Total Complaints
51 filings
FORD F250 · model year
51 NHTSA complaints, 2 crash reports for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 1987FORDF250 carries 51 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 2 crashes, 14 fires, 1 injury, 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 F250 is electrical system:ignition:switch with 11 filings, followed by service brakes, hydraulic:foundation components (5) and engine and engine cooling:engine:gasoline (4). 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 1987 F250, 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.
Total Complaints
51 filings
Crashes Reported
2 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:SWITCH | 11 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS | 5 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE | 4 |
| STEERING: STEERING WHEEL/HANDLE BAR | 3 |
| POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP | 2 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:MASTER CYLINDER | 2 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY | 2 |
| TIRES:TREAD/BELT | 2 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM | 1 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST:HYDRAULIC | 1 |
| SUSPENSION | 1 |
| VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD | 1 |
| WHEELS:HUBCAP/COVER | 1 |
WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH THE REAR DRIVER SIDE TIRE TREAD SEPARATED WITHOUT WARNING. PLEASE PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. *JB
Mileage: 135,000
BRIDGETONE, LT235/85R16, DOT: UNKNOWN. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE LEFT REAR TIRE TREAD SEPARATED. AS RESULT THE BUMPER, TAIL PIPE AND FENDER WAS DAMAGED. *AK *JB
WITH NO WARNING, RT FRONT TIRE BLEW APART. LOUD, LOUD BANG AND TRUCK JERKED ONTO THE SHOULDER, UP OVER A 2 FOOT HIGH BERM, AND TOOK NEARLY 300 YARDS TO STOP. NOTHING SEEN IN THE ROAD THAT I MAY HAVE HIT, TIRES HAD JUST BEEN SERVICED 1 WEEK PRIOR. (WE ARE EXTREMELY WE DID NOT ROLL OVER) TIRE HAS 4-5 SLITS GOING FROM TIRE BEAD TO TIRE TREAD, AND LOOKS LIKE THE TIRE BLEW RIGHT ACROSS THE TREAD. I DO HAVE THE TIRE, AND RETRIEVED SEVERAL FEET OF TREAD. HAVE NOT CONTACTED THE DEALER, AS I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE IT. OTHER DOT NUMBERS ON THE OTHER 3 TIRES ARE AS FOLLOWS (THE DOT # I GAVE EARLIER APPEARS TO BE CORRECT, HOWEVER, DAMAGE TO THE NUMBER OCCURRED) DOT VDOR 8AC 315, VDOR 8AC 076, VDOR 8AC 076. TIRES HAVE APPROXIMATELY 5000 MILES ON THEM AND WERE PURCHASED AT THE EDWARDS AFB EXCHANGE, EDWARDS AFB CA. 93524, ON 01/05/97. CAN YOU TELL ME IF THERE HAVE BEEN OTHER FAILURES SUCH AS THIS, AND ARE THERE ANY RECALLS ON THIS TIRE? THANK YOU, [XXX]. *AK (DOT NUMBER: VDOR8AC245 TIRESIZ
THE CLUTCH FAILED TO DISENGAGE PROPERLY AND PLACED ME IN A HAZARDOUS DRIVING SITUATION. THIS CLUTCH IS HYDRAULICALLY OPERATED AND A DEALER REPAIR WAS TO REPLACE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER. THIS DID NOT CORRECT THE PROBLEM. I INVESTIGATED THE OPERATION OF THE CLUTCH AND FOUND THE CAB FIREWALL, WHERE THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER IS BOLTED TO IT, DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH STRENGTH TO SUPPORT THE CLUTCH OPERATIONAL STRESSES APPLIED TO IT. THIS FIREWALL HAD STARTED TO SEPARATE AND ALLOWED THE CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER TO MOVE WHEN IT WAS ACTUATED, THEREBY THE CLUTCH WAS NOT ABLE TO DISENGAGE.*AK
I HAVE OWNED 2 F250 PICKUPS. ONE 1983 AND ONE 1987. THEY BOTH HAVE HAD 2EA FAILURES OF THE FUEL LINE TO CARBURATOR FLOAT BOWL FITTING. THE FLOAT BOWL PART NUMBER FROM FORD IS E5TZ 9510-MB. THE THREADED BORE OF THE FLOAT BOWL BECOMES BELL SHAPED OVER TIME. THIS CAUSES FUEL TO LEAK BETWEEN THE FUEL LINE AND FRONT FLOAT BOWL. THIS FUELS LEAKS ON THE HOT MANIFOLD. FORD KNOWS OF THE PROBLEM AND SIMPLY RAISED THE PRICE ON THE REPLACEMENT PART TO EARN MORE PROFIT. IT USED TO BE LESS THAN $50 AND CURRENTLY IS OVER $80. I WILL SEND TWO SAMPLES OF THE PART SO YOU MAY SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT IS HAPPENING. THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND I HAVE NO DOUBT AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF FORD F250'S. *AK
DRIVER SEAT BROKE OFF FROM THE TRACKS AFTER REAR IMPACT AT 50 MPH. DEALER/MANUFACTURER NOTIFIED, AND INFORMED CONSUMER THAT VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, AND ITEM WAS NOT COVER UNDER A RECALL. NOTHING CAN BE DONE. *AK *ML
FUEL LEAKING EMITTING FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOLLEY CARBURETOR RESULTING IN VEHICLE FIRE. MJS
CRUISE CONTROL MALFUCTIONED, CAUSING CRUISE CONTROL TO GET STUCK IN THAT MODE. ALSO, BRAKES DID NOT WORK. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE COASTED, AND TURN OFF ENGINE IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. . *AK
CRUISE CONTROL MALFUCTIONED, CAUSING CRUISE CONTROL TO GET STUCK IN THAT MODE. ALSO, BRAKES DID NOT WORK. HAD TO HAVE VEHICLE COASTED, AND TURN OFF ENGINE IN ORDER TO STOP VEHICLE. . *AK
TRUCK CAUGHT ON FIRE AFTER 4 MONTH OF OWNERSHIP. FUEL LEAK INDICATED AS ENTIRE TRUCK AND ROAD WERE INFLAMED.
ACCIDENTAL FIRE, RESULTED FROM AN UNSPECIFIED FUEL LEAK EMITTING FROM THE FRONT OF THE HOLLEY CARBURETOR.
BRAKES FAILED DUE TO OVERHEATING OF FLUID, ALSO DAMAGING OTHER BRAKE COMPONENTS.
STEERING COLUMN BECOMES HOT DUE TO IGNITION SWITCH FAILURE.
CONSUMER PULLED OFF GRAVEL ROAD ONTO A BLACK TOP WHEN THE VEHICLE'S ORIGINAL SMOG LOCKED UP. THER WAS NO WARNING AT ALL. *AK
STEERING COLUMN AND THE TURNING LIGHTS WOULD NOT FUNCTION PROPERLY AFTER A LOT OF WORK.
PROBLEMS WITH BRAKE, REPLACE MASTER CYLINDER SEVERAL TIMES AND STILL LOST THE BRAKES ANYTIME THEY GOT HOT.
FAN BROKE AND A FIECE FLEW THRU THE HOO OF THE VEHICLE.
ENGINE BLEW UP, REPLACE ENGINE.
CONSUMER STATES THAT WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WILL CUT OFF GIVING THE DRIVER NO INDICATION. AFTER THE VEHICLE SHUTS OFF IT TAKES 5 HOURS FOR THE VEHICLE TO START.THE DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED . OWNER HAS REPALCED SEVERAL PARTS ON VEHICLE TRYING TO STOP THE SUDDEN CUT OFFS.
THE FAN BROKE AND A PIECE FLEW THROUGH THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE.
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
Timing Belt Failure
Underbody shields detachment
B-Pillar Trim Detachment
Unintended Transmission Downshift and Rear Wheel Lock-up
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.