Total Complaints
15 filings
FORD E350 · model year
1988 FORD E350
15 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1988FORDE350 carries 15 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 4 fires, 2 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 1988 E350 is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:master cylinder with 2 filings, followed by suspension:front (1) and fuel system, gasoline (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 1988 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
1
Crashes
4
Fires
2
Injuries
0
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 2 |
| SUSPENSION:FRONT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20080814SUSPENSION
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1988 FORD E350. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SHIMMIED WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FAILURE USUALLY OCCURS WHEN DRIVING OVER BUMPS. HE TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS AND VARIOUS REPAIRS WERE MADE TO THE STEERING COMPONENTS. NONE OF THE REPAIRS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REMEDIED THE FAILURE. THE DEALER STATED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 88V015000 (SUSPENSION). THE CONTACT WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE REPAIR COSTS. THE VEHICLE HAS NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 135,000.
Mileage: 110,000
20050128FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:MANIFOLD/HEADER/MUFFLER/TAIL PIPE
I HAVE JUST PURCHASED A 1988 ESCAPER 26FT C CLASS MOTORHOME ON A FORD E350 CHASSIS. THE VEHICLE HAS ONLY 30,000 MILES ON IT AND WAS PURCHASED FROM A PRIVATE PARTY IN CALIFORNIA. I WAS RETURNING WITH IT TO MY HOME IN TEXAS WHEN JUST OUTSIDE OF PHOENIX A FIRE BROKE OUT UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE WAS PUT OUT, BUT EXTENSIVE DAMAGE OCCURRED. IT APPEARS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM HAD MELTED THE INSULATION ON THE FLOORBOARD AND THE FIRE STARTED THERE. THE INSPECTOR WHO PERFORMED THE INITIAL INSPECTION AND INFORMED ME THAT THE FORD MOTORHOMES THAT YEAR AND THE NEXT WERE PROWN TO EXHAUST FIRES BECAUSE THEY HAD NO SECONDARY HEAT SHIELDS AROUND THE CONVERTER/MUFFLER, AND THAT THE LATER YEAR MODELS WERE EQUIPPED WITH THEM. CAN THIS BE TRUE? AND IS THERE ANY RECOURSE AGAINST THE MANUFACTURER? THANK YOU. *AK
Mileage: 31,545
19991116VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
WHILE DRIVING THROTTLE CABLE POPPED OUT OF THE PLASTIC BRACKET,(WHICH THERE WASNO PART HOLDING DOWN THE THROTTLE CABLE, CAUSING VEHICLE TO IDLE AND LOSS OF POWER. THS COULD HAVE RESULTED IN A CRASH. SAME INCIDENT HAPPEN TO A FORD BRONCO. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. *AK
19990926VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
THROTTLE FAILURE RESULTING IMMEDIATE DROP TO FAST IDLE SPEED.
19970324SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP
UPON APPLYING FORCE TO THE BRAKE PEDAL THE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR, CAUSING EXTENDED STOPPING DISTANCE AND BRAKES FADING AWAY. AFTER PUMPING THE BRAKES, THE CONSUMER NOTICED THE BRAKES WERE FUNCTIONING. *AK
19960923FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WIRING HARNESS SHORTED, CAUSING FIRE.
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER. *AK
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
TURNED FRONT DISC ROTORS. *AK
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS
REPLACED FRONT/REAR DISC PADS. *AK
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DRUM:WHEEL CYLINDERS
REBUILD REAR WHEEL CYLINDERS. *AK
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER
REPLACED MASTER CYLINDER. *AK
19960529SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
REBUILD FRONT DISC CALIPER. *AK
19960502ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION DOES NOT TURN EASILY, STICKS IN START OR ACCESSORY POSITION, ALSO, ACCESSORIES FAIL WHEN STUCK IN ACCESSORY POSITION. *DSH
19960213FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
THE CAR WAS PARKED AND A NEIGHBOR CALLED THE OWNER AND TOLD HIM HIS CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS IN FRONT BY THE STEERING. TT
19951215CrashFireSUSPENSION:FRONT
THE DRIVER SKID OFF THE ROAD AND BUMPED A TREE. THEN THE VAN WENT UP IN FLAMES. PLEASE DESCRIBE. TT
Compare 1988FORDE350 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1988 FORD E350 have?▼
The 1988 FORD E350 has 15 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 4 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1988 FORD E350?▼
The most-complained component for the 1988 FORD E350 is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION:FRONT and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 1988 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.