Total Complaints
3 filings
FORD F SERIES (LIGHT) · model year
1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT)
3 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 1996FORDF SERIES (LIGHT) carries 3 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 1996 F SERIES (LIGHT) is tires:tread/belt with 2 filings, followed by electrical system:wiring:front underhood (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 179 investigation files overlapping the 1996 F SERIES (LIGHT), and 6 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.
3
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 |
|---|---|
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20001002TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHEN THE FIRST TIRE FAILED WE WERE ON I-70. A VIBRATION OCCURRED AND THEN THE TIRE LOST ABOUT HALF OF ITS TREAD. WE CHANGED THE TIRE AND RETURNED HOME SAFELY. THE SECOND TIRE BEGAN VIBRATING ON I-90 JUST BEFORE BUFFALO WY. BEING ONLY ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE CAMPGROUND WE SLOWLY MADE IT IN AND CHANGED THE TIRE THERE. THE NEXT MORING WE DROVE TO SHERIDAN, WY TO A FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE PLUS BALANCING. LATER I DISCOVERED THE FIRESTONE DEALER REPLACED MY LOAD RANGE E TIRE WITH A LOAD RANGE D TIRE. THE THIRD TIRE BLEW WITHOUT WARNING ON I-70 THROWING THE TREAD INTO MY TOW VEHICLE AND THEN JAMMING IT INTO THE TOW DOLLY. CHANGE THE TIRE AND NOW I WITHOUT A SPARE. THE FORTH TIRE BEGAN VIBRATING, I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND ANOTHER SEPARATED TIRE. NOT HAVING A SPARE WE SLOWLY TRAVELED TO GOODLAND, KS TO TRY AND FIND A TIRE. BEING A HOLIDAY WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING TO PURCHASE TWO MORE TIRES. WITH THE TWO NEW TIRES NOW ON THE
20001002TIRES:TREAD/BELT
WHEN THE FIRST TIRE FAILED WE WERE ON I-70. A VIBRATION OCCURRED AND THEN THE TIRE LOST ABOUT HALF OF ITS TREAD. WE CHANGED THE TIRE AND RETURNED HOME SAFELY. THE SECOND TIRE BEGAN VIBRATING ON I-90 JUST BEFORE BUFFALO WY. BEING ONLY ABOUT ONE MILE FROM THE CAMPGROUND WE SLOWLY MADE IT IN AND CHANGED THE TIRE THERE. THE NEXT MORING WE DROVE TO SHERIDAN, WY TO A FIRESTONE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE TIRE FREE OF CHARGE PLUS BALANCING. LATER I DISCOVERED THE FIRESTONE DEALER REPLACED MY LOAD RANGE E TIRE WITH A LOAD RANGE D TIRE. THE THIRD TIRE BLEW WITHOUT WARNING ON I-70 THROWING THE TREAD INTO MY TOW VEHICLE AND THEN JAMMING IT INTO THE TOW DOLLY. CHANGE THE TIRE AND NOW I WITHOUT A SPARE. THE FORTH TIRE BEGAN VIBRATING, I PULLED OVER AND INSPECTED THE TIRES AND FOUND ANOTHER SEPARATED TIRE. NOT HAVING A SPARE WE SLOWLY TRAVELED TO GOODLAND, KS TO TRY AND FIND A TIRE. BEING A HOLIDAY WE HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING TO PURCHASE TWO MORE TIRES. WITH THE TWO NEW TIRES NOW ON THE
19960425ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD
WIRING HARNESS LOCATED ON TOP OF TRUCKS FRAME, CUT BY SEAM IN CABS FLOORBOARD, CAUSING SHORT WHICH CAUSED ALTERNATOR TO FAIL. *DSH
Compare 1996FORDF SERIES (LIGHT) to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 6 Open
EA26004Engineering AnalysisOpen
Timing Belt Failure
DP26004Defect PetitionOpen
Anti-lock brake system (ABS) Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) illuminated
EA26001Engineering AnalysisOpen
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
PE25020Preliminary EvaluationClosed
Timing Belt Failure
DP25001Defect PetitionClosed
Underbody shields detachment
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT) have?▼
The 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT) has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT)?▼
The most-complained component for the 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT) is TIRES:TREAD/BELT with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FRONT UNDERHOOD.
Is the 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT) 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 1996 FORD F SERIES (LIGHT); 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.