARKED FOR ABOUT AN HOUR, THEN DRIVEN BACK HOME, AND PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE ON THE STREET I LOCKED IT AND WENT INSIDE . ABOUT 30 TO 45 MINUTES LATER MY NEIGHBOR INFORMED ME THAT MY PICK-UP WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED AND PUT OUT THE FIRE WITHIN MINUTES. MY PICK-UP WAS A TOTAL LOSS I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IT CAUGHT FIRE BECAUSE IT WAS RUNNING FINE AND IT HAD BEEN RECENTLY SMOGED WITHOUT ANY LEAKS SHOWING. I WAS INSURED WITH AARP- HARTFORD (PL-PD ONLY) DID NOT COVER LOSSES. ALSO JUST WONDERING IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD THESE PROBLEMS. THANK- YOU FOR YOUR TIME --ERNIE. *AK
FIRE WALL HAS BECOME DISCONNECTED FROM THE TRUCK, DEALER HAS RIVETED THE WALL PREVIOUSLY AND IT KEEPS COMING APART.
FRAME OF VEHICLE EXPERIENCED FAILURE, DUE TO LARGE CRACKS AND RUST IN SEVERAL PLACES. *YC
THIS IS THE SECOND FORD PICKUP I HAVE SEEN WHER E THE REAR BRAKE LINE RUSTED THROUGH. BOTH TIMES THE LINE RUSTED THROUGH WHERE IT IS IN CONTACT WITH THE FLEXIBLE METAL SHEATH COVERING IT. *AK
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND WITHOUT ANY WARNING, PLASTIC FUEL LINE COMING FROM THE FUEL FILTER TO THE FUEL INJECTORS, CRACKED, CAUSING VALVE COVER TO LEAK OIL AND SPRAY IT UNTO THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WHICH, IN TURN, RESULTED IN A FIRE. *AK
VEHICLES FRAME IS BROKEN ON BOTH SIDES, CAUSING VEHICLE TO DROP LOWER & LOWER, RESULTING IN ALIGNMENT PROBLEMS. *YC
DOUBLE TANK SHUT OFF VALVE FAILED TO OPERATE WHENEVER FUEL FILLED ONE TANK AND OVERFLOWED TO THE OTHER TANK. INSTEAD OF CUTTING OFF WHEN FULL, THE TANK OVERFLOWED AND CAUSED FUEL TO LEAK. DEALER NOTIFIED. AND WILL NOT CORRECT PROBLEM UNLESS COST GOES TO CONSUMER. *AK
Official recalls
296V071000 · Electrical System:ignition
Apr 25, 1996
THE IGNITION SWITCH COULD EXPERIENCE AN INTERNAL SHORT CIRCUIT.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS CONDITION COULD CAUSE OVERHEATING, SMOKE, AND POSSIBLY FIRE IN THE STEERING COLUMN AREA OF THE VEHICLE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE IGNITION SWITCH.
88V146000 · Visibility:glass, Side/rear
Sep 2, 1988
SLIDING REAR WINDOW MAY CONTAIN GLAZING PANELS WHICH DO NOT MEET REQUIREMENTS OF FMVSS 205.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A FRACTURED WINDOW MAY CONTAIN FRAGMENTS THAT ARE LARGERTHAN THE 425 GRAMS ALLOWED.
Remedy: REPLACE SUSPECT WINDOW PANELS.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
6EA91044 · Loss Of Brake Effectivenes
Opened Oct 30, 1991 · Closed Oct 30, 1992
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
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PE91077 · Loss Of Brake Effectivenes
Opened May 23, 1991 · Closed Oct 31, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
There is no summary currently available
PE91017 · Ford Truck Inconsistent Vehicle Control.
Opened Nov 27, 1990 · Closed Apr 17, 1991
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic
SEE CLOSE RESUME
DP89005 · F-SERIES Fuel Tank Fires
Opened Jan 26, 1989 · Closed Aug 1, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Fuel System, Gasoline
F-SERIES FUEL TANK FIRES
PE89020 · Fires
Opened Dec 7, 1988 · Closed Jun 1, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Vehicle Speed Control:linkages
There is no summary currently available
PE89003 · Steering Column Drops
Opened Oct 13, 1988 · Closed Feb 8, 1989
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Steering
There is no summary currently available