Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD F-150 · model year
1987 FORD F-150
2 NHTSA complaints. 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 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 1987 F-150 is fuel/propulsion system with 2 filings. Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 9 investigation files overlapping the 1987 F-150, and 1 remain open. 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.
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 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 1987 FORD F-150; 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.