FORD E-150 · model year

1990 FORD E-150

2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990FORDE-150 carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 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 E-150 is fuel/propulsion system with 1 filings, followed by unknown or other (1). 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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1990 E-150, and 8 remain open. 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.

2
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

2 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20210519CrashUNKNOWN OR OTHER

Picked up vehicle from auto shop, work had been done on the front brakes, engine temp sensor, heater blower relay, map sensor, throttle control position sensor and ECM had been replaced. Shortly after I got on the freeway the vehicle started to accelerate very quickly W/O pushing the gas pedal hit the brakes but only slowed from 65 mph to 60. Gas pedal did not move from middle position up or down and brakes seamed mushy. Cruise control was not on, tried switching it on then off. Could not slow down, so went to great effort to avoid hitting any other vehicles. trying to slow down for an off ramp came close to crashing off the the edge into a ditch.Tried the emergency brake and downshifting. Finally turned off the key and started slowing down, car lurched forward and hit a crosswalk button pole. Utility pole was damaged also cars bumper, grill, hood, radiator, brakes, possibly transmission. State patrol arrived, vehicle towed to tow yard lot. No ticket was issued. Vehicle never had this

20140515FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

WHILE DRIVING GAS STARTED TO SPILL OUT OF FRONT TANK AT CAP. VEHICLE HAS DUAL GAS TANKS. STOPPED AT LOCAL STORE AND TRIED TO FIGURE OUT WHY. TWO DAYS EARLIER HAD SMELLED GAS BUT DID NOT KNOW WERE IT WAS COMING FROM. WHEN I CAME OUT OF STORE TRUCK WOULD NOT START. TOOK TO MECHANIC HAD FUEL SYSTEM REPAIRED AND SELECTOR SWITCH BYPASSED. NOW RUNNING FINE . FOUND RECALL FOR FORD RECALL #91S39. CALLED FORD SAID DOES NOT APPLY TO MY VEHICLE. RECALL SAYS FORD E150 CLUB WAGONS 1989-1991 WITH DUAL TANKS HARD TO UNDERSTAND HOW MINE IS NOT COVERED. WOULD LIKE SOME EXPLANATION. *TR

Mileage: 129,000

Compare 1990FORDE-150 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 FORD E-150 have?
The 1990 FORD E-150 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD E-150?
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD E-150 is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include UNKNOWN OR OTHER.
Is the 1990 FORD E-150 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.