Total Complaints
15 filings
FORD E350 · model year
1987 FORD E350
15 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDE350 carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 4 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 1987 E350 is structure with 4 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (2) and electrical system:ignition:switch (2). 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 1987 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.
15
Complaints
0
Crashes
4
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 |
|---|---|
| STRUCTURE | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20050727ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL
LEAK FROM ON TOP OF FRONT FUEL TANK IN THE AREA OF THE VAPOR VALVE GROMMET. SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM AS REPORTED IN NHTSA 87V111000. IN RELATION TO NHTSA #87V144000 188,000 VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED. WERE ALL 1987 E350, CLUB WAGONS, WITH 7.5 LITER ENGINES INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL? FORD DEALERSHIP STATES MY VAN HAS NOT BEEN UNDER ANY RECALLS PAST OR PRESENT.
20050727FUEL SYSTEM, OTHER:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY:PRESSURE RELIEF DEVICES
LEAK FROM ON TOP OF FRONT FUEL TANK IN THE AREA OF THE VAPOR VALVE GROMMET. SOUNDS LIKE THE SAME PROBLEM AS REPORTED IN NHTSA 87V111000. IN RELATION TO NHTSA #87V144000 188,000 VEHICLES WERE AFFECTED. WERE ALL 1987 E350, CLUB WAGONS, WITH 7.5 LITER ENGINES INVOLVED IN THIS RECALL? FORD DEALERSHIP STATES MY VAN HAS NOT BEEN UNDER ANY RECALLS PAST OR PRESENT.
20001219TIRES
WHILE DRIVING, A TIRE (NO MAKE/MODEL PROVIDED) EXPERIENCED A BLOWOUT, CAUSING DAMAGE TO THE LEFT REAR FENDER. (OHIO TRAFFIC CRASH REPORT) *SLC
19990330SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKING SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE WHICH MAY RESULT IN AN ACCIDENT. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19981014FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
ENGINE FIRE. (OHIO STATE POLICE REPORT).
19960601FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE. *SD
19960514FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
THE TRUCK WAS PARKED AND TRIED TO START ITSELF WITHOUT THE KEY AND THEN CAUGHT ON FIRE FROM THE IGNITON SWITCH. PLEASE DESCRIBE. *AK
19960425STRUCTURE
HAND RAIL FAILED ON BUS NUMBER 125. (SECOND VEHICLE ON 503019) *DSH
19960425STRUCTURE
HAND RAIL FAILED ON BUS NUMBER 126. (THIRD VEHICLE ON 503019) *DSH
19960425STRUCTURE
HAND RAIL FAILED ON BUS NUMBER 127. (FOURTH VEHICLE ON 503019) *DSH
19960425STRUCTURE
HAND RAIL FAILED ON BUS NUMBER 124. (FIRST VEHICLE ON 503019) *DSH
19951102SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
PEDAL FADED TO THE FLOOR, RESULTING IN LONG STOPPING DISTANCE, POSSIBLE DUE TO OVERHEATING OF THE BRAKE FLUID. TT
19950608FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
AFTERMARKET OEM TANKS WHEN FULL OF FUEL PRESSURIZE TO A POINT THAT FUEL - NOT VAPORS - WILL BE RELEASED OUT THROUGH GAS CAP. *SKD
19950608FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM
EMISSION CANISTERS LOCATED OUTSIDE FRAME RAIL CAN BECOME SATURATED AND LEAK FUEL AND DRIP FUEL COULD CONTRACT EXHAUST PIPE, RESULTING IN FIRE. *SKD
19950106SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
VEHICLE HAS FRONT ROTORS BOTH CRACKED, POSSIBLY METAL FATIGUE. TT
Compare 1987FORDE350 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 FORD E350 have?▼
The 1987 FORD E350 has 15 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 4 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 FORD E350?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD E350 is STRUCTURE with 4 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH.
Is the 1987 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.