Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD F-SERIES · model year
1987 FORD F-SERIES
2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDF-SERIES 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-SERIES is electrical system:ignition:switch with 1 filings, followed by exterior lighting:hazard flashing warning lights (1) and service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (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 F-SERIES. 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 |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20110627ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD MOTOR COMPANY RECALLED 7.5 MILLION TRUCKS WITH DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES MADE FROM 1988-1996. THEIR LOGIC WAS THAT THE DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCHES BEGAN BEING USED IN 5/87, THUS NOT RECALLING 83-87 MODELS. MY COMPLAINT IS THAT I HAVE A LATE MODEL 87 PRODUCED 6/87, WHICH BY FORD'S OWN LOGIC, HAS A DEFECTIVE IGNITION SWITCH, BUT NO RECALL ON 87 MODELS. I WOULD LIKE FOR THE NHTSA TO PETITION FORD TO STEP UP AND RECALL LATE MODEL 87 TRUCKS TO REPLACE THIS IGNITION SWITCH. MY TRUCK HASN'T CAUGHT FIRE YET, BUT IT HAS SMOKED FROM THE STEERING COLUMN ONCE BEFORE AND I DON'T SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT KNOWING I MIGHT WAKE UP TO A FLAMING TRUCK. *TR
Mileage: 86,500
20030825EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, HAVE BROUGHT UP SOME SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY EMPLOYER AND THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT IT'LL BE "OK"TO LEAVE THESE VEHICLES IN SERVICE.BUCKET TRUCKS IN SERVICE IN THE BRISTOL,VIRGINIA AREA.*AK EDWARDS TELECOMMUNICATIONS INC.BASED OUT OF CHESTER,SC. IS A SUBCONTRACTOR OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA UTILITY BOARD. SOME OF OUR CONCERNS ARE STROBE LIGHTS NOT WORKING,BUCKETS NOT GREASED,FLUIDS LEAKING OUT OF TRUCKS,BRAKES GOING TO THE FLOOR AT STOPLIGHTS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE EMPLOYEES SAFETY,WHICH IS WHY I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
20030825SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, HAVE BROUGHT UP SOME SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEMS WITH MY EMPLOYER AND THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT IT'LL BE "OK"TO LEAVE THESE VEHICLES IN SERVICE.BUCKET TRUCKS IN SERVICE IN THE BRISTOL,VIRGINIA AREA.*AK EDWARDS TELECOMMUNICATIONS INC.BASED OUT OF CHESTER,SC. IS A SUBCONTRACTOR OF BRISTOL VIRGINIA UTILITY BOARD. SOME OF OUR CONCERNS ARE STROBE LIGHTS NOT WORKING,BUCKETS NOT GREASED,FLUIDS LEAKING OUT OF TRUCKS,BRAKES GOING TO THE FLOOR AT STOPLIGHTS. THERE SEEMS TO BE A GENERAL LACK OF CONCERN FOR THE EMPLOYEES SAFETY,WHICH IS WHY I AM BRINGING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
19970527FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH
IGNITION SWITCH FIRE.
Compare 1987FORDF-SERIES to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1987 FORD F-SERIES have?▼
The 1987 FORD F-SERIES 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-SERIES?▼
The most-complained component for the 1987 FORD F-SERIES is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS and SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS.
Is the 1987 FORD F-SERIES 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.