Total Complaints
13 filings
FORD E350 · model year
1986 FORD E350
13 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986FORDE350 carries 13 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, 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 1986 E350 is electrical system:ignition:switch with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (2) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:drum:drum (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 2 investigation files overlapping the 1986 E350. 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.
13
Complaints
0
Crashes
7
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 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 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR | 1 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20100920FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
1986 FORD E350, A FIRE STARTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE AND UNDERCARRIAGE OF THE VEHICLE. *BF ACCORDING TO THE POLICE REPORT, THE EXHAUST WAS BENT UPWARD TOWARD THE SIDE OF THE MOTOR HOME, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT # 10-0332-89) *JB
20001010TIRES:TREAD/BELT
THIS IS THE EXACT FAILURE I HAVE SEEN ON RECALLED TIRES. TREAD HAS SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE CASING FOR APPROX 1/3 OF THE TIRE CIRCUMFRENCE AT HIGHWAY SPEED. THESE TIRES, ALTHOUGH OLD, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PREFECTLY MAINTAINED AND GARAGE KEPT. THE Y SHOW NO SIGNS OF COLLATERAL DAMAGE SUCH AS HEAT OF SUN EFFECTS. THE TIRE FAILURE OCCURRED SUDDENLY AND WITHOUT WARNING OR EVIDENCE OF AN IMPENDING FAILURE. I FEEL THAT THE RECALL EFFORTS TOWARDS FIRESTONE SHOULD BE EXPANDED TO COVER ALL OF THEIR DEFECTIVE PRODUCT. THESE TIRES ARE ALSO "VD" PLANT CODE TIRES AND THIS FAILURE SUPPORTS THAT THIS PLANT IS THE SOURCE OF OTHER DAMGEROUS PRODUCT.*AK (DOT NUMBER: VDOP/WC TIRESIZE: 215/85R16)
19990430FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE, OWNER STATED THAT EARLIER IN THE DAY ALTERNATOR WORK WAS DONE, DUE TO PROBLEMS. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). MJS
19990430FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR
ENGINE FIRE, OWNER STATED THAT EARLIER IN THE DAY ALTERNATOR WORK WAS DONE, DUE TO PROBLEMS. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT). MJS
19990316FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
ABOUT 3:15 P.M. ON MONDAY, 8 MARCH 1999 I EXITED THE OHIO TURNPIKE AT THE BLUE HERON SERVICE AREA, PARKED MY 1986 FORD E-350 VAN BEFORE THE TRAVELERS SERVICES BUILDING, PUT THE IGNITION KEY INTO MY POCKET, AND WENT INTO THE RESTROOM. WHEN I RETURNED TO M
19990316FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS SEE E-MAIL WHICH IM SENDING AS BEST I KNOW HOW -- SORRY FOR CLUTSYNESS. RJD
19960919FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
CONSUMER STATES THAT HE HAS REPLACED THE REAR GAS SENDER IN THE REAR GAS TANK, REPLACED (4) TIMES IN A (10) YEAR PERIOD. TIME TO BE REPLACED ONCE AGAIN.*AK
19960725FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED 3 TIMES, THIRD OCCURRENCE FIRE. *SD
19960502ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
OIL FILTER ADAPTER EXTENSION CONTINUOUSLY LOOSENS. *DSH
19960419FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE VEHICLE KEPT TRYING TO START ITSELF AND THEN WENT UP IN FLAMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19951012SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM
INSTALLED REAR BRAKE SHOES.
19951012POWER TRAIN:AXLE ASSEMBLY:AXLE SHAFT:SEAL
REPLACED REAR BRAKES DUE TO AXLE SEAL LEAKAGE. *AK
19951012POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DIFFERENTIAL UNIT
REPLACED DIFFERENTIAL.
Compare 1986FORDE350 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 FORD E350 have?▼
The 1986 FORD E350 has 13 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 7 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 FORD E350?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 FORD E350 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:DRUM.
Is the 1986 FORD E350 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.