Total Complaints
19 filings
FORD ECONOLINE · model year
1987 FORD ECONOLINE
19 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDECONOLINE carries 19 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 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 ECONOLINE is service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components:disc:caliper with 2 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (2) and fuel system, gasoline:delivery (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 1 investigation file overlapping the 1987 ECONOLINE. 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.
19
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
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 |
|---|---|
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES | 1 |
| SEATS | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | 1 |
| PARKING BRAKE | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20031024VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL
THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL MECHANISM FAILED WHICH CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO ACCELERATE RAPIDLY. **JB
Mileage: 110,000
20030807PARKING BRAKE
PROBLEMS WITH HEATING SYSTEM, STEERING, AND PARKING BRAKE. *MR *SCC *JB
20030807VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:HEATER CORE
PROBLEMS WITH HEATING SYSTEM, STEERING, AND PARKING BRAKE. *MR *SCC *JB
20030807STEERING
PROBLEMS WITH HEATING SYSTEM, STEERING, AND PARKING BRAKE. *MR *SCC *JB
20030528ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE BASE OF THE ENGINE, WHICH HELD THE COMPONENT IN PLACE. *TT *SCC *JB
20010604SEATS
WHILE DRIVING DRIVER'S SEAT SEPARATED FROM TRACKS. *AK
20000329SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED SEVERAL TIMES. YH
19990715VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AFTER THE SPEED CONTROL WAS DEACTIVATED. DRIVER PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND SHUT ENGINE OFF TO STOP VEHICLE . BUT ENGINE RACED SO HARD THE THROTTLE CABLE BLEW. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK
19990715VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:CABLES
VEHICLE SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AFTER THE SPEED CONTROL WAS DEACTIVATED. DRIVER PUT VEHICLE IN NEUTRAL, AND SHUT ENGINE OFF TO STOP VEHICLE . BUT ENGINE RACED SO HARD THE THROTTLE CABLE BLEW. THE DEALER HAS REPAIRED THE VEHICLE AT THE OWNERS EXPENSE. *AK
19980415FireFUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, IGNITION WAS ON., DRIVER NOTICED THAT VEHICLE HAD ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE INSPECTOR SAID THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS A FAULTY SLIP ON FUEL LINE . THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN NOTIFIED. *AK
19980223POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
WHILE DRIVING THE VAN ABOUT 35 MPH THE VAN STARTED SHAKING AND MAKING A VERY STRANGE NOISE AND IT BECAME DIFFICULT TO STEER. WHEN TAKING TO MECHANIC, MECHANIC STATED THAT PROBLEM WAS DUE TO THE DRIVESHAFT BEING ALUMINUM. THE DRIVESHAFT WAS REPLACED WITH A IRON DRIVESHAFT. *AK
19970620FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:AUXILLARY TANK:SELECTOR DEVICES
A MALFUNCTION IN THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE , CAUSING FUEL IN THE FRONT TANK TO FLOW TO BACK TANK, RESULTING IN FUEL SPILLAGE. *AK
19970602SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
WHILE DRIVING MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY, BRAKES GET HOT, FLUID BOILED, RESULTING IN NO BRAKES, FREE WHEELING, COULD HAVE CAUSED CRASH, DEALER REPLACED BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS, FLUSHED BRAKE SYSTEM, REPLACED WITH DIFFERENT BRAKE FLUID. *AK
19970602SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
WHILE DRIVING MOUNTAINOUS COUNTRY, BRAKES GET HOT, FLUID BOILED, RESULTING IN NO BRAKES, FREE WHEELING, COULD HAVE CAUSED CRASH, DEALER REPLACED BRAKE PADS/CALIPERS, FLUSHED BRAKE SYSTEM, REPLACED WITH DIFFERENT BRAKE FLUID. *AK
19970527ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
IGNITION PROBLEM CAUSED AN OVERFLOW OF FUEL INTO THE EXHAUST SYSTEM, ALLOWING VIOLENT GAS EXPLOSIONS (BACKFIRE) WHICH SPLIT THE MUFFLER AT SEAM. *AK
19970424SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
BRAKES FAILED 5 TIMES.
19960820FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING
AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CAUSED THE ENGINE TO CATCH ON FIRE WHILE VEHICLE WAS PARKED. PLEASE DESCRIBE.
19951030SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER
FRONT TWO CALIPERS SEIZED DUE TO OVERHEATING, DIFFICULTY STOPPING VEHICLE. TT
19950714FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY
WHEN OPENNING GAS CAP ON ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS GAS LINES BURSTED. *AK
Compare 1987FORDECONOLINE to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 FORD ECONOLINE have?▼
The 1987 FORD ECONOLINE has 19 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 FORD ECONOLINE?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD ECONOLINE is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:CALIPER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY.
Is the 1987 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 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.