FORD BRONCO · model year

1990 FORD BRONCO

77 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990FORDBRONCO carries 77 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 15 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 1990 BRONCO is seats with 8 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip (6) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery:fuel pump (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 4 investigation files overlapping the 1990 BRONCO. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

77
Complaints
5
Crashes
15
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

77 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SEATS8
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP6
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP4
STRUCTURE:BODY4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH4
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH3
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS3
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE2
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR2
SUSPENSION2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS2

Recent Complaints

20170307SEATS

THE SEAT PAN UNDER THE SEAT TRACKS HAS CRACKED IN MY 1990 BRONCO WITH CAPTAIN CHAIRS. THE VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION WHEN THIS HAPPENED ON A PUBLIC PAVED STREET, AND COMING TO A NORMAL STOP. BACK IN OCTOBER 1990, I RECEIVED SAFETY PROGRAM NUMBER (B(93) ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL PROBLEM. I IMMEDIATELY BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP OF PURCHASE, JOHN FOSTER FORD, UPON RECEIPT OF THE NOTIFICATION. I DO NOT LET ANY SAFETY ISSUES GO. THEY LOOKED AT THE VEHICLE AND DID NOT MAKE THE REPAIR. BECAUSE THE VEHICLE IS SO KINDLY DRIVEN IT HAS TAKEN MANY YEARS FOR THE FLAW IN THE FORD SEAT PAN DESIGN TO DEVELOP. I SPOKE WITH FORD AT THE CUSTOMER SERVICE 800 NUMBER AGAIN TODAY AND HAVE BEEN IN TOUCH WITH THE REGIONAL SERVICE MANAGER AND THEY REFUSE TO PERFORM THE REPAIR OR ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN THE SAFETY PROGRAM. I STILL HAVE THE LETTER AND ORIGINAL ENVELOPE FOR WHICH IT CAME. THERE SHOULD BE A RECORD OF THE INITIAL INSPECTION CHARGE DONE BY THE DEALERSHIP IN SOME C

Mileage: 148,000

20160606STRUCTURE:BODY

CRACKED SEAT MOUNTS ON FLOOR BOARD. 1990 BRONCO, BUCKET SEATS, HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 89-90 BRONCOS WITH CAPTIANS CHAIRS, THE FLOOR BOARD CRACKS AROUND THE BOLTS. THIS MAKES THE FRONT SEATS WOBBLE, BOUNCE, AND MOVE, INCREASING THE STRESS ON THE FLOOR PAN, UNTILL THE FLOOR PAN BREAKS AND THE BOLT NO LON GET HOLDS ANYTHING. EXISTING RECALL FOR MODELS WITH CAPTIANS CHAIR, DO NOT APPLY TO BUCKET SEATS, IT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED OR A NEW RECALL PUT OUT. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE, AND IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, ATTACHED IMAGES SHOW NO RUST OR OTHER CORROSION THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS.

Mileage: 145,000

20160606SEATS

CRACKED SEAT MOUNTS ON FLOOR BOARD. 1990 BRONCO, BUCKET SEATS, HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AS THE 89-90 BRONCOS WITH CAPTIANS CHAIRS, THE FLOOR BOARD CRACKS AROUND THE BOLTS. THIS MAKES THE FRONT SEATS WOBBLE, BOUNCE, AND MOVE, INCREASING THE STRESS ON THE FLOOR PAN, UNTILL THE FLOOR PAN BREAKS AND THE BOLT NO LON GET HOLDS ANYTHING. EXISTING RECALL FOR MODELS WITH CAPTIANS CHAIR, DO NOT APPLY TO BUCKET SEATS, IT NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED OR A NEW RECALL PUT OUT. THIS IS VERY UNSAFE, AND IS CLEARLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT, ATTACHED IMAGES SHOW NO RUST OR OTHER CORROSION THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS.

Mileage: 145,000

20140810CrashSTRUCTURE:BODY

I WAS HEADING TO THE STORE WHEN MY GAS PEDAL FOR STUCK. I PRESSED THE BRAKES AND HELD THEM DOWN TO NO AVAIL. I ENDED UP CRASHING THROUGH SOMEONES YARD AND HITTING THEIR PROPERTY. MY BRONCO FINALLY STOPPED ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER. THE WHOLE INCIDENT WAS ABOUT TWO MINUTES LONG. *TR

Mileage: 89,000

20140810CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS HEADING TO THE STORE WHEN MY GAS PEDAL FOR STUCK. I PRESSED THE BRAKES AND HELD THEM DOWN TO NO AVAIL. I ENDED UP CRASHING THROUGH SOMEONES YARD AND HITTING THEIR PROPERTY. MY BRONCO FINALLY STOPPED ABOUT 15 SECONDS LATER. THE WHOLE INCIDENT WAS ABOUT TWO MINUTES LONG. *TR

Mileage: 89,000

20091107STRUCTURE

FLOOR PAN UNDER DRIVERS SEAT HAS CRACKED WHERE THE SEAT IS ATTACHED IN 1990 BRONCO. CAUSES SEAT TO SHIFT, SINK AND BOUNCE AND NOT FEEL SECURE TO VEHICLE. IDENTICAL PROBLEM IN MY 1989 FORD BRONCO AND WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER AS A RECALL DEFECT. CANNOT FIND ANY RECALL INFORMATION REGARDING THE 1990 BRONCO WITH THIS ISSUE OR FOR 1989 BRONCO DESPITE DEALERS REPAIR. *TR

20091107SEATS

FLOOR PAN UNDER DRIVERS SEAT HAS CRACKED WHERE THE SEAT IS ATTACHED IN 1990 BRONCO. CAUSES SEAT TO SHIFT, SINK AND BOUNCE AND NOT FEEL SECURE TO VEHICLE. IDENTICAL PROBLEM IN MY 1989 FORD BRONCO AND WAS REPAIRED BY DEALER AS A RECALL DEFECT. CANNOT FIND ANY RECALL INFORMATION REGARDING THE 1990 BRONCO WITH THIS ISSUE OR FOR 1989 BRONCO DESPITE DEALERS REPAIR. *TR

20060405FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

1990 BRONCO EQUIPMENT FAILED CAUSING AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE. *TS A NEW POWER STEERING PUMP HAD BEEN INSTALLED PRIOR TO THE FIRE. *NM

20060326TIRES

A PATTERN OF SAME SIZE CHUNKS ON THE SAME CIRCULAR COLUMN OF THE TIRES ARE BREAKING OFF. TIRE PSI AND BALANCING ARE EXCELLENT. NO OFF ROAD OR AGGRESSIVE DRIVING. TIRE ONLY 6 MONTHS OLD. *JB

20040429ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH

1990 FORD BRONCO IGNITION SWITCH FAILED. (SAFETY RECALL #96V071000 OF NOV95) FORD DEALER SAID NO RECALLS ON THIS VEHICLE AND CHARGED ME $476.00. I CHECKED THE FORD WEBSITE AND THEY ONLY LIST RECALLS FROM JAN96, IS THERE A STAUTE OF LIMITATIONS ON SAFTEY RECALLS AND HOW LONG?

20040114FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

1990 FORD BRONCO I BROUGHT THIS VEHICLE IN TO JIM DOYLE FORD ON DELAWARE AVENUE IN KENMORE N.Y, LAST WEEK. THE IGNITION SWITCH BROKE, AND WAS TO BE REPLACED VIA RECALL. THE IGNITION SWITCH MALFUNCTIONED, AND I SMELLED FIRE.SAW SMOKE. TURNED KEY OFF TO NO AVAIL, IMMEDIATELY RAN IN THE HOUSE, GRABBED FIRE EXTINGUISHER, CALLED FIRE DEPT (CAR WAS PARKED BETWEEN 2 HOUSES) AND RAN OUT AND CUT BATTERY CABLE. AFTER DETERMINING PROBLEM (DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH) I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO JIM DOYLE FORD. THEY OFFERED THE FREE REPAIR, AND CALLED ME STATING THAT SOMETHING INSIDE THE IGNITION COLUMN WAS BROKEN, AND THEY WOULD CHARGE ME 60 DOLLARS PLUS TAX JUST TO DIAGNOSE. I DECLINED, WENT TO THE DEALER, AND THE IGNITION SWITCH WAS JUST HANGING OUT FROM THE HARNESS UNDER THE DASH, THE MECHANIC USED A SCREWDRIVER TO PUSH THE SWITCH AND STARTED THE VEHICLE FOR ME. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE TO BUFFALO KEY AND LOCK, AND THE TECHNICIAN (RON CHASE) FOUND THAT THE INTERNAL MECHANISM IN THE STEERIN

Mileage: 102,540

20030110FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION

1990 FORD BRONCO DESTROYED IN FIRE. SPONTANEOUS FIRE ORGINATED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER DASH INSIDE VEHICLE WHILE PARKED ON STREET. VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.

Mileage: 140,000

20030110FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

1990 FORD BRONCO DESTROYED IN FIRE. SPONTANEOUS FIRE ORGINATED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER DASH INSIDE VEHICLE WHILE PARKED ON STREET. VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.

Mileage: 140,000

20030110FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1990 FORD BRONCO DESTROYED IN FIRE. SPONTANEOUS FIRE ORGINATED IN ENGINE COMPARTMENT OR UNDER DASH INSIDE VEHICLE WHILE PARKED ON STREET. VEHICLE WAS NOT RUNNING AT THE TIME. VEHICLE IS A TOTAL LOSS.

Mileage: 140,000

20021231CrashVEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT 10MPH, THE VEHICLE SUFFERED SUDDEN ACCELERATION, AND HAD A FRONT COLLISION WITH A GARAGE DOOR. MR THE DEALER STATED THAT THIS WAS CAUSED BY THE THROTTLE BODY INJECTION BEING DIRTY. SCC

Mileage: 112,601

20020731ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

CONSUMER STATES THE THICK FILM IGNITION MODULE IS NOT USABLE UNLESS THE TEMPERATURE IS 70 DEGRESS OR COOLER, OTHERWISE THERE IS AN UNCONTROLLABLE STALL THAT OCCURS, CONSUMER HAS CONTACTED THE MANUFACTURER ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TO TRY AND GET THE PART REPAIRED OR REPLACED.*JB

20020612ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED/IN WARM WEATHER/OR ON INCLINES, AND DOWN GRADES. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT FORD HAS NEVER PROVIDED ANY DATA OR SERVICE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM-BY THEIR USE OF DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED THICK FILM IGNITION MODULE. (TFI PROBLEM) THE VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT WON'T START. *SCC

20020612ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:MODULE

VEHICLE STALLS INTERMITTENTLY AT ANY SPEED/IN WARM WEATHER/OR ON INCLINES, AND DOWN GRADES. DEALER REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP, WHICH DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. *AK THE CONSUMER STATES THAT FORD HAS NEVER PROVIDED ANY DATA OR SERVICE TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM-BY THEIR USE OF DISTRIBUTOR MOUNTED THICK FILM IGNITION MODULE. (TFI PROBLEM) THE VEHICLE WILL CRANK BUT WON'T START. *SCC

20020611FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH

A VEHICLE FIRE STARTED UNDER THE DASH WHILE DRIVING. DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOTIFIED. FEEL FREE TO PROVIDE ANY FURTHER INFORMATION, AND PLEASE FILL IN VEHICLE MILEAGE.*AK

20010629SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM

CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 65MPH ON HIGHWAY AND HEARD A NOISE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH OF VEHICLE. ENTIRE FRONT OF CAR DROPPED DOWN/. IT WAS LEFT AXLE. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK

Compare 1990FORDBRONCO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 FORD BRONCO have?
The 1990 FORD BRONCO has 77 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 15 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD BRONCO?
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD BRONCO is SEATS with 8 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP.
Is the 1990 FORD BRONCO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.