Total Complaints
2 filings
FORD F-SERIES · model year
1987 FORD F-SERIES
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-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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports 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). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 1 investigation file overlapping the 1987 F-SERIES. 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 |
|---|---|
| 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 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-SERIES; 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.