FORD F-SERIES · model year

1990 FORD F-SERIES

2 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 1990FORDF-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 1990 F-SERIES is service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip with 1 filings, followed by fuel system, gasoline:storage:tank assembly (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 1990 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

Total Complaints

2 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
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP1
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY1

Recent Complaints

20010307FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY

WHILE TRAVELING 55 MPH, RESERVE TANK FILLED INTO PRIMARY TANK EVEN THOUGH THE OTHER TANK WAS FULL, THERE IS A RECALL 93V125 DEALING WITH THIS HOWEVER CONSUMER PAID FOR THE REPAIR. *SLC

19970325SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP

ANTILOCK BRAKES LOCKED UP DUE TO CALIPERS RUSTING.

Compare 1990FORDF-SERIES to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 1990 FORD F-SERIES have?
The 1990 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 1990 FORD F-SERIES?
The most-complained component for the 1990 FORD F-SERIES is SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY.
Is the 1990 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.