Total Complaints
7 filings
FORD ECONOLINE · model year
1986 FORD ECONOLINE
7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1986FORDECONOLINE 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, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1986 ECONOLINE is power train:automatic transmission with 1 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic (1) and fuel system, gasoline:fuel injection system (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1986 ECONOLINE. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
7
Complaints
1
Crashes
3
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| TIRES | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20020529FireENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE
WHILE DRIVER WAS CHECKING OIL, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT ON FIRE UNDER THE HOOD AND THE GAS STATION ATTENDANT GOT THE FIRE OUT (OHIO POLICE REPORT 310-90-116)). *YD
20001010TIRES
TIRES WERE PURCHSASED AS REPLACEMENTS FOR ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT. (DOT NUMBER: VN11 83A 0 TIRESIZE: LT245/75R1)
19980522FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FAILED CAUSING VEHICLE FIRE.
19960506FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:INTERIOR/UNDER DASH
WHILE DRIVING TRUCK SHUT DOWN. TRUCK STARTED SMOKING FROM DASH, SHOWING REDNESS UNDERNEATH CONSOLE. PLEASE DESCRIBE DETAILS. *AK
19960417FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM
FUEL INJECTION REGULATOR FAILED. *SD
19960229SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
BRAKES FAILED 2 TIMES PRIOR TO RECALL ( 86V174). *SD
19950717CrashPOWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE, THE TRANSMISSION SLIPPED OUT OF PARK INTO REVERSE. TT
Compare 1986FORDECONOLINE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1986 FORD ECONOLINE have?▼
The 1986 FORD ECONOLINE has 7 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1986 FORD ECONOLINE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1986 FORD ECONOLINE is POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM.
Is the 1986 FORD ECONOLINE 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 vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 1986 FORD ECONOLINE; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.