Total Complaints
37 filings
Ford E-150 · model year
37 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The verdict
The 1989 Ford E-150 posts above-average complaint volume among its own model-year siblings.
The 1989FordE-150 carries 37 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 7 fires, 1 injury, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1989 E-150 is fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank:selector devices with 3 filings, followed by electrical system:ignition (3) and tires:tread/belt (2). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1989 E-150, and 6 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
PlainCars' own composite of NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings and rollover-risk assessment, each dimension normalized against the federal scale or the full national model-year corpus. Not an official NHTSA figure, and not a substitute for a specific vehicle's VIN-level recall check.
Total Complaints
37 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 3 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 2 |
| STEERING:LINKAGES:TIE ROD ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC | 1 |
Ignition control module fails due to excessive heat buildup, due to where the control module is located. The ignition control module needs to be relocated to a cooler area under the hood, and mounted on a large heat sink, and this new location should be where cooling airflow from front of van flows over the ignition control module and its connected heat sink. The ignition control module will fail without any warnings, no warning lamps, or any other symptoms. This problem leaves your vehicle and your passengers stranded until it cools down which can take an hour or more! Then will happen again, and again when it heats up. it has failed when I had just pulled into an intersection, when I was traveling down a city street and on the expressway! and when stopped at a stop sign or traffic light! Ford knows this problem exists in this model van and Ford's pickup truck lines, and other model Ford cars. has only addressed the problem happening to mustang models!
Ignition control module fails due to excessive heat buildup, due to where the control module is located. The ignition control module needs to be relocated to a cooler area under the hood, and mounted on a large heat sink, and this new location should be where cooling airflow from front of van flows over the ignition control module and its connected heat sink. The ignition control module will fail without any warnings, no warning lamps, or any other symptoms. This problem leaves your vehicle and your passengers stranded until it cools down which can take an hour or more! Then will happen again, and again when it heats up. it has failed when I had just pulled into an intersection, when I was traveling down a city street and on the expressway! and when stopped at a stop sign or traffic light! Ford knows this problem exists in this model van and Ford's pickup truck lines, and other model Ford cars. has only addressed the problem happening to mustang models!
NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID# 91V146000 REFERS TO A SAFETY RECALL FOR A FAULTY DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE IN FORD ECONOLINE VANS EQUIPPED WITH DUAL FUEL TANKS BUILT BETWEEN 1989 AND 1991 AND OTHER SIMILAR MODELS . I HAVE CONTACTED FORD TO INVESTIGATE , BUT THERE ARE NO RECORDS THAT CONFIRM OR DISAFFIRM MY VEHICLE'S INCLUSION IN THIS RECALL. BASICALLY, I DON'T KNOW IF MY VAN WAS AFFECTED BY THIS RECALL AND IF ANY RECALL SERVICES WERE PERFORMED. I AM EXPERIENCING A FAULT IN THE DUAL FUEL TANK SYSTEM. IT SEEMS THAT THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WILL NOT SWITCH TO THE MAIN TANK, AND WHEN FILLED, THE MAIN TANK WILL FLOW PAST THE FILLER CAP AND CAUSES A FUEL LEAKAGE, WHICH CAN RESULT IN A FIRE WHEN EXPOSED TO A SOURCE OF IGNITION. I CONTACTED A LOCAL FORD DEALER WHO ADVISED ME THAT NO RECALL SERVICE CAN BE PERFORMED TO REMEDY THIS PROBLEM BECAUSE MY VIN# DOES NOT REGISTER IN THE FORD RECALL DATABASE. AGAIN, FORD CANNOT CONFIRM OR DISAFFIRM ANY RECALL SERVICES PERFORMED ON MY VEHICLE. I AM NOT THE ORIGINAL
Mileage: 94,000
VAN DIED,TOWED TO MECHANICS SHOP,WAS TOLD SWITCH VALVE BETWEEN TANKS WAS PROBLEM, LOOKED ON NHTSA WEBSITE ABOUT RECALLS. FORD VAN 89 E-150 WITH DUEL GAS TANKS. FORD SAFETY RECALL NUMBER IS 91S39 WENT TO FORD WEB SITE,CALLED THEM ON PHONE, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND LOCAL DEALERSHIP. BOTH SAID THERE WAS NO RECALL ON MY VAN. *TR
Mileage: 138,000
WHILE DRIVING, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION AND DAMAGED THE FRONT FENDER. *AK THE VALVE STEM WAS ALSO REPLACED. *PH *JB
Mileage: 61,000
WHILE DRIVING, THE TIRE EXPERIENCED TREAD SEPARATION AND DAMAGED THE FRONT FENDER. *AK THE VALVE STEM WAS ALSO REPLACED. *PH *JB
Mileage: 61,000
IGNITION MODULE HAS BEEN GIVING US PROBLEMS SINCE PURCHASED-1993- ONE TIME THE MODULE FAILED AND ANOTHER TIME IT WAS REPLACED, STILL THE PROBLEM PERSISTS. *AK
BEGAN HAVING SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH STALLING APPROX. 2 MOS AGO , STALLED WHILE AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WHILE CROSSING INTERSECTIONS , ENDANGERING THE SAFETY OF MY FAMILY , WHICH CONSISTS OF MYSELF ,MY WIFE , AND OUR FOUR SMALL CHILDREN. THIS PROBLEM HAS OCCURED 7 TIMES. I HAVE REPAIRED IT TWICE. RECENTLY I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL FORD DEALERSHIP. AND AT FIRST THEY DENIED AND PROBLEM AND THE RECENT RECALL IN CALIFORNIA. IHAVE DONE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF RESEARCH REGARDING THIS PROBLEM INCLUDING MEETING WITH A REGIONAL FORD DISTRICT SERVICE MANAGER. PLEASE , PLEASE HELP ME...
THE AIR CONDITIONING BLOWER MOTOR SWITCH WAS MELTED I REPLACED IT AND IT MELTED AFTER 4000 MILES. I WENT TO A SALVAGE YARD AND THEY WERE ALL MELTED IN THE HI POSITION. WHEN ON HI THE WIRING GET SO HOT YOU CANNOT HOLD THE WIRES
ALTENATEOR HARNESS PLUG CONNECTOR SUDDENLY SHORT CIRCUTED, AND CAUSED VEHICLE TO CATCHON FIRE. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED. *AK
FIRE STARTED ON DRIVERS SIDE NEAR STEERING WHEEL AND DASHBOARD.NM
BUMPER ASSEMBLY MISSING PARTS THAT ARE ON ASSEMBLY DRAWING, POSSIBLE CAUSE FOR THE STEP BUMPER OF THE VAN TO BREAK AWAY FROM THE FRAME WHILE TOWING.
VEHICLE HAS AUXILIARY FUEL TANK. WHEN FIRST TANK IS FILLED WITH GAS IT CAUSES SPILLAGE OF SECOND TANK. CAUSE UNKNOWN. *AK
STEP BUMPER ON THE VAN BROKE AWAY FROM THE FRAM WHILE TOWING A TRAVEL TRAILER, DUE TO MISSING PARTS.
ENGINE STALLS.
WHEN ONE FUEL TANK ON A DUAL FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY FILLS UP IT OVERFLOWS, LEAKING GAS. *AK
WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLS AND CUTS OFF COMPLETLY. OWNER HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE TOWED TO DEALER. *AK
THE VEHICLE'S DUAL GAS TANK IS INOPERATIVE, CAUSING FRONT GAS TANK TO OVERFILL/SPILL WHEN REAR IS SWITCHED. *AK
CLIMATE CONTROL FAN SWITCH MELTED/BURNED. *SD
FUEL IS LEAKING FROM THE GAS TANK OF THE VEHICLE. *AK
Timing Belt Failure
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1989 Ford E-150; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.