Total Complaints
7 filings
FORD E250 · model year
1989 FORD E250
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1989FORDE250 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 1 fire, 3 injuries, and 2 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 1989 E250 is electrical system:ignition:switch with 2 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:auxillary tank:selector devices (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings (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 1989 E250, 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.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
3
Injuries
2
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080617FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1989 FORD E250. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE DUAL FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVES WERE NOT WORKING PROPERLY. THE CONTACT ALSO SMELLED GASOLINE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. HE CALLED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 91V146000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILIARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES) AND WAS REFERRED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT FORD DOES NOT KEEP ANY RECALL INFORMATION FROM THE PAST TEN YEARS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 41,000. UPDATED 07/09/08 *BF UPDATED
Mileage: 41,000
19970527FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES
SMELL OF FUEL WHILE DRIVING, FUEL TANK SELECTOR VALVE MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING FUEL TO POUR OUT THROUGH FUEL FILLER CAP,COULD CAUSE FIRE. *AK
19970325CrashFatalSEATS
SEAT TRACKS BENT IN ACCIDENT, CAUSING SEAT TO DISLODGE FROM TRACKS.
19960424ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
ELECTRICAL SHORT OR SHOCK IN THE IGNITION SWITCH, CAUSING THE HEAD LIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE TO TURN OFF THE CRUISE CONTROL IS TURN ON. *AK
19960419FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
INTERIOR VEHICLE FIRE WHICH TOTALLY MELTED DASHBOARD, STEERING WHEEL AND COLUMN. *AK
19960126ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
THE OIL PAN RUSTED FROM THE VEHICLE. TT
19951004SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
RIGHT BRAKE CALIPER HOSE COLLAPSED, HEATING UP THE BRAKE FLUID UP, RESULTING IN THE BRAKE FAILURE, HOSE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. TT
Compare 1989FORDE250 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 8 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionOpen
Underbody shields detachment
PE25007Preliminary EvaluationOpen
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1989 FORD E250 have?▼
The 1989 FORD E250 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 1 fires, 3 injuries, and 2 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1989 FORD E250?▼
The most-complained component for the 1989 FORD E250 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS.
Is the 1989 FORD E250 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.