Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD F-150 · model year
1987 FORD F-150
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDF-150 carries 2 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 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 F-150 is fuel/propulsion system with 2 filings. 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 9 investigation files overlapping the 1987 F-150, and 1 remain open. 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.
2
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
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 |
|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
Recent Complaints
20170126FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
PROBLEM WITH THE DUEL FUEL TANKS, AFTER FILLING THE REAR FUEL TANK I STARTED SMELLING GAS FUMES WHILE DRIVING ON CITY STREETS. I PULLED OVER TO CHECK AND GAS WAS LEAKING FROM BENEATH THE TRUCK . WHEN I OPENED THE FRONT TANK GAS CAP , FUEL SPEWED OUT AS IF IT WAS UNDER PRESSURE. AT THAT TIME I WAS OPERATING ON THE REAR TANK. I OPENED THE REAR GAS TANK CAP AND NOTHING HAPPENED. I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS ISSUE HAS HAPPENED BEFORE AND AN EXTENDED SAFETY " RECALL " WAS ISSUED BY THE MANUFACTURER. IT SEEMS THE PROBLEM HAS RESURFACED AND NEEDS TO BE DEALT WITH AGAIN BY " FORD " AS , ONCE AGAIN THE IS A SAFETY ISSUE. I BOUGHT THIS TRUCK FOR MY GRANDSONS FIRST VEHICLE AND IT ONLY HAS 114,450 MILES ON IT. I ONLY DRIVE FORD PRODUCTS. *TR
Mileage: 114,450
20130625FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
DRIVING HOME, ENGINE STARTED SPUTTERING, STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. GAS SPILLING FROM FRONT GAS CAP. I HAVE HAD THIS IN FOR REPAIRS AND NO ONE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. VEHICLE STARTS AT TIMES BUT SEEMS TO BE FLOODING ITSELF OUT AND GAS CONTINUES TO SPILL FROM FRONT TANK. I BELIEVE THIS TO BE A RATHER SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUE BUT FORD WANTS $900 TO FIX. NOTE: THEY HAVE ALREADY CHARGES ME $200 FOR A REPAIR THAT THE VEHICLE DID NOT REQUIRE. *TR
Mileage: 128,013
Compare 1987FORDF-150 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25002Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
RQ24005Recall QueryClosed
Unintended Transmission Downshift
PE18008Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Seatbelt Pretensioner Fire
RQ16001Recall QueryClosed
Brake Master Cylinder Failure
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 FORD F-150 have?▼
The 1987 FORD F-150 has 2 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1987 FORD F-150?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD F-150 is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include various components.
Is the 1987 FORD F-150 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.