FORD F-250 · model year

1990 FORD F-250

5 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990FORDF-250 carries 5 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 1990 F-250 is fuel system, gasoline with 1 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (1) and steering (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 177 investigation files overlapping the 1990 F-250, and 8 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.

5
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

5 filings

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

ComponentCount
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
STEERING1
SUSPENSION1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

20201109FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 50 MPH, THE CONTACT SWITCHED FROM THE FRONT FUEL TANK TO THE REAR FUEL TANK WHICH CAUSED THE REAR FUEL GAUGE TO READ EMPTY. THE CONTACT STATED AFTER FILLING THE REAR GAS TANK, GASOLINE STARTED LEAKING FROM THE FRONT TANK WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT IMMEDIATELY SHUT-OFF THE VEHICLE TO PREVENT A POTENTIAL FIRE HAZARD. UPON INVESTIGATION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 93V125000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE) WHICH HE LINKED TO THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VIN WAS NOT UNDER RECALL. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS PROVIDED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 143,000.

Mileage: 143,000

20141217STEERING

TWICE I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING DOWN A STREET I TRAVEL OFTEN WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE A VIOLENT SHAKING HAS OCCURRED IN THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY TRUCK, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK. THIS VIOLENT SHAKING, I HAVE BEEN TOLD, IS CALLED A DEATH WOBBLE AND VERY NEARLY SENT ME HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER CAR. AFTER THE FIRST TIME THE TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING I CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK AND TIGHTENED THE BOLTS THAT HOLD EACH SIDE OF THE INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION BECAUSE A COUPLE WERE MISSING AND THE OTHERS HAD LOOSENED. THE SECOND TIME THE SHAKING OCCURRED IT FELT AS IF IT BROKE BELTS IN MY TIRES AND NO LONGER RIDES SMOOTH. I CHECKED UNDER THE TRUCK TODAY AND THE SHAKING HAS ALSO BROKEN THE STEERING STABILIZER OFF OF THE FRONT AXLE OF MY TRUCK. AFTER LOOKING AT RECALLS TODAY, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR A 1989 F-250 FOR FRONT END COMPONENTS, BUT NO SUCH LUCK WITH MY TRUCK ALTHOUGH, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE THE SAME FRONT AXLE AND STEERING COMPONENTS. IT WOULD BE NICE TO H

Mileage: 160,000

20141217SUSPENSION

TWICE I HAVE BEEN TRAVELING DOWN A STREET I TRAVEL OFTEN WHEN OUT OF NO WHERE A VIOLENT SHAKING HAS OCCURRED IN THE STEERING WHEEL OF MY TRUCK, AS WELL AS THE ENTIRE FRONT END OF THE TRUCK. THIS VIOLENT SHAKING, I HAVE BEEN TOLD, IS CALLED A DEATH WOBBLE AND VERY NEARLY SENT ME HEAD ON INTO ANOTHER CAR. AFTER THE FIRST TIME THE TRUCK BEGAN SHAKING I CRAWLED UNDER THE TRUCK AND TIGHTENED THE BOLTS THAT HOLD EACH SIDE OF THE INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION BECAUSE A COUPLE WERE MISSING AND THE OTHERS HAD LOOSENED. THE SECOND TIME THE SHAKING OCCURRED IT FELT AS IF IT BROKE BELTS IN MY TIRES AND NO LONGER RIDES SMOOTH. I CHECKED UNDER THE TRUCK TODAY AND THE SHAKING HAS ALSO BROKEN THE STEERING STABILIZER OFF OF THE FRONT AXLE OF MY TRUCK. AFTER LOOKING AT RECALLS TODAY, IT APPEARS THAT THERE IS A RECALL FOR A 1989 F-250 FOR FRONT END COMPONENTS, BUT NO SUCH LUCK WITH MY TRUCK ALTHOUGH, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE THE SAME FRONT AXLE AND STEERING COMPONENTS. IT WOULD BE NICE TO H

Mileage: 160,000

20130506FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 FORD F250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS FAILED AND CAUSED GASOLINE TO OVERFLOW INTO THE SECOND TANK. RESULTING IN A FUEL LEAK. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION. THE FAILURE WAS LOCATED AT THE FUEL CAP. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 127,586.

Mileage: 127,586

20111230FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1990 FORD F-250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A DAYS AFTER SWITCHING ONE OF THE FUEL TANKS, FUEL STARTED TO SPEW OUT OF THE FILLER NECK. THE CONTACT STATED THAT ONCE THE CAP WAS RELEASE AND THE ENGINE WAS TURNED OFF, THE FUEL SPILL COULD BE STOPPED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE RETURN VALVE WAS STUCK BETWEEN THE TANKS, WHICH CAUSED FUEL TO ENTER THE SECOND TANK AND OVERFLOW. AS A RESULT THE FUEL PUMP FAILURE, THE JUMPER AND THE ROLL-OVER VALVES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE WHO DID NOT OFFER ANY ASSISTANCE SINCE THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER: 93V125000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY). THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 116,105.

Mileage: 116,105

Compare 1990FORDF-250 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations 8 Open

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 FORD F-250 have?
The 1990 FORD F-250 has 5 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1990 FORD F-250?
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD F-250 is FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and STEERING.
Is the 1990 FORD F-250 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.